Why do you submit to regulations? - May 1

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 105:1–22; PM Psalm 105:23–45: Exod. 24:1–18; Col 2:8–23; Matt. 4:12–17

Is it overreaching to always apply the lens of what we are experiencing to the daily readings? I almost had to laugh when Paul asks the reader, “why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, ‘Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch’?” I keep waiting to hear Paul say, “Do not go into Jefferson county without a face covering.”

Paul is writing to Christians who have been criticized for doing things outside of the norms of their religious boundaries. He is trying to be encouraging by saying do not let these criticisms weigh you down, but check what is the underlying motivation. In many ways, I hear Paul’s words as the freedom to try new things in a new era. Many of us come to church with a pretty heavy attachment to the faith traditions that we come from. Maybe you are mourning being able to participate in the Eucharist on Sundays, or the old language Bible or prayers, or the pew that your grandparents sat in, and when these are not accessible we find it unsettling or unraveling for our faith.

However, I would suggest that what we are finding is a spirit of innovation in this new age. People are trying to have small groups and studies online (or write reflections) or gather in new virtual ways. Sometimes these programs work, and sometimes they don’t. And I suspect, it should be expected that we will create our own regulations and refuse to participate fully because of our own grief over how things are changing. I don’t want to suggest that there is anything wrong with grieving the loss of what we used to believe was normal, but I do think that the freedom to try something new can be a helpful tool to deepen our spirituality. I mean, Paul does say that we are not of this world. So things are always going to be a little bit out of what is familiar and comfortable when we dig into the faith. Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing.

- John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• What are the practices of the faith that you miss the most? Why? Is there something new you are trying or participating in that is providing meaning and hope?

Daily Challenge

• Consider participating in an online worship service, book study, small group, or worship service. Do something different that you haven’t done before. Here are some ideas.

But we have never met in person before! - April 30

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 37:1–18; PM Psalm 37:19–42: Exod. 20:1–21; Col. 1:24–2:7; Matt. 4:1–11

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he is addressing a specific community, the one in Colossae, and yet in this section of the letter, he also wants those who have yet to see his face, to be encouraged as they “are knit together in love, to have all the riches of assured understating and the knowledge of God’s ministry.” Paul is writing to people he has yet to meet and they are connected by a letter or epistle. They are united in the faith and a part of the same community by virtue of how they are seeking to support and encourage each other.

I keep wondering when things will return to normal. Last Sunday, we were scheduled to have a Newcomers gathering at my home, one of those events that was dropped when everything else was. And yet I wonder, as we grow in how we connect with one another, will the necessity of having met in person recede? Can you be part of a community if you have never met anyone in that community face to face? How we geographical boundaries and social boundaries shift as the church lives into her mission in the 21st Century?

These are interesting questions to suggest when most of us are attending church online. One thought would be to consider how often we look to find our connection to others through the social values and connections that we all hold when looking to build community within our own tradition. Where do you work? Do you have children? Where do they go to school? Where do you live? Do you know Bob or Sue or Pete? I wonder if these surface-level questions become obsolete when we become connected on something much deeper, our faith in God, and a desire to deepen that faith through a willingness to grow and seek unity with a diversity of believers. Maybe this will make our own faith much richer because it will expand our understanding of the Body of Christ. All we need is a little openness to be willing to go there.

-John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• When you last walked through the doors of a church, who were the people that you sought out to connect with? Why?

Daily Challenge

• If you are connecting to worship, through the internet, spend time today and tomorrow paying attention to what you can learn from someone else. Maybe it will come through their greeting or prayer requests.

To go up the mountain, we have to leave everyone else behind - April 29

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 38; PM Psalm 119:25–48; Exod. 19:16–25; Col. 1:15–23; Matt. 3:13–17

In today’s Old Testament lesson, there is this great experience of thunder, fire, and smoke upon the top of Mount Sinai. God is reaching out to Moses with instructions for God’s people. Moses makes the journey up the mountain to encounter God while leaving everyone else at a safe distance. For your information, it is farther than six feet away.

I keep wondering what was going through Moses’s mind. How scared must he have been? I mean the mountain was on fire. And wouldn’t he have wanted to take someone with him? Maybe Aaron? Hasn’t he heard of the Buddy System?

Maybe what strikes me most is realizing that there are some places that we must venture to alone. I feel I have been writing a lot about how we share and invite people into our lives in order to recognize our shared humanity and remove isolation. I do wholeheartedly believe this to be true, and Moses does return off the mountain to share in community what he has learned, but he had to go up there alone first. Or maybe what Moses was learning about God, or about himself and his people, was something that the others were not ready yet to hear. Maybe they didn’t yet have the capacity to hear or learn. To go up the mountain, we have to leave everyone else behind.

