Unwavering Resolve in the Face of Life’s Challenges

We are troubled on every side yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not forsaken; cast down but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

This passage of a letter from Paul to the Corinthian congregation reflects the hardships and challenges faced by believers, while offering assurance that they are not abandoned by God, but empowered to persevere through their faith. Paul encourages us to hold on to hope and trust that we are not alone. This message brings unwavering resolve in the face of life’s challenges.

Related biblical passages like Romans 8:35-39, James 1:2-4, and Philippians 4:13, echo the consistent theme of God’s unwavering love, the opportunity for growth through trials, and the strength found in Christ. These passages reinforce the message of perseverance and faith in the face of difficulties, echoing Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthians.

When we face troubles and difficulties in life, it is important to remember that as believers, we are not alone. The verses remind us that even though we may be hard-pressed on all sides, we are not crushed. We may be perplexed, but we are not in despair. We may be persecuted, but we are not abandoned. This reassures us that no matter what challenges we may encounter, we can persevere because of the strength and support we receive from God. In times of trouble, holding onto our faith and trusting in God’s promises is crucial. We can find resilience to endure and overcome any obstacle we may face by leaning on Him for guidance, comfort, and strength. Remembering that God is always with us and will never forsake us provides the hope and courage needed to persevere in difficult times. This verse directs us to rely on God’s power and not solely on our own abilities, knowing that His grace is sufficient to see us through every trial and tribulation.

These verses also remind us that our trials have a purpose in building our character and faith. Rather than being consumed by our present struggles, we can look forward to the hope and restoration that God promises to those who trust in Him. This perspective helps us to endure with patience, knowing that our temporary afflictions are producing an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Life can feel like a never-ending workload, but remember: you’re pressured, not broken; confused, not hopeless; attacked, not alone; knocked down, but still standing. Let this truth fuel your determination and faith as you tackle every obstacle. Stand firm, work through the struggle, and lean on God’s promises.

Prayer: I pray that when I feel under pressure and am anxious that I cannot continue, I will feel the comfort of God’s hand on my shoulder, reassuring me.  Help me to remember God’s promise to all believers that he will be with us as we learn from our trials. We are confused, not broken, but still standing. Know that with God’s grace we are able to work through every obstacle, leaning on God’s promise. Amen.

Carol McClain

For the Beauty of the Earth

These last several days as the snow has fallen and covered our world in Lincoln, I sit and look out of the window and marvel at the beauty of nature. It made me think about the hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth”.  I keep on singing it in my head, and in spite of the enormous amount of snow that we received, I’m glad to live in an area with four seasons.  

Sing or say these words to the song in your heart and mind:

            For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies.

            For the love which from our birth over and around us lies.

            Lord of all to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

I started this after our big snowfall, but I’m now finding it difficult to continue to feel blessed for the four seasons in Nebraska. As Pastor Melodie pointed out in her sermon on February 14, the snow keeps coming and with it bitter cold temperatures, and many of us are more than ready for spring to start. We’re ready for crocuses, daffodils, flowering trees, green grass and warm days. But we can have faith that it will all happen and the snow will melt, finally, for this year.  

Prayer: Dear Lord, as we deal with the challenges of winter, let us not forget the beauty of your creation. Be with us during this cold, bleak winter until spring comes to rejuvenate our lives. Amen.

Carolyn Brandle (reprinted from 2021)

Perseverance and Henry David Thoreau

 

 

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5:10

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4

From Thoreau: ”Do not despair of life. You have no doubt force enough to overcome obstacles. Think of the fox prowling through the wood and field in a winter night for something to satisfy his hunger. Notwithstanding cold, hounds and traps his race survives. I do not believe any of them ever committed suicide.” Now, I know a couple of things about this quote that might rankle:

• In many circles we have moved past the language “committed suicide” to “died by suicide”.
• We should not minimize someone’s feelings and actions by suggesting they could have withstood something in their life we likely know nothing about. 

However, I believe there is something to take away from this. For me, it’s this: we are stronger than we think, and…keep going, keep going, keep going. In addition to what the quote implies, I'd like to include that we can ask for help, from God and others, including professional help.

