Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. – 1 Kings 12:31

Today's Scripture Reading (February 8, 2026): 1 Kings 12

The history of the Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church is complicated. There is no doubt that there have been many good and God-honoring men who have been elected to the papacy. I love the story of Gregory I's election as Bishop of Rome. According to the story, Gregory never wanted to be Pope, preferring to remain a monk and lead a life of contemplation and study. When he learned he had been elected Pope, Gregory ran away and tried to hide from his brothers. He was forced back into Rome and made the "Papa" of the Catholic Church, whether he wanted the office or not. Gregory was Pope from 590 to 604 C.E.

Only three Popes have been officially honored with the title "the Great," and chronologically, Gregory is the second to bear it, appearing between Leo (I) the Great (440-461) and Nicholas (I) the Great (858-867). He may not have wanted to be Pope, but Gregory was precisely the man that the church needed as the sixth century closed and the seventh dawned.

I wish that Papal history had given us more Gregorys, but it sometimes seems that for every good Pope, there is a historically bad Pope to balance the scales. One of the bad ones was Pope Benedict IX. Benedict IX was the only Pope who assumed the office three times. He was also possibly the youngest person to be made Pope. We think Benedict was twenty years old when he became Pope, but some reports assert that he was only eleven or twelve. I have grandsons who are turning twelve in a few weeks, and while I am proud of them, I can't imagine either of them as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Benedict IX became Pope not because he had the experience and aptitude for the position, but because his father bribed the Romans to secure it for him. And Benedict IX quickly disgraced the Chair of Peter. Medieval historian, Ferdinand Gregorovius (1821-1891) argued that "It seemed as if a demon from hell, in the disguise of a priest, occupied the chair of Peter and profaned the sacred mysteries of religion by his insolent courses." To be honest, it sounds like something that a precocious twelve-year-old might do. Pope Victor III (1086-1087), in Dialogues III, says that Benedict IX demeaned the papacy by "his rapes, murders, and other unspeakable acts of violence and sodomy. His life as a pope was so vile, so foul, so execrable, that I shudder to think of it."

Jeroboam built shrines in the northern Kingdom and encouraged his people to worship them as gods. But he supported the practice by ordaining men who were unqualified for the priesthood. These were men who wanted to advance themselves, and to do that, they were willing to pervert the priesthood dedicated to the God who had brought Israel out of Egypt, and to focus the worship of the God of Israel on a pair of golden calves that had been placed in the north and the south of the nation.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 13 

Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return after the rain. – Ecclesiastes 12:2

Today's Scripture Reading (February 7, 2026): Ecclesiastes 12

Ronald Reagan, as President, defended his advancing age by quoting Thomas Jefferson. "Thomas Jefferson once said, 'We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.' And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying." I hesitate to try to explain someone else's joke, but in case you missed it, Reagan was making an age joke. It is something Ronald Reagan had a particular talent for. He could often make a joke about himself and, in the process, disarm a criticism aimed at him. In this case, his critics were bothered by the President's age. Maybe we have gotten used to older Presidents, but during Reagan's term, there were many comments about his age and fitness for office. Reagan's response is summed up in the Jefferson quote. First, judge me by what I do, not by some arbitrary number on my driver's license. Reagan's sense of humor is evident in the second part of the quote; there, he admits he is old. In fact, he exaggerates it. Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, almost a century before Reagan was born. So, if Jefferson and Reagan had a conversation, Reagan was a lot older than we thought.

It is the one reality we all have to face. That number that climbs at a predictable pace every moment of every year. There was a time when we wanted to look older; we took pride in passing for someone older than we were. But that moment quickly passes, and we dream, and buy creams and hair dyes, to make us look younger than we are. I recently watched a news opinion show and noticed that a network executive who had started joining the onscreen panel about a year ago had dyed his hair. It was like the salt-and-pepper hair had been appropriate when he was an off-screen personality, but if he was going to be on TV regularly, maybe his look needed updating. And don't ever ask someone to guess how old you are, because if the person is honest, we might get the shock of our lives. (Personally, I have decided that no one looks older than forty.)

The Preacher appears to use poetic language in this portion of his sermon. "Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds return" is his way of saying before we suffer from the effects of advancing age. Because we all will suffer from age-related ailments, the body will grow weak (the keepers of the house tremble), our legs and knees will begin to hurt and fail (the strong men stoop), and even our teeth will start to leave us (the grinders cease because they are few). We will grow old, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. But we still need to make the most of every moment we are given, until that moment when God brings us home.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 12

Light is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. – Ecclesiastes 11:7

Today's Scripture Reading (February 6, 2026): Ecclesiastes 11

Where I live, the days are getting noticeably longer. At their shortest, just a few days before Christmas, the sun was in the sky for less than 7.5 hours, meaning darkness ruled for over 16 hours. Of course, the flipside is true in late June. I don't know where we were, but I remember being on a campout in late June as a kid and staying up late around a fire, telling stories. That night/morning, we watched as the sun's glow died in the west, and by the time it was gone entirely, it was rising again in the east. It was dark, but the glow on the horizon that night was a constant.

