Daily devotions, written by the staff of Fourth Presbyterian Church,
are available via email (sign up online or send addresses to devotions@fourthchurch.org),
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February 1–4 | February 5–11 | February 12–18
Reading the Entire Bible in a Year
These daily devotions written by Fourth Church staff reflect on assigned readings that will take us through the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, by the end of 2012. They use as their basis the Common English Bible, a new translation that was written to allow easy readability and access to the text that in turn enhances study of the Bible.
For more information about this journey through the Bible, including details about the two weekly Bible studies that complement participants’ individual reading, we invite you to visit www.fourthchurch.org/bibleyear.html or contact Adam Fronczek at 312.640.5398.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 15-16; Psalm 15-16
Text for this reflection | Exodus 16
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Sin desert, which is located between Elim and Sinai. They set out on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt. The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “I’m going to make bread rain down from the sky for you. The people will go out each day and gather just enough for that day. In this way, I’ll test them to see whether or not they follow my Instruction. On the sixth day, when they measure out what they have collected, it will be twice as much as they collected on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you will see the Lord’s glorious presence, because your complaints against the Lord have been heard. Who are we? Why blame us?” Moses continued, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning because the Lord heard the complaints you made against him. Who are we? Your complaints aren’t against us but against the Lord.”
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole Israelite community, ‘Come near to the Lord, because he’s heard your complaints.’ “ As Aaron spoke to the whole Israelite community, they turned to look toward the desert, and just then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
The Lord spoke to Moses, “I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat. And in the morning you will have your fill of bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”
In the evening a flock of quail flew down and covered the camp. And in the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the desert surface were thin flakes, as thin as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” They didn’t know what it was.
Moses said to them, “This is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Collect as much of it as each of you can eat, one omer per person. You may collect for the number of people in your household.’” The Israelites did as Moses said, some collecting more, some less. But when they measured it out by the omer, the ones who had collected more had nothing left over, and the ones who had collected less had no shortage. Everyone collected just as much as they could eat. Moses said to them, “Don’t keep any of it until morning.” But they didn’t listen to Moses. Some kept part of it until morning, but it became infested with worms and stank. Moses got angry with them. Every morning they gathered it, as much as each person could eat. But when the sun grew hot, it melted away.
On the sixth day the people collected twice as much food as usual, two omers per person. All the chiefs of the community came and told Moses. He said to them, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. But you can set aside and keep all the leftovers until the next morning.’” So they set the leftovers aside until morning, as Moses had commanded. They didn’t stink or become infested with worms. The next day Moses said, “Eat it today, because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you won’t find it out in the field. Six days you will gather it. But on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be nothing to gather.”
On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather bread, but they found nothing. The Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to obey my commandments and instructions? Look! The Lord has given you the Sabbath. Therefore, on the sixth day he gives you enough food for two days. Each of you should stay where you are and not leave your place on the seventh day.” So the people rested on the seventh day.
The Israelite people called it manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and tasted like honey wafers. Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept safe for future generations so that they can see the food that I used to feed you in the desert when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ “
Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, and put one full omer of manna in it. Then set it in the Lord’s presence, where it should be kept safe for future generations.” Aaron did as the Lord commanded Moses, and he put it in front of the covenant document for safekeeping. The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they came to a livable land. They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. (An omer is one-tenth of an ephah.) (CEB)
Reflection
An extra pen at the meeting in case the other one runs out. Cheerios in a pocket in case the child becomes restless or hungry. A backup plan—just in case. We like to be prepared; we like things to be under control—to be in control. And we worry when we’re not. We are a worrying people who have to be reminded again and again of God’s providential care—of the lilies of the field, the birds of the air. The manna from heaven.
Imagine the challenge, then, for the Israelites when God says, “I will ease your hunger; I will provide your hunger—but only one day at a time. Your planning ahead and storing up will be pointless. Just one day at a time.”
It is a story that calls us to cast our cares on the One who leads us out of the wilderness. That calls us to trust. That calls us to thanksgiving—for the gift of life and all that sustains it. That frees us to live in the joy of the Lord today and always.
As theologian Fred Niedner reflects, “The Pharisees taught that the reign of God would never come, or the apocalyptic tradition’s wedding and feasting would never happen, until everybody . . . would just once keep a single Sabbath. That is, it would not happen until just once everybody left off trying to accomplish things and change the world, and put down all their pretenses and for even a single moment gave thanks to God for life and recognized life and the world as God’s sheer undeserved gift.”
Prayer
Bread of heaven, into your hands I commend this day, my cares and concerns, my joys, my yearnings, my life. Give us this day our daily bread. Amen.
Written by Ann Rehfeldt, Director of Communications
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 17-18; Matthew 24
Text for this reflection: Exodus 17:1-7
The whole Israelite community broke camp and set out from the Sin desert to continue their journey, as the Lord commanded. They set up their camp at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people argued with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses said to them, “Why are you arguing with me? Why are you testing the Lord?”
But the people were very thirsty for water there, and they complained to Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with this people? They are getting ready to stone me.”
The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of Israel’s elders with you. Take in your hand the shepherd’s rod that you used to strike the Nile River, and go. I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Hit the rock. Water will come out of it, and the people will be able to drink.” Moses did so while Israel’s elders watched. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites argued with and tested the Lord, asking, “Is the Lord really with us or not?” (CEB)
Reflection
“Ouch! The wedding was months ago, and I still haven’t sent out my thank-you notes. Is it now too late?” “I mailed my grandson a birthday gift but, as usual, have not received back any word of acknowledgment. I’m tempted to remove him from the gift list.” Advice columnists routinely address such thank-you-note angst, both of those who should’ve sent and didn’t, as well as those who wait in vain to receive.
Ingratitude is a readily felt offense across human cultures, violating our sense of fairness. Well, if we owe expression of gratitude to one another, how much more is it due our Maker? Within the Hebrew tradition, their ancestors’ wilderness complaints against God were seen as setting an ugly pattern of ingratitude for generations to come.
Our faith calls us higher, to hearts ready to feel and express gratitude to God. This can take the form of directing daily thank-you notes to God. These notes don’t even require a stamp, just pauses in the day to give a sincere word of thanks for what God has given to you and for the importance of God in your life. Jesus said that the point was not quantity of words but quality of intent. Even if lately neglected, why not send those notes today? The commonplace observation still remains true: Grateful people are happy people. (Needless to say, the contrary is equally true.)
Prayer
Thank you, Lord, for gifting me with this good day of life. Thank you for walking with me today. Amen.
Written by Thomas C. Rook, Parish Associate
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Friday, February 3, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 19-20; Matthew 25
Text for this reflection | Matthew 25
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Now five of them were wise, and the other five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t bring oil for them. But the wise ones took their lamps and also brought containers of oil.
“When the groom was late in coming, they all became drowsy and went to sleep. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the groom! Come out to meet him.’
“Then all those bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. But the foolish bridesmaids said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps have gone out.’
“But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘No, because if we share with you, there won’t be enough for our lamps and yours. We have a better idea. You go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were gone to buy oil, the groom came. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding. Then the door was shut.
“Later the other bridesmaids came and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us.’
“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
“Therefore keep alert because you don’t know the day or the hour.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. To one he gave five valuable coins, and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. He gave to each servant according to that servant’s ability. Then he left on his journey.
“After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them. He gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two valuable coins gained two more. But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
“Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five valuable coins came forward with five additional coins. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Excellent! You are a good and faithful servant! You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’
“The second servant also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’
“Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest grain where you haven’t sown. You gather crops where you haven’t spread seed. So I was afraid. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. Here, you have what’s yours.’
“His master replied, ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I harvest grain where I haven’t sown and that I gather crops where I haven’t spread seed? In that case, you should have turned my money over to the bankers so that when I returned, you could give me what belonged to me with interest. Therefore take from him the valuable coin and give it to the one who has ten coins. Those who have much will receive more, and they will have more than they need. But as for those who don’t have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them. Now take the worthless servant and throw him outside into the darkness.’
“People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.
“Now when the Human One comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left.
