The creation stories contained in the Hebrew Scriptures stand in stark contrast to the other Middle East creation sagas. One God spoke words of power and love and created the world in which we live. Creation is not the scene of cosmic conflict, but rather the realm of a benevolent, all-powerful ruler. Though we experience conflicts and struggles, as followers of Jesus, we live in a world that was called “good” by its creator. We live in a world where the God of love and grace is present.

The Lord, the divine craftsman, is at work. He takes the sawdust from his creation, forms it and breathes life into it. Like all of God’s creation this new work, which he calls man (or humankind), is a wonder to behold. This new being is not an accidental side effect of creation. The Lord, rather, intentionally created humankind for a specific purpose, and the Lord is pleased with God’s creation.

Noah was righteous, not because of what he did but because of who he knew–his relationship with God; Noah walked with God. When righteousness is based on actions, life becomes burdened with an unending striving to do bigger and better good things; righteousness’ demand is insatiable. Righteousness that is based on God’s relationship with us becomes the foundation of who we are and the motivator of our words and actions.

God doesn’t accept resumes, instead God calls people. We may not even feel capable of accomplishing the task that God sets before us, but God still calls us. When we answer, God empowers us with the Holy Spirit. To what is God calling you?

Freedom from fear does not come from convincing ourselves that there is nothing to fear. Living fear free comes from know that we are a sheep of the Good Shepherd’s flock, that God is our rock and our fortress and that God is with us always. The world is filled with scary things, but we really do have nothing to fear.

The Lord appeared to Abraham in human form on that sunny day by the oaks of Mamre. God spoke to Mary of Nazareth by the angel, Gabriel, and appeared to Joseph in dreams. Paul saw the Lord in a flash of light. Throughout the scriptures God appears and communicates to God’s people in a variety of ways. God continues to do so today.

God is a God who keeps promises. At times we may think God has made promises that God hasn’t really made. These include living a comfortable life; being pain and problem free. God has promised to always love us, always be present in our lives and always forgive us. God never breaks God’s promises.

One of the subplots in the story of Esau and Jacob is the favoritism of their parents. Strong, hairy, outdoorsy, successful hunter Esau (a man’s man) was the apple of his father’s, Isaac, eye. Jacob displayed none of those characteristics. He was more of a “mommy’s boy” and was his mother’s, Rebekah, favorite. Without this favoritism and the resulting rivalry, the story might have taken a very different direction.

Jacob was a rich man. He had been blessed with livestock, servants, wives and children. As he prepared to meet his brother, Esau, Jacob’s riches meant nothing. He sent them across the brook out of danger. He would face his brother alone and could only pray that God would go before him and make peace. Jacob’s only hope and our only hope is in our God. Nothing else endures.

We all crave love. We want to be loved so much that there are times we seek love in inappropriate and harmful ways. As followers of Jesus, we can rejoice in God’s steadfast love. It is a love that will always be ours. Instead of waiting to be loved by others, or allowing our envy of another’s love to spawn hate, we can strive to share our love (as little as it may be) with others. Like many things, if we hoard love we will always lack. If we give our love away, we will have love in abundance.

His fall from grace was tumultuous. At the beginning of the day he was a favored son and a cocky kid and by the end of the day Joseph was sold as a slave and on his way to Egypt. There are times when life falls apart on short notice. We may slip and fall down the stairs, the company we work for may decide to move its offices to Lower Sabovia, or the doctor may enter the room with our test results, shaking his head. Life has no guarantees except that it will change.

Heraclitus was a six century BCE Greek philosopher, who first observed that, “The only constant is change.” How right he was. Things had changed for the Israelites. The had arrived in Egypt and had been given the choicest of land on the Nile Delta. They were Joseph’s family, who was second only to the Pharaoh. The condition of the Israelites changed over time. Joseph died and the Pharaoh whom he had served. Circumstances began to deteriorate and over the course of centuries the Israelites became slaves. The Lord had not abandoned them, however, even though drastic changes had come in their lives.

The cry the Israelite’s made to the Lord was not one of complaint or discomfort, but rather one of agony and desperation. Like any good parent, God responded out of love. God didn’t not move in miraculous ways. The answer to the Israelite’s cry of pain was the man, Moses.

The Lord instructed the Israelites to make the month of the Passover as the first month of their year. The Passover marked a new beginning. The Israelites were moving from slavery into freedom; nothing would be the same.

Their lack of historical recall was a major cause of the Israelite’s complaints. They didn’t remember how Moses and Aaron had faithfully led them and cared for them. Nor did they remember how the Lord had powerfully moved to “persuade” the Pharaoh to release the Israelites from their captivity. The Israelites were only aware of the growling stomachs, gnawing hunger, and the panorama of the empty wilderness around them.

The Lord is a God of relationships. God speaks to us to guide us and to remind us of God’s love and presence in our lives. God may speak to us from a mountain like God did with Moses. More often God speaks to us through the pages of the Bible, the words of a sermon, the advice of a friend, or the still small voice in our devotional silence. The important thing is that God speaks. God wants to be a part of our lives.

In ancient times, a person could make gods out of almost anything. Archeologists have found idol figurines made out of stone, pottery and wood. If we use Martin Luther’s definition of a god/idol as anything in which we place our hope and trust, then we’re quite imaginative in what we create as our gods/idols today.

Honor your father and your mother.

What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.

The journey of the Israelites was drawing to an end. Before they crossed over the Jordan River and began to settle the Promised Land, Moses gathered the people together. The first thing that Moses did was to remind the Israelites that the Lord made a covenant with them on Mount Horeb (Mt. Sinai) at the beginning of their exodus forty years before. The Lord came to the Israelites. God called Moses to the mountain and it was on that mountain that God established the covenant with God’s people.

A new day is about to begin, but before it does Joshua gathers the people and in a prophetic voice calls them to remember what God has done in their lives and in the lives of their ancestors. God’s actions were those of love and grace.

We go through life allowing petty rivalries, hurt feelings and differing opinions to infect our lives with animosity and hate. Love, care and concern are absent, and our lives are lessened because of it. Sometimes we are “blessed” with tragedy or loss that breaks down the barriers that have arisen between us and love can flow freely again.

We go through life allowing petty rivalries, hurt feelings and differing opinions to infect our lives with animosity and hate. Love, care and concern are absent, and our lives are lessened because of it. Sometimes we are “blessed” with tragedy or loss that breaks down the barriers that have arisen between us and love can flow freely again. Why wait for bad times to happen? The barriers between us can be removed through swallowed pride, confession, repentance and absolution. God’s light is able to shine in us and through us once again.

The writer of Ruth introduces Boaz by sharing two facts with the reader. Boaz is “family” to Naomi and he is rich. He has the means to help, and a reason. The question is, “Will he help”?

Naomi may not have encountered God in the way Noah, Abraham or Moses had. There is the understanding by the story teller, however, that God’s Spirit is moving behind the scenes. What Naomi did was pleasing in God’s sight.

Sickness and death were experienced more often at younger ages three thousand years ago, when the story of Ruth took place. Often a man would die without any offspring. There was no one to carry on his name or remember him. At the time, a brother, or in the story of Ruth, the next of kin would marry the decease’s wife and ensure that the family line continued. Boaz, as next of kin, played an important role as the next of kin.

Hanna faced circumstances that were beyond her abilities. Life was out of control. Things were not right, even though Hanna had the undying love and support of her husband. Hanna was barren. She had never felt a child’s kick in her womb or held her newborn son or daughter in her arms. Hanna did the only thing that she could do—besides give up and suffer in silence. She entered the Lord’s presence in prayer.

Samuel’s story took place when “Samuel was ministering to the Lord.” This was part of Samuel’s apprenticeship as he trained to be a priest. The emphasis, though, is on the fact that Samuel was doing things in order to serve God.

It is easy to become attached to the “samo samo.” It may be a little boring, but it appears safer, more secure and more comfortable than the new paths the Holy Spirit occasionally lead us on. Like Samuel, we grieve over the past rather than anticipate the future.

There is a Christian cliché that goes, “God doesn’t call the equipped, but rather equips the called.” That isn’t always the case, but in David’s life it was. God started with a young man who was a man after God’s own heart. From that beginning God formed David into a righteous king (not a perfect king) who ruled Israel with justice and who encouraged the people to worship the one, true Lord.

David had been an ambitious king. During the past years, David had solidified his political base among the twelve tribes of Israel. David had also been aggressive in expanding his kingdom, defeating neighboring nations and securing Israel’s borders. Somehow, David had also found time to build a magnificent palace for himself. God was with him and had granted David’s fantastic successes.

Like David we have offended the Lord by what we have said, done and left undone. God’s Spirit moves within us to convict us of our sin and empower us to confess, repent and receive God’s unconditional forgiveness. We are too valuable to God for God to remain silent.

Sacrifice is woven into the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. The purpose of such sacrifices is not to gain the favor of the Lord—that is already a reality. Sacrifice is a response to God’s gracious movement in our lives; it is a way to say, “Thank You,” and share our blessings with others.

We frequently celebrate that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God. The Lord walks with us through our most difficult times. Often, it is in our darkest hour that we rediscover God’s presence and love. Yet, God is with us in our successful times, also. We can celebrate God’s presence and blessings in success as much as we give thanks for it in struggles. All of life is a gift from a loving God.

Solomon began his reign as a very good king. In 1 Kings 3 Solomon is described as a person who loved the Lord. When God told Solomon that he could ask for anything and God would give it to him, Solomon asked for wisdom. Solomon started out well, but he became distracted—too many wives and foreign gods. Solomon’s loss of concentration caused him to become self-centered and his rule to become unjust.

How do personal struggles and difficult situations shape our lives and affect our faith?

The people to whom Elijah spoke were double minded. They worshiped the Lord, but they also worshiped other gods and idols. The people “hedged their bets”; they offered sacrifices to different gods hoping that if one didn’t help them another god would. They were not fully committed to anything. Elijah called on the people to make a decision—love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength or don’t serve the Lord at all.

It is difficult to understand Elijah’s fear, in a cursory reading of his story. He had just come from a great victory over the prophets of Baal. Jezebel’s threat was real, though. She had the ability to hunt Elijah down and kill him. Even though the Lord had supernaturally consumed the sacrificial offering on Mt. Carmel, Elijah wasn’t sure if God could control Jezebel. Fear overwhelmed Elijah, as it does us, when we question God’s love and power, and forget God’s promised presence.

Naaman was a handsome, powerful, rich, successful man. I loved him dearly, but not for those reasons. I loved Naaman because he was part of my creation. Though he was not a member of the chosen nation, Israel, he still was one of my children.

Josiah was eight years-old when he ascended the throne of Judah. At that tender age, the historian noted that he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. His father and grandfather hadn’t been men who had followed the Lord. They were noted for being wicked and unjust kings. Perhaps it was Josiah’s mother who had nurtured him in his faith.

Throughout their history, God had used descendants of Abraham to save God’s people. Moses, Joshua, the Judges, King David, and the prophets were all Israelites. The people assumed that God only worked in this manner, but then along came Cyrus. Cyrus was an outsider, a Persian, a Gentile, and still God used him. God used him to fulfill God’s promises to God’s people and return them to the Promised Land.

Using an out dated colloquialism Job was a “righteous dude.” He didn’t have any character flaws–none! Job was blameless and upright. A person can’t get much better than that, but Job took it an extra mile. Job feared God and turned away from evil.

We may never have been suicidal but there have been those times when we have been close to giving up. The idea that life was a precious gift seemed a ridiculous notion, and we wouldn’t have minded if death would have overtaken us. Yet our hearts still beat and air goes in and out of our lungs.

Talk about tough times. Not only had Job endured the loss of his family, wealth and health, but he also had to sit through hours of accusing lectures by his friends. Days and weeks had passed.

Job was feeling pretty proud of himself. For over twenty chapters of his story Job has withstood the accusations of his friends. Job has maintained his integrity and his righteousness. While his friends have tried to knock him down, Job has focused on building himself up. He has succeeded—perhaps overly so.

During those times when life threatens to overpower us and things get out of control, it is both comforting and encouraging to know that the Lord is a powerful God. We journey through each day in the presence of such a God.

It is difficult to practice what we preach. The story-teller of Job found this to be true. For forty-one chapters of his story, he has sought to tell his listeners that neither their misfortune nor their blessings were directly related to their pleasing or displeasing God. Now, as the story-teller wraps up his story he has the threat of God’s wrath directed at Job’s three friends. Suddenly there is a disconnect.

Our goal should not be to be pridefully perfect but rather to be humbly aware of the strength of the wicked’s advice in our lives. We seek to be faithfully obedient to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Our feelings of being abandoned and alone are real. In the midst of our separation, though, we are challenged not to focus on our feelings but on our faith. We have faith that God is true to God’s word and God will never leave us nor forsake us.

As the Lord benevolently rules us, the Holy Spirit moves in our lives as a mentor to nurture us. The Spirit gives us the knowledge, understanding and wisdom that we need to grow as servants of God. With the Lord as our Shepherd we cannot stay the same.

Life can be like a dark night in the wilderness. Threats can be real or imagined. We feel unprotected and vulnerable, our weakness and mortality starkly evident. God enters that darkness and it is pierced by God’s light.

She recalled the many times that God would extend a hand and invite Meg to, “Grab a hold and I’ll pull you up.”

