Words from the book of John

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. John 15:2 

Verses to Remember When You're Sad...

 

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

Words from Psalm 119

 

I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;

    teach me your decrees.

Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,

    that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.

My soul is weary with sorrow;

    strengthen me according to your word.

Keep me from deceitful ways;

    be gracious to me and teach me your law.

I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

    I have set my heart on your laws.

I hold fast to your statutes, Lord;

    do not let me be put to shame.

I run in the path of your commands,

    for you have broadened my understanding. 

Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees,

    that I may follow it to the end.

  Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law

    and obey it with all my heart.

  Direct me in the path of your commands,

    for there I find delight. Psalm 119: 26-35

The Equation!

Then Peter came up and asked Him, “Lord, how often am I to forgive my brother if he goes on wronging me?”  As many as seven times?”  Jesus replied, “I do not say seven times, I say seventy times seven.“  Matt. 18:21-22 NEB

What does Jesus’ answer mean? I’ve always wondered how Peter understood Jesus’ answer to forgiveness as found in Matthew 18:21-23. I know I don’t understand it even recognizing that the equation of the perfect number, seven, is multiplied by ten times the perfect number, 70, which equals 490. Are we to keep a tally of how many times we forgive someone and then stop forgiving when we reach 491? What if we live a long time?  What then? Are we to stop forgiving? I’ve been trying to find an answer to that question for a very long time, but I haven’t found anything that makes sense to me. 

However, recently, I was introduced to the concept of the Alphanumeric aspect of the Hebrew language. That simply means that each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a number value. Using that as a code, perhaps we can decipher new or hidden meanings in the scripture.

I’ve been watching a program on tv entitled, “God’s Appointed Times.”  In it, Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel is teaching the meaning of what he calls the Biblical holidays found in chapter 23 of the Book of Leviticus. As Christians, we know them as the Jewish holidays.   

Part of Rabbi Sobel’s explanation of Shabbat, the weekly worship service each Friday, was about “Bread.” He explains that the two loaves of bread on the table reflect back to the double portion of manna on Fridays during the Exodus. He says that Jesus equates bread to forgiveness and that every important thing that happened to Jesus happened on one of these biblical holidays.  

Where do the numerical values help us understand this. Each of these happenings has a numerical value. 1) Jesus is called “The Bread of Life” (490). 2) Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the house of bread, (490). 3) He was born in the Nativity (490). 4) He was perfect. The Hebrew word for perfect is Tamim (490). 5) He was the perfect sacrificial lamb on Good Friday (490). 6) He arose on First Fruits (490). 

Perhaps Jesus’ answer on forgiveness to Peter isn’t a definite number. Perhaps Jesus’ answer to forgiveness is Himself. Is it possible that Jesus is telling us to forgive as He Himself forgives us?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You for all the ways you provide answers to our questions and we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to set an example for us. His answers to our questions sound simple enough but provide difficult challenges for us on our journey of faith. We thank You, Jesus, for loving us and guiding us as we go. In Your name we pray, Amen. 

Judy Welch

Psalm 19

For the seventh year in a row, I’m writing a devotion on this page for Earth Day. I was tempted to write something about climate change and the drought that has affected much of the wildlife I head out to (potentially) photograph but have decided to use a recent lesson from the Wednesday morning study plus photographs of one of my favorite little migrating birds as illustration.

I’d like to focus on Psalm 19. This psalm was the final lesson in our recent Wednesday morning bible study, Pause: Spending Lent with the Psalms by Elizabeth F. Caldwell.

The heavens declare the glory of God;

    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

    night after night they reveal knowledge.

They have no speech, they use no words;

    no sound is heard from them.

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,

    their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

     It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens

    and makes its circuit to the other;

    nothing is deprived of its warmth. 

The law of the Lord is perfect,

    refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

    making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

    giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

    giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure,

    enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

    and all of them are righteous. 

They are more precious than gold,

    than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

    than honey from the honeycomb.

By them your servant is warned;

    in keeping them there is great reward.

But who can discern their own errors?

    Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

    may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

    innocent of great transgression. 

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

    be pleasing in your sight,

    Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19

Commentary on the lesson included some paraphrasing that fits with the earth theme:

“Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening” is a great visual on this passage: “Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” What we can learn from nature? A lot, if we just pay attention.

When I see a ruby-crowned kinglet (similar species are golden-crowned kinglets, and, abroad, goldcrest and firecrest.), I can’t help but visualize God taking some items to “craft” this bird:

•          a sharpened but snipped-off pencil lead for the beak
•          a paintbrush dash in vibrant red for the birds’ head
•          a paintbrush dash in white to border each eye
•          the tiniest straws/pipe cleaners as their little legs 

Imagining God designing these tiny birds as a craft project is fun and puts the focus on Him as creator. I’m sure you can try doing the same thing when you see wildlife, especially those with “happily unexpected” details. What can we learn? Maybe this scripture comes to mind: Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Matthew 6:26-27 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the beauty of our natural world. Thank you for caring for us, as you care for the creatures of the earth. Help us to pay attention to what we can learn from what we see if we just take the time. Amen. 

