Sharing the Blessing
Joe Albright

Sharing the Blessing

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Last Sunday was Baptism of the Lord Sunday. In the Gospel of Matthew (3:13ff) we see that Jesus begins his ministry by being baptized.

Matthew tells us that in his baptism, the heavens were opened and the Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. And the Father speaks, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Yesterday we reflected on the fact that before Jesus ever begins, before he has done anything to earn it or deserve it, he is rooted and grounded in God’s love… And so are we.

I once heard a pastor talk about how in the Bible, God speaks into people’s lives and loves them into their futures. God tells Jeremiah, “Before I even created you, I knew you and set you apart.” God speaks to Jesus, “You are my son, the beloved.” Jesus tells the disciples, “You didn’t choose me. I choose you.” James says, “You are the first fruits.” Paul says, “You are blessed, chosen, redeemed, forgiven, saved…”

This pastor made the point that just as God speaks into people’s lives and loves them into their futures, we too have that ability – simply by – lifting up what we already know to be true about them. Think about this. How many of you had inspiring, encouraging, or affirming words spoken to you years ago about your worth, your value, your future, and how those words shaped you? I know many people actually carry those words around with them their entire lives. 

I just wonder, I wonder if there might be people in your life who need to hear a blessing from you…

And so today, I leave you with this blessing: May you know God’s unconditional acceptance and love for you in the very deepest part of your being. And may that be a gift that is yours to share with a world desperately in need.  

Let us pray: We thank you, O God, for your unconditional love for us. We thank you that before we have done anything to earn it or deserve it, you have claimed us as your own. Help us to live and give out of that deep sense of knowing; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

With You I Am Well Pleased
Joe Albright

With You I Am Well Pleased

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Yesterday was Baptism of the Lord Sunday. In the Gospel of Matthew (3:13ff) we see that Jesus begins his ministry by being baptized.

Matthew tells us that in his baptism, the heavens were opened and the Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. And the Father speaks, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

One of the greatest needs of a human being is to belong, to be seen and known and loved. Without that deep sense of knowing that you are wanted and needed and loved – in your family and in your community, it is very difficult to love and accept others as they are – much less begin to address the needs of a hurting world. 

Every year on the church calendar, the second week of January, just as we’re thinking about the new year ahead, new perspectives, and fresh starts, we read these stories of Jesus’ baptism. We’re reminded that before he ever begins, before he has done anything to earn it or deserve it, he is rooted and grounded in love… And so are we.

Sometimes we get those old tapes playing: You don’t belong. you’ll never belong. You’re not good enough. Nobody likes you… But, God says, “You are my son. You are my daughter, my beloved… with you, I am well pleased.”  

I hope you’ll never forget that.  

It is said that the spiritual giant and reformer Martin Luther – a man who had so much courage, a man who risked his life to make a difference – even though he was baptized as an infant, every morning he would wake up – splash water on his face and say to himself: Martin, remember your baptism… remember who you are.  

God says, “You are my son. You are my daughter, my beloved… with you, I am well pleased.”

Let us pray: We thank you, O God, for your unconditional love for us. We thank you that before we have done anything to earn it or deserve it, you have claimed us as your own. Help us to live and give out of that deep sense of knowing; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Give Thanks in All
Roger Kunkel

Give Thanks in All

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Today’s message was written by Rev. Dr. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

Ingratitude is a serious shortcoming. I agree with Martin Luther that “unthankfulness is
 theft.” In his Inferno, Dante placed in the center of his hell not those guilty of fleshy
 sins, but morose, gloomy, ungrateful men and women. Shakespeare wrote in “As You
 Like It:”

“Blow, blow, thou winter wind, 
 Thou art not so unkind
 As man’s ingratitude.”

An elderly mother was bedridden with her final illness. The three married children, two sons, and a daughter were called to her bedside. Conscious but weak, the mother smiled weakly at their presence. One of the sons bent over and said, “You’ve been a good mother.” With a sigh, the mother whispered, “Do you mean that?” “Of course, you have,” all three children joined in. The mother’s voice came again very faintly, “I didn’t know. You never said it before, and I didn’t know.” Unfortunately, some live a long time before they ever say thanks to God or another person for the blessing of human kindness. Sometimes the expression of gratitude comes as a surprise, yes, even a shock. A lady boarded a crowded commuter train. A man rose to give her his seat. She was so surprised, she fainted. When she came to, she thanked him for the seat. Then he fainted. Remember, the apostle Paul reminds us, “Give thanks in all circumstances.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Let us pray: Loving God, we thank you for grateful people who care; a friendly visit, a listening ear, a funny card, a warm letter, a long-distance call, an e-mail, a bouquet of flowers, a book of inspiration. Thank you, Lord, for the ordinary days of simple pleasures and quiet charm; and for those extraordinary days of laughing and weeping when the drama and depth of life touch and warm our hearts. May gratitude for your amazing grace and unconditional love fall frequently from our lips. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Being Led by the Questions
Joe Albright

Being Led by the Questions

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Over the course of this week, we reflected on Jesus’ statement: “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” (Mt. 7:7)

Last summer I took an online business class through the Sloan School of Business called Inquiry Driven Leadership. It really raised my awareness about the power of developing curiosity and asking open questions. One of the key premises was that the quality of answers we receive in life, rise or fall to the level of the questions that are asked. And the kinds of questions we ask, the kinds of questions we hold on our hearts, shape who we are, what we think, and even how we act. 

