Daily Devotions

“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.” Matthew 5:21-22

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me.” So we sang so foolishly as children on the playground. Little did we know just how damaging mere words could be…

I have found it personally painful to hear so many people nearly spit out the words “political correctness.” As if returning to some golden age of acceptable racial slurs, assigning some to the birth rite of second class citizenry, and verbal cruelty would actually improve our lives. Words matter. Words matter greatly.

Euphemisms often conceal. What is so often criticized as “politically correct speech” on the other hand, most often reveals what we would much rather leave concealed. Words matter.

At first blush we are taken back by the strength of Jesus’ words regarding anger and insults. “He can’t be serious here” we think. Maybe we focus in on the words “brother or sister” and minimize his meaning by saying “this only applies within our personal families or our closest community.” But I think we all know the universal character of Jesus’ use of familial terms like brother and sister. His words apply to everyone.

Words matter. Labels matter. Names matter. How we treat one another matters. It has far less to do with being nice than it does with being humane.

There WAS a time when public speech was courteous and respectful. It still happens. But we live in an age of shock jocks, un-reality TV, and the debasement of public discourse. In such a world, Jesus’ concern for the hurtful nature of anger and insult seems quaint and out of touch.

Consider this….

Imagine you are a parent and you are given secret access to the life of one of your children. You are able to read her thoughts, to see wherever she goes, to personally witness (without being seen yourself) all that happens to her through a day at school. You hear a teacher criticize her efforts as she struggles with a subject in class. You hear other little girls tease her about what she is wearing. You hear little boys tease her about her body, or her hair, or how she walks. You hear her tears, you hear her destructive self-talk. You feel her pain as her self-image erodes within her.

How would you feel?

Imagine now that your feelings have just drawn you all that much closer to your heavenly parent who loves you with the deepest love imaginable. Maybe that’s why Jesus teaches us that words can do just as much damage as sticks and stones.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, forgive us for the hateful and harmful words we have said along the way, the wounds we have inflicted on others, or they have inflicted on us. May the love of neighbor that you call us to guide us to consider deeply the impact of how we use our words, how we treat one another, and how we speak of others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-20

“There oughta be a law!” My sense is that the vast majority of rules and regulations that seek to govern our lives was hatched in the mind of someone who wanted to see things in the world get better. Their wishes became ideas became motions became legislation became laws, rules, and regulations.

Yesterday at church we heard a presentation from Kathy Patrick, a member of our congregation who recently participated in an international gathering of Lutheran women in Wittenberg, Germany. She shared the stories of two female leaders from the church in Brazil who are fighting to make domestic violence a crime. There, and in many other places in the world, there is no law protecting women from being beaten by their husbands. Clearly, there oughta be a law!

At the same time, the US Senate will likely approve a nominee who will head up President Trump’s initiative to reduce and remove as many federal regulations as possible that he believes hamstring American businesses in unnecessary and unhelpful ways. Someone somewhere is fighting back – there ought not be THAT law!

Dr. Martin Luther King famously said, “I can’t make a man love me but I can certainly use the law to prevent him from lynching me.”

And there you go. One person’s helpful law is another person’s infringement on their freedom. How do we make our way through this?

I bristle whenever I sense the Christian faith reduced to a definable set of religious and moral rules and regulations. I cheer every time Jesus points out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and others (usually quietly because his same barbs apply equally to me) as they twist the intent of the law toward their own advantage. Such moves turn Christians into caricatures of those grumpy old men sitting high in the wings above the Muppet Show. They suggest that we can save ourselves via compliance with rigorously applied standards of so-called Christian behavior. No, we can’t. Such efforts just make everything worse.

But having said all of that, we are still left with Jesus here vigorously defending the law and the prophets. There is a vital and necessary place for the law in our lives – for the Ten Commandments, for the commandment to love God and to love our neighbors. But notice how careful Jesus is in his words. He says he has come, not to abolish the law but to FULFILL it. That is important. Not to COMPLY with the law (that is, grudgingly doing what is expected) but to FULFILL the law (to realize the God-given purpose of the law which always reaches toward love of God and love of neighbor.) Let this be our life goal as well!

