Remember! Give Thanks!
Sunday, July 6
Psalm 66:1-7
There are many hymns of praise in the psalms, acknowledging God’s sovereignty over creation as well as his power, and his goodness. This psalm exhorts all the earth to sing the glory of God’s name, and in these verses his mighty acts are recalled. “He turned the sea into dry land,” where worshipers “passed through the river on foot” (v. 6, NRSVUE) harkens back to the songs of Miriam and Moses in Exodus 15. Psalm 66 is, in part, anamnesis: remembering and retelling God’s mighty acts in the past. While the narrative element recalls the peoples’ experience of divine action, God is center stage throughout the hymn. The appropriate response is praise. Some congregations set aside a portion of corporate worship for testimonies. Individuals stand and share how God has blessed, delivered, or redeemed them, and the congregation joyfully praises God. When we share what God has done for us, we bless others and give glory to the Lord.
Thank you, God, for your goodness. Help us to remember and praise you. Amen.
Restorative Justice
Monday, July 7
Galatians 6:1-6
The first verse of this passage conveys something every Christian should emulate. There is acknowledgment of an undeniable problem (sin) and gracious response to the offender. My brother, who was a police officer, said he often felt sorry for people he had to arrest; he didn’t think they were evil, but they’d made bad choices. He tried to treat them with compassion while enforcing the law. In a similar way, one goal of North Park Theological Seminary’s certificate program in transformative justice is equipping people to engage in “healing and reparative work in communities.” How do we treat someone, whether a minister or fellow church member, who is “overtaken in any trespass” (v. 1, NKJV)? Pretending nothing has happened may be the larger culture’s response, but that leaves no avenue for restoration. Shunning or gossiping about the person is a roadblock to restoration and blinds us to our own fallibility. The gospel calls us to seek restoration, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Gracious Lord, forgive and restore us all. Amen.
Sowing And Reaping
Tuesday, July 8
Galatians 6:7-16
When I was a child taking music lessons, the first Sunday school song I learned to play was “Bringing in the Sheaves”—not for any theological reason, but because it required only three chords. “Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness / Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve; / Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping / We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.”
Today’s passage uses that image of sowing and reaping, urging Christians not to lose heart as we await the eternal harvest. Most of Galatians 6 directs the church’s attention to how we deal with one another, as well as those outside the church. In Matthew 13, Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a farmer who sowed good seed in his field. What are your opportunities to sow seeds of kindness each day? Doing good to others pleases God and will ultimately reap a harvest of joy.
Lord of love, make us tenderhearted toward one another, trusting in your harvest. Amen.
The Healing Of Naaman
Wednesday, July 9
2 Kings 5:1-14
One bit of advice I regularly gave students in my preaching classes was, “Beware of imputing motives that cannot be established in the text.” When preaching or thinking about the healing of Naaman, the temptation to do this is almost irresistible. We may be drawn to the testimony of the servant girl, to possible reasons for Naaman’s anger and reluctance, or to the servants’ challenge to Naaman in verse 13. We may draw moralisms about the need to “trust and obey,” inferring a divine pledge to bless us and fix our situation if we do so.
While God certainly can heal, fix, and bless, the text does not promise that. The books of 1 and 2 Kings are primarily a history of the Hebrew monarchies, including stories of how God worked through fallible human beings to accomplish his purposes. A leprous commander, an exasperated king, a seemingly antisocial prophet: God used them all.
Praise God that he continues to work through fallible people—people like us.
Thank you, Lord, that your Spirit can work even through our shortcomings. Amen.
Come, Lord Jesus
Thursday, July 10
Luke 8:40-42a, 49-56
When we read a familiar story, we sometimes assume or insert things not recorded in the text. For example, Jairus did not explicitly ask Jesus to heal his daughter. Jairus simply acknowledged Christ’s lordship (by kneeling before him) and begged him to come to his house. Jesus permitted only a select few at the daughter’s bedside. He took her hand and said, “Talitha cumi,” which means “Child, arise.” And she was restored to life.
This healing has an echo in Acts 9: the healing of Tabitha. In that instance, it was Peter who was summoned to the bedside of a godly woman who had died. Like Jesus, he put others outside, took her by the hand, and told her to get up—and she lived again.
In times of distress and grief, the best thing we can do is ask our Lord to be present—to invoke the Spirit’s help and support. Prayer opens us and our situation to his grace and power.
Come, Lord Jesus, for you are our hope, our life, our joy. Amen.
A Touch Of Faith
Friday, July 11
Luke 8:42b-48
The Covid pandemic separated people from one another because of something beyond our control. The lockdown prohibited most in-person gatherings. Masks had to be worn, and a six-foot distance maintained.
Now imagine how isolated you’d feel if the pandemic lockdown had lasted twelve years—and if you alone were identified as the carrier. That was the experience of the woman with the issue of blood. She was unclean and untouchable, according to Jewish law (Leviticus 15). The woman knew the rules. But she heard about Jesus and his power, and she was so desperate that she dared to break the rules. When she reached out to touch his garment, her life changed forever. Jesus recognized her faith. She was healed and confessed her belief before others. Then our Lord blessed her, saying, “Go in peace.”
Her healing is good news for us, too, because it shows our Lord is keenly sensitive to our reaching out to him. He can heal our brokenness. He wants us to draw near.
Thank you, God, for your mercy and power. Amen.
No Lone Rangers
Saturday, July 12
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
When I read this passage, my natural inclination is to focus on just a few elements: 1) Jesus sends his followers out to be in mission; 2) they go without the obvious necessary resources; 3) they’re told how to deal with acceptance or rejection.
But significant aspects of the narrative may be glossed over when the text is read or preached this way. Jesus sent the disciples out two by two rather than alone. This brings to mind Ecclesiastes 4:9-10: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up” (NKJV). The disciples also returned to gather around Jesus. They reported with joy about their ministry.
Lessons I draw from this passage are that the Holy Spirit both draws us to Christ and equips us to be in mission together. Believers encourage and strengthen one another to do God’s work.
Thank you, God, for the gift of your Spirit and for one another. Amen.
