Two witnesses ... yes, but it depends who they are

Morning: Psalms 46, 48; Isaiah 62:10-12; 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2

Evening: Psalm 90; Revelation 21:1-6; John 8:12-19

As Spiritual Care manager at London Health Sciences Centre, part of my job was ensuring that the more than 300 clergy who visit patients there are accredited by a church body. Once, a pastor told me he was accountable only to himself and God ... not enough accountability - he did not get a visitor’s badge. Now, when Jesus says he is the Light of the world, and they tell him he cannot speak on his own behalf, Jesus says the Father will vouch for him, too. Now - don’t ask me why! - I would give Jesus the badge!

 

Who is virtuous enough to condemn anyone else?

Morning: Psalms 20, 21:1-14; Isaiah 60:19-22; Revelation 1:9-20

Evening: Psalms 23, 27; John 7:53-8:11

How tragically common (comic even) it is for us to judge others. Do we think ourselves more virtuous than they are, so they are fair game? Or do we even consider it as carefully as that? Human judging is mostly habitual; we fall into it. Perhaps it makes us feel better about ourselves? Jesus gets to the heart of the matter; when those who judge the adulteress are lining up to stone her (no mention of her partner in the crime!), Jesus says: “Let the one who is without sin throw the first stone.” They (we) slink away.

 

Want to help others? ... attend first to your own soul

 

Morning: Psalm 18:1-20; Isaiah 60:1-5; Revelation 1:1-18

Evening: Psalm 18:21-50; John 7:37-52

 Remember how on airplanes (those contraptions we used to fly in?), when you are travelling with a child you are told, if there is an emergency, to put on your own oxygen mask first and then the child’s? Well, it is like that in the spiritual life ... Jesus invites: ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and ... drink.’ For, ‘out of the believer’s heart shall flow streams of living water.’ In other words: First, drink in all you can of Jesus’s life and teachings and then you will help other thirsty souls find refreshment.

Hope for the innocents ... Christ in you, Love in you

Morning: Psalm 26; Isaiah 26:1-9; Colossians 1:20-29

Evening: Psalms 2, 8; Jeremiah 31:10-17; Matthew 2:13-18

Recently in Toronto, a young boy was shot and killed, caught in the crossfire of an attempted gang murder. Today recalls the Massacre of the Innocents, children who were killed when King Herod tried to kill ‘King’ Jesus. The world is full of innocent suffering caused by other people’s greed. How will this ever be made right? St. Paul points toward a mystery ... “Christ in you.” Imagine the spirit of Love that was in Jesus also living in us, and in all humankind. Embody that love and there will be hope for the innocents.

 

 

Atonement ... healing requires sacrifice

Morning: Psalms 93, 96; Isaiah 62:6-7, 10-12; Hebrews 2:10-18

Evening: Psalm 34; Matthew 1:18-25

Hebrews says Christ made a ‘sacrifice of atonement’ for people’s sins. This is not Christ paying our debt to God. God needs no payment from us. When we act to deny Love - sin - a disruption occurs in the Cosmos. Our hearts know that this disruption calls for an act of healing to make it right. God’s taking flesh and dying to address human sin is that powerful act; it atones for harm done and opens the path to reconciliation. It makes us whole again. How? Our minds may not understand, but our hearts know that healing requires sacrifice.

 

Simeon

Morning: Psalm 145; Isaiah 12:1-6; Hebrews 1:1-12

Evening: Psalms 146, 147; Luke 2:22-40

My older son is called Simeon, after the Simeon in Luke’s Gospel, who believed he would not die before he saw the Messiah. The Messiah (for me, that is Jesus) is the sign that Love rules in the Cosmos. I hope that my son might, during his life, catch even a glimpse of the wonder of the Love that is shown in Jesus. I hope that, like the Simeon of Luke’s Gospel, he might know Peace. I am not sure he would say he has found Peace. Yet it is still my prayer for him ... for all of us.

 

The Word of Love in the Cosmos: now in a child

Morning: Psalms 2, 85; Zechariah 2:10-13; I John 4:7-16

Evening: Psalms 110:1-7, 132: Micah 4:1-5; 5:2-4; John 3:31-36

 Lately I have heard multiple messages in different contexts about the gift and art of listening. It has taken me back to the days when we used to train hospital staff and volunteers in the art of listening. Listening involves Words ~ 7%; Tone ~ 35%; and Body Language ~ 58%. Thus, the Word of Love in the Cosmos includes, yes, words, but also many different tones of voice, and divine ‘body language’, written in the galaxies and stars. Now, the Word of Love is spoken in a child. Maybe in a child you know? Listen carefully.

 

Christmas Eve: only the beginning

Morning: Psalms 45, 46; Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:67-80

Evening: Psalm 89:1-29; Isaiah 59:15b-21; Philippians 2:5-11

The story of this night is only the beginning of the much larger and amazing story of a humble God who calls us to humility too. St. Paul says: “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself ...” The humility of God. Think about that. It is a truly astounding story!

 

Is it hard to stay focused? ... Embrace hope

Morning: Psalms 93,96; Isaiah 33:17-22; Revelation 22:6-11, 18-20

Evening: Psalms 148, 150; Baruch 4:21-29; Luke 1:57-66

With another Coronavirus lockdown looming, you can be forgiven for feeling distracted, finding it hard to focus on a goal or an outcome. These days sometimes feel to me like walking through a thick Manchester smog in my childhood - you could not see your own outstretched hand! In truth, there are dark and ‘smoggy’ moments about many of the times and seasons of human experience, things that distract us from hope. Which is why the call rings out: Embrace hope as your inspiration for living through every time and season ... Hope in Love; all will be well.

 

 

Hope for the Future ... say: Here I am, I can help!

Morning: Psalm 80; Isaiah 29:13-24; Revelation 21:22-22:5

Evening: Psalms 146, 147; 2 Samuel 7:18-29; Luke 1:39-56

In the human story, there is always hope for the future. We need plenty of that right now. We find it in Mary, who expects mercy, that the proud will be scattered, the powerful brought down, the lowly lifted up and the hungry filled with good things. Isaiah adds to that hope: that the deaf shall hear, the blind shall see, the meek find joy, the neediest be glad, and tyrants and all who do evil shall be no more. Both Mary and Isaiah, in their own ways, also say: Here I am, I can help!

 

“Let it be to me according to your word”

Morning: Psalm 72; Isaiah 28:9-22; Revelation 21:9-21

Evening: Psalms 111, 113; 2 Samuel 7:1-17; Luke 1:26-38

For God to be born in a human person, the person needs to agree to it. To honour her freedom, Mary cannot be just a passive vessel; she must actively want God to come into her life and, through her, into all human life. It takes courage for Mary to accept that God will only be born into the world through those who consent to God’s will. Because of her courage in saying, ‘Let it be ...’ Mary is called the ‘Mother of God’. So, too, may we be those who ‘give birth to God’ in the world.

