Lesson in Love 1

Luke 4:28-30

When we think about Jesus and who he was and why he came we likely think about the love and compassion of God.  Jesus came to us as an expression of the Lord’s incredible love for us.  Jesus came to save us.  And yet there are so many people who did not want to accept what Jesus brought.

Beginning in Luke 4:16 we have the story of Jesus in his local synagogue.  He is handed a scroll, the book of the prophet Isaiah, and he reads about God anointing someone to proclaim good news, to heal, to set people free.  And then Jesus announces that he has fulfilled this prophecy.  Jesus is the one who is anointed by God to do all these good things.

Such news really pleased the crowd.  They were glad to hear the good news.  But Jesus doesn’t stop there.  He talks about other stories from the Old Testament scriptures that show that Jesus will have his ministry go beyond the people of Israel.  And this upset the crowd.

What did the people do with Jesus?  What did Jesus do?

As is so often the case, we can shake our heads in disbelief at the reaction the people gave to Jesus.  But we at times overlook the fact that we can do the same thing.

We can feel tremendous comfort and satisfaction in knowing that we are loved by God and that Christ came as our Savior.  We can find comfort and peace as we gather to worship with other believers just like us.

But when we are confronted with the idea that God’s love extends beyond us, that God also loves other people – people we may not care for, people we may truly dislike – we can get upset.  It can get worse when we learn that we are expected as Christians to go out to these people we don’t like and offer them God’s love, or we should welcome them into our presence.

As with the story in Luke, God’s love moves ahead no matter how we react.  Jesus walked away from the crowd and went on with his ministry.  We may be upset or uncomfortable with the work and ministry of our church, but we must remember that God’s ministry, God’s kingdom, God’s love is beyond our understanding and control.

We must trust that God loves us and accept and even rejoice in the fact that this love is great enough to encompass all people.

DAILY CHALLENGE:  What can help you remember how powerful God’s love can be?

Keeping the Vision 4

John 21:18-19

This passage is one that I heard when I was young and which has rattled around in the back of my mind for some time. It seems to be a gloomy, depressing prediction from Jesus, a reminder that we will not always be in control of what we do. Sure, Jesus was talking specifically to Peter, but I have often thought of these words as I consider growing older. (It seems to speed up with every passing year!) The day will come when I won’t be able to dress myself or go where I want to go.

But is Jesus talking about getting old and frail? It would seem unlikely that this is what he is addressing here.

He has just had a conversation with Peter about taking care of Christ’s sheep. Jesus was giving Peter the command to care for the believers. Now he talks about going where he doesn’t want to go. And then he concludes the whole thing with the statement, “Follow me!”

In light of all that we have looked at so far this week – considering where we fit in with ministry, believing in ourselves, trusting in the guidance Jesus gives – we may be able to see these words are more about our faith life and less about getting old. When we were young in our faith, when we were immature in our beliefs, it is possible we did not give much consideration to the things we could do to serve God and help others.

But as we mature in our faith, as we grow deeper, we may find ourselves doing things we had never considered doing before. We may find that we are needed at the hospital bedside even though we would rather not be around those who suffer. We may find that we are called on to pray for others when we never thought of ourselves as good at praying. We may find that we need to give up something we WANT so that someone else can have what they NEED.

We need to estimate what it is we are able and willing to give to ministry. How do we fit in? And we may find that as we grow closer to Christ we will be willing to do those things we were not willing to do before.

What we must trust in is the fact that Jesus has invited us to follow him. And if we follow him we can trust that it is the hands of Christ that lead us.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Where will you go in ministry? Is it a place you do not want to go?

What Now? 3

Matthew 4:18-20

Often times at church events we make certain that we don’t do all the work to prepare. It may seem the wrong thing to do, but it is actually a good thing to ask others to help. We might wait until people arrive before we begin setting up tables or setting out materials. It is important to make others feel included in what you are doing. It makes them know they are part of what is going on.

As Jesus began his ministry he gathered some followers to be part of what he was doing. Who did he see? What were they doing? What did Jesus say? How did Peter and Andrew respond?

Most are familiar with the calling of the first disciples. Jesus is walking along the Sea of Galilee and sees two fishermen. He is knowledgeable in fishing. It takes some effort. It takes patience. It requires certain knowledge and skill. And when you fish you are often working in the unknown – you can’t always see what lies beneath the surface.

Then Jesus makes a clever request. He asks them to be part of his ministry. Their lives will change. They will still be fishing – trying to gather together – but they will be after people and not fish.

To be in ministry requires the skills of fishing – effort, patience, skill, and the ability to deal with the unknown. It simply deals with much more important concepts. Fishing for men involves saving souls, leading people out of the depths of despair and hopeless into the joys and hopes of God’s kingdom.

We may not be fishermen. We may have other jobs. But we are called into ministry with the Lord. We are all called to help bring the lost into that profound relationship with God that brings peace and love and salvation.

The disciples were able to drop what they were doing and follow Jesus. The question is, are we able to stop what we are doing and turn our attention to the work of God?

DAILY CHALLENGE: What will it take for you to be a fisher of men?

What Now? 2

Acts 4:33

The song “Switchin’ to Glide” has the lyrics, “Nothing matters but the weekend, from a Tuesday point of view.” The message seems to be that we can anticipate easier times to come once all the hubbub and worry of life is over. We can often take that approach. We go through all the worry and work of things that require our attention and we look forward to the times when we can take things easy.

Unfortunately that same attitude can pervade our faith life. As spring grows warm and sunny our attention is focused on all the things that are now before us and we forget about all the excitement of our religious past.

The faithful followers of Jesus had sat fairly idle for weeks until the Holy Spirit came upon them on the day of Pentecost. Then they were filled with the power of God and compelled to move forward in their faith. What was going on with the disciples? What were they doing? What did they have?

The time for being idle was over. The early church was at last moving forward. This single verse sums up the work being done. The disciples were preaching to the community, sharing the good news of Christ and his resurrection, and therefore the message of salvation.

They did not do their work meekly. They had power from God. They were bold. They were effective.

This group of believers who had fallen into inactivity was now very busy. The result was that much grace was upon them. We can assume that their lives were blessed by this grace, and we can also assume that they had much grace to bestow on others.

We must be like the early believers. They had been with Jesus in his ministry. They had witnessed the crucifixion. They had experienced the resurrection. And at first that seemed to offer them no motivation. But eventually they came alive in their faith and went to work.

We must not allow ourselves to fall into apathy or laziness. Our faith should be alive in us as well and we should be about the work of sharing the news of Christ.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What does it take to breathe life into your faith?

Plan Your Ministry 2

Nehemiah 2:13-18

You would think that putting a screw into a piece of wood would be no big deal, but two years ago I learned I wasn’t doing it right. I always simply put the screw to the wood and turned it as I pressed against it. There were times when the screw would go in fairly easily, but often it was a struggle. Then someone pointed out how helpful a pilot hole is to guide the screw and keep the wood from splitting. It only took a minute to have someone point out my problem and give me a solution.

Nehemiah 2:11-15 focuses on Nehemiah’s assessment of the work that needs to be done in rebuilding Jerusalem. He looks over the problem and begins to develop a plan on how to restore the city. What is his invitation to the city officials? What was their response?

Verses 11 through 15 give us the details of Nehemiah’s inspection. He examines the ruins of Jerusalem without the presence of others so that he might have an accurate, first-hand picture of what needs to be done. When he is finished he explains the situation and his intentions to the leaders of Jerusalem, and they are willing to help him accomplish his ministry.

Most churches have ministries already in place or at least ministries that once existed. To serve God and to revitalize a church we may need to breathe new life into existing ministries or adjust current ministries to address current needs and changes in our culture.

