A Congregation of Hope

  • January 9, 2020
  • /
  • Jon Polk

Scripture Focus: Acts 9:40
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.

Reflection: A Congregation of Hope
By Jon Polk

Tabitha was a big deal in Joppa. A disciple and prominent member of the Joppa congregation, she was known for her generosity and considerable service to others, especially the widows in their midst. Apparently, her reputation carried outside the church to the larger Greek community as well, where she was known by her Greek name, Dorcas.

Tabitha’s great significance to the church is revealed after her untimely illness and death. Upon hearing that the miracle-working Peter was in nearby Lydda, not one but two witnesses were dispatched to urgently summon him. When Peter arrived on the scene, the group of weeping widows—who were not the usual professional mourners common of the day, but rather dear friends of Tabitha—showed him that the very clothes they were wearing were made by Tabitha, who distributed them to the poor and needy.

For the congregation in Joppa, Tabitha’s death was more than the loss of a close friend, it presented a serious impact on their ministry outreach to the poor. Without attempting to deal with the situation on their own, they reached out in tremendous faith for the power of God, represented by the healer, Peter.

In The Sacred Journey, author Frederick Buechner writes,

“When it comes to putting broken lives back together—when it comes, in religious terms, to the saving of souls—the human best tends to be at odds with the holy best. To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do—to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst—is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still.”

The congregation at Joppa recognized they had a God-sized need that required a God-sized solution. This congregation believed in a resurrection hope, in a God that could exceed all expectations. They came together to mourn and weep, but also to hope and pray, and eventually, to celebrate. They were vulnerable enough to accept that the situation was desperate beyond their control.

Life presents us with our share of challenges from daily nuisances to more significant needs for physical healing or spiritual resurrection. May we have the faith of the Joppa congregation and be willing to place our hope daily in our great God, the giver of life.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Save me, O God, for the waters have risen up to my neck. — Psalm 69.1

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Ezra 9 (Listen -3:19) 
Acts 9 (Listen -6:05)

Read more from Buechner: Too Good Not to Be True
The preacher is apt to preach the gospel with the high magic taken out, the deep mystery reduced to a manageable size. — Frederick Buechner

Too Good Not to Be True

Read more from Buechner: Restoration of Civility
“In Hebrew the term dabar means both word and deed,” Frederick Buechner observes. “Thus, to say something is to do something.”

Restoration of Civility

Not for Sale

  • January 8, 2020
  • /
  • Jon Polk

Scripture Focus: Acts 8:18-19
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Reflection: Not for Sale
By Jon Polk

Simon was a big deal in Samaria. They called him “The Great Power,” a title befitting a god, attributing to him divine power. Simon was a sorcerer, a magician. No, not like Gandalf or Harry Potter or David Blaine – magic in the ancient world was generally used in a negative context to describe counterfeit demonstrations of supernatural power, either performed by trickery or by tapping into some evil spiritual source.

Simon was convincingly good and insanely popular. Whether just a persuasive huckster or actually connected with some demonic force, he had captivated the whole city and people were amazed at what he could do.

In yet another example of the Gospel of Jesus reaching the most unlikely of recipients, Simon the Magician, like many of the citizens of Samaria, was captivated by Philip’s preaching. He believed the message of Jesus, was baptized and began to follow Philip around.

However, Simon couldn’t completely shake his past. Magic in the ancient world was utilitarian, viewing the spiritual dimension as a commodity that could be bought or sold and used for one’s own personal gain. A magician sought to control or manipulate spiritual forces.

Sadly, for Simon, the lure of his old life was too strong a temptation. When Simon witnessed Peter and John laying hands on the other believers and delivering the Holy Spirit to them, he offered money hoping to purchase this ability to be a conduit of the Holy Spirit.

Peter’s response calls out the sin in Simon’s heart, the attitude that divine power can be acquired for a price and used to manipulate people and situations. Simon wanted to purchase what was supposed to be a free gift. You don’t pay for a gift. However, the underlying attitude is that when I pay for something, I can control it.