I remember back in March of 2020, when we first got the sense that Covid was a serious threat, the Sunday before the shutdown, I said to my church, “It is highly unlikely that we, as a church will have to close our doors.” And I really thought there was no way that would happen. Well, on Tuesday of that same week, we got the news… And we did not meet together in person again for over four months. 

What I remember is that the jolt of being that wrong raised in me – and in our leadership – all kinds of questions: First and foremost, how can we still provide meaningful worship for our people when we can’t physically get there? How we can continue to connect and support each other while in isolation? If something like this caught us off guard as a church, what else are we vulnerable to? And then, even, what is it that truly binds us together? What’s at the heart of this community? What draws us? What makes this meaningful to us as human beings? 

I honestly believe that during a time of great uncertainty and unknowing, it was the questions themselves that led us through it… And those same questions have shaped our mission and ministry over the last few years.

Again today, I wonder what questions you are asking right now, about life, the world around you, about your faith. I pray that as you hold them in your heart, as you begin to live into them, may you trust that God who is good will lead you in the way. 

Jesus said ask…

Let us pray: Today, O God, we offer you our questions… And we invite you to meet us in the uncertainty. Meet us in our unknowing. Even as we are being led, grant us your grace and your healing presence; through Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Living with the Questions
Joe Albright

Living with the Questions

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Jesus once said, “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” (Matthew 7:7) Over the past couple of days, we’ve reflected on this as an invitation to ask the deeper questions. Many times, there are no evident immediate answers. And so we live with our questions, perhaps allowing them to guide us and even shape us.

At this time, the congregation I serve is asking and living with some questions: How can we foster a deeper sense of community among our members in a very individualistic culture? And, how can we become a more age-diverse congregation at a time when mainline churches are aging? 

As individuals, I imagine, many of us are living with our own questions. I know I’ve got a few of my own. Right now I’m asking: What does it mean to live a worthy life? In a world of fragmentation, how can I build more bridges personally in my life towards people who see the world differently? How can I hold all of the pain the beauty, the brokenness, and the loveliness of the world together at the same time in my heart?

In a recent TED talk, the author, journalist, and podcaster, Krista Tippett spoke about Rainer Maria Rilke, who in the early 20th century, wrote a wonderful series of letters to a young poet who was serving in the military at the time. He was trying to figure out his life, and who he was called to be. Rilke counseled him, “Be patient with all that is unresolved in your heart… Try to love the questions themselves…Don’t try to reach for the answers which could not be given to you now because you would not be able to live them. The point is to live into the questions now, then, perhaps someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answers.”

Tippett closed with an invitation of her own: “Spend some time formulating your (own) question. Write it down. Commit to having it over your shoulder, in your ear as you move through the next few months of your life. See what it invites you to see and to move towards, and, to move away from. I have found that if you are faithful to living a question, that question will be faithful back to you.”

Again, I pray today, that you and I ever be asking the bigger questions. May we hold these questions in our hearts… living into them, being led by them, trusting that God who is good will lead us in the way. 

Let us pray: Holy God, it is hard to live with uncertainty. It is difficult to face questions that seem to have no answers. We ask you to accompany us on our journeys, on our quests. Lead us and guide us even through the questions we ask, in Jesus’ name. Amen. 

The Wisdom of Our Faith
Joe Albright

The Wisdom of Our Faith

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Jesus once said, “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” (Matthew 7:7) Over the past couple of days, we’ve reflected on this as an invitation to ask the deeper questions.

I am very much aware that sometimes our questions pull at the very fiber of our souls: What will the diagnosis be? What will happen to my loved one? Will she get well? What kind of world will our grandchildren inherit? What’s going to happen to our country? 

We live in a time when we are conditioned to want to find quick answers, and quick resolve… often to relieve the tension we feel in the face of the unknown. But the wisdom of our faith councils that it is precisely at this point we have to live in the tension, to allow the question to sit on our hearts… Or perhaps even reframe the questions themselves… 

Maybe we could begin to ask: What is this moment calling me towards? What’s actually in my control here? Who am I called to be in the face of this? What is this moment asking of me? What is it asking of us as a church?

Jesus said, “Ask… Seek… Knock…” And there is a promise… “Ask and you will receive… Seek and you will find… Knock and the door will be open…” 

No timeline is given. There are no promises that the answers we will get are the ones we might be looking for… But Jesus does end with this: 

Is there anyone among you who, if your child asked for bread, would give a stone?  Or if the child asked for a fish, would give a snake? If you, then, who are human – flesh and blood, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him. (See Matthew 7:9-12)

As we ask the bigger questions, as we live with them in our hearts, may we at the same time trust that God is good, and that God will accompany us every step of the way. 