Donna Gustafson

(photos of ruby-crowned kinglets above taken by Donna. Click on photos to view larger.)

Seeds

 ...for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 1 Peter 1:23

The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, and this is smaller than all other seeds; but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches. Matthew 13: 31-32

When I was a little girl, my grandmother gave me a necklace with a tiny glass pendant on it. Inside the glass was encased a mustard seed. She told me the parable of the mustard seed and its significance. Whenever I wore it, it sparked many conversations. I remember it often, and think how ironic it is that small things, even children, have endless potential. 

I did not fully come to be in wonder of this until I started following the stages of a young friend who recently became pregnant. Even at a few weeks' pregnancy, with the baby in its most rapid stages of growth, it was merely the size of a sesame seed. Yet in that thing barely visible to the naked eye, is the germ of a human being. 

This spring I planted a number of seeds, and most of them have been larger than sesame seeds; but they have grown into amazing flowering plants that will never be as large as I am. Yet that sesame seed-sized baby will become a fully developed human. (Please do not take any of this as an expression of a political or legal view.)

I believe that size does not matter in God's world. There is no limitation conferred on things in God's eyes. Little and big have no meaning to the God who counts the hairs on our heads or creates the universe. Little things truly do count. Small pleasures, moments of enlightenment, tiny miracles that advance us in our growth; because growth does indeed matter, even when size does not.  

I am fascinated, in the spring and summer, watching the stages of growth in nature. It is encouraging to believe that I am capable of infinitesimal growth during any moment on this earth. That, to me, is what being alive is all about. Seeds and atoms and other minutiae are the building blocks of life in the natural world, and their transformation, by growth or by gathering in community, is revolutionary. The process is exhilarating and powerful.

"For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn't understand growth, it would look like complete destruction." Cynthia Occelli

Prayer: God in whose hands are many seeds, help us to understand big and small things beyond the condition of their size. Help us to see what matters, and to grow in communion with all the sacred things that flower in your world. Thank you for the miracle and wonder of transformation and growth and help us to experience those gifts as we grow in the true knowledge of your boundless creation. Become the smallest thing at our center, and the largest thing all around us. Amen.

Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2019)

The Mystery and Message of the Moss Rose

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40: 28-31

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 

My mom was a talented florist and gardener. I spent many an hour watching her “green thumb” work its “magic” in our family’s flower shop and her gardens at home. As I was growing up, I learned to appreciate and love flowers by watching her plant, and tenderly care for, a large variety of colorful annuals and perennials she nurtured each cool spring and hot summer. I, too, love to plant flowers each spring but I find I’m not as nurturing as my mom, especially as the summer grows hotter and hotter. So, I look for annuals and perennials that don’t require much attention and can thrive through our hot, and sometimes, very dry Nebraska summers.  One of my favorite annuals to plant, with these qualities, is moss rose.

Last May, I found some beautiful moss rose and planted them in the sunniest parts of our front yard. As usual, and in the extreme heat and drought of the summer, they flourished.  Not only did these plants flourish, several seeds mysteriously found their way to a crack in the hot cement of our driveway. Even in this inhospitable hot and arid place of the cement, they kept growing and growing and reaching their bright and beautiful heads to the summer sun. To me, they took on a quality of defiance, that against all odds, they were going to survive. As I watched these plants continue to grow until the first frost, I suddenly was struck by the message God was sharing with me through them. Their tenacity told me that, even in the hardest and driest times of my life, if I keep my focus on the Son, Jesus Christ, my Savior, and on God, the source of all my strength, I can, and will, continue to thrive and flourish, as well.

The following summer, in that same crack in our driveway, two moss rose plants once again thrived and flourished in the hot, summer sun even though no new plants were added to our yard that previous spring. The mystery and message of the moss rose continued.

Prayer: My Savior and my God, the source of all my strength, I praise and thank you for the messages you send to me each and every day in a variety of ways. May my eyes, ears, mind, heart and soul continually be watchful of, and open to, the mysteries, messages and revelations of Your Word in my life.  Amen

Patty Niemann (reprinted from June 2013)

F.R.O.G.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

From birth I have relied on you; you brought me from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you. Psalm 71:6

As I read in the 2008 Eastridge Devotion Book I found two devotions by my friends, Nancy Bayne and Kathy Rangel. They became great friends as we studied in the Hope Renewed group held at Eastridge for many years.

