Year B, Easter 4, Monday

Inspired by 1 Samuel 16:1-13

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’”  1 Samuel 16:7

Our human eyes are so easily deceived.  We see beauty and think goodness; we see height and think strength.  Yet there is no real correlation between what we see and what we perceive.

God alone is capable of looking into our hearts and seeing what is truly at the core of our being.  God can see our deception, our greed, and our cruelty, and no amount of physical grooming or conditioning can hide those things.  But God can also see through our displays of confidence and bravado to the uncertainty, the guilt, the shame, and the fear that we’re desperately trying to hide.

We can’t hide our true selves from God, and we shouldn’t try.  For God knows our sin, knows our need for salvation, and sent his Son to comfort and redeem us.  He will forgive us our sins of deception, greed, and cruelty, and grant us the certainty of his love, take our guilt and shame upon himself, and reassure us in our fear.  His grace can transform us from the inside out, so that all who look upon us will be able to see the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Let us pray.  God of understanding, you are not deceived by the images we project.  Touch us deep within our hearts, that we may know your abiding love and live according to your grace.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Fourth Sunday of Easter

Inspired by John 10:11-18

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.  I have received this command from my Father.”  John 10:17-18

Jesus the Son said that the Father loved him because he lay down his life so that he might be able to gain it back again.  The full impact of that statement gets lost in the translation, but Jesus is talking about the resurrection.  He willingly laid down his life, meaning he willingly died, so that he might take possession of life once again.

And then he goes on to be perfectly clear that no one took his life from him; it was his and his alone to give, and he gave it.  And when he took possession of it again, it was more fully his than when he’d just been born into humanity.  When that had happened, he’d had life, just as each of us has life.  But when he took it up again, he owned it in such a way that it was fully and utterly his, subject to his will.

As much as we all like to think we have that much control over our own lives, the truth is we don’t.  We only have life, we don’t own it.  But Christ our Lord, the Lord who is our shepherd, does own it, and because of that, even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even when we succumb to death, our life does not come to an end, because that is not God’s will.  The goodness and the mercy of the Lord shall follow us forever, and we will live under the Lord’s guidance and protection, forever.

Let us pray.  Living God, you are the creator of all and the giver of life.  Help us to embrace the life you have given us, that we may recognize your authority and experience life as you mean for us to experience it.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 4, Saturday

Inspired by Mark 6:30-34

“[Jesus] said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’  For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”  Mark 6:31

At times it seems as though the Lord’s work will never end.  There are always more relationships to tend, more people to help, more preparations to be made.  Sometimes we get so tired, but how can we justify taking a break from our service if those we are trying to help don’t get a break from their suffering?

Serving the Lord is not only about the work we do for him.  Yes, we are called to ease the suffering of our fellow human beings, but we are also called to be comforted and refreshed ourselves.  We are called to be workers in and for the kingdom of God, but in the end it is God who saves the world and those who are in it, not us.  Taking a rest from our labors not only refreshes and strengthens us to do more work later, but it also reminds us that God works in many and various ways, and that his work will continue even while we go away to a deserted place and rest a while.

Let us pray.  God of comfort, you know the limits of our endurance.  Help us to recognize our own limits and needs, that we may be healthier and stronger laborers for your kingdom.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 4, Friday

Inspired by Psalm 23

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4 (New King James Version)

One thing that many people have in common is the fear of death.  All we know, all we’re familiar with, is this life.  Sure, we have faith in the life to come, but faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Knowledge is what we have with absolute certainty.  We know this life; we’re living it.  We can have faith in the life to come, but we don’t know it yet.

But the words of this psalm assure us that death itself is not evil, and that even as we confront death, whether we succumb to it at that time or not, the Lord our shepherd is with us.  We can be comforted by the tools of the shepherd: the rod he uses to beat off the dangers that come to harm us, and the staff he uses to find the way for us when we can’t find it ourselves, when we’re not sure where we’re going.  With his rod and his staff, our shepherd is there to guard us and to guide us, in this life and in the life to come.

