Advent: a beginning and a conclusion

Good evening friends,

Today's reading is familiar as an Advent reading, and it echoes the vision we've been reading about the redemption of the world. If these readings are feeling repetitive, it's because God's vision for a righteous, peaceful word is woven throughout scripture. That hope is deep in God's heart, and deep in our hearts. May that kingdom come soon.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 9:2-7

²The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. ³You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. ⁴For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. ⁵For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 

⁶For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

song of the vineyard

Good afternoon folks,

Today's reading is something we don't see so often, an Old Testament parable. This parable from Isaiah compares Israel to God's vineyard. The point is that God has done everything for God's people and therefore expects them to bear the fruits of righteousness. Instead, they have allowed injustice and the oppression of the poor to flourish. 

This parable is interesting too, because later in his ministry Jesus also tells a parable about a vineyard with a different story but a similar point. It's not a stretch to imagine that Jesus may have had Isaiah's parable in mind, and his hearers, the religious leaders of Israel, might have remembered this parable as well.

May we bear righteous fruit in our life,
Sam

Isaiah 5:1-10

Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. ²He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. ³And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. ⁴What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 

⁵And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. ⁶I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. ⁷For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!

⁸Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you, and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land! ⁹The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant.¹⁰For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield a mere ephah. 

Thanksgiving and justice

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,

Happy Thanksgiving! As a church we have a lot to be thankful for: growing community outreach, loving fellowship, active members, openness and welcome to name a few. I'm grateful today for the Dennises hosting Thanksgiving dinner at the church. Our reading today may be familiar; in Luke's Gospel when Jesus first appears in public, this is part of what he reads. This passage continues the vision of redemption, peace and wholeness we've been reading about. It also displays God's special concern for the poor and oppressed, a commitment clearly continued in Jesus' ministry and a constant calling for the church. As we are thankful, we're called to reach out to others and serve the world in Jesus' name.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 61:1-11

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; ²to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; ³to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

⁴They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. ⁵Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines; ⁶but you shall be called priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers of our God; you shall enjoy the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you shall glory. ⁷Because their shame was double, and dishonor was proclaimed as their lot, therefore they shall possess a double portion; everlasting joy shall be theirs. ⁸For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. ⁹Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.

¹⁰I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ¹¹For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

Good evening friends, 

Today's reading gives us the Prophet Amos warning Israel about where their actions are leading them. God gives us a lot of freedom, but we are responsible for how we use that freedom. God (through Isaiah) warns Israel that worship, religion, and sacrifice are not the most important part of being faithful. The most important part of being faithful is treating others with justice and righteousness. When we treat our neighbors unjustly, even if we spend all our time in church, we're really worshiping an idol, and we'll be held responsible for that.

God bless,

Sam

Amos 5:16-27

¹⁶Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: In all the squares there shall be wailing; and in all the streets they shall say, “Alas! alas!” They shall call the farmers to mourning, and those skilled in lamentation, to wailing; ¹⁷in all the vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord. ¹⁸Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; ¹⁹as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake. ²⁰Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?

²¹I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. ²²Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. ²³Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps.

²⁴But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. ²⁵Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ²⁶You shall take up Sakkuth your king, and Kaiwan your star-god, your images, which you made for yourselves; ²⁷therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.

gentle correction

Good afternoon friends,
First a gentle reminder, if you haven't had a chance to fill out a pledge form, there's still time, but the sooner the better. Every little bit helps, whether you can give a dollar a month or $100 each week. Together we can reach our goal of a balanced budget.

Our reading today gives us Job's friend Eliphaz's first response to Job's complaint. He argues, gently that Job can trust God because God takes care of the righteous. As we'll see, this gentle correction becomes a fierce argument about how suffering and righteousness really relate.

God bless,
Sam

Job 4:1-11

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered: ²“If one ventures a word with you, will you be offended? But who can keep from speaking? ³See, you have instructed many; you have strengthened the weak hands. ⁴Your words have supported those who were stumbling, and you have made firm the feeble knees. ⁵But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; it touches you, and you are dismayed. ⁶Is not your fear of God your confidence, and the integrity of your ways your hope?

⁷“Think now, who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? ⁸As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same. ⁹By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of his anger they are consumed. ¹⁰The roar of the lion, the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken. ¹¹The strong lion perishes for lack of prey, and the whelps of the lioness are scattered.

justice and repentance

Good evening sisters and brothers,
Amos is a real favorite of mine because he is scorching in his preaching against the injustice he saw in his home country. In 8th century (700-800 BC) the southern kingdom of Judah was doing well economically. The religious and political elite felt favored by God, so they figured they were doing things right. Amos tells them that they are wrong. A society's righteousness is not defined by how wealthy or successful it is, but by how it treats the poorest and most vulnerable. Israel's law (which instructs, but doesn't bind Christians) holds up values of protection and care for the poor and rejects profiting on other people's vulnerability. Amos calls Judah to account for how they treat the poor in powerful language. For Judah then and for us now, this is a call to repentance. I pray that each of us individually and our nation as a whole would hear God's call to repent and invitation to justice.

