July 3, 2025
Why Are We Weary?
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6:9
This morning’s devotional verse comes from our first Scripture reading from Sunday morning’s service. As you may, or may not be aware, we are currently working our way through a sermon series on hospitality. The larger message of this section of the letter to the church in Galatia does have something to say about offering hospitality to all people. It is framed around the idea of “doing good” words Paul uses several times as he closes out his message to the Galatians.
For the sake of these paragraphs, I want us to consider Paul’s instruction that the Galatians not become weary in doing good. Why would they become weary, I wondered? Is he speaking of a physical weariness that comes from hard labor? Is he speaking of a psychological tiredness that comes upon one when they realize the enormity of the task of doing good for all? Is it a spiritual fatigue that descends on a person when they understand that not everyone is interested in anything that does not benefit them directly?
Regardless of what it is that weighs us down as we seek the greater good, we know that we cannot give up. We may pause at times to refresh ourselves, to regain focus and renew our resolve. But we cannot throw up our hands and fall back into thinking only about what we may need to feel fulfilled. Paul reminds the people of the Galatian church, and us as well, that we will see a day when our efforts will bear fruit. When the Lord will triumph and humanity will put aside their differences and the value of each person will be recognized. May we continue to fulfill Jesus’ message that we love our neighbors as we wish to be loved ourselves!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
July 2, 2025
Learning Our Lessons?
“He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers.”
Proverbs 19: 8
Once again, we find ourselves contemplating the role of wisdom and understanding as we read from Proverbs for today’s devotional. In this verse we read that a person who pursues wisdom and understanding will prosper. Even though this is a short verse, there are several points to contemplate here. First is the image of a person who seeks out wisdom as someone who cares about themselves. That makes sense, it would seem to me that if a person is wise, they can navigate the pitfalls of life and the world with less stress and strain.
We are also told that an individual who cherishes understanding (learning might fit here as well) will prosper. Now, the word prosper in this spot may have several meanings. Does it mean they will prosper financially? Perhaps it implies that they will flourish spiritually? Maybe it simply means that they will live a contented existence because of their understanding.
I can think of people I know who might be examples of those who live on both sides of this Proverb. I had a friend about 20 years ago. He was an elderly man but was very active and was quite inquisitive. We met at a Bible study and as we spent time together, I came to realize how wise he was in the ways of the world. Yet, even so, he was always looking to learn new things and deepen his understanding of others and the world around him.
I can also think of many examples of people who had their feet planted on the opposite side of the Proverb. People who thought that they did not need to learn anything new. Who were too self-assured, or perhaps not self-assured enough, to listen to advice from others. They shut themselves off to gaining new understanding and as such could not grow or prosper, spiritually or in any other way.
The brief verse found above tells us a lot about human character. A person who is open to new understanding and learning, no matter their age or experience, will be able to prosper both in this life and the next. Those who shut their minds and their ears may succeed for a brief time, but eventually they find themselves alone in the desert that is domain of a close-minded person. May we always be open to new learning and understanding as we seek to become closer to our Lord and to each other.
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
July 1, 2025
Self-Awareness!
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given to you.”
Romans 12:3
The apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome was chock full of Paul’s theology. Unlike many of the other churches that received Paul’s letters, Paul had not been to Rome prior to writing this letter. He greatly desired to get there, but for the time being his words must suffice for instruction. As such, his message to them covered many topics he had encountered in other churches. One of these subjects was the task of learning how to function as a community that was made up of very different people.
Rome was the center of the Roman Empire. This meant that there were people there from all over the areas that the Romans controlled. The by-product of this was that the fledgling church community in Rome was a melting pot of nationalities and theologies. Those who had come to profess belief in Christ brought with them their prior beliefs and prejudices. This would cause factions, disagreements, and dissension amongst the believers there.
This section of Paul’s message to the Roman church speaks to this struggle. He reminds them that they should not think too highly of themselves. Part of being a faithful member of Christ’s church is valuing each person equally. If a person thinks they are superior to someone else, they are subverting Christ’s command that they must love their neighbor as they wish to be loved. Paul dives deeper into this subject by telling them that each of them has some gift to offer to the larger church. Each of those gifts is of equal value as they are all necessary to guarantee a vital and active church in the community.
It is sometimes a good thing to look back at this message to help us refresh our understanding of how we, as modern-day apostles, need to work together to be a church that lives out our faith. It is not enough to just to consider ourselves a welcoming church. We must carve out room for everyone to find a place to contribute to our continued mission, no matter what gifts they may offer. May we continue to find ways to be a community that offers an extravagant welcome as well as a home where all feel honored and valued for their unique gifts!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
June 30, 2025
Unreasonable Jesus?
“Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he (Jesus) went to find out of it had fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.”
Mark 11:13-14
The above verse from the Gospel of Mark is a bit bothersome. This encounter with the fig tree is an interlude in Mark between Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and his cleansing of the Temple. Jesus wakes up in Bethany, where he had spent the night after he had ridden into Jerusalem. He was hungry and goes to a nearby fig tree to grab a snack. He finds no figs on the tree and curses the tree as a result. But wait! Mark tells us that it was not the season for figs. If that is so, why would Jesus curse the poor tree for not bearing fruit when it was not in season? This behavior by our Savior seems unreasonable. Was he simply hangry, or is there a deeper meaning to this?
Scottish Biblical scholar, William Barclay labels this interlude with the fig tree as being the most difficult story in the Gospel narrative. It is totally out of character with the Jesus that we have come to know in the first ten chapters of the Gospel of Mark. Why would Jesus curse this tree before it has had a chance to be fruitful?
As he often does, Jesus is using something tactile to present a message about something less easy to envision. As I mentioned above, this fig tree incident occurs just before Jesus gets really peevish and drives the vendors and the money-changers out of the temple courts. The next morning, Jesus and his disciples once again arise in Bethany. As they go on their way they notice the accursed fig tree which is now withered to its roots. When the disciples call Jesus’ attention to the fate of the tree, he launches into a lesson on the power of prayer. Layered inside all of this is a message about the need for God’s people to be faithful in all things. The leadership of the Jewish people have lost sight of this message and they will soon suffer the fate of the fig tree if they do not recognize their failings and change their ways.
As a church, both locally and globally, we are always being challenged to assess our fruitfulness. What are we doing each day to demonstrate our faith, to honor and glorify the Lord? Regardless of the season, no matter if we are tired or stressed or just apathetic, we must continue to be fruitful. May we seek to find ways, both individually and as a community, to demonstrate our faith on this day!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck