Bible devotionals

Time to Thaw Out

Posted on by Betsy

Did you survive the storm? This massive ice/snow/rain/beast of disruption has finally come and gone and yet people are still without power, stuck in their homes, trying to fly places after massive airline cancelations, frozen in place … hurry up, spring!

I was reminded of a verse from one of my favorite hymns this weekend as the storm progressed across America.

In the cold and snow of winter, there’s a spring that waits to be! Unrevealed until its season…something God alone can see.

These beautiful words from Natalie Sleeth’s Hymn of Promise speak of all kinds of good things. They remind us that cold Januarys turn into sunny Junes. They speak of change. They offer promise. They speak of God’s ability to see our potential when all we see is failure. They tell us about growth. Most of all, these words speak of the promise of the resurrection.

I can remember the first time I sang this song. It was at a funeral in my church in Georgia. I recall standing in our sanctuary on Windgate Rd. and looking out at the people who had gathered to say goodbye to their loved one. Sleeth’s imagery in the midst of death struck a chord with me that day that has reverberated each time I have sung it, as it speaks to a reality of life and death that we would rather not consider. 

Consider the final verse:

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity; In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity. In our death, a resurrection; at the last a victory…

Sleeth is echoing the truth found in scripture regarding the resurrection:

Romans 6 (The Message)

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

I think the idea of dying paralyzes us, and we become frozen-in-place. 

But maybe even more so, the idea of living is just as paralyzing. Just the idea of making necessary changes to the way we live freezes us in fear. The thought of letting go of anger, quitting drinking, releasing a long-held grudge, ending an affair, starting chemo, offering forgiveness to someone who hasn’t asked for it and doesn’t deserve it … like icicles suspended from a rock, we become immobilized in our determination to not have to alter how we live in any way.

God wants so much more for us than that. This passage sets forth a challenge: We die with Christ and we also live with Christ … but the life he lives, he lives to God. So should we.

We are stuck in cocoons of unhealthy habits and thoughtless words, but Sleeth likens us to butterflies who will soon be set free. We live in the darkness of our selfish behavior, but she reminds us we are just the ”dawn that waits to be.” In Sleeth’s poetry, we are a potential of something only God can see in us. 

It’s time to thaw out. It’s time to warm up and become the people God intended us to be; loving, giving, full of promise, ready to grow in him, and ready to be set free.

What will you do today to respond to God’s call to unfreeze your life? Where is God calling you to make changes that will reveal your hidden promise? How can you be like Jesus and live your life for God? 

How about we start today? Let’s get moving.

…unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see!

Sand Dune Flowers by Kathy Schumacher

“Be” Attitudes

Posted on by Betsy

You may have noticed that I tend to use the Common English Bible a lot in these devotionals. I read each Scripture in at least three or four different translations, but I usually settle on the CEB. There is a very practical reason for this: I am a contract writer for the Cokesbury Publishing House where the CEB is mandated for all Adult Bible Studies and Daily Bible Devotionals. I find it easier to stick to that version as I do my daily devotionals just for expediency’s sake. But occasionally I bump into a word or phrase that gives me pause, and today is a good example of that. Before we go farther, let me ask you this: what is the difference between being blessed and being happy?

Today’s lectionary passage is the marvelous Sermon on the Mount. Jesus gave this speech while sitting on a mountainside surrounded by hundreds of listeners. Imagine that moment: He had an opportunity to say and teach important things to a captive audience who actually wanted to hear what he had to say. I have preached many a sermon to a captive audience, but I assure you, not everyone in the room wanted to hear what I had to say. I envy Jesus for his receptive audience!

Given the importance of this speaking opportunity, Jesus chose to deliver what we refer to as “The Beatitudes.” The word beatitudes translates into “blessings.” To be blessed is to be happy, to be sure, but it is a different kind of deep, godly joy. From the Greek word makarios, “blessed” is not a comforted and entertained type of happiness, but a serene and untouchable joy that can’t be shaken by current politics or situations.

But more importantly for me, using the word “blessed” as we see here in the New International Version translation signifies the real lesson. God is the giver of all blessings. We can be happy on our own, but only God can bless us. So when the Common English Bible uses the words “happy are those” instead of “blessed are those” it slightly misses the mark for me. Happiness is the result of a blessing, which is a gift from God.