Kathy found an old sticker from Sunday School days in an old basket. It read F.R.O.G. with a big green frog on it. The picture above was designed by Irene Hastings, one of Bryce’s nieces in law. I loved this painting so bought it from her in 2022. I bought others to give to my golfing friends because on #4 hole where we golf, the frogs are always talking and all we can see is the head sticking up from the water. This picture lets us see the rest of the frog.

OK, so what did the sticker say in Kathy’s basket under F.R.O.G? Fully Rely On God. I love that she was able to make it through disruptions in her plans for the day, and fully rely on God.

Nancy stated she found it hard to stay still and had relied on time management courses. But Nancy also says verse 46:10 above reminds her to be still and fully rely on God.

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, your Psalms are beautiful and have such meaning for our lives today. Help us to be still, listen to you and rely on you always. Amen.     

Sandra Hilsabeck  

The Comfort of Spring

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. Yea, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase, Righteousness will go before him, and make his footsteps a way. Psalms 84: 10-13 

Spring is here. My crocus bloomed this year on Valentines Day. My daffodils are still blooming and this week the tulips I planted 30+ years ago are a pretty red. My Lambs Ear are looking alive and of course the dandelions are beautiful. Yesterday I saw my first house finches at my feeders along with my two returning mourning doves. The juncos have gone. The turkey vultures have returned in mass along with the robins. I have seen a few blue winged teal in small ponds and of course I totally enjoyed seeing the return of the sandhill cranes.  

There is a wonderful calming peaceful predictability in spring. A reminder that our creator God has given us a wondrous world. His love is evident everywhere if we just take the time to look around us. All this new life and rebirth reminds us that God's son, Jesus, also rose from the dead and lives eternal, our hope of salvation and eternity in heaven. In this time of uncertainty in the world with war, violence, hate, and fear, God is always there to give us comfort and hope.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the beauty of the spring. Thank you for giving us your son as our savior. Help us remember that you are always there for us despite troubling times. Amen. 

Nancy Hall

Time on Earth is Small

Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the well. Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:6-7

We can think of our lives and what has happened in them. They removed the irrigation ditch so there would be no more swimming at our farmhouse. It made me sad because as children it took us five minutes to walk out for a swim. Three of the four of us children had our spouses walk away from us. We had despair as our marriages were shattered and broken. The world has different trials now than in the Ecclesiastes verse. As children we didn’t know a divorced person.

My brother had cancer but told us he accepted Jesus as his savior not long before he died so we know his spirit has returned to God as the Ecclesiastes verse says. Over our travails the other three of us have accepted Jesus as our Lord, and our Creator.

Rev. Paul Stallsworth, Lifewatch (United Methodist Church), reflected on this verse in my “40 Days For Life” Devotional Guide. There is no date on the pamphlet, just 40 days of Devotions. I have been getting these for many years and never realized the authors do not put a date anywhere on the brochure, probably to let us know their writing is for all times. His reflection is:

God is the giver of all life. Short lived or long lived, human lives are lived out in this world. The metaphors for death are many. But their meaning is clear and singular: All will die. Even so, death is not the absolute end. It is not the end of the story. For as certainly as God gave life, at death the life or spirit that God gave returns to God. By God, we are created. For God, we live our given days. To God, we return at the end of our earthly days. And with God, we live through eternity.

We can fear death, we can be sad when it happens, but we can also be sure our time will come. Some people do not live to grow up and some live past 100 years. It is so comforting to me that our spirit will return to God who gave it.

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, your Word is so comforting to us. We can know that you created us, we live our lives throughout the years, experience good and bad things, but you are with us, and you will take us to your eternity in heaven. Thank you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

Praise in Music

Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James 5:13

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

Music brings us together to share our joy and sorrow, to comfort us, to rouse our spirits, to celebrate, and to stir up memories. When we get together with friends of the same “era,” reminiscing about favorite tunes and lyrics tightens the bonds among us. I know a family of musicians who take their guitars and keyboards whenever they gather.  Every family reunion is ended with a bittersweet singing of Edelweiss - “May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep us forever.”

Although solos can be beautiful, the community created when a group of musicians perform is a unique experience. Just like athletes who feel a surge of energy when their team successfully defeats an opponent, choir and orchestra members feel their spirits soar when the climax of the finale is perfect.  Individuals who previously had no connection come together to achieve a mutual goal.

Sacred music holds a special place in worship. Everyone has a specific hymn that is meaningful to them. When the initial notes rise from the piano or organ, the warmth of the familiar words and melody comfort us; we join in heartily and create a community of believers sending the message to God. Cantatas and oratorios pull us into the story they are telling. The opening chorus of Beethoven’s “Messiah” can send your heart beating in anticipation of the soaring solos and choruses to come. Whether it’s a traditional hymn written by John Wesley, a stirring gospel or spiritual, or a praise song sung with guitar accompaniment, the shared experience of joining with a congregation to sing affirms our membership in a community with shared beliefs.