Let us pray: Loving God, being human we are confronted with mystery at every turn. And we struggle to know why things happen as they do. We ask you to meet us in our questions. Lead us deeper into mystery and deeper into faith. Help us to trust. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Questions
Joe Albright

Questions

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Yesterday we reflected on Jesus’ statement: “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” (Matthew 7:7)

Isidore Rabi, winner of a Nobel Prize for physics, was once asked why he became a scientist. He replied: “My mother made me a scientist without ever knowing it. Every other child would come back from school and be asked, ‘What did you learn today?’ But my mother used to say, ‘Izzy, did you ask any good questions today?’ That made all the difference for me.”

His mother intuitively understood that asking good questions would instill in him a lifelong quest for knowledge. What else can I learn? What if I look at this issue from another angle?” Can I maintain a level of unknowing and curiosity – even when I think I have the answer?

We live in a time when we are prone to statements – prone to opinions. But statements and opinions are often dead ends… We can argue to no end and never get anywhere. 

I think about some of the bumper stickers I’ve seen… and social media posts. I have to wonder: has anybody’s mind ever been changed by a bumper sticker, or social media post? Has progress been made on a major human challenge by a statement? 

Questions, on the other hand, asked in humility, open us up to new possibilities – maybe even possibilities we had never thought of. And they invite others into the journey alongside us.  

Jesus said, “Ask…Seek… Knock…”

May you and I ever be asking the bigger questions in life. May we ask them out of a deep sense of curiosity, out of a desire to learn and to grow. May we invite others to join us in the quest. And, may we trust that God who is good, will lead us in the way. 

Let us pray: Gracious God, grant us open and humble hearts. Grant us healing. Grant us newness. Grant us hope. Amen.

Jesus said, “Ask…”
Joe Albright

Jesus said, “Ask…”

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Jesus once said, “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.  For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

I have a friend who tells me that this passage has often troubled him – in fact to the point that he doesn’t like to preach on it, because, on the surface, it sounds like Jesus is equating God with a cosmic bellhop. What do you want? I’ll get it for you… It appears to be a god who is at our beck and call – which feels like a diminishment – and not true. 

He said I’ve known far too many people over the years who hold this view of God: I only pray when I’m in trouble, or I pray when I need something… But what happens when God doesn’t deliver when or who they want?  

I agree there is a danger in that. But I understand this passage a little differently. I understand it not as a promise that we can have whatever we want, but more as a beautiful invitation to a spiritual journey: 

Jesus said: Ask… 

Elie Wiesel, the great author and survivor of the holocaust, once wrote: “Within the word question, there is a beautiful word – quest.” He said, “I love that word. We are all partners in a quest.”

In part, I believe, Jesus was inviting us to a spiritual quest. 

Some people think it is not okay to ask questions. When I was newer to the faith, I visited churches where I was made to feel I was in danger of the fires of hell simply because I asked questions. The implication was that if I’d just get my relationship with Jesus right, I wouldn’t have the questions. “You just have to have faith!” I was told. Looking back, I did have faith, but faith has no way to grow if we can’t ask the questions.

I wonder what questions you are asking right now, about life, the world around you, about your faith. I pray that your questions would be open, honest, soul-searching questions, questions that invite others along the journey with you. Even when the answers are far from evident, may you trust not only that God is big enough to handle them, but also that God is as good as Jesus promised.

Let us pray: Loving God, being human we are confronted with mystery at every turn. And we struggle to know why things happen as they do. We ask you to meet us in our questions. Lead us deeper into mystery and deeper into faith. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Looking Back to Look Forward
Joe Albright

Looking Back to Look Forward

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In Roman mythology, the god “Janus” was believed to be the god who guided and watched over individuals at fresh starts, at new beginnings, and at all times of transition. Janus was always depicted as having two faces — one face looking backward into the past, the other face turned towards the future. This is of course where the hinge month of “January” came from.

What is interesting is, that the most recent research in cognitive science has found that remembering the past and visualizing the future use the same neural mechanisms. In other words, the very skills that enable you to remember your past also enable you to envision your future. 

It is amazing to me how our view of the past can indeed shape our future. We use what we know to be true from the past to envision what will one day be.

As we begin this new year, I pray that you would spend some time reflecting on the hinge moments in your life – times of transition or major change. What role did your faith play? How did you experience God? In what ways did you grow?

The command to “remember” comes up time and time again in the Bible. Remember the covenant… remember the things of old, remember how I carried you, remember, remember…. I have to believe that is at least in part because when we face trying or difficult times, remembering God’s sustaining grace and presence in the past, reminds us that we have all the reason to hope for the future.

Let us pray: O God of ages past, O God of years to come, we thank you for your faithfulness to us throughout the journey of life. You have rescued. You have provided. And, you have sustained. As we sit on the edge of this new year, we don’t know what the future holds. But we know that you hold the future. And, you hold us. Thank you, Lord. Amen.