The lack of light in December and January can have a dramatic difference on our moods. At the severe end of that spectrum are people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The lack of light in places like where I live can cause severe depression, fatigue, and irritability in some people. And maybe that explains part of my adverse reaction to Christmas and New Year's, a reaction that extends to even the music of the season. I admit that I often try to find radio stations that refuse to play Christmas Carols during December.

Reading Ecclesiastes at this time of year probably should be avoided. The Preacher's writing is not encouraging. But the Preacher admits that light is sweet, and we like to see the sun. That was probably even more true for the Preacher and the people who first read his sermon than for us. After all, we have so many ways of adding artificial light to chase away the darkness. But the Preacher also wants to remind us that even when the sun shines, times of darkness are always coming. As I write these words, the sun is shining, and there is ample blue in the sky above. But it will only be another five or six hours before the darkness dominates my city once again. And while the days are getting longer, they will begin to get shorter as the days of summer begin. So even the sun's presence, according to the Preacher, is meaningless.

So, enjoy the sun while you can, but if you want to add meaning to your life, even the sun can't do that. Light might be sweet, and Seasonal Affective Disorder might seem scary, but we need more than the sun to give our lives meaning.  

As a Christian, I would say we need the Son, not the sun. A change in our moods comes only from Jesus.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 12

Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. – Ecclesiastes 10:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 5, 2026): Ecclesiastes 10

In 1969, Dr. Laurence J. Peter, with the help of Raymond Hull, wrote a book titled “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong.” Dr. Peter’s theory is that in a hierarchical environment, executives tend to be promoted to the level of their incompetence. Basically, promotions are given based on current job performance, not on their aptitude for the next level. If you excel at your current job, you can be promoted. And you will continue to be promoted until you are no longer competent at what you do. There you will stay. The result is the mass incompetence of executives who have been promoted beyond the point at which they can excel. The direct result of the “Peter Principle” is that people at the highest level tend to be incompetent; they have been promoted away from the jobs at which they once excelled.

The secret is actually twofold. First, employers need to be more aware of the traits required for the next level of the job, and promote people with the aptitude for that role, rather than promoting simply because the person excels at the job they are currently doing. It is a little more work, and sometimes might even seem unfair. Still, it would keep people at the top of the hierarchical ladder who can excel in that job, rather than depending on their excellence in another, lower position.

The second part of the solution is aimed at the employee. Employees need to consider whether they really can excel at the next step on the ladder. If you don’t have the required ability, then stay where you are. Of course, the real problem is that we often chase more money, security, prestige, and power that only exist at higher levels of the ladder. That means we have to risk climbing another rung to achieve those benefits, even if we know we will not excel at that job.

The Preacher tries to describe Dr. Laurence Peter’s principle. He recognizes that fools are often placed in positions of power and prestige, while the rich, maybe better described as the capable, are stranded on lower rungs. A result of the “Peter Principle” is that executive positions often become clogged with incompetent people, leaving more capable people stranded in lower positions. These executives can neither be promoted nor evidently fired, so they remain in that position, and movement up the hierarchical ladder stagnates. And maybe, there really is no solution to that problem.

(Just a note, if my bosses are reading this, don’t worry, you are doing an excellent job. And I am quite happy occupying the place on the ladder precisely where I am.)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 11

Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. – Ecclesiastes 9:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 4, 2026): Ecclesiastes 9

The prophet Isaiah received a vision. The vision seemed to pertain to the demise of the city of Jerusalem. The vision was filled with futility. There was no doubt in the vision that the city would die. At the time of the vision, the people were filled with fear. The Assyrians had been on the march for a while, and it was evident that the next nations on their agenda were Israel and Judah. And so, the people waited, filled with dread.

The text tells us that this is “A prophecy against the Valley of Vision” (Isaiah 22:1). The term “Valley of Vision” simply refers to the idea that while Jerusalem is built on a hill, it is surrounded by an even higher hill, and sits in the midst of three valleys. Jerusalem exists at the center of this hill/valley complex. And it is in this prophecy that the prophet writes,

The Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    called you on that day
to weep and to wail,
    to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth.
But see, there is joy and revelry,
    slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,
    eating of meat and drinking of wine!
“Let us eat and drink,” you say

    “for tomorrow we die” (Isaiah 22:13-14)!

We shouldn’t miss the point Isaiah is trying to make. Jerusalem, you know trouble is coming, you can see it with your eyes and hear it with your ears. But instead of getting ready, instead of getting right with God, you throw a party because tomorrow you might die.