‘A new heaven and a new earth’ - vision & prayer

Morning: Psalms 66, 67; Isaiah 11:10-16; Revelation 20.11-21:8

Evening: Psalms 116, 117; 1 Samuel 2:1b – 10; Luke 1:5-25

When John of Patmos wrote down his Revelation of a new heaven and a new earth, he was trying to express in words something inexpressible. His vision is of the renewal of all things ... ‘A new heaven’ implies that we have misunderstood God but that we will come to see God more clearly. ‘A new earth’ suggests that we have misunderstood the earth and our relationship with it, and one day we will come to understand the preciousness and beauty of this blue planet where we live. A new heaven and a new earth ... John’s vision, our prayer.

 

Looking for life in all the wrong places

Morning: Psalms 61, 62; Isaiah 11:1-9; Revelation 20:1-10

Evening: Psalms 112, 115; Zephaniah 3:14-20; John 5:30-47

‘Quality of life’ is what matters, right? ‘Eternal life’ is appealing too. Jesus laments our looking for life in all the wrong places -- apart from him. Ironically, we may waste time fearfully searching for strategies that add time to our lives; but there are no cures for mortality. Anyway, what will we do with the added time if we do not know what life is for? Life is not an outcome but a journey into relationship with God. Fullness of life is found in that relationship. Choose God, says Jesus ... Let your life flow from that choice.

 

Will we live here believing it can work, or plan to leave?

Morning: Psalms 24, 29; Isaiah 42:1-12; Ephesians 6:10-20

Evening: Psalms 8, 84; Genesis 3:8-15; John 3:16-21

NASA and a few billionaires long to establish settlements on other planets. Is this to escape a devastated earth, or just adventurousness? A streak in humanity is discontented with where we are and wants to leave, either physically or for some spiritual ‘other world’. Jesus, though, dreams of making whole the world we already live in and calls us to help. Will we live here believing it can work, or plan to leave? ’Eternal life’ is not a better life beyond this one but the healing of our relationship with the place we already inhabit.

 

Fire

Morning: Psalm 50; Isaiah 9:18-10:4; 2 Peter 2:10b - 16

Evening: Psalm 33; Zechariah 4:1-14; Matthew 3:1-12

Who doesn’t love a fire? It’s comforting; nothing quite compares to a home heated by wood fires, as ours is. However, when John talks about Jesus baptizing us ‘with fire’ or gathering his wheat and burning the chaff ‘with unquenchable fire’, that fire starts to sound dangerous. Then, when I read it again, I realize that no person is burned, not I nor anyone else, only life’s chaff, stuff we no longer need, the dry waste of our lives ... Then, the Spirit’s fire sounds as comforting as the one in my living-room. Burn, I say! Burn! Clean things up!

 

Follow your calling ... help others with theirs

 

Morning: Psalm 119:49-72; Isaiah 9:8-17; 2 Peter 2:1-10a

Evening: Psalm 49; Zechariah 3:1-10; Mark 1:1-8

Whenever we wonder where we are, Mona quotes Bugs Bunny: “I knew we should have turned left at Albuquerque!” (click the link below). John and Jesus were cousins whose lives were intertwined, but they probably never realized that John’s life’s calling would be to baptize Jesus into his. When you follow your own calling faithfully, you help others with theirs. Discerning your calling (your life’s path) is not usually a straight line; you will have to make important turns along the way. It’s a life’s journey; you never arrive. Now, is there a left turn you should be taking? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8TUwHTfOOU

The consequences of telling the truth, and not

Morning: Psalm 45; Isaiah 9:1–7; 2 Peter 1:12-21

Evening: Psalms 47, 48; Zechariah 2:1-13; Luke 22:54-69

Have you ever been so afraid of the consequences of admitting to doing something people thought you should not have done that, when challenged, you lied? This was Peter’s dilemma ... admit that he was a disciple of the man, Jesus, who now stood condemned to death, or lie. It’s like, ‘If I admit it, then I’m dead too!’ Maybe Peter thought, ‘Better to lie, and stay alive; then I can do some good.’ Our dilemmas may not be as stark as Peter’s, but we must often weigh the consequences of either telling the truth or hiding it. Decisions! Decisions!

 

 

Blood, Sweat and Tears: the solidarity of God with us

Morning: Psalms 41, 52; Isaiah 8:16-9:1; 2 Peter 1:1-11

Evening: Psalm 44; Zechariah 1:7-17; Luke 22:39-53

Some have difficulty accepting that Jesus experienced human suffering. Today’s Gospel, though, shows Jesus suffering deep anguish: “In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.” Winston Churchill is said to have coined the phrase ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’, which a Canadian-American band took as its name. I suspect, though, that ‘Blood, Sweat and Tears’ comes originally from this story about Jesus before he was crucified. Jesus’s suffering was as real as ours, the rest of his fellow-humans ... an expression of the solidarity of God with us

 

He (who is above all) must increase, I must decrease

Morning: Psalms 63, 98; Isaiah 13:6-13; Hebrews 12:18-29

Evening: Psalm 103; Amos 9:11-15; John 3:22-30

Life devoted purely to self - personal growth and fulfilment, your own happiness, self-promotion or individual success - is a hollow thing. Abundance of life lies in knowing that there is One who is greater than this solitary ‘I’, One who will inspire you to live for something bigger than yourself. Some call this great One their ‘Higher Power’. John the Baptist knew all along that Jesus was this One. Once you discover and accept that Jesus is God in the flesh, One ‘above all’, then what John the Baptist said applies to you: “He must increase, I must decrease.”

 

The natural ups and downs of faith

Morning: Psalms 30, 32; Isaiah 8:1-15; 2 Thessalonians 3.6-18

Evening: Psalms 42, 43; Haggai 2:1-9; Luke 22:31-38

Simon Peter takes offence when Jesus says to him: “Once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus predicts that Peter will turn away. And yet, he still wants Peter - in fact, Jesus relies on people who have not always done well. His disciples all turn away in fear, but later the Spirit gives them strength to devote their lives to him. There are natural ups and downs in a life of faith. To understand those who do not know faith, it helps if your own faith has been tested, or if you yourself have failed in some way.

 

Leadership ... the greatest is the one who serves

Morning: Psalm 31; Isaiah 7:10-25; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5

Evening: Psalm 35; Haggai 1:1-15; Luke 22:14-30

For 3 years, I was privileged to work in a Roman Catholic hospital. There, I learned an important lesson about leadership from a new V.P., Beth. Beth began her first team meeting with some preliminary introductions. She then said that she would like us to speak a little about how she might be of service to us, the members of her team. Over the years, she delivered. Beth made concrete the lesson that Jesus taught his disciples when they argued about who was the greatest: “The leader must be among you as one who serves.” Just so, in every circumstance.

