Here’s Hoping

Hebrews 3:1-11
There are things I hope for that are, in the grand scheme of life, of little lasting importance. For example, I hope the San Antonio Spurs win the NBA championship this year. As a fan, I would be very proud of that accomplishment and it would give me a certain amount of confidence, I suppose, among other basketball fans. Besides, the Spurs are a model of consistency, led by an outstanding coach and a core group of players who understand the importance of teamwork. So I hope they win the championship. But even if they do, in a matter of months it would mean very little as my life moves on and challenges arise; challenges like providing for my family, or caring for those in need, or participating fully as a citizen of my country. Those are issues that cannot be resolved or dealt with simply because a particular team wins a title. And yet, even these aspects of my life, these challenges, do not approach the level of meaning expressed by the writer of Hebrews. In our epistle reading for today we read, “Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope” (Hebrews 3:6). True hope, true Christian hope, leads to a kind of confidence, a sort of pride that stands over and above the day to day aspects of our lives –– even the important ones –– because it is focused on eternity and not merely on the here and now. Indeed, to live with the sort of hope that the writer of Hebrews is talking about is to live with no fear of what challenges may confront us, but with a sense of peace and resolve that transcends even the most trying of circumstances because we know –– we know –– that something better, something more complete, something more profound awaits us.

As one whose faith is placed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, I have the opportunity each and every day to face life with all the energy, all the strength that I can muster, embracing life and all of its ups and downs. Even even if I fall well short of the goals or aspirations that my faith holds out to me, even if I am subjected to ridicule or hardship because of what I believe, I am blessed with the knowledge, the certain hope, that in Jesus Christ God has claimed me and will continue to love and guide me no matter what. And when I allow that to really sink in, when I let that enter into my consciousness in a meaningful way, I realize that I really do have nothing to fear. The confidence I feel is not in my own abilities, the pride I have is not based on anything I have done; it is all based on the fact that in Jesus Christ I am a part of God’s house and as such blessed beyond measure.

I will be rooting for the San Antonio Spurs to win the NBA title in 2013. But regardless of whether or not they do, I will be striving to live my life with the pride and confidence that comes from knowing God is at work in and through me and that something far greater than I could ever imagine awaits me. That is the nature of Christian hope.

Prayer: Almighty God, may we each live out the hope with which we have been blessed, and may we demonstrate our confidence and pride in you to those around us, this day and always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In Spite of All the Danger

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
In July 1958 the band that was later to become the Beatles made a record for the very first time. One of the two songs from that historic session was Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day.” The other was the only song ever credited to Paul McCartney and George Harrison as a writing team. That song is called “In Spite of All the Danger.”

In spite of all the danger
In spite of all that may be
I’ll do anything for you
Anything you want me to
If you’ll be true to me.

I’m fairly confident that McCartney and Harrison weren’t thinking of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when they penned their song, and yet there are similarities. The Apostle Paul writes, “…in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers…” (1 Thessalonians 1:6b-7a). In other words, “In spite of all the danger” faced by the Christians in Thessalonica, the joy they displayed because of the gospel had become an inspiration to others.

I can only hope that despite whatever challenges I may face, whatever struggles come my way, I will live so as to reflect joy and peace to those around me. It isn’t always easy. I frequently find myself grumbling about even the most insignificant of matters. I fuss and I fume when things don’t go my way. But by God’s grace I also find myself reaching out to others in ways I wouldn’t have expected and touching lives in ways I would never have thought possible. And all the while, I am blessed by those around me and the sincerity of their faith and the joy with which they live.

“In spite of all the danger” –– or at least the struggles and the challenges that we face –– joy, like grace, abounds. And when we are at our best it is because we have become a source of inspiration for one another and the world.

Prayer: Lord, may we each find such joy in your word that our lives become a source of comfort and hope to others as they seek to follow you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Happiness

Today my father, the Rev. Dr. David R. Freeman, celebrates his eightieth birthday. I am not only dedicating today’s post to him, but addressing it to him as well. I invite others to listen in.

Psalm 84
Hi Dad, and happy birthday. I’m sorry that I can’t be with you to celebrate the occasion, but you are in my thoughts. One of the readings for today is Psalm 84 which is very appropriate. As you know, I have a great affinity for this psalm and what it says about community and faith. But I don’t think I could have understood these ideas were it not for the way I was raised. Since my childhood, you and Mom have helped me to know the Lord and to trust in God’s will for my life. As a minister, you have led congregations and individuals to embrace the power of God to transform their lives. As a father, you have demonstrated love and patience. The opportunity to witness your faith at work is a tremendous gift for which I will always be thankful.

I don’t remember you using these exact words, but I know you agree with the psalmist’s affirmation, “Happy are those whose strength is in (God), in whose heart are the highways to Zion” (Psalm 84:5). It isn’t about us, the psalmist is saying, not about how powerful we are or how much we can accomplish. It is about us in relationship to God and to one another. It is about the purpose we find when we gather as a community and rejoice in God’s presence. When I am able to grasp this truth, I find that life begins to make more sense. I may not be exactly happy about what I am facing, but in time I find contentment and hope. This is the sort of happiness I wish for you today and all days, Dad, the contentment that comes from knowing that God is at work in your life in real and substantial ways. You and a lot of other people helped to teach me that and I believe it to be true.