The question before us is not, “Will we wait?” but rather, “How will we wait?” Most of us, being people of the instant now, don’t wait well.

When trouble threatens we are able to run into the loving embrace of the Lord. In God’s arms we find comfort, safety and the encouragement we need to face whatever the future holds.

There are those moments of panic, when we do not think that we will survive. It might be when we are swimming and find ourselves exhausted in deep water struggling to stay afloat. Perhaps our financial house of cards collapsed and along with it the hope that we attached to it. Like the Psalmist, the water up to our necks could be intense conflict and the personal attacks of others.

The temple on Mt. Zion was a splendor to behold. Built of white marble, gold and bronze it could be seen miles away. More important than its dazzling looks was that fact that it was the place where the Israelites went to encounter God. That relationship with God made the temple on Mt. Zion the heart of the nation of Israel.

At the end of the service, the younger members of the congregation rush to the front. Grabbing maracas, triangles, bells and tambourines, they begin to pound out the beat to the closing song. A majority of the children are not on beat and the rattles and rings of their instruments are certainly not in unison. What they lack in musical ability they more than make up for in enthusiasm. Together with the worship team and members of the congregation, though, they are following the Psalmist’s admonition to “make a joyful noise.” Their joyful noise is a pleasant sound to God’s ears.

The Psalmist invites his people to look at the world from a different perspective. He agrees that it isn’t a perfect world. There are still the poor and needy. Instead of focusing on all that is wrong and complaining about it, however, the Psalmist commands the people to look beyond the problems and observe what the Lord is doing.

There are times in our lives when the trials and tribulations we endure suck the praise out of us. We don’t want to praise, and many of us don’t. When we read the Psalmist’s command to praise the Lord, we might utter a grudging “Thank you, Jesus,” or half-heartedly sing a praise song. Going through the motions of praise, though, can, in a sense prime the pump of praise. Eventually our soul–the core of our being–can join in the praise we mouth.

The Psalmist commands us to praise the Lord. We frequently respond that we don’t have the time, or we’d rather complain. The command is not for the Lord’s benefit, it is for ours. God doesn’t need our praise as an ego boost. Praising God changes us. We see life from a different perspective. Our hearts are lightened and our spirits lifted and we experience the full life that is ours through Jesus Christ.

One of the most precious gifts that God has given us is the ability to learn. We are all blessed with an innate curiosity. We use this ability to gain knowledge and understanding about what we consider to be important for life. Our basic education consists of the three “R’s”–Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. We branch off from our educational foundations and pursue further education in our special interests and specialties.

Seasons are something that we have absolutely no control over. We can’t speed them up or slow them down. We can complain about them—the humidity of Midwest summers and the bitter cold of the winters, or the heat, wind and storms of the Monsoon season. When we complain the seasons drag on, nothing changes and we are miserable.

The Song of Solomon is a love poem about the love between two people. Most commentators justify its existence in the Bible by making it an allegory for God’s love. Though I don’t believe that was the original intent of the poem, I will use it in this manner—as an occasion for us to ponder God’s love.

The beloved’s vineyard was situated on prime real estate. It was on a hill so that the vines would all get plenty of sunshine. The fertile soil assured that the vines would be healthy and well nourished. The grapes the vineyard produced would be bursting with flavor and make excellent wine.

The prophet Isaiah had a vision and saw the Lord. He isn’t the only one who has had this experience. Moses saw the Lord in a burning bush. Peter saw the Lord while working with his nets on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Paul saw the Lord on his way to Damascus. The Lord appeared to these and others of God’s choosing in gracious acts of revelation.

There are times when life’s events have the same effect upon our outlooks as the weather. Their gloom looms over us, robbing us of joy and laughter. It is only when we perceive God’s presence and hear God’s whispered assurance of love and care that our anguish is eased and our hope is renewed.

The people of Jerusalem were surrounded by the Assyrian army. Things looked hopeless. Their understanding of the world–that they were God’s chosen people–was being shattered. Do they surrender, give up and hope that the Assyrians will be merciful, or do they continue to hope in the Lord.

Judah saw themselves in a helpless and hopeless situation. Babylon had defeated them. They were in exile. The people had lost their land, the temple and their God. Isaiah speaks to the people a word from the Lord. God wants to comfort them, to assure them of God’s continued love and presence in their lives

God chose us! It might have been when water was poured over our head during our baptism. We might have sensed God’s choice when we decided to stop running from God and to be open to God’s forgiveness, love and grace. Whenever, whatever, however God chose us.

Thirst is a primal craving. When people are dying of thirst, all other cravings, desires or urges are suppressed. This is because it is a life or death issue. We cannot live without water—and thirst is the way our body reminds us of this fact.

In this passage of Isaiah, the servant is talking. Who the servant is has been a hotly debated topic. The Church has appropriated this passage and applied it to Jesus. The writer of Isaiah probably didn’t have Jesus in mind when he penned these words in the sixth century B.C.E. Today most Biblical scholars think that the servant was Israel—the people of God. The Spirit of God has come upon God’s people in order to empower them so that they can accomplish the Herculean task before them.

The universe may be vastly bigger and more awe inspiring than we are. We might not have gone viral over social media, yet, we are not insignificant. We are known by the Lord.

We are created for communication and we long to hear words from those we love. We long to hear from the one who created us, too. God does not disappoint us, because God is not silent. God speaks to our hearts and souls—words of love, comfort, encouragement and direction.

The Israelites were irate about their exile and unaccepting of God’s judgment upon them. Their feelings of grief, shock, hate, anger, fear and hopelessness controlled their thoughts and actions. They made themselves and others miserable and were unable to learn from their experience or live life. Jeremiah’s message to the exiles was, “Accept what has happened and get on with life.”

The season of Advent is upon us, however. Looking to the days ahead is part of advent. We look forward to the birth of the Christ Child and to the return of the King of kings. Preparations need to be made. It is necessary to decorate our homes, purchase gifts, bake Christmas treats and prepare for either traveling or receiving guests. This can be accomplished worry free, while enjoying what the day holds. We anticipate what the season holds in store for us.

The nation of Judah had wandered away from the Lord. They did many things that displeased God. God didn’t wait for Judah to turn back. God sent Jeremiah to tell the people the error of their ways and to invite them to return.

The Spirit came upon Ezekiel and the other prophets and they had, what we would call, a spiritual experience. They would see visions, dream dreams, do some rather outrageous acts, or be inspired to proclaim messages from the Lord. All the time, they sensed that God was with them, moving through them and using them. There are times the same thing happens to us.

Followers of Jesus have always struggled in the relationships with governing authorities. St. Paul, wanting in ensure domestic tranquility, instructed his readers to be subject to the governing authorities because those authorities had been instituted by God (Romans 13:1). Experiences through the millennia have demonstrated that relationships between believers and governments are far more complex than simple submission.