In these days of a little elevated stress and worry, what are you learning about yourself? Or maybe more profoundly how is this shaping your understanding of God? Is there a scary place you are being invited into, that you must potentially do alone before you can invite others into that space? Are you learning something about yourself that needs exploration or work that only you can do? And if you do this work, how will it better help you to be in community when you return off the mountain?

- John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• What new thing have you learned about yourself in the last six weeks? How do you see this shaping the person you are becoming?

Daily Challenge

• Take a walk, or intentionally take some time to be apart from people (this includes technology). Name one thing you have learned that others have not yet named that can be used to build up your community.

Bear fruit, just don’t let it be too fruity - April 28

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 26, 28; PM Psalm 36, 39; Exod. 19:1–16; Col. 1:1–14; Matt. 3:7–12

The image of a fruit tree is often used to describe the Christian life. We are encouraged to care for ourselves, to have faith, and if we do, our lives will produce fruit. It is a lovely image that touches on how our faith can both be generative and impact other lives. It is especially poignant in spring when flowers are budding after a long winter or when we hunger for a fresh fruit that is in season from the farmers’ market or local vendor.

But the Gospel has a spin this day and it isn’t very fruity: we are to bear fruit worthy of repentance. Essentially, our lives are to be formed in a way where we have the capacity to turn around, to ask for forgiveness, to apologize, to know that we are not yet our best selves. From this passage in Matthew, this is the fruit we are to bear. Think of all the things we lift up as humans: our ability to be strong, wise, determined, visionary, athletic, amongst many other things. But how often do we lift up humility? What if humility was the most important of all Christian virtues?

One thing I have noticed over the past few weeks is mistakes flow much more frequently when stress is high. In my own life, attempting to home school children, all while writing, planning, editing, responding to emails, and. making pastoral phone and zoom calls has been a challenge and some mistakes have been made. An email or two might have been missed, tempers have flared a few times when patience has been lost, and my best work has not always risen to the top. Are you finding some of the same challenges?

I even wonder if it is at all responsible to expect our best during times of intense stress and challenge? Maybe humility is the only response we can offer that helps us grow. We are all being humbled, but what if this is precisely necessary to move our lives from depending on the strength of our egos to the grace of God? Be gentle with yourselves. It is ok to not be perfect.

- John+

Questions for Self-Reflection

• Where have you made mistakes in this past week? How have those mistakes added challenge to your life? Would you have made that same mistake 6 weeks ago?

Daily Challenge

• Think of one mistake you have made and give thanks for it. Name one thing that you have learned from it.

Cast your anxieties on him, not you - April 27

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15; Exod. 18:13–27; 1 Pet. 5:1–14; Matt. (1:1–17),3:1–6

Last week, we heard a passage from John where Jesus told his disciples to not let their hearts be troubled. They are intended to be words of comfort on the night before Jesus is crucified. In today’s Epistle, there are new words of encouragement, “Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.” While the context is certainly different, there is also a different approach to providing care in the midst of uncertainty. In today’s reading, we are told that we will be anxious, but that we can cast those anxieties on God because God cares. Instead of being told not to worry, there is an acknowledgment that we will have worry, but there is also a reminder that we won’t worry alone.

If we are to assume that we will all have a certain level of uneasiness in life, then a fair question to raise is what is the source or root of that anxiety? Is what we carry around related to how we might anticipate our own suffering or the pain of loved ones and others? Peter continues, “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will restore, establish, and strengthen you.” I don’t believe that Peter means to claim that it is God’s will that we suffer. Instead, maybe that part of being human means that we will experience suffering. If it is what is intended, then is it something that should weigh us down or cause us to panic?

The Scriptures commend that what is earthly is temporary and not eternal. Maybe this is why we can cast our anxieties on to God, to carry for us, knowing that strength and restoration are coming in due time. Maybe you already feel strengthened and renewed, or maybe the reality of our common life in this time is causing you to suffer more than you had previously realized. Does naming what we are experiencing allow God to share that burden? Does knowing that it is shared, help you worry less?

- John+

Questions for Reflection

• What keeps you up at night? What are you most anxious about in this time of Covid-19? Can you say this out loud?

Daily Challenge

• Vocalize with a friend or loved one, one of the things that worry you as a way of “casting your anxieties.”

At the end of my rope - April 25

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 20, 21; PM Psalms 110, 116, 117; Exod. 17:1-16; 1 Pet. 4:7-19; John 16:16-33

Moses and the Israelites are slowly emerging from the wilderness, and they are growing weary. They are thirsty and argumentative. Moses asks, “Why do you continue to quarrel with me?” The people complain, “Why did you make us come here?” At the end of his rope, Moses cries out to the Lord, “What am I going to do with these people?”

Flummoxed. Exhausted. Anxious. The sentiments in this reading from Exodus are so timely! Sitting in my house with home-weary kids who are missing school and social contact, there are moments when I feel I am near the end of my own rope. “Lord, what am I going to do with these people?!”

Perhaps you have said these words about someone, or some entity, recently. Moses can be a guide for us during this wilderness time, when many of us are in unknown territory. In the 17th chapter of Exodus, Moses turns to God in prayer, and God answers in faithfulness. God instructs Moses to go ahead of the people, stepping away from the tension of the camp in this moment. He isn’t to go alone, though. With his staff in hand, he’s to take some peers – perhaps for listening ears and wise counsel. And then, he is to go to Mount Horeb, the holy place where he received the Ten Commandments – and God will be with him.

Today, let us seek the space we need, pray for guidance, and entrust our lives to God, even when faced with testing and quarreling.

— Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• Who are the peers in whom you confide when exhausted and empty?

• Where is a holy place for you?

Daily Challenge

The writer of Exodus gives us a challenge: “Write this as a reminder in a book…” Think about the events you want to remember during this time, and those you want to forget. Compose your thoughts and write the story of your experiences as a reminder to share with future generations.

Bumbling and stumbling - April 24

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 16, 17; PM Psalms 134, 135; Exod. 16:23-36; 1 Pet. 3:13-4:6; John 16:1-15

“I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling.” Jesus told his disciples about God’s love, and how to live in community together, because he knew that he would not be with his friends much longer. He was preparing them for the hard times ahead.

My parents, teachers, and other mentors through my life have helped me build a foundation for existence in community as a good citizen of the Earth. When challenges arise, I believe I am equipped with tools and resources figure out the next right step. Stumbling, however, takes me by surprise. These days, I find myself bumbling and stumbling more than I’d like.

We can have structures, methods, and plans in place…but tripping means that our eyes have not been focused in the right place, or our feet are not in sync with the rest of our bodies. We have missed something. Sometimes a stumble leaves mud on our knees or a bruised ego, but other times it renders us broken.

Jesus was preparing the disciples so that their eyes would remain fixed upon him. He warned that uncertain times were ahead. He allowed space for the grieving upon their hearts. Jesus also reminded his friends that his departure was not the end, for he was sending them the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth.

We hear these words from John’s gospel today and appreciate the promise Jesus left for his disciples, and we hear the promise he makes to us. As the path we are walking is treacherous and uncertain, let us keep our eyes focused upon our Lord, so that we will keep from stumbling.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What stresses in life lead you to stumble?

• Who has helped build your foundation?

  Daily Challenge

Spend ten minutes reflecting in prayer about how the Holy Spirit can be a guide in your life. Write down the truths and insights that come to you through this time of focus upon God.

“No one has greater love than this…” - April 23

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 18:1-20; PM Psalm 18:21-50; Exod. 16:10-22; 1 Pet. 2:11-25; John 15:12-27

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” The act of sacrifice doesn’t happen because one person is lesser or more expendable; rather, there is kindred connection between people, grounded in unconditional, selfless love from God.

Who is a friend? Asked another way, from Luke’s parable of the Good Samaritan, “Who is my neighbor?” Is it someone we know intimately? Is it someone who thinks like we do, looks like we do, or agrees with our beliefs? We are all neighbors and friends, connected in God’s love, which supersedes the differences that may separate us.

I am reminded of those who serve and care for those in need – who my preschooler calls “community helpers”: people who restock shelves and assist customers in grocery stores, tend to patients in medical facilities, collect and analyze data to understand the patterns of viral transmission, and respond to many other community needs. These folks are acting out of love and humble compassion, laying down their lives for friends, known and unknown.

Last night, Saint Stephen’s held a panel conversation on Facebook Live among Dr. Paul Goepfert, Dr. Michael Moore, Dr. Dori Pekmezi, and the Rev. John Burruss. They explored science, medicine, emotional well-being, and faith in God, as the world works to get a handle on COVID-19. These content-area experts welcomed questions from viewers, and offered concerns, wisdom, guidance, and insights of reassurance. If you missed it, I commend the recorded exchange to you (click here), as you seek grounding and purpose in this time of pandemic and disruption.

We are physically distant for now, and yet we are not alone. Jesus is our companion in these hard times. And, as our gospel reminds us today, Jesus is calling us to love one another.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• Have I made a sacrifice that put my own life at risk? How did it feel?

• Jesus says that he has told his friends everything his Father has shared; how transparent am I with my closest friends?

Daily Challenge

Spend 10 minutes reflecting on how you serve God. What fruits have emerged as a result? Call a friend to share a story connected to being a servant of God.

Jesus’ love abides - April 22

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 119:1-24; PM Psalms 12, 13, 14; Exodus 15:22-16:10; 1 Pet. 2:1-10; John 15:1-11

If you were to ask me to define the word “abide,” I would probably offer an answer that points to resting for shelter and restoration. Abide in Jesus’ love. Abide in Jesus. Abide. We are reminded over and over to abide. In the context of today’s gospel, my understanding of “abide” shifts from static rest to dynamic growth.

You see, Jesus paints the imagery of fruit growing on the vine, grown from buds of infancy. The fruit abides upon the vine for deeper connection, for growth, and for flourishing. After all, fruit doesn’t grow unless it is connected to the source of sustained nourishment. A grape pulled off before it is plump will not ripen to its fullest, but will be tossed aside, shriveled.

We are called into awareness of the true vine, so that we may bear the fruits of the Spirit in the light of the Risen Christ. Even in these rocky days, we abide in the nourishment of the Father. It is there that we know God’s love. We are fortified by God’s word and are rooted in God’s commandments. It is in abiding with Jesus that we grow to our fullest – we glorify God and flourish into complete joy.

May you be joyful and bear fruit this day. Alleluia!

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What branches in your life are no longer bearing fruit?

• What spiritual practices help you to abide in God’s love?

Daily Challenge

Peter talks about Jesus as the living Stone. Go for a stroll today and look for a stone. Pick it up, if possible. Examine the rock and spend time reflecting on the reading from 1 Peter, contemplating the ways God is building you up.

Jesus: The Foundation of our Faith - April 21

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 5, 6; PM Psalms 10, 11; Exodus 15:1-21; 1 Pet. 1:13-25; John 14:18-31

The hymn “The Church’s One Foundation” (#525) has been running through my head. In case you don’t have the 1982 Hymnal handy, the lyrics proclaim that Jesus is the foundation of the Church, created by water and the Word. The verses also speak to human events in the Church that have shaped her since the early days of Christianity; though conflicts and stresses press upon the Church, the saints keep watch over us. They cry out, “How long?” And, then follows the reassurance: “Soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.”

I cling to those words. I know that soon the night of weeping and separation will end, and we will gather in person to celebrate the Risen Son. Before the dawn breaks forth, while sitting in the confines of my house, I do ask, “How much longer?” In this space of prayer and waiting, I feel concern for those who are lonely and struggling; those who cannot visit their loved ones in healthcare facilities; those putting themselves at risk by working in unsafe or contaminated environments; those who are losing their jobs; those who are susceptible to COVID-19; and, those charged with making decisions for the public’s health and safety. I hear God calling for patience and compassion.

What if we leave the saints to linger in the time-delimited question “How long?”, and we lean upon the foundation of our faith, Jesus Christ? Our readings today provide some great grist for us. John’s gospel speaks to the legacy of mutuality and love that Jesus leaves for us. Peter’s letter calls us to prepare our minds for what actions are ahead. Above all, we are not alone in our waiting: we have the Holy Spirit who teaches and reminds us of what Jesus said. It is through the Risen Son’s unbounded love for us that we can put one foot in front of the other in times like this. Let us heed Jesus’ words: “Rise, let us be on our way!”

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What hymns or songs are on your mind?

• What do you need to do to respond to God’s love in your life? Sing? Sit? Share?

Daily Challenge

• There is some cognitive dissonance in living into Jesus’ command to his friends, “Rise, let us be on our way!” in a time when we are supposed to stay at home as much as possible. Find ways to live into this resurrection call to Christian action today.

Feeling troubled? Turn to God. - April 20

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 1, 2, 3; PM Psalms 4, 7; Exod. 14:21-31; 1 Pet. 1:1-12; John 14:1-17

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” Jesus offered this counsel to his friends after he’d told them that he would not be with them much longer, yet they kept asking questions: “But, where are you going? How do we get there? Could you just show us the Father?” While the disciples had seen Jesus perform miracles of feeding and healing, they struggled to believe all they had experienced. They needed reassurance. It was hard for them to trust. Jesus called his friends to go deeper. By moving outside of themselves in love, Jesus told the disciples they would receive the Spirit of truth.