A study reported in the Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging, found that adults who participated in religious music activities had a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life as well as reduced evidence of anxiety and depression than others who were not involved in spiritual music. Along with the spiritual benefits of music, it can improve our learning, concentration, memory, mental fitness, and reduce pain. The benefits of music affect people of all ages.  Involving and encouraging young children and teens to join a community of music lovers exposes them to the same benefits.

Prayer: Dear God, make us aware of opportunities to sing praise to you. As we join with the community of your believers, let us sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in our hearts to you.  Amen 

Carol McClain

Words from Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens! Psalm 8:1 

Words from Psalm 145

The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. Psalm 145:17 

Waiting

The life of the caterpillar/butterfly is a good metaphor for life in God. The caterpillar surrounds itself in a cocoon just as we can surround ourselves in God's word and promises. Then we wait. The changes that happen to the caterpillar and to us are beautiful. Then we can "pollinate" the world with God's love. ~ shared by Ivy Hanson, a member of the Wednesday morning Bible study, in response to an activity in the Lenten study, Pause: Spending Lent with the Psalms by Elizabeth F. Caldwell. 

Wandering Heart: Second Sunday of Easter: Poem

Here's My Heart (Inspired by "The Lanyard" by Billy Collins*)

As a child I made a nativity

set for my mother—

pinch pot clay, uneven

angel wings,

hair made with the help of a

garlic press,

Joseph’s staff rolled out like

I was God

and it was an earthworm.

There was nothing beautiful

about it,

nothing whispering of talent,

but I made it for my mother!

So I wrapped

that questionable piece of

art in a box

and gave it to her

like I was handing her

a Picasso.

Here, mother,

you carried me in your womb.

You bandaged my knees

when I fell.

You made soup when

I was sick.

You rocked me to sleep as

an infant

and sewed my costumes

by hand.

In return, I made you this

haphazard nativity!

And in my childlike mind,

I thought that the small

white lamb,

molded from a lumpy piece

of clay,

could somehow make us even,

could somehow balance

the scales,

could somehow pay her back.

And bless my mother,

because in her grace,

she smiled and she

displayed that

hodge-podge nativity set

on the mantel

as if it were her pride and joy.

(I believed that it was.)

Maybe that’s the way it is

with God.

I say, Here’s my heart

and God smiles.

And God takes it.

And despite the ragtag nature

of my human-hearted faith,

whatever I can give always

ends up on God’s mantel.

Whatever I can give always

calls for pride and joy.

Poem by Rev. Sarah Speed

 

* “The Lanyard” from The Trouble with Poetry: and Other Poems by Billy Collins. (Random House, 2005).

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Who is Our Neighbor?

“On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’  “What is written in the Law?”  he replied.  “How do you read it?”  He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied.  “Do this and you will live.”  Luke 10:25-28

Watching the news every night, it’s hard to understand why “we all just can’t get along.”  With wars in the Middle East, the Ukraine, Sudan…violence, sacrifice, and death are pictured in graphic horror.  Until scenes of modern cities being leveled and people wearing western clothing similar to ours began to show up, it was easy to think, “the people who can’t co-exist are religiously, ethnically, socially different than I am.”  Now the scenes of violence look like our home country. 

We don’t have to look far to realize there are violent rifts among citizens of the United States.  We haven’t devolved into the same level of aggression seen in other countries, but hatefulness and repulsive verbal attacks have become common and are accepted with complacency. 

Luke brings us a message that is straight from Jesus’ words, “Love your neighbor.”  When the expert in the law asks, “Who is my neighbor?”  He may be hoping Jesus will exclude the people whose skin is a different color, who came into the county illegally, who speak out against the political leaders, who insult and denounce the poor, but no!  Jesus says everyone is our neighbor. No exceptions, no prerequisites, every person who exists deserves our love.

Jesus is asking us to do something that is very difficult and sometimes socially unappreciated.  If I show mercy to someone hated by many, am I weak?  Am I a sucker?  Shouldn’t they get a job, sober up, or go back to their home country; what do I owe them?  Jesus says you need to use all your strength and all your resources to help them simply because they are your neighbor.

I have wept in the night

For the shortness of sight

That to somebody’s need made me blind,

But I never have yet

Felt a tinge of regret

For being a little too kind.

                                  --C. R. Gibson 

Prayer:  Dear Lord God, help me to see my neighbor’s needs and respond to them with love and mercy.  Let me use my resources, my heart, my soul, my strength, and my mind to minister to my neighbors and help them see the hope God brings to all of us.  Amen. 