Envy is a terrible thing. It sours our lives, sucking any joy we might have out of them. We look around us and see people who can do things better than we can, or who have more than we do. We envy them. We long to be able to do what they do and we crave what they have. Once we might have been thankful for our abilities and content with what we have, but these have been replaced by envy.

God loves us no less than God loved the Israelites. Like a loving parent God gives us our daily bread. There may be times that we feel that God has abandoned us or that we have committed some unpardonable sin for which God will never be able to forgive us.

God loves us no less than God loved the Israelites. Like a loving parent God gives us our daily bread.

Shepherds were not known for their academic excellence, native intelligence, nor their depth of faith. As a group, they were not where a person would instinctively look to find prime prophet potential. Yet, it was from the shepherds of Tekoa that the Holy Spirit called out the greatest of the Hebrew prophets.

 God guided Jonah millennia ago. God’s word came to Jonah. We don’t know how. It could have been a voice, a dream or a gut feeling. Jonah isn’t the only example of the Spirit leading people. In fact, the Bible is resplendent in stories of God calling people and they responding. The Holy Spirit continues to move in our lives today.

Have you ever noticed how often I use the small and the weak? It isn’t that I’m against rich and powerful. I use them on occasion like when I used King Cyrus of Persia to bring my people back from exile, or Joseph of Arimathea to provide a tomb for my son. My strength and presence is more evident, though, when ordinary people have to rely on me to help them accomplish the task before them. They don’t have big bank accounts or large armies, they only have each other and me.

One of the most difficult lessons to learn about prayer is that it is not a way that we bend God’s will into our own. The situation may be beyond our control and we may know what we want to happen. God, though, doesn’t need our instructions or advice. Instead, prayer is an opportunity for us to enter into God’s presence and place our cares and concerns at God’s feet.

At the very core of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the proclamation that God took on human form and became one of us. Jesus the Messiah was born. God had used prophets, scripture, visions and voices previously, but they didn’t compare to God dwelling with us. Through Jesus we were able to see what God was really like. Love was more than words and faith became more than an abstract concept.

In Matthew’s gospel, the first people to know that God was doing something new and exciting were the wise men from the East. The political authorities, the Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees and priest didn’t realize what was going on. Unlike the wise men, they didn’t welcome the news that a king of the Jews had been born in Bethlehem.

The small family of Mary, Joseph and Jesus quickly learned that life was full of ups and downs. One moment wise men were worshiping Jesus and giving him gold, frankincense and myrrh. In the next instant Joseph was being warned in a dream to flee to Egypt—a traditional place of asylum for Jews in political danger

It is not uncommon for us to be lost, confused and headed in the wrong direction in life. We might have good advice, but it doesn’t resonate with the voice in our heart. Our challenge is that we don’t know what changes we need to make and the direction we need to take to be headed the right way. It is when we encounter a living God—when God’s kingdom comes near to us—that we realize which path we are to take and are able to change our direction.

Odd. We never think of the Spirit leading us anywhere with the intent of having us tempted by the devil. We even pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation.” But Jesus needed the opportunity to identify who he was and who his enemies were.

Now, Jesus was bringing in a new age. The kingdom of God had arrived. Like Moses he ascended a mountain, but Jesus sat down and taught the people how to new lives in God’s kingdom.

The term “empty phrases,” can mean any number of things. It could refer to words we repeat by rote. Some Christians believe that the Lord’s Prayer is an “empty phrase.” One empty phrase that most Christians have used at one time or another is a nagging phrase—a request we repeat over and over. It seems that we believe if we make our request often enough that God will finally be forced to answer our prayer. There’s little faith and even less love in such a perspective.

“Perhaps were focusing on the wrong gift. Instead of the food and clothing for which you work hard, you might thank the Lord for the gift of a job, or the physical and mental gifts that allow you to work. You might also be thankful for a country that allows you to live in peace and for the family and friends that fill your life with companionship and joy.” Seth was quiet, thinking about what his pastor had said. Nodding his head he looked at his pastor and said, “You’re right. God does provide our daily bread for us in a variety of ways.”

We are followers of Jesus who live in God’s kingdom while still on earth. Because of this, we discover that much of our walk of faith involves “both/and” rather than “either/or.” For Heidi this meant, as a good steward of God’s blessings, that she both gave to the poor and supported the work of her congregation AND saved.

In everything else Jesus is a role model, but I don’t think he is in this story. Maybe as a God/Man Jesus can pull off grieving for a couple of hours before jumping back into ministry. For most of us, though, it doesn’t work that way. There are tremendous pressures, however, in our society, which force us to rush through our grief. After a few weeks our friends wonder why we are still so sad and why we aren’t “getting over it.” Businesses give employees three or four days off before expecting them to get back to work. Of course everyone has advice to give us on how to grieve.

Of course Jesus is talking about something more than saying, “No,” to a wide screen television, or forgoing an extra piece of dessert. He is challenging those of us who identify ourselves as disciples of Jesus Christ to get our eyes off ourselves and become aware of our neighbors and open to the Spirit’s leading.

Jesus’ instructions seem so simple, but we certainly have a difficult time following them.

Wow, what a picture of heaven! There are no pearly gates, fluffy clouds, or gold streets. Nor are there feasts and celebrations going on wherever a person looks. There is no mention the absence of sickness, death, pain or suffering. Instead heaven is pictured as a place to work. The landowner went out looking for laborers.

God’s invitation to celebrate is extended to us. A party is being thrown to celebrate new life, restored relationships and new possibilities. This is only the beginning of the list of reasons to celebrate. What will we do with the invitation?

The main characters of this parable are bridesmaids. In some translations the word “virgin” is used. Jesus and Matthew place an emphasis on the innocence and inexperience of the girls. We may be old and wise or knowledgeable in the ways of the world. We may have even walked a long way on the path of faith. Still, we don’t know a great deal when it comes to the ways of the Lord.

Jesus is coming to set up this “principal’s office.” His office will be one of splendor and glory, which will be complete with a host of angelic administrative assistants. It will inspire awe, respect and a little holy fear. We might feel a little intimidated by the prospect of standing before the “principal,” but we do not need to be.

Jesus has many titles attached to his name e.g., Lord, Son of Man, Savior. One title that isn’t usually given to Jesus is “hero.” Rarely do people plan on being a hero. It happens on the spur of the moment when they are at a specific time and place to accomplish a heroic act. By that definition Jesus isn’t a hero. The cross was an intentional demonstration of the depth of his love and a picture of what the cost of being his disciple might be.

The two Marys were up early. Perhaps they wanted to finish the hurried-up embalming on Jesus’ body from Friday night. They may have only desired to go to the tomb and weep. They didn’t know what the future held but they expected to find only death and grief. They trudged on, however, there was nothing else they could do.

