10:43
Peter did not know what to expect when he went to
Cornelius’ house, but he preached his sermon with its emphasis on forgiveness
and got spectacular results as the Holy Spirit fell on the whole household.
Luke makes it clear in both the Gospel and Acts that forgiveness is
central to the Christian faith. God’s
forgiveness of me is to be matched by my forgiveness of others.
1. Is God’s forgiveness real to me?
2. How well have I practiced forgiveness in my life?
God of mercy, in Jesus Christ you offer forgiveness to all
who believe. May your Spirit move me
to faith and forgiveness. Amen.
Tuesday,
March 25, 2008
Read Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”
--Psalm 118:22
In the New Testament this verse is applied to Jesus.
He is the one who was rejected by those to whom he came, yet he has
become God’s way of salvation for all. But
it was not just Jesus’ contemporaries that rejected him. I
do not literally put him on the cross, but I often reject him by trying to
remake him into what I want him to be. Hard
as I try to make Jesus in my own image, he has a way of breaking through and
challenging me to come to know him as he is.
1. How have I tried to get Jesus to conform to my
expectations?
2. In what ways has Jesus confounded my attempts and challenged me to follow
him?
Prayer: Holy
God, confound my attempts to make you into what I want you to be.
Confront me and call me to follow in your way in Jesus Christ my savior.
Amen.
Wednesday,
March 26, 2008
Read Colossians 3:1-4
“for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
--Col. 3:3
It’s the Easter season and Paul is telling me that I have
died. I am not sure that I like
talking about death. Then comes the
punch line. My “life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Paul tells me that I have died to the old life, so that a new life in God
can be born. This new life is much
more that the old life that I left behind. It
is God’s gift to me in Jesus Christ, and it is guaranteed by God, the Creator
and Redeemer of the Universe. Now
that is Good News.
1. Do I trust the Good News to be good, or do I cling to my
old life?
2. Have I let go of the fear of death, knowing that my life is in God’s
faithful hands?
Prayer:
God of life, in Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life, you offer me life.
Take away my fear that I may truly live as one whose life is in you.
Amen.
Thursday,
March 27, 2008
Read Matthew 28:1-10
“And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord,
descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.”
--Matt. 28:2
Matthew makes several changes to Mark that make the empty
tomb story a lot more spectacular. Mark’s
young man is clearly identified as an angel.
The rolling back of the stone by the angel is added to the story.
But with all the changes Matthew, like all the Gospel writers, does not
try to describe the resurrection itself. He
understands that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is finally a mystery to be
proclaimed, not just an event to be narrated.
This is reiterated when the women are told not just once, but twice, the
first time by the angel and the second time by Jesus himself, to go and tell the
disciples what they have seen and heard. They
are to proclaim the mystery that Jesus has been raised from the dead.
1. How often to I take the opportunity to proclaim the
mystery of the faith?
2. Do I speak the words of life?
Prayer: Giver of
life, may I live as one who proclaims the mystery of faith in my words and in my
living. Amen.
Friday,
March 28, 2008
Read John 20:1-18
“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She
turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher).
–John
20:16
In this passage John tells two beautiful little stories
about how people come to faith. The
disciple whom Jesus loved saw the empty tomb and believed even though he did not
yet understand. Mary heard her
savior call her through her grief and reached out to embrace him.
I ask myself what it is that allows me to believe so strongly in the God
of our savior Jesus Christ. A lot of
it is because of the testimony of people I love and respect.
But finally it is my experience of Christ with me at crucial points in my
life that firms up my faith.
1. What brought me to faith in the first place?
2. What confirms my faith?
Prayer: My Lord
Jesus Christ, strengthen my faith with you presence.
Amen.
Saturday,
March 29, 2008
Read
John 20:1-18
"Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the
Lord.'"
--John 20:18a
Sometimes the simplest testimony is the most effective.
I had heard long arguments for the superiority of Christianity that did
not move me at all. Then I heard the
testimony of a woman bent in two by arthritis.
She radiated a serene faith. Her
trust in the Lord was more effective in dealing with her condition than all the
anti-depressant medication on the market. Mary
had it right. Tell what you have
seen and heard and experienced in the Lord, and the Holy Spirit will do the
rest.
1. Do I testify to what I believe with my words and my
deeds?
