November 20, 2025
Bad Shepherds!
“Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord.
Jeremiah 23:1
Our devotional verse this morning comes from our first reading for Sunday morning. These are the words of the Lord spoken through the prophet Jeremiah. In this passage the Lord is condemning the leadership of the Jewish people. Those leaders are the shepherds referred to in this verse. They have not cared for the people of Israel. Their flock is going to be scattered and the shepherds will be punished for their misdeeds and failures. The day is coming when the Lord will raise up a new king who will be faithful shepherd and who care for the people. This is interpreted as being a prophecy of the coming of a savoir who would be Christ.
As a child I learned a lot from the Looney Tunes cartoons each Saturday morning. Every time I hear music from the Barber of Seville on the classical station I think of Bugs Bunny. Another recurring character was Sam the Sheepdog who punched in and out each day as he protected the sheep. Despite the devious machinations of Ralph the Coyote, Sam never failed to protect his sheep.
All this aside, we find shepherds playing a large role in the birth narrative of the Christ child in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus refers to himself as the, “Good Shepherd” in the Gospel of John. (John 10:11a) It seems that being a shepherd, while not generally being thought of as a princely occupation, was viewed as an honorable profession in Israel. Perhaps the world might be a better place if more people sought to be a humble, honorable shepherd of the people in their lives. May we, as followers of Christ, seek to inspire others by caring for those around us with the model of the good shepherd as our template!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
November 19, 2025
Temporary Satisfaction?
“Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.”
Proverbs 10:2
When I first started reflecting on the above Proverbs Wednesday verse, I was perplexed about the connection between the sections of the verse. I understand the concept of treasure obtained through unethical practices being of no value. Although that does not seem to stop some people from continuing their efforts to accumulate ill-gotten items. But how does that line up with the words about righteousness being the antidote of death?
Perhaps is has something to do with the viewpoint by which we make our decisions. Are we operating out of a desire for immediate gratification? If so, and the larger consequences are not a concern for us, then we might tend to grasp temporary satisfaction without regard to the source of that fulfilment. However, if we approach our decision making from the perspective of how our actions effect our eternal soul, we may have to adjust our thinking.
At first blush this sounds like a daunting task, considering the eternal consequences as we try to decide between an order of buffalo wings or the house salad at the 99. Well, perhaps that may not be a good example, but you get my point. It would be difficult making your way through the day with your future hanging on each decision. Perhaps a simpler way of viewing this might center around us trusting ourselves to make sound decisions based upon our understanding of Christ and his teachings.
If actions benefit us, but cause harm to others, they are to be avoided. If we turn away from another human in need, we need to turn back. If we seek to glorify ourselves instead of glorifying the Lord, we need to reconsider our motives. By seeking to live out Jesus’ command to love the Lord and each other, we live a life of righteousness for which we will be rewarded with the greatest of treasures, an eternal relationship with our God!
Peace,
Pastor Chuck
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