Jesus’ goal in this sermon was to teach his disciples (note the use of small “d,” as all of the followers were disciples in this moment) how to behave. It is a mandate for ethical behavior and a list of rules for daily living. Jesus gave direction for how our ‘attitudes should be’ in this list of beatitudes. It was his declaration of the Kingdom of God. As you read through these verses, think about how radical they would have sounded to the people of Israel who expected a messiah who would come and break the Roman yoke by military force. This was not the messiah they were expecting.

Matthew 5 (New International Version)

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.

He said:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Verses 9, 10, and 11 were probably difficult to hear. Maybe at this point Jesus’ audience wasn’t as receptive as they were in the beginning. I’ve been there, Jesus. Listeners who were longing for a leader to rise up against the oppressive government were probably quite disappointed to realize that Jesus’ way was one of peacemaking. To be told to rejoice in persecution rather than fight back must have been confusing and disheartening. But Jesus assured them that blessing would come to those who chose this path.

Jesus’ words call us to higher accountability and a better way of living. So if you find yourself poor in spirit, mourning, feeling meek, or hungering for righteousness in this life, be glad. If you are merciful and pure in heart, be happy. If you are being insulted and falsely accused of evil for your faith, rejoice.

You, indeed, are blessed.

Looking for a Lent Devotional resource? Check this out.

“Be” Blessed by Michelle Robertson

Home

Posted on by Betsy

I have a fond memory of a sermon I once heard about the value and comfort of “home.” The pastor described a particularly harrowing day when he was called to a busy hospital Emergency Room to be with a church family whose son had just been killed in a car accident. The son had been riding with another teenager from our church who was in emergency surgery, so the pastor had to do double duty in the waiting room, trying to console the inconsolable parents of the dead boy while attempting to shore up the hope of the parents of the boy in surgery. Many hours into the night later, the surgeons finally came out to tell the hopeful parents that their son had survived and was in recovery. And then the unthinkable happened. It turned out that in the urgency of getting both boys extracted from the car and rushed to the hospital, their identities had been switched. The hopeful parents who had been told their boy was in surgery were now told that it was their boy who lay freezing in the hospital morgue.

I don’t know how anyone gets through nights like those.

The pastor continued in his sermon to talk about the following days and how they unfolded for both families. A funeral was held, the one boy recovered, and everyone was changed by the experience. In his final remarks, the pastor shifted gears and began to talk about the comfort of coming home to his family every night of those gut wrenching days. I recall him saying that as his headlights hit the garage doors when he pulled into his driveway, he felt the release of everything terrible and was able to walk into the warmth of his house, fragrant with the smells of a home cooked meal, and find his equilibrium. He could enjoy the excitement of his kids and his dog running to greet him at the door and felt soothed by the peaceful smile of his wife as she did what she could to unburden him from his heaviness. Home was an instant cure to what ailed him.

Where is home to you? What place or experience enables you to let go of the weight of the day and find shelter, protection, and security? Is home a physical location or a relationship?

For King David, it was the temple. In our psalm today, he expressed his deep longing to be in the house of the Lord where he felt protected and sheltered. We looked at this psalm a few days ago, so let us re-read it with a different focus today.

Psalm 27 (Common English Bible)

The Lord is my light and my salvation.
        Should I fear anyone?
    The Lord is a fortress protecting my life.
        Should I be frightened of anything?

It is unusual to see the word “light” in a direct application to God in the Old Testament. We see so many applications of light directly pointing to Jesus in the New Testament, especially in the book of John. Here, David prophetically perceives the light, salvation, and strength of God which will be made manifest in the life of Jesus. Jesus is our true home, our one light, and our forever fortress.

4     I have asked one thing from the Lord—
    it’s all I seek:
        to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life,
        seeing the Lord’s beauty
        and constantly adoring his temple.
5 Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling
    during troubling times;
    he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent;
        he will set me up high, safe on a rock.

This visual picture of being set up high on a rock is especially fitting for Israel and the rocky hills that surround the desert. During pilgrimages to the Temple, bandits would wait atop the rocks to jump down and rob the pilgrims. Being set higher than those outcroppings meant that nobody could assault David from a hidden precipice. David could see everything from his safe perch on the highest rock.

6 Now my head is higher than the enemies surrounding me,
    and I will offer sacrifices in God’s tent—
        sacrifices with shouts of joy!
    I will sing and praise the Lord.