 

Betrayal and conflicting ideas about what is right

Morning: Psalm 37:1-18; Isaiah 7:1–9; 2 Thessalonians 2.1-12

Evening: Psalm 37:19-42; Amos 9:1-10; Luke 22:1-13

Theories abound concerning Judas’s betrayal of Jesus. How could Judas spend 3 years with Jesus only to betray him? The most compelling answer is this: <<Judas thought he was doing the right thing - facilitating Jesus’s anticipated victorious confrontation with the Jewish authorities who were benefitting from the Roman occupation of Israel. Judas thought he would help Jesus fulfil his destiny as Messiah. When Judas’s actions had unintended consequences, he committed suicide because of his deep despair about Jesus’s crucifixion.>> This answer makes sense. Betrayers may think that their betrayal serves a just cause, only to find themselves sadly mistaken.

 

Send me!

Morning: Psalm 38; Isaiah 6:1–13; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

Evening: Psalm 119:25-48; Amos 8:1-14; John 7:53-8:11“You send me!” Sam Cooke’s 1957 love song (covered by Aretha, Otis Redding, etc.) is about being ‘sent’ into awe, even worship, of someone. When Isaiah offers himself - “Here am I, send me!” - he is ‘sent’ to call others into the same awe that he has experienced. Israel tries to live without God. So does our own age. They cannot. “There is a God-shaped hole in every human heart”, writes Pascal. We are at home when ‘sent’ into awe and wonder at the mystery we call God, the only one who can fill the emptiness in us.

 

Guard your heart ... take care to be light-hearted

Morning: Psalms 26, 28; Isaiah 5:13-17, 24-25; I Thessalonians 5:12-28

Evening: Psalms 36, 39; Amos 7:10-17; Luke 21:29-38

“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down ...” says Jesus. The Book of Proverbs urges ‘heart health’, too (4:23-27): “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” The idea of being on guard over your heart is unusual but very appealing ... being sure that your heart is not weighed with heaviness so that you drown in drink or worry. Think about this: Jesus teaches light-heartedness. It has never occurred to me before, but I think the saints I have known have been light-hearted souls. Let me be light-hearted too!

 

Encourage one another and build up each other

Morning: Psalm 25; Isaiah 5:8-12, 18-23; I Thessalonians 5:1-11

Evening: Psalms 9, 15; Amos 7:1-9; Luke 21:20-28

The New Testament says the end times will be chaotic and cataclysmic. Since there is chaos and upheaval in every age, there are always a few who think, now this must be the end. It may be, but rather than focus a lot of energy on that, it is more helpful to imagine what is important for living well; it might even help to improve things. St. Paul urges that, in chaotic times, it is best to “encourage one another and build up each other.” Good idea! Discouraging one another and running each other down only adds to the chaos.

 

The true path ... let justice roll down like waters!

Morning: Psalms 20, 21; Isaiah 4:2-6; I Thessalonians 4:13-18

Evening: Psalms 110, 116, 117; Amos 5:18-27; Luke 21:5-19

Walking at night can be dangerous ... headlights are sometimes so blinding that you cannot see where you are walking! Prophets point out humanity’s blind spots.  The prophet Amos says God tires of celebration while others are suffering. Instead of feasting, “let justice roll down like waters.” Centuries later, some are admiring the Temple, but Jesus says there will come a time when it will be destroyed. For God is not honoured by temples, but by actions. Passionate devotion to one particular way can also blind you to where the true path lies.

 

Our gifts our not just for us; they are for the world

Morning: Psalms 16, 17; Isaiah 3:8-15; I Thessalonians 4:1-12

Evening: Psalm 22; Amos 5:1-17; Luke 20:41 – 21:4

Jesus calls us to use well our gifts. Some are very gifted but squander their treasure and miss life’s opportunities. Some receive relatively few gifts, which they focus and develop, nurture and refine, and use generously. One who starts out with little, but who values her gifts and gives abundantly, lives more fully than one who starts out with much, but fails to appreciate that her gifts are treasures to be shared. Unused gifts gather dust and are lost. The secret is this: our gifts are not just for us; they are for the world.

 

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

Morning: Psalm 18:1-20; Isaiah 2:12-22; I Thessalonians 3:1-13

Evening: Psalm 18:21-50; Amos 4:6-13; Luke 20:27-40

In medieval times, scholastic theologians were challenged about their absurd arguments, with this question: ‘How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?’ Some religious folk came to Jesus with equally absurd questions, trying to catch him out ... Like, if you have had more than one spouse in this life, to whom will you be married in the next life? Jesus had no time for these absurdities, except to point out how ridiculous it is to waste time and brain-cells debating a reality that is beyond your comprehension. Better to get on with living in this world.

 

What’s the matter with our attitude to taxes?

Morning: Psalm 119:1-24; Isaiah 2:1-11; I Thessalonians 2:13-20

Evening: Psalm 12, 13, 14; Amos 3:12 - 4:5; Luke 20:19-26

“Give the ‘emperor’ (read, ‘the state’) what is the emperor’s, and give God what is God’s.” Some people (often the wealthiest) pay as little tax as possible, even none at all ... It’s a game - they overlook the connection between what they owe and what it is for, which they also enjoy - education, roads, services, healthcare, infrastructure, etc. Jesus’s challenge goes further; he offers no middle ground, like, ‘keep 90% for yourself.’ What does not belong to others is God’s! All of it! Jesus leaves us to figure out what to do about our attitude to these things.

 

If you had made the world ... ?

Morning: Psalms 5, 6; Isaiah 1:21-31: I Thessalonians 2:1-12

Evening: Psalms 10, 11; Amos 3:1-11; Luke 20:9-18

If you had made this beautiful earth, would you not be dismayed at how some mistreat both the earth and those who want to care for it - like indigenous peoples, so-called ‘tree-huggers’ and ‘liberals’, green new dealers, environmentalists? Would you not be angry at what is happening to all that you made so beautifully and so well? Then you would understand the wrath of God depicted in Jesus’ parable of the vineyard. The parable suggests that what God has made may turn against those who damage it, and perhaps God will, too? If they don’t shape up. Wouldn’t you?

 

Jordan and Andrew, you and me ... met by Jesus

Morning: Psalm 34; Isaiah 49:1-6; I Corinthians 4:1-16

Evening: Psalms 96, 100; Isaiah 55:1-5; John 1:35 – 42

Today, St. Andrew’s Day, the Church recalls Andrew’s bringing his brother Simon (Peter) to Jesus. Tonight, in London, Bishop Todd will ordain Jordan Murray as a deacon in the Church, to serve in Owen Sound. This is a huge day in Jordan’s life, a new life-transforming encounter with Jesus, just as Andrew and Peter’s lives were forever changed by meeting him. Please pray for Jordan today, and ask for your own transformative encounter with this Jesus, who changes lives and is changing the world, through simple folk like Andrew, Jordan, you and me.

 

Wisdom or Folly? It is ours to choose!

Morning: Psalms 146, 147; Isaiah 1.1–9; 2 Peter 3:1-10

Evening: Psalms 111, 112, 113; Amos 1:1-5, 13-2:8; Matthew 25:1-13

The Attorney General of Ontario has taken flak this week for saying that Ontario was unprepared for the pandemic. I will not debate this issue. It is an example, though, of what Jesus is talking about in the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids. Wisdom is being ready; folly is being unprepared. On a much larger scale, Jesus calls us into the wisdom of being prepared for the imminent sea-change in human affairs. When will wisdom dawn upon us? Will ours be wisdom or folly? Whether we are ready or not, whether wise or foolish, change is coming.

 

God comes to us humbly ... let this sink in

Morning: Psalms 140, 142; Zechariah 14:1-11; Romans 15:7-13

Evening: Psalms 141, 143; Isaiah 24:14-23; Luke 19:28-40

Who or what will rule our hearts? Zechariah prophesies Israel’s king will come like this ... Jesus ensures there is no doubt that he is Israel’s king - he rides a donkey’s foal. What a different kind of king! They shout the Passover Psalm, 118: “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Here on the night before Passover, Jesus himself becomes the Passover sacrifice - to deliver his people from slavery. This is no ordinary story, no ordinary king. The idea! ... that God comes to us so humbly; it is astounding. Let it sink in.

 

Are we ready to be held accountable?

Morning: Psalms 131, 132, 133; Zechariah 13:1-9; Ephesians 1:15-23

Evening: Psalms 134, 135; Zephaniah 3:1-13; Luke 19:11-27

Jesus speaks in a parable about a judgment that is coming. His story of a harsh king sounds the alarm for those who have failed to notice God’s fierce desire for justice. Human affairs must be set to rights. There is no escaping that Jesus intended this stark message to fall hard on a nation and a world gone awry. Our 21^st century society is also seriously adrift ... Jesus’s warning of judgment applies to us, too. Are we ready, as a society, to be held accountable for how we use earth’s gifts, entrusted to us? A reckoning is coming.

 

A welcoming embrace is two-sided

Morning: Psalm 119:145-176; Zechariah 12:1-10; Ephesians 1:3-14

Evening: Psalms 128, 129, 130; Obadiah 15-21; Luke 19:1-10

The garden of my childhood home had a sycamore tree, with enormous leaves, smooth bark and easy-to-climb branches. I loved the view from up there. When I learned the Zacchaeus song (‘he climbed up into a sycamore tree’), I could relate. Then, when Jesus called Zacchaeus down and invited himself for tea, I felt good. Jesus welcomed and embraced everyone, whatever their life was like. Jesus’s welcome changed Zacchaeus’s life. It changed my life too ... every time I chose to welcome Jesus in return. When someone loves you, you usually love them back. And love changes everything.

 

Hear and see the whole story: costly Grace

 

Morning: Psalms 121, 122, 123; Zechariah 11:4-17; I Cor 3:10-23

Evening: Psalms 124, 125, 126; Nahum 1:1-13; Luke 18:31-43

Jesus predicts he will be flogged and crucified. His followers are deaf to his predictions. Then, Jesus heals a blind beggar. The implicit message is: Hear and see the whole story: It is by suffering, with Grace, that Jesus defeats death’s power. As a military hero, he would only have glorified it. Those who seek freedom non-violently may suffer (Gandhi and King are modern examples), because they understand that Grace is costly, yet it is more telling than hollow victories won by force. The story of Jesus is victory over death’s power, not by might but by Grace.

Does any thing keep you from being yourself? 

Morning: Psalm 106:1-18; Zechariah 10:1-12; Galatians 6:1-10

Evening: Psalm 106:19-48; Joel 3:1-2, 9-17; Luke 18:15-30

Everyone’s needs are different. Jesus thinks we all have one common need: to see the world as a child does ... open, full of wonder, absorbing and embracing new experiences, welcoming each moment. You know the qualities of a child. But what about your particular needs? ... Jesus told the ruler that if he wanted to become himself, he must sell everything and give the money to the poor. This ruler was so attached to his possessions that his possessions owned him. I think Jesus is asking us: Does anything (any thing) keep you from being yourself?

 

Christ, our true king

Morning: Psalm 118; Zechariah 9:9-16; I Peter 3:13-22

Evening: Psalm 145; Isaiah 19:19-25; Matthew 21:1-13

There are bad kings in the Bible. Israel had insisted on having a king; they were warned! ‘The Crown’, now on Netflix, explores what makes for a good monarch. The Queen knows that the real king is God in Christ, that she serves him. This is probably what makes her a good queen. However, there is still an enormous gap between the Queen, in all her finery, and the real king, Jesus, who rides into Jerusalem on a donkey and confronts those who abuse the people’s trust. He, in all his simplicity, is, and always will be, our true King.

 

O Lord, it’s hard to be humble

Morning: Psalms 107:33-43, 108; Malachi 3:13-4:6; James 5:13-20

Evening: Psalm 33; Isaiah 65:17-25; Luke 18:9-14

Yesterday, Bishop Todd Townshend issued a pastoral statement (at the link below) on the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The Pharisee in Jesus’s story is one of those who want others to be made in their image rather than celebrating that all of us, diverse as we are, are made in the image of God. Humility - like that of the tax-collector in Jesus’s story - as +Todd says, “supports each person as they claim who they are ... the one God loves so much.” Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you’re ‘perfect’ in every way!

 https://mailchi.mp/huron.anglican.ca/pastoral-statement-on-the-transgender-day-of-remembrance?e=b80467d071

 

In prayer, expect that you will be changed

Morning: Psalm 102; Malachi 3:1-12; James 5:7-12

Evening: Psalm 107:1-32; Luke 18:1-8

Seasonal booklets of readings and prayers (e.g. for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany and Lent) are one way I encourage myself and others - as Jesus did - ‘to pray always and not to lose heart.’ Jesus suggests that, in prayer, we find justice. Prayer asks not so much for things as for the world to be set right. The answer to prayer is justice, at least in the long run ... In prayer, you open yourself up to be set on the path to justice. In prayer, expect to be changed; do not expect to change God, who is already just.

 

We live always in uncertain times

Morning: Psalm 105:1-22; Malachi 2:1-16; James 4:13-5:6

Evening: Psalm 105:23-45; Luke 17:20-37

Jesus says challenging things, like: “Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it.” Have you ever heard someone you know say something like: “Just when I thought I had all I needed, I discovered I needed more”? Jesus is teaching this ... If you are satisfied with who you are, you will discover you do not need more. External comforts do not bring inner peace or security in uncertain times; and, we live always in uncertain times, or so it seems. Jesus’ teaching is for such times.

