Exodus 16:9-21 Christian Value of the Day: Abundance

Observation: The Israelites have been complaining in the wilderness that there isn't going to be enough food for all of them. God responds by sending manna from heaven. But there's a catch: the people are only allowed to gather enough for the day (and two days' worth the day before the sabbath).The rest of what they collect goes rotten immediately. The point of all this is to help the Israelites learn to trust in God, that God will show up tomorrow just as God showed up yesterday. Hoarding is not necessary, and it isn't helpful. 

Application: As I read a little about God providing manna in the wilderness, there's a little, judgmental part of me that wants to make this all about toilet paper. To point fingers, to laugh at the sometimes nonsensical things people do out of sheer panic, rather than pay attention to the best information available. I am hearing stories from friends in retail that make me wonder if I should be laughing or crying. The irony does strike me, that there would probably be enough if everyone were willing to take enough and not more. Still, just as I gather my thoughts to say so, I realize something: I have been hoarding too. 

I've been hoarding information. I've been scrolling through Facebook (even more than   usual, if you can believe it) to hear the latest information from the CDC, and global news, stats and charts, national and local news, friends' hot takes and think pieces, funny memes that might not be that funny in six weeks, and genuine concerns that strike me as funnier than they should. It's just piling up like you wouldn't believe. I've been in conversation with our church leaders about what to do, and without thinking about it, I'm dashing to the heavenly cash register with three carts packed full to overflowing with ideas, questions, information, information INFORMATION. In my way, I'm hoarding. Mind you, it's good to stay informed, but I realize the mental hoarding is coming from a similar place to physical hoarding: a place of scarcity. A place of fear. A place that, like the Israelites, says, "better stock up now, because who knows what God will do tomorrow..." 

But deep down, I know exactly what God will do. God will show up for us. God will give us our daily bread. God will give me enough guidance to make the choices I need to make today, and see them through. Tomorrow is God's problem. 

The stark reality is there's no amount of information that will make a hard decision easy, or an uncertain future clear. You can hoard it or you can get what you need, pray about it, and do what you have to for today. And if you do the latter, you will also have some more bandwidth to listen and pray with your neighbor who is also struggling. Either way, God will show up tomorrow. 

Prayer: God, thank you for showing up this morning. Guide me through this day of discernment. Give me enough faith, enough wisdom, enough common sense, enough love for my neighbor, enough energy to make that love real. Help me trust that what you give me today will be enough. Amen.  

  

Ezekiel 26:22-32 Christian Value Of the Day: God's Name

Observation: God tells the people of Israel that God will soon restore their fortunes, return them home from exile in Babylon, and give them prosperity. But God wants them to understand: it's not because they deserve it. Instead, it's to defend God's name and reputation among the nations. In other words, God's people have given God a bad name and in order to restore it, God has to take decisive action.

Application: I've been following a group of Lutherans online who are studying Luther's Large Catechism together. One of the more compelling subjects has been its explanation of the Second Commandment: "You shall not take the name of your Lord God in vain." Usually people take this commandment to only mean "no swearing or cursing." But it's a whole lot more than that.

In fact, Christians can do a lot more damage to God's name by our public actions or inactions than by any PG-13 language we might use. I keep clinging to the truth that God is good even when God's people aren't. That's the whole story of our faith. But unfortunately, the whole world doesn't know and believe that story. The story they know and believe doesn't come from what Christians say but what we do and how we treat people. If we are mean-spirited, prejudiced, greedy and selfish, what's to keep our neighbors from assuming our God is exactly the same way? If we pray "hallowed be thy name," and give God a bad reputation with our conduct, we may as well keep that prayer to ourselves.

Pray: God, I pray that your name would be kept holy in my life, in my church, in my community. Sweep my flaws and foibles out of the way, so people can meet you. Amen. 

Romans 3:21-31 Christian Value of the Day: Faith

Observation: After establishing that nobody can really make themselves completely righteous before God by doing what the law says (because everyone has sinned) Paul lifts up faith in Jesus Christ as the way to make the relationship right. Except...the Greek case of this phrase (the genitive case, if you care) which Paul uses over and over again to describe faith in Jesus Christ, might also mean the faith OF Jesus Christ. No big deal. Just a wholesale rethinking of the relationship between faith and Jesus, and who the faith actually belongs to.

Application: Faith is the whole ballgame for me.  Faith doesn't mean my ability to hold theological, historical and/or archaeological ideas in my head and defend them against any questioning. Faith means trusting in Jesus with my life, and making my daily decisions as though he is actually in charge of it. Faith is the way God saves me, not just from sin and death, but from my own ignorance, fear and selfishness. Faith is the lifeline between myself and God. Sometimes I feel it strongly, often I don't. Sometimes it's concrete and powerful, other times it's a little more abstract.

But this next bit is important: as much as I'd love to take credit for having faith, the faith I believe in is "the faith of Jesus". To the extent that I can give my life over to God, even that ability actually comes from God. I can't claim ownership of it. My faith is not a personal possession. It's from God.