Let us pray.  Eternal God, death is neither enemy nor obstacle to you.  Grant us the comforting knowledge of your presence on both sides of death, that we may not fear the unknown in this life.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 4, Thursday

Inspired by Psalm 23

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”  Psalm 23:1-3 (New King James Version)

The Lord, our shepherd who guards us and guides us, knows what it is to be tired, knows our need to be fed.  The Lord feeds us and nourishes us, sustains our bodies and our spirits, and makes us whole.  There is nothing we need that the Lord doesn’t provide, and the Lord provides everything that we need.  Anything we feel we’re being denied is because we’re moving away from the shepherd, trying to find our own way as helpless sheep in a fallen world, and we get angry when the world doesn’t do what we want it to.  But the shepherd does not leave us to go astray, and is always nearby, ready to guide us back to where we should be, back to the place where the dangers are not overwhelming, back to where we’re safely under the careful and caring eye of the shepherd, who will see to all our needs.

All this the shepherd does not because we’re exceptionally valuable in and of ourselves, but because the Lord has declared us valuable.  And it’s for his own sake, because he has chosen to love us and to care for us, that he continues to nourish and sustain us, and guide us through this fallen and often dangerous world.  As John’s gospel tells us, Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.  He has chosen to make his life with his flock, and because he cares for them so much, he knows them as his own, and those who are his own know him.  There is danger in this fallen world, and Jesus is willing to put himself between us and that danger to keep us safe.

Let us pray.  Divine Shepherd, you know better than we do what our needs are.  Help us to follow you, that we may enjoy the blessings you graciously give us, and not seek after those things that would draw us away from you.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 3, Wednesday

Inspired by Proverbs 9:1-6

“‘You that are simple, turn in here!’  To those without sense [Wisdom] says, ‘Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.  Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.’”  Proverbs 9:4-6

There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom.  Foolish people can know a lot of things because knowledge, if not applied properly or well, can amount to no more than the ability to recall certain facts.  Wisdom, however, is a way of life.

Wisdom can be acquired with or without formal education and with or without knowledge of various facts.  Wisdom is an outlook, a way of interpreting the world, and a way of interacting with that world.  Those who are ‘simple’ or ‘without sense’ react moment to moment, rarely looking beyond their own immediate concerns and comforts.  They have little understanding of the long-term consequences of their actions.  But wisdom has something better to offer.  She too is able to address your immediate concerns and comforts, as well as the concerns and comforts of others, today, tomorrow, and into the future.  Her rewards are much longer lasting than those that simplicity has to offer, and her ways result in a much more peaceful and harmonious world.

Regardless of the circumstances of your life, where you were born or what station you hold in your culture and society, wisdom is calling out to you.  Whether you choose to adopt her way of life and walk with insight, or remain simple and stagnated is up to you.

Let us pray.  God of wisdom, you desire the world to live in peace and harmony.  Enable us to lay aside our immaturity and embrace wisdom as our way of life, that we may walk in your ways, cognizant of the interrelationships of all your creation.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 3, Tuesday

Inspired by 2 John 1-6

“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.”  2 John 3

God is with us always.  In times of trouble, in times of joy, in times of mundane ordinariness, he is with us.  He is with us in our solitude, and he is with us in our companionship.  And he is with everyone else, at all times and in all places, as well.

Imagine how our encounters with other people might be different if we began each conversation—verbal, written, or electronic—with a reminder that God’s grace, mercy, and peace were present with us.  How might it change the way you speak to your coworkers?  How might it change the way you speak to you family members?  How might it change the way you speak to store cashiers, strangers on the street, or salespeople at your door or calling you at home?

