November 18, 2025
A Question of Truth
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
John 17:17
“What is truth,” Pilate asked.”
John 18:38a
This morning’s devotion centers around two verses from the Gospel of John that are about the same subject, the truth. In our first verse we find the words of Jesus as he prays to the Lord for his disciples. The second verse contains the words of a somewhat philosophical Pontius Pilate as he questions Jesus about the charges brought against Jesus by the Jewish leadership. As we compare these two statements it seems that, while Jesus seems certain of the source of truth, Pilate is struggling to define what the truth really is.
Just for fun, I fired up Merriam and Webster’s online dictionary to get a solid definition on the word, “truth.” It is defined there as, “the body of real things, events, and facts.” In Jesus’ prayer, he states that the Lord’s word is that body of real things, events, and facts. Pilate however, seems to be less convinced that the truth is so easily understood. His struggle is rooted in the realm of humanity and how the “truth” can often be subjective.
When we were children, and when we have our own children, we exist in an understanding that we should always tell the truth. The reality is that the ‘truth-telling” may not always be the best path. Are there times when we have been less then truthful to save others from emotional distress? Have we ever skirted the truth to protect ourselves from pain or punishment?
Pilate’s struggle with the truth is because he is caught in the middle of push and pull between power and ethics. He knows his position depends upon him keeping the peace in Judah. However, the ethical aspect of his soul, causes him to question what Jesus has done to deserve death. By Roman law, Jesus was innocent of any crime. However, the Jewish leadership was convinced that Jesus had committed a capital offense. Pilate chose to do his best to shift the onus of the blame from himself by offering the Jewish leaders a choice between freeing Jesus or the criminal Barabbas. When the crowd cried for Barabbas, Jesus’ fate was sealed.
Determining what is truthful and what is false should be as simple as Jesus’ words about the truth’s source being found in God’s word. However, in a time when alternative facts and social media cloud the horizon of truth, we must look deep inside ourselves to determine what is truly true. May we seek to use as our compass in the journey to understanding the lessons we find in Scripture and the goodness that we find in our hearts!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
November 17, 2025
The Cape Cod Driving Psalm!
“Though I constantly take my life in my hands, I will not forget your law.”
Psalm 119:109
The daily verse on Bible Gateway came from Psalm 119: 105. I was considering using that verse for our devotional today. As I usually do, I was glancing at the verses around it, searching for some context, when I came across 119:109. The phrase, “Though I constantly take my life in my hands” really spoke to me. It made me consider all the things in daily life where I literally am taking my life in my hands. Events like carrying two laundry baskets down two flights of stairs to the basement. That used to be a simple task, now it is akin to walking the high wire (I assume because I have never actually walked a high wire).
Another death-defying feat most of us wrestle with every day is traveling to roads of the peninsula known as the Cape. Whether you are driving on Route 6, parts of which are aptly nicknamed Suicide Alley, or traveling down Route 28 between Hyannis and Mashpee, yuck! You are exposing yourself to potential heartbreak. Even local streets like Buck Island Rd. offer their own special challenges. Would the author of Psalm 119 be able to be quite so faithful if they had to navigate around the maze of sewer project detours just east of Parker’s River? I think not!
Anyway, enough of that silliness. One of the most prominent themes found in Psalm 119 is the need to celebrate and trust in God’s word. The aforementioned verse 105 declares that the Lord’s word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. If we get lost, wander off the path, or take our lives in our hands, we can still be courageous because we have the Word of the Lord to guide us, care for us, and even save us from ourselves.
We are a people that like to believe that we are masters of our destiny. Most of us live with the thought that we have everything sorted out, we have a plan and path laid out before us. The challenge arises when we get tripped up by the inconveniences that all humans face. It is at those times that we need to admit that we need to have some faith, to seek to reenergize ourselves through the Word of the Lord. May we remember in days that are difficult to navigate, that our faith can help us to endure all the trials of life!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
November 13, 2025
But When?
“I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.”
Isaiah 65:19
This morning’s devotional verse is from our first reading for this Sunday’s worship service. This section of Isaiah is entitled, “New Heavens and New Earth” in my desk Bible. This passage comes at the end of Isaiah’s extensive works. Biblical scholars would note that the later part of Isaiah was probably not authored by Isaiah himself. It is thought that one or more of Isaiah’s disciples wrote the section our verse comes from. Regardless of the identity of the author, there are influences of Isaiah found in these words.
When I read these words about new heavens (especially the NEW Jerusalem) my mind draws a line to Revelation. Specifically, the words, “I saw the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…” (Rev. 21:2a) It is easy to imagine that the author of Revelation, thought to be John, was influenced in his description of “the new Jerusalem” found in Isaiah. But this section of Isaiah also has hints of what life for the Jewish people would be like following the exile.
Isaiah states that people will build houses and live in them and eat of the fruit of their own vineyards. Others will not live in their homes and eat the produce of their land. This is a clear reference to the events of the exile. But there are also promises of long life and healthy children woven into this declaration as well.
When we, as modern students of Scripture, read these words we might ponder the how, when, and where this new Jerusalem might come into being. That is one of the great challenges found in the belief systems of many Christians. We read of this new Jerusalem, which sounds much like a merging of heaven and earth, and wonder when will it happen. Did it already occur? Did we miss it? If it is something we should be looking forward to, why do many people seem to live in fear of its occurrence? Is there something we need to do to be ready for it?
Some of these questions may seem a bit light-hearted but for some people these are serious considerations. My mind goes back to Jesus’ words found in the Gospel of Matthew, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matt. 24:36) So, I guess that settles that, if Jesus does not know, who am I to get all bound up in trying to read the signs in the heavens. Perhaps it is best that we instead simply do our best to follow Jesus’ direction about loving God and each other and let the Lord do the rest. As we begin to dust off the Advent wreath and consider our Christmas celebration may we set aside our fear and wonderings and seek to live in our faith for a time!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
November 12, 2025
Motivation!
“The laborer’s appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on.”
Proverbs 16:26
This morning’s Proverbs Wednesday verse concerns a person’s motivation. In particular, the author of this Proverb proposes the idea that a laborer’s hunger motivates him to continue to work. This seems to be rather simplistic. If the laborer’s only motivation to continue working is his hunger, what happens when his hunger is satiated? Does he go home after a good lunch? What about coffee breaks, how quickly does he return to his tasks when the catering cart pulls away?
The source of these questions arises from my memories of my first job. When I was 16 my father arranged for me to have a summer job on the grounds crew at the factory where he worked. This was somewhat challenging as I tried to understand the rhythm of how the factory worked. Each morning at 10 AM everyone had a 15-minute coffee break. At 9:45 a designated person for each department would take their co-workers orders and go to the catering truck that came each day. They would return with the order and everyone would have their break. The amusing aspect of this was everyone would start their break at 9:45 and usually not return to work until 10:20 or so. After all, you had to return to your department, wash up, have a cigarette (I think I was the only person who worked there that did not smoke) and so on. There did not seem to be a whole lot of motivation on behalf of much of the workforce there.
I am not sure what I learned from my three summers at the Bleachery, other then I did not want to work there when I “grew up,” perhaps that was a type of motivation. When you consider the complex relationships, we have with the Lord and with each other, motivation has much to do with our actions. What causes to act the way we do, both in a positive and negative sense? In the Proverb we consider this morning a negative entity, hunger, creates a positive outcome, a strong work ethic. This is not usually how we consider hunger, but the author has a point here, identifying and building on our motivations can drive us on.
What are the motivations we consider when we reflect on our faith and our involvement in a faith community? Are we considering what we can offer to the larger community? Are we also factoring into our thinking what the benefits are of being part of the church? If our driving force as a congregation is serving the Lord and serving each other, as well as our community, then we can never get too far off track!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
November 10, 2025
Something Worse?
“Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”
John 5:14
The above verse is part of the larger story of Jesus healing a man at the pool at Bethesda near the temple. Jesus encounters a man who was unable to walk. We learn that this man had been in this condition for thirty-eight years. He would sit by the pool as it was thought that the angels would come and stir the pool. If one were to enter the pool at that time, their ills would be cured. When Jesus asks the man if he wants to, “get well?” the man instead responds with the reasons why he cannot get into the pool when the water is stirred. Jesus must consider his answer to be “yes” as he instructs the man to take up his mat and walk. He is cured!
This story may not have been of great importance but for the fact that it took place on a Sabbath. When the Jewish authorities saw the man carrying his mat, they remind him that carrying anything like that was prohibited on the Sabbath (it was considered work). The newly healed man replies that the man who healed him said it was OK. When the authorities ask him to identify this stranger the man shrugs and moves on. Later, Jesus encounters him in the Temple and warns him to stop sinning or something worse will happen to him.
There is a lot happening here. There is the controversy about healing on the Sabbath which is more egregious than carrying your mat I suppose. There is the question of how sin was or is involved in the man’s condition. And there is also the fact that following this healing, Jesus speaks to the Jewish leaders and refers to the Lord as, “My Father.”
For the sake of this forum, I want to briefly reflect on the idea of sin being a factor in this man’s disability. What sin or multitude of sins might have caused this man to be unable to walk for thirty-eight years? Also, what might cause Jesus to go out of his way to warn the man that things could get worse if continued to be a sinner? So, was the miracle story about Jesus’ ability to heal or was about his ability to forgive sin? Or was it both?
Faith-healers are not a modern-day phenomenon. They existed back in the time of Jesus as well. The fact that Jesus healed this man was notable but not to the point that it would arouse the hatred in the Jewish leadership. But if you factor in the timing, the Sabbath and the fact that Jesus effectively forgave the man’s sins, then something greater is in play here.
Whether or not you believe that sin and illness and disability are related in some way or not, we should take notice that the Jewish leadership did not rejoice in the man’s healing. They instead sought to focus on the negatives at play in this miracle. So many of the stories and parables we find in Scripture point out that compassion was not a reason for rejoicing unless that event complied to the leader’s strict code of conduct. We, as followers of Christ need to remember that Christ chose to heal first, and discuss the motivation and consequences later. The call to relieve people of their pain, their restrictions, and the chains that held them down was his first consideration. May it be so for us today!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck