Daily Lectionary February 23 2007 First Thoughts

Psalm 22:1-31; Deuteronomy 7:12-16; Titus 2:1-15

As I read the scriptures today, filled with words about obedience and God’s protection, faithfulness and submission, my first thoughts were the old hymn “Trust and Obey.” I began to sing the chorus: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” It’s a hymn that along with the sound doctrines and commandments, I learned in Sunday school and worship. That as a young person, was taught to me by the older and wiser in my church. We sang it in the congregation, like the psalmist encourages in today’s psalm (v 22): I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you…

But I must say.

My life doesn’t fit the promises this hymn seems to make if I only trust and obey – Trust God and obey God’s commandments, God’s ordinances, walk faithfully in Jesus’ steps, work on Jesus’ call on my life, keeping a pure and undefiled life, teach sound doctrine, honor everyone – if I do all that, then I will be happy. No shadows, no gloom, no doubts or fears will rise. No frowns, grief, loss, not even a cross. All will be blessed and happy, happy, happy.

Well, come on, already! I trust God. I love Jesus. I know the Holy Spirit has brought me this far. I believe the Word of God is reliable and true. I’m a pastor, for heaven’s sake! But I still fear. I still have doubts. I still have more questions than answers. I still hurt people, and have less than pure thoughts. I still wake up during the night and worry about my kids, and my flock, and the world. My brow still forms furrows, and tears still flow down my cheeks. Happy?

And then I read again verse 4 of the hymn: But we never can prove the delights of his love, until on the altar we lay; for the favor he shows and the joy he bestows are for them who will trust and obey…and the words from Titus come: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all,¹²training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

This is what we teach – hope in the Lord, not happiness. Trust and obey for there’s no other way to be HOPEFUL in Jesus, than to trust and obey.

Daily Lectionary February 22 2007 First Thoughts

Deut 7:6-11; Titus 1:1-16; John 1:29-34; Psalm 126:1-6

I continue to see a thread this week that connects love and obedience. Of course, God shows love by being obedient to his own promise: to love his people with an everlasting love. God "set his heart on you, and chose you." And then God created the "holy corral" for us to dwell, with boundaries and behaviors that would enhance love with God and each other, protect this love. If we would see it that way, we chosen who would prefer to go our own way.

But in this covenant we are loved and protected by the Creator of the universe. In this covenant we are forgiven forever by the God of grace. In this covenant we are given guidance and purpose. In this covenant we are expected to live and love in response to God's saving grace that surrounds the agreement. The corral will never be broken down because of Christ, who dwells among us and around us and in us, ratifies the agreement by his blood.

We who lead and serve God in the name and power of Jesus Christ, received at our baptism, need only consider the scope and purpose of our leadership, per Paul to Titus: to bring others into a saving and loving relationship with the One True God, to teach the goodness and mercy and safety of the covenant, and to raise up others who will testify to the hope and protection we have in only God. The world needs this holy corral, for it weeps. But God came to save the world as he has promised to save us. So the world needs to hope:

⁵May those who sow in tears

reap with shouts of joy.

⁶Those who go out weeping,

bearing the seed for sowing,

shall come home with shouts of joy,

carrying their sheaves. (psalm 126)

Daily Lectionary February 21, 2007 First Thoughts

Psalm 5; Jonah 3:1-4:11; Hebrews 12:1-14; Luke 18:9-14

God gave Jonah a mission to Ninevah, but Jonah prefered a ministry in the bright lights of Tarshish. He refused God's first call. The second time around, God got Jonah's attention. But not without attitude. Like a pouting child, Jonah obeyed God and went to Ninevah. But his service was half-hearted, steeped in self-interest, self-righteousness, resentment and pride. He had attitude. And God dealt with it. He sent the unpredictable plant (Eugene Peterson's book by the same name is awesome) to expose him to a scorching.

The Hebrews text tells us why: "My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; ⁶for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts."

Jesus is ready to forgive us all when pride and self-righteousness enter into our lives. I think it's because our self-righteousness and stubbornness cause us and others to miss a real encounter with God. Obedience of our will and hearts as well as our walk are desired by God. And face it, whatever we do, we can have attitude that blocks the joy and robs God of our full devotion and obedience. And it is quite evident to those we serve. God's glory is tarnished.

It is very likely God will ask you to go to an earthy, undesirable, even scary Ninevah-place sometime today - let's not wait for God to ask us a second time. Let's go there immediately, with joy. Those to whom God sends us will be saved; and God has an unpredictable blessing for us who obey: a lasting experience of God's power and presence, and the reminder that God is God, not you. Not me.

I hope to see you in Ninevah. We need each other to keep it real.

Daily Lectionary Feb 19 07 - First thoughts

Deut 6:16-25; Hebrews 2:1-10
How soon Israel forgot. God delivered Israel from enemies in a big way, and then soon they ask, "Why should we obey you, Lord?" As if to ask, What have you done for me lately? Well, the answer is in verse 10: it is only God who can keep us alive, now and ever. It is only with God that it will ever go well with us, God's people. If we should stop and consider, God delivered us just today from some foe. By the end of this day, there will have been other near-death experiences God handled. God promised. God delivers. How soon we forget.

Hebrews 2 reminds me that our deliverance is assured forever in Christ, the "Pioneer of our suffering." (v.10). Pioneer - the trailblazer who goes before us every day to defeat whatever would try and ambush us. Again, if we would only trust and obey, we are protected forever, to be loved and used by God in big ways.

As the psalmist sings praises, "God is the same forever", God's care is rooted in God's love. God hears us. God brings us home. God saves us.

What has God done for you lately?
You're reading this, aren't you?

There is only one God

Deut. 6:1-15; Hebrews 1:1-14; John 1:1-18

Oh, these lectionary texts are so rich today – the “Shema” it was called in Hebrew in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 was the basis of all the Jewish commandments. There is only one God, whom we first love before all else.

The Hebrews text reminds us that Jesus is God – deserving of all our love, the perfect representation of God, above all the other heavenly beings.

John’s gospel reiterates that fact: In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word WAS God. The word is Jesus.

These texts are basic to the reconciliation of the old and new testaments. One God, One Lord, One faith. The God if Israel is the God of Christ, that raised Jesus from the dead. We shall love no other god.