2. Who is in need of my testimony to the resurrection?
Prayer:
O God, I know that there are many nuances of the faith that yield only to
long study, but I also know that in the end faith comes through hearing the
testimony of the faithful. Give me
the heart to testify to my faith in you. Amen.
Sunday,
March 30, 2008
Second Sunday of Easter
Come to worship God with joy in your heart.
Monday,
March 31. 2008
Read
Psalm 16
“You show me the path of life. / In your presence there is fullness of joy; /
in your right hand are pleasures evermore.
–Psalm
16:11
The answer to the first question of the Westminster
Catechism says that my chief end is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
The Psalmist glorifies God in this psalm and then speaks of the
“fullness of joy” that she experiences in the presence of God.
I, too, have experienced that “fullness of joy,” but it seems to come
only sporadically. Maybe that is
because I focus on my experience instead of God’s care and faithfulness in
Jesus Christ. Joy is a gift, not an
achievement.
1. When have I experience that “fullness of joy” about
which the Psalmist is speaking?
2. Can I trust God to guard my joy for me even when I may not be feeling it?
Prayer:
Eternal God, help me to know that my joy comes from trusting you with my life in
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Read
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
“But God raised him up, having freed him from the pains of death, because it
was impossible for him to be held in its power.”
--Acts
2:24
Peter basically says that we humans screwed it up big time
as usual, but God did something totally unexpected to redeem the situation.
Because of what God has done even death has lost its power.
Because God freed Jesus from the pains of death, I too am freed from
death’s hold over me. Not much has
changed since Peter’s day. I, like
all humans, can still screw up big time, and God still does the unexpected.
1. Where in my life have I seen God do the unexpected?
2. Can I trust God to make things right?
Prayer: Life-giving
God, fill me with your Spirit of life, that I may speak life into the world in
Jesus Christ, my Savior. Amen.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Read 1 Peter 1:3-9
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” --1 Pet. 1:3
Once again it begins with God.
This time it is God who gives me hope.
The Greeks thought that hope was a mixed blessing and many today equate
hope with wishful thinking. Peter
tells us that hope is a gift from God that is made certain by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. I hope not because
I wish it were so, but because I trust the God who raised Jesus from the dead.
1. From where does my help and my hope come?
2. Is my hope grounded in the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Prayer:
Hope-giving God, fill me with the hope that comes only from trusting you in
Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Read
John 20:19-31
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent me, so I send you.’”
--John
20:21
Jesus came and stood among them and gave them a commission.
They were to be apostles, which means “sent ones.”
That sending out leads to the giving of the Holy Spirit and to the power
to forgive and retain sin. I think
it really has more to do with forgiving than retaining.
I am sent by Christ into the world to be an agent of forgiveness.
My life, powered by the Holy Spirit, is to embody forgiveness.
1. To forgive I need to let go of the desire to get even.
Can I?
2. Am I an agent of forgiveness?
Prayer: Our God,
in your mercy you have forgiven me in Jesus Christ.
Give me the Spirit to forgive others.
Amen.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Read
John 20:19-31
“Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God.’”
--John 20:28
He’s called Doubting Thomas, but all he wanted was the
chance to see for himself. Jesus
honored his request and Thomas then made the confession that the whole Gospel
had been pointing to. Then Jesus
declares a blessing on all those who will believe through the testimony of
others. That’s you and me.
Jesus offered himself to Thomas. Now
Jesus offers himself to me in many different ways, and I am sent out to become
one of those through whom Jesus offers himself to those I encounter.
I may not be Thomas, but I pray that I may be able to say to Christ in
truth: “My Lord and my God.”
1. How can I represent Jesus to others?
2. Have I through fear or neglect missed opportunities to make Christ known?
3. Who are those who need my testimony to the power of Christ in my life?
Prayer:
Jesus Christ, reach out to me that I may proclaim with my whole being: My Lord
and my God. Amen.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Read John 20:19-31
“But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the
Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his
name.” --John 20:31
Here is the crux. That
you may have life in his name. Through
believing? How can I have life
through believing? It is what I
believe that is important. To
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, entails believing certain
things about who God is. Some make a
virtue out of believing alone without specifying what it is that one believes.
But what I believe makes all the difference in how I live my life.
To believe in Jesus as the Christ is to do what the voice of God says on
the Mountain of Transfiguration: to listen to him.