Not every encounter we have is pleasant; sometimes we need to state and enforce boundaries, address a conflict, or disagree with someone’s opinion or course of action.  But imagine how these difficult conversations might be different if both parties were reminded first that both are beloved children of the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

Let us pray.  God of all, you lavishly shower your grace and mercy upon all your people.  Remind us of the truth of your love, that we may treat everyone with the respect that your children deserve.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 3, Monday

Inspired by Jeremiah 30:1-11a

“On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will break the yoke from off his neck, and I will burst his bonds, and strangers shall no more make a servant of him.  But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.”  Jeremiah 30:8-9

Despite all our best efforts at self-determination and independence, every single one of us is enslaved to something or someone.  We spend more money than we make and are enslaved to our debtors; we value the esteem of others and are enslaved to society’s expectations.  We insist on the primacy of our own autonomy and are enslaved to limited choices and imaginations.  No matter what, life on earth means answering to someone or something else.

The Lord God saw the plight we were in, saw the way we exploited each other and were exploited ourselves.  He saw us struggling in our enslavement, answering to masters not worthy of the authority they’d usurped.  He offered to redeem us and take us into his service, sending his Son to show us the way.  We are still in service, and we still have a yoke upon us, but we share it with the One who is gentle and humble in heart, and whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.

It is so much better to serve the One who created us, knows us, loves us, and has already given his life for our gain than to serve the cruel and selfish taskmasters that trick us into slavery with their offers of freedom and self-determination.

Let us pray.  Gentle Lord, you are the ultimate authority in the universe.  Encourage us to turn to you, that in your service we may be freed from the false promises of worldly possessions and acclaim.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Third Sunday of Easter

Inspired by Luke 24:36b-48

“Then [Jesus] said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’  Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.”  Luke 24:44-45

The disciples were observant Jews who had been taught the Hebrew scriptures since they were young boys.  Some of those scriptures dated back several hundred years, some of them a thousand years, and some of them recorded oral tradition that had been around for much longer than even that.  Scholars had been studying them for centuries, and believed they knew what the scriptures meant.

Yet the scriptures record some of God’s activity in the world, and God’s activity in the world is ongoing.  Jesus opened the minds of his disciples to understand the scriptures in light of his own life, death, and resurrection.  Words that had not changed and had been studied, prayed over, and lived by for generations suddenly had a new meaning, a new application, and a new call to action.

Two thousand years later the written words that make up both the Hebrew scriptures and what we call the New Testament are as fixed as if they’d been engraved on stone tablets.  But God’s activity in the world is still not complete.  He is still engaged with his creation, and he is still sending his Spirit to his people, opening their minds to the scriptures and helping us to find new meaning, new applications, and new calls to action based on his ongoing activity.  The bible is a static document, but it tells the story of our dynamic God.

Let us pray.  Living God, your story continues through today.  Help us to understand your activity in the past, that we may recognize your activity in the present and follow your guidance into the future.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 3, Saturday

Inspired by Luke 22:24-30

“A dispute also arose among [the apostles] as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest.  But [Jesus] said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors.  But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.’”  Luke 22:24-26

Throughout history the majority of the world’s population could be divided into two categories: those who were in authority and those served those who were in authority.  Those who were in authority had a deep and sincere interest in keeping their authority, and they worked to maintain or elevate their status.  Those who served those in authority were sometimes treated as though they were invisible or expendable, and often came to accept any recognition of their humanity from those in authority as a generous gift.  The servant class, though largely voiceless in society, also postured among themselves for position.  Everyone in both classes was ranked, knew where their peers ranked, and were focused on achieving a higher rank for themselves, because with greater power comes greater privilege.

But God in Christ turned such power structures upside down.  The Lord of all, the Ultimate Power of the universe, became a lowly human, a member of the peasant class of a conquered and oppressed people, and came to save the most wretched and undesirable among us.  He showed respect to prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners, and taught that true power is not marked by privilege and status, but by love and grace.  He taught this by his own example, and he charged that those who follow him also follow his example.