Carol McClain

Creation Assurance and Eternal Life

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the height! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds which cannot be passed. Psalm 148:1-6

If we really believe this Psalm of the Bible telling us that he put the waters above the heavens and created the sun, the moon, and the stars, we will want to praise the LORD. I do. Then he established them to remain the same for ever and ever. WOW! How cool is that? We do not have to worry about waking up one day and there will be no sun, moon, stars or rain. Does not that confirm in our minds that God is the creator? From the beginning of Genesis and the beginning of written history these items have been in our sky.

Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. Ecclesiastes 3:14

Then God tells us nothing can change these creations. What a great statement that is!

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish. John 10:28 My salvation shall never be ended. Isaiah 51:6

Then God tells us he can and will give us eternal life as his creation shall never be ended. He sent Jesus to prove there is life after death here on earth. This is so assuring. This should keep us from ever feeling we are alone without God watching over us from the heavens.

Prayer: Thank you for these assurances about your creation, Lord. Thank you for sending Jesus who rose after being crucified. Thank you for this assurance that we can have eternal life also. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

Just as I am

Just as I am, thy love unknown, has broken every barrier down... 

One of my favorite hymns is the beautiful "Just As I Am" by Charlotte Elliott who wrote about 150 hymns. We are singing a verse of it each week in Lent at my church. The story has been told that when she became very ill and was invalid for most of the rest of her life, she fell into rage and depression and felt God had no purpose for her.  A friend, the Dr. Malan, is said to have told her that God loved her just as she is and always has a purpose for each of us. The hymn always reminds me, in a powerful way, that God loves us JUST as we are and accepts us in Jesus and we always have something we can offer and do to God's glory. 

I was providing music for a few funerals this week and at one a young man, who had just died as only a teenager, who had autism and down syndrome, was being remembered by those who loved him. I had tears almost the whole service as people shared they loved his smile, or when he simply said their name, or would wear something silly and laugh. It reminded me that Jesus can use even the littlest thing we can offer to make an impact on someone's life. Never forget that God has a purpose for you and Jesus can use even the simplest act of kindness and love to be a blessing to someone else today! 

I John 4:18 - "There is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear..."

Brent Shaw

Thoughts on scripture meditation

As we move toward the rambling brooks of scripture meditation, the still waters of remembrance, and solitude's crisp air, we do so to meet with our Savior - Kelly Minter from the book "Encountering God: Cultivating Habits of Faith through the Spiritual Disciplines". 

The Loners

Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26 

This winter I have enjoyed the Juncos at my bird feeder. Juncos are traditionally called the snowbirds. They are beautiful little bird with steel gray backs and stark white fronts. They live in the Northwoods during the summer and come spend the winter with us. Generally they seem to be loners - visiting the feeder when other birds are absent, or standing on the sidelines of the deck while other large groups are feeding. Quite often, they are on the floor of the deck, eating the left-over seeds others have thrown away. The exception this winter was those two weeks we had extremely cold weather. Those days the juncos joined the other birds in the feeder. When I normally only see one Junco at a time, there were 8 in the feeder amongst the sparrows and finches. It made me realize that in a crisis, they came together to survive.  

When I think about loners in our community, my first vision is of the homeless who chose sleeping in the street or under bridges or some out of the way place, rather than coming to the mission. I have heard these loners say they feel more comfortable outdoors. They don't like the other people at the mission. They don't trust others who might steal from them or attack them so they go off alone. During those 2 weeks of extreme cold, Pastor Tom was on television inviting and encouraging these loners to come and stay warm and be supported at the mission. I wondered how many accepted this invitation despite their prior behaviors. In a crisis, things change. 

I keep my feeders full for the birds, especially in bad weather. Inspired by a recent Bible study which focused on loving everybody, I have put together bags of things for the homeless which they may need. My daughter has dropped these off in areas that she sees the homeless and they have quickly disappeared. My hope is that the loners will feel loved and not alone.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to be aware of others who are alone yet need to know that someone cares about them. Help us to support those who cannot support themselves. Help us be a welcoming community who steps up during crisis times. And finally, don't forget the timid little juncos --keep the feeders full so the loners can eat. Amen 

Nancy Hall

Wandering Heart: Easter: "And I Hope": Commentary

Read Luke 24:1-12

Commentary | Dr. Karoline M. Lewis

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women go to the tomb and find it empty. This is good news! But is it? Through the messengers at the tomb, the women remember Jesus’ assurances and return to the disciples with the news. And what do the disciples say? Not just words of disbelief but downright dismissal. While translations will render their reaction as “an idle tale,” “foolish talk,” or “nonsense,” the real meaning of the Greek word is “garbage.” The women announce Jesus’ promises fulfilled and the response—from the ones who were closest to Jesus— is, “yeah, well, that’s a bunch of rubbish.” 

