Thought for Today
Proverbs 30:32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.
Lamentations 3:40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD.
Luke 21:1 He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2 he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3 He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4 for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on."
Last month, Greta and I put both of our cars into the repair shop for their annual state inspection and for routine maintenance. Most car owners understand the necessity of those state inspections and regular maintenance. In much the same way, we perform regular maintenance and repair on our physical bodies. We have annual checkups and are examined whenever we feel sick or have anything needing attention or repair.
Yesterday was the Third Sunday of Easter. For whatever reason, this particular Easter season, I have been reflecting on this post-Easter season as ‘basking in the afterglow of the Empty Tomb.’ I have long thought of that Empty Tomb as God’s shouted “AMEN!” to the Incarnation. I believe that Empty Tomb is God’s affirmation of Jesus as the Christ and God’s ‘stamp of approval’ on the ministry and life of Jesus.
On the first Sunday of May, our congregation will celebrate the Eucharis as we also did on Easter Sunday. In my Words of Institution, like many ministers, I quote a version of Jesus’ own words from the Last Supper, “Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ 27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” The Empty Tomb is God’s confirmation of Jesus’ sacrifice and our state of grace and God’s forgiveness.
Now, as we continue to ‘bask in the afterglow of the Empty Tomb,’ it seems to me that this is an opportune time to perform a routine faith inspection and to do any necessary routine maintenance on our faith. How’s your faith doing? Is it live and well? Is it in a good and proper state of repair?
Our automobiles come with an Owner’s Manual. It gives instruction on the operation of all the ‘bells and whistles’ of our car. It tells us which buttons to push, which levers to pull and what the various signs and symbols on the dashboard represent. That owner’s manual also suggests the regular maintenance which should be done to keep that car in proper working order. Usually there are metrics for the regularity of that maintenance, based on mileage or maybe time intervals.
Thankfully, our faith lives also come with an Owner’s Manual. It is called the Bible. Regrettably, probably more of us have read our automobile’s Owner’s Manual and studied it than have read our faith lives’ owner’s manual, the Bible. Regularly reading and studying the Bible is an excellent way to keep our faith lives maintained and operating properly.
Another necessity for keeping our faith in proper working order is prayer. Just as we need to tell our auto mechanic what’s going on with our cars, we need to tell God what is going on in our lives. Yes, God does already know. But, it is only by talking with God that we ourselves come to fully understand the state of our own lives. Just as we need to listen to what that auto mechanic tells us after examining our car, we need to listen to what God tells us about our faith lives.
Modern automobiles are very complex. “Modern cars typically contain between 30 and over 100 computers, known as electronic control units (ECUs) depending on the vehicle’s complexity and features.” (Copilot Search) Thankfully, we don’t have to program each of those computers or even understand them.
Even more important, our lives of faith are not especially complex. Read Micah 6:8, Luke 10:27 and Ephesians 2:8. How are you scoring on loving kindness? On doing justice? Did you notice that Micah added that adverb ‘humbly’ to modify walking with God? What is your humility score? What is your rating on loving God with all you are? Do you love all your neighbors?
Thankfully, God isn’t into numerical scoring. But, Paul is correct. It is our faith that provides the avenue by which we attain God’s salvific grace.
Stay safe, read your Bible, talk to God, trust God,
Pastor Ray