You can’t control the gift of God. You can’t manipulate the Holy Spirit into doing your bidding.

Simon believed in the good news and was baptized but he didn’t completely let go of his old ways of thinking and living. Instead of giving himself completely to serve God, he thought that God’s power existed to serve him. Like Simon, we often want God’s power to benefit us, but God’s power in us is always intended to bless and benefit others.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading
Jesus taught the people, saying: “I tell you most solemnly everyone who commits sin is a slave. Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.” — John 8.34-36

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
Ezra 8 (Listen -5:40) 
Acts 8 (Listen -5:10)

Read more about Realizing the Power of Love
Jesus began the most revolutionary movement in all of human history, a movement grounded in the unconditional love of God for the world. A movement mandating people to live that love. —  Bishop Michael Curry

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Read more about Revelation of Love
The story of Revelation is a promise that none of God’s children will be left behind. All God’s children will come home.

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The Endurance of Hope :: Love of Advent

  • December 12, 2019
  • /
  • Jon Polk

*Advent is a wonderful time for new readers to join us. At this time of year we are covering familiar biblical content and people are open to spiritual pursuits. Also at this time, people desperately need the balance of spiritual practice that The Park Forum provides. In this season, consider sharing our devotionals with others and inviting them to join our community. Use the sharing links included in the email below to help them subscribe.

Scripture Focus: Revelation 3.11
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have…

1 Thessalonians 1:3, 9b-10
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.

From John: As we continue in John’s apocalyptic book of Revelation, which speaks in dreams and visions about Christ’s second Advent, we conclude, with thanks to Jon Polk, this short series of reflections. They are based on Jon’s recent Advent sermon out of 1 Thessalonians. The Thessolonians were particularly concerned with questions of Christ’s Advent, and we have benefited from the lessons herein. Come Lord Jesus.

Reflection: The Endurance of Hope :: Love of Advent
By Jon Polk

Introduction: Advent is the season in which we anticipate and wait for Jesus’ return by remembering his first coming. Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church are filled with references to Christ’s second coming, encouraging the believers to be actively waiting as they fully expected that Jesus would come back in their lifetime.  Paul commends their work of faith, labor of love and endurance of hope.

Hope is the conviction that God will complete his good work in us until the day of Christ’s return, but what does Paul mean by the “endurance of hope”? The expectation of the imminent return of Christ was commonplace among the early believers. They looked forward to that day and found their great hope in the second coming of Christ. Some 2000 years later, it can be difficult for us to live our lives with the same sort of hopeful expectation that Jesus’ return could happen at any moment. For Paul the basis of our hope is found in the resurrection, giving us confidence that Jesus will do just as he as promised. Enduring hope is not wishful thinking born from an unsure tomorrow but it is absolute certainty about our future with Christ and longing for that day to come!

Charles Wesley, younger brother of English preacher John Wesley, was a theologian himself and a prolific hymn writer. He captures this enduring hope and longing for the return of Christ in the familiar, yet simple Advent carol, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus. Wesley was influenced by the poor living conditions of the orphans in the areas of the city around him and was impacted by the stark class divisions in Great Britain in the mid-1700s. Expressing a longing and enduring hope for the return of Christ who would ultimately set things right, he penned these words.

Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne

Wesley intended that celebrating Advent and Christmas would not only be a commemoration of the birth of Jesus, but also a preparation for the return of Jesus. This is the enduring hope for those who actively wait for the return of Christ, a hope intimately intertwined with the first coming of his birth.

Actively waiting for the return of Jesus is fueled by the endurance of hope. This Advent season, are you living with the endurance of hope, actively singing in your heart, “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”? If not, what are you waiting for?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for my hope has been in you. — Psalm 25.20

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
2 Chronicles 13 (Listen -7:17) 
Revelation 3 (Listen -3:00)

Thank You, Donors!
Thanks to our donors, in 2019 we will publish approximately 100,000 words of free, and ad-free, devotional content. Without donor support, continuing this ministry would be impossible. As the end of the year approaches, consider whether the Holy Spirit might be prompting you to help support our 2020 content with an end-of-year gift or by becoming a monthly donor. Follow this link to our giving page.