Some scripture to support was included above, but I also believe that if we can sometimes just hang on until the next day, things may look different. In the chapter on "Appreciate Whatever is Pleasing" in the book "Appreciate These Things" by Jill J. Duffield, she shares that some days we just need to look for the beauty, wherever we may find it. "The ache for beauty was still urgent in me, but my hope for riding out the tide of pain began to rise," she shares after noticing something pleasing on what was for her a difficult day. Small things, and the promise that hope brings.

This Thoreau quote, along with a beautiful Wyeth painting of a fox ("Fox in Winter" by N.C. Wyeth; from "Men of Concord", 1935), was shared on the Thoreau Society page on Facebook. I’ve shared that lovely painting here, plus my own photo of two local foxes playing in the snow!

A bit more about Thoreau: Henry David Thoreau (born July 12, 1817, Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.—died May 6, 1862, Concord) was an American essayist, poet, and practical philosopher renowned for having lived the doctrines of Transcendentalism as recorded in his masterwork, Walden (1854), and for having been a vigorous advocate of civil liberties, as evidenced in the essay “Civil Disobedience” (1849). (from Britannica.com)

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to remember that we can turn to you when we're struggling. Help us reach out to people in our life (friends, family, professionals) when we feel despair. Give us strength to keep going. Amen.

Click on photos to view larger. 

Donna Gustafson

Ash Wednesday

Join us around the table between 8 am and 8 pm for a short service of ashes and contemplation.  

Ashes will be available all day with music for contemplation in our sanctuary.  

Can’t make it to the church on Ash Wednesday?  Packets of "ashes and prayers” will be at the Welcome Desk beginning Sunday, February 15.

 

Helping Others

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” John 13: 12-17

This last month I was fortunate enough to help out on a Tuesday night with the Food Pantry. In all honesty, it wasn’t hard work, and there were enough of us helping that it didn’t take long at all. In a way, I kind of felt guilty as I drove back home that the task wasn’t harder and didn’t take longer! And then I realized what a selfish thought that really is, as though if helping out were harder, then I would feel better about having helped. All me, me, me. Volunteering and helping do things for others shouldn’t be about the helper; it really is all about those being helped. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? And yet we’re humans with complex emotions and wants. Christ provided us with the ultimate example of servitude toward others without asking for anything in return except our faith in him, our knowledge that he died so that we might have a place in the Kingdom of God. What a truly glorious gift he gave to us! Our hope for ourselves should be that we emulate his example as best we can to others here on earth.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to open my heart that I might be a better helper to others. And above all else, let me always remember that the power and glory are yours alone, and it’s through you that I gather strength and comfort to do what I hope is right in your eyes. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Greg Tubach (reprinted from Eastridge Daily Devotion book, 2008)

Happy Presidents' Day

 

Presidents' Day, officially Washington's Birthday at the federal governmental level, is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February. It is often celebrated to honor all those who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879, has been the federal holiday honoring Founding Father George Washington, who led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and served as the first U.S. president from 1789 to 1797. (Wikipedia)

Promises

When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore to himself saying, "I will surely bless you and multiply you."  And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Hebrews 6:13-15

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10: 23-25

His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises. 2 Peter 1: 3-4

One of my favorite old-time hymns is Standing on the Promises of God. The tune of that hymn causes me to repeat the words to myself. The words of "eternal praise," "overcoming doubt and fear," "listening to the call," "bound by love" keep repeating in my mind as I think of that song. It reminds me that our Christian faith is based on promises from God that we have learned about from studying the message that Jesus brings to us in the Bible. The promises become our expectations that we have because we believe in God. I suppose we become disappointed and somewhat doubters if certain promises don't seem to come our way in a timely manner. However, as written in Hebrews, as our faith grows, we overcome our doubts and concerns and rely on the "promises from God."

