Author: fmpastor

Read Luke 17:11-19.

In this reading, a phrase that quietly captures my attention is, “when he saw that he was healed”. All ten of them had been healed, but only this one noticed. It’s almost as if the other nine were so used to disappointment, to resigning themselves to bad outcomes, to plodding through life with little hope that things would get better, they didn’t even recognize what Jesus had done. The one had such faith in what Jesus was about to do, he was on the lookout for when it would happen.

Sometimes we have a tendency to go through life looking for confirmation that things are as bad as we think they are, that people are as awful as they seem, that nothing will ever be good again. We offer prayers for God to bring healing or peace with little hope that it will actually happen. What if, like that one leper, we had complete faith in what Jesus could do? What if we were constantly on the lookout for healing that is already taking place – healing of bodies or of minds, of relationships or of spirits, of individuals or of groups or of whole societies? How else could we respond but to give thanks and praise?

Today, think of at least three examples of healing or improvement in yours or someone else’s life. Offer a prayer of thanks for each example.

Read 2 Timothy 2:8-15.

In vs. 14, Timothy is instructed to admonish his hearers not to “wrangle over words”. Why? Because it’s a turn-off to outsiders looking in. Our wrangling might be a stumbling block, preventing someone from taking that first step in their journey of faith.

As a church, how might the way we interact with each other be a turn-off to outsiders or those new to our congregation? How might we exhibit more gentleness and humility in dealing with one another?

In prayer, ask God’s forgiveness for those times when you have spoken harshly or carelessly to a sibling in Christ.

Read Psalm 66:1-12.

This is a song that celebrates God’s way of creating a path to freedom. For the Israelites held captive in Egypt, God parted the Red Sea, allowing the Hebrews to cross on dry land before Pharoah’s army could catch them. We can picture the weight of slavery behind them, Pharoah’s army close on their heels, the wall of water on either side as they crossed, threatening to collapse over them. And then, stepping out onto dry land on the other side, the open horizon ahead.

What a relief it must have been! The only reasonable response would have been to praise God. How has God brought you through difficult times? When has God brought you to the “spacious place”? What might that look like or feel like to you?

Offer a prayer of praise today.

Read Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7.

Here, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the Hebrews who have been carried off into exile by their Babylonian captors. Despite God’s promises to one day redeem and restore Israel, it’s going to be awhile before it happens. In fact, a few verses later, God tells them it’s going to be 70 years before they will be brought back. While they are waiting, they may as well get busy living life. They should build houses, plant gardens, and have children. They should pray for those who are holding them captive because their well-being is tied up in the well-being of the Babylonians.

There may be times when we feel as if we are living in a foreign land, held there against our will. Maybe our captor looks like the current culture of incivility or like the aging process or like grief or like anxiety. How might these words from Jeremiah affect the way you approach living in less-than-ideal circumstances? What practices might be helpful in appreciating where you are, even if it’s not where you want to be?

Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those times when you have been able to bloom despite what seemed like an unfertile environment.

Read Luke 17:5-10.

To make sense of this passage, we must look at Jesus’ teaching in the verses that precede it. First, he warns his disciples about the potential for stumbling blocks in their journey of faith and then he teaches on extravagant forgiveness. This life to which Jesus’ followers is called is not always a cake walk. It takes sacrifice of self, attentiveness to the needs of others, and a commitment to embodying the values of God’s kingdom.

The disciples understand that to live the way of Christ takes much faith—and not just agreement to a certain set of principles, but to do the hard work of discipleship. They realize they cannot do it on their own and they ask Christ for help. In your Christian walk, what is nearly impossible for you to do? How might the Spirit empower and enable you?

In prayer, ask for the strength of the Spirit to walk the way of Christ.

Read 2 Timothy 1:1-14.

After greeting his protégé and offering thanksgiving for the joy he finds in his friendship with Timothy, as well as Timothy’s faithfulness in the face of imprisonment, Paul offers words of encouragement. In vs. 14, Paul urges Timothy to “guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”

Who or what threatens the “good treasure” within you? What practices or people help you to stand strong? How can you help others to do the same?

Offer a prayer of confession for those times you let your human-self eclipse your God-created-self and find assurance in God’s forgiveness.

Read Psalm 137.

This psalm is probably written around the same time as our reading from yesterday. The Hebrews have been taken away to captivity in Babylon and are expected to entertain their captors with joyful songs. The psalmist expresses dismay at the thought of singing the Lord’s song in such a desperate time.

Sometimes when things are especially difficult, we find it hard to express joy, let alone be thankful. And yet, often, it can be gratitude that helps us to see beyond the pain of the moment. What brings you joy even in dark times? How can you better practice gratitude in the face of hopelessness?

Today, offer a prayer of thanksgiving for all that is good in your life and in the world.

Read Lamentations 1:1-6.

The book of Lamentations is written as a musical and poetic expression of grief. Written in the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE by the Babylonian Empire, the author sits among the ashes and laments the devastation. While the explanation that God is causing the suffering as a punishment for Judah’s “multitude of her transgressions” may not square with our own theology of grace, Lamentations does call us to take sin and its consequences seriously. And not only our personal sin, but that of a nation as well.

Throughout the Old Testament, the prophets call for God’s people to turn from idolatry, from apathy towards and abuse of the poor, and from the toleration of injustice. To what degree do you believe the current state of division and disparity within our own nation are related to those same practices? What steps could you take as an individual to root out these sins in your own life?

Today, make your own prayer of lament. It might be over the state of the nation, but it may just as well be about a circumstance in your life. Be honest about your pain and spend some time in that state of openness before God.

Read Luke 16:19-31.

In this parable, we are reminded how easy it is to become comfortable in our lives to the point that we don’t notice the suffering of others who are right in front of us. We take the relative safety and security that we enjoy for granted and become apathetic towards those who are not safe or secure. It would seem that the rich man has been infected with pride and ego, sins that continue even after his death. He fails to notice the poor man, who would be satisfied by crumbs from the table. The dogs show more concern for Lazarus than the rich man does.

While we cannot change the times when we have ignored or failed to care for someone in the past, this parable calls us to begin right now. How might you be more aware of and responsive to the need around you? How might your words and actions convince others that the way of Christ is life-giving?

Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those whose lives have served as an example for what it looks like to put God and concern for neighbor at the center of their being.

Read 1 Timothy 6:6-19.

These verses have less to do with the evil of money and are more about being content with what you have. When we focus all our energy on material wealth, when we believe it is our possessions that establish our value, then we are no longer looking at ourselves or at the world through the lens of Christ.

What brings you that sense of true contentment? Is it material items, relationships, or certain activities? To what extent do you pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness? What is the fruit of this pursuit in your life?

Offer a prayer of confession for those times when you pursue those riches that cannot satisfy over “life that is really life.”