Read more about Love that Points to the Cross :: Love of Advent
All of Advent’s hope, points to the cross, where Advent’s love is demonstrated.

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Read more about Supporting our Work
Gifts to support our ministry are really to support the spiritual growth and development of thousands of daily readers across the world.

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The Labor of Love :: Love of Advent

  • December 11, 2019
  • /
  • Jon Polk

*Advent is a wonderful time for new readers to join us. At this time of year, we are covering familiar biblical content and people are open to spiritual pursuits. Also at this time, people desperately need the balance of spiritual practice that The Park Forum provides. In this season, consider sharing our devotionals with others and inviting them to join our community. Use the sharing links before the scripture readings in the email below to help others subscribe.

Scripture Focus: Revelation 2.4
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

1 Thessalonians 1:3, 6, 9b-10a
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven…

From John: As we continue in John’s apocalyptic book of Revelation, which speaks in dreams and visions about Christ’s second Advent, we are excited to continue this short series of reflections by Jon Polk. They are based on his recent Advent sermon out of 1 Thessalonians. The Thessolonians were particularly concerned with questions of Christ’s Advent, and there are wonderful lessons here for us all. Come Lord Jesus.

Reflection: The Labor of Love :: Love of Advent
By Jon Polk

Introduction: Advent is the season in which we anticipate and wait for Jesus’ return by remembering his first coming. Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church are filled with references to Christ’s second coming, encouraging the believers to be actively waiting as they fully expected that Jesus would come back in their lifetime.  Paul commends their work of faith, labor of love and endurance of hope.

Love is the present and continuing relationship between God and his people through Christ, but how about this “labor of love” that Paul references? It is a phrase typically used to refer to something we do out of a deep passion, motivated by love for those involved. But love is so wonderful and light that to pair it with a word like labor seems almost incongruent. So why labor? In Paul’s description the labor in labor of love speaks in part to the ability to continue to follow God in the middle of struggle and persecution.

Certainly, persecution and suffering was common in the days of the early church, but what was happening to the believers in Thessalonica? It actually was partly the fault of Paul. In Acts 17, when the local Jews discovered Paul was there preaching and teaching, they ran him and his team out of the city. So if the other Jews didn’t like Paul, then certainly they were not too happy with all these ‘imitators’ of Paul also proclaiming the gospel message. Whether or not there was physical persecution, their suffering certainly started with social ostracization, conflicts with their Jewish friends and neighbors, and pressure from the Gentiles as well. Thessolonica was a multi-cultural port city and you just don’t go around in a pluralistic society proclaiming an exclusive one true God without people being offended. 

But the believers were transformed by the labor of love within them. Their attitude towards their suffering had changed. Instead of complaints and laments, there was joy inspired by the Holy Spirit. Rejoicing through afflictions is a mark of the labor of love at work. As they actively waited for Jesus to return, they found joy in their suffering. We actively wait for Christ by doing the things God has called us to do because he loves us and will ultimately provide rescue and relief for us.

Actively waiting for the return of Jesus is supported by the labor of love. This Advent season, are you practicing the labor of love, enduring trials and difficulties with the confidence that God will see you through, and in so doing are you becoming an example to others? If not, what are you waiting for?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lesson
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled — Matthew 5.6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
2 Chronicles 11 (Listen -2:58)
Revelation 2 (Listen – 4:59)

Thank You, Donors!
Thanks to our donors, in 2019 we will publish approximately 100,000 words of free, and ad-free, devotional content. Without donor support, continuing this ministry would be impossible. As the end of the year approaches, consider whether the Holy Spirit might be prompting you to help support our 2020 content with an end-of-year gift or by becoming a monthly donor. Follow this link to our giving page.

