Saying Grace

For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with Thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:4-5

And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you. Deuteronomy 12:7

My daughter's in-laws include me in their family celebrations, and this year we had not one but two Thanksgiving feasts. It was delightful to share food with others, since most of my meals are spent with my cats by my side. My daughter's father-in-law always has a prayer at the ready, and I enjoyed two different graces from him this year.  It made our time together even more special. 

When I was little, my family did not say grace except at holiday meals. I never understood grace, or many other prayers for that matter. We were taught to be grateful for our food, and for our mother's valiant efforts to make it something a child might actually want to eat.  I figured we should be blessing her, as well as congratulating ourselves for taking the three required bites of each item. But I was careful to wait for grace to be said when I was visiting other people for meals, since I realized it had meaning for them.  

It is so easy to clink glasses with someone before drinking, especially when celebrating something. It should feel just that easy to thank the source of all our nourishment in body and spirit. I like to think of different ways of expressing gratitude now. I recently watched a cooking show where the chef demonstrated how to turn humble vegetables and grains into special dishes by cooking them thoughtfully. It made so much sense, because we often take for granted the foods most easily available to us regardless of season or finances. I like to think of being creative and resourceful with simple ingredients. Sometimes I will come home late from work, and all I really want is a hot potato to nibble on. It completely satisfies a need. 

I am a vegetarian, and after I stopped eating meat a few years ago I realized I had always wanted to be a vegetarian. It is fun to explore new foods, but limiting the diet is also gratifying. My friend who is trying to cut out sugar has discovered she feels better and has more energy. I am trying to make some substitutions in that area, but I am not ready to give up all sugar. 

We spent a fair amount of time in the car when my kids were growing up. Quite often we would end up having Car Picnics because we didn't have time to go home for meals. 

I like to think that those meals brought a little of home to our car, and the conversation was freer because we weren't facing each other. 

Wherever and whatever I eat, I now understand the reason for stopping to give thanks for everything that brings food to my body. It is a way of beginning again. Our food is a gift, and the work that provides it is a gift. I love that there are many ways to be mindful of that gratefulness.  

We can ask that our food fuel us to do God's work; we can remember someone missing from us who used to pour that cup of tea for us; we can bless an old family recipe that reminds us of the people who used to share it with us; we can ask for others to enjoy the same privilege of being fed; we can ask for the food to nourish and heal us and others who aren't well; we can ask that the meal bring us together as family; and we can ask that the transforming power of Communion be present in our meal.  

This a grace from jesuitresource.org: May this food restore our strength, giving new energy to tired limbs, new thoughts to weary minds. May this drink restore our souls, giving new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts. And once refreshed, may we give new pleasure to you, who gives us all. Amen.

Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2018, sharing again in consideration of our current Lent sermon series, "Meeting Jesus at the Table")

Just, Right, Fair, Equal & Needed

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8  

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard: 

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Matthew 20: 1-16

On Saturday nights after we three siblings had a bath, warm jammies and settled in to watch Emergency on TV, mom would make popcorn on the stove. Apple slices accompanied the popcorn and we waited anxiously for mom to split a 16-oz bottle of RC Cola between the three of us, always equally. What a treat! 

A few Sundays ago, Kris Adler-Brammer showed illustrations in the children’s Worship Connection about fairness which has stuck with me. She graciously shared them for this devotion.  

In this first picture, the boxes are distributed equally—one each for dad and the two boys.  

But being fair to everyone is not what was needed.  Sometimes what is needed is also fair, just, or right as depicted in the second picture. Now everyone can see the ball game! 

Prayer: Gracious God, sometimes we look at situations as to what is fair or right or just; when what you want us to see is what is needed. Thank you for the vineyard parable and these vivid pictures as reminders of the difference in this complicated world.  Amen. 

Cathy Schapmann

A Band of Men – Part II

Then they sought to take him; but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. John 7:30 KJV

Then took they up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. John 8:59 KJV

Jesus’ reputation was already well-known by the time the night of His arrest came. He had performed so many miracles, walking on water, casting out demons, and multiplying loaves and fishes. He had even miraculously escaped arrest in the midst of crowds. (John 8:59 KJV above)

His accusers knew of His power and the previous failed attempts to capture Him.  They wanted to make sure Jesus would not miraculously escape again. 

