Monday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, May 6th, 2018

I wanted to get a fresh post up last week, but my time and energy for writing went towards e-mail communications, a newsletter article, and other administrative work.  This week, I am getting this post up early in the week so that I can get back on schedule.

Many of our readings this week are continuations of previous weeks.  The 1 John 5 and the John 15 readings pick up where last weeks readings from 1 John 4:7-21 and John 15:1-8 left off.  The Acts 10 reading picks up where our first Easter morning reading, Acts 10:34-43, left off.  Any themes from these readings build off of what we heard and know from these previous readings.  Previous themes include: no distinction between Jews and Gentiles (Acts 10); God is love, God shares that love will all people, and we are called to share that love with all people (1 John 4); and we must remain connected to Jesus so that the fruits of our faith may grow (John 15).

These readings bring up a lot of questions, so I have included several comments below some of these readings.  If you have different questions, or if you have responses to my questions, I invite you to share in the comments below.


Acts 10:44 - 48

44While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47“Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

- Peter asks the key question: “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”  What barriers do we put around baptism?  Are these legitimate barriers?  Or do these barriers serve only to make us feel better about our role in baptism?
- We can ask the same questions about Holy Communion.  What barriers do we put around the Communion table?  Are these legitimate barriers?  Or do these barriers serve only to make us feel better about our role in Communion?
- We often ask whether children know enough about Holy Communion before they receive the sacrament for the first time.  We might wonder whether their parents and grandparents know enough to receive the sacrament today.  But what role does our knowledge and understanding play in the sacrament of Holy Communion?

- Acts 10:24 describes the group which Cornelius had gathered together to receive Peter and his companions.


Psalm 98

O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
 2 The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
 3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
 4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
 5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
 8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
 9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.


The “victory” celebrated in Psalm 98 is undefined.  Have the people won a great battle or repelled an invasion?  We don’t know because everybody in that place and time already knows what happened, so the psalmist did not see the need to define it.  But the emphasis is on the community’s response to what the Lord has done.  Everyone is invited to grab their various instruments and praise the Lord through music.  Creation adds the sounds of its natural instruments to our music.

1 John 5:1 - 6

1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, 4for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. 5Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

  6This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth.

- 1 John 5 seems to take the definition of “the love of God” in a new direction.  To this point, explanations of “the love of God” have pointed to what the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit do.  Suddenly, the definition includes us and how we “obey his commandments.”  Which commandments are these?  Do these include the 600+ laws in the Torah (i.e. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy)?  Do these include just the Ten Commandments?

- Also, what does “victory” mean in 1 John?  It seems to include our faith, but how does our faith conquer the world?

John 15:9 - 17

[Jesus said:] 9“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
  12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

- Again, what “commandments” are we keeping?  Is this a reference to the “new commandment” Jesus gave to the disciples, that they love one another as Jesus had loved them?  Does this include commandments to carry out Jesus’ ministry and mission after his death?

- But in this, Jesus says that we are friends because he has revealed everything that he has heard from the Father.  Jesus does not withhold secret knowledge from us; this goes directly against organizations with “secret knowledge” available only to insiders.

- John 15:13 typically gets used in a military context.  How else can we hear this verse?

Thursday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, April 22nd, 2018

Last week, I mentioned that two funerals in two weeks has put a note of sadness within our celebration of Easter.  Within 24 hours of that post, another member of the congregation died.  As a congregation, we are going through many emotions of joy, grief, thanksgiving, shock, and sadness as we gather on Sundays.  We mourn for those who are no longer physically present among us even as we proclaim that we are still connected to them through the Body of Christ.

This week is the so-called "Good Shepherd Sunday," the Sunday of each year that reads from John 10 as Jesus proclaims that he is the good shepherd.  There is much to say about the other readings as well.  If you would like to add to the conversation, use the comments below or comment on my Facebook post where I share this blog entry.

Thanks for reading!  I would love to hear your impressions and discuss your questions.

Acts 4:5 - 12

5The next day [the] rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. 11This Jesus is 
 ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
  it has become the cornerstone.’
12There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4 is a continuation of the story from last week (Acts 3, where Peter heals a man in Jesus’ name and proclaims the Gospel among the people at the Temple who react to the miracle).  The religious leaders are offended that Peter and John are invoking Jesus’ name in connection with God, so they arrested them and are trying them within the Sanhedrin (Jewish religious leadership council).  The council would like to kill Peter and John for heresy, but they know that the people will turn against them if they do so.  The council warns Peter and John to not preach in Jesus’ name and then releases them.  Peter, John, and the rest of the disciples prayed for the strength to continue proclaiming the Gospel in the face of opposition.  In response, the Holy Spirit entered the room and strengthened them.

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, spoken by Peter)  This is the key claim from Peter’s speech.  We still wrestle with this particular claim: we may profess it with our lips, but in our hearts and minds, we wonder whether this is enough.  So we turn to charismatic leaders, who tell us to follow their teachings so that Jesus will love us enough to save us.  We listen to our inner voice which wants to feel like we did something to deserve salvation.  But salvation is not something we earn; it is a gift from the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that we can only receive by the faith provided by the Holy Spirit.


Psalm 23

 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.

Psalm 23 is one we hear at least once a year on Sundays.  We also hear it at 3 out of 4 funerals (2 out of the 3 I have presided over this month).  I always wonder whether we are so awash in sentimentality that we do not reflect on the claims within the psalm.  The Lord will lead us to all that we need (hence the green pastures and still waters).  We take comfort from the Lord’s rod and staff because they can be used to fend off attackers as well as gently guide us on our journeys.  The Lord welcomes us at the Lord’s banquet table.  We are currently dwelling with the Lord and we will continue to dwell with the Lord.  Each of these is a significant claim in its own right; together, they form an expansive vision of the Lord’s provision and blessing.  Do we miss this when we hear this psalm in worship because it is so familiar and we have memories attached to it?


1 John 3:16 - 24

16We know love by this, that [Jesus Christ] laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
  18Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. 19And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; 22and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
  23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

When 1 John 3 talks about sin, does it mean all sin or does it mean failing to uphold the two great commandments: love the Lord and love your neighbor as yourself?  Such love must be expressed in all forms including word, speech, truth, and action.

I can read this in such a way that we would take away from this passage a promise that the Lord will give us whatever we pray for if we are good enough or perfect.  I do not believe that is the point of the passage, but I can see how someone might walk away with that impression.



John 10:11 - 18

[Jesus said:] 11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18No 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 is the “Good Shepherd” chapter because Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd” multiple times.  In this part of the chapter, Jesus claims that he is the Good Shepherd because he is willing to die so that the sheep may have life; this is something that the hired hand is not willing to do because the hired hand cares more about the salary than the sheep.  Jesus will lay down his life for the sheep…and he will pick his life back up again.  In society, we praise those who risk their lives or give up their lives so that others may have life; the difference between them and Jesus is that Jesus was raised from the dead and that Jesus accomplished many things through his death and resurrection.


(Tying John 10 to 1 John 3) What does it look like for us love our neighbors enough to lay down our lives for the sake of someone else?  There are many stories and songs that depict this, but this is the one that came to my mind: Nickel Creek, "The Hand Song"

Wednesday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, April 15th, 2018

In most congregations, this is a joyful season.  We are still shouting "Alleluia!" and "Hallelujah!" as we celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the grave.  Our hymns are joyful and upbeat.  Our readings and sermons proclaim the good news and wonder what happens now that Christ has risen.  The congregation I serve also uses this time to celebrate the planting season and ask for the Lord's blessing on this year's grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and flowers.

This year, however, there is a note of sadness within the celebration.  On two occasions since Easter Sunday, the congregation I serve has gathered to commend one of the congregation's members into the hands of God following the members' respective deaths.  In the midst of our celebrations, we also grieve the loss of these two members from our families and from our shared community.

Both the celebration and the grieving are on my mind as I look over the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary for this Sunday.  Below, you can see how these things influence how I read the chosen readings for this Sunday.  After each reading, you will find my thoughts in italics.  If something in the readings or in my reflections grabs your attention and/or leads you to ask a question, I invite you to share your thoughts and questions in the comments below.

Acts 3:12 - 19

12[Peter] addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?13The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. 14But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, 15and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.
  17“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. 19Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

We do not get the entire story in Acts 3.  We do not hear the encounter between the man who was “lame from birth” and Peter and John.  What we get is Peter’s comments to those who witnessed the miracle.  The man was healed “on the basis of faith in His name” (New American Standard Bible translating the Greek preposition ‘epi’) and restored to perfect health.  We can think of our future resurrection as having the same outcome: we will be raised from dead and decayed or dead and completely consumed/absorbed by the Earth to perfect health (physical, mental, emotional).  Peter also testifies that Jesus is the Messiah and references the prophecies that the Messiah must suffer to answer the (non-asked) question of how Jesus could be the Messiah if he had died on the Cross.  The reading cuts Peter off in mid-sentence; perhaps we can extend the reading to verse 21 so that we also hear Peter’s proclamation of Jesus’ future return and how Jesus’ death and resurrection does more than just wiping out our sin.

