Deuteronomy 4:15-20 Out Of the Iron Smelter

 

Observation: Moses uses vivid language to remind the people not to make idols of any kind, neither of any living creature, nor of the sun, moon or stars. God is formless, and can't be "possessed" in any physical form by the people. Yet God took the people themselves out of Egypt, "the iron-smelter," and claimed them as God's own possession.

 

Application: We didn't create God. God created us. We don't form God. God forms us, continually, throughout our lives. We don't own God. We belong to God. 

Unlike ancient Israel, we're not surrounded by people who make literal, physical idols of gods and pray to them in their homes. Yet we are surrounded by a culture that routinely uses God's name to endorse our own national, political or social ideas. We may not be smelting idols out of iron, bronze, silver or gold, but we are tempted to associate God with our national flags, campaign slogans, or social platforms. Christian Nationalism is the effort to make worship of God and celebration of our country into one and the same thing. I'll be candid: it is idolatry. God is the maker of heaven and earth, not just our own nation. Jesus is the savior of the whole world, and he doesn't need help from any human institution in doing that work. 

To be a disciple of Jesus, we need to leave behind a lot of what our surrounding culture considers valuable. We need to be God's possession, instead of treating God like our possession. We need to be formed by God, instead of trying to form God into a shape that's pleasing to our eyes. 

Prayer: God, deliver us from idols of all kinds. Help us lay our values down at your feet, seek first your Reign and your righteousness, and let you transform us. Amen.    

John 1:43-51 Not if I See you First

 

Observation: Today is the feast day of Bartholomew the Apostle, one of Jesus' original twelve disciples. Traditionally the church has connected Bartholomew with Nathaniel, the disciple who meets Jesus in John 1. In this story, Nathaniel is impressed by how well Jesus seems to know him, without having met him before. Jesus sees him coming and calls him "an Israelite in whom there is no deceit." Jesus somehow saw Nathaniel under the fig tree before Philip even called him. Just as Jesus sees Nathaniel and knows him, he promises Nathaniel will one day see a lot more of who Jesus is, and know him as the Son of Man. 

Application: There's a goofy expression I've never understood. When someone says "See you later," I've heard people say, "Not if I see you first!" Does that mean you'll duck out of the way to avoid saying hi to me? Gee thanks...

Anyway, the first thing Nathaniel learns about Jesus is that Jesus has in fact seen him first. Jesus knows him in a surprising and vulnerable way, right off the bat. We often think of apostles as people who have seen Jesus, or helped others to see him. But the first step of being an apostle, or a disciple of any kind, is to accept that Jesus has already seen us. Jesus knows us. Jesus knows us well enough to know where to send us, and how. Jesus knows us well enough to prepare us when we need to hear a new and uncomfortable truth. Jesus knows us well enough to know exactly the word of comfort we need to hear at the end of the day, whether that day included success, failure, or one more day of the daily grind, getting a few things right and plenty of things wrong. We shouldn't only identify as those who "know Jesus." First, we need to think of ourselves as people Jesus knows. 

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for see Nathaniel and Bartholomew (whether they were the same person or not). Thanks for seeing me. Help me to see you today. Amen.

2 Peter 3:14-18 The Patience of the Lord

 

Observation: What I notice in the closing words of this letter is a theme of patience. Just as the audience of first century Christians is trying to wait patiently for Jesus' return, the author reminds them that this delay is actually God's patience with the world. Every extra day we get is another day to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ, and to seek his peace. God's patience is our salvation. 

Application: I saw a meme the other day that got me thinking. It said, "I'm not resilient, I'm just dissociating from reality." That kind of stung, honestly.

So, I'm a pretty optimistic, laid-back person. I rarely seek out drama. And yet, with this temperament, for me, comes some self-doubt: why am I so convinced things will work out? Am I just in denial about the big problems facing my family, the church, our country, and our planet? Is it inappropriate to continue to be hopeful in a hopeless time? Is this just complacency in disguise?

I don't have a good answer to that question. I wish I did. I believe the future of this world is ultimately in God's hands, but God has given us a scary amount of freedom to mess things up in the meantime. I am not pinning my hope on Jesus returning before the effects of climate change get even more disastrous, or COVID-19 claims even more lives. To bet it all on God's miraculous intervention in a certain way at a certain time is foolish. 

What I get from 2 Peter, though, is that my attitude or yours has no bearing on what God expects us to do in this moment. Whether I'm feeling panicked or cautiously optimistic today, my job is the same. To be at peace: not cool and collected, but seeking to bring the peace, acceptance and reconciliation of God to those around me. To be thankful for another day of life: for God's patience with me, to spend another day trying to figure out my walk of discipleship. And to grow in the gifts and knowledge of my Lord. Seeking peace. Giving thanks. Growing in Christ. I can do that however I'm feeling or whatever the headlines say. There will never come a day when any of these three are bad ideas, not when any of them is beyond my control. Maybe it's not perfectly calming, but it does help me with clarity. 

Prayer: God, help me strive to be at peace. Help me be grateful for your patience. Help me grow in you. Amen. 

1 Corinthians 12:27-31 The Greater Gifts

 

Observation: In the first century, all congregations were "charismatic" congregations, meaning they defined themselves  and organized themselves in terms of spiritual gifts. But for the congregation in Corinth, the focus on spiritual gifts is both a blessing and a curse. People are "ranking" themselves based on spiritual gifts, which was never God's intention. As Paul writes, "strive for the greater gifts," he's not about to set one kind of gift against another. He's entering into one of the most famous chapters in the New Testament, in which we learn that all the spiritual gifts in the world are nothing without the gift of love. 

Application: In today's terms, I would not classify myself as a "charismatic" Christian, nor would I call my congregation "charismatic". We do not define ourselves or organize ourselves primarily according to our spiritual gifts. You won't see every single spiritual gift on display in a typical worship service of our congregation. I have never had a person speak up in tongues during one of my sermons, for instance. But we do have spiritual gifts, and we do use them. And although we may not realize we're doing it, we may still fall into the same pitfall as the Corinthians, by ranking ourselves in terms of which gifts are most important. People who like to get their hands dirty and serve can get frustrated with too many meetings. People with a gift for organization and policy may get frustrated in a situation where not enough is in writing. People with a gift for prophecy may wonder why any of us is even focused on that smalltime stuff when the church as a whole is in need of deep and radical reform. People with a gift for teaching (like myself) find ourselves continually reminding the church that we've been here before: many, many times, in fact. And in Paul's writings from two thousand years ago, we find a reminder that will keep the body of Christ  healthy for years to come. We can have all the gifts in the world, but if they're not rooted in love--God's unconditional love--they're worth nothing. 

Prayer: Thank you, God, for the gift of being part of the body of Christ. Thank you for the gifts you have given each of us. Thank you, above all, for your love. Root us and keep us growing in that love, that our gifts may work as you intend. Amen.