Jesus didn’t ask his disciples if they wanted to go to Jerusalem. Nor did the disciples offer alternate meeting places to the mountain on which Jesus appeared to them. A disciple is a follower and a follower does just that–follow.

“The Beginning of the Good News, of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” From the writer’s perspective the sixteen chapters contained in this gospel are only the start. More chapters are to be written.

We can only imagine how astounded the people were as they listened to Jesus. They were accustomed to hearing their religious authorities tell them that they were sinners and needed to be more disciplined in keeping all the laws so that they could please God. Jesus came and invited the people to believe and live in the reality of God’s kingdom.

The paralytic had four good friends who brought him to Jesus. The man could not have met Jesus by himself. Friends are important in sharing the gospel. The kingdom of God is spread from person to person. Usually God uses family, friends, neighbors or co-workers to share God’s love and grace. Most of us are disciples of Jesus Christ because of the influence of other people in our lives.

Jesus doesn’t work that way. He speaks to us in parables—word problems. We are challenged to go through life wrestling with the issues of life and seeking to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus gives us commands like, “Love one another.” “But how?” we ask. Jesus responds, “Look at the need, survey your talents, start loving and I’ll lead you the rest of the way.”

Jesus and his disciples went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. It was Gentile, heathen territory. What they discovered was human need, and God’s presence and power. When we follow the example of Jesus and his disciples, we too will face new challenges, but we will also see the Holy Spirit move in new and different ways.

As an official in the synagogue Jarius was most likely an opponent of Jesus. He would have been upset that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath and didn’t observe all of the rules that made a person righteous. Jarius had a need, however. His daughter was near death. In desperation Jarius ran to Jesus and begged him to come and heal his daughter. Without a moment’s hesitation Jesus followed Jarius to his home.

When Jesus began to teach in the synagogue the people were astounded. Jesus’ message was different. All the people had heard from their religious leaders were exhortations to live perfect lives and to keep the law flawlessly. They were always told how God was displeased with them and that any misfortune was the result of God’s displeasure. Jesus’ message was different. He told the people that the kingdom of God was upon them.

If the truth be told as disciples of Jesus we sometimes keep Jesus at a distance. Our cursory reading of the scripture gives us verses to inspire us and words to comfort us. Yet, there is so much more. Jesus revealed to us a God of love and reconciled us to that God.

The disciples thought they had Jesus figured out. They had been following Jesus for almost three years. Jesus had asked them who they thought he was. Peter had answered for the group when he said, “You are the Messiah!” The disciples thought they knew what that meant.

It is easy for us to fall into the temptation of believing that we need to work hard and earn life—especially eternal life. This was the assumption of the rich, young man who approached Jesus so long ago. Had the young man divested himself of his possession and followed Jesus, he would have soon discovered that life, whether physical or eternal, was not dependent on his wealth or his efforts. It was and is a gift. As we follow Jesus, we continually rediscover and celebrate this truth.

There are times when our lives as disciples of Jesus are very similar to a roller coaster. Sometimes we are in awe of God’s mighty works; the way the Lord moves in creation and in the events of our lives and the world. At other times we are scared. The Holy Spirit pushes us out of our comfort zones and we take steps of faith that we never imagined we’d be taking. There are also those times when the struggles are intense, the obstacles overwhelming and we feel powerless and alone—even though we aren’t.

Jesus was arriving at Jerusalem after a long journey. Jerusalem was the seat of Jewish religious power and the center of Roman rule. Jesus knew what lay ahead and in order to accomplish what needed to be done preparations needed to be made. Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead to prepare the way.

As Jesus begins to tell his story of the wicked tenants, the hearers and readers of the story sense the loving care of the landowner. He plants the vineyard (no easy task). A fence is built around the vineyard to protect it and the landowner build a wine press to harvest what the vineyard produces.

There are many things that claim our allegiance; many “siren songs” that draw us away from our relationship with God. In the middle of the cacophony and turbulence of life God calls out to us and proclaims that there is only one God whom we need to worship.

The disciples were impressed by the temple. To be sure, it was a magnificent structure, which took forty-six years to construct. The white marble structure glistened in the sun and could be seen for miles. The disciples didn’t notice the corruption that was within the temple walls. In his conversation with the disciples Jesus helped them see things from a different perspective.

As disciples of Jesus our lives are changing. Some of the changes are huge and some are small. We are not able to reverse any of the changes that occur in our lives. Even though we may not know all that lies ahead, we step forward in faith knowing that God’s Spirit is within us.

Luke could have started his account of Jesus’ ministry with the words, “Once upon a time, in a land far, far away.” Luke didn’t do this, however. He wanted everyone to know that his account of Jesus was not a fairy tale, nor was it a work of fiction. Luke’s account is grounded in history.

God is in the sending business. God sent Gabriel to announce to Mary that she was favored to be the mother of God’s son. Before Gabriel received his call, God had sent many others. For example, God sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt into the Promised Land. The prophet Isaiah was sent by God to speak the word of the Lord to God’s people. After Gabriel God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way and to make the paths straight, and Jesus sent his disciples to make disciples of all nations. A fine tradition of sending has been established.

God accomplishes God’s will in many different ways. Usually God uses followers of Jesus, but God doesn’t stop there. God also uses non-believers and even enemies. Emperor Augustus would have been shocked if he had known that though he was a powerful king in God’s hands he was a mere pawn.

Circumcision is a mark of God’s covenant with the Jewish people. The identity of the Jewish people is shown by circumcision. There are times when the act of circumcision is an act of defiance, rebellion and resistance. It is always a mark of faith.

The writer of Luke took great pains to place his gospel in the middle of human history. Cesar Augustus issued a decree and a young couple, Mary and Joseph, journeyed to Bethlehem. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, John appeared in the wilderness. Historians may debate the accuracy of Luke’s references, but they don’t argue about the reality of John and Jesus.

As followers of Jesus, we know that we have been called to share God’s love and grace with the people around us. We do not do this alone, however. Whether as individuals or as groups, the Holy Spirit works in us and through us.

Jesus calls his disciples in this story that took place on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Peter and his cohorts were concentrating on the work at hand. After a hard night of fishing, they were mending tears in their nets. They showed little interest in the itinerant preacher who passed by them, and they had no inclination to join the crowd that was listening to him.

The Sabbath is a gift from God. It was meant to be a time when we catch our breath and celebrate God’s blessings. The Sabbath is a day when we rejoice that our daily bread is not the result of our hard work, but rather because of God’s provision.

The centurion acted on behalf of his slave because he valued the slave. Jesus died on the cross because we are precious in God’s sight. As disciples of Jesus we are challenged to build diverse friendships so that we, too, can highly value people and the groups of which they are members.