Belief doesn’t always come easily, especially in stress and chaos. How often in these times are we prone to try to get things “under control”? We can become drawn within ourselves, dissociating from connection to others. Preoccupied in a posture of self-protection, we miss the little graces which remind us that God is in the midst of us. Hearing the Good News today, we are challenged to do as the disciples: love God and one another.

What if we go to God in prayer when we feel troubled? When we do, Jesus promises that we will not be left alone. Our eyes and ears will be opened to God’s gift of the Holy Spirit, which has been sent to us.

God abides with us and in us. Alleluia!

- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• The Egyptians did not believe in God. Pursuing the Israelites, the wheels of their chariots got bogged down in the Red Sea. What hardships bog you down?

• At the heart of John’s gospel is relationship. What enhances your relationship with God?

Daily Challenge

• Name a situation that troubles your heart. Ponder where doubt and fear linger in this matter? Pray to God for resolution and peace.

Wilderness or War? - April 18

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 145; PM Psalm 104; Exod. 13:17–14:4; 2 Cor. 4:16–5:10; Mark 12:18–27

When the Israelites have left Egypt, there is a concern that if they face too many challenges, they will want to return to their previous life under Pharaoh’s rule. The most important story in all of the Hebrew Scriptures, the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and Pharaoh, could be turned around because life is just too challenging! In our reading today from Exodus, God plans to lead the Israelites through the wilderness instead of through the land of the Philistines (of war and conflict) which would cause them to desire their previous situation in bondage. In this story, there are two paths that provide options: insurmountable conflict or the wilderness.

There have been some reoccurring themes in our writings recently. The Old Testament texts have been following the story of the Israelites bondage and trying to break free and return to the lives the Israelites believe they are promised. All of us are trying to make sense of the life we have now found ourselves living. Many of us are lost. Others are finding themselves in predicaments that seem insurmountable to pass. It is interesting to me that this text of pushing us into the wilderness is proclaimed during the Easter Season. At the root of the story, it is about the life that we all want to live or that we think we deserve and are promised.

Maybe there is some comfort in knowing that the spiritual journey of our faith has two options, and both are challenging. Oddly, when we gravitate to faith during challenging periods in our life, faith does not promise an easy answer. Instead, it promises a wilderness. I would even wager, sometimes it promises a war within our own conscience. Much of what we find comforting comes not from answers, but from the commitment to support each other in wandering. The Israelites wandered, but they did not do it alone. And in today’s text, there was a cloud that they understood to be the Lord, leading them and guiding them in the way forward. Maybe we can trust that God is leading us in our wilderness, a journey that is moving us forward too.

- John+

Questions for Reflection

• How does your life feel like a wilderness? Where do you have control and where have you lost control? Where is God in the midst of this wilderness?

Daily Challenge

• If you have named something that is out of our control, pray to God to handle that concern. At the end of the day, ask yourself, has this helped me in my faith.

You won’t die, but you will be changed! - April 17

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 136; PM Psalm 118; Exod. 13:1–2,11–16; 1 Cor. 15:51–58; Luke 24:1–12

“Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed” says Paul in this passage from the first letter to the Corinthians. I simultaneously love and am terrified of this passage. We are Easter people which means we are people of the resurrection. What God has done on the cross has changed our lives. When we recognize this truth, our lives are fundamentally different. But how does this actually play out?

I feel like I have worked hard to be the person that I am. Life has shaped me through my experiences, trials and tribulations, failures, and successes. I am probably more comfortable with who I have become in the last few years than ever before in my life. That might just be a factor of the stage of my life that I am in, but to be fair I should claim it. So if someone was going to say, “I am going to offer you the greatest gift ever imaginable, but you will be different because of it,” I am not sure how I would respond. I want the gift, but I don’t want to change or to be changed.

Do you ever feel like you are right and all those other people are wrong! If we just had more people that thought like me, the world would be a better place! I hope you can hear the sarcasm, although, I think it is probably easier to take this position than we want to admit. It is possible that we even default here if we are not paying attention.

But Paul says that we will be changed in the resurrection. If we think that God is finished with us, then maybe you are already the person that God wants you to be. But if the Resurrection is something that is always working in our lives, a reality that is always at play, then the change is not yet complete. Who is God inviting us to be? What is God inviting us to do, be, or change?

- John+

Questions for Reflection

• What are the nonreligious and religious beliefs of yours that you are absolutely certain about? What are you less certain about? Do these beliefs improve your ability to relate and love other people or do they create friction?

