Reckoning with the Power of Death

Morning: Psalm 55; Jeremiah 17:5-10, 14-17; Philippians 4:1-13

Evening: Psalm 74; John 12:27-36

Ponder this ... Does the power of death rule you? Jesus claims his crucifixion is a reckoning with that power which dominates humans: the power of death. He says: ‘Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.’ Christians believe the Cross of Jesus marks, paradoxically, the end of death’s power. Rising from death, Jesus defeats death and shows that we no longer need to live in its thrall. When death dies, we really live. Think of it in another way ... Does anything prevent you from really living? Help is near.

 

 

Let go of what you needed to lose anyway

Morning: Psalms 6, 12; Jeremiah 15:10-21; Philippians 3:15-21

Evening: Psalm 94; John 12:20-26

Lose your life to find your life ... Jesus returns to this theme often. During this Holy Week, it is the theme. Not only does letting go of ego and self-concern help you find your true self. It also, amazingly, makes the world a better place. Jesus gives up his life, in a stark and literal way, on Good Friday. But you are also invited to realize that, even without physically dying, you can let go of what you needed to lose anyway, and, by doing so, change your small corner of the world for the better.

 

Your actions spring from what you believe

Morning: Psalm 51:1-18; Jeremiah 12:1-16; Philippians 3:1-14

Evening: Psalm 69:1-23; John 12:9-19

St. Paul tells the Philippians that [he] has discovered in Jesus what he calls righteousness through faith. In other words, good actions spring from what you believe more than from an act of the will. If you do not believe yourself valuable, you may not value others or treat them well. If you believe that you are deeply loved and that Love is the foundation of the Cosmos, your actions will almost certainly be seasoned with love. Perhaps the central human question is not, ‘What do you want?’ but, ‘What do you believe?’ Everything follows from that, for good or ill.

 

Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies ...

Morning: Psalms 24, 29; Zechariah 9:9-12; I Timothy 6:12-16

Evening: Psalm 103; Zechariah 12:9-11; 13:1, 7-9; Matthew 21:12-17

As a four-year-old, Ali ran up to Mona: “Mom, Adam lost his button, ‘Praise the Lord!’” Adam had a metal button that said: ‘Praise the Lord!’ Mona was shocked at Ali’s apparent religious fervour! When Jesus healed people, the children cried ‘Hosanna!’ (‘Praise the Lord!’) Religious people were angry that they called him ‘Lord’. Then Jesus recited the famous words, which most people do not realize are adapted from Psalm 8: “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies ... you have prepared praise for yourself.” Children often show us authentic truth about God. Watch them; you will see.

 

 

If only, or if ... regret, or promise?

Morning: Psalm 137:1-6; Jeremiah 31:27-34; Romans 11:25-36

Evening: Psalms 42, 43; John 11:28-44

‘If only ...’ is the way we voice regret about what might have been. Hindsight is, proverbially, 20/20. We do not accept foresight as easily; that would mean giving ourselves over to trust - in a promise or a person. Mary laments to Jesus about Lazarus’s death: “If you had been here ...”. But Jesus replies with an ‘If’ that leads to a promise: “If you believe, you will see the glory of God” (you will see amazing things). To experience promise instead of regret, you must trust, as Mary did.

 

The Word became flesh and lived among us

Morning: Psalms 85, 87; Isaiah 52:7-12; Hebrew 2:5-10

Evening: Psalms 110:1-7, 132; John 1: 9-14

There are scores of human stories about how things began. Some things we know ... there was a Big Bang. If you push back far enough, though, the stories lead into the unknown. Many humans, though, have experienced enough of Love that they believe the Cosmos began with a gracious and merciful One ... God, Word, Creator, YHWH, Allah. In Jesus, if you believe it, this One became flesh, to point humanity towards Love. Can it be!? ... Jesus - one of us - is all we need to know about the Love from which everything springs?

 

You are a child of God ... wait, think about this

Morning: Psalm 119:145-176; Jeremiah 25:30-38; Romans 10:14-21

Evening: Psalms 8, 138; Genesis 3:1-15; Galatians 4:1-7

Christians have always said that Jesus is as human as the rest of us. That is why tonight, nine months before Christmas Eve, the ‘Eve of the Annunciation’, the angel’s visit to Mary, is celebrated. This recalls how Jesus was born of an earthly human mother following a 9-month pregnancy. Thus, we know that Jesus is our brother. If one born of God is our brother, we are no longer slaves to anything or anyone, but also children of God. Before you say, “Yeh right!” think about this for a minute. This is a great mystery, worthy of your consideration.