God’s Son calls me to the way of the cross as the way of following him.
In following him I have life because I have come to trust the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
1. Have I found life in Christ?
2. How much does my belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God determine how I
live my life?
Prayer: Lord, I
believe, help my unbelief. Amen
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Third Sunday of Easter
Praise the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Read Psalm 116
“Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; / our God is merciful.”
--Ps. 116:5
Psalm 116 is a psalm of thanksgiving for God’s
deliverance from a desperate situation. Using
metaphor the psalmist recounts the extremity of the circumstances and the turn
to prayer. Then comes this
description of the attributes of God. Three
words depict the character of God: gracious, righteous and merciful.
Given the use of parallelism in Hebrew poetry the writer seems to be
saying that grace and righteousness in God are summed up in God’s mercy.
Knowing that it is God’s very nature to be merciful is what gives me
hope. So often I fall short of what
even my own standards, let alone God’s, that I am thrown back on the mercy of
God for my redemption.
1. In what ways have I fallen short in my life?
2. Do I truly believe that I can depend on the mercy of God?
Prayer: Gracious
God, when I am distress save me by your mercy in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Read Psalm 116
“I will pay my vows to the Lord / in the presence of all his people.”
–Ps. 116:14
The title of this weeks lesson for Confirmation Class is
“Personal but not Private.” I
could say the same thing about the attitude of the writer of this psalm.
Faith is personal but not private. The
vows made to God are personal, but are to be enacted in the midst of the faith
community. God calls me to be a part
of the community of Christ’s body. Then
I “call on the name of the Lord” from within the gathered people.
I cannot be a solitary Christian.
1. Over the years what vows have I made to the Lord?
2. In what communities have I paid my vows? in the community of marriage? in the
community of family? in the community of my congregation?
Prayer:
Lord
Jesus Christ, help me to pay my vows to you.
Amen.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Read Acts 2:36-41
“For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away,
everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.”
--Acts
2:39
I am called by God and the promise is for me.
Every Christian can say this. Peter
declares that the very ones who crucified Jesus are the ones called to
repentance and faith, for God’s promise is for all whom God calls.
No matter what I have done to fall short of God’s glory; no matter how
many times I fail to live up to God’s standards; God’s call remains.
For that I am eternally grateful. Thanks
be to God who never abandons God’s children.
1. How have I experienced God’s call to me?
2. Do I live by the promise of God?
Prayer:
Lord
Jesus Christ, in you God has called me. Confirm
my call through your Spirit. Amen.
Thursday,
April 10, 2008
Read 1 Peter 1:17-23
“Through [Christ] you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead
and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.”
--1 Peter 1:21
As I get to know a person I come to trust her because in
her relationship to me I have found her to be trustworthy.
So it is with God. I have
come to trust God because of what God has done in Jesus Christ.
All the philosophical arguments in the world would not lead me to trust
God. I might come to believe in
God’s existence by such arguments, but such belief tells me nothing about what
God is like. I can come to trust God
only as I come to know God as the one who raised Christ from the dead.
1. What led me to know that God could be trusted?
2. Do I share my story of faith with others, that they may also come to trust
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Prayer: Holy
God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, may I come to know you better each day.
Amen.
Friday,
April 11, 2008
Read
Luke 24:13-35
“They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he
was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us.’”
--Luke 24:32
Luke uses this story of the encounter with the risen Christ
on the Emmaus road to convey how we come to know Christ.
He emphasizes two things. The
first is that I come to know Christ in Scripture.
Remember that for Luke Scripture is what is now called the Old Testament.
Luke tells me that it is Christ who leads me to understand Scripture
rightly. As I read Scripture, both
Old and New Testaments, with an open mind and heart, I will come to know Christ
better and better.
1. Do I read and study Scripture with the intention of
coming to know God in Jesus Christ better?
2. When has my heart burned within me as I heard the Word of God?
Prayer: Word
made flesh, implant your word within me that I may come to know you more fully.
Amen.
Saturday,
April 12, 2008
Read
Luke 24:13-35
“Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known
to them in the breaking of the bread.” --Luke
24:35
Luke tells me in this story that the second way I encounter
Christ is through the Eucharist (the communion).