The world is still divided into classes, and individuals still posture for the best position with the best privileges.  But in the kingdom of heaven, status is awarded based not on power and authority, but on humility.  To have true power and authority, one must be willing to take the place of and even give himself up for the most wretched and undesirable among us, just as God in Christ did for us.

Let us pray.  Humble Lord, you used your power to show us humility and grace.  Help us to humble ourselves, that we may seek the everlasting rewards of your kingdom rather than the fleeting privileges of this world.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 3, Friday

Inspired by Daniel 10:2-19

“I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; the people who were with me did not see the vision, though a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled and hid themselves.”  Daniel 10:7

We are the center of our own lives; it is virtually impossible for it to be otherwise.  Even the most humble and selfless of us must first tend to our own needs for food, shelter, and clothing before we can see to the needs of others.  And most of us tend to many more of our own wants and needs than just those simple basics before we turn to others.

Given that so much of our lives are lived with us at the center, it is difficult for us to remember that not everything in the world revolves around us.  Especially God.  God works in many and various ways, through many and various people, and any given individual is not entitled to every vision, revelation, insight, or sign that God provides.  There were others with Daniel when he received his vision, and they were able to sense that something was going on, but for them it was nothing more than a fear deep enough to compel them to run and hide.  The vision was for Daniel, and for Daniel alone.  It came to him because of who he was and what he had done, and what he would be able to do with the information that vision provided.  Daniel was unique, and the vision sent to him by God could only be of value to him.

We are each important to God’s plan of salvation for the world; we each have a role to play.  But we each have a different role.  Rather than feeling slighted or jealous because God chooses to use someone else in a particular way, remain humble, and seek to discern how God is using you.  You also are unique, and can do things for the kingdom of God that no one else is capable of doing.

Let us pray.  Holy Lord, you’ve blessed each of us with a particular mix of gifts, abilities, experiences, and perspectives.  Open our hearts and our minds to your insights, that we may use what you have given us to further your work in the world.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 3, Thursday

Inspired by 1 John 2:18-25

“Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father.”  1 John 2:24

We accumulate so much knowledge over the course of our lives.  We learn multiple facts and if, how, and when to apply those facts to our decision-making.  Some of the information we acquire is mere trivia, some of it is helpful when applied properly, and some of it is so important and profound that we internalize it, and it helps to shape every aspect of who we are in this life.

The story of God’s love for humanity is one of those pieces of information that can be a formative and guiding principle in our lives.  Through the bible and those around us who faithfully follow the Lord, we have heard how God created the world and everything in it, and called it good.  We have heard how he has guided and blessed his people throughout history, and how he sent his Son to be the salvation of the world.  We have heard from the beginning of the love and grace God offers to us each and every day.  The knowledge of what God has done for us and is still doing for us is no mere bit of trivia; it has the power to be the defining element in our lives, informing how we act and interact with the world around us.

You can hear the story of God’s enduring love, file it away as a simple fact to be recalled if the situation warrants it, and go about your business with no thought whatsoever of the Lord and his blessings.  Or you can hear the story of God’s enduring love and let it fill you with his grace, keeping you always embraced in his mercy, aware of his presence and guidance, and open to his abundant blessings.

Let us pray.  Everlasting God, you sent your Word to abide in us, turning us toward your love.  Help us to embody your Spirit of peace and humilty, that we may live our lives abundantly and in communion with you.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 2, Wednesday

Inspired by Mark 12:18-27

“And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?  He is God not of the dead, but of the living.”  Mark 12:26-27a

When we lose a loved one, we often try to comfort ourselves by imagining that person in heaven.  Such imaginings usually include a sense peacefulness, natural beauty, perhaps being reunited with other loved ones who have gone before, and being freed from whatever pain and suffering may have marked this person’s life on earth.

Such images can be helpful, and may not be inaccurate.  But they are incomplete.  For the place where we go when we depart this life is far less important that the One we go to—we go to be in the presence of the Lord.

