Isaiah 40:21-31
For Sunday, February 8, 2009
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany

How often do we get so caught up in our own circumstances that we forget that the presence and power of God changes everything? This is the question raised by Isaiah 40:21-31.

Verse 21 asks, “Do you not know who God is?” He is the one sitting enthroned above the circle of the earth (v. 22). He is the one who reduces the rulers of the world to nothing (v. 23). He is the one who has no equal, who created every star in the heaven, who has a name for each of them, and holds them all in place (v. 26).

A skeptic might respond, “Well.. that’s a pre-scientific understanding. What holds the stars in place is gravity.” Granted, but where does gravity come from? And how is it that given the force of gravity stars aren’t constantly getting sucked into one another?

This God, continues Isaiah the prophet, is the one who is our source of strength when our own strength fails. Isaiah closes with the beautiful simile of believers soaring on wings like eagles (v. 31). One of the remarkable capabilities of eagles is the ability to soar over a roiling storm. Eagles sense when a storm is coming, they soar to a high point in the sky, and then when the storm winds come, they use the storm’s wind to soar even higher, over the top of the storm itself. What a powerful metaphor for coping with loss, distress, and conflict in our lives. Don’t get caught up in the storms of life. Set your wings and let the winds of turmoil cause your soul to soar.

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Psalm 111
For Sunday, February 1, 2009
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany

This Psalm has in its opening verse the words, “I will extol the Lord will all my heart.” What does it mean to extol the Lord with all of one’s heart? Surprisingly, the Hebrew verb being used here has as its core meaning “to throw or cast” (YaDaH). The Hebrew verb case in which YaDaH is used here (Hiphil) means “to give thanks, laud, or praise”. So, “to extol” in this context might be captured in the idea of casting thanksgiving in a certain direction. The direction in which the Psalmist is casting his thanksgiving is to the Lord, and he’s doing so with all of his heart.

This raises several questions for me. First, is there thanksgiving in my heart? As believers, we have every reason to be thankful, because God has led us into the promised land of the gospel, which was not land to which we had any prior claim (v. 6). Yet how often do I lose sight of this amidst the petty concerns of the day? I’m thankful this morning for the time, talent, and treasure which God has bestowed upon me (and you) in generous measure. What a joy to think I can bring these things back to Him and say, “How would you have me direct my heart today so that you will most be praised?”

Moving to the end of this Psalm we read about where to find the beginning of wisdom (v. 10). Wisdom is not found in the power of winning an election (please forward to Nancy Pelosi), nor in being the guy with the gold who makes the rules (please forward to the Secretary of the Treasury re: the dollar as the world’s reserve currency). If a person is looking for the beginning of wisdom, where should he turn?

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Deut. 18:15-20
For Sunday, February 1, 2009
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

It’s painful to see the predicament our country is in. President Obama is planning a huge stimulus which he says is only one leg of a stool that may have more than three legs. I watched that and thought, “He’s not sure himself how we’ll find our way forward.”

How are those of us who are among the people of God, whether American or from other countries, to find our way? All we have to do is look to our leader. This is the message of Deut. 18:15-20. Israel was poised to enter the Promised Land, and God Himself wanted to serve as their leader. Yet the people said, “God, please, no. The sound of your voice and the fire of your presence is terrifying.” God responded, “Actually, that’s reasonable. I’ll give you Moses today, and in the future, I’ll raise up another leader like him.” Who was God referring to? Ultimately, Jesus, as the Apostle Peter confirms in Acts chapter 3, when he quotes this passage in the course of arguing to his Jewish compatriots that Jesus really was the long-promised Messiah.

In these trying economic times, which are also trying spiritual times, how important it is for the people of God to have clear leadership. For my American readers, we do, not in Barack Obama or the Republican opposition, but in Jesus himself.

What would Jesus have us do in response to this global economic crisis? First, he is calling us to live within our means. Second, he is calling us to live below our means, so that we can help others who are losing jobs all around us.

Third, he might also be calling us to urge our political leaders to stop trying to spend their way out of this crisis. We’re in this crisis because as a country we were living on an illusion of free credit. What we need to do seems clear enough to me: take our medicine. Enough already with illusions of stimulus to cover over the original illusion of credit which has now crumbled in upon itself. All we’re doing with bailouts and stimuli is throwing good money after bad. We would be far better off if we just insolvent institutions enter bankruptcy and emerge chastened and cleansed. We would also be better off if we returned to a stable money policy rather than trying to print more money to ease the pain.

The problem is not free-market capitalism, but rather the manipulation of it. The way out of this is not further manipulation, but rather a humble return to righteousness in all matters financial. Father, please grant us leaders who can understand this, live this, and implement this.

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Peter Paul Rubens, “The Slaughter of the Innocents”

I commend for your reading and reflection today’s Breakpoint commentary by Chuck Colson entitled “The Slaughter of the Innocents“. His point is that Epiphany is actually more like D-Day than a quaint little manger scene. We are indeed engaged in a war, and a literal slaughter of the innocents continues today via abortion and infanticide. May our Father give us wisdom to know how to prosecute this battle on every strategic front.

