Pride

"Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord," Galatians 6:14.

What in the world means this?! We decorate worship halls with crosses, we hang crosses on doors, from the rear view mirror, on refrigerators. (Good luck charms?!) We emboss them on religious books. We wear them as necklaces, earrings, ring-rings. (Pretty proud of that cross, I am.) We make them out of gold, platinum, silver. Aluminum. Or, even really nicely worked wood. Stud them with diamonds, emeralds, rubies. And they come with, or without, a little man on them. Our choice. (Pretty proud of my cross, I am.) But nobody does the same with electric chairs. Or firing squads. Or execution syringes. Or guillotines. Or nooses. And why not? Who walks around pretty proud of the ungodly device used to torture/execute a friend?

Jesus despised the shame of the cross. We give thanks today with a brother or sister that Jesus endured its shame. Together we assert our pride rests in no big, lit cross at the top of the hill: No. Our glory rests in the little man nailed to it. Yes.

Reconciliation

"Once you were alienated, but now completely reconciled," Colossians 1:21-22.

From whom were we alienated? From each other. But mainly from God. How did we get alienated? Not a pretty sight. Suffice to say, we were mindfully hostile, we did bad things. Well, we did. We got enraged, we lied, we planned ways to get even, we cursed each other. And we blamed God for it all. No need to go on. But it's all there. And how did we get reconciled? That's not a pretty sight, either. God wholly lived in Christ to make us reconciled, holy ... by the blood of Jesus' cross. By his own body, his flesh, sacrificed in a gruesome death. And by this execution God reconciles everything, absolutely everything, on earth and in the skies. All things.

Humbled we confess, we do not deny, we confess hostility. Raised up we confess, we do not deny, we confess Jesus, reconciler of warring souls. And today, with a brother or sister, we joy in God's utterly complete friendship. Transformed.

Valuable

"Your heavenly Father knows you need them all," Matthew 6:32.

Anxiety about the economy? About health? About societal strife? About putting food on the table? About clothing the kids? Look, says Jesus, your Father in the skies feeds birds! They don't plant, they don't harvest, they don't build barns. But he feeds them anyway. Whose father? Your Father. Nervous about meeting life's needs? Listen, says Jesus, God gives even temporary wild flowers matchless beauty. Who dresses them? God does. Who? Your Father. Everybody on earth seeks security about this stuff. But you (Yes, You!) are of much more value than birds or flowers to your Father in the skies. And he fully plans to get all this stuff to you. Who? Your Father. So stop worrying. Pay closest attention to the Father's kingdom. Doing what's right. Don't worry, says Jesus. It's all yours.

We find God continuing his constant transformation from our fearful thoughts to confidence in the Father. With a brother or sister today, we give thanks to our God, lover and provider of everything we need. He knows us. And, amazingly, loves us anyway.

Perfect

"This is how you may become children of your Father in heaven," Matthew 5:45.

Yes! I want to become a child of God! Please tell me, Jesus, how on earth do you mean for this to happen? How to look begotten of God? A child whose actions bear God's stamp? So Jesus says to me, Are you serious? If you're serious, here's how: Love your enemies. Whoa, (say I)! How on earth does this make me look like God's my father? Jesus says, Everybody loves the good guys. But God is not everybody. He's perfect. Everybody visits with family. But God is not everybody. He's perfect. God's god-ness shows in his perfect love for everybody. For the good guys, and, for the bad guys. Well, then (say I), I don't want to show love for the bad guys. Well, then (says Jesus), neither do you show yourself a child of the perfect Father in the skies.

Jesus transforms us. And, wow!, he challenges hearts big time. The kingdom of God leaves none of its citizens unchanged. When we visit today on earth with a brother or sister, we give thanks for the perfect Father in the skies who shows us how to love. Perfectly.

Yielded

"I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil," Matthew 5:39.