Responding to God’s safe haven with shouts of joy and songs of praise is the least we can do. Has God ever saved you from something terrible? Does he keep your chin lifted up in times of trouble? Sing praises!

7 Lord, listen to my voice when I cry out—
    have mercy on me and answer me!
8 Come, my heart says, seek God’s face.
    Lord, I do seek your face!
9 Please don’t hide it from me!
    Don’t push your servant aside angrily—
        you have been my help!
    God who saves me,
        don’t neglect me!
        Don’t leave me all alone!

This last section is a call to seek God’s face in every season of life. David sought God and spent a great deal of time in his presence. He never felt left alone because he knew all he had to do was seek God and God would be present. Those who seek God will be the beneficiaries of his special blessing and protection.

Like coming home, God is always there, waiting to console and comfort. Won’t you come home to Jesus today?

Home

Pitch-Dark

Posted on by Betsy

I love sunsets in the Outer Banks until they start coming too soon. By some anachronistic turn of fate, Daylight Savings time comes along to steal our days right out from under us. As we approach the Winter Solstice, daylight becomes a vanishing commodity and pretty soon it is pitch black around 5:00 PM. Do you want to know what my favorite day of the year is? The day after Winter Solstice, around December 21 or 22. That day marks our march toward longer hours of daylight and later sunsets, and I can immediately feel its encouragement and warmth as the sun makes its annual comeback. Like the star that she is, you can’t keep her down for long.

There is an exhaustion that has overcome our country right now. People have lost their affordable care credits and are facing impossible health care costs. We seem to be watching a government that has forgotten its mission to serve the people and are acting outside of every normal parameter, creating confusion, lawlessness, and violence. We awaken to news every day of the unthinkable, and it isn’t letting up. We are walking in darkness. Do you feel that? Are you in distress as well? Take heed. Isaiah, lovely Isaiah, speaks directly into our pitch-dark situation.

Isaiah 9 (Common English Bible)

Nonetheless, those who were in distress won’t be exhausted. At an earlier time, God cursed the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but later he glorified the way of the sea, the far side of the Jordan, and the Galilee of the nations.

2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.
    On those living in a pitch-dark land, light has dawned.
3 You have made the nation great;
    you have increased its joy.
They rejoiced before you as with joy at the harvest,
    as those who divide plunder rejoice.
4 As on the day of Midian, you’ve shattered the yoke that burdened them,
    the staff on their shoulders,
    and the rod of their oppressor.

God can and will help us shatter the yoke of burden and the rod of our oppressors. We live in a pitch-dark land, but light … a great light … will dawn. God can and will make this nation great and increase our joy, but we must do our part.

Give generously.

Serve humbly.

Vote wisely.

Tomorrow’s sunrise is up to us.

Winter Sunset by Stacy Murphy

Recruitment

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever been involved in recruiting people for a specific task or group? Have you ever been recruited? Recruiters are like match makers. They have a task or need to fill and they seek people with the gifts and graces that will satisfy that requirement. Back in my Navy wife days, I once worked with a recruiter to find a job in the new area to which we are being assigned. She found me a position that I absolutely could not have found on my own, as the company only worked with recruiters. I was only a few years out of college with no resume to speak of, and I was terrifically blessed to land this opportunity, thanks to her. It remains one of my favorite jobs of my pre-pastoring life to this day. It was a match made in heaven.

We continue our discovery of John’s profound words from the first chapter of his gospel today. John described the recruiting effort make by our Lord as he set about to gather up his disciples. As you read it, you may be surprised at how quickly it happened. Do you suppose the Holy Spirit was involved?

John 1 (Common English Bible)

35 The next day John was standing again with two of his disciples.36 When he saw Jesus walking along he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard what he said, and they followed Jesus.

John was very focused on this “Lamb of God” descriptor of Jesus. So many other words could have been used: messiah, rabbi, healer, teacher, miracle giver … yet John focuses our attention on the sacrifice that pure, unblemished Jesus came to bring to the world. He wanted these recruits to understand what they were being asked to do from the very beginning. They would accompany the Lamb of God as he performed many acts of ministry, traveling and recruiting others to come and see. Their mission would end with his death as he fulfilled the greatest part of his legacy. That was exactly what the Lamb of God was sent to do.