 

Wisdom lies in openness to other ways of seeing

Morning: Psalms 121, 122, 123; Jeremiah 25:8-17; Romans 10:1-13

Evening: Psalms 124, 125, 126; John 9:18-41

Matters of faith are especially prone to misunderstandings ... People get stuck in rigid ideas and cannot see beyond them to different perspectives. Religious teachers proclaim as certainties things that are beyond our knowing. Jesus shows - by his words and actions - that wisdom lies in remaining open to other ways of seeing the world and the faith. He only wishes that we be: slow to accuse others of error, unbelief or malice; and, quick to admit our own errors, to welcome different perspectives, to repent of our judgements of others and to forgive.

 

A new way of seeing

Morning: Psalm 31; Jeremiah 24:1-10; Romans 9:19-33

Evening: Psalm 35; John 9:1-17

Art is a way of seeing unclouded by expectations of the way things ought to look. Your brain thinks, ‘I know what faces look like’, so it does not see the uniqueness of this particular face. The man born blind brings no assumptions to his view of Jesus - once blind, now he can see: Jesus is ‘a prophet’. The Pharisees’ assumptions make them blind. Jesus introduces a new way of seeing that heals blindness and brings new understanding. His Way often shows that those who think they understand things best (‘Pharisees’ ancient and modern) actually know very little.

 

Life is short - find it in service to something greater

Morning: Psalm 118; Jeremiah 23:16-32; I Corinthians 9:19-27

Evening: Psalm 145; Mark 8:31-9:1

“Life is short.” Yesterday, I heard two different people say these words, independently of one another and in different contexts. Both were reflecting on how important it is to spend your life well, to live it to the fullest and to be devoted to something beyond you - perhaps art, or another person, or a community, or friendship among people of different cultures and customs. Jesus would agree ... You lose (or waste) your life when you spend it serving only your own needs. But you find your life when you lose yourself in service to something greater.

 

 

It is the spirit that gives life

Morning: Psalms 107:33-43; 108:1-6; Jeremiah 23:9-15; Romans 9:1-18

Evening: Psalm 33; John 6:60-71

Physical existence is nothing without spirit; we know this. The human longing for this intangible ‘something more’ is a theme of literature. Think of the songs that tell of the illusion of finding satisfaction in things. The promised satisfaction is short-lived. All too soon, we are searching again for the ‘missing ingredient’ that will complete us and make us whole. Jesus spells out the truth: “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh (i.e. stuff) is useless.” You cannot buy or build the spirit, as you do things. The spirit is a gift you invite in and gratefully welcome.

 

Strengthened in your inner being

Morning: Psalm 132; Isaiah 63:7-16; Matthew 1:18-25

Evening: Psalm 34; Ephesians 3:14-21

I used to be much stronger physically; I was useful. Now, when Mona asks, “Graham, can you open this jar for me?” I tremble ... sometimes I can do it easily, sometimes not without a performance! This takes some getting used to. But maybe you need to lose physical strength to grow strong in other ways? Being honest about your weakness is a sign of inner strength - fortitude, or courage. Paul prays for the Church in Ephesus: “May you be strengthened in your inner being”. O God, give me the courage to make myself useful now in new ways.

 

As real as giving gets

Morning: Psalm 69:1-38; Jeremiah 22:13-23; Romans 8:12-27

Evening: Psalm 73; John 6:41-51

When a flesh-and-blood human gives her all, her generosity nourishes other lives. You may know someone who has given himself for the sake of others during this COVID pandemic. This is what Jesus means when he says, “the bread I will give for the life of the world is my flesh”. Such self-giving does not need to lead to a gruesome death. Most will not die, as Jesus does, when they give of themselves. But when any flesh-and-blood human gives their all, in whatever way, for the world’s sake, their gift, like Jesus’s gift, is as real as giving gets.

 

What is bread to you?

Morning: Psalms 101, 109:1-30; Jeremiah 18:1-11; Romans 8:1-11

Evening: Psalms 119:121-144; John 6:27-40

What is bread to you? Bread. Delicious in the mouth, taste of earth, wind and grain. Bread. Delectable in the nostrils, aroma of the sacred and good. Bread. Balm for sore eyes, drawing you towards what you value. Bread. Yielding in the fingers, full of spirit and substance, ready to bend. Bread. Word on the ear calling you home, back to your heart’s desire. Bread. Essence of your life, broken and shared, because you will give your life for what you love and for those you love. Jesus, ‘Bread of life’.

 

Meaningful work that satisfies hungry souls

Morning: Psalms 97, 99; Jeremiah 17:19-27; Romans 7:13-25

Evening: Psalm 94; John 6:16-27

Refrigeration allows us to keep perishable food for months. But it will eventually perish. When Jesus says, “Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures”, he is not on about market gardening! He is talking about finding work that satisfies a deeper hunger, by bringing purposeful love to our fleeting lives. The work Jesus calls us into has meaning beyond ourselves; it nourishes our own souls, yes, but also the souls of others and the earth itself. Maybe one person’s real work is market gardening. What is my real work? That is the question.