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
“Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you?’ Then he will answer, ‘I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will go into eternal life.” (CEB)
Reflection
I recently learned on a Nova broadcast that if scientists are able to confirm that the “God particle” does exist, then there have to be more dimensions than just the three we are accustomed to dealing with. In fact, it is possible that there are up to eleven dimensions existing right now. Another dimension could be just a millimeter away from our face and we are simply not able to perceive it. In Matthew 25, Jesus already sees beyond the ordinary and finds another dimension. Jesus sees heaven bursting in, through and out of everyday life. For Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is so close to us, and yet we do not perceive or accept it, and he is trying to open our eyes so we can experience it and live into it even now. He urges us to be prepared, to anticipate experiencing heaven; he urges us to take a risk and use our gifts fully. He even asserts that as you treat the least is how you treat him. But in these claims is the assumption that heaven and God can be found within each of us if we can only see and acknowledge this. A sunrise, embracing a loved one, or a concert—each may seem ordinary or life changing. It is up to us to be open, find the dimension may only be a millimeter away, and realize more fully what we see in front of us.
Prayer
“Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me; place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free.” Amen.
(Prayer text by Clara Scott)
Reflection written by John W. W. Sherer, Organist and Director of Music
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Saturday, February 4, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 21-22; Psalm 17
Reflection
According to legend, Rabbi Hillel, thought to be a contemporary of Jesus, was commanded by a Roman centurion to recite the Law of Moses while standing on one leg. He said, “That which is hateful to thee, do not unto thy fellow man. That is the whole Law; the rest is mere commentary.”
Those who are participating in “The Year of the Bible,” reading through the entire Bible in 2012, will sense the impossibility of the centurion’s command. The reading for today from Exodus is verse after verse of laws, some very practical (“When someone steals an ox . . . the thief shall pay five oxen for the one ox,” Exodus 22:1). But the total number of laws in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) is 613. To recite them, to remember them, even to read them without losing focus, seems impossible, and to recite them standing on one leg would be physically impossible.
For Jews, the Torah is a blessing from God, a sign that God is not indifferent, God cares and gives direction, very practical directions for living. On the other hand, becoming so focused on the detail of the law can result in misunderstanding the Law’s primary purpose. That, it seems, is what Rabbi Hillel intended when he summarized the Law as what we call the Golden Rule.
And for those of us who are Christian, it is good to remember that Rabbi Jesus said that he did not come to replace the law but to fulfill it, to show us the way to live its essence (Matthew 5:17).
Prayer
Thank you, God, for all the ways you bless your people. You bless us in the details, and you bless us by letting us see the essence of your love. You bless us with Torah, and you bless us with Jesus. Amen.
Written by Donna Gray, Minister for Children and Families
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Sunday, February 5, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 23-24; Matthew 26
Text for this reflection | Exodus 23:1-19
Don’t spread false rumors. Don’t plot with evil people to act as a lying witness. Don’t take sides with important people to do wrong. When you act as a witness, don’t stretch the truth to favor important people. But don’t privilege unimportant people in their lawsuits either.
When you happen to come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has wandered off, you should bring it back to them.
When you see a donkey that belongs to someone who hates you and it’s lying down under its load and you are inclined not to help set it free, you must help set it free.
Don’t undermine the justice that your poor deserve in their lawsuits. Stay away from making a false charge. Don’t put an innocent person who is in the right to death, because I will not consider innocent those who do such evil. Don’t take a bribe, because a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.
Don’t oppress an immigrant. You know what it’s like to be an immigrant, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt.
For six years you should plant crops on your land and gather in its produce. But in the seventh year you should leave it alone and undisturbed so that the poor among your people may eat. What they leave behind, the wild animals may eat. You should do the same with your vineyard and your olive trees.
Do your work in six days. But on the seventh day you should rest so that your ox and donkey may rest, and even the child of your female slave and the immigrant may be refreshed.
Be careful to obey everything that I have said to you. Don’t call on the names of other gods. Don’t even mention them.
You should observe a festival for me three times a year. Observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, as I commanded you. Eat unleavened bread for seven days at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because it was in that month that you came out of Egypt.
No one should appear before me empty-handed. Observe the Harvest Festival for the early produce of your crops that you planted in the field, and the Gathering Festival at the end of the year, when you gather your crop of fruit from the field. All your males should appear three times a year before the Lord God.
Don’t offer the blood of my sacrifice with anything leavened. Don’t let the fat of my festival offering be left over until the morning.
Bring the best of your land’s early produce to the Lord your God’s temple.
Don’t boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. (CEB)
Reflection
Don’t lie to gain favor, be magnanimous to your enemies, make sure the poor have justice, don’t oppress immigrants, give the people who work for you time off. Bring something to God. These are all good, all sound ethical principles.