38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he asked, “What are you looking for?”

They said, “Rabbi (which is translated Teacher), where are you staying?”

39 He replied, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

Come and see. Jesus had them with that invitation. Think about the unchurched people in your family, neighborhood, workplace and community. What might happen if you invited them to come and see?

40 One of the two disciples who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Christ ). 42 He led him to Jesus.

This is one of my favorite passages in the gospels. Andrew followed Jesus first and immediately went to his brother Simon to invite him to come and see also. It was an act of pure sibling love. Simon Peter became quite the hero in the gospel stories, but Andrew? Not so much. Maybe your role is to bring a superstar to the Lord, if not to become one yourself. Might we start with our own family, as Andrew did?

Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

And thus, Simon was changed and Peter became the rock upon which the entire church was built.

Are you being recruited for some task by the Lamb of God? Are you recruiting others to join you? May the Holy Spirit guide all that we say and do as we invite others to come and see the one who gave up his life for the world.

Come and See by Kathy Schumacher

Sacrificial Lamb

Posted on by Betsy

One of the joys of watching an engaging series on television is the familiarity of the characters and setting. From Downton Abbey to Friends to Law and Order, our understanding of time and place serves as a shortcut to the unfolding plot line. For example, remembering Lady Mary’s indiscretion with the Turkish envoy Mr. Pamuk in the first episode of Downton Abbey sets the scene many seasons later for her reluctance to accept the possibility of a happy life with Matthew. Story threads like that give the viewer a sense of being woven right into the narrative along with the perfect table place settings and the growls and scowls of Mr. Carson. We instantly get the reference and feel included in the tale.

Hearers of the proclamations of John the Baptizer when he testified to the nature of Jesus would have felt the same kinship with the story. He described Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” a reference to the figure of the sacrificial lamb that appeared in many parts of the Hebrew lexicon.

John 1 (Common English Bible)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.’ 31 Even I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel.” 

There was a lamb in the Garden of Eden that lost its life providing clothing so that Adam and Eve could cover their original sin. There was a lamb offered by an angel to Abraham to serve as a substitute sacrifice in Isaac’s place. A lamb provided the Passover blood that marked the homes of the jews in Egypt, protecting them from the slaughter of the angel of death who had come with the final plague against Pharaoh. The Levitical practices of altar sacrifices required many lambs to give up their lives. Isaiah prophesied about the lamb born to be shorn and slaughtered for the sins of the nation. Sacrificial lambs were a familiar trope for the Hebrew nation, and John the Baptizer used that institutional knowledge to point to Jesus as the one and only Lamb of God, who will take away the sins of the world once and for all.

32 John testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. 33 Even I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and testified that this one is God’s Son.”

We’ll be reading from The Gospel of John for a few weeks, so let’s pause for a moment and consider this marvelous book. John’s gospel presents the story of Jesus in a much different manner than the other three synoptic gospels. They are aligned in sequence, frame, and form, while John’s Gospel takes a different approach to the same story. John does not include a birth narrative, Jesus’ baptism, the wilderness temptation, the parables, the Last Supper, the agony in Gethsemane, nor Jesus’ ascension. While Matthew, Mark, and Luke focus on Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, John takes us straight to Jerusalem. He emphasized Jesus’ miracles and gave us eyewitness testimonies, like the one we read today. Note that John does not record the baptism itself but offers John the Baptizer’s eyewitness account of the event.

Who is the Lamb of God to you? What sin does he come to take away forever from your life? Will you allow his sacrifice to make you clean? What is your testimony about Jesus?

We don’t want to miss the point. In every iteration of the sacrificial lamb, God allowed its shed blood to provide safety, protection, a new start, and freedom. Like the representative body and blood of communion, we are offered an opportunity to accept Jesus’ sacrifice and be made new. How will you accept that gift today?

This is My Blood, Poured Out for You by Kitty Hawk UMC

Show and Tell

Posted on by Betsy

Show and tell is a common thing in lower elementary school classrooms. Children love to bring favorite toys, books, objects, and even newborn siblings to show to their teachers and classmates and tell them all about them. It is a great way to get kids used to the idea of addressing a group of people in a cozy, comfortable environment. They won’t all grow up to be public speakers, but this is a first step in training children in how to participate in class. I used to do a “brown bag children’s sermon” in the summer where children brought me something in a brown bag and were allowed to tell about the object. Then I had to come up with a Bible story or Scripture that corresponded to the contents of the bag. It was a challenge to think fast on my feet! I had one rule: no live or previously living thing could be in the bag. We had a lot of fun with it.

