Author: fmpastor

Read Isaiah 1:1, 10-20.

Speaking through the prophet, God expresses disappointment with the people of Judah. Their acts of sacrifice and worship practices are meaningless to God when the people continue to live in ways that are contrary to God’s. God reminds the faithful that prayer and praise is not about changing God’s heart, but about changing ours. It’s about turning away from sin however it manifests in our lives and turning towards God.

When we are caught up in sin, it’s impossible to live in the wholeness and healing that God graciously offers. “Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow,” says God. In doing this, we find ourselves at one with God, with each other, and with the world that God so loves.

Have there been times when you have worshiped God half-heartedly or apathetically? What sins remain in your life even as you profess your faith? What practices might be helpful in turning from those sins and turning towards God?

In prayer, offer a confession for your sin and commit yourself to walking in God’s ways of justice and care for “the least of these.”

Read Luke 12:13-21.

In this familiar parable, Jesus teaches about our relationship with wealth and material possessions. He is not saying that wealth, itself, is bad. The problem is when it becomes the center of our life. We read yesterday in Colossians that greed is a form of idolatry, and it seems Jesus agrees. Dedicating our lives to amassing wealth for the sake of amassing wealth leaves little room for devotion to God, for building healthy, equitable relationships, and for generosity. It causes us to view money as the end goal rather than a vehicle for imparting good into the world.

In what ways do you struggle with your relationship to material things? How might you use your resources to be richer toward God?

Offer a prayer of thanks for God’s material blessings in your life and pray for a vision of being more gracious with them.

Read Colossians 3:1-11.

Here, Paul speaks to the difference Jesus makes in the lives of his followers. We recognize that most of the struggles we are seeing in our world today are man-made: anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive language, and dishonesty. These are the things of the earth that we are called to strip off and leave behind. Instead, we are called to clothe ourselves with the heart and mind of the One we follow. We are called to ground ourselves in values and practices that reflect those of Jesus. In this, we will see that no matter how much we love labeling others and separating ourselves, these distinctions melt away with our new life in Christ.

If you were making a list of “earthly” things you should leave behind, what would it include? What “things that are above” do you wish you had more of? What practices might be helpful in erasing the us vs. them mentality that is so prevalent in our world? How can you partner with God in bringing about this reality?

Offer a prayer for unity and peace.

Read Psalm 107:1-9, 43.

In this call to praise, the psalmist reminds us that God redeems and gathers people in no matter who they are or where they have come from. God has delivered people from any number of distressing situations, bringing them from the loneliness of the wilderness to a place filled with companionship. The thirsty have been given a drink and the hungry have been fed.

This psalm reminds us that there is nothing we could be going through that God has not seen before and that God has not redeemed for at least a measure of good. This truth should give us courage to ask God for whatever help we may need. No matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you’re going through, you are worthy of God’s love and attention.

How does this call to celebrate what God has already done give you hope for what God will continue to do? Think of a situation that you have been reluctant or afraid to bring to God. What has kept you from doing so? What’s the worst that could happen? What’s the best that could happen?

In prayer, offer this situation to God and give thanks for the promise that God is listening.

Read Hosea 11:1-11.

In this reading, we are given the image of the parent/child relationship between God and God’s people. God has loved Israel and brought them to a safe place. God has tenderly nurtured and guided and fed them. And yet, the children of Israel turned away from God, worshiping and sacrificing to other gods, almost as if they have forgotten all that God has already done. This faithless people have refused to repent and will suffer the consequences of their sin, becoming captives once again, this time to the Assyrians.

Like many parents who practice “tough love”, God will not give up on God’s children. Rather than finding satisfaction in their suffering, God grieves with them. “My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.” God anticipates the day when the people will turn back and be drawn once again to the Lord. And they will be welcomed.

If you are a parent, can you identify with this? You’ve tried your best to love and nurture your kids, and they go down what you see as the wrong path? Have you ever gotten to that place where you’ve had to practice tough love? What was it like to see your children suffer the consequences of their actions? Were you tempted to rescue them? Did you? Whether you did or did not rescue them, what was the outcome? Maybe you have been the child who has wandered astray. How did your parents respond? What can we learn about God and from God in this reading in terms of the parent/child relationship?