To be sure that I do not miss the point he uses the technical term for
the Eucharist in the first century church, namely, “the breaking of the
bread.” But I think that Communion
in the midst of the congregation is not the only meal where I can encounter
Christ. Any meal where the stranger
is welcome, Christ is the host. When
food is shared with those in need, Christ is there. (see Matthew 25).
The two disciples were on the way to Emmaus, probably on the way home,
when Christ joined them. Even so
Christ can join me at any time, even when I am engaged in the most mundane
activities, like a family meal. As
Jesus said in Matthew, “where two or three are gathered, there am I in the
midst of them.”
1. Do I expect to recognize Christ any time, any place?
2. At what unexpected times or places have I encountered Christ in the past?
3. Am I open to Christ’s presence always?
Prayer: Come,
Lord Jesus. Amen.
Sunday,
April 13, 2008
Fourth
Sunday of Easter
Rejoice
in the Lord in the midst of God’s people.
Monday,
April 14, 2008
Read Psalm 23 “The
Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” --Ps.
23:1
This is the best known and most well-beloved of all the
Psalms. Many Christians have
memorized it and say it at times of distress.
The psalm is all about trust in God even in the darkest times.
It is God who protects, cares for and saves me.
During this Easter season I am reminded that my trust in God is rooted in
God’s raising of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1. When has my trust in God sustained me in tough times?
2. Have I thanked God for his care?
Prayer:
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with
me. Amen.
Tuesday,
April 15, 2008
Read Acts 2:42-47
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers.”
--Acts
2:42
In Acts Luke shows us glimpses of what the early church was
like. This sentence comes at the end
of Peter’s sermon at Pentecost and the response of the people.
A new thing is happening. The
resurrection of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed and people are coming into the
fellowship in great numbers. Now
what? Luke says that four things
were occurring: teaching, fellowship, eating together and praying.
Not a bad prescription for the basic activities of the church today.
I need teaching so that I can understand what this faith is all about.
I need fellowship so that I can feel a part of this new community.
I need shared meals as a sign of my fellowship with other believers and
with Christ. I need to pray in order
to stay grounded in God.
1. Am I feeding my mind from the teachings of the faith?
2. Am I feeding my soul through fellowship with others of the faith?
3. Is my life of prayer keeping me in touch with God?
Prayer:
Our
God, you have called me into this community of your people.
Now feed me through this community that I may be faithful to you.
In Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Wednesday,
April 16, 2008
Read
Acts 2:42-47
“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell
their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had
need.”
--Acts2:44, 45
As a vision of how the resurrection community should
function, these two verses have continued to appeal to people.
There have been many attempts to actualize the ideal, but all have
failed. But in spite of it all, the
ideal remains. Now I am faced with
discerning how, 2000 years later, I can make real the intention of this ideal in
my life. One thing I am sure of is
that this is a description of how a community can live out the resurrection, not
a prescription for the isolated individual.
Faith may be personal but is never a private transaction between me and
God. Faith can only be lived out in
the community to which God has called me. I
am one part of the resurrection community.
1. How does my congregation live out the resurrection
faith?
2. What is my contribution to the community to which I have been called?
Prayer: Calling
God, you have set me in the midst of a community of your people.
May I share what you have given to me with those you have called me to
love. In Christ’s name.
Amen.
Thursday,
April 17, 2008
Read 1 Peter 2:19-25
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins,
we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
--1 Peter 2:24
This much quoted verse from 1 Peter comes in the midst of a
passage on suffering. Peter writes
that our unjust suffering is given meaning and purpose by the suffering of
Christ. In fact our salvation is the
result of his suffering. As an
American I am programmed to avoid suffering in any way possible.
Far from enduring I am encouraged to alleviate my own suffering through a
quick fix. However, I do know that
those who put themselves at great risk for the sake of others are still
celebrated. In this passage Peter
also holds Christ’s suffering up as an example for me.
It is passages like this that challenge me to consider how I live as a
Christian and as an American. These
parts of the Bible also make me wonder how often being an American is in tension
with being a Christian.
1. Have I ever risked suffering in order to live out my
faith?
2. Can I acknowledge the place of suffering in my life without seeking out
martyrdom?
Prayer:
Lord
Jesus Christ, the Crucified One, when suffering for your sake comes into my
life, give me the patience to endure in hope.
