Watered

"Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah God," Jeremiah 17:7.

Blessed, compared to what? Cursed is the man who makes flesh his strength. Blessed or cursed. Trust God or trust man. Begins with the object of trust and ends with, well, the end: bountiful or parched. When God blesses it's not merely a matter of luck. When God curses it's not merely a matter of momentary annoyance. It's the difference between Creator and creature. Between overflowing Spirit and deserted self. Between immortal and perishable. Between hoping in God and hoping in the next president. Watered great tree, deep life roots, strong leafy branches versus dried, twiggy, desert shrub.

With a brother or sister, today, we give thanks to Jesus who trusted in God, rather than to align for political favor. And in him, for that reason, we hope in God, blessed in his sky kingdom.

Abandoned

"I have given the dearly beloved of my soul to the hand of her enemies," Jeremiah 12:7.

Who's talking here? God. Who's God's lover here? His people. What's God done with her? Released her to her enemies. Why? because she wanted them, and repudiated him. One way God rages against our stony-hearted spurning of his lavish love is to let us go. (You know, like, let her go and if she loves you, she'll come back. Not!) Releasing us from protective love, he abandons us. Abandoned to the consequences of the very deceptions we romanced. That's what it means when it says, The sword of Jehovah God devours from one end of the land to the other. That sword is us getting to do what we wanted to do, all the way. When God gives up on us ... well, nobody wants that. Not really. Really. Not anybody wants that.

Repenting, we receive God's gracious love. With a brother or sister today, we return to the bosom of the lover of our souls; we find protection and healing. And we give thanks for his salvation. Sky kingdom.

Copier

"The lying pen of the scribes has made it worthless," Jeremiah 8:8.

Now there's an arresting thought. It's talking about God's law. The people who copy the scriptures (the scribes) used a lying pen (they did not copy faithfully) rendering the law into a lie. That's like you can't trust a copy machine to image exact copies of the original. What a mess! But before we get too worked up, we note the rest of the passage. It's about repentance and obedience to God's will. Birds follow God's migration patterns for them, but God's people won't follow him. They claim wisdom for having the law, but they reject obedience to it. The prophet concludes what's written is lies for all the difference it makes. So, the false wise men will fall in God's visitation.

We repent. With a brother or sister, today, we return to follow our Lord with renewed integrity, ready for the visitation. And, together, we give thanks for the faithful image of God in Jesus.

Obscenity

"You have played the whore with many lovers; and you want to return to me?" Jeremiah 3:1.

Who's talking here? God. The weeping God. Who's he talking to? His wife. To his divorced wife who loves her adulteries. That is, to his people, Israel. The law pronounces it obscenity in the face of Jehovah God for a husband to take back his former wife after they divorced and she married somebody else. And, now, God's divorced, treacherous wife wants reconciliation. Through his tears God says, You cannot be serious; it's an abomination; everybody knows that. And then God says, Sure, I'll take you back; just stop your adulteries; come back to me, truly, and we'll reign together. What?! What kind of God is this?!

We repent. We put away shameful adulteries. With a brother or sister today we remember our God's mercy. We remember his Christ's redeeming price paid, Forgive them. And, humbly, we give thanks for his grace. Sky kingdom.

Daring

"Those who were not looking for me found me," Romans 10:20.

Paul says Isaiah was quite bold in such statement. How, now, does it take a lot of daring to say something so, well, not exactly boring but just so plain? Here's how: The nation God had formed from the world for himself, that God had birthed, God had nursed, God had taught to walk, God had promised the sky to, God had loved to strength and beauty of youth and vigor, God had doted on ... this people said to him, You're not good enough for us. So what did God do? OK, here's the bold part --> Isaiah declares God used the moment to open his heart to every other people, nation, tribe, race, language on the planet. He opened the sky kingdom to you and yours and me and mine, all of us up to that moment ignorant, incompetent, clueless, hopeless. Amazing grace. Sky kingdom.

With a brother or sister today, we declare boldly that God showed up. His son, Jesus, opened heaven's door to God. And we believe this unbelievable God gives us the sky. And we say, Thank You!