Heaven is a kingdom, and the Lord God is king.  He embraces our loved ones fully and gently, surrounding them with his love, showing them with their eyes unfettered by the worries and influences of this world how his glory sustains everything that is, that was, and that will be, and how nothing escapes his tender mercy.

And we need not wait to die to be embraced by the Lord our God, for the kingdom of heaven is here now, in this place, in this life, and the same God who cares for our departed loved ones also cares for those of us still in this world.  The kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Lord of the living embraces all who are, who were, and who will be.

Let us pray.  God of life, your Son defeated death.  Comfort us in the knowledge that we are never beyond your tender care, whether in this life or in what we call death, that we may live fully for you now and not fear the life to come.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 2, Tuesday

Inspired by Psalm 135

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.  They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.  Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them.”  Psalm 135:15-18

We like to believe that we control our own destinies, and to a certain extent, we do.  We celebrate the fact that we make our own decisions and live according to our own values, but we often forget or ignore the fact that we make those decisions and determine those values in a context, and not in a vacuum.  Every decision we make and every value we cherish was influenced by something else.

What is your primary influence?  Is it the prevailing culture, with its emphasis on self—self-fulfillment, self-aggrandizement, and selfish accumulation of material possessions?  Such idols cannot advise us, guide us, or help us.  The more we focus on them, the more they reflect ourselves back to us, and we become frozen in an endless cycle of stagnation, never looking beyond ourselves and hindered by our own limited imaginations.  We become part of the environment that influences others, with no real advice, guidance, or help for them beyond more stagnation, and the cycle continues.

Or we can focus on the God who is, who was, and who will be, the God who created the universe and everything in it, the God who is limitless in his vision, his imagination, and his possibilities.  Only when we worship the God of all and allow him to be the primary influence on our decisions and values can we truly live to our potential as human beings and fulfill our destinies.

Let us pray.  Lord of all, you desire a better life for us than we could ever fashion on our own.  Help us to turn toward you, that the idols of the world will have no power to limit or destroy us.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 2, Monday

Inspired by 1 John 2:3-11

“Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling.  But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.”  1 John 2:10-11

We are imperfect people.  We do things that hurt other people, sometimes inadvertently, sometimes carelessly, sometimes with full foreknowledge and intent.  We do these things to strangers, to acquaintances, and even to people we know and love.  Sometimes we know when we’re causing pain but we believe it’s justified because we’re ‘right,’ and sometimes we know when we’re causing pain and we delight in seeing the other person hurt because we believe that they ‘deserve’ it.

We’ve all hurt people, and we’ve all been hurt.  It’s part of being human.  But part of being Christian is getting beyond that.

Being a Christian is no shield against hurt.  As Christians, we will still suffer pain at the hands of other people, even other Christians.  But as Christians, we have the example of Jesus Christ, who lived the law of love so well that he loved and forgave the very people who were murdering him as he was dying, and he loved and forgave the close friends and disciples who denied and betrayed him.  With that love he conquered death and gave us life, and with that love he enabled his followers to end the cycle hurt and pain, and move forward with love and holy purpose.  They’d hurt Jesus, and he loved and forgave them, freeing them from guilt and shame.  The gospel they went on to preach was one of freedom and mercy in Christ, rather than the hate and retribution that would have been expected by their behavior towards their friend and teacher.

Holding on to hate towards someone who wronged us might feel natural and right, but it blinds us to the love of Christ, and it enslaves us to darkness and cycles of violence.  Free yourself from such darkness and dare to love, not just for the benefit of the person who wronged you, but for your own benefit, as well.

Let us pray.  Merciful Lord, you met our anger, abandonment, and betrayal with love and forgiveness.  Help us to follow your example and love others as you loved us, that we may be freed from the darkness and revel in your holy light.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Second Sunday of Easter

Inspired by 1 John 1:1-2:2

“We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life.”  1 John 1:1

Christians are often accused by nonbelievers as having ‘blind faith in silly superstitions.’  Those who make such statements are asserting that we’ve simply heard a story someone made up a long time ago and unquestioningly accept it as truth and fact.

But mature faith is not blind.  Mature faith looks for evidence of the truth of God’s story in one’s own life and environment.  A question that is asked so often in seminary and clergy circles that it’s become almost a cliché is, “Where is God in this situation?” 

The Christian story was first told by those who had witnessed it firsthand.  The disciples saw the risen Christ with their own eyes.  They heard him speak, observed him respond to them and answer their questions.  They touched him with their own hands.  And they told others not only what they’d heard, but what they’d experienced.  As time wore on and the story continued to spread, the way people experienced God in Christ changed, but they still experienced him not only through stories they’d heard, but in things that they’d seen and touched, and in the way that they’d been touched themselves.

Even today, believing Christians can still describe some personal event in their lives that demonstrated the truth of the story they’d heard that’s been making the rounds for a couple of millennia.  Our experience allows us to continue to tell that story, enabling those around us and those who will come after us to measure their own experiences against that timeless story, and know that it is indeed the word of life.

Let us pray.  Living God, you are the One who was, who is, and who will be.  Open our hearts, our minds, and our senses to your presence, that we may experience your truth in our lives.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 2, Saturday

Inspired by Psalm 133

“How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!”  Psalm 133:1

Christians often talk about the unity of the Church, even though the Church actually appears to be highly fragmented and divided.  How can there be unity when there are so many different denominations, styles of worship, traditions, and even doctrines?

The body of Christ imagery that is so prominent in the letters of Paul is very important and helpful for understanding this.  Unity does not mean uniformity.  The heart looks and functions nothing like the skin, yet both are absolutely necessary for the survival of a body.  The eyebrow helps keep sweat out of the eyes, allowing the eyes to perform their function better.  Eyes allow a person to see obstacles, that information is processed by the brain, and the legs and the feet react accordingly, preventing the person from tripping and breaking their wrist.  Eyebrows, eyes, brain, legs, and feet, all functioning differently, yet together they protect the wrist.

It is true that we in the body of Christ spend too much time judging and diminishing the importance of other Christians.  It is not the diversity within Christianity that causes the fragmentation and division, but the accusations and dismissals of our own brothers and sisters in Christ.  Imagine how well the gospel could be proclaimed if only we spent less time defining who is a ‘true’ Christian versus a ‘so-called’ Christian, and more time being the expression of the Church that we are called to be.

Let us pray.  Lord God, you are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God.  Help us to embrace the wondrous diversity of traditions and cultures you have blessed us with, that we may use the variety of our gifts to reach out to all your people.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 2, Friday

Inspired by Daniel 2:1-23

“Then Daniel went to his home and informed his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions with the rest of the wise men of Babylon might not perish.  Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”  Daniel 2:17-19

The ways in which God is merciful are many and inexplicable.  Daniel and his companions were in Babylon as the spoils of war.  Their land had been conquered, and they had been conscripted into service in the Babylonian king’s court, being found to have more knowledge and wisdom than the Babylonian magicians and enchanters.  They didn’t want to be there, and they had no loyalty to this king, this kingdom, or those in it.  They were Judah’s conquerors and oppressors.

Yet when the king was plagued by troubling dreams that the Babylonian wise men could not discern, Daniel prayed for mercy from God.  Yes he would have been executed along with the Babylonian wise men, but those who are ruled by hate and vengeance would gladly give their own lives if it meant that many of their oppressors would die along with them, and the conquering king would continue to suffer.  But Daniel was merciful to the king and the king’s wise men, and prayed for God’s mercy on them, which allowed God to show his mercy to those who might never have had a chance to experience it.