When you think about it, most of the Gospel is a show and tell experience. The people of the time saw Jesus and his ministry and then were encouraged to go and tell others. From the shepherds and the wisemen, to the eye witnesses of the feeding miracles, to the woman at the well, it’s all one big show and tell moment.

John 1 (Common English Bible)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is really greater than me because he existed before me.’ 31 Even I didn’t recognize him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be made known to Israel.” 32 John testified, “I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him. 33 Even I didn’t recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and testified that this one is God’s Son.”

John’s early show and tell defined who Jesus was. He was the Lamb of God. He was the savior who would take away the world’s sins. He was the one who received the Holy Spirit in the baptismal waters of the Jordan river. He was God’s Son.

Friends, today is a reminder that we are invited to the show and tell party as well. What has Jesus done for you? Who is he to you? Can you share a word of testimony about the Son of God today?

People won’t recognize Jesus until we do.

Well Played, Southwest

Power Washed

Posted on by Betsy

One of the things that is different when you live in a coastal area in a southern state is the amount of moisture in the air that you have to contend with. I mean, it beats snow any day, but the long summer months of sunshine and humidity take a toll on your house. We get our house power washed at least once a year in the Outer Banks to remove and prevent that green mossy mold stuff from taking over on the light gray siding. The house looks great afterward, but what I really enjoy is the clean windows. Our bedroom is on the third floor, making routine window washing impossible. So power wash day is a day of crisp clarity and improved vision. Every window in our house has a water view, so clean windows are important.

Today’s passage is about Jesus’ baptism. It may seem curious to you that the Son of God required a baptism, but in accordance with the fulfillment of the New Covenant, he asked his cousin John to do the honors. It was the confirmation of his human righteousness, setting the example for us about the necessity of baptism. It was a moment of heaven reaching down to earth, setting the example for us about God’s desire to be actively present in our lives. It was a moment of pure joy, setting the example for us about what happens when we submit to the Holy Spirit and yield to God’s plan.

Matthew 3 (Common English Bible)

13 At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River so that John would baptize him. 14 John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?”

15 Jesus answered, “Allow me to be baptized now. This is necessary to fulfill all righteousness.”

So John agreed to baptize Jesus. 16 When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. 17 A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him.”

God’s love and God’s happiness come pouring out from heaven every time someone is baptized. Unlike Jesus’ baptism, it is a time to be power washed of all sin and declared to be a child of God. God has brought forth miracles in and through water. We remember these acts in our United Methodist baptismal liturgy:

Eternal Father:
When nothing existed but chaos,
you swept across the dark waters
and brought forth light.
In the days of Noah
you saved those on the ark through water.
After the flood you set in the clouds a rainbow.
When you saw your people as slaves in Egypt,
you led them to freedom through the sea.
Their children you brought through the Jordan
to the land which you promised.

(The Services of the Baptismal Covenant are found on pages 32-54 of The United Methodist Hymnal.)

United Methodists do not do baptism more than once, believing that God is the agent and God’s activity in that sacrament is good for life, even if we stumble and fall away from our commitment. But we do celebrate a reaffirmation of baptismal vows where we confess our sins and rededicate our baptisms as a way of making a new start and a fresh beginning.

Do you need a good power washing today? Spend some time in prayer, reflection, repentance, and rededication. And may the Holy Spirit wash you clean and bring you crystal clarity about your life. It’s never too late to start again.

Renewed by Michelle Robertson

Just Us

Posted on by Betsy

Today’s lectionary passage is known as the Servant’s song. Isaiah paints a beautiful portrait of the soon-to-come messiah and gives us insight about what the messiah will do and how the messiah will act. I imagine it came as a surprise to hear Israel’s savior described as a servant. The people were expecting a conquering warrior, one who would defeat their enemies and restore their nation. Indeed, when Jesus did come, his gentleness and meek nature confused the Jews and they chose to wait for a better messiah to come along, In fairness, if we were asked to describe Jesus’ messiahship in one word, few would choose ‘servant.’ Redeemer, Savior, Master, Healer, Teacher, Son of God, Lord, yes, but servant?