 

Feed the human soul, then none go hungry for bread

Morning: Psalm 89:1-18; Jeremiah 16:10-21; Romans 7:1-12

Evening: Psalm 89:19-52; John 6:1-15

When Jesus feeds thousands, the people want to make him king. They think he is what a king should be ... one who ensures the economy is functioning well, all are fed, big trade surplus! Jesus resists being misunderstood so narrowly as a purely political leader. True, a theme with Jesus is that none should go hungry. Yet, the way to make that happen finally for real is not by economic miracles but by nourishing hungry spirits and souls so that all choose to live well together. When a nation is oriented toward right relationships, none go hungry for bread.

 

What kind of yeast do you want to be?

Morning: Psalms 66, 67; Jeremiah 14:1-9,17-22; Galatians 4:21-5:1

Evening: Psalms 19, 46; Mark 8:11-21

Yeast is a remarkable, tiny, living, sugar-eating organism that produces carbon dioxide and makes bread rise. Jesus warns about the ‘yeast of the Pharisees’. His followers do not understand, even when he reminds them of how he multiplied loaves of bread. Jesus means that the Pharisees’ arguments could grow into a ferment of resistance to God’s ways. Jesus implies that there is another kind of ‘yeast’ that will get into the ‘dough’ of the world’s life and make it grow in justice and goodness. He seems to be asking: What kind of yeast do you want to be?

 

I am who I am ... the eternal One

Morning: Psalms 87, 90; Jeremiah 13:1-11; Romans 6:12-23

Evening: Psalm 136; John 8:47-59

Disputes arise about Jesus’s identity because he does and says remarkable things. Perhaps the most remarkable thing Jesus says is, “Before Abraham was, I am.” [Abraham lived 2000 years earlier.] Why are these strange words so remarkable? To understand this, you must look in the Book of Exodus, where the story is told that, some 1500 years before Jesus, Moses asks God, “What is (your) name?” And God says to Moses, “I am who I am.” Do you wonder who Jesus is? You must decide for yourself. The claim on Jesus’s lips is clear: “I am” ... the eternal One.

 

 

Are we not already free?

Morning: Psalm 88; Jeremiah 11:1-8, 14-20; Romans 6:1-11

Evening: Psalms 91, 92; John 8:33-47

There is great ferment in modern democracies about what freedom is. You wonder, are we not already free? But the rhetoric rings out from all sides of the political spectrum about how our ‘freedoms’ are being eroded. Some decry anti-democratic populism and the rise of dictators. Others claim that liberal democracies give too much power to governments to tax and to spend. In spite of our claims to be free, it actually sounds as if, in reality, we are anything but free, trapped by our circumstances. Jesus shows what true freedom is and how to find it.

 

What is the truth that makes you free?

Morning: Psalms 42, 43; Jeremiah 10:11-24; Romans 5:12-21

Evening: Psalms 85, 86; John 8:21-32

Until you realize you are unfree, you cannot be free. Humans and human cultures are too often prisoners to lies ... that power, wealth, beauty, sexual conquests or renown are measures of a life’s worth. You already know in your heart that there is no lasting satisfaction in these things. Jesus confirms what you already know. You are made for another kind of greatness - for justice, mercy and love - and there is a Way that can help you get there. This is the truth that makes you free.

 

Jesus ... a light for my path, and for the world

Morning: Psalm 119:97-120; Jeremiah 8:18-9:6; Romans 5:1-11

Evening: Psalms 81, 82; John 8:12-20

John’s Gospel says Jesus is the ‘Word of God’. Jesus calls himself the ‘Light of the World’. By implication, if you live by this Word, your steps will be guided by light. After a lifetime of searching for light in the world’s darkness, still I have found no more reliable guide than this Word, heard and known in Jesus. He is a guide for my path, and, I believe, for the world’s life. I will always look to him. Amy Grant’s 1990 song, Thy Word, based on today’s Psalm 119:105, says this much more beautifully than I can: https://youtu.be/9u_NMSH3hR8 .

 

A heart that is open to Love overflows with Love

Morning: Psalm 78:1-39; Jeremiah 7:21-34; Romans 4:13-25

Evening: Psalm 78:40-72; John 7:37-52

Sometimes you are so concerned about what you have to offer, so convinced about your gifts, that it is all about your needs. Ironically, your need to be useful renders you unhelpful to others ... you offer unwanted advice, or shallow ‘words of wisdom’ and assurance, or unsolicited hugs and gifts. Instead, a simple trust in God shapes your heart so that what flows from you to others refreshes their souls. When you are open to Love, your heart is shaped by Love and overflows with Love. Then, what you have to offer is no longer any of your concern.

 

 

Wisdom gives credit where credit is due

Morning: Psalm 80; Jeremiah 7:1-15: Romans 4:1-12

Evening: Psalm 77; John 7:14-36

They wonder how Jesus became so wise without his ever having been taught. He says that wisdom comes from God, pointing out that people who spout ‘words of wisdom’ often seek their own glory ... but this only shows them to be false. Whereas, if you serve One who is greater than you are - if you serve God - you will be true and free of falsehood. Wisdom knows on whom it depends and gives credit where credit is due.

 

Healing is not about being good, but whole

Morning: Psalms 93, 96; Jeremiah 6:9-15; I Corinthians 6:12-20

Evening: Psalm 34; Mark 5:1-20

The healing stories of Jesus are helpful for balancing our understanding of him. Some of Jesus’s biggest fans make it sound as if he is all about sin and judgement, with all the negative connotations of those words. But Jesus is about healing brokenness, healing profound imbalances in the life of the world, many of which we ourselves have created. Illness, too, is imbalance, a brokenness of body, mind, heart or soul. Jesus seeks to bring health and wholeness and does not admonish us for our brokenness. Healing is not about being good, but whole.

 

Choose well: there is a time to speak and to act

Morning: Psalms 75, 76; Jeremiah 5:20-31; Romans 3:19-31

Evening: Psalms 23, 27; John 7:1-13

It’s not only what you say or do, it’s when. The truth falls on deaf ears when spoken at in inopportune time. Jesus knew this ... For a while, he remained in the background, waiting for the right moment to step into the public arena, waiting for the right moment to act. Our hesitancy in speaking about the Way of Jesus may be well-founded. It is not wrong to be afraid of being misunderstood. There will come a time to speak and to act in the name of Love. Choose your moment well, as he did. Then, speak. Then, act.

 

Friday March 5th 2021 - World Day of Prayer

Morning: Psalm 69:1-38; Jeremiah 5:1-9; Romans 2:25-3:18

Evening: Psalm 73; John 5:30-47

Today is the World Day of Prayer. Through the modern miracle of the internet, the Christian women of Vanuatu have prepared a service of prayer for today. Vanuatu is a nation made up of about 80 islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Background information about this Day is at: https://worlddayofprayer.net/vanuatu-2021.html# . To follow the service, click on the black rectangle about halfway down the page. Then click ‘I accept’ to start the video. Enjoy!

 

Different expressions of the one Cosmic Love

Morning: Psalms 70, 71; Jeremiah 4:9-10, 19-28; Romans 2:12-24

Evening: Psalm 74; John 5:19-29

How can you get in tune, in sync, with the Love that sustains the Cosmos? Jesus, calling himself ‘the Son’, says he and ‘the Father’ are one. So, Christians believe you actually experience this Cosmic Love in this real man who walked the earth, and also in the Creator (or ‘Father’) of all things, as well as in the sacred Spirit who invigorates our souls. Different faces of the one Love. While people relate to any one of these different expressions of Love, Jesus is perhaps the most accessible one. Which is the whole point.

To heal others and yourself, reach out

Morning: Psalm 72; Jeremiah 3:6-18; Romans 1:28-2:11

Evening: Psalm 119:73-96; John 5:1-18

One year of isolation is long enough, but 38 years!? The man at the sacred pool has been there that long waiting for someone to help him into the waters. ‘I have no one’ to help me, he says. His deepest trouble is his isolation. Healing, for him, means being delivered from isolation, discovering the capacity to build community with others. Helping one another build community heals brokenness through relationship. To heal others and yourself, reach out ... Don’t wait years before asking yourself what kind of community they and you need; then build it together.

 

Get your own dirt

Morning: Psalms 61, 62; Jeremiah 2:1-13; Romans 1:16-25

Evening: Psalm 68:1-36; John 4:43-54

“Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” Jesus’s words are a telling indictment of every age that insists on miraculous evidence of God in the world. As if there were not enough mysterious, miraculous signs already! But humans are pretentious; we take credit for creating things that we did not. We patent Mother Nature. There is an old joke ... An inventor says to God: “I can make a human out of dirt.” God asks, “Where will you get the dirt?” The inventor points, “Right here.” God’s head shakes: “Uh-uh, no way ... Get your own dirt!”

 

Are you hungry?

Morning: Psalms 56, 57; Jeremiah 1:11-19; Romans 1:1-15

Evening: Psalms 64, 65; John 4:27-42

When your stomach is groaning, a hearty meal will set you right. When your soul hungers for justice and truth, you need another kind of food. You need to know that you are making a difference. At least, that was true of Jesus, who said his ‘food’ was to complete the work he had been sent to do. Do you know that feeling of being so deeply engaged in a task that you forget to eat? Something else is feeding you then ... Perhaps, like Jesus, you are making a difference for the world’s sake and that is what feeds your soul?