God bless,
Sam

Amos 2:4-13

⁴Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have rejected the law of the Lord, and have not kept his statutes, but they have been led astray by the same lies after which their ancestors walked. ⁵So I will send a fire on Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem. ⁶Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals— ⁷they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way; father and son go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; ⁸they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink wine bought with fines they imposed.

⁹Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of cedars, and who was as strong as oaks; I destroyed his fruit above, and his roots beneath. ¹⁰Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. ¹¹And I raised up some of your children to be prophets and some of your youths to be nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel? says the Lord. ¹²But you made the nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, “You shall not prophesy.” ¹³So, I will press you down in your place, just as a cart presses down when it is full of sheaves.

learning wisdom

Good evening friends,
Happy March to you all. This week's theme is parenting, and many of the Bible's Book of Proverbs (in fact many cultural proverbs in general) were written to instruct young people in the right way to live. This section from Proverbs talks specifically to a son about the dangers of getting in with the wrong crowd. In this case, wrong doesn't mean people who dress the wrong way or listen to the wrong music, but rather those who prey on the weak for profit. Blessings on your wise choices today,
Sam


Proverbs 1:7-19
⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
 ⁸Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
and do not reject your mother’s teaching;
⁹for they are a fair garland for your head,
and pendants for your neck.
¹⁰My child, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
¹¹If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us wantonly ambush the innocent;
¹²like Sheol let us swallow them alive and whole,
like those who go down to the Pit.
¹³We shall find all kinds of costly things;
we shall fill our houses with booty.
¹⁴Throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
¹⁵my child, do not walk in their way, keep your foot from their paths;
¹⁶for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.
¹⁷For in vain is the net baited while the bird is looking on;
¹⁸yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves!
and set an ambush—for their own lives!
¹⁹Such is the end of all who are greedy for gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.

the king's justice

Good evening friends,
Today's reading is a prayer for Israel's King. Reading a prayer like this gives us a sense for how the writer imagines power should be used. The king should promote justice for all with special attention to those in need. When we think about Jesus as the King of creation, we see these same traits. How do we live these values in our lives and as a community?

God bless,
Sam

Psalm 72:1-9
¹Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.
²May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
³May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
⁴May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, 
and crush the oppressor.
⁵May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
⁶May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.
⁷In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
⁸May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
⁹May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust.

judgment and war

Good afternoon friends,
We know Jesus as the baby in a manger, as teacher, friend and even as sacrifice. In this passage we also see Jesus as he will be at the end: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will be the righteous judge of all of us. We also see that he is God's word (like in the beginning of John's Gospel). THe image of Jesus on a horse with a sword coming from his mouth is certainly strange, but God's word is often described as a sword because it judges and slices through all the lies we tell ourselves.

As we saw before, Jesus is stronger than all the powers of the earth. The kings and other powerful people might try to fight against Jesus, but they will never win. The good news is that even though Jesus judges, he judges like he lived: with righteousness and love.

God bless,
Sam

Revelation 19:11-21

¹¹Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. ¹²His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. ¹³He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.

¹⁵From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, “King of kings and Lord of lords.” ¹⁷Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, ¹⁸to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and their riders—flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.” 

¹⁹Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and against his army. ²⁰And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed in its presence the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹And the rest were killed by the sword of the rider on the horse, the sword that came from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Ash Wednesday

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the reflective season of Lent. Seasons in the church year are great opportunities to renew our focus on our faith and discipleship. At Laurelton we're kicking off the season with two reflective (and short) worship services and a 24 hour prayer vigil. The first service and the vigil starts at noon today in the sanctuary, and the second service begins at 6:40. Folks will be taking hour-long "shifts" to pray. Feel free to come by whenever, and to pray for whatever is on your heart. I'll be at the church the whole time so you never have to be alone.

Today's reading is a good reminder for Lent, when it's traditional (and still often useful) to fast as part of our spiritual preparation. God tells the people that denying themselves isn't any good if they use it as an excuse to be cranky or to show off their devotion. The point of fasting and worship is to come closer and glorify God. All our devotion is meaningless if it doesn't lead us to work for justice for those in need. We can't praise God and ignore our neighbor.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 58:1-12

¹   Shout out, do not hold back!
          Lift up your voice like a trumpet!
     Announce to my people their rebellion,
          to the house of Jacob their sins.
²   Yet day after day they seek me
          and delight to know my ways,
     as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness
          and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;
     they ask of me righteous judgments,
          they delight to draw near to God.
³   “Why do we fast, but you do not see?
          Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?”
     Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day,
          and oppress all your workers.
⁴   Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
          and to strike with a wicked fist.
     Such fasting as you do today
          will not make your voice heard on high.
⁵   Is such the fast that I choose,
          a day to humble oneself?
     Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
          and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
     Will you call this a fast,
          a day acceptable to the LORD?

⁶   Is not this the fast that I choose:
          to loose the bonds of injustice,
          to undo the thongs of the yoke,
     to let the oppressed go free,
          and to break every yoke?
⁷   Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
          and bring the homeless poor into your house;
     when you see the naked, to cover them,
          and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
⁸   Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
          and your healing shall spring up quickly;
     your vindicator shall go before you,
          the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
⁹   Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
          you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

     If you remove the yoke from among you,
          the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
¹⁰  if you offer your food to the hungry
          and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
     then your light shall rise in the darkness
          and your gloom be like the noonday.
¹¹  The LORD will guide you continually,
          and satisfy your needs in parched places,
          and make your bones strong;
     and you shall be like a watered garden,
          like a spring of water,
          whose waters never fail.
¹²  Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
          you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
     you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
          the restorer of streets to live in.

inspired word

Good afternoon friends,
This week our theme is the blessing of scripture, which, by the Holy Spirit's power, is God's word to us. Paul reminds his friend and mentee, Timothy that often people aren't interested in living the right way and so people of faith will be persecuted. At the same time, Timothy has a strong, life-long foundation in faith and scripture. He learned this faith from his mother and grandmother, and also from God.

Christians have different beliefs about how to read and interpret scripture, but Paul's words are a landmark for me. He doesn't use confrontational words like "infallible," instead he says something most of us who spend quality time with the Bible can affirm: "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness." Of course, like running shoes or a treadmill, we won't get much training out of the Bible unless we put it to use.
Blessings on your training today,

Sam

2 Timothy 3:12-17

¹²Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. ¹³But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. ¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

the Spirit of the Lord

Good morning friends,
This is a favorite passage of mine from Isaiah. Isaiah reflects on his calling from God to be a prophet of hope and challenge: hope to those who are pressed down by injustice and challenge for those who are comfortable with the way things are. We also see something of a dialogue: Isaiah thinks about his calling and God proclaims that the future will be hopeful as justice grows and flourishes. The setting for the passage is probably when the people of Judah returned from the Babylonian exile to find their cities destroyed. It offers a word of hope for us as we seek to build up our troubles city in the power of God's justice.

One more thing I love about this passage is from the New Testament. During Jesus' ministry we often read that he went into the synagogue on a Sabbath to teach, but we only once hear much about his teaching: Luke 4. Jesus is teaching in his hometown of Nazareth and the beginning of this passage is the one he reads. As the first thing we read about his ministry, it is something of a mission statement: preaching good news to the poor and oppressed and comforting those who mourn. Jesus tells the crowd, "Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." May we follow in his footsteps.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

1The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.

4They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

8For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

peaceful kindom

Good morning brothers and sisters,
In our reading from Isaiah this morning Isaiah talks about what the Messiah's kingdom will look like. We see righteousness, peace and wholeness as the marks of this kingdom in place of the selfishness, injustice and violence that characterize most of the kingdoms we know today. Luke tells the story of how Mary became pregnant. I'm always blown away by her faith and courage. Gabriel invites Mary to a dangerous calling that puts her future marriage and her life in danger. I pray we would find hope in Isaiah's kingdom image while we embrace the challenge of Mary's faith.
Come, Lord Jesus,
Sam

Isaiah 11:1-9

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. ²The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. ³His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; ⁴but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. ⁵Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.

 ⁶The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. ⁷The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. ⁸The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. ⁹They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

*Sunday

Luke 1: 26-45

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

faith and works

Good morning friends,
Today Paul makes a crucial distinction between faith and works and between faith and the law (law and works go together for Paul). When we try to follow the rules to be righteous we are really trying to establish and control our own righteousness. This almost inevitably leads to self-righteousness and pride as well as judging others. That's why the law, even though it comes from God, can't save us; it is a system we try to use to define our terms of following God.

In contrast Paul commends the righteousness that comes from faith. That simply means not trying to build our own righteousness, but instead trusting God's love in Christ to make us righteous. In this case it is not about us; it's about God. It doesn't lead us to self-righteous pride, but humble gratitude. That righteousness through faith is always available because God loves us, as Paul writes, "The word is near you..." God is always near. To be righteous all we have to do is ask.

God bless,
Sam

Romans 10:1-11

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. 3For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.



5Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” 6But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7“or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”

slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness?

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Paul does something very interesting in this passage. A criticism Paul seems to have faced was that by telling people they didn't have to follow the Law of Moses he was encouraging people to behave badly. In other words, Paul was giving people too much freedom with his teaching, and that was risky. Paul turns that argument around in a very helpful way by saying that sin takes away our freedom. He argues that when we sin we give up our freedom and become slaves to sin. While freedom is extremely important for Paul, he believes that we choose who we obey. We can either obey sin, which is slavery to evil, or we can obey God's calling and be slaves of righteousness. We'll be chewing on this passage a bit more in worship tomorrow; I hope to see you then.

Saturday blessings,
Sam

Romans 6:12-23

12Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.



15What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.


20When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

suffering for glory

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Peter encourages the church that suffering for their faith is for God's glory and to their credit. That doesn't mean that any time they suffer it's a good thing. Often we suffer because we make bad choices; that doesn't glorify God. But when we suffer for doing the right thing, we can take courage because one day it will be clear that our faith is not in vain. Often the world is hard and life is unfair. Even in our suffering we can build up others and bear witness to the power of love. When we know that our suffering can be for the good, the power of evil weakens and we can find a measure of joy even in hardship. While all that is true, it doesn't change our obligation here and now to work to reduce suffering and combat injustice. Working for justice also gives God glory, and we can show love in joy as well as sorrow.

God bless,
Sam

1 Peter 4:12-19
12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. 17For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?” 19Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God’s will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

refining silver

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Isaiah uses a powerful string of metaphors to call Judah back to God. Earlier in this chapter he used the image of Jerusalem as God's children who rebelled. Today he uses the image of Jerusalem as God's bride (though he doesn't use the word "bride"), an image used several times in the Old Testament and brought to it's conclusion in Revelation. Isaiah claims that Jerusalem was once faithful but has become a whore. That's a pretty shocking image, especially considering that this city was God's chosen and special city, the place where the temple and king were established. If we imagine a Catholic teacher saying that Rome had become a whore we can picture what kind of reaction that would get; I expect Isaiah's words were heard the same way.

Isaiah also uses images of impure silver, which allows him to talk about repentance as burning away those impurities. As we've seen before, Isaiah is mostly talking about injustice in Judah. His criticism is that those in power are using their power to their own advantage instead of looking out for the powerless. Isaiah also seems to accuse Jerusalem of idolatry since trees and gardens were often places to worship other gods. Isaiah holds out hope for repentance, but his images of lye and smelting make it clear that repenting won't be easy. Once people get used to the "benefits" of unjust power and profits, it is costly to repent. In the end Jerusalem will again be righteous; God doesn't abandon his people.

God bless,
Sam


Isaiah 1:21-31
21How the faithful city has become a whore! She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged in her— but now murderers! 22Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water. 23Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan, and the widow’s cause does not come before them.

24Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies, and avenge myself on my foes! 25I will turn my hand against you; I will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. 26And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. 27Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness. 28But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed. 29For you shall be ashamed of the oaks in which you delighted; and you shall blush for the gardens that you have chosen. 30For you shall be like an oak whose leaf withers, and like a garden without water. 31The strong shall become like tinder, and their work like a spark; they and their work shall burn together, with no one to quench them.

justice and judgment

Good morning all,
This morning's reading contains probably the best known line in the Book of Amos: "Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream;" made famous for many of us by Martin Luther King, Jr. As we've seen before, the idea here is that worship without justice offends God.

The other part of this passage refers to the "Day of the Lord," which is a slightly unclear reference. It seems to refer to an understanding that at some point God would intervene to give Israel victory. More generally it points to the assurance that God is on Israel's side. Amos warns the comfortable that that won't turn out to be the case. Their oppression of the poor means that when God acts in judgment they will not like the result. God wants us to change our lives whenever we are acting against justice. So let justice roll down like waters and let us turn to God in hope and repentance.

Blessings,
Sam

Amos 5:16-27
16Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of hosts, the Lord: In all the squares there shall be wailing; and in all the streets they shall say, “Alas! alas!” They shall call the farmers to mourning, and those skilled in lamentation, to wailing; 17in all the vineyards there shall be wailing, for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord. 18Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; 19as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake. 20Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?

21I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. 23Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. 24But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. 25Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 26You shall take up Sakkuth your king, and Kaiwan your star-god, your images, which you made for yourselves; 27therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.