A Prayer for today

 click on photo to view larger

Baby on Milk or Solid Food

"Brothers, I could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to worldly, even as to babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk and not with solid food. For to this day you were not able to endure it. Nor are you able now; for you are still worldly.” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

What a tough question. Am I so worldly that I need milk as a babe and not solid food? I work on the devotions and the devotional books I write. I work on the game I developed called Game of Wisdom using Bible verses. Yet, I read chapter three in Welcoming Justice by Charles Marsh and John Perkins for our Sunday class with Pastor Dummermuth on social justice and I see I have so much more to learn. I think I am on solid food, even meat, but who am I really, still a babe in the woods?

My day would not be complete without the scriptures which are a joy to me. My first thoughts in the morning are Bible reading and prayers for others. I have two prayer books I write in when I pray and contemplate my family, friends and nation. My mother’s Good News Bible, her The Living Bible and her The New Testament in Four Versions help me understand. Yet, I turn to The Message, Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible and to Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on The Whole Bible to gain understanding.  

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, help me to see in the way you helped the blind man see. Make clear your word and purpose for me so that I can grow enough to bring others to understand what you did on the cross so long ago. The resurrection of Jesus completes our reconciliation to you. Let that sink into my mind. Even though we are still worldly, you offer forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck (reprinted from 2017 Lent devotions)

The Triumphal Entry

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it.  If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’”   And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.  And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?”  And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.  And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.  And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.  And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” Mark 11:1-10

A Prayer for today

 click on photo to view larger

A Prayer for today

 Click on photo to view larger

The Pleasure of Service

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17

I recently read a story about the phrase “my pleasure” and its history of use at Chick Fil A. This phrase is used by employees when someone says thank you. It is an abbreviated response of the phrase “It was my pleasure” or “It is my pleasure to serve”. Corporately, staff at Chick Fil A use it exclusively in place of “You’re Welcome”. Regardless of what you may think of Chick Fil A’s food, or their position on social justice issues, this perspective change feels remarkable.

Since the middle of February the company I work for has been offering COVID vaccination clinics for high risk populations. Our first weekend the wind chills in Lincoln ranged as cold as -30 degrees. People came out in the cold for their vaccine. Volunteers worked in the parking garage to help with parking and wayfinding. We had so many people who were so thankful that they could come to a site they were familiar with for service. Our volunteers were so thankful to provide a service to these patients. Many times we heard volunteers say “this was awesome” or “I had so much fun” or even “It feels good to be a part of this”. For those who worked, it was a true pleasure to serve. We had more than 100 volunteers and served nearly 1000 individuals.   

Maybe this volunteering was so rewarding because the recipients were so happy and grateful for the vaccine. Maybe it was because so many of us haven’t been able to volunteer or be with a large group of humans because of the pandemic. Maybe it was because we were able to feel that “pleasure” of giving. The “pleasure” of service.     

Prayer: God whose son showed us the joy of service, thank You for all our opportunities to share Your love and gifts with those around us.  In Your name, Amen. 

Christi Moock

A Prayer for today

 

A Quiet Heart

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 ESV

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 ESV

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 ESV

"The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances". This quote, shared by one of the many authors of our Advent study (Wednesday morning group), is attributed to author Elisabeth Eliot. In her book "Keep a Quiet Heart", Elisabeth focuses on learning all we can from those "interruptions" and inconveniences that life throws our way. In the introduction, she quotes Annie Keary: "Do not rush. Trust. And keep a quiet heart". 

Elisabeth shares something different in each day's devotional, but the theme is clear: Keeping God close at hand makes a difference in everything we do, everything we experience.

She shares a bit of poetry a friend at Wheaton College put to music. I think it serves here as a closing prayer:

Lord, give to me a quiet heart

That does not ask to understand,

But, confident, steps forward in

The darkness guided by Thy hand.

Donna Gustafson

Exodus 14

 

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord.  They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.  The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. Exodus 14

 

The Cornerstone

Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation. Isaiah 28:16

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Psalm 118:22

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined togethers and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2: 17-22

As I read the above passage from Ephesians, I realized that I wasn't sure of the meaning of the word cornerstone. The definitions I found were that it is a Biblical name given to Jesus as the pillar, the overseer, the first and the last. It is an important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based. It is a stone that forms the base of a building joining 2 walls. The cornerstone is placed at the corner of a building during a ceremony to mark the start of construction. It is also a person of prime importance. It is the first stone set in the masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