And then there’s this: “Don’t boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
A random little bit of kitchen business--does this even belong here? Was there an epidemic of goat boiling at some point? Is it somehow unhealthy? It is technically OK to boil the young goat in some other goat’s milk, as long as it’s not the mother’s? Is it some obscure metaphor about nurture and smothering?
I mean, seriously?
And in trying to rationalize this fragment, one that seems entirely out of context with the rest of the chapter, do we run the risk of missing the larger lesson, the profound ethical counseling that makes up most of the text? Don’t lie. Help people, even your enemies. Don’t take advantage. Bring something to God.
We get hung up on minutiae. We want smooth and absolute consistency, especially in our spiritual guidance. But our spiritual guidebook was assembled over hundreds of years by dozens of human beings, and human beings are the most contrary, contradictory, confounding things. We need a lens through which to bring the vital into focus. That lens was given to us when Jesus said that there were really only two commandments—to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
We really just need to love one another. Don’t lie, don’t cheat, take care of the poor and the immigrants, be magnanimous.
And if someone is really particular about how their goat is prepared, maybe just order a pizza.
Prayer
Dear Lord, please keep the things that are vital before me, and don’t let me become distracted by minutiae. Please don’t let one tree cause me to miss the beauty of the forest. Amen.
Written by Rob Koon, Fine Arts Coordinator
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Monday, February 6, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 25-26; Matthew 27
Text for this reflection | Matthew 27
Reflection
One thing that strikes me about Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus’ crucifixion is the relentless harassment Jesus suffered on his way to the cross. When I read this passage, I feel frustrated by the hateful, prideful taunts of the guards and passersby. And the priests, lawyers, and elders--supposedly people of character--seemed delighted to mock Jesus in his current condition. Even the two outlaws that were crucified with Jesus insulted him as they waited to die.
Enough already! This is no way to treat another person, even a so-called criminal and heretic.
Imagining the searing pain Jesus must have felt that day, it is easy for me to distance myself from all the “haters.” I’d much rather envision myself in the sandals of the faithful women who’d followed Jesus from Galilee, who, hearts aching, watched as he perished on a cross.
Yet when I authentically examine my heart, I realize that more often than not, I have mocked my Jesus with my thoughts, words, and actions. Have I bargained with God? Have I doubted his promises? Yes. I have been mean-spirited. I have been prideful. I have acted as though I have no need for Christ Jesus.
But the good news is that Jesus died for everyone--for the people that put him to death long ago, for me, and for you. He died in our place and rose from the dead so that we might believe and have eternal life with our Father in heaven.
He came down from the cross. He rose from the dead. He saved the world.
Prayer
Father in heaven, apart from you, life is meaningless. Thank you for sending your Son Jesus down from heaven to save us from our sins and to grant us new life in you. In your name I pray. Amen.
Written by Erin Dalpini,
Associate Director for Resource Development Communications
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Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 27-28; Matthew 28
Text for this reflection | Matthew 28:16–20
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
(CEB)
Reflection
How sweet are the words that close Matthew’s telling of the gospel story: Jesus’ promise to the disciples, “I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.” The last sentence of the Gospel takes us back to the first chapter, where the birth of Jesus is seen as the fulfillment of the promise of Emmanuel, “which means God is with us” as Matthew explains.
What might it mean that we believe in a “with-us” God?
I love the Christmas prayer by Guatemalan writer Julia Esquivel, which begins,
The Word, for our sake, became poverty clothed as the poor
who live off the refuse heap.
The Word, for our sake, became a sob a thousand times stifled
in the immovable mouth of the child who died from hunger.
The Word, for our sake, became danger in the anguish of the
mother who worries about her son growing into manhood.
That Jesus says “I will be with you” holds the promise for us that God is not a distant, uninterested deity but the power of love in our world which finds us even in the darkest experiences of the human condition and accompanies us to the hope of redemption from the darkness. That is the experience of God’s grace.
Prayer
Go with us, Lord and guide the way
Through this and every coming day. Amen.
(from the hymn by Mary Jackson Cathey)
Reflection written by Calum I. MacLeod, Executive Associate Pastor
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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 29-30; Psalm 18
Text for this reflection | Psalm 18:1–6, 16–19
He said: I love you, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer.
My God is my rock—
I take refuge in him!—
he’s my shield,
my salvation’s strength,
my place of safety.
