David Bahn – Reflections

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These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Proverbs 13-15, Psalm 136.

Proverbs 13:11-12

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,
    but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

Proverbs 14:4, 12, 29

⁴ Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
¹² There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.
²⁹ Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

Every word of the Bible is there for a purpose and inspired by God for our understanding, edification, warning, and faith. And although every word is God’s word, some passages speak to us more than others. Some of the passages are more exciting and easily appreciated than others.

These plumbs from today’s readings are some of my favorites. Reflect with me how they are not only true, but edifying for us who follow Jesus.

Proverbs 13:11-12

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,
    but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.
¹² Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

I like to say that we overestimate what we can accomplish in the short term, but way underestimate what God can do in the long term. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God as leaven hidden in a lump of dough. It eventually leavens the whole lump. Small beginnings don’t require small endings. Get rich quick schemes are just that – schemes. They are designed to entice us away from the way of God and his long-term provision and ultimate plan of redemption.

God’s plans are good, and we are better off holding to the hope of life he has promised, and remember that God’s promises are true. We need not despair when our hopes are not immediately fulfilled. God has a way of building long-term blessings into long-term faith.

Proverbs 14:4, 12, 29

⁴ Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
    but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
¹² There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but its end is the way to death.
²⁹ Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding,
    but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

I love these passages because they are a reminder that short-sightedness of any kind is not of God. Failure to plan for the future in favor of enjoying a moment of happiness is not a formula for success.

On the other hand, the cross of Jesus was not short-sighted nor a quick fix. Man would never have devised such a means of salvation. But man’s ways lead to death. God’s way of salvation was rejected by many, but Jesus’ death is the pathway to life.

I recall a hot-headed man in a congregation I served years ago. He would be involved one day and angry and volatile the next. He would frighten people with his explosive temper. I wish I had shared with him what I learned about my own anger and the truth here that is also reflected in James 1:20, “The anger of man does not accomplish the righteous things that God desires.” Just because I’m angry doesn’t mean I’m right or that my anger will bring about the good things of God, like, love, grace, faith, and repentance.

These verses are but a few of my keepers in the book of Proverbs. I’m sure you may have your own. All of these words point us to Jesus, the embodiment of wisdom and the source of eternal life and salvation.

Click here, or on the image below for the Bible Project Video on Proverbs

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Proverbs 10-12, Psalm 135.

Proverbs 10:1-12

The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a glad father,
    but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.
² Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,
    but righteousness delivers from death.
³ The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry,
    but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
⁴ A slack hand causes poverty,
    but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
⁵ He who gathers in summer is a prudent son,
    but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
⁶ Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
⁷ The memory of the righteous is a blessing,
    but the name of the wicked will rot.
⁸ The wise of heart will receive commandments,
    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.
⁹ Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
    but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
¹⁰ Whoever winks the eye causes trouble,
    and a babbling fool will come to ruin.
¹¹ The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
¹² Hatred stirs up strife,
    but love covers all offenses.

The movie A Great Awakening is about the relationship between Ben Franklin and the evangelist George Whitefield during the First Great Awakening. An early scene from the movie has Ben with the others in the Continental Congress. One delegate is speaking on and on while Ben sits quietly, seemingly bored by the many words of his political opponent. Suddenly the verbose speaker stops and takes verbal a jab at Franklin. “What about Mr. Franklin? He seems not to have much to say. What do you have to say, Mr. Franklin? What do you think?” Ben answers, “I think that he who speaks much thinks he has much to say.”

That’s a pithy comment, and what’s more it’s a reflection of Proverbs 10:8, “The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.” And Proverbs 17:28, “Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise.”

Solomon is writing to his son about the way to make good decisions, avoid failures of all types, and stay on the straight and narrow. These are words of wisdom founded upon the fear of the LORD, and the ways of God’s commandments.

I was struck by the two times in these verses from chapter 10 Solomon mentions babbling fools. He is reminding us that the wise will listen carefully and speak prudently. We need not go on and on to make our point – whether in argument or in an attempt to persuade. Words of truth bury themselves deep in the hearts of the wise. God warns us against getting taken in by smooth talking babblers, and teaches us to speak words that refresh the spirits of all who hear.

