Daily Devotionals
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Daily Devotionals with Rev. Dr. Brandon Frick |
August 15
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near. Revelation 1:1-3
You didn’t think I’d leave out the book of Revelation (Apokalupsis) did you? After all, this is the book that controls how we think about Apocalypse in the modern world. It’s a book that describes rampant war, famine, disease and death that build up to an unexpectedly peaceful and poetic conclusion to the “end days” (If you don’t believe me, read chapters 21-22). But, in this time of global pandemic and political unrest, I think that it’s the chaotic forces – not the peaceful ending – that have led some to describe this time as “apocalyptic.”
But looking at our text for today and all the others we’ve surveyed in the New Testament, violence and suffering are not necessarily hallmarks of apokalupsis, or revelation. How would you describe it? Have you ever had a revelatory moment, one in which God has revealed something important to you? what was revealed to you? Where did it occur? How did it come about? How did it make you feel? Maybe you’ve only heard about such experiences; how did others describe them? Remember the answers to those questions, so the next time you, or someone else, describes this moment as apocalyptic, you can think about what God may be trying to reveal to you, or maybe all of us.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near. Revelation 1:1-3
You didn’t think I’d leave out the book of Revelation (Apokalupsis) did you? After all, this is the book that controls how we think about Apocalypse in the modern world. It’s a book that describes rampant war, famine, disease and death that build up to an unexpectedly peaceful and poetic conclusion to the “end days” (If you don’t believe me, read chapters 21-22). But, in this time of global pandemic and political unrest, I think that it’s the chaotic forces – not the peaceful ending – that have led some to describe this time as “apocalyptic.”
But looking at our text for today and all the others we’ve surveyed in the New Testament, violence and suffering are not necessarily hallmarks of apokalupsis, or revelation. How would you describe it? Have you ever had a revelatory moment, one in which God has revealed something important to you? what was revealed to you? Where did it occur? How did it come about? How did it make you feel? Maybe you’ve only heard about such experiences; how did others describe them? Remember the answers to those questions, so the next time you, or someone else, describes this moment as apocalyptic, you can think about what God may be trying to reveal to you, or maybe all of us.
August 14
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23
Often, we try to compartmentalize various aspects of the Christian faith. Bible reading over here. Prayer over there. Worship up here. Outreach down there. But, Paul blurs some of those lines.
In the opening to his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul shares the content of his prayers for them. He writes, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation (apokalupsis) as you come to know him.” How does that revelation affect Christians? In what ways does it help us grow in the faith? What does it help us “know,” not merely as a fact, but as a claim that transforms us? How are these various facets related to each other? Maybe try to draw it out and see where you stand!
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:15-23
Often, we try to compartmentalize various aspects of the Christian faith. Bible reading over here. Prayer over there. Worship up here. Outreach down there. But, Paul blurs some of those lines.
In the opening to his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul shares the content of his prayers for them. He writes, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation (apokalupsis) as you come to know him.” How does that revelation affect Christians? In what ways does it help us grow in the faith? What does it help us “know,” not merely as a fact, but as a claim that transforms us? How are these various facets related to each other? Maybe try to draw it out and see where you stand!
August 13
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:1-9
I’ve had people ask me before why I view scripture as authoritative. It’s messy, they say, bound by the time in which it was written, and even argues against itself at times. My answer: that’s exactly why I trust it. Only a messy, very human, very contradictory story could begin to encapsulate our relationships with each other and God.
I mean, take a look at Paul. His story could have been very easily cleaned up, but in Galatians 1:16, he admits to his persecution of the early church before Jesus was revealed (apokalupsis) to him. Read Acts 9:1-9 and its description of this revelation. What do you make of the fact that this revelation came with much fanfare – a voice from the heavens and light? Why do you think Paul, of all people, was chosen to receive this kind of revelation? Why could his fellow travelers hear the voice, but see nothing?
How does this revelation compare to the other texts we’ve looked at this week (Mt. 10:26; Mt.16:13-20; 1 Cor. 14:26-31)? Is the Acts text more of what you think of when you hear the word “revelation?” Why?
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’The men who were travelling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:1-9
I’ve had people ask me before why I view scripture as authoritative. It’s messy, they say, bound by the time in which it was written, and even argues against itself at times. My answer: that’s exactly why I trust it. Only a messy, very human, very contradictory story could begin to encapsulate our relationships with each other and God.
