Let the Coastlands be Glad

The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad. Psalm 97:1 

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands afar off: say, 'He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.' Jeremiah 31:10

He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law. Isaiah 42:4                     

My deliverance draws near speedily, my salvation has gone forth, and my arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for me, and for my arm they hope. Isaiah 51:5

I recently read several devotions that referred to the coastlands. I thought these were not words that I readily remembered from scripture, so of course I had to do some research. I found 10 scriptures that referred to the coastlands, most of which occurred in the books of the prophets. The word coastlands referred to distant regions along the sea and symbolized the farthest reaches of the earth and God's sovereignty over all nations. It represents diverse peoples and cultures that acknowledge God's authority beyond Israel. It represents hope for those who are marginalized or in despair and those waiting for redemption and renewal. It showed anticipation of a new age where all nations are called to glorify God, where boundaries are expanded and barriers are broken down. The coastlands are a symbol of a hope divine for inclusion in the Kingdom of God and God's relentless pursuit of humanity across time and space. The coastlands are a call for evangelism. Matthew 28:19-20 states "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the hope you bring to the coastlands. Thank you for the acceptance of all of us to be part of the Kingdom of God. Thank you for your promises of justice to the world. And finally, thank you for your love of us like a shepherd to his sheep. Amen

Nancy Hall

Falling Leaves and Trusting in God

Falling leaves remind us that there is beauty in letting go and trusting God with what comes next. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Psalm 37:4-6

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:7

Christianity and Pumpkins

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." John 8:12

Fall is here and Thanksgiving is not far away. With it comes a time to remember all the blessings we have received through the last year, and a chance to join with friends and family for eating, watching football, and shopping.

At this time of year, this story pops up in social media. A coworker asked another, "What is it like to be a Christian?" The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin. God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

I like this analogy between Christians and pumpkins. God has chosen us, forgiven us, and taken away our sins. If we believe in him, we can be filled with his love, which puts a smile on our face and a light inside us.      

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you God for everything you have blessed us with, and especially for sending your son to be the light of our world. We are grateful that by knowing you, our insides can be scooped out and filled with your love. Amen.

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2019)

Candy Corn and the Trinity

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

Did you know that the word “trinity” is not in the Bible? However, there are many verses in both the OT and the NT confirming the trinity.  The verse above from the book of Matthew is only one example that makes it clear that there are 3 persons that make up one godhead. This concept of the Holy Trinity is a difficult one not only for children to understand but for some of us adults as well. 

As a former Sunday school teacher, I learned that teaching difficult concepts was much more fun if candy was involved. Some very creative person who remains anonymous wrote a wonderful children’s sermon using a kernel of candy corn to explain how 3 things can be one. Here is my edited version:

When you look at the candy corn, it is shaped like a triangle. The symbol of the trinity is 3 arcs intertwined forming a triangle. The tip on the kernel points upward reminding us to pray. The candy is made up of 3 colors and 3 different flavors. The white tip is a symbol of purity and stands for God the Father who is perfect, holy and righteous. The color orange reminds us of the flames of the Holy Spirit who appeared on Pentecost and enabled the disciples to speak God’s word in many languages. The yellow represents the light of Jesus Christ, the Word in flesh.  He calls us to be witnesses and when we spread His word, we spread His light and the message of salvation to the world.

And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Luke 10:2).

When we see candy corn in the fall, it reminds us that it is harvest time. Three colors, 3 flavors, ONE piece of delicious candy. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 3 persons, ONE perfect and holy God. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise you and we love you but we confess we often struggle to understand you. In this harvest season, help us to be laborers in your fields.  In Your Son, Jesus’ name, we ask it.  Amen.

Judy Welch (reprinted from 2023)

Autumn

 

Henry David Thoreau wrote “Summer passes into Autumn in some unimaginable point of time like the turning of a leaf.” 

A sugar maple tree wearing shades of red and yellow caught my eye on a hot day. I looked again – it can’t be fall. Fall follows summer and I have been cooped up in the house with temperatures over 90. It is supposed to cool, it can’t be fall. 

But fall is upon us. As a child, I hated to see the end of summer. School (which I liked by the way) would begin. But it was not school I hated to see coming, it was the end of freedom that I hated to see end. Summer meant barefoot running, frequent visitors to the farm where I lived. Some chores, but lots of time for talking to sisters, mom and dad and also time for exploring the woods and the fields surrounding our home. Just wandering in the countryside looking at God’s world. 

This year, it feels different. I am ready to put the flowers to bed. To add bulbs in new places. As the hymn says, “In every bulb, there is a flower!” I am ready to let this year slide from fall into winter. For, I know, there will be a birth in a manger to celebrate and then the promise of spring. Spring will come and when it does, those same bulbs will bring cheer and hope for more tomorrows. 

So I am tucking my bulbs into the dirt, getting rid of junk, preparing for this season and whatever will follow. After winter, spring will come and renewed life in our world. Jesus gave us that hope with his death on the cross. I watch the last of the butterflies drink again and again at the butterfly bush. They have traveled many miles and need this drink and I am happy to provide it.  

I am not returning to school but I will be wearing shoes and watching the world put on its beautiful autumn show. The season will cool and winter will come, but I know in my heart that life in the bulbs and belief in our savior will bring us back to spring. God is putting his world to bed and there is promise for a new tomorrow. 

This time, when I saw another beautiful tree I just gloried in its beauty instead of moaning the loss of summer. Instead of being the end, I will take it as a beginning looking forward. 

Carolyn Olsen (reprinted from 2023)

Good Listeners

When I visited my dad recently, he had a couple of church member friends and a former neighbor visit him while I was there. These folks were talkers! What became clear to me was: my dad is a great listener, and others enjoy spending time with him as a result. What I’ve also realized is: when talking with him on the phone, it’s harder to appreciate his good listening skills! Sometimes his lack of what I expect as a response is frustrating.

I was thinking how this is for us, when we turn to God in prayer. We may know in our hearts that God is a “good listener” but don’t always get the response we’d like. 

Scripture tells us:

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. John 5:14-15 ESV

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:24 ESV

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6 ESV

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 ESV

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to turn to you in prayer, knowing that your “answer” may not be exactly what we’d like, but allow us to focus on the connection and our relationship with you.

Donna Gustafson

October: Clergy Appreciation Month

  

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Psalm 19:14

This scripture is the verse of the day on BibleGateway.com, which I often use to look up Bible verses. The first part is familiar to us as it's similar to the words spoken by our pastors in the prayer before the sermon in worship services.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month and we're asked to take action to let our pastors know how important they are to us. It doesn't have to be much-just telling them we appreciate them can be enough. Any of us who are employed probably wish we were thanked more often for our work. We have the chance to let our pastors know we're grateful for them.

I found a poem by Judy Crowe for pastor appreciation month, and the first and last verses state (with a little editing):

Have you ever walked in our pastors' shoes,

And gone where their feet have trod?

Have you ever thought of what they mean to us,

And on your knees, given thanks to God?

Eastridge is blessed with two pastors who have different gifts to share with us. Let us remember throughout the year to give thanks to God for their service with us.  

(And even though there is no staff appreciation month, let us remember and give thanks for the staff members who support the pastors.)

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for sending Melodie and Thomas to serve our church at this place and time. Help us to remember each day that they are here to guide us on our journey. And help us to let them know we are thankful for them. Amen.

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2018)