As I pondered these definitions, I envisioned a new spiritual holy temple with the foundation made up of the Biblical leaders like Moses, Abraham, David, and the prophets like Isaiah. Jesus became the cornerstone, the pillar between the Old and New Testament , the mediator between humans and their creator God. If it was a cornerstone joining two walls, it joined the Jews and the Gentiles. Christ is the cornerstone, the person of immense importance--all the other stones are set by this to position the entire spiritual structure. Each Christian is a stone in the wall, each with their own unique talents, to make up the holy temple, the dwelling place of God in the spirit. The church is focused on Christ and becomes the structure for continued building of the temple, stone by stone.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are our creator and our redeemer, the alpha and the omega. You are steadfast, loving, and eternal. You gave your son Jesus to die so that we might live eternally with you, blameless and cleansed of our sins. Help us remember our roles as stones in your temple, each critical to the building and focused on Christ. Amen.

Nancy Hall

Psalm 85

 God, you smiled on your good earth!

    You brought good times back to Jacob!

You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people,

    you put their sins far out of sight.

You took back your sin-provoked threats,

    you cooled your hot, righteous anger.

 

Help us again, God of our help;

    don’t hold a grudge against us forever.

You aren’t going to keep this up, are you?

    scowling and angry, year after year?

Why not help us make a fresh start—a resurrection life?

    Then your people will laugh and sing!

Show us how much you love us, God!

    Give us the salvation we need!

 

I can’t wait to hear what he’ll say.

    God’s about to pronounce his people well,

The holy people he loves so much,

    so they’ll never again live like fools.

See how close his salvation is to those who fear him?

    Our country is home base for Glory!

 

Love and Truth meet in the street,

    Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss!

Truth sprouts green from the ground,

    Right Living pours down from the skies!

Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty;

    our land responds with Bounty and Blessing.

Right Living strides out before him,

    and clears a path for his passage. Psalm 85 The Message

Patient Witnesses

Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. Galatians 6:9

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." 1 Corinthians 3:6

I was reading a devotion from The Upper Room last month, and its words rang true: “Like the vineyard worker who proposed giving the fig tree more time to produce (Luke 13), we are called to be patient and persistent witnesses and disciples”. The writer goes on to explain that he is sometimes discouraged when he doesn’t see “significant impact” from his hospital visits, confirmation classes, meetings, and other pastoral work.  

In our Wednesday bible study, we recently discussed how that can feel the same with our children who were raised in the church, or raised in a Christian home. We may feel that they have distanced themselves from the church, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they have left God behind. It also doesn’t mean that what we shared with them in their growing years was in vain. Sometimes we just need to do the work, and trust God.

Prayer: Dear Lord, it’s sometimes hard when I don’t see results from my work and influence. Help me to remember that you are in charge, and that your timetable is not the same as mine. And help me to understand that that is a good thing! Amen.

Donna Gustafson

Unplugged

Keep this Book of Law always on your lips; mediate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

I have really enjoyed the micro practices for each day.  The ‘Unplug day’ was very spiritual and stress-reducing. It has been so far maybe the hardest one to accomplish; but the best feeling of self-examination and spiritual connection. I don’t know how everyone else proceeded with the practice; anything and everything that I could possibly unplug was unplugged. Okay, I left the refrigerator plugged in, but didn’t use the stove or microwave. My phone was shut down, no television, no laptop and no radio. Now, I did have the day off from work so that did assist in the practice. I also live out in the country and so no neighbors close enough to encounter. I could hear the train and traffic in the distance. I finally finished a book that I have wanted to read for some time. I read the Bible. I did some painting on a craft project. I took the dog for a longer walk than usual. Okay, I also had a nice weather day provided by God. (He really does have a plan). 

I was amazed at the beginning how hard it was for me. I was confronted with how long or how much time I spend plugged in. As the day progressed I began to not think about it but enjoy the activity I was in. During my time I spent a lot of time talking to God and trying to listen. 

Did it make an impact on me? Definitely! I have changed or should I say I am working on changing my daily routine and spending more time for myself spiritually.

It was a short 24 hours of retreat; but a life-changing mindset. 

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven: Help us place a priority on connecting with you in a deeper level. Remind us that although we may feel we are Christians and spiritually living our lives, that we need to set aside so many of the worldly distractions. Open our hearts, minds and souls to feel your Spirit. Open our wings to fly in a new direction in our journey with you. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN!

Lori Hood

 

Impossible to Comprehend

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was day- the fourth day. Genesis 1: 14-19

I was all set to ride my bike to the Rocca Berry Farm and see the August 21, 2017 eclipse. The tickets and lunches were ordered and received. Preparing to put it on the calendar I noticed I had to be at Lincoln Surgical Hospital for eye surgery on the very same day. OK, as I do often, I worked on a way to do both things. No, the next date available for surgery was too late to take. No, the doctor said I cannot ride my bike the afternoon of the surgery, it would be too dangerous.