Counsel

"Besides You, whom do I have in the sky, who on earth else do I desire?" Psalm 73:25.

This body of mine, yes, even my heart may fail, but, God, you are the strength of my heart, you're my share into the ages ahead. True, I confess, jealousy almost destroyed me. I saw people who had it all. I saw their wealth grow. I saw their beautiful bodies. I saw their arrogance. I saw them cut way ahead in line, mouthing their disdain for God. In my envy, I thought there's no use trying to be good. I even became embittered against you, God! (Ashamed now, but even like an animal against you!) But then, I came into your presence, O God! There's so much more than what I had seen! Your counsel, guides me; your welcome calls me into your eternal glory. I want only You.

With a brother or sister today we declare God is the only god, there is no other. Whether on earth or in sky, we desire only God. And, together, we give thanks to the One who makes all things right.

Clear

"To those not looking for me, I became clear to see; those not asking for me, they found me; to peoples not calling me, I presented: Here I am," Isaiah 65:1.

Who was not looking, not asking, not calling? Every motley crew of unclean peoples. To wit, any one that was not a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Namely, all gentiles. That is, every people whose god(s) was/were not God. Which is to say, people without God and without hope in the world. I.e., everybody (except for those of us who are/were of Jewish stock.) In other words, you and your ancestors, and me and my ancestors (except as noted). So, who presents, who shows up, clear to see, who introduces himself to these soiled peoples? Jehovah God. Why? because his own people would not have him.

We, the great unwashed, to whom God clearly presents his son, Jesus, find deep cleansing. Brothers and sisters, we see Jesus, for a little while made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor. And he calls us, Jew and gentile alike, family. So, together, we give thanks.

Liberation

"Jehovah God has anointed me to bring good news," Isaiah 61:1.

On a sabbath, centuries after this prophetic word, Jesus stood reading from this line aloud to the Nazareth congregation, through the line including: To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. He stopped there. He sat down. He said: Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Jesus defined his life's mission by that passage to herald good news to the poor, release for the captives, sight recovery for the blind, liberation for the oppressed, God's acceptable year. That sabbath day so long ago, Jesus did not read the next Isaiah line: God's day of vengeance. (But, no worries, that day's still coming, soon.) But Jesus comes now to embody grace and truth, to recruit for the kingdom of heaven.

With a brother or sister we hear Jesus' happy proclamations. We joy in the good news of the sky kingdom. Recruited, we extend grace, too. And, together, we give thanks.

Fasting

"Then you shall call, and Jehovah God will answer, you'll shout and he will say, Here I am," Isaiah 58:9.

Can you imagine God serving tables as a waiter? Well, there it is. The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it. Except. Yes, well, there's always an exception, isn't there? This prophetic Waiter serves people who've reacted to his earlier call: release the unjustly imprisoned, free the oppressed, share food with the hungry, bring the homeless into their house, clothe the naked. And here we thought going to church, especially on Easter Sunday and Christmas, and Thanksgiving, oh, and fasting during lent, did the trick. The Waiter has just described what he wants in fasting: justice and compassion. The Bible says it. Sky kingdom.

Humbled by Jesus' service to us, we reach out with a brother or sister today. We share from His wealth with others. And, together, we give thanks.

Separate

"My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples," Isaiah 56:7.

Are you a eunuch? No worries, serve the Lord, your posterity will exceed that of offspring. Are you a foreigner? No worries, serve the Lord, you have a seat in God's house. (Oh, before I forget, remember: We're none of us perfect, natural born to the place. We're all of us marred strangers, displaced aliens, suspect foreigners, homeless sojourners. God adopts us anyway.) Are you afraid that the Lord will separate you out from his people? Don't even go there! You have an honorable place within the halls of God's house. God establishes a covenant with you: His house, a house of prayer, for all comers! Not like - not at all like - the kingdoms of this world. Sky kingdom.

In the joy of Home, we join with a brother or sister today. Built as living stones, God's very temple, we're founded on Christ, its cornerstone. And, with the great Spirit, we invite all peoples to come, to give thanks, and, in this house, to pray, together.