John the Baptist had an expectation about the coming Messiah. He would be a strong political and religious figure. The Messiah would be someone who would overthrow the hated Roman government and establish God’s kingdom. Jesus was not who John thought he would be. Perhaps he was mistaken, he thought.

As disciples of Jesus, there are times when we must take action. We must stand against injustice or move to provide healing. Courage is needed when we take our stand. When we break rules and go against customs, on behalf of others, we will find Jesus there with us.

Jesus was a man of prayer. Conversation with his Father was woven into the fabric of his life. Jesus also knew that prayer needed to play an important part in the lives of his disciples. Prayer was as important to the mission of being Jesus’ witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth as was spreading Jesus’ teachings and healing the sick. At their request, Jesus taught the disciples The Lord’s Prayer. He also occasionally took them with him when we prayed.

The lawyer thought he knew the answer to the question that he posed to Jesus. He not only wanted to see if Jesus agreed with him, he also want to be affirmed that he was good enough to inherit eternal life. Jesus’ answer went beyond his expectations and became an impossible task—help everyone who is in need.

Greed is part of our DNA. The question that we should ask ourselves is not, “Are we greedy?” but rather, “How do we handle our greed?” The farmer in the story did not think of himself as greedy. He was making a wise business decision by expanding the storage capacity of his farm. If someone would have accused him of greed he would have (like we do) pointed to a farmer who was more prosperous and said, “I’m not greedy, he’s the one who is greedy!”

Governments, corporations and even friends can do horrendous things, which could alter our lives forever. We can live in a state a paranoia; always on our guard and suspecting everyone and everything. If we want to, we can decide to set aside our fear and live our lives with courage, love, forgiveness and hope. God’s Spirit within us calls to us and says, “Do not be afraid.

Perhaps the idea started with little boys—that dirt is attracted to whatever is clean. Put a freshly washed boy in clean clothes and then wait a short amount of time. A dirty boy will appear in dirty clothes. The clean must be kept separate from whatever is dirty otherwise it will become dirty. This is why the Pharisees and scribes couldn’t understand Jesus allowing dirty people—tax collectors and sinners—to come into contact with him. They would make Jesus dirty.

It’s a vicious circle. Selfishness and self-centeredness build affluence. At the same time, affluence reinforces selfishness and self-centeredness. The desire to build up our comfort, security and possessions increases, while our motivation to help others decreases.

When Jesus saw what loomed in his future, he understood it to be part of a divine plan. His passion was neither an accident, nor the plan of diabolical minds.

The tension was mounting as Jesus drew closer to Jerusalem. Jesus’ popularity with the crowd was increasing. Many hoped that he was the long awaited Messiah. At the same, time the religious authorities were becoming more wary of Jesus. Not only did they dislike what he taught, they feared that his growing popularity might cause political unrest.

Several women gathered to walk to the tomb with the spices. They had not been able to prepare Jesus’ body for burial before the Sabbath. Now that the holy day was over, they were free to attend to their duties. Their steps were heavy as they journeyed to the tomb. The expected to encounter death. They had no idea of the surprises that were in store for them.

The events of the past few days had been tumultuous and confusing. A man, whom several had believed was the long awaited Messiah, had been executed by the Romans. There were reports though, by some women followers of the supposed Messiah, that his grave was empty. They claimed that he has risen from the dead.

God incarnate brought life with him when he entered the world and our lives. The life God brings is more than physical, it is also abundant (John 10:10). It is a life lived in relationship with the God of creation—the life God created us to live.

John knew who he was. More importantly, John knew who Jesus was—that Jesus was the true Messiah. Jesus was the one who ushered in the Kingdom of God.

Most Biblical scholars believe that Mary had a close relationship with the wedding party. She was more than a fellow resident of Cana. Knowing that the host was running low on wine would not have been common knowledge. The writer of the gospel uses this piece of information and Mary’s relationship with Jesus in order to set up this first “sign” of Jesus’ true identity.

Even though Jesus had a “special connection” with God, the Father, he was still an observant Jew. Jesus participated in the religious celebrations, he attended synagogue and prayed. Spiritual disciplines were a part of Jesus’ life and as followers of Jesus they are precious gifts that we are invited to use.

Many criticisms have been leveled at Nicodemus. He approached Jesus in a cowardly manner, in the middle of the night. Nicodemus doesn’t appear to be theologically astute, in this story. He doesn’t understand what Jesus is telling him. When he leaves Jesus, it is not certain that he has come to faith in Jesus. One thing that is commendable about Nicodemus, however, is that he had an open mind. He realized that he didn’t know it all and he wanted to learn from Jesus.

 From childhood, we are taught not to talk to strangers. We grew up and observed social mores of our society. We generally talked and interacted with people who were similar to us and shied away from people who looked, spoke or acted differently. Jesus was faced with the same instructions and was constrained by the same social rules. He decided to go against those cultural expectations, for the sake of the gospel, and invites us to do the same.

It was commonly believed, during the time of Jesus, that bad things happened to bad people and good things happened to go people. In his conversation with his disciples, Jesus wanted to dispel this view of life.

The fact that Jesus did not respond immediately to the new of Lazarus’ sickness, does not alter the fact that Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters. Often as followers of Jesus we discover that God’s timing is different than our timing; God hesitates to rescue us from our predicament. God’s inaction does not disprove God’s steadfast love for us.

It is easy to imagine the three years Jesus and his disciples spent together as the equivalent of a good old boy fishing trip or a Boy Scout camping expedition. There were, of course, Jesus’ teaching and miracles, but also a lot of laughter and comradery. Though that may, in part, be true, there was also frustration and tension. The disciples’ inability to understand Jesus’ message surely must have annoyed Jesus.

Caiaphas was correct. It was better for one person to die for the people. His intention was that Jesus would die so that peace would continue with the Romans; so that the status quo would be kept. Avoiding change would assure that money would continue to flow into the coffers of the temple and enable him to continue his affluent lifestyle.

In the middle of the drama of that first Holy Week, the Jewish leaders demonstrated a natural human inclination. They attempted to keep themselves “holy” by keeping themselves separate. They did not consider condemning an innocent man to death to be detrimental to their purified state. The chief priests and other members of the Sanhedrin were more concerned with avoiding the filthy Roman gentiles and the unclean riff raff like Jesus. Their actions exemplify the stark contrast between popular religion and the teachings of Jesus.

Sometimes we are mocked and put down for what appears to others to be foolish. This is part of what it means to be one of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus, too, was mocked. He was mocked, not because of the threat he posed, but because of the good that he had done.

Pushing and shoving, the Jewish authorities and the crowd force Jesus to walk what we now call the Via De La Rosa. Foolishly they convince themselves that they have taken an itinerant preacher from Galilee and transformed him into a tortured, convicted criminal and will soon make him a forgotten memory.