Daily Challenge

• Listen for a moment when someone says something or writes something that really bothers you. Instead of picking apart their argument, spend some time reflecting on why they believe what they believe. Could mutual understanding be a goal instead of persuasion?

I don’t want to thank you for tempestuous wind and other weird stuff too. - April 16

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 146, 147; PM Psalm 148, 149; Exod. 13:3–10; 1 Cor. 15:41–50; Matt. 28:16–20

In the psalm that we hear in the afternoon, it is a song of praise that gives thanks for much of creation. There is a thanksgiving of waters, and praising of sea-monsters (yes, you read that correctly), thanksgiving for fire and hail and snow and tempestuous wind. There is thanksgiving and praise for mountains and trees and wild beasts, and winged birds, and of course people both young and old.

Earlier this week, there were some wild winds that ravaged northern Alabama and Tennessee. I remember feeling on Monday morning a smidgeon of gratitude that the tempestuous winds seemed to bypass Birmingham on Easter. I then saw on social media that some of my colleagues in Chattanooga were not so lucky. How can the psalmist give thanks for something so destructive, or fire, or hail or sea-monsters? Well, hail did help the church a few years ago, or our insurance policy did (depends on your perspective).

Some of the social science around being able to healthily navigate adversity suggests that our ability to reframe situations and a posture of gratitude helps us to thrive and be well. I am not sure that I am grateful for tempestuous winds (or other weird stuff too), or the other things that we experience that seem to cause such destruction in our lives, but there is something about having just proclaimed those words and offering them in prayer. I wonder if it makes us more grateful to be able to praise in word what we are not yet able to in our lives?

There is a pattern in the psalms that is important to digest and maybe this is why it is so important to read them day after day in a structured way. I don’t want to suggest that we should feel grateful or thankful for everything we experience, but when the psalms invite us to go somewhere uncomfortable, I do believe it is possible that it can help mold us in a way that helps us rest more deeply in the love of God.

- John+

Questions for reflections

• What are the naturally occurring things of the world that you have trouble praising or giving thanks for?

• Are there other people who are grateful for those same things?

Daily Challenge

• If you have yet to try the rhythm of all of the Daily Scripture readings, make a plan this week to read one psalm a day. I suggest the first psalm listed in the daily readings each day.

What, God kept Vigil? - April 15

Today’s Readings:AM Psalm 97, 99; PM Psalm 115; Exod. 12:40–51; 1 Cor. 15:(29)30–41; Matt. 28:1–16

In the Old Testament reading for today, the Israelites are finally able to leave Egypt. The book of Exodus tells us they were there for four hundred and thirty years. That is a long time to be away from home. I don’t think I have noticed this before but the night that the Israelites are delivered, the author of Exodus refers to this as a night of vigil held by God. God was holding vigil! And therefore, the instructions for the Israelites are to keep vigil on that same night throughout their generations. They are to act in the same way as the Lord. The Lord’s vigil leads to the people’s deliverance (better known as the ability to thrive and grow and be free). This newfound freedom and life only requires the Israelites to remember that moment by doing what the Lord has done.

We are in the season of Easter, where we claim hope and resurrection and life. We sing Alleluia! I think people have this idea that the season is supposed to be filled with bright pastel colors and joyful songs and overflowing happiness and bliss. My wardrobe certainly follows this general rule. And we are told that the Israelites are required each year to hold vigil, to remember their pain and suffering in Egypt and the journey that God has led them on. If you have participated in a Jewish Passover Seder meal, you might recall bitter herbs being eaten to remember the challenges and bitterness of the time in Egypt.

We are in the Easter Season where God has promised hope and life. And yet we are still in our homes, frustrated with the reality of our earthly existence and the limitations and restraints on how we exist with each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are exceptionally mindful of what God has done in our lives, it is almost as if we are keeping vigil. I don’t want to suggest that what God requires in Exodus is exactly the same thing, but I do think there is something hopeful about embracing the trials and tribulations we have experienced, of being mindful and aware of where we have come from so that we might continue to grow from it.

Our mortal lives are filled with pain and suffering, disappointments and failures. And it is easy to fall into the trap that to gain joy, peace, or life, we have to leave our past behind. But God asks us to remember over and over what we have done, and what God has done. Maybe it is the key to finding life, hope, and resurrection. Instead, we rise up like a plant that is germinated in the soil of our pain and past experiences. It is in those experiences and how we grow from them that we find life and hope.

- John+

Questions for Reflection

• What are some of your past mistakes or trials that have shaped you in a positive way to be the person you are today? Have you named those mistakes before?