Because he is praiseworthy,
I cried out to the Lord,
and I was saved from my enemies.
Death’s cords were wrapped around me;
rivers of wickedness terrified me.
The cords of the grave surrounded me;
death’s traps held me tight.
In my distress I cried out to the Lord;
I called to my God for help.
God heard my voice from his temple;
I called to him for help,
and my call reached his ears.
From on high God reached down
and grabbed me;
he took me out of all that water.
God saved me from my powerful enemy,
saved me from my foes,
who were too much for me.
They came at me on the very day
of my distress,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me out to wide-open spaces;
he pulled me out safe
because he is pleased with me.
(CEB)
Reflection
At least once a year, I drive from Chicago to Philadelphia to meet with my Committee on Preparation for Ministry. Flying would be a lot quicker, and probably even less expensive. However, I prefer to spend time in the “wide-open spaces” that lie between the two cities.
As I pass though the farmlands of Indiana, I feel myself gradually letting go of work and worries. My spirit is steadily restored as I traverse the rolling hills of Ohio. The mountains of Pennsylvania offer me an entirely new perspective on my life and ministry. By the time I arrive at my destination, I am able to experience the freedom and joy of the psalmist, who realizes, once again that he is in the care of the almighty yet compassionate God.
God waits to encounter us in the wide-open spaces of our lives. But our days are crowded with expectations and limitations, and we too seldom find our way there.
Where is your wide-open space? It may be a locale you’ve visited or a sanctuary you’ve created. Picture it now, and go there in your mind. Take refuge in God’s love and grace. Return often, and be at peace.
Prayer
God, sometimes I am my own worst enemy. I allow day-to-day challenges to sap my energy and life’s uncertainties to overwhelm me. Remind me that I can always call on you to pull me out of my distress and lead me to a space where I can re-center my life in you. Amen.
Written by Kathleen McKenzie, Director of Chicago Lights Elam Davies Social Service Center
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Thursday, February 9, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 31-32; Acts 1
Text for this reflection | Acts 1:6-8
As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?”
Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (CEB)
Reflection
I can’t imagine what was running through the disciples’ heads when Jesus told them that God’s plan wasn’t for them to know, but it had to be something along the lines of outrage and dismay. They had thought Jesus was back to lead them; rather than fumbling along trying to discern what God wanted them to do, they could just sit back and take orders. Wouldn’t that be for the best for them—for us?
But Jesus knows better. Without any sort of responsibility, our following his orders would be fruitless. Think of Christ ordering the disciples to stay awake in the Garden of Gethsemane. Not only did they fall asleep, but they soon abandoned him. Without the chance to experience ministry firsthand—to wrestle, to struggle, to be inspired, to love—our devotion may be just as fleeting.
Instead, we are challenged to receive the Holy Spirit and be witnesses. Acts records the empowering of the disciples and all of Jesus’ followers as they spread out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Amazingly, the same people who had fled when Jesus was arrested prove to be willing to die spreading the Gospel.
What a gift it is that we are entrusted with God’s ministry—to spread the good news and to be witnesses for Christ. What a joy that we don’t merely take orders but are called to be partners in restoring the kingdom.
Prayer
God, I am grateful that you have entrusted me with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Empower me to live out your call each day of my life. Amen.
Written by Matthew J. Helms, Pastoral Resident
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Friday, February 10, 2012
Today’s Reading | Exodus 33-34; Acts 2
Text for this reflection: Exodus 33:7-11
Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, far away from the camp. He called it the meeting tent. Everyone who wanted advice from the Lord would go out to the meeting tent outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrance to their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the column of cloud would come down and stand at the tent’s entrance while the Lord talked with Moses. When all the people saw the column of cloud standing at the tent’s entrance, they would all rise and then bow down at the entrances to their tents. In this way the Lord used to speak to Moses face-to-face, like two people talking to each other. Then Moses would come back to the camp. But his young assistant Joshua, Nun’s son, wouldn’t leave the tent. (CEB)
Reflection
As I am writing, we not long ago put away the Christmas carols ringing out with “O tidings of comfort and joy!” Yet here I am overwhelmed and emotionally exhausted from our Bible readings containing all the conflict, violence, and jealousy. What happened to the beauty and poetry of the creation stories? The narratives and history we are reading, though, are not unlike our own lives and the time and era in which we live. Where’s the comfort and joy?