While we live to claim the promises from God, our church has promises from us. We made promises of support and involvement when we joined Eastridge Church. We continue to make verbal promises during worship activities and responses. Our church lives because of our promises. Today, our church has several service and financial needs. Are we living up to our promises? Can we expect to claim promises from God if we haven't fulfilled our promises to our church? Let us meet the needs of Eastridge Church.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we give You thanks for the messages of promise that You have presented to us through Your son, Jesus. Help us to grow in faith in order to fulfill our promise to follow Your word and to search for the direction You would have us live so that it would be pleasing in Your sight. Amen

Lauren Holcombe (reprinted from 2017, shared today in memory of Lauren)

Parable of the Lost Sheep

If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it?  And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders. When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found. In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Luke 15:4-7

I am fond of Jesus’ Parables. The parables are wonderful stories for faith building, and especially for children. Most of the time I view the world through children and their faith development. This is why I chose this Bible selection: this parable talks about a shepherd who left his 99 sheep to search for a lost one (one who strayed away). He knew that the lost one was in danger. Each sheep is of high value, just as each of us is of high value and loved by God. When the shepherd found the sheep, he carried it home. In the same way, God rejoices when any of us are lost (strayed away) and we return to God. Each one of us is to be that shepherd and minister to those that have strayed and bring them back to God. This is a challenge for you to be a shepherd.

Prayer: Dear Lord, give me courage to be a shepherd and to share God’s love. Amen.

Susan Taylor (reprinted from Eastridge Devotion book, 2008)

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 (reprinted from April 2024)

Words from Luke 12

"Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin, yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Luke 12:27 

Here is what The Message says:

“Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can’t even do that, why fuss at all? Walk into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They don’t fuss with their appearance—but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the wildflowers, most of them never even seen, don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? Luke 12:25-28 The Message

Words of Wisdom

 "I'm a young man,

   and you are all old and experienced.

That's why I kept quiet

   and held back from joining the discussion.

I kept thinking, 'Experience will tell.

   The longer you live, the wiser you become.'

But I see I was wrong—it's God's Spirit in a person,

the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.

The experts have no corner on wisdom;

   getting old doesn't guarantee good sense.”

Job 32:7-10 (The Message) 

The words above were said by Elihu to Job. It’s probably true that becoming older does not guarantee becoming wiser. But if God’s spirit is in a person, wisdom follows.

In a Bible study, we were asked to name someone we thought of as a saint. Several former members of Eastridge come to mind. One is Myra Dickerson, who lived past the age of 100. To me, Myra was the epitome of a spiritual woman who exudes God’s love for everyone.

And she demonstrates her wisdom. In one of her last Christmas letters, Myra said she had been encouraged to share some of her “wisdom,” and I’d like to share her thoughts.

o   Each person has the responsibility to relate to God, but don’t forget to talk to God all the time.

o   He is your personal friend and will understand.

o   Love and forgive. Life is too short to waste it away by hating.

o   See all the good things in people before you criticize them. The world is full of beautiful people.

o   Let there be peace and love on earth and let it begin with me.

Myra’s words were special when she wrote them, but they resonate with me given the issues happening in society today. May we include these thoughts in our prayers.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for sending people like Myra to demonstrate your love. Everyone who knew her is a better person for having known her. Help us all to follow her words of wisdom and strive to become like her. Amen.

Robin Hadfield

Grey Days

When the righteous call for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.  The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. Psalms 34:17-20

The winter sky at dawn and dusk is often the most colorful part of the landscape all day.  When my daily drives take me past miles of tawny taupes and charcoals in the palette for the views, I crave a burst of color and a vivid plump flower or two. 

These hues saturate parts of my life, and I see them reflected in other people's moods as we struggle with the challenges of cold-weather months. Tasks can be wearying, and we are prone to experiencing drudgery.

The imagination is the precious gift that can keep us going when we feel oppressed by our surroundings or by the nature of the work ahead of us. It seems appropriate that Lent comes when we are struggling with external issues that seem to trigger internal issues.  There is often a feeling of loss at this time of year; an emptiness that indicates some kind of disconnect.

The challenges of Lent are many, but one I always try to focus on is what I can eliminate that is distancing me from God.  The flip side is exploring what I can add to encourage a closer relationship with God.  There is a switch in my brain that can take me from the process of letting go to the process of practicing discipline that will bring a fuller life. It becomes a cycle of cleansing and becoming involved. 