Daily Challenge

• Find a time to pray today, and when you pray, give thanks to God for the mistakes you have made. Try naming the mistakes out loud and think of the ones that have had some cost to you as well.

…and they would not believe it - April 14

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 103; PM Psalm 111, 114; Exod. 12:28–39; 1 Cor. 15:12–28; Mark 16:9–20

The first person that Jesus encounters in Mark’s Gospel is Mary Magdalene. And she goes and shares with others that he is alive and has been seen by her. We probably shouldn’t be surprised that they don’t believe her. We don’t have the best track record. At the end of the Gospel is this interesting little passage, “those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it will not hurt them;”. What?!? Is that what this faith thing is about?

As much I loved reading Daniel Covington’s Salvation on Sand Mountain (a book about snake handling, cyanide drinking faith communities in Alabama), I am not ready to claim the crux of the Gospel lies on that little passage. But I do think that what we are asked to believe is remarkable, as bold as any truth we have ever learned, and like the disciples, we far too easily dismiss the words of someone coming to proclaim hope: the sinner is forgiven and new life is being resurrected. We far too easily dismiss the person who has hurt us, or lied, or stolen cheated, or fallen off the wagon again. We far too often carry around in our own lives a weight or millstone that we can’t seem to shake. We far too often deny the Resurrection. Or we don’t listen to the voice we should trust.

The mystery of the empty tomb is pretty unbelievable. Maybe that’s why all those we encounter that first learned this truth were astonished, even afraid. Who should we be listening to and how does it change our life, when we believe too?

- John+

Questions for Reflection:

• What are the things in your life that weigh you down or keep you from experiencing life eternal?

• What would it take or what would it look for you to be free from these concerns?

Daily Challenge

• Work to recall or remember a time when you dismissed the hope of another person. Consider how it would have changed the situation if you had believed.

Wait, they fell asleep? - April 13

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 93, 98; PM Psalm 66; Exod. 12:14–27; 1 Cor. 15:1–11; Mark 16:1–8

I love the stories of Easter, probably because the people who meet the resurrected Christ are usually surprised, shocked, or do not realize quite the importance of what they are seeing with their own eyes. In Mark’s Gospel, the Marys encounter a young man dressed in a white robe. In John’s Gospel, it is a gardener who they then realize is their friend who has just died. In Luke’s Gospel, they run into Jesus on a road to Emmaus and they spend what seems like hours with him before the realize the importance of the conversation. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that we hear from today, Paul talks about Cephas and then the twelve meeting Jesus, and then five hundred at one time. Paul says, “most of who are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.” Can you imagine how extraordinary those accounts would be? Wait, they fell asleep?

We are not only people of the Resurrection, but we are people of the Incarnation. This means that when we gather in person, when we reach out to our fellow human beings, we come to realize that our ordinary relationships are much more. It might take as long or longer than those disciples on the road to Emmaus, but eventually, we see the divine spark in the rest of humanity. It can really unsettle how we understand people. And then sometimes we fall asleep. Even if we had previously come to know the extraordinary truth of God Incarnate. I am glad Paul goes easy on those people in the group of 500 who have fallen asleep. It doesn’t sound like he is even surprised.

It is interesting to watch what seems like an astonishing renewal of faith as our society shifts, the economy falters, and what was normal two months ago becomes an impossible way to live right now. People are finding church and becoming engaged like never before. I suspect others who were regular volunteers and nearly every Sunday attenders are taking a break from church. Our daily rhythms and the practice of our faith have changed for everyone. Maybe like Paul, there is an invitation for grace, but we should also remember the power of those odd encounters of what seem like ordinary people. Maybe the phone call, the text message, the handwritten card, the smile at the grocery store worker, taking the time to check on an isolated neighbor, or the car parade at a birthday are much more important than we realize. Because Jesus has risen, and we don’t know where he might appear next. Alleluia, alleluia!

- John+

Questions for Reflection

• Who is someone who you have encountered that has surprised you or caused you to change your understanding of that person?

• What is your Emmaus or resurrection story?

Challenge

• Practice this week suspending judgment when someone gets under your skin. What would it look like to imagine that person could reflect the image of God?

Be gentle - April 11

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 95, 88; PM Psalm 27; Lam. 3:37-58; Heb. 4:1-16; Rom. 8:1-11

The reading from Hebrews mentions Sabbath for the living and eternal rest for those who have died. There is a level of emotional exhaustion that sets in each year during Holy Week around this time. And friends, this year has been more taxing than most. Fatigue is sinking into our bones. We are concerned for loved ones, for all those who struggle, and for our own well-being.