I settled in and decided to watch the eclipse from our circle. Lo and behold, the people at Roca Berry Farms did not have the beautiful view we had right here in Lincoln.

Amazing, amazing, what a place God used to set our earth in the universe. How could he create all of this in such a way man could calculate the exact time the moon would cover the sun in a total eclipse? Calculations were made for each area on earth. Men and women who can do that are amazing too, but God set it all up and tells us about it in His book our Bible.

Prayer: Oh Lord, God Almighty, how little I seem. You control all. You planned the total eclipse before you put the sun and the moon in the sky. You created us allowing us to see this magnificent sight that happens so far above us all. It is beyond words. Thank you. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck (reprinted from 2017)

God's Promises

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whom so ever believes in him, should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 

We stood by the window watching huge ice chunks slide from the roof and hit the deck below. We were in awe until our daughter reminded us that that probably happened every winter. We had just not been home in the winter for 22 years.  Oh, we said, of course. Then the miracles began to happen. The green grass appeared and the coral bells lifted their heads and amid the brown leaves, the strawberries are still alive. How could you not believe in a life after death when you can see it happening right before your eyes as the sun shines down on us? 

Like the disciples in Mark, I am sometimes without understanding. I feel the depth of despair as my friends of over 40 years leave this earth one by one. My sisters either are 90 or approaching that age. All three of us are finding it difficult to remain upright day after day but the promise of life after death is a promise we hope God will keep. Would I have asked Jesus for more than I deserve as I am prone to do in this life? Can I do as our visiting pastor said the last of February - can I ask others what can I do for you? 

The days of Lent drift by quickly and the cross looms on the horizon. But also comes the promise of melting ice, growing flowers and neighbors once again visiting over the fence. 

Prayer: Thank you God for the return of sunshine and the promise of a new season. Thank you also for the friends and neighbors that remain unseen but are still there. In your son's name we pray. Amen

Carolyn Olsen

Living in a Fog

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.  John 11:25

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:24-25

Recently we have had a variety of weather conditions from polar cold temperatures, heavy snow and heavy fog.  As I was driving to work on one of those very foggy days, I began to think what it would be like to live your life in a fog.  I don’t mean foggy weather, but a fog of no comprehension of God’s love.  What if you woke up each day and couldn’t see the beauty in the world, know the grace, or feel His love surrounding you. What if you never felt the power of prayer or even the notion to pray; what a lonely sad feeling it must be. Muddling through life and just dealing with everyday tasks hoping to figure out how to get through your day. I would think you would be constantly looking for a source of happiness, a purpose, a goal or something to make your life feel complete. You may have short-lived bouts of happiness.  

Sometimes I feel I see others living in this fog when they can’t see anything positive in their lives, when their first thought is something negative of the day, or someone else, or even larger, the world. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think the world is full of roses and lollipops as they say. I do believe that if you only see the negative you will miss the positive. There are a lot of changes that need to be made in this world, but just for a second count your many blessings. Can’t think of any? You are breathing. You have another second, or hour, or day to share with love ones. There is beauty in nature; the smallest detail is designed by God. I do live with God in my life every day. I am constantly talking to Him; I don’t know if that counts as some peoples’ version of prayer. I just know I need His guidance and I don’t always get the answers right away and I may never get what I thought I should; but I know He is with me. I live with the goal of enjoying my life with all I have. God doesn’t promise it to be a perfect life or easy life here on earth; but He does promise a loving life with Him through Jesus Christ in the hereafter. Don’t live your life in a fog; look for the sunshine, the signs of God’s love. 

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven: Help us to see the wonders in front of us. Help us to be thankful for the many things we have that we so often don’t see. Open our hearts to see positive even when it seems that evil or hatred is surrounding us. Let us speak the good news to those who travel through their life in fog.  Let us know that it may seem the world is in downward spiral from what we know you command, but that you are there and have a plan and we should trust in your plan. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Lori Hood

More like Christ, leading to Christ

And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.” Mark 9: 14-29

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!...
The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalms 103: 1, 6-8

Many things are broken in this world, and many good people are upset by injustice, cruelty, and suffering.  I’ve noticed that in many instances this awareness of injustice and cruelty then leads good people to become angry, cruel, and unjust to other people – lashing out with accusations and name-calling, and a spiral of anger, cruelty, and injustice perpetuates.  It makes my heart so sad.  I have to admit that BOTH the injustice AND the anger make me angry too.  I see many places in the Psalms where the Lord’s wonderful ways are extolled, and His ways look quite different from ours: merciful, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. As Christ’s disciple, I want to be more like God than like the angry mob, but I also know I am to be Christ’s hands and feet in the world.  How can I do both? In my despair about this, I cried out to the Lord, and in one week was led to both these passages – through a sermon and in my wonderful Bible study class.

