Author: John Grimm

God has brought me far. I still have a ways to go. But I am not the only one, am I? Follow me on

Who Do You Serve?

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment 
Daniel 7:13-14  (NRSV) 

As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being
    coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One
    and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion
    and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
    that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
    that shall never be destroyed.

By John Grimm

The spinoff to Babylon 5, a sci-fi show from the late 1990’s, Excalibur, had a persnickety character named “Galen.”  He would show up at the most inconsiderate and awkward times.  One of his questions was, “Who do you serve?”  As disciples of Jesus Christ, we know the answer.

Or do we?  There are portions of the Bible that we do not understand.  Reading Daniel’s visions we come across the one like a Son of Man, a.k.a. one like the human one.  His entrance is awe-inspiring.  He is given accolades and responsibility that no one else has.  We do not understand when this one like a Son of Man will be here.

We are enthusiastic about all peoples, nations, and languages serving him.  We like the language that they should serve him.  We await his kingship/kingdom that shall never be destroyed.  Then, we realize we are part of all peoples, nations, and languages!  Who shall we serve?

Do we know the answer?  We can freely serve Jesus Christ now.  We could also wait until all people, nations and languages must serve him.  It is a promising idea for us to serve Jesus Christ freely now.  The language of this vision is such that all humanity has the option.  If we are not serving Jesus Christ, then who or what are we serving? 

Jesus Christ, we get to choose to serve you.  You are due all these accolades, for you are the Son of Man!  You have taken us from being God’s enemies to being people of God.  Thank you for being gracious to us.  Through our lives and the retelling of how you are working in our lives we pray for others to begin to serve you.  Thank you for the work you have for us to do.  Amen.

Through It All

~ John Grimm ~ 3 Comments

Jeremiah 50:17-20 (NRSV)

Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured it, and now at the end King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon has gnawed its bones. Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. I will restore Israel to its pasture, and it shall feed on Carmel and in Bashan, and on the hills of Ephraim and in Gilead its hunger shall be satisfied. In those days and at that time, says the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none, and the sins of Judah, and none shall be found, for I will pardon the remnant that I have spared.

By John Grimm

Israel and Judah had sinned tremendously.  Their sin was enough that God took them out of the Promised Land!  Once their punishment was complete, the Lord sent them back to the Promised Land, its pasture.  What they had to go through because of their sin was severe.  However, because the kings of Babylon and Assyria exceeded their mandate from God to punish Israel and Judah, now God was going to punish them.

We understand God punishing us for our sins.  We do reap what we sow.  However, when the sins of others impact our lives, then we see injustice.  Knowing God has pardoned us for our sins, through the blood of Jesus Christ, we can begin to live just and righteous lives.  What a joy this news is!

Do we have faith enough to get through God punishing us for our sins?  Do we have enough faith to endure when the sins of others cause us to be treated unjustly?  Will our faith last until we hear from the Lord that our iniquity is no more?

Lord, we have sinned.  You know us.  You know our sins.  We admit that we have hurt ourselves and others.  Thank you that we find forgiveness in the blood of Jesus Christ.  May those who are harming us now find that their sins can also be forgiven by the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray we and those who harm us may be among those you spare.  Amen.

We Did It Now!

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment

Ezekiel 20:39-44 (NRSV)

By John Grimm

Is God giving permission to Israel to do whatever the people want?  No, He is not doing that.  God has grown tired of Israel’s idolatry.  He is declining to have their offering to idols associated with his holy name.  It can make us wonder why God might become like this with us. 

God’s name is holy.  That is how God will act toward his people, in holiness.  We will know God is acting in this way with us.  We will recognize that we have polluted ourselves.  When God restores us to himself through Jesus Christ, we will know our sins and how holy God is.  It is our loathful practices which have separated us from God.

The sooner we admit our polluted ways and loathe them, the better for us.  For then we can realize God is bringing us out of our pollution to live in his holy name.  Are we ready serve God and be holy as God is holy?

Lord God, we have done shameful things.  We have polluted ourselves.  Because you are holy, we turn to you.  Lift us up from our ways and show us how to serve you in this land.  We need your mercy.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.  Amen.

Here I Am, Lord!

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment

Isaiah 6:1-8 (NRSV)

By John Grimm

It was at Cedar Point during the East Ohio Youth Annual Conference that the power of a hymn drew me in.  Hundreds of youth from East Ohio were gathered at the amusement park for a yearly business session.  The worship was full of powerful music and Scripture.  It was during the singing of “Here I Am, Lord” from the United Methodist Hymnal (593) that I began to discern God was calling me to preach.

Since that time more than three decades ago, my call to preach about Jesus Christ has been affirmed in many ways.  I caught up with an old high school friend recently.  During our conversation over dinner, he told me, “I knew back in high school you were going to be a preacher.”  What an affirmation!