Jesus speaks differently than the babblers of this world. His words are not manipulative, deceptive, or empty. His words are spirit and life. He speaks truth that take root deep in the hearts of the wise. He warns, comforts, forgives, and restores. And when he speaks, sinners hear not condemnation, but grace. His word has rung true through the ages and will echo through the eons of eternity.

Click here, or on the image below for the Bible Project Video on Proverbs

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Proverbs 7-9, Psalm 134.

Proverbs 8:1-11

Does not wisdom call?
    Does not understanding raise her voice?
² On the heights beside the way,
    at the crossroads she takes her stand;
³ beside the gates in front of the town,
    at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:
⁴ “To you, O men, I call,
    and my cry is to the children of man.
⁵ O simple ones, learn prudence;
    O fools, learn sense.
⁶ Hear, for I will speak noble things,
    and from my lips will come what is right,
⁷ for my mouth will utter truth;
    wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ All the words of my mouth are righteous;
    there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
⁹ They are all straight to him who understands,
    and right to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰ Take my instruction instead of silver,
    and knowledge rather than choice gold,
¹¹ for wisdom is better than jewels,
    and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

Proverbs 9:13-18

The woman Folly is loud;
    she is seductive and knows nothing.
¹⁴ She sits at the door of her house;
    she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
¹⁵ calling to those who pass by,
    who are going straight on their way,
¹⁶ “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    And to him who lacks sense she says,
¹⁷ “Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

There is no doubt that temptation presents itself attractively. Whether it is the intoxicating scents of perfume and silk sheets or the glitter and glamour of the seductress, temptation is designed to entice, lure, and attract. I like to say that the serpent did not offer Eve some half-rotten, maggot-infested piece of fruit lying on the garden floor. The fruit was “good for food,” “a delight to the eyes,” and “desired to make one wise” (Genesis 3:6). Bait works because it resembles the real thing — or something even better than the real thing. But bait hides a barbed hook.

That is the warning Solomon gives his son — and us — throughout these chapters of Proverbs. Two voices are calling for our attention. One whispers alluring promises. The other speaks truth and wisdom. One says, “Look at me! Here is pleasure, excitement, fulfillment.” The other says, “Fear the LORD. Walk in truth. There is no life better than life with God.”

The seductress offers promises that vanish with the morning light. Solomon warns us about the illusion of quick satisfaction: “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant” (Proverbs 9:17). But then comes the devastating reality: “He does not know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol” (v. 18). Temptation overpromises and underdelivers every time.

But Proverbs is about more than avoiding bad decisions or learning practical life skills. Chapter 8 lifts our eyes higher. Wisdom is personified as one who was with God “at the beginning of his work” and “before the beginning of the earth” (Proverbs 8:22–23). Here is more than poetic imagery. Wisdom points us toward the eternal Word through whom all things were made.

Jesus Christ is the wisdom of God in the flesh. He does not merely give wise advice — he is Wisdom incarnate. His words are truth. His way leads to life. And unlike the empty promises of temptation, his promises endure. He forgives our foolish wandering, rescues us from the hooks we have swallowed, and leads us in paths of righteousness.

All who listen to him will find not only wisdom for this life, but everlasting life, joy, and peace in the presence of God.

Click here, or on the image below for the Bible Project Video on Proverbs

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Proverbs 4-6, Psalm 133.

Proverbs 4:20-27

My son, be attentive to my words;
    incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹ Let them not escape from your sight;
    keep them within your heart.
²² For they are life to those who find them,
    and healing to all their flesh.
²³ Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴ Put away from you crooked speech,
    and put devious talk far from you.
²⁵ Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
²⁶ Ponder the path of your feet;
    then all your ways will be sure.
²⁷ Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.

“I tell my boys,” Calvin would say, “you don’t know nothin’ about being 50. But I’ve been your age.” It was his homespun way of reminding his sons that experience matters. He knew more about the ways of the world than they did, and they would be wise to listen.