On this Holy Saturday, we are invited into a space of rest. I am reminded of waves in the ocean, a sequence of crests followed by troughs…and in the calmer, lower time of troughs, waves gather the energy needed before another peak escalates. Most muscles in our body function like that, too, in a cycle of flex and release. Scripture – especially lyrical compositions like the psalms – also have this texture of an emotional crescendo in tension with God or relationships with others, and then comes rest, or resolution, or peacefulness.

While the full cycle of our Holy Week is not yet complete, today is a day to be gentle upon yourself. Jesus has been through the range of emotions of Holy Week, and can empathize with all exhaustion you may feel. Receive God’s mercy and create a little space for emotional recovery, so that you can joyfully welcome our celebration of the risen Christ tomorrow morning.

— Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• When have you felt lost and despondent?

• In what ways do you integrate Sabbath into your life?

  Daily Challenge

• Sabbath means rest. Find a space of time today to practice Sabbath. If you share your home with others, invite them to participate in this holy rest, too. Pray that the different use of time will bring you a deeper level of refreshment.

In spite of ourselves - April 10

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalms 95, 22; PM Psalms 40, 54 Lam. 3:1-9, 19-33; 1 Pet. 1:10-20; John 13:36-38

As I read about Simon Peter today, a tune keeps going through my mind. John Prine and Iris Dement recorded a song called “In Spite of Ourselves”. It’s an off-beat, somewhat irreverent love song, and the line I keep hearing is, “In spite of ourselves we'll end up a-sittin' on a rainbow; Against all odds, honey we're the big door-prize…”

While Peter offers words of wisdom to early Christians to “be holy yourselves in all your conduct,” even he wrestled with being disciplined all the time. Leading up to our Lord’s crucifixion, Peter was distraught. He pleaded with Jesus, “Tell me where you are going…I want to go along with you now. I will sacrifice my life alongside you.” Jesus knew that Peter had higher aspirations than he was able to fulfill at that time. He would deny Jesus three times.

In spite of himself and against all odds, Peter grew into the role of the rock for the movement we know now as the Church. With God’s help and a good deal of experience, perhaps Peter wrote those words of guidance years later because he needed that reminder, too.

It’s hard to be consistently benevolent amid stresses and changes in our lives. I confess I have not been holy in all my conduct since my family and I have been sharing the same square footage all day, every day, over the last four weeks. On this holy Friday, we are called to be still, in spite of our own concerns and preoccupations. I invite you to sit alone in silence with God, if even for a moment. Contemplate the gift and loss wrapped up in the observance of Jesus’ death.

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• What is keeping me from being still in the presence of God?

• What does Jesus’ death stir in me?

Daily Challenge

• Put aside thoughts that afflict you, and focus upon the hope that is in the Lord. Sit alone in silence with God. Be attentive to God’s steadfast love. Afterward, write down a word or feeling that lingers with you from the exercise.

At the Rock Bottom - April 9

Today’s Readings:  AM Psalm 102; PM Psalms 142, 143; Lam. 2:10-18; 1 Cor. 10:14-17, 11:27-32; Mark 14:12-25

Right now is an emotionally raw time for many. Images of our “rock bottom” are hard to endure. Vulnerable and scared, our inadequacies are laid out in front of us. Our readings on this Maundy Thursday help us honestly face our brokenness.

“I know the truth,” Jesus intimates. One of the twelve will betray him. What amount of indigestion and discomfort the disciples feel around the table in that upper room, gathering for a Passover meal with Jesus! I imagine their faces grow hot with concern, wondering if he knows, too, of the muttering and doubts they have whispered.

Jesus speaks about the hard, whole truth of brokenness and sin. While betrayal leads to the extinguishing of his human life, it doesn’t break the love Jesus has for his friends. They still gather together at the common table, sharing bread and wine. God’s love for us is unbreakable like that.

Remembering God’s mercy, today we are invited into a posture of honest self-examination. Rather than ask the disciples’ question of denial, “Surely, not I?”, perhaps we can ask, “Jesus, will you help me name my brokenness? Holy Spirit, will you embolden and heal me? God, will you forgive me, so that I can sit at your table?”

-- Katherine+

Questions for Reflection

• When have I felt most unworthy?

• Where in my body do I experience dread and regret?

Daily Challenge

• Commit five minutes to self-examination: write honestly about sin or brokenness in your own life. Ask God to direct you into a space of healing and forgiveness. Write down insights and any next steps.