For over two thousand years Christians have proclaimed that Jesus lives. This is more than a theological doctrine. It is an experience.

The disciples and other followers of Jesus knew that it was important for them to stay together as they waited for God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. If a group of Roman soldiers raided the upper room where they were staying they would not have been able to defend each other. Together, though, they could pray for each other, encourage each other and care for each other’s needs. Being a member of a community of Jesus’ followers was a central part of a Christian’s life from the very beginning.

The disciples walked with Jesus but they never stopped practicing their faith as pious Jews. They attended synagogue services with Jesus and when in Jerusalem they went to the temple at the appropriate hour for prayer.

The early church was growing and the growth brought change with it. Rather than fight the change, the fledgling community embraced it. They were able to accomplish this by living in the reality that God was present with them.

It was important for members of the early Church to perceive themselves as being led by the Holy Spirit.

Is the idea that the Spirit of God is leading you important to you? How does the Holy Spirit guide you?

Saul was quiet satisfied with who he was and what he was doing—a Pharisee persecuting followers of Jesus of Nazareth. He was proud of his religious accomplishments and the depth of his devotion to God. Saul saw no need to change. The Lord didn’t wait for Saul to change or to waver in his convictions. Instead, God met Saul where he was at.

Sometimes the holy surprises us and comes from somewhere we do not expect. The early Jewish Christians would have had a difficult time believing that gentiles could reflect the holy. It would have been even more difficult for them to believe that a soldier of the despised Roman army could exhibit holiness. God, they thought, wouldn’t work that way.

The church at Antioch as described by Luke was wonderfully diverse. Antioch was a crossroads city that enjoyed the presence of travelers from all over the world. The church reflected that characteristic. There were Jews and Gentiles, Whites and Blacks (perhaps even a few reds and yellows) rich and not-so-rich. Though diverse, this gathering of followers of the Way were united in being recipients of God’s grace, trusting in the efficacy of the Cross and their desire to live out their faith in love and faithful obedience.

As followers of Jesus, it is not helpful for our walks of faith to look proudly upon our accomplishments. What does inspire and encourage us, though, is our celebration of God’s steadfast love.

The young girl, who was controlled by evil forces, knew who Paul and Silas were. They were slaves of the Most High God. Paul and Silas were more than Jews. They were more than followers of the new religion called “The Way.” Paul and Silas were God’s slaves.

There were many towns and cities where Paul and Silas could have started congregations. They passed by most of these places including Amphipolis and Apollonia. They didn’t feel that the Holy Spirit was directing them to those towns. Instead they were drawn to Thessalonica.

Paul looked at all of the statues and temples as he walked around Athens. As a Jew, he should have been disgusted at the wanton idolatry. Instead, he was distressed. Paul connected emotionally with the plight of the Athenians. The plethora of idols was more than a fact that he read about in a book, or a topic of conversation in the marketplace.

Paul begins his letter to the Roman Christians announcing that he was chosen. He was chosen by God to be a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be one who was sent out and he was set apart to share the good news of God’s love and grace in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We have been justified—returned to a right relationship with God. It’s nothing that we have done. Notice that the verb Paul uses is in the passive tense. Jesus through his life, death and resurrection has placed us in that position. In faith we live in the truth of what has happened.

Paul has boldly proclaimed that we have been justified before God not by keeping the law but because of God’s love through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Now the just live by faith not by the law” (Romans 1:17). For us who have been raised in a society of do’s and don’ts, good and bad we have a difficult time dealing with this. We have gone from an “A,” “B,” “C,” grading system to a “Passed” on everyone’s report card. Freed from a report card the question pops into our mind, “Why study?”

There are times when the cliché, “Don’t worry, things will get better,” won’t work. Paul was writing to Christians who were being ostracized, persecuted and even executed for their faith. Things would not get better.

There are many divisions in our congregations. We speak to our friends and turn cold shoulders to our enemies and those with whom we disagree. Very little changes because we don’t bring our differences out in the open and discuss them. Without confession and forgiveness, our time spent together is for the worse, we are robbed of our joy and our witness of God’s love and grace becomes non-existent.

Instead of building up the body of Christ, many people used their gifts in a vain attempt to demonstrate that they were better, more mature, more spiritual than the others. They did not use their gifts in love. Instead of being a blessing they were annoying–just like a blaring car horn or a barking dog.

Being an apostle of Christ was not in the career path that Paul had mapped out. Paul’s plans were changed, though, when he was traveling to Damascus in order to expand the persecution of the followers of Jesus.

The church has also been called the Body of Christ. Christ’s body acts like ours in many ways. Both bodies are made up of many parts. If one part of the body hurts it affects the rest of the body. Bumps and bruises take time to heal.

Paul discovered that proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and planting Christian fellowship in Asia and Greece were not easy tasks. Paul was mocked, rejected and attacked. The cold, hunger and physical exertion from travel were constants in his life. Results were meager and slow to appear. Conflicts erupted in established fellowships and threatened to undo Paul’s hard work. Still, Paul continued his mission. He had been called to be an apostle. Paul threw himself into his calling and he did not lose heart.

We do know, however, how draining the trials and tribulations of life are. In the midst of those situations we have been strengthened by God’s word, sustained by family and friends and renewed by the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Because of God’s presence and power in our lives we have experienced new life rise from death and our mourning has been turned into dancing.

We are always grateful recipients of God. We praise the Lord for our lives lived in a relationship with God, for our call to serve God with our gifts and talents, for answered prayers and God’s steadfast love. Are we as thankful for God saving us from materialism, greed and selfishness?

We all wander and get lost. Paul became a religious fanatic. Today we’d label him as a terrorist and charge him with hate crimes. Andrew and Juanita were caught up in the world’s lies of riches, power and hate. The good news is that God did not leave them alone. Nor does God leave us lost and wandering. The Holy Spirit finds us, transforms us and returns us to God’s loving embrace.

The Galatians knew the answer to Paul’s question. They had not been circumcised and had not become “God fearers” before they had received the Holy Spirit. Rather, they had responded to what they had heard Paul say about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit had come upon them.

When we read a passage like this one, which identifies us as saint, many of us like Casey feel uncomfortable. We don’t feel holy like a saint should feel holy. We tell ourselves that we haven’t done anything saintly—and we’re right, we haven’t. Jesus designated us as saints by what he has done. Jesus gave us the ability to live in a relationship with a loving God. Today we walk with God but we live on earth. We are both holy and human.

Most of us have found ourselves on the outside looking in. This was certainly the plight of the Gentiles in Ephesus, to whom Paul was writing. They were not God’s Children. God had not given them circumcision, kosher eating, the Sabbath and the Torah. Such barriers were artificial barriers, though, from God’s point of view. God didn’t see people as part of the in group or out group. God saw everyone as part of God’s creation and objects of God’s love.