Belonger

"Like an abandoned woman, a grieving wife, married in her youth but now thrown away," Isaiah 54:6.

Not that in the 21st century we have much connection with such drivel, where we're all liberated and we're all our own persons, masters of our own fates, captains of unconquerable souls. Man or woman, confronted by gutting circumstance, our faces remain stoic, flinty, resolute. Save our own selves. Yeah. Right. If only. A leading line of our times: the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. Fear? Revolution. Plague. Displaced. Shamed. Lost. Aliens in our own land. Yet. Yet. In the midst, Jehovah God: Fear not, you belong. I have called you. Who called? The Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth. That's who. Covenant of peace. Reclaimed. Belonger. Sky kingdom.

Jesus calls us over the tumult of our lives' wild, restless sea. With a brother or sister today we answer his call and find haven. Together we give thanks.

Old

"I will tell about your salvation all day long though it's more than I can tell," Psalm 71:15.

O Jehovah God, you are my hope. You were my trust when I was young. You delivered me from my mother's womb. In fact, I leaned on you even before I was born! And now that I'm old and useless, don't throw me away, God. Help me! If you do, I'll praise you all the more. I'll tell people how good you are. But even if you don't, I'll still tell your marvels in this age of gray hair. The right things you do extends to the highest skies. Let me announce to a new generation your power, the great things you've done. Renew me, O God! I promise to sing praises to you, I'll tell all comers of your righteousness.

With a brother or sister, young and old, we talk of God's mighty salvation through our common history. We witness God's wonders up into the skies as into earth's width and depth. And we give thanks, together.

Spit

"Jehovah God has given me the language of instructing learners," Isaiah 50:4.

Scripture presents Israel personified, all Israel focused into one person, a slave. God taught him to teach. Who are his learners? Weary people, people lost in darkness. And what is the slave's message? Trust in Jehovah God, rely on your God for light. And how did God foster the slave's insight? Well, witness the slave's own testimony: I was not rebellious; to those who beat me, I gave my back; to those who pulled my beard, I gave my cheeks; from those who ridiculed and spit on me, I did not hide my face; but, Jehovah God vindicated me; so I've no disgrace. And now, once again, who is the slave? Christ, the suffering servant, by which suffering he learned the language we understand.

Wow. Wow. Wow. In the presence of holiness beyond our ken, we hear him speak the language of our troubles. Awed, yet again, at our Lord's obedience to God, we kneel with a brother or sister today in obedient worship. And together we give thanks.

Palm

"Even they may forget, but I will not forget you," Isaiah 49:15.

So, who's forgetting whom, here? (And who's not forgetting whom?) Well, the idea is this. Can a mom forget her nursing baby? (Are you kidding?!) Can a mom forget the child she bore? Not likely! Not at all! But, the Scripture says, even if she did forget (how absurd this is!), it's even more absurd to think God has forgotten his own! God will not forget you. God, after all, is God. His people anchor his love. Their name is engraved on the palm of his hand. (Engraved? that's what it says. Tats are pretty hard to ignore). Jehovah God comforts. God will have compassion on his distressed people. Open your eyes! Look! See!

So, we lifted up our eyes, we saw the scars in Jesus' hands. Saw our name written there. Drawn together, by him, with a brother or sister today, we rise above fear and share faith. We give thanks to the God who took pains to write our name down.

Room

"My hand founded the earth and my right hand set the skies; when I call they both stand up," Isaiah 48:13.

Can you imagine that? God calls, and sky and earth arise together in his throne room. Wow! They know their maker. God calls, so mountains and hills stand as his witnesses. God calls, and inanimate rocks shout out their maker's praises. God calls, and living nature, trees, clap their hands to honor their Creator. God calls, unimaginably powerful monstrous beings testify of their God's holiness. (Getting pretty crowded in that throne room ... but, then, it's larger than space itself ...) In the cool of the day God calls on Man (and Woman) ... but where are they?

We believe Jesus, our Man, heard God's call, he showed up, he obeyed the Creator to the end, through the end, and beyond the end. So with a brother or sister today we affirm by faith our standing in that throne room with the rest. And together we join praise to our Maker's grace.