Amen.
Friday,
April 18, 2008
Read John 10:1-10
“Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what
he was saying to them.”
--John 10:1-10
Sometimes I feel like those leaders of Israel; I really
don’t understand what Jesus is saying. Then
I ask myself, is my lack of understanding from the opaqueness of Jesus’
parables or is it from my not really wanting to know.
There are several reasons why I might not want to know.
Maybe the story calls me to account for my actions.
Maybe I think I already know all that is needed.
Maybe I am uncomfortable with what Jesus has said.
Maybe Jesus’ story challenges me to change my life.
If I refuse to understand then I don’t have to deal with implications
of the challenge.
1. Do I listen to the Scripture expecting to be challenged
by God in Jesus Christ?
2. Have I ever been surprised by what I have encountered in what I thought was a
familiar part of Scripture?
Prayer: Living
Word, open me to your word. Amen.
Saturday,
April 19, 2008
Read
John 10:1-10
“I am the gate. Whoever enters by
me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”
--John 10:9
Jesus is the gate through which I enter into communion with
God. Jesus shows me who God is.
As part of the community called into existence by him, I hear the voice
of my Savior and follow him in the way. My
life is in him.
1. When in my life do I hear the Savior’s voice?
2. Do I truly believe that Christ is the gate to life?
Prayer: Jesus
Christ, my gate, show me the way to life. Amen.
Sunday,
April 20, 2008
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Christ
is risen! Rejoice in the Lord in the
midst of the congregation.
Monday,
April 21, 2008
Read Psalm 31:1-5
“Into your hands I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful
God.” --Ps. 31:5
According to Luke the first part of this verse was spoken
by Jesus at the point of his death. This
psalm of lament is characterized by the frequent expressions of trust in God
that appear among the complaints. Verse
five is just such an expression of trust which means basically that I entrust my
life to God. The spirit is the
breath of life which God gives to us. Later
on the Psalmist talks of the goodness that God has laid up for those who fear
God. What form does that goodness
take? Given the ongoing laments the
Psalmist cannot be talking about material prosperity or a carefree life.
The ending of the Psalm makes it clear that it is God’s presence and
care even in the midst if strife.
1. Have I entrusted my life to God’s care?
2. Is God’s presence enough for me?
Prayer: Into
your hands, O God, I commit my spirit. Amen
Tuesday,
April 22, 2008
Read 1 Peter 2:2-10
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own
people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out
of darkness into his marvelous light.” --1
Peter 2:9
I am always amazed at Peter’s description of the church
in this verse. Is this really the
community I am part of? I have a
hard time believing that I deserve to be part of a church that can be described
in this way. But the issue is not
whether I deserve to belong or not. I
am called into a community that is to come to the true foundation of the church,
even Jesus Christ. Then I allow God
to make me into a living stone that becomes a part of the spiritual house.
All of this is for one purpose: that I might “proclaim the mighty acts
of him who called [me] out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
1. Do I believe that I am part of a chosen race, a royal
priesthood, God’s own people?
2. What am I doing to declare what God is doing in the world?
Prayer:
Mighty
God, make me a living stone that I may become a part of your spiritual house.
Amen.
Wednesday,
April 23, 2008
Read
1 Peter 2:2-10
“Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not
received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
--1Peter
2:10
Peter was writing to people who had become part of the
Christian movement as adults. They
came from all kinds of backgrounds, but all had in common this sense of once and
now. For me, who grew up in the
church and never really departed from it, it is sometimes hard to relate to this
sense of “once and now.” Then I
remember the years of resisting God’s call and my final “yes.”
I remember the times when God seemed so distant that I wondered if I
could go on followed by surprising moments when God seemed so close that I could
reach out and touch the Presence. Now
I know that the focus is on the “now” of God’s mercy in my life and the
life of the community.
1. Do I remember those times when God seemed to be absent?
2. Do I rejoice in God’s presence in my life?
Prayer: God of
everlasting presence, enfold me with your mercy.
Amen.
Thursday,
April 24, 2008
Read Acts 7:54-60
“But filled with the Holy Spirit, [Stephen] gazed into heaven and saw the
glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.”
--Acts
7:55
If I read just this one verse apart from its context, it
seems like a great vision to have. If
only I could have such a clear vision of God and Jesus Christ, I think.