What I see very clearly is that time spent in front of a screen typing ideas from inspiring things I have read fills me up; and time spent in front of a screen scrolling down through selfies and memes and videos absolutely drains me. There is a great resource in technology, and a great danger as well.

I am trying to be diligent about items on my to-do lists, but I find I really need to intersperse some moments of reading or looking at something beautiful while enjoying a cup of tea, in between digging for tax records and washing dishes and doing a load of laundry. These tasks are wearying to me because I sometimes let myself see the punitive nature of work rather than rejoicing in the sacrament of daily tasks. I need to practice remembering joy.

While scrolling down my Facebook feed today, I was entranced by this poetic prayer posted by a young pastor friend, and I know she would be happy to have it shared. I suppose this, and the photos my old friend has been posting of his trip around World War II memorials in France and Belgium, are the reasons I still look for something on Facebook.  But I do think that there are more worthy distractions that actually engage the soul and mind and body, and I mean to find them.

Prayer on the road of life, attributed to Augustine of Hippo:

God of life, there are days

when the burdens we carry are heavy on our shoulders

and weigh us down,

when the road seems dreary and endless,

the skies grey and threatening,

when our lives have no music in them,

our hearts lonely,

our souls losing their courage.

Flood the path with light.

Turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise,

tune our hearts to brave music,

give us the sense of comeradeship

with heroes and saints of every age.

So quicken our spirits

that we may be able to encourage the souls of all

who journey with us on the road of life,

to your honor and glory.

Amen.

Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2018)

Words from First Thessalonians

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 NIV 

Love Your Enemy

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. . . [God] gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. . . 

“In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. You’re kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” Matthew 5:43-48 (The Message)

As a part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells those present to love their enemies because God gives his best to everyone, whether they are “nice” or “nasty.”  Anyone can love the loveable, but what about the unlovable?

In Appreciate These Things by Jill Duffield, the author asks us to consider the words in Philippians 4, including one which means “lovely, friendly, amiable, acceptable, pleasing.” She tells of her daughter’s experience in attending college in another country and discovering a difference between the people in that country, who were “nice,” and the people in her home state, who were “friendly.” The difference arises in part from what she calls “outward social graces” and “genuine connections.” Those social graces may be pleasant, but they don’t indicate that we are pleasing others or God. Shuffield states that when we see with the eyes of Christ, we must look attentively, even if what we are looking at doesn’t appear lovely or acceptable.

As Jesus directs in the Sermon on the Mount, we can live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward us. Duffield asks us to imagine looking at everything we encounter in the same way in which God gazes at it. If we use our eyes to look in this way, we allow the lovely to be more visible.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to learn to look at our world in the same way you look at it. Help us to remember to love our enemies and to love the unlovable. Amen.

Robin Hadfield

Who Are We?

A window on the south side of the sanctuary portrays Jesus' baptism by John the Baptist. John, wearing his "rough coat of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist", carries a shepherd's crook, and appears to be standing on a patch of grass. Jesus stands knee-deep in the flowing waters of the Jordan while the purple hills of Judea can be seen in the distance. He wears a simple cape and holds his hands palms together in prayer. The dove descends, deep blue waters flow from John's fingers, and beams converge at the at the nimbus around Jesus' head.

While only two of the Gospels (Matthew and Luke) relate nativity stories, all four describe Jesus' baptism, a crucial episode in the development of Jesus as the Christ. Jesus understood and appreciated the role of ritual, ceremony, and symbol. As Protestants we recognize two such rituals as sacraments: Baptism and Communion. Baptism is symbolic of the washing away of sin, but it is also a sign that one has joined the community of faith. Therefore, our baptisms are performed when that community is gathered together. When I was in college I worshipped at First Methodist Church, and as a part of each baptism Rev. Munden would dip his hand into the baptismal font and throw drops of water on the congregation: "Remember your own baptism. Remember who you are. You are the Children of God."

Prayer: Oh, God of Heaven and Earth, help us to remember who we really are - we are yours alone. Amen.

Bill Wehrbein (reprinted from the 2008 Eastridge Devotional)

Words from Psalm 103

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. Psalm 103:8