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, help us to see the holy and loving purpose behind the rules and regulations on our behaviors. And in this, keep us mindful of the many ways that we are tempted to twist and manipulate things to our own advantage. Let our behaviors be rooted always in love, with a deep concern for justice, and a willingness to accept the consequences when we violate boundaries that ought not be so violated. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

Back in the old days, when I was in middle school, we would have special “50’s Days.” We would wear our jeans with the bottoms rolled up, white t-shirts, and use far more Brylcreem than we needed to grease back our hair. Remember that stuff? Remember the promise that “A Little Dab Will Do Ya!”?

Jesus says the same about salt and light.

The thing about both salt and light is that both are extraordinarily important to our lives but neither exists purely for its own sake. They serve life by enhancing what is already there. A little salt makes food taste better, helps in the healing process, cures and preserves meat. But no one sits down to a meal of salt. Light exposes the world, but no one spends a day gazing into a light bulb or staring at the sun.

Yet even the darkest cave cannot stand before the light of a dimly lit candle. Jesus was a master at word pictures!

And notice as well that Jesus isn’t saying that those who follow him “ought to be” the salt of the earth and light of the world – he declares that they already are! And yet….salt can lose its saltiness and light can be covered up and therefore deny its purpose.

We reach back into these words of Jesus every time someone is baptized – Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. Again, notice the words. You ARE the light. That means you are a tool, you are an instrument, not to shine for the sake of shining but to enhance the lives of others. Not so that you get the credit or the glory but so that you help the world to see God in action. In the flesh. In the real world. Even through you.

It kind of changes everything, doesn’t it?

Let us pray: Dear Lord, you declare us to be both salt and light. Use us today that we not waste the opportunities that come our way to make life better for others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12

This is a dangerous passage. It is far easier to misunderstand and misuse this teaching than to take it to heart as the word of encouragement it is intended to be.

We misunderstand the passage if we abuse the word “persecute”. I realize there are strident voices in the Christian world in our culture who constantly point out instances where they see “the Christian faith under attack.” From the color of Starbucks coffee cups to selling a wedding cake to a gay couple to what health insurance covers to how astronomy and archeology are taught in schools, these voices claim they are being “persecuted for their faith.”

That ain’t persecution.

Persecution is what happens when you are a Christian in a corner of the world where you risk being killed for your faith. Where your faith means you forfeit opportunities for an education or advancing in your job. That happens. Every day. And to such people come these words of Jesus. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Similarly, just because you believe that people “revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you” doesn’t mean that you are right and they are wrong. Those next words matter, “falsely on my account.” Humility means that, should we come across people who treat us in such a manner, that we take a moment to wonder whether or not they have a point.

It has become a cliché because it is so true – life is hard and nowhere does Jesus promise to make life easy for those who surrender their lives to his will and rest in his promises.

Jesus realizes that he stands in a long line of people who have been rejected and abused because of their singular focus on what it means to live in God’s will in the face of a world bent on doing its own thing. In this passage, he welcomes us into that long line with the promise that the built in reward is not earthly success or popularity but the simple promise of God’s presence. We’re in good company.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, keep us mindful of what it means for us, on a daily basis, to stand up for what we believe to be true, loving, helpful, and just – even in the face of criticism, rejection, or cruelty. Guard us against thinking ourselves victims by giving us the humility to recognize where we might be wrong. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:6-9

This year has been a very strange year in my life. Last Thanksgiving several things came together to finally convince me to pay attention to the food that I eat and the exercise that I don’t do. So I looked for help and made some changes. It really has been a bit of a miracle. This past week I accomplished my goal. I have lost a little over 120 lbs. That’s a lot.

The key has been limiting my food universe by focusing on eating just a few things. Chicken, beef, fish, green vegetables, apples, oranges, grapefruit, potatoes, Melba toast, eggs, and Special K protein cereal. And lots of water. The miracle is that somehow something happened in my mind so that I have never felt like I have been depriving myself of anything. I just look forward eagerly to my next meal. And I let go of the expectation that my food would taste good (kale and cucumbers?) – but that has resulted in everything having its own unique and delicious taste. Weird but it works.

Could that be what Jesus is talking about in hungering and thirsting for righteousness?

My sense is that “righteousness” is less about being a “good little boy or girl” and more about being the people that God created us to be, content in our own skin, doing life in a way that adds to the life of others, depending upon God, and interdependent upon others. Righteousness is about living in the will of God rather than being driven by self will.

Such a life would be bathed in mercy for showing mercy is the only way that broken people can truly love one another. Being pure in heart begins with the humility that clearly sees our own need for mercy. And peacemaking is the only path to walk once we realize that violence and over powering others diminishes everyone.

We won’t get there today but we can take steps in the right direction. I didn’t lose 120 lbs. overnight. But it happened, one meal at a time, one day at a time. And I’m very aware that it would be far easier for me to go back to the 380 lbs. I used to be than to surrender to what it will take for me to stay where I am now. Jesus understands this about us. It is why he encourages us to live our spiritual lives one day at a time. “Give us this day our daily bread.”

Let us pray: Dear Lord, gift us with the hunger and the thirst to know your will and to surrender to it in our lives today. In big ways and small ways, use us as recipients and ambassadors of your righteousness, your mercy, and your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…” Matthew 5:1-5

My son and I just returned from a motorcycle trip out amongst the western mountains. When you live in flat country there is something magical, powerful, about mountains. It becomes clear why native peoples find them holy, often rooting stories of creation to particular peaks.

Anyone who knows the history of Israel immediately recognizes the significance of mountains. Abraham and Isaac. Moses and the burning bush. Moses receiving the tables of the law. Jesus didn’t go up the mountainside because he was on vacation – he began his teaching ministry there as a sign of his power and authority. He is the New Moses.

But then he turns the world upside down.

Reading these verses reminds me of that old television commercial where children say they aspire to a humdrum future of mediocre employment. It worked because that isn’t how our dreams tend to work. We imagine the best, not getting stuck with the rest. We imagine success, not barely struggling to get by. But Jesus turns everything around.

To be dis-spirited is depressing. To mourn is heart-breaking. To be meek is to let others walk all over us. And yet Jesus attaches blessing and promise to each of these.

Perhaps Jesus knows something about us. Perhaps he realizes that life isn’t something to be controlled but to be experienced. Perhaps he realizes that there is a worldly value system designed to disconnect us from a vital connection to our Creator. A worldly value system rooted, not in reality, but in rebellion. Created, not by God, but by those of us who will always prefer to be gods unto ourselves.

But then life happens and we find ourselves upside down. Among the depressed. The mourning. The meek. We are stripped of our illusions. The fog lifts and we can clearly see. The very circumstances which felt like worldly failure have driven us back to a place of radical dependence on God. And suddenly we find ourselves at home again.

Let us pray: Dear Jesus, be our teacher and our guide. Take us with you to that place where you help us see ourselves and our lives more clearly. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.” Luke 1:1-4

Three times this past week I have been asked “Why aren’t you writing daily devotions anymore?” This morning I decided that maybe I ought to post an answer.

Because I have been selfish with my time.

My morning routine has changed dramatically this year because I was convinced the time had come to make some changes in my personal life. The time I used to spend writing in the morning got taken up with reading too much about the crazy things going on in our country, then walking, eating a very specific breakfast, and watching a silly TV show that I record so I can skip the commercials.

My prayer time was my walking time. Deciding not to write devotions freed me up from a sense of obligation and the pressure to get something posted before the daily deadline.

It was fun to share the thoughts of members of our congregation during the Easter season. I appreciated reading people sharing their faith with others. I came away from that experience expecting to begin writing again. But then I realized that vacation was coming up and I would be on the road for over two weeks which makes writing hard. So I didn’t start again.

I am very hopeful that, by the time I am back from my motorcycle trip, I will have reached a personal goal that I set last year. I am confident that my new morning rituals can be tweaked to include time to read scripture and offer my thoughts/reactions to you. So my intention is to begin writing again in July.

When that time comes, I trust that God will give me something interesting to say each day. That is how it has always worked. A simple willingness on my part is met by the Holy Spirit’s nudges and insights. It is scary and I can’t always feel a connection there but something always comes out that might be useful to someone somewhere. In that I feel honored to join those through the years who have used words to share the faith with others.

And if I don’t start writing, feel free to bug me about it until I do. We are, after all, in this together.

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, you are in, around, above, and below us. Wherever we go, we can’t flee from your presence…but we can forget. Thank you for those who share their faith using words and for the power of the Word to shape our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Alice Tian.

“I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:10-13

Every year, around March, eighth graders eagerly await the results of their high school applications. This year, I am one of those eighth graders.

On March 23, I found out that I was admitted to the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). HSPVA is special in that admission is based on audition only. I auditioned for both dance and piano, and I was accepted for piano. Personally, I feel that I am stronger in dance, so this was very unexpected. Still, I’m thankful that I was able to get into HSPVA at all, because it is such a prestigious school.

In the verses from the letter written by Paul to the Phillipians, Paul states that he has learned to be content with what he has and that he can do all things through God. It’s often hard to put this kind of trust into the Lord. We want to live by our own will, do things by ourselves, but the Lord has a plan. God’s plan doesn’t always match ours, though, and that’s where trust comes in.

We need to trust that the Lord’s plan is the best plan. Life is full of unexpected moments like being accepted into HSPVA for piano instead of dance, and we just have to accept it and go down that path.

When surprises, good or bad, come into your life, trust that this is all part of God’s plan and that God will be with you through all of it, providing strength and guidance.

Let us pray: Lord, thank you for all you have provided. Help me to trust in you and your plan for me and to be content in what I already have. Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Charles Wilson.

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ’What will we eat?’ or ’What will we drink?’ or ’What will we wear?’ For it is Gentiles who strive for all these things’ and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:31-33

Peace to you through the one who died, that we may truly live.

It seems that in life, there are truly a multitude of worries. We are constantly bombarded and burdened with everything from what we’re going to cook for dinner or what we are wearing to a certain occasion to how to make the most of our finances and how to keep ourselves as healthy as possible.

It doesn’t matter what we do, where we go, or how much money we have, we seem to have the guarantee that we will always have something to worry about. Those worries can consume us to the point that we are just existing, rather than living in the freedom that we have through Jesus Christ. We can become battered, broken, and buried in hopelessness and despair.

Jesus has a simple message for us. As children of the Creator and Sustainer of all, we don’t have to worry. God knows just what we need, so why make ourselves crazy trying to fix our situations by ourselves?

In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul reminds us that God will satisfy all our needs according to his riches in glory through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:13) God cares and God knows. If we, who claim to trust and believe in God, would turn our attention away from worrying about our daily needs, and instead focus on working to bring God’s kingdom to reality, we have a blessed assurance that every need will be met.

As Christians, we are called to put our trust in God, as we turn our attention from ourselves to the multitudes in need of God’s peace, love, and salvation.

Let us pray: Creator of all, help us to trust in you; turn our focus from what we need and desire to the work you assign to us every day. Help us to ignore worries, doubts, and fears, knowing that you have the power to provide for our needs. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Our devotions this Easter season come from members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Katie Kieke.

“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.  I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.”  Philippians 1:3-6

Paul occasionally ministered in Philippi where he found himself inspired by the Philippians’ faith and evangelism. While later imprisoned, Paul wrote a letter to Philippians. In the letter, Paul told the Philippians that he continued to pray with joy for them; he also told the Philippians that the task of sharing the gospel, an endeavor initiated by God, could not be done alone.

In this passage, Paul’s statement about God, who began a good work among you, reinforces the fact that God is present and actively guiding each of us in all that we do.

As followers, it is our duty to spread God’s word and love throughout the world. We must remember that we are never alone and that God is with us in all that we do. We should listen to and trust God so that we may use our talents to most effectively share the gospel in Jesus’ name, just as the Philippians did.

Together, with God in our hearts guiding us, we have the power to do great things until the day of Jesus Christ.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, you are the source of every blessing. Flood us with the light of your presence. Help us to do your will in every task we undertake. Help us to do great things in your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.