There is some truth in that. Those who have lived longer often possess valuable wisdom born from both successes and failures. People who have learned from their own mistakes — and the mistakes of others — can help spare the next generation from unnecessary heartache.

But age alone is no guarantee of wisdom. A seasoned embezzler may have much to teach about dishonest gain, but that does not make his counsel life-giving. We do not simply need advice; we need good advice. We need wisdom shaped by truth, honor, and the fear of the LORD.

That is what stands out in these chapters of Proverbs. Again and again, the father urges his son to listen: hear my words, keep my commandments, treasure up wisdom, do not forsake instruction. The repetition is striking. Why? Because there are real dangers waiting for the unsuspecting, and wisdom often enters one warning at a time.

Soon enough Solomon will speak very directly about one of those dangers — sexual temptation. It is alluring, intoxicating, and persuasive. But hormones do not pave the path to life, and desire alone is not a trustworthy guide.

Yet this wisdom is not merely for sons. “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching” (Proverbs 6:20). These words are for daughters as well, for anyone willing to listen.

And still, even the best earthly wisdom has its limits. Parents fail. Mentors disappoint. We do not always listen as we should. Which is why we need more than wise sayings — we need a Savior. Jesus is not merely a teacher of wisdom; he is the wisdom of God in the flesh. He walks with us through our foolishness, forgives our wandering, and leads us in the way of life. Blessed are those who hear his voice and follow him.

Click here, or on the image below for the Bible Project Video on Proverbs

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Proverbs 1-3, Psalm 132.

Proverbs 3:3-10

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
    bind them around your neck;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ So you will find favor and good success
    in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.

⁹ Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰ then your barns will be filled with plenty,
    and your vats will be bursting with wine.

I remember the first time I noticed the promise that follows the familiar words, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Solomon adds, “It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:5, 8). What a beautiful image — healed flesh and nourished bones. Once I saw it, I often shared those words when visiting people in the hospital. Who does not long for such healing?

Then there is the promise of provision: “Honor the LORD with your wealth… then your barns will be filled with plenty” (Proverbs 3:9–10). Again, who would not want overflowing grain bins and abundant wine?

Of course, some have turned such promises into a kind of spiritual transaction: trust God enough, believe hard enough, and he will reward you with health and prosperity. But Solomon is not teaching us how to strike a bargain with God.

Look more closely. The chapter begins with steadfast love and faithfulness — qualities that reflect God’s own character. Then comes the call to trust him humbly, not leaning on our own wisdom. Faith is not a way of getting something from God. Faith trusts God because he is good, gracious, faithful, and loving.

Faith does not cause God’s favor to appear, as though he were reluctant to bless us until we believe hard enough. Rather, faith discovers and receives the favor of God that has been there all along in his gracious heart.

And ultimately, God’s greatest blessing is not healthy bones or full barns, good as those gifts may be. His greatest gift is Jesus. In Christ we see the steadfast love and faithfulness of God made flesh. He forgives our sins, sustains us in suffering, and promises a day when every weakness will be healed and every sorrow undone.

So we trust him — not because faith guarantees prosperity, but because the One in whom we trust is trustworthy.

Click here, or on the image below for the Bible Project Video on Proverbs

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are 2 Chronicles 1, Song of Solomon 1-2, Psalm 129.

Song of Solomon 2:10, 16

My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
    and come away,

My beloved is mine, and I am his

For much of church history, the Song of Solomon was understood primarily as an allegory of the love between God and his people — Israel in Jewish interpretation, and Christ and his Church in Christian interpretation. Martin Luther himself did not read the book mainly as a guide to romance or marriage, but more broadly as a picture of God’s ordering and blessing of human life. Only in more recent centuries has the Song come to be read chiefly as a celebration of romantic love between husband and wife. Perhaps both themes belong together. Human love, rightly ordered and faithfully lived, is itself one of God’s good gifts — and in its deepest beauty it reflects the covenant love, delight, and faithfulness God shows toward his people.