Read more about Involving Christ :: Love of Advent
We carry the gift of involving Christ. Christ is lovingly interested in being involved in our embarrassments, difficulties, and failures.

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The value of words for Christians is vastly different than others, for our Savior is known as The Word made flesh.

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The Work of Faith :: Love of Advent

  • December 10, 2019
  • /
  • Jon Polk

*Advent is a wonderful time for new readers to join us. At this time of year, we are covering familiar biblical content and people are open to spiritual pursuits. Also at this time, people desperately need the balance of spiritual practice that The Park Forum provides. In this season, consider sharing our devotionals with others and inviting them to join our community. Use the sharing links before the scripture readings in the email below to help others subscribe.

Scripture Focus: Revelation 1.3
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy…because the time is near.

1 Thessalonians 1:3, 5a, 9b-10a
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
…our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction…
They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven…

From John: As we enter John’s apocalyptic book of Revelation, which speaks in dreams and visions about Christ’s second Advent, we are excited to bring you this short series of reflections by Jon Polk. They are based on his recent Advent sermon out of 1 Thessalonians. The Thessalonians were particularly concerned with questions of Christ’s Advent, and there are wonderful lessons here for us all. Come, Lord Jesus.

Reflection: The Work of Faith :: Love of Advent
By Jon Polk

Introduction: Advent is the season in which we anticipate and wait for Jesus’ return by remembering his first coming. Paul’s letters to the Thessalonian church are filled with references to Christ’s second coming, encouraging the believers to be actively waiting as they fully expected that Jesus would come back in their lifetime.  Paul commends their work of faith, labor of love and endurance of hope.

Faith is the assurance that God has acted for our salvation in Christ, but what is Paul talking about when he refers to the “work of faith”? He is not referring to some action or work that we must do in order to receive faith. No, we know that saving faith is ours by the free gift of God’s grace, instead, he is referring to the transforming work that faith does within us once we receive the gospel message.

Faith is more than just belief, it is a power from God that works in us and changes us from within. Faith makes you turn from wrong to right, from the darkness of a selfish, harmful way of living to a true, generous and healthy way of loving, or as Paul puts it, faith makes you turn away from idols to serve the living and true God. We don’t simply decide to leave all our worldly idols and then stumble around until we find God. Rather, God pursues us and reveals himself to us and when we discover his glory and goodness, we leave behind all the cheap imitations.

Lee Strobel is the author of one of the premier books on Christian apologetics, The Case for Christ. Strobel had a law degree from Yale University and was an award-winning journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He was an unlikely candidate to write such a book because he was an atheist and a skeptic. However, in 1979, Lee’s wife Leslie became a Christian and she began to live and model her new faith in such a way that it caused him to undertake a two-year journey of investigative research which eventually led to him also putting his faith in Christ. The transformation brought about by the work of faith in his life was so obvious that it caused their 5-year old daughter Alison to remark to her mother, “Mommy, I want God to do for me what He’s done for Daddy.”

Actively waiting for the return of Jesus begins with the work of faith. This Advent season, are you experiencing the work of faith, being transformed by the work of God within you, and inspiring others to do the same? If not, what are you waiting for?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Bless God in the Congregation; bless the Lord, you that are of the fountain of Israel.

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Today’s Readings
2 Chronicles 10 (Listen -3:01)
Revelation 1 (Listen – 3:43)

Thank You, Donors!
Thanks to our donors, in 2019 we will publish approximately 100,000 words of free, and ad-free, devotional content. Without donor support, continuing this ministry would be impossible. As the end of the year approaches, consider whether the Holy Spirit might be prompting you to help support our 2020 content with an end-of-year gift or by becoming a monthly donor. Follow this link to our giving page.

Read more about Love in His Name :: Love of Advent
“Love in his name,” is both what we receive and what we must do.

Love in His Name :: Love of Advent

Read more about Supporting our Work
The Park Forum strives to provide short, smart, engaging, biblical content to people across the world for free with no ads.

Supporting our Work