Just as Gideon did not plunge forward into battle but waited for God to give him His plan, we need to examine our ministries and evaluate their effectiveness. Through an honest approach, an unbiased examination, and prayerful guidance from God we can look at the work of our church and decide if changes are necessary. Evaluating resources and needs are essential parts of planning God’s work.

As Nehemiah reminded the officials of God’s gracious hand upon him, we must remember to include God’s wisdom in our assessment of work and be gracious ourselves to those already involved in ministry. Our evaluations should be done in love and not involve harsh criticism.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you assess current ministries?

Answer the Call - Ministry 5

Mark 5:41-43

When I was younger and got sick with the flu, a cold or a fever, I only wanted two things – lemonade and pear halves. This may not strike you as anything special (or desirable!) but to me those two foods offered great comfort at times when I didn’t feel good. Many people have “comfort foods,” certain meals or dishes that help to fend off the blues or feelings of sickness.

Even when our problems are not physical ailments, but emotional ones, addressing our physical needs can work wonders.

This passage is the end of a much larger story. Jesus has been summoned by a synagogue ruler to offer healing to his daughter. Upon his arrival at the house Jesus is informed that the ruler’s daughter is no longer sick, but deceased.

What does Jesus do? What two things does he instruct?

A few things strike me in this story. First, Jesus is not swayed from his ministry by the comments of others. Even when told that it is too late to do anything Jesus persists with what he will do.

Second, Jesus takes action. His ministry does not involve teaching a lesson by talking. He doesn’t go off into seclusion to pray. He acts. He goes directly to the place where he is needed and raises the girl from the dead.

Finally, Jesus takes care of the girl’s physical needs. Not only does he cure her of illness and raise her from the dead, he has the family feed her. It’s important. The Bible mentions it specifically.

Jesus addressed the needs of a person in his ministry, and in that example we see the type of ministry we need to adopt for ourselves. We need to go to where the problems are and deal with the physical needs of others.

As James pointed out, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” Our faith should compel us into some ministry, and that ministry is likely to require our getting involved. If we will show the love of God we will probably need to act in some way, to deal with others, and to lend a hand.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Who needs your help?

Answer the Call - Ministry 4

James 2:15-17

One of the key elements of our denomination, United Methodists, was the early societies who gathered for prayer and study. It was important to these groups that they would do more than pray for a person in need – they would do something about that need. Unfortunately many have lost sight of our heritage and forgotten this attitude of action that was so essential to the early church. Many have become quite complacent in their faith.

In this letter from James – possibly the brother of Jesus – such an attitude is addressed. What scenario is presented? What comment is made about good intentions? What must our faith have?

Too often we can get caught up in only part of our faith. We can become very good at attending church and studying the Bible. We can become well versed in Scripture and be quite comfortable in our prayer life. But something is missing.

Faith involves more than just the head and heart. True faith involves the hands and feet. Faith in Jesus must be lived out, put into action.

This passage is in no way meant to discount the power of prayer or to take away the need for compassion and strong faith. But our beliefs and our compassion must be accompanied by action. If we will believe in Jesus Christ then we must live out Christ in the world. We need to be Jesus to other people.

This involves doing acts of mercy not just having mercy. This involves acts of compassion not just the feeling of compassion. This involves the sacrificial giving of love not just embracing a loving spirit.

We are to put our faith to work by giving to the needy, spending time with the lonely, visiting the sick, and sharing the good news with the broken. Some ministries are in the church – volunteering to help teach, to help with the worship services, or to help in church functions. Other ministries are outside the church – visiting shut-ins, taking food to the hungry, or participating in mission trips.

While attending worship, praying, and studying the Bible are important, you may need to honestly evaluate who you are helping in what you do.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What work needs to be done?

Answer the Call - Ministry 3

2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Not long ago there were several “messages from God” on billboards around some of our cities. They had clever ways of attracting your attention and urging people to attend church. Some messages were things like “We need to talk. – God.” Or “Don’t make me come down there! – God.”