Paul, in the closing of 1 Corinthians, picks up the same thought.

I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,

“Let us eat and drink,
               for tomorrow we die” (1 Corinthians 15:31-32).

If there is no resurrection, then maybe the best thing that we can do is throw a party because there is no hope, not even for us today. Our newscasts are filled with a lack of hope, of innocent people being beaten and killed; it is happening in Ukraine, Iran, and the United States, among several other hotspots. And if God is not powerful enough to help us, then why not kill the fatted calf and throw a party?

The Preacher in Ecclesiastes is arguing the same point. In a world “under the sun,” where what we see daily is all that we get, then be comfortable. Wearing white is comfortable under the hot sun, and oil has a cooling effect and helps protect the skin. If this is all that there is, then why would you do anything else? Do what is necessary and forget about going the extra mile. Eat, drink, and be merry in your white ensemble, because in the end, that is all you have.

In a world under the sun, the advice works. In a city that is about to fall to the Assyrians, that works. But maybe Jerusalem is our cautionary tale. While the people of Jerusalem, at the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, felt that the attack of the Assyrians was imminent, that attack didn’t come for almost a quarter of a century. Samaria and Israel fell four short years after Isaiah’s prophecy, but the attack on Jerusalem wouldn’t come for another twenty-four years. And even when it did come, it would fail.

So maybe there is a reason to go beyond what is easy and pleasurable. Because God is still with us, and there is more than what is seen “under the sun.”

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 10

Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance. – Ecclesiastes 8:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (February 3, 2026): Ecclesiastes 8

Mark Twain argued that “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” The novelist/humorist might have been one of the wisest men who lived because so much that he wrote about should be published under the heading of “Wisdom for Life.”

Consider this Twain quote: “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” I couldn’t agree more, though following that newfound purpose is not always easy. But if we know why we are here, then we can set forth a plan to follow that purpose.

Let me give you one more Twain quote: “Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.” I live in a world that needs all of the kindness we can get. And it is not just the deaf and the blind, but all of us who need more kindness in our lives. However, I strongly believe in something else that Twain doesn’t say. If you want to receive kindness, then give kindness. So many of us sow bitterness, hoping to receive kindness. Life doesn’t seem to work that way. We need to “be the change we want to see in the world,” which is not a Twain quote, but is most often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, although we really don’t know where the quote originated. But our ignorance doesn’t erase the truth. We need to exhibit to the world the very things we want to see in it. If you want to receive kindness, be kind. If you want to receive love, give love. If you want others to forgive you, forgive them.

The Preacher makes an amazing comment as he continues his writing of Ecclesiastes. He is looking for a wise person who understands how things work. However, he also says that a wise person is also a happy person. Wisdom has the ability to “brighten our faces” and “change the hard appearances” that our faces often reflect. Why? Maybe because we have no lies to remember, we know why we are here and have a plan for our future, and we are receiving the kindness, love, and forgiveness that we are giving to others. Oh, and by the way, in the process of getting to this place in our lives, we will have stopped competing with each other because I can’t truly be kind and want the best for you if I am still focused on myself. All of these things should make us happier, brightening our faces and changing our stern appearance.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 9

Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. – Ecclesiastes 7:6

Today's Scripture Reading (February 2, 2026): Ecclesiastes 7

There is an old camp song we used to sing around the fire when I was a teenager. Perhaps you recognize the lyrics (I will let you sing the song to yourself).

            It only takes a spark

            To get a fire going

            And soon all those around

            Can warm up to its glowing.

Is it allowable for me to say that this old Christian Camp song has lied to us? As a veteran of many campfires, I can tell you that a spark is not all you need to get that campfire going. Sometimes, I have to admit that I think it is remarkable that fires are set at all. Maybe that is just proof that I would make a lousy pyromaniac.

If you want to get that campfire going, you start with a framework for the fire. Usually, that would include some logs placed so air can flow freely through the fire. Next, you need some starter material or things that will catch fire easily. The problem with this material is that it burns out quickly, so the idea is that it will catch fire and allow the fire to spread to the logs that will form a more lasting part of the fire. Once all of that has been assembled, then you need the aforementioned spark. You could also use an accelerant like gasoline, but then the fire might quickly get out of control.

The preacher uses a bit of wordplay here. James Moffat, in his translation of the Bible, gets at the wordplay with his phrasing of "Like nettles crackling under the kettles" to replace "Like the crackling of thorns under the pot." The problem with nettles or thorns is that while they burn easily, they also burn quickly. If all you have are thorns, the fire will disappear as fast as the spark allows it to burn.

In the same way, the laughter of fools is without substance. It is a momentary flash that disappears almost as quickly as it appeared. The laughter of fools is misplaced and transitory. It is nothing more than a noise that grabs the person's attention before we realize the substance is missing.

And maybe nothing could be more meaningless than that kind of laughter.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 8