Wednesday, November 7

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 71 & 142; Zechariah 2:1-13; Luke 22:54-71; Romans 10:21-11:6

One of the themes that undergirds the Gospel of Mark is often referred to as “The Messianic Secret”. This means that Jesus reportedly warned the disciples not to tell anyone who he was because it was not yet time for them to hear the news. When I was younger, Jesus’ approach there always frustrated me because it seemed as if Jesus and the disciples should have gotten the word out immediately and let the people decide whether or not they were ready to receive the news. As I’ve gotten older, however, I’ve realized Jesus’ wisdom in recognizing the importance of waiting until someone is ready to hear something before you share it. Today’s reading from the Gospel of Luke picks up on this nugget of wisdom when Jesus appears before the council of elders and is questioned by them. When they ask if he is the Christ, his response was simply, “If I tell you, you will not believe me; and if I asked you, you would not answer” (Luke 22:67-68). Often when we want to reach out to help or connect with others, we fail to consider whether or not they are ready to receive our efforts. This lack of consideration often leads to hurt feelings and bad experiences. The next time you are ready to say or do, I invite you to consider Jesus’ approach and ask yourself, “Are they ready to receive my offering or should I wait?” Til next time…

Tuesday, November 6

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 2 & 33; Zechariah 1:17-21; Luke 22:39-53; Romans 10:17-20

It’s easy for me to get so caught up in the demands of my daily schedule that I lose time to practice my daily spiritual disciplines. That’s especially true when it comes to my prayer life. I try to convince myself that this is okay to forgo my time of prayer since I’m connecting with God in other ways (i.e. acts of service, etc.) Today’s passage from Luke, however, is a reminder that I have no excuse for being too busy for prayer and centering, as the passage provides the example of Jesus who – on the verge of his arrest, trial, and crucifixion! – found time to pray on the Mount of Olives. That, for me, is lesson one: always find time to connect with God – especially at the most difficult times when you are tempted to forget this connection. There’s a second lesson regarding prayer in today’s passage as well. It has to do with the content of one’s prayer. In modeling a way to pray for us, Jesus said, “Please, not what I want. What do you want?” (Luke 22:42 from The Message) What a powerful way to help us re-conceptualize our prayer life – a way where our prayer life is built upon something other than just our wishes and desires. Today, I invite you to join me as we incorporate both lessons into our lives by first making the time to connect with God and then spend that time pursuing God’s desires and not simply our own. Til next time…

Monday, November 5

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalms 144 & 143; Haggai 2:10-23; Luke 22:31-38; Romans 10:10-16

As I explored emergent worship during my summer sabbatical, what most impressed me about faith communities exploring emergent worship was their willingness to let go of established patterns and routines and open themselves up to fluid ways of being that allowed for the movement of the Spirit. In most cases, the emergent communities were collections of individuals who had the luxury of choosing a new way of being. Today’s words from Haggai, however, remind us individuals and communities don’t always have the luxury of choosing new ways of being. In speaking to Zerubbabel, the governor of Juday, Haggai spoke these words: “I am about to shake up everything, to turn everything upside down and start over from top to bottom” (Haggai 2:21 in The Message). Often, we assume that having our worlds turned upside down is automatically a bad thing. But is it? In Zerubbabel’s case, the turning upside of his world meant Zerubbabel was taken as God’s “personal servant and I will set you as a signet ring, the sign of my sovereign presence and authority” (Haggai 2:22). Perhaps you are facing a circumstance in your life in which your world seems to have been turned upside down. Take some time and see what possibilities or opportunities might be opening themselves to you as a result of this traumatic time. Til next time…

Sunday, November 4

Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 3 & 122; Haggai 2:1-9; Luke 19:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12

This morning’s passage from Luke is a great eye opener for me. For in the passage we are introduced to an individual named Zacchaeus, a man whom is viewed one and only one way by his peers: as a Tax Collector. This title established not only Zacchaeus’ standing in the community, but his identity as well. This was so entrenched that no one – not even Zacchaeus – could imagine seeing himself any other way. Along came Jesus, however, who was willing to do something no one else was willing to do – look at Zacchaeus with new eyes. This willingness led Jesus at the end of today’s passage to establish a new identity all together for Zacchaeus; instead of being simply a Tax Collector he became seen as a Son of Abraham. The story reminds us that when we see the world through Jesus’ eyes, things begin to change. Today, I invite you to take a glance at the world from Jesus’ perspective. You might be surprised what you see. Even in yourself! Til next time…