Then I look at the context. Stephen
has just preached a sermon that has so enraged his hearers that they take him
out and stone him to death. What
could produce such a reaction? Stephen
accuses them rejecting God and murdering God’s Son, Jesus.
The report of his listeners’ rage is followed by this telling of
Stephen’s vision. Then Stephen
makes things worse by reporting what he sees.
What can I learn from this? Be
careful what I preach? No, not
really. What I can learn is that if
I am faithful and get into difficulty because of my faithfulness, God will
provide me with what I need. God did
not bring the marines to rescue Stephen, but God did give him what he needed to
continue as God’s faithful one even in the face of a violent death.
1. In what ways has God sustained me in the past?
2. Do I trust God enough to take risks for the faith?
Prayer: God of
Jesus Christ, give me a glimpse of glory that I may be sustained for the journey
of life. Amen.
Friday,
April 25, 2008
Read
Acts 7:54-60
“Then [Stephen] knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold
this sin against them.’ When he
had said this, he died.”
Yesterday I considered Stephen’s vision.
Today I listen to his last words. I
think that the two are connected. After
Stephen’s scathing indictment of his listeners in his sermon, I would not
expect his last words to be a prayer that God forgive them.
In this prayer Stephen is following in the Master’s footsteps, for
Jesus, too, in Luke’s Gospel, asked God to forgive those who crucified him.
The children’s song, quoting 1 John, says that we love because God
first loved us. So also I forgive,
because God first forgave me. Stephen’s
vision reminds him in his extreme moment who it is that he serves.
Sustained by that vision, Stephen is able to follow Jesus in the prayer
for forgiveness. Would that I too
could follow Jesus in the way.
1. Whom do I need to forgive as Stephen forgave?
2. What do I need from God in order to follow Jesus faithfully?
Prayer:
Forgiving God, as you have forgiven me, so may I forgive others.
Amen.
Saturday,
April 26, 2008
Read
John 14:1-14
“If you know me, you will know my Father also.
From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
--John 14:7
As a child I memorized John 14:1-6. Since
then I have read these verses at many a funeral.
The promise of many rooms in the Father’s house resonates at times of
death. Now I wish that I had been
encouraged to go on beyond verse six. In
these verses I learn that Jesus is the Way, yes, but much more than the way to
heaven (although that can be included). Jesus
is the way to the knowledge of God in this life as well as beyond.
It is through Jesus and his loving sacrifice on my behalf that I learn
who God is. It is in Jesus that I
finally come to know what is meant by God’s self-naming in Exodus 34: “The
Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Ex. 34:6b)
1. How often do I look to Jesus in order to learn about
God?
2. If God is defined by mercy, grace, love and faithfulness, then how do I
respond to this God, the Father of Jesus Christ?
Prayer: Gracious
and merciful God, may I come to know you as you are in Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Sunday,
April 27, 2008
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Gather to sing the praises of our Lord.
Monday,
April 28, 2008
Read Psalm 66
“Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his
steadfast love from me.” --Ps.
66:20
This psalm talks of the God who hears prayer even in the
midst of trouble. The psalm begins
with a call to praise God for what God has done.
In response to God’s rescue there is the promise of worship and
sacrifice. But for me the key to the
Psalm is the last verse quoted above. The
use of parallel lines in Hebrew poetry leads me to assume that “removed his
steadfast love from me” is the equivalent of “rejected my prayer.”
When all else is said and done, the only thing that counts is that
God’s steadfast love and faithfulness will never be removed.
Like the rainbow is God’s promise never again to destroy the earth, so
the resurrection is God’s assurance that “nothing shall separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
1. What recent signs of God’s continuing love have I
seen?
2. Do I look behind the events of my life to find God’s love at work?
Prayer: God of
glory, may I experience your love in all that happens.
Amen.
Tuesday,
April 29, 2008
Read
Acts 17:22-31
“Then Paul stood in
front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you
are in every way.’” --Acts
17:22
Some folk say that it does not matter what one believes as
long as one has faith. After all we
can all be spiritual in our own way. It
is this “cafeteria spirituality” that the Athenians practiced.
Paul takes the opportunity to proclaim to them the God and Father of
Jesus Christ who raised Christ from the dead.
The important thing is not that I believe.
