Daily lesson for November 28, 2014

Today's daily lesson comes from Luke chapter 19 verses 29 through 31:

29 He sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’”

Today's text is the prelude to what is called the Triumphal Entry of Jesus. Just before entering into the city of Jerusalem Jesus told his disciples where to find him an unbroken colt in order that a prophetic scripture might be fulfilled.

I often wonder about the colt's owner. Some have said perhaps what transpired was planned. Jesus had previously arranged that the colt would be there for Jesus' use on a particular day and had instructed the colt's owner in a password phrase -- "The Lord has need of it" -- to signal the appointed time.

But what if this were not arranged?  What if, instead, the colt's owner was asked and something inside of him told him it was what he needed to do? What if he was asked and his own spirit within him said yes.

A few years ago a friend called me from his law firm. "Parson, he said -- he always called me parson -- "I guess your sermons are really getting to me because a guy just walked into my office about to be evicted from his apartment. I don't know him from Adam; but I told him he can stay at my house.  I just felt like I was supposed to."

Sometimes the spirit within us tells us to do the most surprising and boldly generous things. It can tell us to do things we never would imagine doing except that we sense a call to do it. When it happens, when we hear the voice inside us saying, "Do it; just do it," I pray we say yes. For the Lord has need of it.

Daily lesson for November 27, 2014

Today's daily lesson comes from 1 Thessolonians 5 verse 18:

"Give thanks in all circumstances . . ."

Today we give thanks in the midst of plenty.

Today we give thanks in the midst of loss.

Today we give thanks for our parents who loved and provided for us and did so much to make us who we are. 

Today we give thanks that though our parents were not everything we desired or even needed, they did give us life.

Today we give thanks for our children who give us joy and laughter and hope for the world.

Today we give thanks that though the thought of children during the holidays brings up deep pain and grief within us, we know they are a blessing to this earth.

Today we give thanks for faithful friendships which bless our lives with rich connection and a place and people to belong to.

Today we give thanks though deep friendship is something we have not found, or have lost, or moved away from and we hope to discover or re-discover soon.

Today we gave thanks for a full table where all whom we love will be gathered around us. 

Today we give thanks that though those whom we love or loved most dearly cannot be present this Thanksgiving they know we still have a place for them in our hearts and look forward to a future Thanksgiving with them whether on earth or in heaven. 

Today we give thanks; in all circumstances we give thanks.

Daily lesson for November 26, 2014

Today's daily lesson is from Luke 19 verse 5:

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.”

One of my great-aunts used to say that Jesus came not only for the down-and-out but also for the up-and-out too.

In the tree, Zacchaeus was literally up-and-out. But he was also up-and-out in the community. A wealthy man, Zacchaeus earned his living from a morally dubious enterprise. For that people despised him and labeled him a "sinner".  When Jesus came to Zacchaaeus's hometown, it was said that Zacchaeus was so short that he had to climb a tree in order to see Jesus over the crowd. But I wonder if the reason why Zacchaeus himself could not be apart of the crowd was because he was profoundly rejected by the people. Though he was rich, he had no friends and no fellowship and no one who might take the time to know him. He was up the tree and out of community.

And as the children's Sunday school song says it,

 "As the savior passed that way
He looked up in the tree.
And said - 'Zacchaeus, you come down!
For I'm going to your house today!
For I'm going to your house today!'"

I don't know why it is we sing the last line of the song twice, except maybe this -- perhaps it has to be said twice just to be believed. As the crowd says in disbelief, Jesus "has gone to be the guest of the sinner."  He has gone to be the guest of Zacchaeus.

Whether we are down-and-out in the gutter or up-and-out in a penthouse separating and protecting us from the world, there is no one beyond the love and reach of Christ. As the Magnificat says, "He lifts up the lowly and bring down the rich." He lifts some up and brings others down and does so because his desire is to be with all and for all to be with each other.

And what He creates is called the kingdom of God.

Prayer: LORD, help me to see others as Jesus sees them. Help me not to be haughty toward the poor nor hostile toward the rich. May I, like Jesus, seek to create fellowship and community with and for all. Amen.

Daily lesson for November 25, 2014

A lesson on the day after a jury's decision and ensuing rioting:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Daily lesson for November 24, 2014

Today daily lesson is from Galatians chapter 6 verses 9 and 10:

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone . . ."

There is a saying in life that nice guys finish last. There may very well be some truth to that. There are a lot of people on the top rungs of the ladder who lied, cheated, and stole their way there while the nice guys have been passed up.

But nice guys know that there are actually two ladders being climbed. One is the ladder of success. The other is the ladder of character. The nice guys are climbing the ladder of character, which means they will not lie, cheat nor steal, nor even despise those who do. Nice guys may finish dead last going up the ladder of success; but it turns out that ladder is only half as high as the ladder of character.

I've said it before, there is no good in winning the rat race if it turns you into a rat. Stay on the ladder of character. Climb, slow if you have to, but climb. 

And keep climbing.

Daily lesson for November 21, 2014

Today's daily lesson comes from James chapter 5 verse 7 and 8:

"7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient."

There is an old West Texas saying: The effectiveness of a rain dance has a heck of a lot to do with timing.

There are some things in life we just are not control of.  Farmers know that. They go out every day. They plant and they water. But they know they have to wait on God for the good rains and depend upon Him for things to grow.

There are many things beyond our control. Success is one of them.  But we are not called to be successful; we are called to be faithful.

Get up and plant today. Water if you can.  Work.  But be not anxious about the yield. 

Instead of a doing a desperately frantic rain dance, learn prayer and patience. And trust in the LORD of the harvest. 

Daily lesson for November 20, 2014

Today's daily lesson comes from Luke chapter 17 verse 32:

"Remember Lot's wife."

At some point, many of us find ourselves in negative situations, relationships, jobs, and even cities, which on the face of things we should obviously leave yet are afraid to do so. Ultimately, we can end up stuck in these negative and even abusive situations for too long and it can cost us our emotional and physical health and sometimes even our very lives.

Jesus took Lot's wife in the story of Sodom as an analogy for people who let themselves get stuck in negative situations. When Sodom was destroyed, Lot, his wife, and his daughters were fleeing the city, yet Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt.  For whatever reason the pull of the Sodom -- negative, abusive, and even evil as it was -- drew her back into the city she needed to get out of. She ended up stuck, an object of destruction in a city of destruction.

There are some situations we just need to get out of. Leave and don't look back. Remember Lot's wife.