Most people would love to hear a direct message from God. Most people would probably change their ways and their way of thinking if they could simply hear the voice of God speaking directly to them.

Today’s passage is from Paul’s letter to the believers in the church at Corinth. To what does he compare the believers? How are they a letter?

Paul creates a wonderful image to describe those who follow the teachings of Jesus and do the work of God. They have become like letters or messages from God. No, it isn’t the very voice of God others might hear or want to hear, but in their actions of kindness and compassion, in the example they set by their way of life, these believers are living messages from God.

Through their behavior the people of the church of Corinth were showing non-believers what God is like. The people themselves were living messages.

We live in a hurting world and a world that so often seems confused as to which is the right direction to go spiritually. How do we teach them the ways of God? How do we show them what God is all about?

We do that by becoming living letters of God. We can be the voice of God to the lost and the marginalized, to those who need guidance and support. We can offer hope and direction through our own words of kindness and caring. We can express God’s love by sharing ourselves and our own love, by helping those in need and living a life of confidence in God’s kingdom.

Your ministry may not be one of preaching and teaching. Your ministry may not be to serve at a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. But all ministries should be seen as God being lived out in our attitudes and behaviors.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What does your “letter” say?

Answer the Call - Ministry 2

Isaiah 6:5-8

Sometimes it’s fun to dig out old photographs and see what my family and I looked like so many years ago. It can be fun to let our children get a good laugh at the old clothing styles or the picture of their conservative Dad with hair to his shoulders (Yep. I was “groovy.”). Times like that can be fun, but they are also a reminder that I am not who I was. I have changed.

This passage is a classic Scripture reading that describes the call of the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah has a vision of God seated on His throne. About the Lord are billows of smoke as angels fly around and heaven shakes with thunder.

What is the prophet’s initial response? What does the seraph (angel) do? What does God ask? How does Isaiah respond?

“I am a man of unclean lips!” Isaiah realizes that he is not worthy to be in the presence of God. He is not good enough to serve the Lord.

But God remedies that. An angel purifies Isaiah and makes him worthy because God wants someone to be his messenger. And that is where we have the stirring response from Isaiah, “Here am I. Send me.”

Am I worthy to be a pastor? No. I’m the dorky guy in the weird clothes with the long hair. I have a past that I’m not completely proud of. And so many other people in churches use the same excuse – “I’m not good enough.”

No, we aren’t good enough; but fortunately God has set his coal on our lips and purified us. Like Isaiah we are made worthy by God to be in the service of God. So the excuses just don’t cut it any more.

We can take our old selves and our past and toss them out along with the old photos. And while we’re at it, let’s pitch those tired old excuses too. It is time to stop saying “I don’t think we can,” “I don’t think we should,” and “We’ve never done it that way before.” Let’s remember that our unclean lips have been made clean and our response to ministry opportunities should be “Here am I. Send me.”

DAILY CHALLENGE: How will you help?

Answer the Call - Ministry 1

Acts 6:1-7

The church where we currently serve held a fellowship dinner on our first Sunday. When the meal was done I asked our children to gather dirty silverware and take it to the kitchen to be washed. This was what we did in our old church.

But after they had gathered a number of place-settings we were informed everyone had brought their own silverware! What an impression we made.

Although it was a mistake at that time, the concept is still good. We must all pitch in and help where we are able so that ministry can move forward. We all have a part we can play.

As we return to our daily devotions this fall we are examining how we can answer the call of God, to step up into leadership and strengthen the church. The first step is realizing we are all called to ministry.

We see this in the early church, in fact at a very early stage in this new worship group. Why were some people unhappy? What did the twelve leaders say about their own ministry? Who was chosen to help the widows? What was the result?

It may strike a person as arrogant that the Twelve, the disciples, the leaders of this new church, were not willing to stop doing the preaching to wait on tables and clean up after meals. But what is essential here is that the Twelve realized preaching was their ministry. Other ministries had to be filled by people who were called to and would be skilled at those ministries.

