Fuller Lectures

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'" --Lamentations 3:22-24 Today marks the final day of Lent. Tomorrow is Easter, the commemoration of Jesus' victory over the grave, and the culmination of our hope. If this has been a season of distress, we can take heart. Easter is coming. Resurrection is both a present and future promise. Just as we hope in our final resurrection, we trust in the rebirth of life that comes day by day, life springing up amidst death, even in the direst of our challenges. Today, have the courage to place your hope in Jesus. Release your fears to him. Trust in the promises of Easter.

"Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover." --John 18:28 When Jesus' enemies take him to Pilate, they have no problem sending him to be killed. Instead, they are concerned with maintaining their own ritual purity, so that they may continue to attain the benefits that come with it (eating the Passover). To become "defiled" is to give up power. Jesus had no fear of impurity; he touched and healed lepers and welcomed all manner of people into the kingdom of God. Those in power fear the breaking of taboos, even to the point that killing those who challenge them is preferable. But by Jesus' death, we are freed from this cycle of fear of defilement. By his sacrifice, Jesus opens the way for all to be drawn to him, to be healed, regardless of their public standing or apparent "defilement.&q

[Jesus said] "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." --John 13:35 When one looks at the disputes that cause animosity across the body of Christ, it can be difficult to discern love for one another there. Too often our churches are known for preaching hate, not love. For casting out members when fear exceeds love, people who challenge us to accept that Christ loves and invites all of us into community, no exceptions. That all are invited to offer their gifts of love and service, without being shamed and minimized by fellow disciples. At the Maundy Thursday service, the altar is stripped. We sit in the darkness, in death and absence. Maybe you are feeling absence in this time. Easter is not yet here. We wait. We grieve the one who died for us, to reconcile us to God and one another. If you have been hurt by the church, felt fear and misunderstanding instead of love, know this is not what Jesus intends for you. Jesus calls

"The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did not turn backward." --Isaiah 50:5 Sometimes we might get a strong hint from God that draws in a particular way, but it does not make sense to us at the time. So we resist it. This resistance may have genuine validity. For one thing, discerning what is from God and what is from our own desires is tricky business. (This is where trusted spiritual friends, communication with God, and faithful community can help.) Or we may recognize the call as valid, but don't see how we can live it. It might mean giving something up, or challenging other people in a scary way. Trusting God is hard. But when God opens our ear, we have a chance to listen. Has God opened your ear about a challenging area of your life, or the life of your community? What would it mean to not turn backward?

"After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them." --John 12:36 Have you ever had points along your faith journey where it feels like Jesus is hiding from you? I have. There might be a long period where I feel this powerful connection, like I am open and things are coming together holistically in all parts of my life, Spirit, mind, body...and then it gets muddy. I feel like that voice is just unclear. Or when I sense it, all I can get from it is, "Wait." In these times, I like to think that Jesus is preparing me for the next thing. Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is waiting on God--not in a passive sense, where I abandon my responsibilities to God, self, and neighbor. But continuing to go along doing what I know, trusting that a new way is opening that has not yet been revealed. When have you felt like you've had to wait to hear from God? Was there a breakthrough point afterward, when that connection opened up again? If not, what are you

"See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them." --Isaiah 42:9 When we come together as community to listen to God, the Spirit is always speaking something new. What worked in the past may not be what best serves God and neighbor today. It is up to us to pay attention to the prophets in the church, read the scriptures together, and listen with open ears to what the Spirit is speaking through them today. What in your life needs examining? Are you engaging in a practice a certain way simply because it is the way it has always been done? What new thing might the Spirit be saying? Connect with a friend to get some outside input.

"Many sternly ordered [Bartimaeus] to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!' Jesus stood still and said, 'Call him here.' And they called the blind man, saying to him, 'Take heart; get up, he is calling you.'" -- Mark 11:48-49 When you cry out to him, Jesus hears. What are you calling out to him for today? How is he responding? Will you then follow him on the way?

"Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world." --Philippians 2:14-15 God is at work within us, sanctifying us, making us shine like stars to do God's work on the earth. And yet we let our disagreements with one another get in the way of our witness. Some of these disagreements are small and petty; others are large, and difficult to reconcile. Yet we are all called by the same God, all moved by the same Holy Spirit in our own ways. When we stop arguing with one another and start focusing on doing the work of the Spirit together, imagine what we can accomplish. Pray for healing between yourself and another Christian with whom you might be quarreling. How can the Spirit speak in the midst of this difficulty, so that you might each accomplish the work God has for you without being hindered?

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." --Psalm 118:24 Some verses of the Bible are so well-known, they can become cliche. I heard this song so many times growing up, and seen this verse so many times on posters and throw pillows, that I can glaze over the beauty of such a simple statement. Rejoicing at life--offering thanks for the day the Lord has given us today--can be one of the most liberating prayers. Meditate on the beauty of the day the Lord has made today. How are you rejoicing at the life you have been given?

"Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God." --John 12:42-43 When we confess Christ, we accept the incomparable healing, forgiveness, and new life that comes through him. We trust that he will guide us in the ministries he calls us to; through our faith, words, and actions, we demonstrate our confession. And that can be risky. Jesus' ministry was never about playing it safe. Standing with the same people Jesus stood with--the outsiders--is not a path to worldly power. If we fear challenging the status quo because we seek more power and control for ourselves, we place our own glory above God's. Then we are not living our confession of Christ. Our fear and self-love alienates us from God. How is your fear holding you back from living your confession of faith? How is Christ ca

"Do not fear,or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one." --Isaiah 44:8 When we place our full faith and trust in God, we need not fear. Even in the midst of our trials, God is with us. Through our lives, we live as witnesses to God's grace and mercy. What are you afraid of today? Bring your fear before God. Pray on how you can live fearlessly.

"Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." --2 Corinthians 3:5-6 When we follow the "letter of the law" as opposed to its spirit, people can get hurt. Think of all the ways those in power use legal loopholes to avoid having to live out what the purpose of the law ought to be: ensuring that all are treated fairly and wrongs are righted. When Jesus came, he was not interested in legalism. He violated norms and customs by eating with those he was not supposed to, healing those considered unworthy, and inviting all to follow a challenging way of greater love. Those who loved the letter of the law hated this. It meant they could not stand behind statutes to make themselves appear superior--to create space between themselves and those considered less worthy. Jesus showed

[Jesus said,] "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." --John 12:8 I struggle with this verse whenever I see it. It's that always that gets me: you always have the poor with you. In the past I have read that as a refutation of the coming kingdom; aren't we supposed to live in the hope that one day all will have enough? That we will not always have the poor? Aren't we called to live with trust in God's abundance today? On reading it today, though, I see something different. Jesus does not say, "You will always have the poor." He expresses it as a current reality. The poor are always surrounding those whom he is talking with. However, he will quickly pass from them. It does not seem to be a statement of resignation to eternal poverty, but a recognition that, in this moment, a different choice for Mary's use of funds was the correct one. As I continue to read the Bible, I learn how much nuance matters. (Seminary c

"Once a year Aaron shall perform the rite of atonement on its [the ark of the covenant's] horns. Throughout your generations he shall perform the atonement for it once a year with the blood of the atoning sin offering. It is most holy to the Lord." --Exodus 30:10 "Atonement" is a word that makes some Christians squeamish today. It comes to us from our faith's Jewish roots. A priest would offer sacrifices of atonement (at-one-ment) in order to cleanse the sins of the people, so that they could be reconciled with God. But through Jesus, our sins are forgiven once and for all. God's grace, forgiveness, and mercy have been poured out on all creation. And through our own confession and repentance, aligning ourselves with Jesus, listening to him, and following his way, we can live the best life that God has in store for us. It is difficult to reflect on the cross and its meaning. How can a place of torture produce forgiveness and reconciliation? Yet to end

"Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one whom we must render an account." --Hebrews 3:12-13 There is a terrifying element to being fully exposed. We may hold back parts of ourselves from even those who are closest to us, out of fear of rejection, or hurting others. But nothing can be hidden from God. We may dwell on those parts of ourselves that hold shame, on choices we could have made differently, on times we have been cruel, petty, etc. God knows each part. And yet God offers the gift of grace, forgiveness, and new life in Christ. In him, we are freed to try again, to release our pain and shame and start anew. What have you been holding on to? How can you offer this up to God? Where is Jesus in all this for you?

"Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise." --Isaiah 60:18 God's promise to us is a future of peace, free from violence and destruction. The gift of salvation is holistic. We are freed from death and sin in body and spirit; that freedom extends to the lands we live in as well. Through Christ, we are able to live into the promise of everlasting salvation, starting now. We can only see it in glimpses in our current, broken world, but we trust that one day, Jesus will make our salvation known in its fullness. In the meantime, we are called to follow him, living his salvific message of peace on earth. For this we offer all our praise and thanksgiving. How is Jesus calling you to live out your salvation today? Pray and ask.

"No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and she will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it." --1 Corinthians 10:13 When life overtakes us and we are pushed beyond our limits, it is hard to imagine that these trials, too, shall pass. We are not meant to suffer; suffering itself is not holy. Yet it is a consequence of living in fragile bodies in a broken world. Trust that even in the dark times, our savior is with you. Trust that God is working within to transform and renew all, even when we cannot yet see how. Do not be afraid to reach out to others when it becomes too much on your own. Have courage today. You are doing better than you think you are.

"Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to an inhabited town; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; she led them by a straight way, until they reached an inhabited town." --Psalm 107:4-7 Lent marks the time that Jesus spent alone in the desert, praying. Maybe you, too, find yourself in a desert of one type or another during this season, your soul fainting within you. While your life feels uninhabited, trust in God to lead you by the straight way, to light, food, and water, for body and soul. What are you struggling with during this Lenten season? How are you open to God's call on your life during this time?

"Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and she saved them from their distress; she sent out her word and healed them, and delivered them from destruction." --Psalm 107:19-20 No matter what we have done, what pain we are experiencing--whether it is the result of our own actions or others' cruelty--our God hears our cries, and saves us from our distress. Salvation is not simply a future act. It is God's healing for us in the here and now, freeing us to live as whole people, connected with one another and with God. What pain have you felt? Do you need to cry out to God today and ask for healing? Or when has God heard your cry and provided healing in the past?

"In [Christ] you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory." --Ephesians 1:13-14 You also . The gospel of Jesus Christ is for all people. No individual or group is excluded from a loving relationship with Christ, made alive for us through the Holy Spirit. Some pastors and churches feel a need to protect the gospel, as if they can wrap their arms around it and divvy it out to those they deem worthy. But when we open ourselves to him, the Holy Spirit connects us with God in a way that no human being, regardless of their authority, can stand against. If you have been excluded from a church because of who you are, know that that exclusion stems from flawed and broken human beings (as we all are), and not from God. Pray for God to open a way to find a community

"God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations.... When the bow is in the clouds I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth." --Genesis 9:12, 16 The relationship between creation and God is one of covenantal agreement; we are God's, and God is ours. Note that the covenant includes not only humanity, but every other living creature as well. We are bound together not only within the human family, but our relationship with other creatures is also part of our kinship with God. How are you considering the implications of your covenantal relationship with the other creatures of the earth?

"Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves... And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching." --Mark 11:15, 18 When Jesus drives out those who are buying and selling in the temple, it is not the act itself that frightens the chief priests and Pharisees. Maybe those in charge let him complete his protest because they assumed he was an isolated troublemaker. They might have thought they could keep it quiet; this incident could be ignored and swept under the rug. But instead the whole crowd is spellbound. Suddenly he is no longer an isolated threat. He has the power of the people behind him. Now that he might actually be able to hold them accountable as a leader

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God." --Psalm 84:1-2 Because we worship a living God who indwells us through the Holy Spirit, we are the temple of God. We need not yearn for some dwelling place far away; our God is with us. Yet there is a distance. We can only know Christ in Spirit, and we long for the fullness of connection. What does it mean for you to embody the temple of the living God today?

“Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.” —1 Corinthians 3:18–19a Much of the “wisdom” of this world does not reflect the fullness of the kingdom of God. The wisdom of the world tells us to amass as much wealth as possible, even at the expense of those who suffer as a result of our gain. The world’s wisdom would have us ignore the contributions of those society deems less than worthy to contribute: those who do not possess higher education; those with mental illness; the unemployed. It is foolish to stand with the disreputable: the poor; sexual minorities who are shamed for their difference. Yet standing with the least of these, even as our witness causes others to call us foolish from the standpoint of the world, is the life that Jesus calls us to. Which disreputable people are you standing with? Are you having trouble living the gospel because

“Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’” —Mark 9:7 We don’t usually hear a voice from heaven reminding us to listen to Jesus. As we go about our day-to-day lives, it is easy to forget that he is always present with us. We are always to see his face in the faces of those around us, and listen for the voice of the Spirit. Take a moment now. Breathe. Sit silently in prayer, opening yourself to hear the voice of Jesus. Listen to him.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” —Psalm 19:14 Sometimes when I come before God, I come with a pain so raw, I do not even know what to pray. My heart may be broken, and I cannot form the words to express my need in any coherent manner. But God reads our hearts even when they are troubled, and we cannot find the words to name the pain. Even if we do not know what we need to call upon God for, we can trust that God knows. The living Christ is always with us, and his Holy Spirit is always at work within. May this bring our hearts peace in the midst of chaos, and words when there seem to be none.