Sometimes when it seems as though all is against us and there is no hope for a better future, God will give us a chance to be merciful to those who do not deserve our mercy, to be loving to those who do not deserve our love, and thus overcome the seemingly impenetrable darkness with a blinding beam of God’s holy light.

Let us pray.  Merciful God, you take pity on us in our lowly state.  Help us to show mercy to others, that all may come to know your grace.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter 2, Thursday

Inspired by Acts 2:42-47

“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.”  Acts 2:44-45

Whenever the church starts to talk about money, people get uncomfortable.  How much to give to the church, how much to give to charity, how you should prioritize your expenses—most people just don’t want to hear it.

Some of this discomfort comes from individual selfishness, but some of it stems from the knowledge that resources taken for the sake of a ‘greater good’ are often mismanaged or even stolen.  Or there may be disagreement as to what really constitutes a ‘greater good,’ and those whose money is taken feel that those who are taking it are giving it to those who don’t deserve it.

There is a big difference between having your money taken from you to support the betterment of all, and freely giving what you have to those in your community who are in need.  In the early church, those who believed voluntarily gave what they had to the community, trusting that it would be distributed as needed.  Whether or not someone deserved the assistance did not matter; whether or not they needed it did.  It is in this way that they lived and honored the grace they had received through Jesus Christ: he died for us because we needed his salvation, not because we deserved it.

Let us pray.  Generous God, you sent your Son to die for us even though we were sinners, because we needed your grace in order to be saved.  Help us to see our own resources as tools of your kingdom, that we might use what we have to help your people who are in need.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter Wednesday

Inspired by Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!”  Psalm 118:1

Sometimes it’s difficult to see beyond the troubles of the day.  We look around us and see what may seem like an impossible situation, and we can’t imagine how things are ever going to improve.  Despite our best efforts, it feels like on our best days we’re merely maintaining the status quo, but on most days we lose more ground.  And when we’re in the middle of a situation like that, it feels as though our endurance is waning, and forever is bleak.

But our mortal minds cannot truly fathom ‘forever’; we have only the most limited idea of time.  And while our human endurance can indeed wane, we rely on the One whose endurance can withstand any crisis, any calamity, and any apostasy on our part.  Our God is good, and his steadfast love endures forever.  While we struggle through our days, using up what little strength we have, he is there, replenishing our strength enough to get us through the next day, and the next, and the next, until eventually we realize that things have been changing for the better, and we have actually gained back some of that lost ground, and are still moving forward.

Whatever your troubles may be this day, they are not trouble enough to defeat or even hinder the Lord, whose love for you will never wane, and who is with you, sustaining you with his love, at all times.

Let us pray.  Eternal Lord, your steadfast love endures forever.  Help us face the troubles of our time with strength and hope, that we may reflect your love for us in good times and in bad.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter Tuesday

Inspired by Genesis 1:20-2:4a

“And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done.  So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.”  Genesis 2:2-3

Most of us will probably complain that there aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the week to do what needs to be done.  We’re so busy with jobs, errands, household tasks, family obligations, and maintaining social relationships that we simply don’t have time to just stop and rest.

But we were created in the image of God, and God rested after a hard week of work.  God created not only the world and everything in it, but he also created the very days by which that work was measured.  In all God created seven days—six in which he worked, and one on which he rested—and of those seven days only the day of rest was specifically blessed.

Keeping a Sabbath day of rest is not a legalistic commandment loaded with rules and prohibitions which must be observed.  Keeping a Sabbath day of rest is a gift of God to us, on top of the whole creation he’s already given into our care.  God created the world that he turned over to us for our stewardship; he knows how difficult our work is.  And he also knows that a day of rest, blessed and hallowed by him, is not a shirking of our duties, but a recognition of all the gifts God has given us.