The preceding chapters continue telling the story of the travels from exile into the promised land, the mess the peoples find themselves in and, at many forks and turns in the road, the mess they’ve created. In the chapter following Exodus 33, God restores the covenant with God’s people.
In this chapter of Exodus, Moses pitches the Tent of Presence outside the main campgrounds. It’s in the Tent of Presence that Moses and God speak to each other up-close and personal and from these conversations Moses is renewed and receives guidelines for the direction and journey--the way of life into the promised land. The presence of God is so tremendously felt that when Moses comes out of the Tent of Presence, his whole face is aglow and radiates to the community.
Where and in what space and context do you find yourself in the Tent of Presence, in conversation with God, finding renewal, sensing the directions for your path and journey--the way of life into the promised land?
Prayer
O God, bring that comfort and joy from the coming birth of the Baby Jesus, even now.
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.
It is well with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul.
So, may it be so!
(adapted from Horatio G. Spafford’s hymn “It Is Well with My Soul”)
Reflection written by Terrill L. Stumpf,
Director of Chicago Lights Center for Whole Health
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 35–36; Psalm 19
Reflection
The Book of Order, part of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), states that one of the great themes of the Reformed tradition is “a faithful stewardship that shuns ostentation and seeks proper use of the gifts of God’s creation” (F-2.05). How does that jibe with Moses calling people to offer to God the most beautiful of earth’s minerals and gems; their finest linens and royal colors of yarns; cherished skins and leather; precious spices; oil; fragrant incense; and acacia wood? For that matter, how does it jibe with the beautiful sanctuary of Fourth Presbyterian Church and raising $3 million to rebuild the second largest organ in Chicago?
One clue is at Graceland Cemetery, where industrialist Cyrus McCormick (1809-1884) and family are buried. McCormick and his heirs gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Presbyterian causes. He is buried near other “greats” of Chicago such as Fields and Palmer, who have massive monuments. But Cyrus’s tombstone is so small and plain it is easy to miss. He used his wealth to glorify God by matching gifts for our sanctuary, furthering seminary education, and funding many missions instead of drawing attention to himself.
My most meaningful moments of worship have been in starkly different settings. One is Fourth Church’s sanctuary with its vaulted ceiling and outstanding music. Another was in a crowded, plain, cement-block building in Haiti, with only drums played energetically by a boy to accompany the congregation’s exuberant singing. Both places were sacred, for the architects, artists and worshipers glorified God with the very best they could offer. The Israelites gave so generously Moses had to tell them to stop—there was more than enough to build the sanctuary. May we give so freely!
Prayer
Guide us as individuals and as your church to make proper use of the gifts of your creation, God. Stir our hearts to give abundantly, as you give abundantly to us. And help us know when to say, “This is enough!” Amen.
Written by Victoria G. Curtiss, Associate Pastor for Mission
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Sunday, February 12, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 37–38; Acts 3
Text for this reflection | Acts 3:19
Change your hearts and lives! Turn back to God so that your sins may be wiped away. (CEB)
Reflection
I remember hearing, almost every night as a youngster, the sharp sounds of an electric typewriter clickety-clacking, echoing down the hallway to my room from our kitchen. While my young father finished papers and dissertations for his university degree programs, the house was filled with a constant white noise of carriage zooms, margin bells, and the whiz of paper through the type roller. Once in a while the endless rhythmic pattern of hammers hitting paper would halt suddenly—almost timelessly followed by the immediate zing of a sheet being pulled from the archaic machine, crumpled up to the underscore of grumbling or the occasional expletive, and hitting the bottom of a metal trashcan. One missed keystroke and a whole page was ruined.
Today, a misspelled pronoun or incorrectly placed apostrophe merely takes a few strokes of the “delete” key and all is set. Easy. Quick. No thought except to fix it—and absolutely as soon as possible! We’re fast and busy people, often too distracted by the next turn of events to even forgive and repent. If we lose sight and make a veer from God’s path, it’s simple to just hit “delete” a few times in our lives and move on, often continuing in the wrong direction.
If we don’t take an opportunity to contemplate our life’s typos, how can we learn to spell them correctly the next time?
Prayer
Lord, help me to remember that yours is the only right path, and if I should lose sight of you, all I need is to turn back and I’ll be forgiven. Amen.