I was privileged to be able to hear the Stated Clerk of the PCUSA preach at our church, using the passage from Mark, above.   He used the passage to point out that Scripture teaches us not to lean on our own ways, for they are faulty – both as individuals and as the Church.  This passage teaches us that the faithful pray and lead others to Christ, and Christ heals.  Through Christ, we can make things happen that we can’t do through our own power, or by our own ways.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is helpful to me here, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understand;  in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Do not be wise in your own eyes;  fear the Lord and shun evil.” (Proverbs 3: 5-7).  So when I find myself becoming angry at either the injustice OR the anger, I pray to God in trust and ask to become more like Him: merciful, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Does it always work?  No, but God isn’t finished with me yet.

Prayer: Lord of my life, please make me more like you - merciful, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love - and through this to point more people to you.  For you, alone, can solve the problems this world faces.  So many are hurting; so many are angry.  You died and rose again so that we could be restored to you and reconciled to one another.  Yet we throw that away in our anger.  Please reach down to this hurting world that needs Your love, and help us to reach up as well.  Amen

Lori Snyder-Sloan (reprinted from 2017 Lenten devotional)

  

The Right Thing

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

I have been thinking recently about thinking, and ethics, and knowing what the right thing is in a given moment. In our human experience we will make millions of decisions. They can be as simple as what will I have for breakfast or as complicated as who I will marry and share my life with. As a project manager, one of my key roles is to guide a decision making process. I don’t often have to face the weight of a decision, but I am relied upon to identify the risks, benefits and considerations of the options on the table. We use a formatted template to call these decisions out, we review them with teams of people who make recommendations and in some cases we send them on to the top organizational leaders to take all the options, review the recommendations and make a final decision. I have often heard that those in top leadership roles hand off smaller decisions to their trusted leaders and support personnel so that they do not become distracted by the small decisions. 

My step brother is a writer, IT programmer, and professor. I find that many individuals in these careers spend a large amount of time thinking. They consider storylines and the impacts of a code/programming point and how it will impact things further down the line. They consider how their teaching will impact the students that they are charged with bringing into the next group of leaders, and thinkers. There are many careers where thinking and considering are a big part of the work that is done and the decisions that are made. On his blog, my step brother recently wrote “Doing the right thing isn’t always easy and it doesn’t always feel great, but it shouldn’t feel…ugly. Or empty. Or stretched thin between far distant facts that we had to scrounge for on the fringe despite our own intuition.”

It might feel like a jump, but all of these led me to this verse in Philippians. Think about things, think about benefits, think about risks. Think about how it will feel to make the decision. Think about how it will feel looking back on it. Do the right thing, whenever you can, and regardless of who is watching. Sometimes I think about the inconveniences of doing the right thing and when I think about the wrong thing and the guilt that will be associated, I am often driven to the “right” even it is overly burdensome. Have you made decisions that have felt bad, or ugly? Have you compromised your personal values to do something that is “right” for the greater good? Have you talked to God about these decisions while you were making them? After? Long after? Have you knowingly done the wrong thing and had to live with it after? How were you able to reconcile this?

Prayer: God who knows all of our struggles, be with us as we make decisions.  Help us to strive to do the right thing even when it is hard. Help us to dissect a decision and listen to our intuition. Help to bring us peace during our time on earth. Amen.   

Christi Moock    

The Widow's Offering

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor Widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them,” Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of heir abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all that she had to live on”. Mark 12: 41-44  

Lent is a time for repentance, prayer, preparation and deprivation. These traits are highlighted in Mark's Gospel. This story also appears in the Gospel of Luke. When we were children one of the big questions we asked or were asked was “What are you giving up for Lent?” 

How often do we give from our abundance?  Someone once said give until it feels good. That is good advice. Whether we are giving money, time, talent, service to others or giving kindness. 

Prayer: Dear Lord God,  thank you for all the gifts you have given to us. Help us to realize that all things belong to you and we are required to share what we have with others. In Jesus' name.  Amen. 