I saw an interview on Fox News recently with a young evangelical who was advocating de-emphasizing the issues of abortion and homosexuality in order to focus on the needs of the poor. While the last of these three is certainly more in vogue in today’s political environment, it would be foolish to abandon our cultural engagement on the other fronts. The gospel has claims on all of life, and people are suffering in all of life. We don’t need to abandon any fronts: what we need is more believers to enjoin the battle. Let us join our Father’s fight for truth, reconciliation, and righteousness.

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Nativity on Russian Icon

Isaiah 60:1-6
For Sunday, January 6, 2009
Epiphany of the Lord

This passage tells a story about a world in darkness. Yet then there is a summons for the people of God to rise up because the glory of the Lord has risen as a sun over them to dispel the darkness. People from every nation notice the light shining on the people of God and they want light as well. As they come prosperity and blessing abound. This is the story of God reconciling the peoples of the earth to himself. As believers, we are part of this story. Our respective local churches are intended to shine like lights in the darkness that will attract interest from all around.

I can attest to the truthfulness of this story on several fronts. First, the world is in darkness. I see this in my own city, Milwaukee, in the forms of racial discord, poverty, and unemployment (just to name a few!). Second, the light Isaiah has talked about has dawned in the person of Jesus. The wise men knew this both literally by the star that drew them and figuratively by the import of this person’s coming.

By the way, my 12-year old son Nate pointed out at the family dinner table a few days ago that nowhere in the Bible does it say there were three wisemen. All we know is that there were three gifts. I was glad both that he was listening at youth group and that he could teach me something. As another and related aside, my 6-year old son asked what ‘myrhh’ was. We looked it up on Wikipedia and discovered it’s a resin. But what does it smell like? I ordered some. It smells like the inside of a Russian Orthodox church. It smells like the love of God expressed in the sacrifice Christ made to forgive our sins. It’s a wonderful smell.

The final destination for the light and the people who gather under it is a place called Zion. This will be Jerusalem as it was always intended to be. It will be the Jerusalem above. The church is a present now but not yet movement in the right direction. Given all of this, let us indeed be a light that shines in the darkness as we prosecute the affairs of this fine day.

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This week we enter a new season of the church year called Epiphany. Ken Collins provides a helpful explanation of the significance of Epiphany. Each church season has a color and the one for Ephiphany is green to symbolize growth and life. This seems to me an appropriate theme for meditation as we enter this new year. How, Father, would you have me grow and live in this next year?

The key theme of Epiphany, which comes from a Greek word meaning “manifestation”, is Jesus’ manifestation of Himself as God. Many of the readings for this season therefore focus on Jesus’ identity, and therefore on our identity as his followers. What does it mean to be people on the way of Jesus in 2009? We’ll find out together.

The word ‘epiphany’ seems to have gained currency in contemporary culture. I’ll often hear someone say, “I had an epiphany.” As believers, we are to have an epiphany in the person of Jesus. We’re not just supposed to let life happen to us. Rather, we’re to be intentional in following him, that his peace and joy, along with his sacrifice, might be as much ours as they were His.

This morning my pastor, Mel Lawrenz, was interviewing Dr. Richard Swenson, who writes and teaches on this theme of intention. One of Dr. Swenson’s books is entitled _Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives_. As I listened to the interview, I recognized my own need for both greater margin and greater reserves. Gratefully, I find in my own devotional time, and in the writing of these blog entries, a place of margin, restoration, and peace. As we journey together through the lectionary this year may we together find more of the same.

On a personal note, may I also share that my wife’s Mom, Donna Karcher, passed away on New Year’s Eve. While her death has been somewhat sudden we’re grateful to know that she was a strong believer in Christ and is therefore in a place where there will be no more chemo or suffering or pain. I’m so grateful for the time we are having as a family to celebrate her life and love our way forward. Donna’s husband John Karcher loved her dearly and continues to be a great inspiration and model for all of us of living well for Christ. With my Dad’s death 2 years ago, Donna’s death last week, and my younger brother Chris’s ongoing battle with cancer, I am having glimpses over the horizon of this life to the hope that awaits all of us who are being reconciled by the death of Christ at Calvary. I am therefore more intent than ever to make each day I have left count that God might be glorified here and now as he already is being glorified then and there. Soli Deo Gloria.

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Google Analytics indicates that in 2008 there were 5,254 visits to this blog from 101 countries. Thank you for being among my readers.

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Psalm 147:12-20
For Sunday, January 4, 2009
Second Sunday after Christmas Day

As Israeli bombs fall on Gaza and financial stocks are down over 50% what comfort to know that the Lord yet offers us peace and prosperity. These are the themes of Psalm 147.

“Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion, for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat” (vv 12-14).

What are the keys to realizing this blessing? “The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground” (v. 6). “The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in a better investment strategy” (v. 11). Oops, amend that: “… who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

“But,” you might object, “isn’t this promise just for Jerusalem?” This is what the text says (v. 12). The underlying question though is who is Jerusalem? In the New Testament it becomes explicit that ‘Jerusalem’ connotes more than just a geographic city in Israel. The Apostle Paul points this out to the Galatians when he says, “. . . But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother” (Gal. 4:26). The author to the Hebrews concurs: “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God . . . to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven . . . to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant” (Heb. 12:22-24).

Let us therefore humble ourselves on this first day of 2009. Let us commit our way to the Lord and see if the result does not turn out better than the result of 2008. Let us put our hope in his unfailing love and see if our borders are not strengthened and our pantries filled with the finest of wheat.

Happy New Year.

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