Able

 "Don't you know?! Don't you hear?! Hasn't it been told you from the very start!? Haven't you understood earth's foundations!?" Isaiah 40:21.

Jehovah God is God, the eternal one. This God created the world, built its foundations, and furnished it fully to its tippy top and deepest deep. Don't you get it!? God doesn't get weak. God doesn't get tired. God doesn't need your provisions. No! It's God who gives power to people not able. To disabled people. It's God who gives strength to the powerless. To the impotent. Strong, young men finally wipe out, fall flat on their faces. But, whoever waits on Jehovah God. Whoever waits. On God. Waits on God. Will fly like eagles. Wait. Fly. Able for ever, God.

We know. We heard. We get it. We wait. Together with a brother or sister today, we wait, patient, trusting God, Creator of worlds. And we give thanks.

Wisps

"O my soul wait, quiet for God alone, from him is my hope," Psalm 62:5.

You, O God, and none other, are my grounding, my salvation. You alone become my stronghold. With You alone am I not shaken. My glory centers in you, O God! You're my mighty bulwark. You're my refuge. To depend on people, weak or strong, is to hang on weightless, delusional wisps of air. You, you only, O God, own power. None but You owns steadfast love. I've heard this more than once. I trust in You.

With a brother or sister (how else can it be than in Christ's community?), today, we honor the only God, creator of the sky and earth. There is no other. In God alone find we hope. And we give thanks.

Sworn

"And I say, love your enemies and pray for your persecutors," Matthew 5:44.

Wow! How can you say this, Jesus? Everybody knows you love your own and hate the rest. Sworn enemies. Get even, now. Justice, now. Revolution, now. Vengeance, now. See you in hell, now - whoa! Wait a minute - that's Jesus' point, isn't it? The radical way of the sky kingdom. It's hard. If it were easy everybody'd be doing it. The street to hell is a no-brainer, easy, wide. Destruction awaits greedily. The gate, Jesus says, to true life is narrow and the way to it is hard. Jesus says, Enter the narrow gate, anyway. What means this? Do the good no matter what. Trust God to handle vengeance. (He will repay! and in a way we wouldn't want anyone, not really, to be paid.) 

On our knees with a brother or sister today, we pray for friend and foe alike. We commit anew to life-affirming deeds. Together, we give thanks to God, who loved us, his sworn enemies.

Hunted

"For so they hunted after the prophets who were before you," Matthew 5:12.

When we experience powerful tension between living in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, and struggling against enticements in the world's deceits, Jesus says: Nothing new here. When people seek to shame those obedient to the upward call, Jesus says: No worries. When they do harm to followers of Jesus, Jesus says: Be glad! Such strife between kingdoms of the world and of the sky has a long, long history. Remember Noah, an announcer of righteousness? Or, what about innocent Abel, killed by a jealous brother? Or ... the serpent in Eden's park slandering the Creator and Lover of human souls? Jesus says: Don't worry. Be happy. You've joined all the others in the sky kingdom before you!

With a brother or sister today, we yield our anxieties once again over to Jesus, we renew grateful trust in the Lord of sky and earth. Together we joy in the Lord's promise. We give thanks.

Lost

"Come to me, all you hard at labor and burdened down, and I'll give you rest," Matthew 11:28.

Spiritually devastated? Mourning loss? Frustrated rights? Pursuing justice (hopelessly)? Yielding mercy (but not getting it)? Whole-hearted God-follower (without benefit)? Making peace (but not finding it)? Punished for doing good? The beatitudes welcome all people overwhelmed in life struggles into God's kingdom's blessings. Jesus calls all who worked hard at the game, but lost big time. He invites us to consider carefully his own life, to learn from him. Jesus himself knows the very same sorrows, yet he presses on to finish God's love's call on his life. The values of the sky kingdom really are not of this world, nor are all its blessings. So we press on, too, trusting Jesus' restful promise.

With a brother or sister, we learn Christ. We speak trust in, and submission to, the one whose love has shown true. We find our hearts' rest in his promise. Together we give thanks. Blessed we are.

Come

"I saw the holy city coming down from the sky, from God," Revelation 21:2.