There is so much truth and honesty in this reaction. After all, the good news frequently seems too good to be true. If the tomb is empty, if Jesus has been raised from the dead, then life as we’ve known and expected it is no longer. The world has been turned upside down (Acts 17:6). And if the world has been turned upside down, how do we even know how to live? If the disciples thought the resurrection was a pile of trash, what are people going to think when we confess belief in the resurrection?

“Could it really be true?” is the question I think Peter asked himself, and with hope on his heels, he ran to the tomb to see for himself. Peter goes home wondering and it’s in that wondering that the meaning of the resurrection lies. The resurrection only makes sense when we remain amazed, marveling and wondering at the love of God that reversed death itself. We are not asked to explain the resurrection, offer proof for the resurrection, or make a case for the resurrection. Instead, like Peter, we live in wonder—for how belief in the God of resurrection truly can change the world.

Reflect: What fills you with awe and wonder today?

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Wandering Heart: Easter Morning

Easter Morning

I cannot stay away on Easter Morning.

Like Peter,

I would run if I could.

Stop the car,

pump my arms,

take the church steps two at a time,

all to know—

Did it happen?

Did it really happen?

Is evil no match for love?

I’d slide down the center aisle.

I’d grab the mic to ask

the angels,

the heavens,

the children,

Were the stories true?

And in response, the choir would sing, “Alleluia.”

The children would flower the cross.

The preacher would tell me the stone was rolled away.

The people would pass the peace,

and welcome strangers,

and make room in the pews.

And with faith over doubt,

I would hope.

For I imagine that all of that ordinary holiness

would be enough for Peter,

and it would be enough for me.

Poem by Rev. Sarah Speed

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Wandering Heart: Easter Sunday: "And I Hope"

Read Luke 24:1-12

From the Artist | Hannah Garrity

“But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened” (Luke 24:12).

Painted in ink on paper, Peter’s expression here is inquisitive with a touch of concern. He’s tired, but hopeful. He has just gotten amazing news. Joanna, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James relayed the message and Peter dared to believe it. The prophecy is coming true.

So many of the things that Jesus foretold have happened over the last few days. The most heavy on Peter’s heart are his repeated denials. Fear took over.

In contrast, now hope and joy begin to bubble up inside. He will see Jesus again! Jesus has overcome death! The prophecies have been fulfilled! Truly, God is in this place.

As I was imagining my pieces for this series, I immediately saw the emotions of the human experience reflected in Peter’s story. In order to share the energy and perspective of each emotion, I chose to brush ink on paper. On this Easter Sunday, Peter’s face peers through the sketched frame holding both a full expression and tension. Intentionally loose, the brush strokes suggest a face in motion—a glance, the beginnings of joy written in the depths of the eye, the twitch of a smile.

Jesus is risen! Peter is here for it!

Wandering Heart: Good Friday: From the Artist

Read John 18:12-18; 19-27

From the Artist | Rev. T. Denise Anderson

I love portraiture and textiles, but until now, I’ve never married those two things. At the time of this piece’s creation, I’d been doing a lot of sewing, particularly of stoles and vestments. When it came to choosing a medium for this collaboration, fabric would not let me go! It makes sense that, as we consider the interweaving of Peter’s own story with that of the crucifixion, the medium for this piece would itself be woven. What must Peter have felt in those fateful moments of betrayal?

Here, I try to capture Peter’s initial paralysis when he’s first asked if he’s one of Jesus’ disciples. When Jesus was arrested, Peter had only begun to see the full extent of the empire’s cruelty. “Would they do to me what they’ve done to him?” he must have asked himself. Maybe he could be so zealous for Jesus in the past because it was all an abstraction. Now, things have gotten frighteningly real.

From there, Peter descends into more fear—the kind that does not help us to be our best selves. I depict him going from stunned to defensive and then to belligerent, navigating the full spectrum of the fight, flight, or freeze responses to a perceived threat. By the time the cock crows as Jesus predicted (see if you can make out the bird’s faint silhouette in the lower right-hand corner), Peter probably no longer recognizes himself. He must feel deflated and ashamed. At the end of his descent he is different, so I depict him differently from his three prior denials. He has much less fire in his countenance and can’t even open his eyes to face what he’s done.

The flames recall the fire where Peter warmed himself, but they also represent purification and illumination. Peter is forced to see himself as he truly is—as Jesus had already shown him. Who will he choose to be after this? When we are confronted with who we truly are, who will we choose to be after that confrontation? As we look at Peter’s journey, it’s my prayer that we will consider and meditate on our own.

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Give Us Barabbas!

At that time, they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So, after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”  Matthew 27:16-17 (New Oxford Bible)

How many times during holy week have you heard the story of the trial of Jesus and wondered why Barabbas is in this story? Who in the world is he, and what did he have to do with Jesus’ trial? This has puzzled me for a long time. 

In Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s “Book of Mysteries,” I read a message called, “The Identical.’ It was about Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). In ancient times, the ritual was that the high priest would stand before the people with two perfect and identical goats. (See Leviticus 16:6-11) Then he would draw out two lots from an urn. One lot was placed on each goat’s head identifying one as the sacrifice and one as the scapegoat who would be let go.

What does this have to do with the trial of Jesus? In the eyes of the people, the two Jesus’ were identical. Jesus Barabbas name means “Son of the Father.” Jesus the Messiah was the “Son of God the Father.” 

The custom of allowing one prisoner to go free at Passover time came from the ancient custom of the Day of Atonement. Jesus Barabbas is guilty of the charges Jesus the Messiah is accused of - sedition, insurrection, and treason; but Jesus the Messiah is innocent. The people cry out for Barabbas. Barabbas becomes the scapegoat and goes free. Jesus the Messiah takes on the guilt and becomes the sacrifice with no penalty left for Jesus Barabbas. 

If Jesus were to die for our sin, he would have to become like us – flesh and blood – our identical. 

Jesus took on our guilt, so no penalty is left for us. He died to save us from our sin. He is our salvation. We are set free.

Halleluiah! Praise the Lord!

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You and we love You, but so often we do not understand You. We are so grateful for Your plan of our salvation and the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus the Christ, who was born of flesh and blood and became our identical.  He died on the cross to save us from our sin. We are set free from our guilt. Please forgive us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Judy Welch

Wandering Heart: With My Outside Voice

With My Outside Voice

We’ve been taught

to wait our turn,

to ask politely—

we do not want to appear greedy.

We’ve been taught:

just a pinch of salt,

just a dash of sugar,

nothing in excess.

We’ve been taught:

raise your hand,

keep your voice down,

no talking in church.

We’ve been taught to

never make a scene,

but I simply cannot abide.

I am one part questions,

two parts hunger.

I am a million prayers

and deep hope

wrapped up in one.

I am famished and hopeful,

eager and humbled.

I am using my outdoor voice inside.

I am saying,

Not just my feet,

but my head and my hands!

I want to go where you go.

Poem by Rev. Sarah Speed

Wandering Heart: "Streams of Mercy": Commentary

Read John 13:1-20

Commentary | Dr. Karoline M. Lewis

On Jesus’ last night with his disciples, the foot washing takes center stage. While the disciples and Jesus share a meal, in John's Gospel it is not the Passover meal and there is no institution of the Lord’s Supper. John shifts the chronology of Jesus’ death so that Jesus is crucified on the Day of Preparation for Passover at the same time the Passover lambs would have been slaughtered, to which John the Baptist has already testified, “Here is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) In the foot washing, Jesus shows his disciples once again his abundant love for them. Peter’s question is more than apt: “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” After all, Jesus has just had his feet anointed with abundant perfume by Mary. We should be washing Jesus’ feet! And yet, could it be that because Jesus has been extravagantly loved by Mary that he can now wash the feet of Peter, the one who will deny him, and Judas, the one who will betray him? It is from being loved himself that Jesus says to his disciples, “you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14).

While the foot washing is an act of serving one another, it is also an expression of love that sustains and encourages the disciples when Judas abandons both them and Jesus (John 13:30), when Peter’s denial is foretold (13:36-38), and when hearing Jesus’ words of farewell in the following four chapters (John 14-17). No wonder the disciples’ hearts will be troubled (John 14:1), but in the foot washing, love and mercy have been poured out. They will need to hold on to this abundant love fiercely when they watch Jesus be arrested, tried, and crucified. Thinking about all of this, Peter’s question sounds more like a plea: “Lord, please wash my feet.” Because how can Jesus wash the feet of those who would betray him and those who would deny him? And how can we love one another as Jesus loves (John 13:31-35)? By having already been so lavishly and mercifully loved.

Reflect: When have you been lavishly and mercifully loved? How did that expression of love sustain you?

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Wandering Heart: "Streams of Mercy" Maundy Thursday

Read John 13:1-20

From the Artist | Rev. Nicolette Peñaranda

Within the overall composition of this piece, we see the West African symbol,* Aban, which means fortress and demonstrates power and authority. Aban** is the central image of Golden Hour and it is duplicated around the perimeter of the piece like a mighty fortress. The gold-plated vessel at the top represents the water Jesus uses to wash the disciples’ feet. Around it are miniature Mpuannum,*** the five tufts of hair. The water drips directly down onto swollen feet, feet that bear no name. The section to the left of the vessel holds a tearful Peter. He refuses Jesus’ hospitality and then backtracks when he learns the value of merciful water.