And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did. He came to serve.

Isaiah 42 (Common English Bible)

 But here is my servant, the one I uphold;
    my chosen, who brings me delight.
I’ve put my spirit upon him;
    he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He won’t cry out or shout aloud
    or make his voice heard in public.
3 He won’t break a bruised reed;
    he won’t extinguish a faint wick,
    but he will surely bring justice.
4 He won’t be extinguished or broken
    until he has established justice in the land.
The coastlands await his teaching.

Isaiah made it clear that justice was the focus of Jesus’ ministry. God made it clear that justice is part of his very character and nature. Justice requires right relationships with others where everyone is treated with dignity and fairness. Impartial judgment, accountability for the unjust, restoring wrongs, and upholding God’s moral law of loving God and loving neighbors are the foundation of justice. Listen to the words in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 32 (New Revised Standard Version UE)

For I will proclaim the name of the Lord,
    ascribe greatness to our God!

4 The Rock, his work is perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God, without deceit,
    just and upright is he.

God is faithful and without deceit. His servant Jesus came to bring justice to the nations in his name. And Jesus calls us to serve one another in his name. In fact, being a servant to others is how Jesus defines greatness.

Matthew 20 (The Message)

24-28 When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”

Godless rulers throw their weight around, allowing power to go to their heads. They are the servants of “just us.” Look around you and you will find them everywhere. But we are called to a higher response: We are called to be the servants of justice.

How will you live that out today? What can you do to bring fairness, equity, and impartiality to someone who needs justice?

This is a call to action. May we be people of Micah 6:8 who “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord.”

Walk Humbly by Kathy Schumacher

Your Light Has Come

Posted on by Betsy

Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 every year. It is a day that recalls the arrival of the Wise Men in Bethlehem. They followed the glorious Epiphany star that had arisen over the town on the night of Jesus’ birth and remained there as a guide in the darkness. It became symbolic of the light that beckoned people to step out of their own darkness into the glory of Christ.

When we say we have “had an epiphany,” we are letting others know that a lightbulb has gone off in our brain and we’ve had an enlightenment.

Today’s lectionary passage takes us back to Isaiah’s words, which foreshadow the Messiah’s arrival as a light that would come upon the darkness of the earth:

Isaiah 60 (Common English Bible)

Arise! Shine! Your light has come;
    the Lord’s glory has shone upon you.
2 Though darkness covers the earth
    and gloom the nations,
    the Lord will shine upon you;
    God’s glory will appear over you.
3 Nations will come to your light
    and kings to your dawning radiance.

Verse 3 places us squarely at the scene in Bethlehem, where we kneel in wonder with the kings. Isaiah describes the glory of Christ as a “dawning radiance”. Let’s pause there for just a moment. It is the daily dawning radiance that dispels the darkness of night. Imagine our world without the sun! We would not survive. We need its warmth, its brilliance, and its constant presence in our days to light up our pathways. That is exactly what Christ does. He is the constant presence in the darkness of today’s reality that lights our pathway … straight back to him.

4 Lift up your eyes and look all around:
    they are all gathered; they have come to you.
Your sons will come from far away,
    and your daughters on caregivers’ hips.
5 Then you will see and be radiant;
    your heart will tremble and open wide,
    because the sea’s abundance will be turned over to you;
    the nations’ wealth will come to you.

Isaiah reminds us that we can be radiant, too. God’s glory shines through us when we lift up one another in “care, prayer, and share.”

We are invited to care for the things God cares about … the marginalized, the hungry, the animals, the poor, the addicted, the imprisoned, the planet … these are the things God cares about.

We are invited to pray for the hurts and concerns of those around us and pray for forgiveness of our sins. We can lift up our nation and pray for our future. We can pray for our leaders, our children, and those in faraway places.

And God is counting on us to share our abundance with people who don’t have anything. Food banks, homeless shelters, nursing homes filled with lonely people … these are places where we can share ourselves and be a light in someone’s darkness.

6 Countless camels will cover your land,
    young camels from Midian and Ephah.
They will all come from Sheba,
    carrying gold and incense,
    proclaiming the Lord’s praises.

How will you respond to this call to be a dawning radiance today? Arise and shine! Your light has come.

Light Path by Michelle Robertson