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Scripture:

7 When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: 8 “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. 9 If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. 10 But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. 11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Consider:

“Sauron believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small things. Everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keep the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.

-Gandalf the Grey

This passage talks about hospitality in two different worlds. The first world is the present world. The passage speaks on how Christ is advocating for a change in how we honor through hospitality right now. We ought not to honor those who deserve the honor; the rich, the smart, the powerful, or the famous, but instead, we ought to honor those who are seen as outcasts or who are physically ailing. This reversal of societal norms ruffles our feathers quite a bit, and it would have really upended the system of honoring in the Roman Empire of the first century. Back then, it was socially encouraged and normal for people to vie for status, wealth, and power. They would often throw parties and give gifts to fellows and friends to increase their social standing. This is not too far off from our present day where we too care about making sure we are honored and praised. Just look at how we make virtual accounts to promote how happy our lives are. Or how we build resumes that show off our talents and experience. And of course, the ever present need to network high end connections, so that we can climb our vocational ladder. Though the way it looks may have changed, we modern people have our own system of insular honoring.

The second world is different. It’s less about how we are supposed to act today and more about Luke’s perspective on the kingdom to come. We are currently living in a world that lifts up the wealthy, strong, and famous, but in God’s coming kingdom, the poor, the outcast, and the last shall be wealthy and be placed in the seat of honor. So the reason you should radically humble yourself now is so that you might be seen for the honorable person you are by God later. In other words, do not seek the temporary validation from people, but seek the eternal valuing of God. Don’t invest in what will fade but in what will last forever.

I have often seen this passage preached with one of these two worlds in mind. Either we should change in the present world because it is good, or we should focus on the consolation in the next world, because that world is the one that ultimately matters!

But I think, if you split the message of this passage into two you miss Luke’s point. The truth is Luke is using this passage to say how these two worlds, the present and the eternal are ultimately connected. One can’t simply say that this world doesn’t matter, because ultimately your status in the next is what matters. Neither can one say that all that matters is how you act today and completely disconnect that from any eternal meaning. For Luke, these two ideas are intrinsically connected. How we act today affects the world to come, and our view of the world to come affects how we act today. It is a lot like investing for your retirement. You invest in small seemingly insignificant ways in the present, and through the mathematical power of compound interest and the passing of thirty-ish years, you have grown enough money to retire.

In the same way the current world and the future world are connected. We can’t think of the kingdom to come as something far off. Investing in eternity starts now. When Christ brings you into the family of God, eternal life has already ready begun. How you invest spiritually in people now matters. People who might now be seen as less valuable are in fact eternally important. This is why hospitality has to change. It might be so small it’s seemingly insignificant but through the power of mystical compounding and over the course of eternity people will grow in ways we can’t possibly fathom.

Respond:

In what ways am I investing in people? How can I diversify those investments.

Pray:

Mighty and Eternal God,

We pray we might be good hosts who can honor those who have been lost, left behind, or are hurting. We pray too we might be humble guest into your kingdom to come. Wrangle our prideful hearts and transform our lives. We pray you will see us and invite us into the place of honor.

Amen.

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Scripture:

12 Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, 13 I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? 17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.

Consider:

Sometimes I feel REALLY great about the way I engaged in a moment: I was kind, I was effective at speaking and listening, I was aware of myself and others, I nailed it! And then there are other moments…when I lashed out in knee jerk emotion, when I phoned it in and didn’t actually listen to or engage in a conversation I should have taken seriously, or perhaps I was too wrapped up in forming my response that I didn’t even listen to the other person in the room.

We all have impact on our surroundings, all the time. Our presence leaves the environment different each time. The question is, what difference is my presence making in the world? Paul describes himself as someone whose life carried the “fragrance of the knowledge of Christ” wherever he went. He wasn’t simply passing through environments—his presence represented Christ and made an impact. We are challenged, as believers, to do the same.

In our workplace, homes, churches, friendships, and communities, our charge is to leave people better than we found them. Our words should encourage. Our character should bring integrity. Our presence should bring peace. Our actions should point people toward Christ. This is what our “aroma” should do…it should fill the world with the fragrance of divine love!

An aroma changes the atmosphere around it without necessarily drawing direct attention. In the same way, we can influence an environment simply by consistently carrying the character of Jesus. It’s easy to say, slightly more difficult to do…but I believe we have what it takes to truly leave this world better than we found it, and it takes each of us knowing how to “spread our scent” of faith, of hope, and of love.

Respond:

Today, before leaving any room, relationship, workplace, or conversation, practice asking yourself: Did my presence make this environment better or worse? Did I leave people with more hope, encouragement, peace, or love than they had before?

Pray:

Lord, help me carry the “aroma” of Christ wherever I go. Help me be an asset to every environment you place me in. Let my words, attitude, character, and actions leave people better than I found them. May my life point others to you. Amen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com

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Scripture:

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you;the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Consider:

In my college choir, we ended every concert or singing engagement with these words set to song. The particular arrangement we used was called “Celtic Alleluia”, and I always picture in my head a bucolic Irish country side with sheep and a slow, misty drizzle as a lone shepherd walks through the foggy morning light.

I don’t even know if that is meterologically possible, but it’s what I see in my heart. And, everytime I do, I smile. Not just because of the words and the beauty of the music, but the memories of those halcyon days in college where life is ahead of you and you don’t yet know the limitations of that life.

Rituals have this kind of power. The ritual of family dinner before Christmas Eve service feels like it’s wrapped in gossemer. My mother sang “It’s time to get up, it’s time to get up, it’s time to get up in the morning,” every school day for my entire childhood, well past when I was waking myself up and taking my own car to school. It was not good and I hated it with a burning passion. Now, I remember it with a smile.

The routine things we say and do with each other which mark those kinds of memories and have the power to draw out a wistful grin. We can and should hold those moments precious.

Which is one of the reason we need to be careful and intentional about what we say and do with each other, especially if it something we say and do over and over again. Those routine and rituals create ruts in our hearts that our future cars will have to navigate. When we are careless or stuck in a bad loop, those ruts become ravines.

God instead asks us to bless one another. “Bless but don’t curse” is one of God’s favorite phrases, simply because of the effect it has on our memories. God asks us to create a memory loop which brings smiles and not shame, joy and not guilt, warmth and not fear.

Aaron, Moses says, this is the blessing I teach you. Say it to the people everyday so they remember how to smile when the desert comes.

Respond:

What kind of memories are you making? Take a moment to think your daily routines and the rituals of your family life. What grooves have you made?

Choose one concrete action you could change in order to create a ritual or routine which brings smiles and not frowns.

Pray:

Lord of Rhythms,

We come to you asking to be transformed. Bathe us in your river of faith. Form us with your hands. Give us patience for this long process. Most of all God, guide us to the places where our hearts can be transformed by your love. Amen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.

Scripture:

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.

For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Consider:

The Apostle Paul was not known for being warm and cuddly. If anything, the criticism lobbed against him by his ancient and modern-day detractors was he was, if anything, too serious. Too harsh. Too zealous. Too committed. He draws bold, hard lines where it didn’t seem any were necessary and made some strident claims which still haunt the church’s arguments to this day.

Perhaps that’s why it is so striking when Paul does choose to pay someone a compliment. The Paul of 2 Corinthians and the Paul of Galatians seem to be almost two different people, one angry about the betrayal of the gospel - as he saw it - in Corinth while the other is boiling over with praise for the people of Galatia. Corinth recieved judgement and wrath while Galatia gets praise and celebration.

There are lots of very good and logical reasons for this change in attitude - primarily Paul’s station and situation in life - but it’s helpful to notice Paul, the human, contains multitudes just like we do. From one day to the next we may feel angry and at our wits end, then the next day see the world full of light and sunbeams. You might worry about such things if we didn’t remember how much circumstances and situations can affect our body and our mind.

Some days, we just can’t seem to help ourselves.

That’s why it is important to notice and celebrate with our whole hearts the days where we can see the sun. We tend to remember the clouds and the storms and so give them an undue balance on our life spreadsheet. In truth, at the end of our days, when we look back at the tally sheet, we’ll see the bright yellow days outnumbered the bad ones, even if our life was overall quite stressful.

The sun always shines more days than it rains.

If there is good to be found in the bad, maybe it’s the truth that if we look for and notice them, we will always find reasons to see the good. Maybe it’s a small pinprick of good and maybe we have to look backwards to see it, but it’s always, always there.

Respond:

This devotion highlights how easily we over-index on dark, stormy days while taking the sunny ones for granted. To shift your perspective from emotional “rain” to the actual ledger of your life, complete this short, hands-on reflection.

1. Create Your Ledger Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper (or open a blank document) to make two columns:

* Left Column: The Storms (What felt heavy this week)

* Right Column: The Sun (Where good actually showed up)

2. Tally the Reality

* List 2–3 recent stressors or frustrating moments on the left.

* For every item on the left, challenge yourself to write two items on the right. Look for subtle “pinpricks of good”—a warm cup of coffee, a kind text, a completed task, a moment of physical comfort, or a problem that didn’t happen.

3. Identify the “Paul” Shift Write down one situation right now where you feel harsh, reactive, or at your wit’s end (your “Corinth” response). Next to it, write down one shift in circumstance, mindset, or grace that could help you respond with praise or patience instead (your “Galatia” response).

4. The Closing Anchor Finish by completing this sentence at the bottom of your page:

“Even in the middle of [current stressor], the sun is shining through [specific good thing].”

Keep this paper somewhere visible as a physical reminder that the bright days far outnumber the dark ones when you actively track them.

Pray:

Lord of Rhythms,

We come to you asking to be transformed. Bathe us in your river of faith. Form us with your hands. Give us patience for this long process. Most of all God, guide us to the places where our hearts can be transformed by your love. Amen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.

Scripture:

15 The Lord God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it. 16 The Lord God commanded the human, “Eat your fill from all of the garden’s trees; 17 but don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!” 18 Then the Lord God said, “It’s not good that the human is alone. I will make him a helper that is perfect for him.” 19 So the Lord God formed from the fertile land all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky and brought them to the human to see what he would name them. The human gave each living being its name. 20 The human named all the livestock, all the birds in the sky, and all the wild animals. But a helper perfect for him was nowhere to be found.

Consider:

Imagine for a moment, the creator of the universe who contains all wisdom, is all loving, all powerful, and who can create things simply from a divine breath, crafts a garden for you to dwell in! Now that would be special. If I was Adam in the garden I would think I would be very excited to be given the important task of caring and tending to the garden while simultaneously being told all of my needs would be met, and yet we see here Adam is not quite satisfied. There is no partner for him among all the animals.

I can relate to Adam. Often, I have been blessed with wonderful moments in my life, enjoying that great feeling for a short time - only to find myself already daydreaming about the next step in my life. Have you met someone like that? Someone who gets the newest phone, only to find themselves yearning for next year’s release. For me it’s thinking about that next stage of life… the next house, the next degree, the next car. It doesn’t seem to matter what the last thing I got was, or how long I spent yearning for it, once I have it for a few weeks, days, or hopefully at least a couple hours- my desire seems to shift on to something else.

I think in one sense this is what the fruit represents for Adam. He was told he could have any fruit he wanted and yet he is still not satisfied. God gave him a direct purpose of caring for the garden and naming the animals, and he still isn’t satisfied. Eventually he will be given a partner to walk alongside him, and even then, Adam looks to the fruit.

This reveals an often neglected truth about our anthropology… we are creatures, and creatures want. We could have all our needs met, a grand purpose, and maybe even a friend or spouse at our side but that wanting creeps into our hearts.

So, if Adam couldn’t manage it in a curated garden where there was only one tree to resist, how are we supposed to make it? I mean, imagine how fast Adam would have caved if there were advertisements and commercials for the forbidden fruit plastered on every wall.

Despite our seemingly never ending pursuit of objects, recognition, success or the new phone, God is always in pursuit of us. We are always searching, but the long story Bible tells us that God wants to dwell with us right here and now and for the rest of eternity. We are creatures who yearn who are being chased down by a creator who calls us to dwell in the gentleness of the Divine hand. God, in the end is what our hearts long for. We must remember Augustine’s words, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

Respond:

What have you been chasing? How can you dwell a bit more and yearn a bit less?

Pray:

Lord of all the kind places,

Watch us and keeps us. Shine the warm light of your face upon us. Give us gentleness and kindness for the hard times around us. Help us to listen, wait, and dwell in you lord.

Amen

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These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.

Scripture:

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Consider:

Transactional love sounds like something I would NEVER do… I’m a Christian after all! But when we dial into what it looks like to live a transactional life, it gets much harder for me to defend myself. How many times have I held a grudge because someone slighted me? How often do I say yes to something, secretly thinking about how that might “buy” me good favor or come back to help me later? And yet, how often do I find myself offended when others “do unto me” these very things I have done to them? It seems almost human nature to put cost analysis into our everyday actions and lives. The problem is, that isn’t how God designed us, nor is it how God asks us to exist with each other.

We don’t love other people so that God will love us more. It doesn’t work that way. Our love of others isn’t attached to any sort of divine scorecard. We don’t serve so that God will finally notice us. God already notices us, constantly, and out of gratitude we notice and serve others. We don’t forgive because someone has earned it. We offer grace because God offered it to us first, despite the fact that we continue to mess up, require redirection, etc.

Jesus reminds us that God “is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” This is a real stumbling block if we are keeping a tally sheet of right and wrong, and find ourselves needing God to be “fair” as we see it (and putting conditions of favor around our actions). God’s goodness toward us was never based on our performance. If we can understand how abundantly God loves us at all times, perhaps we can begin to put that love into the way we treat others—even those who cannot repay us.

This is what makes Christian love so powerful. We shouldn’t be trying to GET something through our love; we are giving because we have already RECIEVED everything we need from God through the love of Christ. We can be merciful, we can love openly, and we can share in life together without scorecards because that is just what God has done, does, and will do for us. We CAN do it…now will we?

Respond:

Today, see if you can love and live without keeping score…maybe for at least one hour of today! Tend to your thinking very intentionally…let that person jump in front of you on the interstate because it isn’t about you, is it? Allow yourself to notice the beauty in others without making tally marks on your own flaws. Offer someone forgiveness who didn’t “deserve” it or “earn” it from you. Then ACTUALLY let it go. Truly take time today to simply BE in God’s love, and live through God’s love, for one hour. See how it feels!

Pray:

Lord, thank You for loving me when I could never earn Your love. Help me to live from the abundance of grace I have already received. Teach me to love without keeping score, serve without expecting repayment, and show kindness even when it is not returned. May Your grace overflow through me so that others encounter Your love. Amen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.

Scripture:

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,2 proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.

4 For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.5 How great are your works, Lord, how profound your thoughts!6 Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand,7 that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

Consider:

It is hard sometimes to find the simple joys of life, is it not? I know I find it very easy to list my “struggles"…my never ending to-do list, my “woe is me” I’m so busy mantra if someone asks me how I’m doing. The disease of busyness dictating my value is one I know all too well.

So when a passage of scripture simply tells me that I am senseless if I don’t know why I should be singing for joy at the love of God, I suppose I take pause. And then, when my defenses go down, I see what is really being said, and I’m humbled.

There is something sacred about simply looking around us—the morning light through the trees, the rhythm of rain, the sound of birds, the steady changing of the seasons. Nature quietly reminds us that we are not the center of the universe. We are part of something beautifully and wonderfully made by God. And we are called to be joyful about it!

When we put down our martyr sticks of lists and busyness and overscheduled-ness, we can see the unbelievable beauty all around us. The short walk I got to take by the lake a few weeks ago, the woman who kindly let me in front of her in the grocery line since I only had 2 items. The rhythms of my kids’ lives (even it’s a fast paced rhythm) that both teach them about the world and also bring them joy. It’s all a gift to be celebrated if I change my lens!

Psalm 92 also reminds us that we may not always understand what God is doing. Verse 6 speaks of those who fail to recognize His purposes. Sometimes we can be so busy, worried, or distracted that we miss what is right in front of us. But creation slows us down. It calls us to wonder. It helps us lift our eyes beyond our immediate circumstances and remember the magnificent Creator behind it all.

So today, pause. Take a breath. Look around. There’s a small joy to be celebrated right in front of you. You only have to notice it.

Respond:

What is ONE thing you can sing praise for today? One small thing? If you haven’t noticed one yet today, there is your challenge. Put down the laundry, or the cell phone, or the to do list, close your eyes, and just breathe for a moment. Then open them… what do you see anew in that moment?

Pray:

Lord, open my eyes to the beauty of Your creation. When life feels hurried or uncertain, help me slow down, breathe deeply, and remember that You are near. Thank You for the works of Your hands and for the constant care You have for Your children. Teach me to notice Your goodness and respond with gratitude. Amen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.

Scripture:

A brother wronged is more unyielding than a fortified city; disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

From the fruit of their mouth a person’s stomach is filled; with the harvest of their lips they are satisfied.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.

The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly.

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Consider:

I’m not big into the “Manifesting” craze which swept the internet a few years ago. It seemed like every “Mom-fluencer” which came across my feed was manifesting her happiness, or manifesting a new car, or manifesting her child becoming the next Taylor Swift.

It reminds me of my children who think if they ask for something enough times I will get it. My son has written “PS5” on the family grocery list every week, perhaps trying to manifest it into existence or, perhaps, believing I might slip up one week and pick-it up along with the carton of eggs and jug of milk.

The promise of manifesting is that if say something enough the universe will reward you for it. There’s a lot of talk about “positive energy” and letting the universe know what you need. If you aren’t listening closely it almost sounds like prayer. Except in prayer we don’t just make a litany of everything we want God to do for us and then walk away.

Right?

Right?

In reality, this is exactly how most of us pray, a Christian form of manifesting where we believe if we just say the right words and let God know exactly what we want and need in a given moment, then obviously God will just give us that thing we asked for - as if God is some sort of cosmic Santa and we are writing our letter to the heavenly North Pole.

The problem with this construction is we are really bad at knowing what we need. I’m not sure we are particularly good at knowing what we really want from minute to minute. I pull up to the drive-thru of fast food joints I’ve been to a million times and never know what to order. The menu at McDonald’s hasn’t changed all that much since 1987. I know the options which are available to me. I just don’t know what I want.

This scripture reminds us how important it is for us to recognize and identify what it is we are really asking for in prayer. Do we really want the better parking spot? What if that prevents us from the chance meeting which changes the course of our day? Or, what if there’s a car wreck in the road and it slams into the choice parking spot? Then we wouldn’t want it all!

There are simply too many variables at play for us to tell God exactly what should or should not be done. We can manifest a future which is too complicated for us to understand. Instead, we might approach God asking for a change of heart or mind which allows us to deal with whatever happens in that inevitable future in faithful recognition of God’s hand in all of it. Even on those hard days. Even on those days where you’d really like a new car but it’s not in the budget.

Though, if you all could try to manifest me an Audi comfortable, I’d be ok with that.

Respond:

Take a few minutes in quiet. Instead of speaking or trying to tell God what to do, just listen to the air around you. What is it whispering to you? This one time, don’t try to control or minimize or reduce it. Chase that thought all of the way through, until you hear the words of God in your heart.

Pray:

Loving Lord,

I pause now to hear from you.

Amen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com

These posts will always be free, however, if you find them meaningful and would like to consider supporting our online outreach, you can donate using this link.

Scripture:

Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel!Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!15 The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy.The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem,“Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.17 The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Consider:

“The Lord your God is with you…”

Did you ever get lost in a store? Ever find yourself wandering grocery store aisles, or staring up at unfamiliar faces in a department store? All because you wandered a bit too far away from the guardian who was with you? I did, several times as a young child. My mom warned me and warned me to stay close, and yet… the excitement of that thing just around the corner always seemed to guide me a bit more than her words.

And so I would find myself alone on an empty aisle, completely panicked and paralyzed by the possibility that I would never find my way back to anyone I knew and loved. And then it would always happen. I would hear “I’m right here”… followed by the concurrent lecture about wandering away. But the words that mattered in that moment, the words that made everything stop spinning and made my heart leap were “I’m right here.” I didn’t care if I was going to get in trouble. In that moment, there was deep celebration in my core for being found and being safe.

God’s love is like that, I believe. It searches us out, again and again and again, regardless of the number of times we wander off. And when we are found again and again and again, we are not to simply acknowledge the reunion, we are to celebrate it!

That love is a relationship that brings a deep sense of joy- the kind of joy that naturally spills over into celebration.

Notice that the command to rejoice is communal: Sing! Shout! Rejoice! Faith is not meant to be lived in isolation, or in fear of punishment or retribution. It is meant to be lived in joy and open celebration and gratitude over and over again. When we gather, encourage one another, worship together, laugh together, and celebrate God’s goodness, we become witnesses to the joy of this love, and we are never alone in that faith; we are always found!

Respond:

Today take a moment today to actively respond in joy to something good in your life. Say a prayer of thank you, do a little happy dance, sit in quiet wonder somewhere safe and cozy…take a moment to stop the busyness, or try to hit pause on the anxiety of what comes next to simply revel in the love that is, and always will be, all around you.

Pray:

Joyful Lord, thank you for loving us with such delight. Teach us to receive your love deeply and to celebrate it freely. Fill our communities with joy that reflects your presence among us. Help us love one another not merely because we must, but because your love has given us every reason to rejoice. Amen.

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Scripture:

25 Therefore, after you have gotten rid of lying, Each of you must tell the truth to your neighbor because we are parts of each other in the same body. 26 Be angry without sinning. Don’t let the sun set on your anger. 27 Don’t provide an opportunity for the devil. 28 Thieves should no longer steal. Instead, they should go to work, using their hands to do good so that they will have something to share with whoever is in need.

29 Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say. 30 Don’t make the Holy Spirit of God unhappy—you were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. 32 Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ.

Consider:

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”

-Winnie the Pooh

Why does it feel like change is so hard?

And why does it feel so impossibly SLOW?

I am an over-thinker. I love thinking. I think I could spend most of my life sitting back daydreaming, internal monologuing, and winning imaginary debates in my head. But despite my long record of thinking, it has rarely led me to actually change let alone transformed my heart.

I am not sure you can change things just by thinking your way out of it. At least for me, I tend to go in circles! It is like someone who wants to run a marathon, and they sit there thinking, “man how can I become someone who can run twenty-six miles?!” Contemplating might help you at first. Maybe you can come up with the best way to ease yourself into it, but at some point you’ve just got to get up and run! You have to commit with your entire body and your mind.

Still, in moments when I knew I needed a change, I wasn’t too impressed with other people’s methods of transformation. Often I would see plenty of people who would talk about how much they were transforming and being sanctified, only to see them a year or so later hardly living up to the height of piety.

Are we doomed then to a never ending hardness of heart? Well the Bible teaches something different. One good example comes from Deuteronomy 6:5. In Deuteronomy, we hear the most important words of the Torah: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Essentially three ways of saying you must love God with your innermost being… with everything you have. The last word in that verse which is translated as “strength” is actually and strangely an adverb in the Hebrew, and if it was translated in an literal, but awkward way, the sentence would read “love your God with all of your ‘very’ or with all your your ‘muchness.’” How are you supposed to transform something like that? Transform all of your muchness? I can barely break a bad habit. It seems impossible to change, and at times in my life, I believed it was.

Now, I’m not so fatalistic. One of the things that started this mind shift was when a former pastor introduced me to Liturgy. Liturgy is the regular rhythms in a service like the Confession or the Assurance of Faith or the Prayers of the People. These elements of the service are arranged at the same time in every service and build a liturgy. Sadly, many christians have historically and presently frowned on Liturgy, but I think it is one of the few ways we can transform our hearts. It is a communal habit. A way to form yourself to the ways of God, not by thinking differently, or faking it till you make it, but by exposing your entire self differently. It is as if you had a jagged rock that you wanted to smooth out so you placed it into a river. Over time the river begins to form and smooth out the rocks’ harder edges. Liturgy is like this river.

It is not really noticeable after the first, second, or even thirtieth service, but at some point, when the pastor finishes reading the scripture and says, “this is the word of the Lord,” we all respond, “Thanks be to God” without even thinking. It is a strange thing, but it is one of the ways God forms a people.

In a sense then, we form our hard hearts by placing them in the river of faith. This might mean opening up in a small group, or joining the choir to sing worship songs, or finding a charity that you can volunteer regularly with- Anywhere you can be fully embodied and participate in communal rhythms. Begin to build a liturgy for your life. These are the small things that may seem meaningless to us in the moment, but are the ‘muchness’ necessary to transform a heart.

Respond:

Don’t ask “how can I change myself?”, but instead ask, “how can I invest in the people/places that can change me?”. Write down where or who comes to mind and how they are forming you.

Pray:

Lord of Rhythms,

We come to you asking to be transformed. Bathe us in your river of faith. Form us with your hands. Give us patience for this long process. Most of all God, guide us to the places where our hearts can be transformed by your love. Amen.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wfpc.substack.com