Just as you would not expect a car mechanic to do your dental work, or for your plumber to diagnose an illness, churches should not expect any willing person to fill any spot that is open. Any ministry should be filled by those who are called to that ministry.

But it is essential that we all realize that we are all called to some ministry. God has not passed over any of us leaving us with no skills. Each must do his or her part in serving God. Each should find a place to fit in and do work.

In our new church we had to adjust to a new way of doing things. The same is true of all churches today. We may have to examine ministry and who will do it and change the way things have been done so that God’s kingdom may move forward and grow.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you help?

Pilate Views the Cross 5

Luke 9:59-62

In an episode of “The Andy Griffith Show,” Sheriff Andy Taylor tries to offer a job to a vagrant. The vagrant explains that he can’t do hard work because he has a bad leg. When offered a job at a desk he explains that sitting too long makes his leg stiffen up. When offered a night watchman job he explains that the night air aggravates his rheumatism. In the end it is clear that the man simply doesn’t want a job at all.

In his ministry Jesus called some people to follow him, to become one of his disciples, to do ministry with him. In this passage how does the first man respond? How does Jesus respond to the second?

At first blush Jesus may appear hard-hearted in these encounters. Has he no sympathy to the one who has lost his father? Has he no compassion for the one who would like to see his family one last time?

Jesus is sympathetic and compassionate, but what we have here is Jesus seeing through the excuses being made. He knows that the one who was called and the one who claims to want to follow are not dedicated enough to become true disciples.

The excuses seem valid to us, but the point of the whole encounter is that any excuse will do for the person who will not assume the responsibility of being a true disciple of Christ.

Each of us is summoned to do the work of the kingdom of God. Each of us is summoned to be our brother’s keeper. Each of us is called to be committed to doing the will of God, serving in whatever capacity we can.

But most are too eager to find any reason at all not to do the work. We allow our job responsibilities, our family obligations and our financial status to keep us from doing what we are called to do. All are valid excuses, and I am not encouraging anyone to abandon the responsibilities of their livelihood or their family. Nor am I encouraging anyone to put themselves into poverty.

But the question is, when will we accept the call of Christ? When will we accept the responsibility of doing God’s work? When will we stop making excuses and start serving the Lord?

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you avoid making excuses to not do God’s work?

Laity Sunday 2

Jeremiah 1:4-8

The Book of Jeremiah is a record of the prophecies of Jeremiah. It is a significant book in the Bible, and it is a name most people are familiar with. Yet, like so many people, when God called Jeremiah he was less than enthusiastic.

According to verse 5, what three things did God do? How does Jeremiah describe himself? What is God’s response?

I have been in the ministry of preaching and making hospital visits for about seven or eight years now. I usually receive positive responses from people about my messages, and most people seem to appreciate my visits.

Yet, there is not a week that goes by where I do not feel like Jeremiah. “I do not know how to speak.”

We can all claim this. We can all say that we have no skill or talent that could be called a ministry. We can all think of ourselves as less than adequate for serving God.

But that is all simply an excuse to get out of what God wants us to do. Like Jeremiah we all need to be reminded that God knew all about us before we were even formed in the womb. If God has called each of us to be in ministry in some way, then we must remember it was God who set us apart and appointed us for whatever task it may be.

If God has set us apart for a particular ministry, and He has called us, then He must know we are able to accomplish the ministry – even if we don’t know that.

Two things register with me as key. The first is addressed in verse 7. God does not say “I would like you to go” or “It would just tickle me pink if you go.” God says, “You must go.” Don’t those words apply to us?

The second is addressed in verse 8. God assures that “I am with you.” How can we fear when God is with us?

DAILY CHALLENGE: What can you do to remind yourself that God is with you when you do His work?

The artwork today is actually from 2 Corinthians 3.