Kathy Kuehn (reprinted from the 2017 Lenten devotional)

Renewal

...We do not lose heart...though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16   

I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you by the laying on of  my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6   

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5   

You lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted...and....be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24  

This is the time of year when nature stirs up yearnings for new life while surrounding us with things that have lived through their seasons. The recent warm weather has encouraged green hope to sprout up from the grey ground, pushing through tawny leaves that are returning to the soil. There is a reminder of the promise of renewal for everything and everybody, through the miracles of God's energy in and around us.

My work as a musician gives me fallow periods, more often when the school year is dormant, but most of the time I find myself in the middle of myriad projects.  This can be taxing, as the work hours of each day can begin very early and, especially for musical theatre work, end quite late. I usually sense too late that I have upset the balance of activity I need in order to have fresh energy for everything in my life. My habit of overcommitting seems a noble one, since I can help a greater number of people; but the fact that I am starting to yearn for a day off makes me frame this activity more truthfully as being at odds with my spiritual needs and beliefs.

In rest there is a returning to the spiritual life inside of me, a stirring up of everything that is at my core. As in dreams, rest can give me the separation to help shed the spiritual weight of accumulated burdens. My weakness and weariness are derived from a lack of centering and grounding in the self that God has formed in me, and too much focus on what I perceive to be duty. But there is always a chance at refreshment for the spirit, a cleansing of the clutter of activity, and the absorption of divine energy. We were created to be vessels and communicators of God's love and power.

There is a plant in my living room which is hard for me to reach for watering, and it has been knocked down many times by my bulls-in-a-china-shop teenage kittens. It has been lying on its side, roots drying out, for weeks, while I have been limping along with minimal household maintenance. I was amazed to see the other day that the tendrils facing the window have crept onto the windowsill and sent small flowers up toward the light. Without even having the proper nourishment, this plant has not only survived but thrived. Somehow, that plant has found what it has needed to flourish and live its live fully.

I might feel like I am not in an optimal place to be my true self and do what I was meant to do, but God finds ways to provide what I need. God is patient with my learning, and if I simply open to receive renewal and guidance, God is already there in my roots.

Prayer: Hear me, Holy Spirit, and help me to receive you as I release the barriers that my habits have built up. Help me to open up to you and to let myself be regenerated by your energy. Reveal to me how the water of my baptism continually blesses and cleanses me in the unreachable places. Forgive the well-meaning blunders of my days, and hone me in your fire so that I can be more like you in this world that needs our spirits to shine. Help me to be aware of your presence, and grateful for the renewing mystery of that presence. Amen.

Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2017 Lenten devotional)

 

Goodbye Stale Prayers

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (New Oxford Bible)  

While driving to an appointment, I was listening to the Bott (Christian) radio network.  The pastor was teaching on the topic of prayer.  He caught my attention when he asked the following two questions:  1) “Are your prayers becoming stale”?  2) “Do you find yourself praying for the same things and using the same words over and over”?  

If the answer was yes, he suggested we try praying the scriptures.  I wasn’t sure I wanted to listen anymore as that idea had been introduced to me several years ago and after trying it for a week or so I went back to praying in my own words.  Somehow praying scripture made me feel I had lost the intimacy I feel when talking to God in my own words. 

However, the next morning, I decided to give it a try.  I did as the pastor suggested and prayed from the book of Psalms because as he said the whole book of Psalms is a book of praise.  I started with Psalm 23 because the words are familiar and I am comfortable saying them. 

After I prayed the first line:  “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” I stopped.  Then in my own words I praised Jesus for shepherding me through a difficult time.  I moved on to the next sentence:  “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters; he restores my soul.”  Then I thanked Him for the necessities of life especially a home in which to find solace. 

With each line of the 23^rd Psalm, I found that I could stop and add my own words of praise, thanks or petition.  This was definitely a new way for me to pray.  It allowed me to maintain that closeness that I had missed in my previous attempts to pray the scriptures. 

My long range plan is to choose each morning one of the many names there are for Jesus and the scripture describing that name, i.e.,  Shepherd, Light of the World, Savior, etc.  Now I’ve said good-bye to stale, repetitive prayers. 

If you find that your prayers have become stale and repetitive, perhaps praying the scriptures would be of help to you, too.  

Prayer: Father, we praise you for the beautiful words in the Holy Bible, and we thank you for hearing our prayers in whatever words we say them when they come from our hearts.  In your Son Jesus’ holy name we pray.   Amen.

Judy Welch (reprinted from the 2017 Lenten devotional)

Psalm 46

 

God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

    and the mountains quake with their surging.

 

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

    God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

 

 The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

 Come and see what the Lord has done,

    the desolations he has brought on the earth.

  He makes wars cease

    to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

    he burns the shields with fire.

 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth.”

 

 The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46

Rejoice in Hope

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.   For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:1-13