I mean, take a look at Paul. His story could have been very easily cleaned up, but in Galatians 1:16, he admits to his persecution of the early church before Jesus was revealed (apokalupsis) to him. Read Acts 9:1-9 and its description of this revelation. What do you make of the fact that this revelation came with much fanfare – a voice from the heavens and light? Why do you think Paul, of all people, was chosen to receive this kind of revelation? Why could his fellow travelers hear the voice, but see nothing?
How does this revelation compare to the other texts we’ve looked at this week (Mt. 10:26; Mt.16:13-20; 1 Cor. 14:26-31)? Is the Acts text more of what you think of when you hear the word “revelation?” Why?
August 12
What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to someone else sitting nearby, let the first person be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 1 Corinthians 14:26-31
Presbyterians have always had an affinity for St. Paul and his affinity for orderly worship. Can you imagine the horror of opening worship with the Lord’s Prayer or [gulp] a Confession of Sin. You can thank St. Paul and John Calvin for “decently and in order worship.” Even revelations are set and structured parts of worship, along with hymns, lessons, speaking and interpreting tongues.
Now at first read, you might think the “revelation” (apokalupsis) is the sermon; indeed, there are preachers who would whole-heartedly agree with you that their sermons are always revelatory. But the “lesson” (didache, or teaching) Paul describes seems to refer to the sermon, while the revelation is the responsibility of one or more prophets. So, what would you expect the revelation to look like? Abstract or specific? A meditation on the present or a prediction of the future? It’s given “so that all may learn and all be encouraged,” so can you remember a revelatory moment in worship in which you’ve participated? Maybe in the liturgy, music, sacraments, or dare I say sermon?
What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret. But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. If a revelation is made to someone else sitting nearby, let the first person be silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged. 1 Corinthians 14:26-31
Presbyterians have always had an affinity for St. Paul and his affinity for orderly worship. Can you imagine the horror of opening worship with the Lord’s Prayer or [gulp] a Confession of Sin. You can thank St. Paul and John Calvin for “decently and in order worship.” Even revelations are set and structured parts of worship, along with hymns, lessons, speaking and interpreting tongues.
Now at first read, you might think the “revelation” (apokalupsis) is the sermon; indeed, there are preachers who would whole-heartedly agree with you that their sermons are always revelatory. But the “lesson” (didache, or teaching) Paul describes seems to refer to the sermon, while the revelation is the responsibility of one or more prophets. So, what would you expect the revelation to look like? Abstract or specific? A meditation on the present or a prediction of the future? It’s given “so that all may learn and all be encouraged,” so can you remember a revelatory moment in worship in which you’ve participated? Maybe in the liturgy, music, sacraments, or dare I say sermon?
August 11
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus asks the disciples what other people are saying about him in town. They tell him some say you are Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. He then asks them who they – his disciples – say he is. Though it’s not written, I imagine a pregnant pause here; you don’t want to compare your rabbi to the wrong person. Finally, Peter speaks up, and says he is the Messiah. Jesus lauds him, and goes on to say that it is not “flesh and blood” that has revealed (apokalupsis) this to him, but “my Father in heaven.”
What does this mean that the one provided this revelation and not the other? How do you think his Father revealed this to Peter, and why would Peter’s claim make him suitable to be the “rock” upon which the church will be built?
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16:13-20
Jesus asks the disciples what other people are saying about him in town. They tell him some say you are Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. He then asks them who they – his disciples – say he is. Though it’s not written, I imagine a pregnant pause here; you don’t want to compare your rabbi to the wrong person. Finally, Peter speaks up, and says he is the Messiah. Jesus lauds him, and goes on to say that it is not “flesh and blood” that has revealed (apokalupsis) this to him, but “my Father in heaven.”
What does this mean that the one provided this revelation and not the other? How do you think his Father revealed this to Peter, and why would Peter’s claim make him suitable to be the “rock” upon which the church will be built?
I’ve heard the word “apocalypse” spoken more than once these last few months – sometimes accompanied with a smile, others with a look of concern. This week, we’re going to spend some time looking at apokalupsis, the Greek word translated as “apocalypse,” to get a better understanding of the word and our world.
August 10
‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Matthew 10:26
In Matthew 10, Jesus spells out what it will mean to be a disciple. They will be “sheep sent out amid wolves,” persecuted, and despised by the authorities in their day. (I’m guessing this chapter didn’t make the early church recruiting pamphlet). After laying out the difficulties of discipleship, Jesus tells them to not be afraid because “nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered (apokalupsis), and nothing secret that will not become known.” Or, as we might say it: the truth will come out.