Written by Ryan Loeckel, Coordinator for Music and Membership
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Monday, February 13, 2012
Today’s Reading: Exodus 39–40; Acts 4
Text for this reflection | Exodus 39:1–5
They used the blue, purple, and deep red yarns to make the woven clothing for those ministering as priests in the sanctuary. They made the holy clothes for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses.
They made the vest of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen. They beat out thin sheets of gold and cut them into threads to work into designs among the blue, purple, and deep red yarns and the fine linen. They made shoulder pieces for it attached to its two edges so that they could be joined together. The vest’s belt was attached to it and made in the same way of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
(CEB)
Reflection
Anyone who has seen Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandments” remembers what the Israelites once did with the gold they had taken from the Egyptians. In their newfound freedom, and without a strong leader, they quickly forgot who had brought them out of slavery. They forgot the God their grandparents spoke of, the one who brought calamity to their oppressors. They melted down the gold and forged for themselves an idol in the shape of a calf to worship.
In the face of that history, what stands out to me in Exodus 39 is the repetition of God commanding the people to use “threads of gold, of blue, purple, and deep red yarns, and of fine twisted linen.” The richly colored threads are mentioned five times in this one chapter. “They beat out thin sheets of gold and cut them into threads.” The gold which was once the tool of rebellion is now an adornment for the priests’ garments.
Maybe God wanted a reminder of the people’s rebellion to be visible every time they came together to worship. But that is the kind of thing a resentful person does. Or the people might have refused saying, “No, we will never touch gold again!” But that is something a person who declines forgiveness might say. For this relationship to succeed, forgiveness must be complete. For God’s redemptive work to be fulfilled, we must not consider anything beyond God’s reach, even the tools of our rebellion.
Prayer
Holy God, O Ancient of Days, help me to honor the power of your redemptive love by withholding nothing. Help me to offer up even my most shameful acts for your glorious transformation. Help me to let go of my history, for you are a living God abounding in steadfast love. Amen.
Written by Patty Jenkins, Director of the Center for Life and Learning
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 1–3; Acts 5
Reflection
The first three chapters of Leviticus are instructions given to the Israelites about proper worship. Proper worship in the earliest days of the formation of God’s people was centered around sacrifice at the altar and the centrality of the temple. We find ourselves reading these lists, quickly dismissing them. I can’t imagine how many of us could have met the obligations of proper worship in that day. And yet the theme that jumps out at me in reading all of these lists and also in reading the Acts story about Ananias and Sapphira is the idea that God deserves our best.
Thankfully, Jesus has given us a message that turns all of these former lists upside down. Our best is the best we have to offer in how we live and how we love. We don’t have to be perfect or unblemished or rich or smart to please God. We simply have to offer our best. We need not worry about the ingredients we don’t have on hand to cook up the perfect dish of discipleship, but instead we are called to offer what we do have and not hold back just because we are lacking this ingredient or that. When I remember and when I am centered, I ask God a question at the beginning of the day: “How can I offer my best today, God?” I don’t always remember and I’m not always centered. And that’s what makes me thankful for the forgiveness Jesus has promised and the continual invitation he offers to try again.
Prayer
Dear God, remind me that I need not be like anyone else to please you. Remind me that I need not have someone else’s wealth or personality or skills. Simply call me to offer what I do have—the unique gifts and graces you have given to me. And when I forget and become uncentered or insecure, remind me again that you see me through the lens of love and forgiveness and potential. Amen.
Written by Judith L. Watt, Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 4–5; Psalm 20-21
Text for this reflection | Psalm 20
I pray that the Lord answers you whenever you are in trouble.
Let the name of Jacob’s God protect you.
Let God send help to you
from the sanctuary
and support you from Zion.
Let God recall your many grain offerings;
let him savor your entirely burned offerings.
Let God grant what is in your heart
and fulfill all your plans.
hen we will rejoice
that you’ve been helped.
We will fly our flags in the name of our God.
Let the Lord fulfill all your requests!
Now I know that the Lord saves
his anointed one;
God answers his anointed one from his heavenly sanctuary,
answering with mighty acts of salvation achieved by his strong hand.
Some people trust in chariots,
others in horses;
but we praise the Lord’s name.
They will collapse and fall,
but we will stand up straight and strong.
Lord, save the king!