 

Credit where credit is due, responsibility too

Morning: Psalms 101, 109; Malachi 1:1, 6-14; James 3:13 – 4:12

Evening: Psalms 119:121-144; Luke 17:11-19

When only one of 10 lepers Jesus healed comes back to thank him, the nine are like those who believe their successes come from their own efforts. But Jesus teaches us to own that all good things come from God. In some cases, we help. Also, not all our failures come from forces beyond our control. We must take responsibility for failure in at least equal measure to the credit we take for success. Of course, you may think you never fail!? If so, you have even further to go than you think, if you are to find Peace.

 

Calling a spade a spade

Morning: Psalms 97, 99, 100; Habakkuk 3:1-18; James 3:1-12

Evening: Psalm 94; Luke 17:1-10

As a kid, I once thought idly that it would be interesting to stick my foot out as someone ran past! I did! He grazed hands and knees. Someone saw it and called me out publicly - I will never forget my stupidity and shame about that, although my victim has probably long forgotten it. Jesus teaches that causing someone to stumble and do the wrong thing is woeful. If we see that happen, we must name it publicly. They may always remember. They may even change! This is a call to courageous public life, calling a spade a spade.

 

More hope for fools

Morning: Psalm 89:1-18; Habakkuk 2:1-4, 9-20; James 2:14-26

Evening: Psalm 89:19-52; Luke 16:19-31

Some are so certain of their views that they are closed to other possibilities. Jesus says that someone who fails to listen to the wisdom of great teachers will also resist the mysteries of God. In my childhood home closed-minded people were said to be “wise in their own conceits.” I discovered later that this phrase comes from the Book of Proverbs’ (26:12): “Do you see persons wise in their own conceit? There is more hope for fools than for them.” Even if someone actually rises from the dead you may not succeed in convincing some people of it.

 

The important things: justice, mercy and faith

Morning: Psalms 66, 67; Habakkuk 1:1-2:1; Philippians 3:13-4:1

Evening: Psalms 19, 46; Matthew 23:13-24

Jesus pulls no punches in denouncing Pharisees and scribes. These are religious legalists who lay burdens on people that are too heavy to bear. We do this to ourselves, too, thinking we are unworthy of respect or love, maybe because we broke rules we did not understand anyway ... Like: It’s wrong to think this, or that. Are you labouring under such burdens? Examine the life commandments you follow that make you feel unsure of yourself. You can probably let them go ... Any rule that prevents you from experiencing justice, mercy and faith is not worthy of you.

 

Whom or what shall I serve?

Morning: Psalms 87, 90; Joel 3:9-17; James 2:1-13

Evening: Psalm 136; Luke 16:10-17

Jesus is clear: “You cannot serve God and wealth.” Our society chooses to serve wealth when it is obsessed with economic growth and prosperity. What’s wrong with prosperity? Nothing at all if it serves people. Yet, when you become enslaved to achieving wealth and your life’s priorities are focused on that, you may end up serving wealth instead of serving God. To serve God is to ‘do justice, love kindness and walk humbly’. Those priorities may not fit with what happens when you make wealth your principal goal ... Justice, kindness and humility can so easily go out the window.

 

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger

Morning: Psalm 88; Joel 2:28 – 3:8; James 1:16-27

Evening: Psalms 91, 92; Luke 16:1-9

The Letter of James contains this compelling phrase: “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.” The letter also teaches about generosity, and about not only hearing the truth but acting on it. As they say, talk is cheap. Being slow to speak allows others’ words to sink in and produce action. Words alone do not care for orphans, widows and others in distress. I heard a wise physician say yesterday that we cannot afford to get into anger or arguments or blame about COVID-19. This present crisis calls for deep listening to one another and concerted action.

 

Offering our best to all, no questions asked

Morning: Psalms 23, 27; Joel 2:21-27; James 1:1-15

Evening: Psalms 85, 86; Luke 15:1-2, 11-32

When some person or community is generous or kind towards another less fortunate person, there is always one like the Prodigal Son’s older brother who says, “You shouldn’t do that; they brought it on themselves”. But the Love that moves the Cosmos extends welcome, kindness and generosity to all, no questions asked ... Only the very best for everyone - even ‘the fatted calf’. Treat them all as your long-lost son or brother now returned. Forget they wronged you. Love’s generosity is boundless. In joyful celebration of your own abundance, create spacious places of welcome for them all, without question.

 

Sin is a broken relationship not a broken rule

Morning: Psalms 119:97-120; Joel 2:12-19; Revelation 19:11-21

Evening: Psalms 81, 82; Luke 15:1-10

We trivialize sin if we think it is about “being naughty”, or if we believe God needs to be appeased because God is bothered by sin. Sin is a broken relationship not a broken rule. The impact that this broken relationship has on us is what matters. We suffer - though not at God’s hands - when our relationship with God is broken, by acting in ways that cause harm. God simply longs for relationship with us ... ‘Repentance’ is the deep sorrow that turns us around towards the other and opens up the possibility of healing and renewed relationship.

 

Disciples tackle the urgent matters of their times

Morning: Psalm 78:1-39; Joel 1:15-2:11; Revelation 19:1-10

Evening: Psalm 78:40-72; Luke 14:25-35 

“None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions,” says Jesus. Is this not madness? But Jesus is confronting the great religious and political challenges of his times and these may cost his disciples everything, even their lives. On Remembrance Day, we accept that it is not madness to give up everything to break the power of evil and death. COVID-19 is a comparable challenge for some medical people. Sometimes to give up everything is simply the right thing to do. For the urgent matters of our own times, Jesus still needs disciples.

 

Banquet! Now! ... Will you come?

Morning: Psalm 80; Joel 1:1-13; Revelation 18:15-24

Evening: Psalms 77, 79; Luke 14:12-24

Jesus’s invitations are urgent. Today’s parable invites us to a ‘banquet’, which is a metaphor for the Kingdom of God ... or life lived to the fullest. We may miss fullness of life while following what seem like more attractive options. Why the urgent invitation? Well, life is short. So, live well now. Will the invitation expire? No, but life will. Why waste a moment living in anything less than the fullest possible way? What will that be like? The banquet’s ‘menu’ is not all published. To find out what is on it, you must first say, ‘Yes! I’ll come!’

 

Praying for the new American president

Morning: Psalms 93, 96; I Corinthians 14:1-12

Evening: Psalm 34; Ezra 10:1-17; Matthew 20:1-16

Today, the world feels different because of the American election result ... understandable, given the immense power that rests in the hands of the American president. Jesus’s parable - labourers in a vineyard - demonstrates how different is our sense of justice from God’s. When we decide on a just course of action, we humans do much better when we share our deliberations with others. Today, pray that a spirit of collaboration and partnership may mark the new American presidency. Praying this may help us, also, to listen to other people’s wisdom as we ourselves try to live justly.