Offer a prayer of confession for those times when you have wandered off-course and find assurance of God’s steadfast love.

Read Luke 11:1-13.

In this passage, Jesus speaks to the nature of prayer. He first gives us a formula for prayer: praise, obedience, a plea for provision, confession, and an appeal for protection. He goes on to tell a story that reminds us that prayer is much more about God and who God is than it is about us and our ability to make prayer “work”. Prayers aren’t answered because we asked for the right things or spoke with eloquence. Answered prayers are a reflection of God’s goodness and God’s vision for a world that aligns with God’s values. If that’s the case, there may be times when the answer is different from the one we are seeking.

Can you think of times when you felt your prayers went unanswered? Is it possible there was an answer, but it was different from what you wanted? Have there been times when you were grateful that your prayer wasn’t answered in the way you expected? In what ways does God speak through “differently answered” prayers? In your prayer time today, meditate on the phrase, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.” Consider what that really means and assess your willingness to integrate that into your life.

Read Colossians 2:6-15.

In this letter, Paul is addressing a controversy in the church at Colossae. Some are judging others for not agreeing to the same doctrines that they do or practicing their faith in the same way they do. It is a familiar refrain in the 21st century church, too. What is Paul’s advice? Get back to the roots of the faith—Jesus.

What was important to Jesus when it came to belief and practice? What might Jesus say about the issues about which we disagree? How might Jesus have us respond to one another in the midst of our differences?

This week, pray for peace among followers of Jesus.

Read Psalm 85.

In this plea for mercy, the psalmist begins with a recounting of God’s merciful redemption of Israel in the past. It is in remembering what God has done in the past that gives hope for God’s continuing faithfulness in the present and in the time to come. The psalmist cries out to God, “Restore us again…put away your indignation…revive us again…show us your steadfast love…grant us your salvation.”

No matter how bad things seem to be, there is no doubt expressed about God’s ability to forgive and restore. There is no question about God’s steadfast love. There is only a vision of what it might look like when God enacts it once again. “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.” In this, we see that God and God’s people are partnering in the redemption, revival, and restoration. Often, we pray for God to fix things, but we fail to take accountability for our part in both the problem and the solution.

As you look at the state of the world, what has been your prayer? When has God shown faithfulness in restoring and reviving the world in the past? What iniquities have we, as individuals, as a church, as a people, committed? How could you partner with God in enacting God’s steadfast love and faithfulness?

Offer a prayer of confession for your contribution to what seems like the grim state of the world and find hope for better days ahead in remembering God’s steadfast love for all of creation.

Read Hosea 1:2-10.

It is helpful to read this difficult passage as a study on the relationship between God and God’s people rather than a biography of the prophet Hosea and his family. As they have time and time again, the people of Israel have forsaken their covenant with God. They have turned from God and towards the worship of idols. It is Israel’s faithlessness that has led God to take away Israel’s future and strength, and to withhold mercy.

The promise, “I will be your God and you will be my people,” is on shaky ground when Israel fails to be God’s people. Verse 10, though, affirms that, despite everything, God is faithful to restore the relationship. What or who are the “idols” in your life? What or who are the “idols” in our culture? When have you experienced God’s faithfulness despite your faithlessness? When has God restored a relationship that seemed beyond repair?

Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s mercy and redemptive love.

Read Luke 10:38-42.

Many of us have experienced the frustration of Martha, feeling like we’ve been left to do all the work while others reap the benefits of our labor. In those stressful moments, what if you heard Jesus saying to you, “You are worried and distracted by many things, but there is need of only one thing”?

What worries and distractions keep you from living with joy and gratitude? Are these self-inflicted worries and distractions or do they come from someone else? What do you think Jesus meant when he said there is need of only one thing? What “one thing” might help you to find the sense of satisfaction and contentment that you seek? How can we embrace opportunities to serve others without growing resentful?

In prayer, confess to God those minor grievances or resentments that you carry. Ask God to help you to find ways to serve others while still maintaining healthy boundaries that leave you time for devotion, prayer, and restorative practices.