We live in what some have called a “post-truth” age, a time in which whether something is truth or lie, fact or fiction, does not matter. But, Jesus seems to tell them that the uncovering (apokalupsis) is important. Given that the people he’s speaking to are about to undergo unspeakable suffering, why would this uncovered truth matter to them?
‘So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Matthew 10:26
In Matthew 10, Jesus spells out what it will mean to be a disciple. They will be “sheep sent out amid wolves,” persecuted, and despised by the authorities in their day. (I’m guessing this chapter didn’t make the early church recruiting pamphlet). After laying out the difficulties of discipleship, Jesus tells them to not be afraid because “nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered (apokalupsis), and nothing secret that will not become known.” Or, as we might say it: the truth will come out.
We live in what some have called a “post-truth” age, a time in which whether something is truth or lie, fact or fiction, does not matter. But, Jesus seems to tell them that the uncovering (apokalupsis) is important. Given that the people he’s speaking to are about to undergo unspeakable suffering, why would this uncovered truth matter to them?
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Daily Devotionals with Rev. Dr. Rodger Nishioka |
August 8
Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:9, 12
Water is life. The vision God gives to Ezekiel conveys this so beautifully. But here is what is so powerful. God shows Ezekiel a vision of this life-giving water flowing from the temple and filling the land with healing and life. The water is flowing not just from the temple but from the sanctuary; from the worship of God. That may feel more difficult in these days since we are not worshipping together in person. It may feel more challenging to let the healing and life-giving waters of God flow from our worship when we are sitting in our homes, but the worship of God is not bound by a physical space.
So, as we gather for worship tomorrow, envision the life-giving waters of God flowing from us, each of us, all of us. Envision the healing waters of God moving from us out into the world that is desperately in need of refreshing, renewing, water. Water is life. God is the creator of the water. God is life. That life lives in you and me not just for ourselves, but for nourishment of the whole world!
Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing. Ezekiel 47:9, 12
Water is life. The vision God gives to Ezekiel conveys this so beautifully. But here is what is so powerful. God shows Ezekiel a vision of this life-giving water flowing from the temple and filling the land with healing and life. The water is flowing not just from the temple but from the sanctuary; from the worship of God. That may feel more difficult in these days since we are not worshipping together in person. It may feel more challenging to let the healing and life-giving waters of God flow from our worship when we are sitting in our homes, but the worship of God is not bound by a physical space.
So, as we gather for worship tomorrow, envision the life-giving waters of God flowing from us, each of us, all of us. Envision the healing waters of God moving from us out into the world that is desperately in need of refreshing, renewing, water. Water is life. God is the creator of the water. God is life. That life lives in you and me not just for ourselves, but for nourishment of the whole world!
August 7
Then God said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God; I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:11-14
The Hebrew people have been scattered to many nations. Many of them feel cut off from one another and from the God of Israel. They believe that the Hebrews as a people no longer exist. They fear that God has abandoned them, and if this is true, then they are dead. Into this moment, God shows Ezekiel a vision of a valley of dry bones and when Ezekiel speaks God’s words to the dry bones, they come back to life.
We Americans are more divided now than at any time since our civil war. The global pandemic has dramatically changed our ways of life. We are protesting in the streets seeking justice and righteousness. American church membership continues to decline. We feel cut off from one another and wonder if God is still with us.
As Rev. Wright preached on Sunday, we wonder if these dry bones can possibly have any life in them. And into this moment, God speaks and the old, dry bones come to life! Remember that our lives are not our own—they belong to God. So when it feels like our world is coming apart or there cannot possibly be life in these old, dry bones, God is the one who promises that God will put the spirit back in us and we will live!
Then God said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God; I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act, says the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:11-14
The Hebrew people have been scattered to many nations. Many of them feel cut off from one another and from the God of Israel. They believe that the Hebrews as a people no longer exist. They fear that God has abandoned them, and if this is true, then they are dead. Into this moment, God shows Ezekiel a vision of a valley of dry bones and when Ezekiel speaks God’s words to the dry bones, they come back to life.
We Americans are more divided now than at any time since our civil war. The global pandemic has dramatically changed our ways of life. We are protesting in the streets seeking justice and righteousness. American church membership continues to decline. We feel cut off from one another and wonder if God is still with us.
As Rev. Wright preached on Sunday, we wonder if these dry bones can possibly have any life in them. And into this moment, God speaks and the old, dry bones come to life! Remember that our lives are not our own—they belong to God. So when it feels like our world is coming apart or there cannot possibly be life in these old, dry bones, God is the one who promises that God will put the spirit back in us and we will live!