The City. The holy one. God's city. From the sky. Where God rules. Sky kingdom. Entrance ever opens to the City. Both the Spirit and the Bride shout to earthlings, Come! Enter! Are you thirsty? Come, and freely drink priceless life water! To be noted, however, excluded from the City's open door policy are all impure people, doers of shameful deeds, liars, dogs, sorcerers, sexually immoral people, idol worshippers, lovers of lies, people judged guilty by God. But, in exception to all these sinners, inside the City are all people whose dirty linens have been washed clean. And they join the invite to all outsiders, Come! Sky kingdom. Pure. Blessed.

Today, we repent anew from sin that besets us. We enjoin a brother or sister in confession of Jesus, forgiver of souls, as Lord. And, together, we give thanks for his blood sacrifice that renders us pure. Washed clean for ever.

Uncool

"If your righteousness isn't better than the scribes and Pharisees, you won't enter the kingdom of the heavens," Matthew 5:20.

Pretty good news: they wiped out in the early swells. Only a little more effort to best them. Bad news: they were good surfers. And the beach is so, so far away. And massive rollers break way too early on hidden shoals. Bottom line: Ain't nobody cool enough. And sharks moving in. So, when Jesus speaks the beatitudes - what we've been exploring lately, right? - his words concise, his tone urgent, his heart moved - he welcomes broken men and women - there are no other kinds - well, two kinds of broken people - real people recognizing they're not cool, or, deceived people lying they're cool - sky kingdom welcomes the real ones. (Yes, deceived ones, too. If we convert to uncool. C'mon! Means we recognize our brokenness. Get real, already!)

With a brother or sister today, we affirm Jesus' sacrifice makes us whole. We enter the sky kingdom on the wake of his righteousness. And, together, we give thanks to God. The one and only. The good one.

Teardrops

"This I know: that God is for me," Psalm 56:9.

You, O God, keep close watch over me - you even keep my teardrops in a bottle! You watch over my night tossings and turnings. You know my worries. You've written down all my troubles in your book. O God, I trust you! In the day that I am afraid, I will trust in you. I will not fear this world's kingdoms. I praise your word, Jehovah God! I will do what I promised you: I will show you my thanksgivings. You guided my feet from falling. I walk in the living light of your presence - Thank you, thank you!

We connect with a brother or sister today and tell of God's presence among us. Of his care, despite our worries. And, together, we say, Thank you, God!

Stars

"Be happy when you share in Christ's sufferings," 1 Peter 4:13.

Why in the world!? Well, certainly not because of pain in itself! Suffering does not produce joy. No. (We don't get stupid about that.) Joy comes in anticipation of a future overwhelming joy when we see Christ shine in the sky! The kingdom of this world is not the whole story. Its stars will fall hard. Suffering persecution means to share in Jesus' cross. To join with Jesus' own selfless troubles serving lost human beings. To participate with Jesus making the good confession that he is Messiah. With Jesus, we despise the cross' shame, you bet! But the passion will pass, joy's coming. Sky kingdom breaks out right smack dab in the midst of this world. Rejoice!

We confess with a brother or sister today that Jesus is Lord - whatever the cost. We believe that the kingdoms of this world indeed become the kingdom of our God and of his Christ! Together we hitch our wagon to his star. We give thanks. Blessed!

Atmosphere

"God deems it just to pay tribulation back to those who tribulate you," 2 Thessalonians 1:6.

You and I remain keenly aware of injustices, of bad stuff in the world's kingdoms. We experience brief lives. What, 70 or 80 years, or fewer? And then it's over. So we want pay back now. Now. Scripture gives light to unseen vistas, eternity past, eternity future. The one and only God, designer, creator, sustainer, ender, of all our experience says there's more. The kingdom of the heavens, but not limited to the skies, affirms God's eternal rule, justice, and mercy. Though persecuted, you continue with strength and faith. You rock. It's not over, now. God, the Rock, keeps score.

Despite present troubles, we affirm with a brother or sister, today, faith in the now unseen Jesus. We believe he will appear, in earth's atmosphere, where we will join him infinitely! Blessed. Sky kingdom!