Prayer: God, thank you for the faith of Jesus. Thank you for my faith in Jesus. Be with anyone struggling with faith today. Comfort them and surround them with understanding and loving people.  And also, Lord, be with those of us who think we've got this faith thing figured out. Challenge us. I know I'll regret saying this, but maybe mess with us a little, as a humbling reminder that this whole journey belongs to you. Amen.    

Isaiah 51:1-3 Christian Value Of the Day: Stories

Observation: The prophet is writing to Jews in exile, hundreds of miles from their homeland. Everything probably feels wrong, with no foreseeable way to fix it. The prophet's advice is to look forward by looking back. To remember how God showed up for Abraham and Sarah, an elderly, childless couple. If God can bless them and multiply them into a nation, then God can bless this nation in exile, and bring forth blessings from a seemingly hopeless situation.

Application: I believe in stories.
I don't believe every story I hear: I don't believe Gandalf ever actually faced down a Balrog deep below the mines of Moria. I don't believe there will one day be an actual Captain Kirk who will boldly go where no one has gone before. But I believe in stories. Like Jews and Christians have for thousands of years, I believe telling stories of our past, and learning lessons from them, can heal us and renew us like few other things can.

It's not necessary to believe every story in the Bible literally happened exactly as recounted, in order to believe those stories can change us. I should say, I do take some Bible stories quite literally, even some that are quite far-fetched to a modern listener. But more important than believing every Bible story I read is believing in them: believing in God's power to form us, comfort us, challenge us and show us mercy through their telling.

A fantastic quote which I believe is original to GK Chesterton is "Fairy tales are more than true, not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us they can be defeated." If the Bible is a constant reminder to you that God has shown up for people before you, and therefore God will show up for you, then I'd say you're reading it right. Not all Christians believe every single Bible story literally. But we all believe in stories. And in telling them, we believe God is showing up yet again.

Prayer: God, thank you for stories. Thank you for showing up when we tell them, when we hear them, when we believe them, and when we believe IN them. Amen.

Exodus 34:1-9 Christian Value Of the Day: Mercy

Observation: Moses goes up on Mount Sinai--again--because God has promised to pass by, in person, to write God's law on his new stone tablets, because Moses smashed the old ones in anger when he saw the Israelites bowing to a golden calf. When this happens, Moses doesn't just experience the glory of God's presence. He hears about God's character. First and foremost, God is gracious and merciful.




Application: Sometimes my patience is not what I would like it to be. The next time I hear someone, especially a Christian, who has never actually sat and read the Hebrew Bible start running their mouth about how wrathful and violent the "Old Testament God" is and how they much prefer the "New Testament God"...I am concerned I will not respond mercifully.

But, for real. Let me share these defining words about God's character, repeated half a dozen times throughout the Hebrew Bible.

God is, and I quote, "merciful and gracious,slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation,
forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin". And Yes, the passage does indeed go on to talk about punishing evil-doers to the third and fourth generation. So for those keeping score at home, that's looking like "Wrath, 4, Mercy, 996." Jesus didn't introduce us to a "new God." He showed who God has always been. God is merciful, full stop. And Jesus commands us to imitate that behavior. Even with pedantic proof-texters. That's hitting home today.


Prayer: God, thank you for mercy. Thank you for protecting me from the disastrous consequences I have rightfully earned in my illustrious life so far. Help me to show others some modicum of that same mercy today. Amen.

Psalm 32 Christian Value Of the Day: Honesty

Observation: This Psalm celebrates the value of confession and forgiveness. The psalmist writes that keeping silent about her/his sin was deadly, not just to the spirit, but also to the body. The psalmist describes physically "wasting away" and "drying up as in the heat of summer." Only when she/he confesses openly to God, setting all falsehoods aside, comes the freedom of living in God's forgiveness.

Application: The hardest person to be honest with is myself. And make no mistake: keeping silence about truths that need to be spoken is dishonest. As long as we are in defense mode, focusing and speaking aloud only the shortcomings of others, this oppressive, fearful silence will continue to rule in our hearts. And just repeating general platitudes like, 'I'm not perfect, just forgiven' falls way short of the honesty that will set us free. In a way, saying something like that without any internal reflection leads to its own moral superiority: a silence about our own wrongs, that deceives ourselves and attempts to deceive God. But having an honest conversation within ourselves about the specific things for which we need forgiveness--even confessing them aloud, confidentially, to another Christian, if needed--and most importantly sharing them with God, that's where honesty begins. Let's stop the lies. They are shaving days, weeks, years off our lives. Let's break the silence, and be honest about our specific need for grace. God is ready to listen.

Prayer: Most merciful God,
we confess
that we are captive to sin
and cannot free ourselves.
We have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you
with our whole heart;
we have not loved
our neighbors as ourselves.
For the sake
of your Son, Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us, renew us, and lead us,
so that we may delight in your will
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your holy name.
Amen.