 

When you find humility, you won’t know it

 

Morning: Psalms 75, 76; Revelation 18:1-14

Evening: Psalms 23, 27; Luke 14:1-11

In hospital chaplaincy work, I befriended leaders of many faith communities. One in particular was Imam Jamal, of London Muslim Mosque. He invited Mona and me one evening to dinner and a film at the mosque. We sat at the back, but as the room filled, Jamal came and invited us to sit up front at his table. We had not been trying to be humble, but what happened seemed to echo Jesus’s teaching. Trouble was, I began to feel proud at how humble I had been!! Oops! Start again, Graham! Remember, when you find humility, you won’t know it.

Our own soul’s echo of God’s holy longing

 Morning: Psalm 69:1-38; Revelation 17:1-18

Evening: Psalm 73; Luke 13:31-35

German writer, Johann Goethe, in his poem, Holy Longing, wrote: “Tell a wise person, or else keep silent, because the mass man will mock it right away ... So long as you haven't experienced this - to die and so to grow - you are only a troubled guest on the dark earth.” God’s holy longing is that we might no more be ruled by deathly powers. Our willingness to die to those powers (hatred, selfishness, greed ... the list is long), and so to grow, is our own soul’s echo of God’s holy longing. Thus to die is to live.

No better option

Morning: Psalms 70, 71; Revelation 16:12-21

Evening: Psalm 74; Luke 13:18-30

Many people want to come to Canada, as I did 44 years ago today. Canada has strict requirements, though. We want skilled immigrants, to help grow this nation. Jesus’s parables tell about God’s ‘nation’ or ‘kingdom’, growing worldwide from tiny beginnings. Everyone is welcome; the entrance requirements are not as selective as Canada’s. But you must give God’s ‘kingdom’ priority now and not wait. You know ... like folks who cannot commit to dinner on Friday because they ‘don’t know what they are doing that day’ - meaning, they were hoping for a better option! There is no better option.

 

Too pious for their own good

Morning: Psalm 72; Revelation 16:1-11

Evening: Psalm 119:73-96; Luke 13:10-17

I remember, during childhood, noticing a woman who was seriously bent over. She probably had a spinal ailment. Imagine not being able to stand up. A religious leader criticized Jesus for healing a bent-over woman on the Sabbath. Jesus said the leader was misguided ... There is never a wrong day to set someone free from affliction. And for the sufferer, today is always the right day to be set free, whether it is the Sabbath or not. Sometimes, religious people can be too pious for their own good, or anyone else’s.

 

Opportunity and extra help to bear fruit

Morning: Psalms 61, 62; Revelation 14:14 – 15:8

Evening: Psalm 68:1-20; Luke 13:1-9

Some of you know I want snow so I can test my new snowblower! As I read the operator’s manual, I learn there are things I must do to avoid damage to the machine or myself. The Gospel makes similar observations about life ... it’s like: “wash your hands, wear a mask, keep your distance, or you know what may happen” ... God points us toward fruitful living. Many assume the vineyard owner in the parable is God, but isn’t God the gardener giving the fig tree an opportunity and some extra help to bear fruit? Us too?

 

What on earth will happen tomorrow?

Morning: Psalms 56, 57, 58; Revelation 14:1-13

Evening: Psalms 64, 65; Luke 12:49-59

 Who is not concerned about the U.S. election tomorrow? This is a crisis moment, not only for America but, for everyone. Great upheavals demand more than neutrality from people of faith, too. Jesus said, “I come to bring fire upon the earth”. Following him means discerning deeply about what his Way demands. It will mean disagreements, even with other people of faith. Jesus’s Way is not likely to be cozy or comfortable in these times. Black Lives Matter and Climate Action protesters shout: “No Justice, No Peace!” The prophet Micah helps to clarify: “Do Justice, Love Kindness, Walk Humbly ...”

 

Saints ... Those who hold onto the vision

Morning: Psalms 111, 112; Hebrews 11:32 – 12:2

Evening: Psalms 148, 150; Wisdom 5:1-5, 14-16; Revelation 21:1-4, 22 – 22:5

The wonder of the Bible is its vision that we are headed towards a new creation. Our present reality will give way to something brighter, something better, “new heavens and a new earth”. The vision gets articulated in many different ways. If you hold the vision, not only by watching it from afar, but by doing your best to live it, here and now, you are one of the ones called ‘Saints’. You keep your eyes on that vision, your feet moving towards it, and your hands busy working for it. Me? “Lord, I wanna be in that number ...”!

 

Courage comes from holding God in awe

Morning: Psalm 55; Revelation 13:11-18

Eve of All Saints: Psalm 34; Wisdom 3:1-9; Revelation 19:1, 4-10

I get nervous sometimes. Do you ever feel trepidation with certain people? Maybe your boss, someone you respect, or a famous public figure? You are not afraid exactly, just awestruck. One old hymn quotes today’s Psalm, #34: ‘Fear God, you saints, and you will then have nothing else to fear.’ Not that you should fear how God might treat you; you can always rely on God’s justice and mercy. But if you do not tremble before the maker of the universe, you may end up being unduly afraid of other, lesser powers. Courage comes from holding God in awe.

 

 

Why we bought a snowblower

Morning: Psalms 40, 54; Revelation 13:1-10

Evening: Psalm 51; Luke 12:13-31

Mona and I moved lately. We looked at some things, and asked ourselves: “Do we really need this?” Some stuff went to new homes, but still a few boxes call to us from the basement. We are not moving again anytime soon though. And, since it has been such a relief to get rid of what we do not need, I hope we will finish the purge. Jesus is right ... Having more than you need distracts you from life and its real treasures. That is why we did buy one new thing - a snowblower ... think about it!

 

If I reject God, I put God’s forgiveness out of my reach

Morning: Psalm 50; Revelation 12:7-17

Evening: Psalm 103; Luke 11:53-12:12

Even as a believer, I need to make rational sense of things. It makes no sense to me that there some things cannot be forgiven, because I trust in the grace and mercy of God. But if I reject the power of God’s Spirit, I put myself beyond God’s forgiveness. Not that God cannot forgive me - all is possible with God - but I cannot benefit from forgiveness if I am not ready to receive it. How can I receive forgiveness from one who does not exist? If I reject God, I put God’s forgiveness out of my reach.

 

St. Jude and my friend Tony

Morning: Psalm 66; Isaiah 28:9-16; Ephesians 4:1-16

Evening: Psalms 116, 117; John 14:15-31

Installing timing-chains on GM 350 engines was mind-numbingly boring. The saving grace was Tony. I was there for a year, saving for school. Tony, the man next to me on the line, was a ‘lifer’. He spoke often about St. Jude (whose day it is today), patron saint of lost causes. Tony was a lost cause and God rescued him, he said. An unlikely evangelist - hard-living loner - Tony strengthened my conviction that no-one is outside God’s love. God even speaks through you, though some days you may think yourself a lost cause. I often thank God for Tony.

 

Show me why I should change!

Morning: Psalm 45; Revelation 11:14-19

Evening: Psalm 47, 48; Luke 11:27-36

Jesus’s message of repentance is more than a simple call to admit you have acted or thought wrongly. Repentance, for Jesus, is a call to change your whole life’s focus, as Thomas Keating puts it: “Change the direction in which you look for happiness.” In common with all human beings, you can become set in your ways; change is difficult. You risk ‘barking up the wrong tree’ with no hope of seeing the error of your ways. You have to be ready to change direction, Jesus says, if you don’t want to get stuck in the dark.

 

Which power will prevail ... good or evil? Choose

Morning: Psalms 41, 52; Revelation 11:1-14

Evening: Psalm 44; Luke 11:14-26

In one popular story, a grandfather teaches his grandson that it is as if there were two wolves fighting within us - one good, the other evil. The grandson asks, “Which wolf will win?” The grandfather replies, “The one you feed.” When Jesus tackles evil forces in people and communities, there is a risk, he points out, that the evil that has been banished may come back full force if you do not replace the evil with good. Goodness is not simply the absence of evil. You have to choose to serve and encourage the good within you.

 

Crucial Conversations: Respect, Honesty, Listening

Morning: Psalms 63, 98; I Corinthians 10:15-24

Evening: Psalm 103; Haggai 1:1-2:9; Matthew 18:15-20

Matthew says that Jesus teaches church members to speak respectfully in private to those who have wronged them and also to listen carefully to those whom they themselves have wronged. Matthew, through his Gospel, passes on these customs of the early church. The exact words cannot be from Jesus ... there was no church yet when Jesus was teaching his disciples. But it is fair to assume that the disciples themselves learned these traditions from Jesus - respect, honesty and listening in crucial conversations - and passed them on to the early church. We need them now, more than ever.

 

Your presence may answer someone else’s prayer

Morning: Psalms 30, 32; Revelation 10:1-11

Evening: Psalms 42, 43; Ezra 4:7, 11-24; Luke 11:1-13

When people suffer - illness, loss, separation, depression - you long to help, to make things right. You have heard that comforting words or advice do not help. If you really want to help, you offer yourself. Your presence helps people most. You try prayer, and you wonder why you do not get what you ask for? Perhaps you do not know what you need? But Jesus teaches that the prayer for God’s Spirit never goes unanswered; then, the Spirit helps you with everything else ... And who knows, your presence may just be God’s answer to someone else’s prayer.

 

The one thing necessary ... sit and listen

Morning: Psalm 31; Revelation 9:13-21

Evening: Psalm 35; Ezra 3:1-13; Luke 10:38-42

Mary of Bethany and Martha, her sister, are friends of Jesus. Mary is famous for sitting at Jesus’s feet listening to him while Martha complains that Mary is not helping with the chores. Jesus responds: “Martha, Martha (there is deep love in his repetition of her name), Mary has made the right choice.” Sitting at Jesus’s feet, literally or metaphorically, is where we learn the essence of love, hospitality and welcome ... from the one who prepares a spacious place of welcome for all. Sometimes even our deep moral convictions prevent us from seeing the better Way that Jesus embodies.

 

Mercy ... life-giving love for the unloveable

Morning: Psalms 37:1-18; Revelation 9:1-12

Evening: Psalm 37:19-42; Ezra 1:1-11; Luke 10:25-37

Is there anyone - anyone - to whom, if they were in need, you would refuse mercy? This is Jesus’s implicit question in the parable. Anyone? In Jesus’s day, his people did not even associate with Samaritans, let alone treat them kindly. Yet, here a Samaritan shows mercy and kindness to a stranger. It’s as if an unkempt, cocaine-addicted male prostitute stopped to help a mugging victim who had earlier cursed him and refused to give him change for coffee. Mercy is life-giving love for the unlovable; all of them, rich or poor, are my neighbours.

 

The Great Work is under way, in us

Morning: Psalm 38; Revelation 8:1-13

Evening: Psalm 119:25-48; Luke 10:17-24

‘The Satan’, in the Gospel, is the power of evil, God’s purpose gone awry, causing suffering on the earth. The disciples tell Jesus excitedly about their efforts. He responds that he saw ‘the Satan’ fall; not to make them over-confident that they themselves overcome evil - that is God’s work - but to let them know that what they are doing, though small, is vital. Assuring us that God overwhelms the power of evil, Jesus wants us to know that the Great Work of shaping the New Creation is now already under way, in us, motley crew that we are!

 

The Way of Peace, Salaam, Shalom

Morning: Psalms 26, 28; Revelation 7:9-17

Evening: Psalms 36, 39; Luke 10:1-16

Human beings are prone to conflict. Thus, the Abrahamic faiths’ greeting is: ‘Peace’, ‘Salaam’, ‘Shalom’ - God’s Way of Peace. Suffering is the natural consequence of our refusing Peace. Our world urgently needs to discover the Way of Peace. Few, however, seem ready to work for it; probably because this work is hard. For Jesus, the Way of Peace was also the Way of the Cross. Just as refusing Peace leads to suffering for ourselves and others, so also there is probably no giving birth to Peace without our suffering some labour-pangs, too.

 

You have no idea ...

Morning: Psalm 103; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Luke 1:1-4

Evening: Psalms 67, 96; Isaiah 52:7-10; Acts 1:1-8

Today is St. Luke’s Day. Luke is ‘the beloved physician’, often associated with the work of healing. His greater gift to history, though, was his decision to write his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He may have wondered, as he did so, what impact his efforts might have. Could he ever have imagined that we would still be reading his words today? Ask yourself: “What will I do today for the purposes of Christ?” You have no idea ... what a difference your small act of faithfulness will make in the world. Trust that possibility.

 

What is the cross I carry?

Morning: Psalms 148, 149, 150; I Corinthians 10:1-13

Evening: Psalms 114, 115; Matthew 16:13-28

When people say, in clichéd fashion, “It’s the cross you must bear”, they may miss the spirit of Jesus’s words: “Take up your cross and follow me.” The difference is one of intention. The reluctant long-suffering of the cliché refers to unchosen, unwelcome personal burdens, things I just cannot avoid. There are such burdens, and I must bear them. They are different, however, from the cross which Jesus calls me to take up. He calls me to the willing offering of my life’s energy in service to the better world which he embodies. In that, I want to invest myself.

 

Mountaintop moments are to equip you to serve

Morning: Psalms 20, 21; Acts 28:17-31

Evening: Psalms 110, 116, 117; Luke 9:37-50

Soon after Jesus’s mountaintop transfiguration - where his face shines and God’s affirmation of him rings out - he tells his disciples that he will be betrayed. He will confront the powers-that-be and they will do him harm. The disciples don’t get it. Instead, they argue about which of them is the greatest. Jesus takes a child and teaches them, “the least among all of you is the greatest”. Humility, not greatness, is life’s goal. True greatness is expressed in serving others. The great do not ask, “Who is the greatest?” but rather, “How may I be of service?”