Easy for you to say! Who do you think you are telling us what (not) to do? Don't you understand that those people just won't stay in their place? We keep minding our own business but they keep wanting more. They keep rising against us? [Alternatively: They keep oppressing us?] Enough of non-resistance! Look where it's gotten us! The privileged get priviledgeder, and the meek get meekered. The whiners get whinier, and the quiet get shushed. Enough with being nice! Enough with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control! It's time for power, command and control!

From a man on a cross for the rest of us: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Transformation of stoned hearts. How hard it is! But Jesus calls for it anyway. As we visit with a brother or sister today, we give thanks for the One who yielded for us.

Verily

"Make your word, Yes, be Yes, and your No, be No; more than these come from the evil one," Matthew 5:37.

Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a red-hot needle in my eye ... I swear on a stack of Bibles ... On my mother's grave ... I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth ... God as my witness ... To be honest ... What drives the obligation to swear either by the sky or by the earth or by any other oath? A simple implication: until speaking those oathly swear words, anything said earlier has liability to lies, deception, falsehood. We want to mark off common, habitual, careless, mixed words from the moment ahead when uncommon, out-of-the-ordinary, careful, pure words are spoken. The need to mark off alloyed, unreliable speech to (presumably) dependable words comes from evil. The Word says, Just stop it. Make all your speech reliable.

We marvel: when Jesus said Verily, he emphasized (not contrasted) his habit; finally, a man spoke God's honest truth. He transforms common hearts. So today, with a brother or sister, we say thanks to the God whose words all find their Yes! in Christ. We bank on them.

Religion

"Whoever says, You Moron!, shall be liable to the gehenna of fire," Matthew 5:22.

And here we were, debating under what conditions it's OK to kill somebody. Now, we're all agreed that murder is wrong, but what about self-defense? Or war? Or ... whatever? And then Jesus comes along to ruin our deep, spiritual insights (pro or con) and talks about anger, insults, and name-calling. States of hearts. These being liable to judgment, to the courts, to burning in hell (as it were), respectively. Really!? In fact. He goes on about me (you): if I'm doing this great religious thing and my brother has something against me, I need stop, right now. And get reconciled with my brother, right now. And only then get back to religious stuff. Here's what really bugs me about that: he says, If your brother has something against you - I thought he was going to say, If you have something against your brother.

Life in the kingdom of God grabs our souls. Our Lord and Savior will not leave us the same as he found us, needy and lost. Saved, reconciled, empowered, we give thanks, with a brother or sister today, for Christ's transformation of hearts. A continuing work.

Self-control

"Every one who looks at a woman to lust after her has already adulterated with her in his heart," Matthew 5:28.

And, maybe, she didn't even know about it! Always blamed her because of her dress. Or lack of it. Because, besides everything else, she didn't wear a veil over her face. King David and me, alike: our pure hearts would not have been tempted if it weren't for her lack of discretion. Nossiree, bob! Definitely her fault. Eve, get dressed! Adam was fine until you showed up! In a sex-saturated society how can we expect men to exercise self-control? Sow a few wild oats. Boys will be boys. But Scripture reads different, doesn't it: Living in the lust of the flesh, we follow the desires of body and mind. Your body, your mind. And the man's man, Jesus, sees it different, too: The problem of lust lies in you, O man, looker!

Christ shines into heart shadows. We confess the deep need for passionate change. We yield to God's Spirit, to self-control. Today, give thanks, brother with a brother, or sister with a sister, to God, the transformer of hearts.

Happy

"I have sworn and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules," Psalm 119:106.

This line explains just how its preceding line works: Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path. The relationship between Word and person does not rest in putting the Book on a stand and singing songs about it. Rather, the relationship rests in a person's commitment to hear the Word and then trust, obey. We acknowledge that the Word in the Book results from the mind of God, clearly. Just as limpid, it's the doing of the Word in the Book that proves the mind of God. When people who do not have the law do what the law says they show that they are a law to themselves though they do not have the law. (Well, that's a thoughtful!). There is no other way to be happy in Jesus.