August 6
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
To state the obvious, you cannot live with a heart of stone. A more common phrase in the Bible is a “hardened heart.” That phrase appears over 100 times and describes individuals and peoples who refuse to listen to or are stubborn or resistant to God. The “heart of stone” language means the same.
Several years ago when I was teaching at Columbia Seminary, one of our newer professors was up for promotion and tenure. I was on the faculty committee that conducted the evaluation. One of the professors in her area, to her surprise, sent a letter to the committee opposing her promotion and tenure. It hurt her deeply. When she tried to talk to him about it, he refused. Eventually, over his strident objections, our committee voted to recommend she be promoted and tenured. She was deeply hurt and he was very angry. About two years later, I saw them both walking across campus and talking and laughing. When I asked her about it later, she told me that she had decided she could not keep carrying this hurt and anger toward him any more so she began to pray for him. It changed her heart. And as she reached out to him, it seemed that his heart changed, too.
I think the Holy Spirit can do that. I think God can take a heart of stone, a hardened heart, and soften it. It does not make all the hurt go away. It does not make everything all right. But it does allow for us to live. If you are carrying around a stone heart or a hardened heart, I hope you will pray that the Spirit will soften you so that some steps to healing can happen.
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26
To state the obvious, you cannot live with a heart of stone. A more common phrase in the Bible is a “hardened heart.” That phrase appears over 100 times and describes individuals and peoples who refuse to listen to or are stubborn or resistant to God. The “heart of stone” language means the same.
Several years ago when I was teaching at Columbia Seminary, one of our newer professors was up for promotion and tenure. I was on the faculty committee that conducted the evaluation. One of the professors in her area, to her surprise, sent a letter to the committee opposing her promotion and tenure. It hurt her deeply. When she tried to talk to him about it, he refused. Eventually, over his strident objections, our committee voted to recommend she be promoted and tenured. She was deeply hurt and he was very angry. About two years later, I saw them both walking across campus and talking and laughing. When I asked her about it later, she told me that she had decided she could not keep carrying this hurt and anger toward him any more so she began to pray for him. It changed her heart. And as she reached out to him, it seemed that his heart changed, too.
I think the Holy Spirit can do that. I think God can take a heart of stone, a hardened heart, and soften it. It does not make all the hurt go away. It does not make everything all right. But it does allow for us to live. If you are carrying around a stone heart or a hardened heart, I hope you will pray that the Spirit will soften you so that some steps to healing can happen.
August 5
God said to me, O mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. He said to me, Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey. Ezekiel 3:1-3
One of my earliest abiding memories is of my Dad reading his Bible. As a little kid, I would wake up early in the morning and cross through the living room on my way to the bathroom and there would be Dad, sitting quietly by a lamp and reading his Bible. I would greet him and he would greet me and after using the bathroom, I would head back to bed. One day I remember asking, “Dad, are you what they call a ‘slow reader?’” He smiled and asked why I was asking. I told him because it seemed like he had been reading his Bible for years and shouldn’t he be done by now? That’s when Dad told me that he had finished it many times, but he read kept reading it over and over. My father loved the Bible.
I have no doubt that like Ezekiel, he would have eaten the scroll and enjoyed it. He would have said that it tasted like honey to him, too. Following my father’s lived example, I have read the Bible several times over now. And by the grace of God, each time I read these now familiar passages, the Holy Spirit gifts me with new insights, new questions, new discoveries, new wonders and wonderings. I love the Bible. I hope you do, too.
God said to me, O mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. He said to me, Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it; and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey. Ezekiel 3:1-3
One of my earliest abiding memories is of my Dad reading his Bible. As a little kid, I would wake up early in the morning and cross through the living room on my way to the bathroom and there would be Dad, sitting quietly by a lamp and reading his Bible. I would greet him and he would greet me and after using the bathroom, I would head back to bed. One day I remember asking, “Dad, are you what they call a ‘slow reader?’” He smiled and asked why I was asking. I told him because it seemed like he had been reading his Bible for years and shouldn’t he be done by now? That’s when Dad told me that he had finished it many times, but he read kept reading it over and over. My father loved the Bible.
I have no doubt that like Ezekiel, he would have eaten the scroll and enjoyed it. He would have said that it tasted like honey to him, too. Following my father’s lived example, I have read the Bible several times over now. And by the grace of God, each time I read these now familiar passages, the Holy Spirit gifts me with new insights, new questions, new discoveries, new wonders and wonderings. I love the Bible. I hope you do, too.