 

 

The human face of God

Morning: Psalms 16, 17; Acts 28:1-6

Evening: Psalm 22; Luke 9:28-36

In the New Testament, people start to see Jesus differently. Something shifts in what he means to them. On the mountain, Peter, James and John see him transfigured; his face shines. They see him as God’s “Son”, God’s chosen one. Later, St. Paul says being “in Christ” is no longer regarding him from a human perspective ... When that happens, it is like a New Creation has begun; your world is transformed. Jesus offers and invites you into a new world ... I find him trustworthy, because I see in him what one writer calls “the human face of God.”

 

One simple daily decision

Morning: Psalm 18:1-20; Jonah 3:1-4:11; Acts 27:27-44

Evening: Psalm 18:21-50; Luke 9:18-27

‘Yesterday is gone; tomorrow may not be; but I have today.’ I copied this into a notebook during my adolescence. It’s clichéd but it gets me moving ... no regrets, no hoping for the wrong things, today is enough. When Jesus says, “Take up your cross daily and follow me,” he is not talking about momentous, life-changing, once-and-for-all decisions. He is calling me, whatever happened yesterday, simply to decide for today - that I will live not for myself but I will lose myself for others and for the world. One day at a time. One decision at a time.

 

Who is this about whom I hear such things?

Morning: Psalm 119:1-24; Jonah 1:17 – 2:10; Acts 27:9-26

Evening: Psalms 12, 13, 14; Luke 9:1-17

All my life I have wondered about Jesus with questions like King Herod’s: “Who is this about whom I hear such things?” Jesus acts with such authority, clarity and mystery; he is intriguing. Pious, clichéd notions about Jesus conceal him rather than reveal him ... If you go beyond religious hype about Jesus and experience him in his simplicity, you will (like the 5000 whom he fed) be awestruck. Awe is the only adequate stance before Jesus, as you begin to learn about who he is. I have only begun to encounter him really. There is still time ...

 

Challenging hidebound traditions & moving on

Morning: Psalms 5, 6; Jonah 1:1-17a; Acts 26:24 – 27:8

Evening: Psalms 10, 11; Luke 8:40-56

Jesus raises a dead 12-year-old girl and heals a woman with a menstrual disorder. He touches a corpse and a menstruating woman! This is shocking for his society - both actions rendered him ‘ritually unclean’. Yet here Jesus opens up a future of possibilities for both women, indeed for all women who experience the confining constraints that society may impose on them. Jesus routinely defies traditions that have lost their meaning and that now just hold people captive. Laws that may once have served a purpose grow moribund. Discipleship means knowing when it is time to move on.

 

Look at Jesus: see God

 Morning: Psalms 1, 2, 3; Micah 7:1-7; Acts 26:1-23

Evening: Psalm 4, 7; Luke 8:26-39

Why learn about Jesus? After Jesus heals a man possessed by demons, the man wants to follow Jesus. It is easier to leave town with Jesus than to live - no longer possessed, but whole - in the very community that experienced his former wild behaviour. But Jesus sends him home to tell his family how much God has done for him. He does go home and, instead, tells them how much Jesus has done for him. Notice how, for the author of Luke’s Gospel, a new, radical possibility has emerged ... Look at Jesus: see God.

Your faith can help your children become themselves

Morning: Psalms 146, 147; Micah 6:1-8; I Corinthians 4:9-16

Evening: Psalms 11, 112, 113; Matthew 15:21-28

I discovered when my sons were grown that kids teased them because I was a priest. I think they felt ungrounded and vulnerable because I may not have shared my faith with them enough. The faith of the Canaanite woman who meets Jesus helps in her daughter’s healing. I am sure it is never too late to help our children heal the loss they suffered because we were cautious about sharing our faith with them. If we do that now (including our doubts and fears), it can only help them become more fully themselves, more whole. I will keep trying.

 

Pay attention to how you listen

 

Morning: Psalms 137, 144; Micah 5:1-14, 10-15; Acts 25:13-27

Evening: Psalm 104; Luke 8:16-25

“Pay attention to how you listen.” ... I never noticed this phrase in Luke’s Gospel before, which proves Jesus’s point! Sometimes, I think I know exactly what Jesus is saying, so I listen without care. But behind his words lie new understandings of our life and purpose here. Listening well to the Word sheds light on your path (Psalm 119:105). Jesus teaches: listen well before you act! Listen to others; learn from one another. Jesus’s family comprises those who “hear the Word of God and do it”. Before you act, give him time; listen to him again.

The company of women who risk following Jesus

Morning: Psalms 140, 142; Micah 3:9-4:5; Acts 24:24 – 25:12

Evening: Psalms 141, 143:1-11; Luke 8:1-15

Among Jesus’s followers are women: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Chuza and Susanna. For women to risk following him is shocking for Jesus’s culture. Yet his teaching takes root and bears fruit in the lives of women. Many cultures exclude women from leadership or significant roles in their societies, but Jesus calls women perhaps as much as he calls men, expecting their lives to bear fruit for God. Jesus’s own male-dominated culture does not celebrate female leadership any more than our culture does. However, both then and now, women are central figures in the Jesus movement, often “bearing fruit with patient endurance”.

 

Don’t give up on love: break the cycle of violence

Morning: Psalms 131, 132, 133; Micah 3:1-8; Acts 24:1-23

Evening: Psalms 134, 135; Luke 7:36-50

It must have been very wearying for Jesus that people would regularly criticize him whenever he did an act of kindness or grace ... like healing on the sabbath or declaring someone forgiven, or even eating with his critics! Basic goodness is devalued or mocked by those who behave without regard for others and who do not seem to care. But love does not give up. Love is powerful. You keep believing, even when others may abuse or persecute you, that love and grace and kindness will transform their hearts. When you break the cycle of violence, people change.

 

How did you expect God to act?

Morning: Psalm 119:145-176; Micah 2:1-13; Acts 23:23-35

Evening: Psalms 128, 129, 130; Luke 7:18-35

Here is the familiar human story ... We resist faith because God fails to fulfill our expectations. Jesus asks: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?” People are disappointed that neither John the Baptist nor Jesus meets their expectations of how God ought to act. Many of us are at odds with God because God does not meet our expectations. We think we know what God should be like, or what God should do. Funny how for all our God-like knowing about how things ought to be, we ourselves still can’t quite get things right.

 

Tuesday October 6th - God’s compassion received >> a new creation

Morning: Psalms 121, 122, 123; Micah 1:1-9; Acts 23:12-24

Evening: Psalms 124, 125, 126, 127; Luke 7:1-17

Two stories demonstrate Jesus’s power over death. This is his purpose ... to bring life. Nobody asks Jesus to act here. He hears about the mortal illness of the centurion’s slave and cures him. He sees the widow whose son has died and raises him. Jesus’s compassion, which is the compassion of God, is life-giving. God’s compassion depends on nothing you do or do not do. It is freely offered. St. Paul says: “If anyone is in Christ, there is a New Creation.” All the centurion and the widow (and you) have to do is receive Jesus’s gift of compassion.