We remember our commitment to walk with Jesus, Lord and Savior; we recommit to obey the call of his grace. Visiting with a brother or sister today, renew together dying to self and obeying him happily for ever, who died, and lives, for us.

One

"God is one," Galatians 3:20.

So it follows that his promise of immortality arises immediately from God himself. God delivers the promise personally. God does not use an intermediary agent for it. God himself speaks directly with Abraham to say I will bless you and your offspring. God does not use angels to deliver his promise. God does not use Moses to deliver the promise. God does not use the law to ratify his promise. God needs no nation to sign the petition for his promise. He just plain, flatly himself gives it to Abraham, when Abraham was still Abram, when Abraham was still in his own country, when Abraham had followed nowhere, when Abraham was still uncircumcised. Why? because God is God and God can do what God wants. Yeah, and God also gave the promise to Abraham's singular offspring. Christ. Why? because God is God and God can do what God wants. And at his own pleasure God blesses all the families of earth in his promise.

Whoever has seen me has seen the Father, said Jesus. And we marvel at such a God whose pleasure gives such promise of immortality. When we visit today with a brother or sister, we will give thanks together to the one and only God.

Betrothed

"I betrothed you to Christ," 2 Corinthians 11:2.

As God presented a pure Eve to Adam, so has Paul presented the polished congregation to Christ. As the tricky serpent sullied Eve, so may someone taint the congregation's mind away from Christ. And how may they do that? They might talk about a Jesus different from the original announcement. They might offer a different spirit than what the congregation already has. They might urge a different gospel than that already heard. And how may the congregation stay true? Hold the facts of Jesus. Receive his good news as ample for God's salvation. Dwell the word of Christ richly within. Adopt the mind of Christ. Dress with God's panoply. Embrace the Bridegroom's grace as sufficient to power through our weakness.

Christ's bride shows his light in her life. Today, as we visit with a brother or sister, we look only to Jesus who loves us, gave himself for us, and lives for us. And give thanks through him to God.

Lost Glory

"She named the child Ichabod," 1 Samuel 4:21.

The glory left. Young priests set their adulterated passions to bed women at the entrance to the Lord's house. At their greedy pleasure these spiritual leaders pollute the people's offerings to God. These self-indulgent men lose the Ark of the Covenant in battle. Enemies deport the Ark. The priests die in the rout. Their father, the old priest, keels over dead with the horror of the Ark's loss. A now widowed, pregnant, young priest's wife, hopelessly dismayed, delivers her child in shock. With dying breath she names him Ichabod: The glory left. Dark times for Israel, indeed! All is lost. Except for the God part. God's been at work all along in the background, and right then and there presents the stage for Israel's grandest judge, Samuel.

When all around all we see is all loss, we yet hope for what we do not see; we confidently anticipate God's glory to shine. Visit with a brother or sister today and, giving thanks, talk of Jesus' glory to come.

On Loan

"As long as he lives he is lent to the LORD," 1 Samuel 1:28.

A divine transaction takes place: In return for the opening of her womb, Hannah loans her firstborn child to God. Now, God required none of this. It's Hannah's deal. But this first one (of five yet to come), this one, she loans to God. No metaphor. She hands over her weaned son to the priest presiding at the Lord's house in Shiloh. Boggles the mind, doesn't it? But mind you, no abandonment here: she keeps him near her bosom for three years. Then she provides little robes, tunics, throughout his childhood. But, mainly, note: she does not give up the boy. Not at all. She's clear: She will loan him. Samuel is her boy, not the Lord's boy. It is her boy who will minister before the Lord from youth to age. Her boy. On loan. Her sacrificed heart's loan. To God's service.

Just so, we see a sword piercing through Mary's own heart, her son nailed to a tree. God, who receives the crucified offering, his own son indeed (!), purifies thereby for himself a people zealous for good deeds. When we visit today with a brother or sister, we give thanks to God, the healer of pierced hearts.

Refuge

"The LORD repay you fully under whose wings you have come for refuge," Ruth 2:12.

Here she is, a stranger in a strange land. What of her people? Her husband? Dead. His father? Dead. His brother? Dead. She has only an old mother-in-law left of that family. A hopeless woman who didn't want her. So what's young widow Ruth to do? She leaves father, mother, native land. She takes on Naomi's wanderings. She takes on Naomi's lodgings. She takes on Naomi's people. She takes on Naomi's God. She takes on Naomi's grave. She binds her heart to that old, embittered Naomi, and won't let go. And, at the end of a long, hard day in the fields gathering food for them, she hears the words noted above. Ruth shows what it looks like to come under God's wings for refuge.

O, for a faith that will not shrink though pressed by every foe! As we give thanks today with a brother or sister, we find security together in our God who will repay that faith fully.

Deferred

"It will be well with those who fear God," Ecclesiastes 8:12.

Why even try? No point in doing the right thing. Just look: Good guys end last. Cheaters get ahead. Whence arise these thoughts? From slow justice, from delayed sentencing against evil deeds. And yet: Scripture quoted above comes on the heels of the assertion that some people who do evil over and again do just fine. That line also comes just before further asserting that people who do evil will not end well. (Though at present they flourish.) So, how do you know that doing good right now is still the right thing to do? Well, that line remains a statement of faith in a just and righteous God, despite some opposing evidence. The matter ever reduces to this question: Will God vindicate his elect, or not? Do I do the right thing and trust God for the rest, or not? Scripture says, Sure! believe it!

We see Jesus embody God. We see his faith that God is good to the core. So we too fear God: we have deepest respect for God, we trust God. And today, we give thanks with a brother or sister for justice deferred until it be well with all who will come to fear God.

Autonomy

"Every man did what was right in his own eyes," Judges 21:25.

A wonder, isn't it, such a free land? Nobody to tell us how to live our lives? Where autonomy rules, so to speak? Well, that's how Scripture summarizes such a time. A summary comes at the end, doesn't it, after all the important stuff is told? So that line above trails a 21 chapter description of men living their own autonomous lives. Where women can be handed over for rape and murder in order to maintain a man's dignity. Where priests serve the highest bidder. Where children are sacrificed with impunity. Where men are drummed up willy-nilly to slaughter totally their own people. Where a townful of people are burned alive in a tower. Where ad hoc armies of thugs destroy peaceful towns because they can. A land where nobody can tell us what to do -- unless they're bigger or stronger. Happily then, there's also this line from Scripture: God (not man) has set in place governing authorities. No wonder.

Christ suffered leaving his people an example. When Jesus' people suffer, even under government sanction, we will not be ashamed, but under Christ's name we will glorify God. Visiting with a brother or sister today, together we'll give thanks to God, and do what is right in Jesus' eyes.

Dysfunction

"For you were called to freedom," Galatians 5:13.

To what end, freedom? To what function? Not to vent any and all want. Not to defy authority. Not to go against conscience. Not as pretext for evil. Not to avoid paying taxes. Not to give disrespect. Not to dishonor. Not to yield to rage. Well! What, pray tell, is freedom for if not for those things? I mean, if we can't have tea parties in Boston or elsewhere, then what's freedom about? (Careful now: if we consume each other, there aren't leftovers!) Instead, it's freedom to serve one another in love. Free to express love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Free to end self-conceit, to end provoking and envying. Indeed, free to bear one another's burdens. To sow to the Spirit. To glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Free, finally, from fear, to trust God.

As we mindfully obey the Lord together, the power of his Spirit reaches through to an angry and dysfunctional world, and convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. We will give thanks today with a brother or sister, transformed by God's call to functional liberty.

Imaged

"By one Spirit were we all baptized into one body," 1 Corinthians 12:12.