Let him answer us when we cry out! (CEB)
Reflection
Psalm 20 states, “Some people trust in chariots, others in horses, but we praise the Lord’s name.” What do you trust in? Where do you turn when times are tough? If this was being written today, we wouldn’t cite chariots or horses, but the question is the same. Are you putting your trust in the right place?
What a wonderful wish the psalmist has for us, “that the Lord answers you whenever you are in trouble. Let God send help to you. Let God send help to you in the sanctuary and support you in Zion.” Often we turn to God for help as a last resort. When everything else has failed and there is nowhere else to turn, then we seek God’s assistance.
But what if we start going to God first? This can also be precarious, because God does not always follow our plan. The outcome we want may not be the outcome God wants for us. God may send us in another direction entirely. But the psalmist reminds us that God’s assistance will come, “answering with mighty acts of salvation.” God’s help will not come in a dramatic way for most of us, but in a still small voice, that we might almost miss. Do we miss the small signs of God’s care through friends, family, and strangers? Do we overlook the beauty of the day and the wonder of nature all around us?
Prayer
Loving God, I pray as the psalmist, that you will answer us whenever we are in trouble. Open our minds to see your love and care, which is always at work in our world. Help us to extend that love and care to each other, so we can become a people of hope and trust. Amen.
Written by Liz Nickerson, Director of Young Adult Ministry
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Thursday, February 16, 2012
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 6-7; Acts 6
Text for this reflection | Acts 6:1
About that time, while the number of disciples continued to increase, a complaint arose. Greek-speaking disciples accused the Aramaic-speaking disciples because their widows were being overlooked in the daily food service. (CEB)
Reflection
People who look funny, people who talk funny are suspect. If you don’t look like me, if you don’t speak my language, there is something wrong with you. You are different from me and therefore don’t believe, think, and do as I do. You are a potential threat to me because you are the “other,” the enemy. Best to keep my distance. Best to ignore you or neglect you. Is that why we sometimes have trouble in our relationship to God, whom theologian Rudolf Otto characterized as the “Wholly Other?” In scripture does God talk funny sometimes?
It's the way prejudice and discrimination get started.
The disciples of Jesus who were of Palestine spoke Aramaic. The Hellenistic ones who lived outside Palestine spoke Greek. They did not always consider some of the customs, religions, and otherwise, of the Aramaic-speaking disciples to be that important. The latter resented this. They concluded that the Greek-speaking disciples had compromised their religious values. As a result, the Aramaic-speaking disciples expressed their resentment by withholding food service to the widows of the Hellenists.
We Christians are not immune from being catty and caustic with one another, harboring resentments based upon racial, ethnic, social-class, sexual, and religious prejudices of one sort or another, thus compromising, if not destroying, the unity of the church. When this happens, the people who suffer most are the vulnerable among us, such as the poor, children, and the widows.
Fortunately God's spirit of compassion prevailed and the situation was remedied. The proclamation of the good news was matched by the caring of those in need. The latter became the former. Indeed, as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13, without the latter the former is so much hot air.
Prayer
Deliver me, O Lord, from prejudice that punishes, and strengthen me to be a more faithful minister of mercy. Amen.
Written by John H. Boyle, Parish Associate
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Friday, February 17, 2012
Today’s Reading: Leviticus 8-9; Acts 7
Reflection
The entire seventh chapter of Acts is Stephen’s rebuttal to the accusation that he blasphemed Jewish law. This so infuriated the Jerusalem Council members that they dragged Stephen out of the city and stoned him. What could he possibly have said to anger these men to that degree? Stephen was trying to make the council see that they were rejecting the covenant relationship that God has promised us. He pointed out how God's promise was fulfilled yet not trusted. Stephen says to the council, "You received the Law given by angels, but you haven’t kept it.” Wow, to the high priest and council, them’s “fightin’ words” !
After recounting the rejection of the prophetic witness of so many figures in history, Stephen becomes one. Did he have an impact? Were his words in vain? Could he see how his witness would further God’s plan? Don't you suppose the unsupported prophets of old felt the same way? Indeed, Stephen's speech and murder had a profound impact on a young man collecting the cloaks of the council. His name was Saul, who would soon become an apostle for Christ Jesus.
Prayer
Dear Lord, help us to know that we cannot define you. We can only bow in awe that you are our God and we are your people. Amen.
Written by Katy Sinclair, Associate Director of Music for Children and Youth
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(from the church literature racks).