Everyone believes something. The
important thing is in whom I believe. Believing
in the God of Jesus Christ leads a very different from believing in the
supremacy of the Aryan race (which does not exist by the way).
The one leads to a life of caring for others; the other leads to the gas
chambers of Auschwitz.
1. Do I know in whom I believe?
2. Do I conform my life to the one in whom I believe?
Prayer: Eternal
God, give me grace to follow you. Amen.
Wednesday,
April 30, 2008
Read 1 Peter 3:13-22
“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, in order to bring you to God.”
--1Peter 3:18a
Suffering is a common human experience.
Suffering calls into the question the goodness of God.
How can there be suffering in a world created by a good God?
In his letter Peter addresses this issue several times.
Each time he points to the suffering of Christ.
In Christ God enters into my suffering and redeems it.
In Christ my suffering acquires meaning.
In Christ there is no such thing as meaningless suffering.
My suffering is still real. It
still hurts both physically and psychically.
But Christ leads me through the suffering into God’s presence.
1. What does it mean that Christ has suffered for my sins?
2. Do I turn to God in the midst of my suffering?
Prayer: Gracious
God, when suffering comes into my life, as it will, give me the strength to
endure, the courage to hope and joy in the midst of the pain.
Amen.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Read 1 Peter 3:13-22
“Always be ready to make your defense to any who demands from you an
accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and
reverence.” --1 Peter
3:15b-16a
Sometimes I wonder how ready I am to give an accounting for
the hope that is in me. Oh, I can
talk about my faith with other Christians, but can I give an accounting to those
who are hostile. Peter is assuming a
hostile inquisitor, even a court official. Would
fear of embarrassment or even harassment stop my mouth?
Do I trust God enough to allow God’s words to flow through even when I
know it can cost me?
1. Am I willing to testify to my faith in front of a
hostile audience?
2. With what kind of attitude would I make such a testimony?
Can I maintain gentleness and reverence even in from of a hostile
audience?
Prayer: Holy
Spirit, fill me with your strength that I may be bold in my proclamation of the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Friday, May 2,
2008
Read John 14:15-21
“If you love me, you will
keep my commandments.” --John
14:15
What do I mean when I say I love Jesus?
Is it a warm fuzzy feeling? Am
I close to him? Not according to
Jesus in John. Love is not about
feelings. It is about doing.
What then am I to do? In
chapter 13 Jesus gives his disciples a commandment, to love one another as he
loves them. And what form does his
love take? To lay down his life for
his friends. Love is about doing.
If I love Jesus, I will take care of my fellow Christian, or, as Jesus
says to Peter in chapter 21, I will feed his sheep.
1. When did I last take time to visit someone who is
lonely?
2, When did I last set aside my own busy agenda to make time for another?
Prayer: Loving
God, may I reach out to others in love in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord.
Amen.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Read John 14:15-21
“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.”
--John 14:18
On that dreadful day when Jesus was crucified, orphaned
could well express how the disciples felt. Their
leader and master was dead, and they were left alone to fend for themselves in a
hostile world. How could they cope?
They ran and hid afraid for their own lives.
If I had been one of them, I would have reacted the same way.
Many years later the writer of the Gospel looks back and realizes that
Jesus, far from abandoning them, actually empowered them through the gift of the
Holy Spirit. After the crucifixion
Jesus does come to them in the garden, on the road, in the locked room, by the
seashore. And he breathes on them
the Holy Spirit. And far from being
orphaned they have Jesus with them always. But
Jesus promise is not just for them but also for me and for all those who have
believed. Jesus does not leave us
orphaned, but comes to us in the Spirit.
1. When I have felt abandoned, how has the Spirit assured
me of the presence of Christ?
2. Has the Spirit ever used me to assure another of the presence?
Prayer: Holy
Spirit, be ever near me that I may truly know Christ with me.
Amen.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Worship the risen and ascended Christ with songs of praise
in the midst of the congregation.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Read
Psalm 68:1-10
“Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”
--Ps. 68:5
In a Psalm about God scattering his enemies, about the
earth quaking in God’s presence, and about God’s military prowess comes this
verse about widows and orphans. The
God of Israel is frequently depicted as being on the side of the weak and the
vulnerable. God is their protector.
Then I think that if I worship this God, then I am also to help the
helpless and stand up for the weak. With
this God part of worship consists in service.