We, all, lots of parts: Jews, Greeks, free men, slaves, males, females, circumcised, uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian. And so on. Many more parts: black, white, millennial, boomer, Hispanic, Hmong, Chinese, Ukrainian, Ghanaian, Mexican, American, Arab, Zambian, Saudi, Maori, Tlingit, Chilean, Dane, Israeli, Tamil, Cambodian, Filipino, Samoan, Guarani, Navajo. And so on, ad infinitum, in all the many ways human beings like to part themselves out from each other. Into the one body: Christ. Christ died for all. All baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. No longer live I for me, Christ lives. No longer live for many selves, but for one Christ. A new nature. Here. And where is here? Hidden with Christ in God. Where? Buried with Christ. Risen with Christ. One with Christ. Here. All baptized into one body. Here. Christ is all, and in all. 

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we give thanks for becoming imaged to the one God who created us all. Transformed, celebrate today, with a brother or sister, for new birth into One, effected by one Spirit.

Rock

"There is no other foundation than what has already been laid: Jesus Christ," 1 Corinthians 3:11.

Drill down through it all, and you get to the rock-solid base. It all stands on confessing this reality: Jesus is the Christ, son of the living God. Anything that is not that is not anything. Anything built on that will be tested against that. Anything that doesn't survive that fiery test is not anything. Anything that does survive cannot be prevailed against. Jesus, messiah, son of God, guarantees it. By his very being. I will build my congregation, he said. On this rock. No machination of hell will undo it. You, brothers and sisters, who confess Jesus, together stand on that foundation, a holy temple. You, brothers and sisters, who confess Jesus, are the dwelling place of God's Spirit. You, brothers and sisters, who confess Jesus, have everything; you belong to Christ, and he belongs to God.

So standing together on this rock, we worship, we bow down, we praise God for his justice and his mercy. Find a brother or sister today, and together give thanks to the Architect and Builder of our salvation.

Even

"Overcome evil with good," Romans 12:31.

So how does this work? OK, here's the deal. It's a deal between God and the person wronged. Here's God's part: God's own rage sets the agenda against the evildoer. And here's our part: do good. What does that mean, Do good? It means, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If thirsty, give drink. If he curses you, bless him. Do what is honorable. In fact, as much as you have power, live peaceably. But, mainly, do not get even. Deferring to God places burning coals on the bad guy's head. Which brings us back to God's part: His rage against injustice. So, again, here's the deal: It's a matter of faith. Is good really stronger than evil? Will I do good and trust God for getting even? Will God truly unleash his rage against sinners? Or must it be I to even the score? Well, that's always the question.

The blood of the One mercilessly hanging on the tree cries out with grace to God, Forgive them because they're clueless. We will give thanks today with a brother or sister remembering that Jesus trusted to God who judges justly; Jesus always did good.

Standing

"From every nation and tribe and people and language standing before the throne," Revelation 7:9.

Can you imagine? Standing with that numberless multitude shouting, Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb? Oh, Yes! We do want to stand with them! When all peoples from all ages before us and beyond us stand victoriously together, united in the glory of God's grace. Wow! what a day will that be! (Goosebumps just thinking about it!) When all suffering of this present time finally fades as we stand together in the glory to come? When, standing together, church triumphant (!), all the uncountable redeemed of the Lord say so? When the whole congregation from all time shouts in one, mighty, united voice, thundering heaven with its praise? I really want Jesus to confess my name there. But he will not, if I will not confess his in this world, if I will not stand in this world with his blood-bought, from every nation and tribe and people and language, church. The church of Christ.

So we repent, ask forgiveness, and confess Jesus as Lord; and we, all of us different, commune together in one body of Christ on this earth. Today we will glory with a brother or sister in our common hope of standing there in that congregation.

Leftovers

"It's not right to throw the children's bread to dogs," Matthew 15:26.