Across from the image of Peter we see the Eucharist. When orienting this piece in a diamond formation, the cup looks overflowing. But when the canvas is sitting as a square, the wine is tipping out of the chalice, dripping in unison with the vessel onto the Aban. The Eucharist is also one of the ways we receive Christ’s mercy. Body and blood broken for us. The vessel of water is providing mercy. The swollen feet are receiving mercy. Peter is asking for mercy. The chalice has shed mercy.

There is a particular time of day we refer to as the “golden hour.” This is when photographers love to take photos as the sun sits at a particular point, either after sunrise or before sunset, when daylight is redder and softer than when the sun is higher in the sky. When I reflect on the entire Passion story, this might just be the golden hour for the disciples. Jesus and his crew are tucked away, having their Passover meal. They are cleansing themselves and carrying on not realizing this will be the last moment of peace they will have. Sharing a meal with the people you love is one of the most glorious moments anyone could have—before what will end as a night of torture and betrayal. While Peter is tearful in this image, the overall vibe of Golden Hour is soft, rich. It feels like it is captured in marble as if nothing can destroy it.

*Adinkra symbols originated from the Gyaman people of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Learn more about their meanings and significance here: adinkrasymbols.org

** View the symbol and learn more about it here: adinkrasymbols.org/symbols/aban/

*** View the symbol and learn more about it here: adinkrasymbols.org/symbols/mpuannum/

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Wandering Heart: "Songs of loudest praise": From the Artist

Read John 12:12-16

From the Artist | Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity

In the Matthew, Mark, and Luke versions of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, two unnamed disciples follow Jesus’ orders to retrieve a colt. In these accounts, the disciples actively participate in the parade, laying down their cloaks and singing praise. In contrast, John’s version of this story provides minimal details and the disciples are hardly mentioned at all. However, the text does a unique thing: it breaks the fourth wall to tell us something important:

“His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered” (John 12:16).

Is Peter at the parade? Does he lay down his cloak and follow the others? Does he sing songs of loudest praise? Or is he lost in the cacophony of the crowds, confused by and afraid of what is taking place? Maybe he is thinking about the blur of events in the days just before: Lazarus raised from the dead, Jesus anointed in Bethany, the crowds knocking down their doors, the plot to kill Jesus and Lazarus swelling like a darkened, fast-approaching sky.

They didn’t understand at first, but then they remembered.

This image attempts to visualize these two locations in time and space. On the left, Peter looks out from the palm procession—his eyes glazed over as he watches Jesus riding into the city where he will surely meet his death. As the crowds sing “hosanna!” for a new, soon-to-be-killed-king, the dissonance of the scene causes Peter to tremble—like a guitar string snapped suddenly mid-tune.

In the top right is Peter’s mirror image. In this mirage, we glimpse the future. Peter stands aghast at the empty tomb, waves of hope and relief rushing through him like a river of grace, the remembering happening all at once—like a childhood song plucked from memory, like the refrain of a chorus that won’t let you go: it’s true, it’s true, thank God it’s true.

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art

Wandering Heart: "Songs of loudest praise": Commentary

Read John 12:12-16

Commentary | Dr. Karoline M. Lewis

All four of the gospels record Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, with John’s version being the shortest. John leaves out Jesus’ instructions for his disciples to get a colt and bring it to him. Instead, Jesus finds his own donkey to fulfill the scriptures. Then the story reports, “His disciples did not understand these things at first” (John 12:16a). I imagine myself in the crowd feeling the same. I can picture the disciples in the crowd waving their palm branches, looking at each other and wondering, Is there something these people see that we don’t? What are we missing here?

Misunderstanding is a common theme in John, and rightly so. We are not supposed to comprehend that God, the great “I AM,” came to dwell with us in the flesh of a human body. And at this point in the story, it is not possible to grasp what Jesus’ kingship is all about. Yet to come will be his arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection, and the promise of his ascension. The fullness of grace upon grace will only be realized once Jesus returns to the Father to prepare a dwelling place for us (John 14:2). No wonder the disciples could not understand as they watched Jesus ride by. I am not sure we would either.

“Then they remembered” (John 12:16b). Isn’t that often how things work in life and in faith? As the saying goes, “hindsight is twenty-twenty.” But John is not exactly clear as to what the disciples actually remembered. There is a kind of suspension of normal time on this Palm/Passion Sunday. We are looking forward to the events of Holy Week, yet we also know how the story ends, viewing all that happened through a resurrection lens.

“Then they remembered” is the Palm/Passion Sunday invitation to us. Like Peter and the disciples in the crowd waving their branches, we are also witnesses to the meaning of Jesus’ ministry and his kingship. What will we remember about this day and about the week to come? Will our “hosannas” still ring out by Good Friday, or will the hard truths of the events we will witness silence our praise?

Reflect: When have you realized or remembered something in hindsight? What became clear in retrospect?

reprinted with permission from A Sanctified Art