1. What have I done recently to serve God through service
to others in need?
2. Do I see God in the face of my neighbor?
Prayer: Protector
of orphans and widows, meet me in my need. Amen.
Tuesday,
May 6, 2008
Read Acts 1:6-14
“While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in
white robes stood by them. They
said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven?’”
--Acts
1:10
-11a
They just stood there looking up at where Jesus had gone.
How often do I stand looking up when I should be about the business of
the kingdom? Jesus had given them
instructions, but they were busy gaping at where he had been.
Jesus is pretty clear about what I ought to be doing.
I should be his witness. I
should take care of others. I should
feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit the sick.
But I would rather bask in the glow of my last encounter with him.
I would rather spend time trying to relive past glories.
Maybe I need a couple of men in white robes to remind me to be about the
business the Lord has given me to do.
1. Do I feel more comfortable with the way things were than
with the changes going on around me now?
2. Do I try to recover the past instead of going where Christ is leading me now?
Prayer: Christ
who is coming, draw me into your future. Amen.
Wednesday,
May 7, 2008
Read Acts 1:6-14
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of
the earth.” --Acts 1:8
It seems that the primary purpose of the power that the
disciples will receive is to enable them to testify boldly to the resurrection
and lordship of Jesus the Christ. Everything
else that happens in Acts contributes to the witness.
By the end of Acts the witness has spread to the center of the
Mediterranean world, to Rome. The
instruction of the risen Christ that his followers are to be his witnesses is
now given to me. The various
disciples will witness to Christ in different ways and in different venues.
Now God has given me the power and the gifts of the Spirit so that I may
witness to Jesus in my time, my place and my way.
1. In what ways have I been Jesus’ witness?
2. Do I expect to receive from God the power to witness boldly?
3. What form does my distinctive witness take?
Prayer: Holy
Spirit, make me bold to witness to Christ. Amen.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Read 1 Peter 4:12-14
“But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may
also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed.”
--1Peter
4:13
Throughout this letter Peter speaks about suffering as
something that is occurring and is expected for Christians.
How different it is in this time and place.
Far from suffering for the faith, I am honored for it.
Being a Christian in Western Pennsylvania is still on balance an
advantage rather than a cause of persecution.
Does that make me less Christian than those in the first century or those
in many countries in the world today where suffering for the faith is a common
experience? I don’t think so.
Yet passages like this remind me about the seriousness of my commitment
to Christ.
1. Am I willing to remain faithful to Christ even if it is
costly?
2. How far will I go in my witness?
Prayer: Righteous
God, give me the courage to remain faithful even if I should suffer for the
faith. Amen.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Read 1 Peter 5:6-11
“Cast all your anxiety on [God], because he cares for you.”
–1 Peter 5:7
As I near the end of the Easter season, I come to this most
comforting passage. Of course, this
is 1 Peter so the context is suffering. The
key to a good life is not to retreat from the world.
After all I take the world with me wherever I go.
The key to a good life is to remain faithful to my calling from God while
allowing God to deal with my fears. It
is easier said than done, but it all comes back to what I said at the beginning
of these devotions. It all comes
down to trust.
1. Do I truly trust Jesus Christ to be for me the true
revelation of God?
2. Can I let go of my need to be in charge and trust the world and my life to
God?
Prayer: God of
Jesus Christ, send me you Spirit that I may trust you with my life.
Amen.
Saturday,
May 10, 2008
Read John 17:1-11
“And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
--John 17:3
Tomorrow is Pentecost when the church celebrates the giving
of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the church.
It is a time to celebrate, but also a time to reflect.
These devotions, actually all devotions for Christians, have as their
purpose coming to know God in Jesus Christ more fully.
If what I have done has helped you to come to know God better and to
follow Christ more faithfully, then the Spirit has been at work.
Come to worship tomorrow prepared to sing and celebrate but also to
rededicate your lives to the one who has called us out of darkness into his
marvelous light. Remember that the
church is those for whom Christ prays.
1. In what ways have I come to know God better in the past
few weeks?
2. Have I followed Christ more closely in the past few weeks?
Prayer: God of
Jesus Christ, send me your Spirit that I may come to know you better.
Amen.
Sunday,
May 11, 2008
Pentecost
Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
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