We may not have a vision like Isaiah.  We may not have an angel touch our lips with a coal from a heavenly altar.  However, God is still calling people to preach!  God has sermons for women and men to preach that will turn the hearts of men and women to Jesus Christ.  God desires for humanity to turn to Him.  God uses you and me in this work.

Is God speaking to this generation, asking “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”  If so, know that though the news is good regarding Jesus Christ, turning from our ways to the ways of God will be dangerous.  Preachers will not consistently satisfy the church while being faithful to God.  It is the message from God found through Jesus Christ risen from the grave that will be spoken by those called by God to a people of unclean lips.

God asks for us.  We respond.  God brings people to himself through our preaching.

Lord, you are holy, and your glory fills the earth.  We are a people of unclean lips.  As you call forth those who will go for you, may women and men respond with, “Send me!” Keep sending your preachers to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for the preachers of today to continually go where you send them.  Amen.

Holy, Holy, Holy

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment

Revelation 4:1-11 (NRSV)

By John Grimm

There is much in Revelation that people find confusing.  There are how many sevens?  There are how many cities?  When does this thing called “tribulation” begin?  Yet, one central part of Revelation does not cause confusion.

We are to worship God!

The living creatures that are attending to God are worshiping God.  We also see a refrain from the twenty-four elders.  The point and counterpoint help us to recognize that heaven and earth can (and do) worship God.  This worship happens together.

The living creatures are spelling out who they see and what they understand about the Lord:

1.)  Holy – repeated three times to show how perfectly true and gracious God is.

2.)  The Lord God the Almighty – an Old Testament name which describes all that God is – sovereign, divine, and having all strength.

3.)  Who was, and is, and is to come – God is before us, is with us, and will come to live within a renewed creation.

The refrain has people from earth repeating these themes from their perspective:

1.)  Worthy – for there is no other creature or any part of creation who can receive glory, honor, and praise.

2.)  Our Lord and God created all – he was before all created things, and he made all created things to be created.

Yes, these accolades for God in Revelation 4 are all true!  Though we see John’s apocalyptic vision as happening in the future, what is stopping us from worshiping God now?  Can we worship God for the reasons the living creatures and the twenty-four elders do?  Will we worship God and speak with our own voices how worthy the Lord is?

Lord God the Almighty, what a vision of worship as it can be.  Even today we realize we can give you all glory, honor, and praise.  Help our generation to know you through our worship of you.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we thank you for the time to worship you now, even though we do not understand everything going on around us, or in the Revelation of John.  Holy Spirit, thank you for John’s vision.  Amen.

Whom Do We Fear?

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment

Luke 12:4-7 (NRSV)

By John Grimm

We face challenging times when we publicly say that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.  People will not treat us well.  As Jesus was slain for opposing the religious establishment, those of us who follow Jesus will face mistreatment, character assassination, and even actual death.  What our Master has faced, we will face.  Let no one deceive us: Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is the hardest way of living in this world.

That is why we are afraid to speak about Jesus when we are around those who do not know the compassion of Jesus Christ.  We allow our fear to control our tongues, instead of trusting the Holy Spirit of Christ to guide our tongues.

Life is precious.  We want to keep our lives.  However, it is precious only because Jesus Christ has given us our very existence, even dare we say, new lives!

The Lord knows who we are.  The Lord knows we are believers in Jesus Christ.  He does not forget us, just as he does not forget five sparrows sold for two pennies.  We are more valuable than sparrows.  God in Christ helps us to not fear.

The one who could cast us into hell cares for us!  It is time for us to fear him!

God, we have not spoken about or lived our faith like Jesus Christ lived.  We are afraid.  Heal our unbelief.  In the name of Jesus Christ, loose in us your Holy Spirit so we may overflow with glad tidings of your grace and compassion; this we pray, Amen.

Psalm 118, Meditation 4

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment

Psalm 118 (NRSV)

By John Grimm

There is nothing more timeless than salvation.  As Chuck pointed out yesterday, the psalms have a timelessness to them.  The timelessness of salvation is what we all want to know.  This desire is ingrained in our lives.  We want to be secure in our living now and our hope for the future.

This salvation comes only from the Lord.  We see verses 21-25 pointing out how God becomes our salvation.

I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!

Jesus was rejected by those who were attempting to build Israel into a great nation.  It is by knowing Jesus as the chief cornerstone of life that we have salvation.  We can sing about Jesus delivering us from our sins and ourselves.  Jesus will give us success over the sins we have committed and the nature of sin in us.

Salvation is not merely being delivered from sin. Salvation involves us discovering how we can be made new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17ff.).  Salvation is lived in our lives during this day and all the following days.  We marvel because, like God’s mercies being new each day, he continues to renew us in the image of Christ.  This is salvation, being made to bear the image of Christ fully and completely in our lives.

Lord God, thank you for Jesus Christ.  We are looking for success in bearing the image of Christ in our lives.  As we seek you, we can rejoice in how you are working in us so that we live like Jesus, even today.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask that we may be found to be like him more each day.  Amen.