August 4
On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on him there. Ezekiel 1:2-3
After four years in exile, Ezekiel receives a call from the Lord. The Bible says the “hand of the Lord was on him there.” That phrase is used often in the Bible when a person receives a calling from God or is sent to do a particular task.
In the New Testament especially, the laying on of hands happens when people are baptized and blessed and commissioned. The act of laying on of hands represents the hand of the Lord. We lay hands on others during ordinations of elders and deacons. We lay hands on others when we pray for them.
One of my pastor friends has an acute sense of the presence of God. She can name a number of times when she has felt the physical weight of the Lord’s hand on hers. One of them happened recently when she was visiting a woman who was dying. The woman was barely responsive but when my friend laid her hands on her to pray with her and for her, she felt the weight of hands on top of her own. She kept her eyes closed and told me she could tangibly feel the warmth of the hands pressing on her own. When she opened her eyes, she and the woman were the only two people in the room. I believe her. I believe the hands of the Lord were resting on her hands and together they prayed this lovely, faithful saint into heaven. Be attentive for the hand, for the presence of the Lord upon you!
On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin), the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on him there. Ezekiel 1:2-3
After four years in exile, Ezekiel receives a call from the Lord. The Bible says the “hand of the Lord was on him there.” That phrase is used often in the Bible when a person receives a calling from God or is sent to do a particular task.
In the New Testament especially, the laying on of hands happens when people are baptized and blessed and commissioned. The act of laying on of hands represents the hand of the Lord. We lay hands on others during ordinations of elders and deacons. We lay hands on others when we pray for them.
One of my pastor friends has an acute sense of the presence of God. She can name a number of times when she has felt the physical weight of the Lord’s hand on hers. One of them happened recently when she was visiting a woman who was dying. The woman was barely responsive but when my friend laid her hands on her to pray with her and for her, she felt the weight of hands on top of her own. She kept her eyes closed and told me she could tangibly feel the warmth of the hands pressing on her own. When she opened her eyes, she and the woman were the only two people in the room. I believe her. I believe the hands of the Lord were resting on her hands and together they prayed this lovely, faithful saint into heaven. Be attentive for the hand, for the presence of the Lord upon you!
August 3
In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1:1
I will never understand what it means to be in exile. Sometimes, I have joked with family and friends that for all the years since I left Honolulu and then Seattle, the two places where I feel most at home, I have been living in exile but that’s not really true. In the Old Testament, you were taken and forced into exile. Ezekiel is living in exile in Babylon after the Babylonians conquered Judah. He was forced to leave his homeland, and he yearned to return. Some of the exiles ended up assimilating quickly to their new surroundings. They adopted the culture and the religion and language. But many, like Ezekiel tried to cling to their identity.
Some theologians argue that we Christians should view our lives in the same way. We should act as exiles because while we are here in our homes, we really do not ultimately belong here. Ultimately, we belong not to an earthly kingdom but to a heavenly one. Ezekiel lived in exile for 26 years. And during much of that time, he reminded the other Hebrews who they were and to whom they belonged. They were people of the living God and they belonged to God.
I want all of us to be safe and comfortable. But not too comfortable. I need to remember that while I am so grateful to be an American, my ultimate allegiance is not to my country but to the God whose grace is sufficient for us all.
In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1:1
I will never understand what it means to be in exile. Sometimes, I have joked with family and friends that for all the years since I left Honolulu and then Seattle, the two places where I feel most at home, I have been living in exile but that’s not really true. In the Old Testament, you were taken and forced into exile. Ezekiel is living in exile in Babylon after the Babylonians conquered Judah. He was forced to leave his homeland, and he yearned to return. Some of the exiles ended up assimilating quickly to their new surroundings. They adopted the culture and the religion and language. But many, like Ezekiel tried to cling to their identity.
Some theologians argue that we Christians should view our lives in the same way. We should act as exiles because while we are here in our homes, we really do not ultimately belong here. Ultimately, we belong not to an earthly kingdom but to a heavenly one. Ezekiel lived in exile for 26 years. And during much of that time, he reminded the other Hebrews who they were and to whom they belonged. They were people of the living God and they belonged to God.
I want all of us to be safe and comfortable. But not too comfortable. I need to remember that while I am so grateful to be an American, my ultimate allegiance is not to my country but to the God whose grace is sufficient for us all.