So, Judas came to the Garden of Gethsemane with his multitude of soldiers and Temple police that night to arrest Him.  It must have been a terrifying sight.  So many torches could be seen in the dark.  So many well-armed soldiers and police surrounding the Garden.  (300-600)

However, this time, Jesus did not use His power to escape.  He was arrested and taken away. 

Jesus did not resist!

Prayer: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for sending us the miracle that was Your Son, Jesus the Christ. Centuries later we are still in awe of His bravery and His unselfish sacrifice to save us from our sin. We gratefully pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Judy Welch

A Band of Men – Part 1

Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.  John 18:3 KJV 

And immediately, while He yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.  Mark 14:43 KJV 

Over the past year or so, I have added a new name to my list of favorite Christian authors. Oh, I still love to read anything Max Lucado writes and I still enjoy the writings of Dr. David Jeremiah and Rabbi Jonathan Cahn but my new favorite Christian author is Rick Renner, ThD.

According to his biography, Pastor Renner spent a good portion of his life pastoring a church in Moscow. He also refers to his extensive travels in the Holy Land. He teaches and writes from the Greek text and much to my delight he is very detail oriented. I love those stories that make the names on the pages of scripture come to life.

After 80+ years of reading the Bible and listening to some of the stories in the Gospels over and over, it is refreshing to hear a new word here and there that is different from the status quo. 

It seems that the more often you hear a story, the less you really listen and you’re just hearing it the same old way with the same old mental pictures. So, when Pastor Rick wrote the story of Judas’ betrayal and Jesus’ arrest, I heard something new when I read that Judas brought a ‘cohort’ (Greek text) of Roman Soldiers. I had always read/heard it was just “a band of men.”  In my mind’s eye, that meant maybe 15-25 soldiers, but how many soldiers are in a cohort?  A cohort can contain 300-600 men, and they were accompanied by officers (Temple Police) of the chief priests and Pharisees. So, on the night of Jesus’ arrest, the hillside near the Garden of Gethsemane was “swarming” with Roman soldiers and police from the Temple Mount. 

Now this sounds like quite a different story to me from the one I thought I knew, and it makes me wonder why the Roman authorities thought they needed so many armed men to arrest just one man – Jesus the Christ! 

Prayer: Father, we praise you for the many ways teachers of “The Word” present the scriptures so that we might get the full meaning of the amazing earthly life story of your Son, Jesus. Amen. 

Judy Welch

Words from Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, the world and those who live in it. Psalm 24:1 

My Help Comes from the Lord

I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 

Jesus Knows Us

It is the great privilege of Christians, that they have the mind of Christ revealed to them by his Spirit. They experience his sanctifying power in their hearts, and bring forth good fruits in their lives. 1 Corinthians, chapter 2 (Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible)

For your wound gapes wide as the ocean; who can heal you? Lamentations 2:13

During life sometimes our wounds, our needs, and problems seem too big to handle. God tells us there is a way. We are invited to pray to God at difficult times. This gives us so much that non-Christians do not have. At times when I could do nothing but cry with my circumstances, I could get on my knees and pray to my Lord in heaven. His spirit leads me at those times.

The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Whoever knows what you’re thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he’s thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don’t have to rely on the world’s guesses and opinions. We didn’t learn this by reading books or going to school, we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we’re passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way. 1st Corinthians 2:10-15 (Eugene H. Peterson THE MESSAGE- The Bible in Contemporary Language)

My friend, Judy Welch, who writes devotions too, wrote what Jesus can do for you at your most difficult times:

“When the tiger of life is mauling, with wounds that cut so deep:

Who can heal you?

Be still, and you will hear Him, “This is my body, broken just for you.”

Be still, and you will hear Him, “This is my blood, shed just for you.”

For every place you’re going and all you have been through and left to do." 

Our Lord had you in mind when he died on the cross. He knows what you have been through and he knows what you need. He can heal you. You just need to remember to pray to our Lord Jesus.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for making it so clear to us that you saved us when you gave your life for us. Amen

Sandra Hilsabeck