So, the very “happiest” of birthdays, Dad, and a sincere word of thanks from someone whose faith you have helped to nurture. Debbie, Lindsay, and William join me in sending all our love.

You son,

Jim

Prayer: Lord, bless all our relationships this day, that they may reflect yout love to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It's Not About People Pleasing

Galatians 1:1-17

What an astonishing claim Paul makes in his letter to the Galatians: “If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10c). As a minister I find these words incredibly challenging. Integral to my sense of call are my relationships with individuals. I want to get along with folks and I want folks to get along with each other. I want to build bridges and to knock down walls. I want the church to be one big group hug where everyone finds welcome and conflict is forgotten in the warmth of community. And because I want these things I too often find myself worried about what people think of me, whether or not they approve of my efforts. After all, it is congregation members who pay my salary. Shouldn’t they get what they pay for? Shouldn’t they be pleased with what I am doing?

Paul puts a stop to such foolishness. If the goal of the ministry is to please people then it is not really ministry. If all I have to offer others is what they think they want, or worse, what they already have, then I offer them nothing. It is only when I seek the will of God in Jesus Christ that I have something worthwhile to give. Jesus Christ is the corrective for my actions for in Jesus Christ I find the courage to say what needs to be said, to do what needs to be done, to offer what needs to be offered. When I seek to please people the ministry becomes a factor of my life, it becomes all about me. But when I am faithful to Jesus Christ the ministry ceases to be about me, about my opinions, about my need for approval.

Nor are Paul’s words for ministers alone. They are, in fact, a challenge for all people of faith. If the Christian community is to be truly obedient it must offer the world not what the world thinks it wants, or worse, what it already has. It must offer the truth of the gospel and the power of God’s grace with unflinching honesty. The survival of the church cannot be a function of making people happy. It must be about serving the one who came calling sinners into reconciliation with God. Let other entities worry about pleasing people. Our job is to live as servants of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, give us courage to live according to your will and not as others would have us do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We Are Family

Mark 3:19b-35

In Jesus Christ we become not only new individuals, freed from the fear of sin and death, but also a new community bound up in Christ's ministry. Jesus speaks about this new community in our reading from Mark for today. "And looking at those who sat around him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother'" (Mark 3:34-35). This is not a repudiation of Jesus' own earthly family as much as it is an affirmation of those who have been called to follow him and who have responded with faithful obedience.

This is also a reminder to those who hear Jesus’ words––those who were sitting with him at the time and those who have encountered his words over the centuries since––of what their lives and relationships should look like. We are family, which means we must take one another seriously, must hold one another accountable, must stand side by side in support and encouragement, must share freely in times of need. To be followers of Jesus Christ is to look beyond our own circumstances and to recognize our connectedness to a larger whole. In Jesus Christ we are a family of faith joined together in a renewed relationship to God and to others.

Prayer: Lord, help us to live as your family and to share your love with those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Like There's No Tomorrow

Hebrews 3:12-19

The Christian faith is a community faith, one that requires men and women, the young and the old to stand together as the body of Christ at work I the world. Only when we are in relationship with others may we fully live the relationship - the covenant - we have with God. But the Christian faith is also a 'right now' faith, one that looks forward to the coming of God's reign, but which lives out its witness in the present. The book of Hebrews helps us to put this aspect of our relationship with God and with one another into focus. "...Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin" (Hebrew 3:13). For the writer of Hebrews there is no time like the present in which to do the work of God, in which to stand united with a common purpose, in which to act on the faith we confess. Yes, we have a sure and certain hope of what God will do in the time to come, but the call we receive is to be awake now and to exhort and care for one another on every day called "today."

Ours is a "right now" faith for in grace God entered world in the person of Jesus Christ, a real person who lived at a real time and place, but whose love continues to abound in our midst. As God's people may we live like there is no tomorrow, and may we do so with a unity of purpose.

Prayer: Gracious God, help us recognize today and everyday as a gift from you and a blessing to be cherished and shared. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Come Together

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

In today’s epistle reading Paul offers an example of what the worship of God should be about. “What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up” (1 Corinthians 14:26). When we gather before God we each bring our own offering, our willingness to participate in the praise of our Creator. We may sing, we may preach, we may pray, we may listen attentively, we may contribute money. But whatever our offering may be, however it presents itself in our lives, we must first be sure we are building up the body of Christ, not tearing it down or causing it to fall to pieces.

Furthermore we must hear Paul’s words and take them seriously. Who is it who brings an offering for the worship of God? “Each one,” says Paul, by which he means each member of the community. Worship is not some sort of performance art, not a form of lecture, not a recital. Worship is an act of the body of Christ directed toward God. And as such we must strive to build each other up in our worship and in our living. This, of course, understands the essential nature of our gathering and of our worship. It is not optional, it is a part of what we do! Paul does not suggest that “if we should happen to gather…,” but states flatly, “whey you come together….”

So we must gather, must come together to worship God, each with our own gifts and offerings, and each focused not only on God, but on building up one another. Through such activity we find peace and joy in the presence of God.

Prayer: Lord, help to worship you with honesty and with enthusiasm, joined with our fellow-believers, and guided by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.