Let us pray.  Gracious God, you know how difficult our work is.  Help us to observe the day of rest you have blessed us with, that we may be refreshed and renewed as we begin anew each week of caring for your wondrous creation.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, Easter Monday

Inspired by Genesis 1:1-19

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’  And it was so.  The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it.  And God saw that it was good.”  Genesis 1:11-12

Where can one look today to see a miracle?  Everywhere!  When God created the heavens and the earth, he created them in such a way that the world would renew itself and bring forth life.  Therefore the natural processes of the world are not done independently of God, but are in fact ongoing miracles of God’s good creation.

The soil of the earth grows trees that produce fruit for people to eat, shelter for birds and animals, shade for humans, cleansing benefits for the air, and seeds to reproduce themselves.  Each and every one of these activities is a miracle; each and every tree is a miracle!  Every blade of grass, every animal on the land, every bird in the sky, every fish in the sea, every human being that is born is part of God’s ongoing creation, a miracle of life created by the Holy One.

God still can (and does) perform other, more spectacular and unusual miracles, but the simple fact of our existence, the world bursting with life around us, and the heavens surrounding our planet are all miracles we can behold every day.

Let us pray.  Creator God, you are the source of all life.  Help us to recognize your ongoing creation, that we may be good stewards of this earth and all that is in it.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, The Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Day

Inspired by 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

“Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.  For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.  On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.  Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.”  1 Corinthians 15:8-11

No matter what we’ve done, no matter how many horrible mistakes we’ve made, no matter how much we feel as though we’ve worked in direct opposition to God, we are never beyond his reach for salvation and sanctification.  Paul was not a follower of Jesus with the original apostles.  Quite the contrary, Paul worked to actively persecute and tear down the community of believers that the original apostles were working so hard to build up.  Yet his conscious and active opposition against the church of God not only did not make him ineligible for God’s salvation, but God used Paul’s zealotry and reputation as tools for proclaiming the gospel of the Lord.

God knows that we’re not perfect, and he doesn’t expect us to be.  God knows our weaknesses and failings, and through his grace he is able to turn them into strengths and assets.  The message of salvation is God’s message, and he uses all types of messengers to proclaim it.  The people who still need to hear his message have weaknesses and failings of their own, and they’re more likely to receive that message from someone they can relate to, i.e. someone who can testify to the fact that they didn’t have to change into something they’re not in order to receive God’s grace; rather God’s grace enabled them to become the person they always wanted to be, the person they were meant to be, the person God created them to be.

Let us pray.  Merciful God, you take our failings and turn them around for your good purposes.  Help us to recognize your grace in our lives, that we may boldly proclaim your love to all who still need to hear it.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Year B, The Resurrection of Our Lord, Vigil of Easter

Inspired by Mark 16:1-8

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.  But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified.  He has been raised; he is not here.  Look, there is the place they laid him.’”  Mark 16:5-6

When we have lost something, it makes sense to look for it in the last place we remember seeing it.  The women had lost Jesus; after the Sabbath, they went to look for him in the last place they’d seen him: in the tomb where he’d been buried.

Except they weren’t looking for the Jesus they knew.  They were looking for what was left of Jesus—for his dead body.  They had seen him die, they were certain he was gone forever, and they wanted to properly anoint the body in order to give it a proper burial.  They were looking for what was left of the teacher they’d loved and followed in order to say goodbye.

But Jesus wasn’t there.  The empty shell of his body had risen, full again of his life, and he’d left the place of eternal rest in order to continue his mission of offering eternal life.  The women would have the opportunity to say many things to Jesus, but ‘goodbye’ would not be one of them.

Jesus lives even today.  If we put him aside, out of sight and out of mind, he doesn’t stay there.  He doesn’t hide out in churches and chapels, avoiding people’s workplaces, homes, and recreational spots.  He is wherever people may need him, always willing to say ‘hello’ to those who seek him, but never ‘goodbye.’

Let us pray.  Living Lord, you conquered death and offer eternal life.  Help us to seek you in the ordinary places of our lives, that we may experience your extraordinary grace in all that we do.  Through Christ our Lord, Amen.