Psalm 4

Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.

 2 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah

 3 But know that the LORD has set apart the faithful for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.

 4 When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Selah

 5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.

 6 There are many who say, "O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD!"

 7 You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound.

 8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O LORD, make me lie down in safety.

I don’t get much from Psalm 4, though I recognize that verse 7’s claim that the Lord has “put gladness in my heart, more than when grain and wine abound” may speak to the farmers of this community.

1 John 3:1 - 7

1See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
  4Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

The first paragraph of the 1 John 3 reading is an Easter reading (the second is a works-righteousness reading).  We are children of God NOW, not later, because we are baptized (my extension of the thought). When Jesus is revealed, we will be like him, for we will (be raised from the dead like Jesus was and, with our newly-restored bodies, we will) see him as he is.

Luke 24:36b - 48

36bJesus himself stood among [the disciples] and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate in their presence.

  44Then he 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.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things.”

The Gospel reading is Luke’s account of the first post-resurrection meeting between Jesus and the disciples; we heard John’s account of this meeting last Sunday.  While John focused on the blessing Jesus gave to the disciples, Luke focuses on Jesus’ efforts to prove that he is not a ghost.  Jesus asks for food and eats in their presence to prove that he is present in bodily form.  He then reviews the OT prophecies that he has fulfilled through his death and resurrection.

Thursday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, April 8th, 2018

My apologies to all of you for not keeping up with this over the last couple of weeks.  The end of Lent and Holy Week are a very busy time for any pastor, especially a solo pastor.  Unfortunately, I was not able to share my sermon preparation process with you over the course of the last two weeks due to my busy schedule.  After a funeral this week, I am attempting to get back on track.

This week, the congregation celebrates Rogation Sunday, a traditional celebration in rural communities that asks the Lord's blessing on the crops that are being planted in this season.  This typically happens on the Sixth Sunday of the Easter season; however, the congregation I serve holds their Rogation Sunday earlier in the Easter season so that the congregation can conclude worship with a blessing of tractors and other large pieces of farm equipment.  Local farmers are invited to bring their large equipment to the parking lot and their hand tools indoors as part of the service.

For those who are new to my posts or just need a reminder, I will share the Bible readings that the Revised Common Lectionary designates for our upcoming Sunday worship service.  After each reading, I share my initial thoughts and responses to each reading.  I invite you to share your thoughts, responses, and questions in the comments below.

Acts 4:32 - 35

32Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Acts 4 is a second community of disciples that sounds like a commune (compare to Acts 2:42 – 47).  The people are united in Christ to the point where they share all property/resources from the sale of property.  While there are no claims of miracles, we do explicitly hear that the resurrection was proclaimed within the community (Easter focus).  Curiously, the reading stops short of the positive example set by a member of the community; this person sold a piece of land/property and gave 100% of the proceeds to the community.  Perhaps the RCL creators did not want us to start drawing in the Acts 5:1 – 11 story…

Psalm 133

 1 How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!

 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.

 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the LORD ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

How good and pleasant, indeed!  Unfortunately, we have a tendency to disrupt such communities from within due to jealousy and selfishness.  But when we get to experience communities like this (I got to experience this while serving on camp staff and while attending seminary), the experience sticks with you for the rest of your life.

1 John 1:1 - 2:2

1We 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—2this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—3we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

  5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; 7but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 2:1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 1 answers the question of where we find some of the language within “The Brief Order of Confession and Forgiveness.”  The first chapter seems all over the place, like we have missed an organized introduction to the letter.  But 2:1 – 2 gets to the point: Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for all sin and the advocate for all people before the Father.

John 20:19 - 31

19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

  24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
  26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

  30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

The verse before this Gospel reading is Mary Magdalene reporting her encounter with the risen Christ to the disciples.  Question: was Thomas with the disciples when Mary told them of her encounter?  If so, then what held Thomas back after hearing about a second, separate encounter?  I imagine that it would be harder to dismiss the disciples’ story if Thomas was present to hear Mary’s story.

Who in our lives tells the most/biggest “tall tales?”  How do we receive stories from this source?  How do we confirm/refute such stories?  If the story is confirmed by another, trustworthy source, what do we do?