I say, why not both? In other words, the love between a husband and wife is a picture of the love of Christ for his bride the Church – the One Holy Christian Apostolic Church. Jesus’ love for the sum total of all believers in heaven and on earth. This is the church we confess in both the Apostle’s and Nicene creeds. We confess it because it is invisible; we cannot look into someone else’s heart to see whether they are true believers or not. That is known only to God. But we believe it exists because Jesus promised it would endure to the end even prevailing over the gates of hell.

It’s nice to know that Jesus knows who are his, and that there are true believers in the world today. And to think that Jesus loves the One Holy Christian and Apostolic Church on earth may bolster our faith. But I want to remind you that God loves the world. Jesus died for the sins of the world. Jesus loves broken people and crippled churches.

The Song of Solomon portrays an idealized version of two lovers. She’s amazingly beautiful. He is the handsomest of all men. It can be properly understood to speak of our Lord Jesus, and his bride the Church. But it can also remind us of how God made us male and female. It can help a husband to look to his wife with delight and love. It can remind us that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for her. It can remind us that wives are to respect their husbands as the church respects and honors Christ.

Diane and I have found great insight in the book, Love and War by John and Staci Eldridge. One thing we found to be enlightening is that women wish to be loved and men wish to be respected. Of course we each want both, but the scale is tilted on those directions for most women and men. I wonder if we – the Church – would lay hold of Christ’s love more fully, and show our respect for him by honoring his name and believing his word.

Song of Solomon might be understood both allegorically, or as speaking of the love between a husband and wife. But without a doubt we must love our spouse and rejoice in Jesus’ love for his Church.

Click here, or on the image below for the Bible Project Video on Song of Solomon

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are 1 Kings 2-4, Psalm 128.

1 Kings 3:5-14

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” ⁶ And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. ⁷ And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. ⁸ And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. ⁹ Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

¹⁰ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. ¹¹ And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, ¹² behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. ¹³ I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. ¹⁴ And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

My sister and I would sometimes argue about who got the biggest piece of candy, the largest cup of soda, or the largest half of the piece of cake. So my mom wisely said, “One divides. The other chooses.” It worked like a charm – except maybe one of us would try to make it appear as though one piece was larger than it actually was – who me!?!?

This holds no candle to the wisdom Solomon was given – and showed – when the two women came to him with a problem. Two women. Two babies. A tragic death. One dead. One alive. They each claimed the child was hers. Solomon resorts to a much more nuanced solution: divide the baby in two and give half to each woman. Naturally the live child’s mother cries out, “No! Give the baby to her. Don’t kill the child.” The other woman agreed with Solomon’s drastic solution, saying in effect, “That’s fine by me. Neither of us will have a live baby.” Solomon immediately knew who was the living baby’s mother and give the child to her.

When Solomon was invited by God, “Ask what I shall give you,” Solomon asked for wisdom and understanding. It was a good choice. God’s answer was extravagantly gracious. He promised to give him a wise and discerning mind, “so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you.” But that wasn’t all. He promised Solomon so much riches and honor that no other king would ever compare with him all the days of his life.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Solomon’s request for wisdom was, at its heart, a request to rule rightly under God’s authority and for the good of God’s people. And God responded with extravagant generosity.

That does not mean God promises earthly riches to everyone who trusts him. Solomon himself will later discover how easily wisdom can be neglected and blessings misused. But it does remind us that God delights in giving good gifts to his children and that seeking his kingdom is never wasted.

Most importantly, Jesus calls us to seek not our own righteousness, but his. Through faith in Christ we receive the wisdom, forgiveness, and righteousness we could never secure for ourselves. And as we live under his gracious reign, we discover again and again that God is faithful, generous, and good.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are 1 Chronicles 28-29, 1 Kings 1, Psalm 127.

1 Chronicles 28:7-19

Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. ¹¹ Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. ¹² Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to makl[lle great and to give strength to all. ¹³ And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

¹⁴ “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. ¹⁵ For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. ¹⁶ O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. ¹⁷ I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. ¹⁸ O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you. ¹⁹ Grant to Solomon my son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, performing all, and that he may build the palace for which I have made provision.”