Finally, somebody calls them for what they are: dogs! They aren't real people, not with all rights and privileges thereunto appertaining. That loud-mouthed foreign woman at last in her place! We tried to be civil by ignoring her. But she kept on with her incessant demands. So we had Jesus tell her to get lost. Well, he told her. He's only for us, our kind. (Not for hers.) But she wouldn't stop - on her knees now, just kept on. (No dignity with her!) And then he said it. He called her and her kind dogs. But then she said, she said, Even dogs eat the kids' leftovers. And then, and then, he said, Woman, your mega faith! Your wish? Done!

Jesus exposes the rot of our thinking, the shame of our words. He then raises us, repentant, to God-imputed dignity, to fully human being. Humbled, loved so, we give thanks. Feast with a brother or sister today on the Bread of life.

That Kind

"Go and do you likewise," Luke 10:37.

Isn't it phenomenal how Jesus takes our question and turns the answer on its head? I mean, he does this all the time. Take for example the second most important commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself. Immediately we want to find the limits of such required generosity, Who exactly is it that I'm supposed to treat so well? Who is my neighbor? The answer to that also tells of the limits of grace, right? This kind is my neighbor, that kind is not. So Jesus tells a story about that kind of third-class human being (a Samaritan) who treats one of my own kind with way-over-the-top generosity. And then Jesus says, Don't worry about who your neighbor is: You BE the neighbor. Jesus suddenly removes the limits, and releases grace unbound.

And we give thanks to God whose unbound love includes even us, our kind, into the kingdom of his son, Jesus. Today, marvel together with a brother or sister that Christ has taken those third-class people, and made us all, together, first class.

Breath

"The tongue is a fire," James 3:6.

Is it really true that people will have to account for every offhand word they ever spoke? Do our careless words truly open up windows to our hearts? Can our own casual words justify or damn us? Are words really the produce we bring to the table? Can words really pollute? So what if we bless God but insult humans? I mean, they're just words. Are words that big a deal? really, now? Jesus answers: Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. and Yes. That's how the Word handles our words. Casual insults (and volitional malice) fire up generational cycles; such words themselves are fueled by hell. Don't believe it? Listen for a few moments to the day's news: consider outcomes of words lobbed here and there. Their smoke chokes. We can't breathe.

So we turn to Jesus (to whom else shall we go!?) and find his words of fresh Breath and Life - word of eternal life. Before the day is out, we shall forgo fiery rhetoric, and speak God's eternity into the life of a brother or sister. Or other human needing a breath.

Trembling Faith

"The demons also believe," James 2:19.

Fundamental to our faith: God is one. While (amazingly) news to some folks, it's so basic that even evil spirits get it. There is no God but God. You believe that? Yes! Good on you! but what makes such faith distinct from demon faith? What sets life-giving faith apart from worthless faith? What makes one faith alive and leaves the other dead? Well, it's not rattling in your boots - make no bones about it, demons tremble just fine, too. Note carefully: father Abraham's faith gave life as he yielded his own to God's will. Prostitute Rahab's faith gave life as she put her life on the line for God's messengers. These show faith with muscle on it. Not just bones. Not just feeling. Not dead. Not just words. It's doing something. It's real life. It's living!

So we give thanks to the one and only God for a faith that produces deeds commensurate with life, with his own character. Praising God for Jesus' faith, empowered by his strength, we join his life-giving work by coming alongside a brother or sister, today.

Shibboleth

"Giving thanks to the Father who qualified you," Colossians 1:12.

Who said you could be here? Who said you belong to our group? What qualifications do you have? What documents can you show us? Can you say Shibboleth correctly? Did you pass with enough points? Who gave you the right to play ball with us? Do you even know how to play ball? We count you of no matter - who qualified You!? Who made you sufficient? Who rendered you fit? These, the accusations of the Satan against God's elect. The answer to these remains always the same: We, unworthy, become qualified by the Father's choice. He qualifies us because he wants to. That's it. Because he wants to. And there's really only one thing left for us to do: Give thanks. To joy in all desire now to please him worthily.

We marvel in God's overwhelming generosity to count us worthy of his inheritance. Speak joyfully with a brother or sister today of God who qualified our transfer into the kingdom of his Christ.