Psalm 118, Meditation 2

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment

Psalm 118 (NRSV)

By John Grimm

I remember my youth Sunday School teacher, Bill, reminding us that we can give thanks to God each day.  Whether we thank God for something large or small, we can show our appreciation to God.  In this “Song of Victory,” we start by giving thanks to God.  It is a general call for thanksgiving.

As we move through the first four verses of Psalm 118, we see that the call for thanksgiving becomes more specific.  The second group encouraged to give thanks is Israel.  As we ponder what God has brought Israel from, through, and to, we can recognize they know the steadfast love of God does endure! 

The house of Aaron is the next group to be encouraged to give thanks.  Yes, Aaron did lead the Israelites to make the golden calf.  However, God’s steadfast love was given so he and his descendants could know God’s forgiveness.  Yes, even those who lead in the worship of God can give thanks.  For we clergy who lead worship, our worship begins when we too can give thanks to God for his steadfast love.

The last group in our selection today is those who fear the Lord.  This group can contain members of the previous two groups mentioned.  It can also contain those who are now called Christians!  Even our neighbors who do not subscribe to organized religion may be in the group of those who fear the Lord.

Despite our best efforts, Christians can harm people who are seeking faith in God.  When these people have a respect for the Lord, they do not tolerate Christians who have harmed them.  Hopefully, those turned off by organized religion may recognize the steadfast love of the Lord and join Christians in giving thanks to God.

Have we been giving thanks to God every day of our lives?  Do we encourage other people to give thanks to God for his steadfast love?  As long as the earth has seasons, we will know the steadfast love of God!

Lord, you do have steadfast love for us!  You are good to me and everyone else.  Thank you for being in our lives.  May we open our eyes to your steadfast love, even when others have harmed us.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

The Suffering Servant

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (NRSV)

See, my servant shall prosper;
    he shall be exalted and lifted up,
    and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at him
    —so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,
    and his form beyond that of mortals—
so he shall startle many nations;
    kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
    and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.
Who has believed what we have heard?
    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by others;
    a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;
and as one from whom others hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him of no account.

Surely he has borne our infirmities
    and carried our diseases;
yet we accounted him stricken,
    struck down by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions,
    crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the punishment that made us whole,
    and by his bruises we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
    we have all turned to our own way,
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
By a perversion of justice he was taken away.
    Who could have imagined his future?
For he was cut off from the land of the living,
    stricken for the transgression of my people.
They made his grave with the wicked
    and his tomb with the rich,
although he had done no violence,
    and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain.
When you make his life an offering for sin,
    he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days;
through him the will of the Lord shall prosper.
    Out of his anguish he shall see light;
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
    The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great,
    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong;
because he poured out himself to death,
    and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
    and made intercession for the transgressors.

God, thank you for this description of Jesus’ persecution and death.  May your will prosper in us through our faith in Jesus.  It is by that faith we find you make us righteous in Christ.  Help us to know how good we have it in this life because of Jesus’ suffering.  Prepare us to live and die like Jesus Christ so our family, friends and enemies may know the righteousness that we all can have in Christ.  In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.  Amen.

What a Savior!

~ John Grimm ~ 1 Comment

Isaiah 50:4-9 (NRSV)

By John Grimm

Wednesday of Holy Week means we are one day closer to Jesus’ arrest, flogging, trial, crucifixion and death.  Centuries before Holy Week, Isaiah tells us about the servant of God who will be humiliated and vindicated.  Now, almost two millennia after Holy Week, we continue to realize all the servant of God went through.  This prophecy shows how the servant of God did not turn back.

We know this servant of the Lord to be Jesus the Christ.  Yes, he was a teacher.  But he is so much more than that!  Yes, he was obedient to the Lord God.  But he did not turn back when he was abused.  Yes, he had his face set like flint.  But no one could contend with him.

The determination of Jesus the Christ leads us onward.  His willingness to suffer for us is forgotten when we fail to receive the Lord’s Supper.  We can not do any better than our Savior, Jesus the Christ! 

Will we contend with Jesus?  Will we confront Jesus?  Will we declare Jesus guilty?  We are not capable of doing these tasks.  Our life is but a breath.  We will wear out.  The truth about Jesus the Christ will contend with us.  The truth about Jesus will confront us.  The truth about our guilt is known by Jesus the Christ.  When we decide for Jesus in our lives, then there is no condemnation for us! 

What a Savior!  Jesus withstands much abuse (50:6).  Yet, he willingly does so.  Why?  First, because the Lord God vindicates him.  Second, because we need a savior.  We will find as we believe and follow the Savior that God will stand by us as well. 

Holy Spirit, aid us in setting our faces like flint so we may see the goodness of our Savior.  Strengthen our resolve to cling to the Lord God through Jesus the Christ.  As we find the shame of our sin removed through Jesus’ blood, may we have life with Jesus eternally.  In the powerful name of Jesus the Christ, we pray.  Amen.