I remember praying for many years that God would multiply the offerings of his people so the mission of the church could continue. The three congregations I served at the time were small, and some weeks the offerings barely covered the cost of keeping the doors open. I do not remember often praying as David does here: “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly?” (1 Chronicles 29:14).

David’s prayer comes after the people had gathered an extravagant offering for the building of the temple. David himself had led the way, giving from his personal treasury “3,000 talents of gold… and 7,000 talents of refined silver.” That was in addition to what he had already been set aside from the royal treasury.

What strikes me is that David did not primarily see the offering as a financial necessity, but as a privilege. He recognized that everything already belonged to the LORD. “All things come from you,” David says, “and of your own have we given you.”

That is quite different from the way offerings are sometimes perceived. One of my worship professors jokingly described the offering as “the involuntary lifting of the alms.” He was not serious, of course — just engaging in the sort of inside humor pastors sometimes share. But there are people who do view the offering as little more than pressure or obligation. Others complain that the church talks too much about money.

True Christian giving, however, is not a shakedown, nor an attempt to bargain with God for greater blessings. It is the joyful response of faith. As Paul writes, giving is not to be “under compulsion,” but done freely and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Interestingly, David’s final offering in this account is not gold or silver, but prayer. He prays for Solomon, asking that his son would walk faithfully before the LORD and succeed in building the temple.

And ultimately, the temple God desires is not merely a building of stone, wood, gold, and silver. It is his people – those redeemed by Christ and built together into a holy dwelling place for God. Through faith, praise, prayer, and acts of love for neighbor, we offer ourselves back to the One who first gave everything – daily bread, purpose and meaning, forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life through his Son.

All that we have – and all that we are – comes from him.

Click here for an audio version of this blog post.

These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are 1 Chronicles 25-27, Psalm 126.

1 Chronicles 25:1, 7-8

David and the chiefs of the service also set apart for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals. The list of those who did the work and of their duties was… ⁷ The number of them along with their brothers, who were trained in singing to the Lord, all who were skillful, was 288. ⁸ And they cast lots for their duties, small and great, teacher and pupil alike.

Years ago I read Romans 16 as the New Testament Reading in a Sunday service at the church where I was then serving. I wanted to highlight how important people are to the mission of God. One member challenged me afterward: “Why in the world did you read all those names?!?” I tried to explain, but he clearly did not share my enthusiasm for long lists of names.

But here we are in 1 Chronicles reading bunches and bunches of names. Name after name, with their brothers – “12 in all,” repeated time after time. As I read, I thought the list would finally end after twelve groups of twelve. If you’ve read today’s readings, you know it does not. The Chronicler goes on to list twenty-four groups of twelve.

Last Sunday – Mother’s Day – there was a printout at St. John listing those who donated flowers to decorate the chancel. Name after name. Row after row. Column after column. I scanned the list not to see who had donated and who had not, but to look for our names. When I saw our names and my mother’s name, I kept scanning, happy to find Diane’s mother listed there as well.

We think little of lists of names unless we hope to find our own.

But the purpose of these names in 1 Chronicles is to show how many people were needed to support the worship life of God’s people.

We once counted how many people were actively involved in making Sunday morning happen at St. John. At that time it was more than 100. Sunday school teachers, worship welcome team members, altar guild, choir, praise team, AV team, ushers, elders, security team, hospitality volunteers (read donut servers!), prayer team, pastors, musicians – the list went on and on, and I hope I haven’t left anyone out.

The mission of God – beginning with the gathering of God’s people for worship – is not a solo act. Jesus sent out his disciples two-by-two. Barnabas and Saul took others with them on their missionary journeys. Paul describes the church as the Body of Christ, with each member doing its part. And in Romans 16 he greets 26 individuals by name, along with several unnamed groups of believers.

God does not hang speakers from the clouds to announce the Good News of Jesus. He does not rely even on the most remarkable technology to carry out his work. He works through people – you and me, and all our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Christ delights to carry out his work through his people together, each member serving in his or her place. And the shared life of Christ’s kingdom – worshiping, serving, and living together – is too precious to neglect.

Behind every congregation, every act of worship, and every ministry of the Gospel are countless names of people known and treasured by God.