Paul admonishes his readers to live lives worthy of their calling. He’s not telling them to be something they are not. Not in the least. Paul is encouraging his readers to remember who we are. We are children of God and followers of Jesus. By our words and actions, we are witnesses to God’s love and grace. Our lives have been transformed and we are new creations. We have been called to live in the new rather than revert to the old.

It’s tough when we are ridiculed for our faith or when the validity of our faith is questioned, because of what we have said or done. Living week in and week out in the fellowship of other Christians, though, can be one of the biggest challenges we face. It is almost impossible to “put up” and be patient with some of the other Christians. An old bumper sticker might be helpful. It read “PBPWMGITWMY” (Please Be Patient With Me, God Isn’t Through With Me Yet). None of us are perfect. The Holy Spirit is working in all of our lives but we are not finished products. Because of this let’s cut each other some slack and let the Holy Spirit do her work.

Paul’s words remind us that people are God’s gift to us. We can be thankful for those who share life with us, who stand by us in difficult times and who celebrate the good times with us. Perhaps it would be good, if we not only gave God thanks for the people God has blessed us with, but also told the people around us how thankful we are for them.

Paul makes it clear to his friends, the church in Philippi, what would make him joyful. His words might have come as a shock to some of his readers. He didn’t want a fast growing church, nor did he want people to concentrate on the do’s and don’ts of pleasing God. What would give him the greatest joy would be a group of believers united in their attitude of love and service.

It is at such times (and all times) that Paul’s instruction is applicable. We rejoice in the Lord. All followers of Jesus are able to rejoice because of the Lord—God’s love, presence and power—is a part of our lives. We may not be in control, but somehow God is in control. Our ability to rejoice, be happy, and not sweat the small stuff is not based on our own ability or on outward circumstances. Rather, it is based on the God of all creation.

The debate between the Creationists and the Evolutionists continues over one hundred and fifty years after it began. This Hatfield/McCoy feud steals the headlines from Christian congregations and ministries that seek to serve the poor and needy while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. A majority of Christians are quite comfortable believing that God created the universe and that one of the ways God did this is through evolution. What’s important is that God was the one who created.

God loves us so completely God can’t keep silent. Long ago God decided to break the silence and speak. God spoke to God’s wayward children and reassured them of God’s steadfast love, overwhelming grace and unconditional forgiveness. God’s words invite all of humankind into a conversation and a relationship with God.

In the first century CE, when the Letter to the Hebrews was written, there were a variety of gods. There were river gods and mountain gods. Farmers prayed to certain gods, while sailors prayed to others. People had a plethora of gods to pick from when they sought protection or desired blessings.

… for many years the clergy were called priests and were thought to serve as intermediaries between people and God. The priests would take the cares of the people and lift them up to God, and then speak God’s word to the people.”

The design of Israel’s tabernacle (tent of meeting) is thousands of years old. Yet, most Christian churches are constructed with its design. The Holy Place is similar to the sanctuary—traditionally called the nave. The Holy Place was where the people of Israel gathered for prayer. There they offered their sacrifices. It was in the Holy Place that the people came close to God, as individuals and as a community.

We make excuses for ourselves. “We have a short fuse,” we explain, “Our anger is like a volcano. Once it blows we can’t do anything until it stops. It’s beyond our control.”

“We sometimes get anxious or depressed. Shopping therapy helps even though it places a strain on our finances and negatively affects our relationship with our spouses or significant others.”

“We don’t like those people. We don’t like how they look, how they dress, or their different customs, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

The writer to First Peter takes issue with us. He will have nothing to do with neither our helplessness nor our victimization. “Rid yourselves!” he commands. “Don’t placate yourselves with, “I can’t help it,” or worse, “I don’t want to change.”

Do you remember the terrible twos—not your terrible twos, but those of your offspring, younger siblings or close relatives? Around the age of two we begin to understand we are individual planets in our social universes. We begin to develop our will. One of the first words we learn is the word, “No!” We use our favorite word frequently and we exercise our will with crying fits and temper tantrums. The warm, cuddly “isn’t he/she cute” bundle of joy turns into a character from a Stephen King novel whom no one wants to be around (except for maybe grandparents).

First Peter was late enough in the history of the Christian Church that home gatherings and agape feasts had evolved into groups of believers with chosen leaders. The writer of First Peter addresses those leaders, with the titles of “elders,” and encourages them to tend their flocks. With outside harassment and persecution, and the stress and stains of community life we can be sure that this was a challenging task. The honor of leadership could quickly transform into depressive drudgery.

How do you describe yourself? Often, we do so by telling people what we do—physicians, teachers, construction workers, etc. At other times we may identify who we are related to—Miguel’s partner, Alicia’s parent, or Ted’s co-worker. On occasion when talking with others who have taken personality inventories, like the Meyers Briggs, we’ll share that we are ENTJ’s or INFP’s. Some people have taken spiritual inventories, like the enneagram, and talk about being 4s, or 6s. Many of us, in our support groups, will identify our addictions and state, “Hello, I’m … and I’m an alcoholic.”

Peter, or the writer of this letter, chose to identify himself as both a servant and apostle. He saw himself as a person who ministered to the needs of others.

The depth of the conversation increased, and the tone changed, though, when one of the men shared a story. “Ginny and I had our son, Jason baptized when he was six months old,” he began. “When the pastor poured water over Jason’s head, I felt God’s presence. As the pastor repeated the words, ‘Jason is baptized in the name of the Father …,’ I swear I heard God’s voice proclaiming, ‘This is my son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased.”

The writer of this letter wants to reassure his readers that his words are not another example of the game of “Telephone.” He heard these words directly from the mouth of Jesus. What the disciple has written truly are the teachings of Jesus. This is not a claim to inerrancy or infallibility, but rather a declaration of their veracity and authority.

Abe sat in the dark, quiet solitude of the early morning, facing East. As he watched the blackness of the night sky took on shades of purple and then of dark blue. The shades turned in to tints. Rusts, oranges and then turquoise slowly appeared. The stars and the darkness retreated as the sky continued to lighten. Suddenly the first rays of the sun peaked over the horizon. The night was in full retreat, leaving only shadows where darkness once roamed freely. As Abe watched the sun continue to rise until it ruled the sky and no shadows remained.

n the tabernacle and temple periods of Jewish history, the high priest would seek God’s leading through the use of the Urim and Thummim. As best we can determine, these were a black stone and a white stone whose random selection indicated whether a decision was affirmed or negated.

 The writer of this letter exhorts his readers to love one another. The argument for his instruction is not because it will lead to the growth of the Christian Church, or even because it is “the right thing to do.” The reason followers of Jesus love, is because love is the core characteristic of God.