"Do not fret because of evil people or be envious of those who do wrong...Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." -- Psalm 37:1; 3-4

When I was about 9 or 10 years old, I remember finding a cigarette outside with my friend.  We thought it would be cool to try smoking it, and so while my parents were out for a while, we did just that in my room.    I coughed, gagged, and hated the taste it left in my mouth.  But that was nothing compared to the guilt I felt for doing something I knew my parents would disapprove of... I had to make sure they didn't find out.  So I took the butt of the cigarette and flushed it down the toilet.  Not long afterward, I sensed my parents were acting a little funny.  I became nervous.  I hadn't admitted what I'd done, but thought that maybe I was giving some sort of guilt signal.  My father said he wanted to talk to me.  I knew I was caught, but couldn't understand how they knew.  While I dreaded what was coming, I was already beginning to feel some relief because I hated carrying the secret of what I'd done.  It was a burden too much to bear.  Dad sat me down and asked outright, "Have you been smoking, Son?"  Amazing!  I hadn't said a word about it and he'd figured it out!  "Huh?"  I asked, stalling for something smart to say.  "Have you been smoking?"  I caved.  "Yes."  I told him everything.  Then I asked, "How did you know?"  He said, "We could smell it the minute we walked in the door."  Ha!  That's how they did it!  It hadn't even occurred to me...

That day I learned something.  I had expected to be grounded for life, but instead had a great lecture given to me.  I received grace.  And with that came huge relief.  I could start clean again.  I didn't even like smoking anyway.  I am sorry for those who live lives of deceit and evasion.  Life is too short to live it looking over your shoulder all the time.  If you seek life with God, you will enjoy the pastures described in this Psalm.  Live simply and enjoy God's pleasures.  It will lead to a better life.

Readings:  Leviticus 6:1-7:27; Mark 3:7-30; Psalm 37:1-11; Proverbs 10:3-4

"No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins." -- Mark 2:21-22

I'm not one who typically sews, and I've never tried sewing a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment.  Nor do I carry a wineskin, so have never had the need to pour new wine into it.  But what I hear is that neither approach works, because they are old solutions to new problems.  When the garment was new, the new patch would have worked, but the garment has changed, and what you used to be able to do will not work.   As the world changes, new problems emerge.  It takes creativity to come up with new solutions.  A hammer and duct tape work for most, if not all, challenges, but some things are just more sophisticated now and  require more specialized tools.   Likewise, the way people learn and communicate has changed.  Jesus was speaking to common people in ways they understood.  He was the new wine being poured into a new skin.  The Pharisees had great difficulty connecting.  Today, the generations coming up are wired so much differently than the Gen X-ers, Boomers, and back, and to connect with them requires new language skills and new means of connection.  If we want to stay relevant to the generation being born now, we must continually grow with the advances around us.  We might be getting older, but we don't have to become stale.  We can stay fresh, and continually communicate the stories of God, which are always fresh to new ears.

Readings:  Leviticus 4:1-5:19; Mark 2:13-3:6; Psalm 36:1-12; Proverbs 10:1-2

"The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge. She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way. 'Let all who are simple come in here!' she says to those who lack judgment. 'Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!' But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave." -- Proverbs 9:13-18

The writer of this Proverb gives us a contrast to Wisdom (cf. Proverbs 4) who is also personified as a woman, but one of esteem and respect.  This one is Folly, and she is dangerous.  She lures the unsuspecting and unaware into a life that leads to death.  It might be that sometimes, ignorance is bliss, but this text would tell us to to at least be aware of Folly's characteristics so as not to be ensnared.  To live a life of folly doesn't mean to live one that is fun and exciting, as you can do that with wisdom too.  Rather, to live a life of folly is to live the undisciplined life, without learning lessons along the way, and without putting effort into work.  It's marked by making poor decisions day after day after day.  To avoid Folly, live a disciplined life (you're already a disciplined reader!) and you will find blessings in abundance.  Give time each day to learning and living for God, filling your time with constructive work and making sure you allow for learning and development.  Enjoy the people you love and laugh with them.  Celebrate along the way.  Live your days like this, and you won't even hear Folly's voice.  She'll just be shouting  into the wind.

Readings:  Leviticus 1:1-3:17; Mark 1:29-2:12; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 9:13-18

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him. -- Mark 1:17-18

What would make you drop everything and follow Jesus?  In this scene, Jesus is walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and he sees two brothers, Simon and Andrew, fishing.  We know that if Simon and Andrew were fishing, that they weren't in school, weren't preparing themselves for a life of academics or legal studies.  They were trying to make a living.  They were blue collar boys working hard.  Jesus comes along and says "follow me".  Scripture says "at once" they dropped their nets and did just that.  Did Jesus have some sort of charismatic or hypnotic powers that made them do that?  Or did they already know who Jesus was?  Most likely, they knew Jesus as a rabbi (teacher) and to be invited to follow a rabbi was a great honor.  It was amazing to them that they would be selected to walk this path with someone like Jesus.

What would you need to know about Jesus to give your life to following him?  That he was a teacher?  That he was a worker of miracles?  That he was sent by God?  That he was the son of God?  That he is God?  That he's alive now?  That he's present with you now?  That his love for you is unconditional?  That he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life?

Then what are you waiting for?

Readings:  Exodus 39:1-40:38; Mark 1:1-28; Psalm 35:1-16; Proverbs 9:11-12

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." -- Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew ends his gospel with the words of Jesus-- the one who was crucified and buried.  The chief priests thought that they had rid themselves of this troublemaker, but here he is again!  He's risen from the dead and speaks to his followers the instructions that change everything.  Jesus was Jewish.  As he lived, he taught and preached to the nation Israel.  He was considered a rabbi.  He had a message for his people.  Now the temple curtain had been torn-- a symbolic event that speaks to shredded boundaries.  Paul would later say more about this when he says there is no longer Jew nor Greek... but here is Jesus, not saying baptize the nation Israel in my name... but instead, go and make disciples and baptize people of all nations.  Jesus died for all.

When you consider who you let in to your life, your school, your home... is your love conditional?  Do you truly share the love and grace of Jesus with as many people as you can, or do you restrict your interactions to only certain political, racial, or religious types?  Think about someone you could work on developing a relationship with who is different than you.  Learn to love them-- for God's sake.

Readings:  Exodus 37:1-38:31; Matthew 28:1-20; Psalm 34:11-22; Proverbs 9:9-10 

"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." -- Psalm 34:5

How many billions of dollars a year are spent in the beauty industry?  It seems that each year, more money is spent on preserving those passing youthful looks than ever before.  With teenage girls (and younger) now receiving gifts of plastic surgery and body augmentation, it's becoming more the norm to think that the secret to looking beautiful is skin deep.  But the timeless truth stands: beauty is not skin deep.  True beauty emanates and radiates from the soul.  You can look at someone who appears "perfect" on the outside, but because their heart meditates on dark things, and their eyes reflect hate, there is an ugliness that comes out.  Conversely, you might see someone who would be rejected by radio because of their looks, and find them to be the most attractive and beautiful person you've ever met.   The secret to being beautiful is in finding joy in Christ.  When that joy comes out, people don't just see you, they see God, the Creator of beauty himself.  So if you want to look good, reflect on God, and God will reflect on you.  There you have it: beauty secrets-- free of charge!

Readings:  Exodus 35:10-36:38; Matthew 27:32-66; Psalm 34:1-10a; Proverbs 9:7-8

"When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. 'I am innocent of this man's blood,' he said. 'It is your responsibility!'" -- Matthew 27:24

In this reading, we find indications that Pilate was a reasonable man.  Not sure what to do with this Jesus character, he asks the crowd, "What crime has he committed?"  They in turn, won't have it.  They basically see Pilate wavering a bit, and in order to seal the deal, they put the pressure of the crowd on him.  A skilled politician, Pilate knows better than to turn the crowd against him, so he says it's on them.  Gladly they take the blame off of him.  He "washes his hands of it" and makes clear that he's not in agreement, but he won't do the unpopular thing.  Though he had the power, he would not spare Jesus' life.

We read this story and, like armchair quarterbacks, say how we would have done it differently.  I wouldn't have washed my hands of it...  I  wouldn't have sent Jesus to be crucified... I would have stood up to the crowd.  But then I think of things in our own time that seem to be the popular trend, and I have to wonder, when issues are brought up and batted around, how much am I influenced by the crowd's leanings?  How much do I let the crowd's view of it color my own understanding of it?   We are all political, whether we like to believe it or not.  We all have the need to be accepted by society to some degree, but we're also called to effect change for God, and sometimes that means doing the unpopular thing-- sometimes it means going against the crowd.  When change is called for, courage on our part is even more called for.  Be brave and stand up for the right thing.  Your hands may be dirty for it, but your conscience will be clean.

Readings:  Exodus 34:1-35:9; Matthew 27:15-31; Psalm 33:12-22; Proverbs 9:1-6