2026 Pentecost Devotions III
Tuesday, October 20
Psalm 1
1 Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked
or take the path that sinners tread
or sit in the seat of scoffers,
2 but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
4 The wicked are not so
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous,
6 for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
“… or sit in the seat of scoffers …”
I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. I was attending a luncheon with some friends when they identified me as a Lutheran pastor. Up until that time, everyone seemed pleasant. However, once my identity was revealed, a tirade of scathing invectives was hurled my way including insults about my ministry, the church, and religion in general.
As I tried to defend myself, I discovered that many of my opposition were former disgruntled church people. Many had suffered at the hands of the church because of their sexual orientation, choice of lifestyle, opposition to official church polity, marginalization. They were very upset and I was their target.
Thankfully, my friends came to my rescue by providing support and encouragement as I tried to disabuse my opponents of their “every church is the same” thinking. As we talked – debated really – the tone of the conversation cooled, and we were able to find some common ground. Unfortunately, for most, the hurt, exclusion, and estrangement they experienced at the hands of the church had turned them off completely.
Sometimes scoffers have a point. The church can be a judgmental place, excluding and condemning those they see unfit for faith. Thankfully, God’s grace is greater than the limits of some congregational thinking. The love of God is for all people. Only when we practice that love fully in the church will those scoffers I encountered find welcome, peace, and inclusion.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the church, even with all its foibles. Use me as an instrument of Your grace, hope, and peace that others may come to see Your church as a place of love and welcome. Amen.