The Least of These

 I was hungry and you fed me,

 I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,

 I was homeless and you gave me a room,

 I was shivering and you gave me clothes,

 I was sick and you stopped to visit,

 I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 (The Message) 

In this scripture passage, Jesus tells the story of the sheep and the goats who are divided by the Son of Man. The King tells those who have been blessed by God to take their inheritance because they provided him with food, drink, shelter, clothing, and companionship when he needed it. The listeners do not believe him and ask when they provided those necessities of life. The King replies that whenever people helped one of the least of the brothers and sisters, they did it for the King. And by doing so, the righteous will have eternal life. 

Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of problems we see in our nation or community, we can take this lesson to heart and reach out to help one person. Whether it's someone we know personally or a complete stranger, our assistance can mean a great deal to the person who is in pain. During this period of Lent, as we prepare for the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord, let us look around to see where we can assist someone in need. For by helping another, we are serving the King, our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the blessings you have poured down on us. Help us to remember that our inheritance awaits us in your kingdom. If we see someone who is hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, or in prison, let us remember that what we do for any one of them, we do for our Lord.  

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2017) 

Psalm 113

 

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord, you his servants;

    praise the name of the Lord.

Let the name of the Lord be praised,

    both now and forevermore.

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,

    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is exalted over all the nations,

    his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the Lord our God,

    the One who sits enthroned on high,

who stoops down to look

    on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor from the dust

    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

he seats them with princes,

    with the princes of his people.

He settles the childless woman in her home

    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 113

The Fish Philosophy

Jesus said to them: “Come with Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him.  Mark 1:17

During a visit with my son’s family last fall, I had occasion to attend a special activity at the elementary school where three of my grandchildren attend. While there, I met a sixth grade teacher who had a wonderful rapport with her students. When I asked her secret, she replied, “Oh, it’s simple really. I just follow the ‘fish philosophy.’”  “What,” I asked, “is the ‘fish philosophy’?” She explained, “I teach my students to make their work fun, to help others where they can; and then, no matter what happens, to just keep swimming.” As I listened to her explanation, I thought how her fish philosophy echoes our Christian way of life. Jesus made learning fun by telling interesting stories. We call these stories parables. He helped where He could, and He called other people to help by becoming “fishers of men.” We call this discipleship. When Jesus was faced with scourging and crucifixion, He just kept going toward the goal of saving us from our sins. We call this Christianity.

Make learning fun, help others where you can, and no matter what happens, just keep swimming. I think Christians and followers of the “fish philosophy” have a great deal in common. Don’t you?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the life and teaching of your Son, Jesus the Christ.  Please forgive us when we fail for we are still learning how to find joy in our daily lives, how to be Jesus’ disciples, and how to keep on trying no matter what happens.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen. 

Judy Welch (reprinted from Eastridge devotional book, November 2008)

Words from the book of Peter

 

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For,

“Whoever would love life

    and see good days

must keep their tongue from evil

    and their lips from deceitful speech.

They must turn from evil and do good;

    they must seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous

    and his ears are attentive to their prayer,

but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3: 8-15a

Praising God

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of your marvelous works. Psalm 9:1

How many times do we profess to the message in this verse—that we will praise You, O Lord with our whole heart? Yet when a problem arises or something goes wrong, we immediately begin to worry or doubt our faith in Jesus Christ. This verse does not tell us that we should praise our Lord only when everything is fine, when we are experiencing no problems. The verse tells us that we will always praise the Lord with our whole heart and that we will tell of the marvelous works of our Lord. We do that through the prayers that we pray, through the attitude we exhibit to others, through the way in which we treat others, through the way in which we help others who may be having difficulties. Our praise should be evident at all times. I challenge each of us today to praise our Lord and tell of His marvelous works as we go about our daily work.

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, thank you for the many blessings that you have bestowed upon each of us. We praise your Holy Name. Help us to show that praise as we work with others, whether it be in our families, at work, or in our neighborhood. Help us to always show our praise for You. In Your name we pray, Amen.

Linda Douglas (reprinted from 2008 Eastridge Devotion book)

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)

Peace for Today

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:27

This is my favorite scripture. We all have days when the stress of “getting it all done” practically does us in, or when we’re worried about something, or when we just can’t shake the criticism of others or a sense of our own inadequacy. God’s peace is not about making everything quiet and stress-free. It’s the peace of knowing there’s something better, something bigger than anything that will happen today, and that God’s in control. When fear, uncertainty, doubt, and other worries are disrupting our inner peace, the peace of God is there to offer comfort instead.  After all, with God on our side, what could possibly be stronger? We can have the peace Jesus offers, IF we’re willing to accept it. 

Prayer: Lord, today when the worries of life and the stresses of the day weigh me down, may I take a moment and let your peace fill me and refresh me for going forward and not dwelling on the things that drag me down. Open my heart to your spirit that this may be a day when I glorify you in all that I do. Amen

Lori Snyder-Sloan (reprinted from Eastridge Devotion book, 2008)

What In the World is an Ebenezer?

There Samuel took a stone and set it up as a monument between Mizpah and Jashanna, naming it Ebenezer for to this point, he said, “the Lord has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12 (New English Bible) 

Perhaps you read my recent devotional message (“From Bad Boy to Pastor” posted on August 2) conveying my love for the old hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”  If it isn’t a favorite hymn of yours, then maybe the word “Ebenezer,” which is in the first line of the second verse is a strange word to you. Maybe it’s a strange word even if “Come Thou Found of Every Blessing” is a familiar hymn to you.

How can we sing our praises to God using the word, Ebenezer, if we don’t know what we’re praising God for? It just seemed wrong to me. So, I set out to learn what in the world an Ebenezer is.   

The word, Ebenezer, is only found 3 times in the Bible in the book of 1 Samuel (4:1, 5:1 & 7:12). In Hebrew, Ebenezer (ebhen ha-ezer) is defined as “a stone of help.” The stone Samuel erected was a monument to God’s helping the Israelites achieve victory over the Philistines in a battle near Mizpah.

The prophet, Samuel, intended the Ebenezer stone to be a constant reminder to the Hebrew people (each time they walked by it) of God’s unfailing help in answer to prayer. Now that I know what an Ebenezer is I think I can say or sing those words of praise to God knowing that in my 80 plus years of living He has been “my Ebenezer” many times. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise and we thank You for all the times in our lives that You have answered our prayers. You have been “our stone of help, our Ebenezer.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen 

Judy Welch

 

 

Unchanging

For I am the Lord, I change not. Malachi 3:6a

I worked for a while with a group of mentally ill women. The room in which we spent the most time was windowless and dark, very dreary, I thought. In an effort to bring some light into the room, I covered the dark, old tables with white paper. Just as I was finishing and congratulating myself on the new brightness, one of the women came in and said, “You put paper on the tables.” I said, “Yes, do you like it?” “No!” she said, “Take it off.” I was mystified. “Why?” I asked. “Well, she said, it’s change and I don’t like change.”

I began to understand that day how very much we are all alike. In our world filled with confusion and turmoil, we long for something to remain constant—something unchangeable. We need look only as far as the Bible. “I am the Lord, I change not.”

He was in the beginning, and he is today, and He will be at the end. If we can but make Him the stable center of our lives, we don’t need to fear “paper on our tables.”

Prayer: Dear and Changeless Father, increase our trust in your constant love and use us as you will.  Amen 

Deb Kilian (reprinted from Eastridge Devotion book, 2008)

Create is Different than Made

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and all the creatures that move along the ground. So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2-3

“Days of Praise” written by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D. of the Institute of Creation Research said, “God is, therefore, both Creator and Maker of all things, including the image of God in man. These two terms are not synonymous, though they sometimes seem to be used interchangeably. ‘Creation’ is calling into existence entities that previously had no existence. No one except God is ever the subject of the verb ‘create.’ The work of making, on the other hand, is that of organizing created entities into complex systems. It is interesting that God is called ‘Creator’ five times in the Bible, whereas He is called ‘Maker’ 16 times.”

After I developed my family Christian game “Ladder of Wisdom,” I made the mistake of saying yes to people who said, “You created this game?” Well, I made a mistake. I was the Maker of the game as I took items that God had created and put them together to make the game. All 120 verses used in the section boxes of “Ladder of Wisdom” came from the Bible. All I did was copy them into the Wisdom, Foolishness or Second Chance boxes. I didn’t create the material to make the box the game comes in or the tees. The wood of the tees that show the progress of the players and the cardboard box were created by God when He created the trees. All I did was use what the trees produced.

The good news is that I have been able to now say, “I didn’t create it because only God can create something out of nothing, but I developed or made it from items already created.” This brings an understanding look from people. God also created the people that took the game to from Nebraska and HobbyTown stores where people can buy them.

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank you for giving us so many tools so man can make items that are useful to us. Please keep us from mistakenly saying, “We created something.” You are an impressive, awesome God who created all things. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

The Parable of the Rich Fool

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?”  Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

“Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’

“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12: 13-21 

I was amused and somewhat daydream-y when I saw that the Lotto/Powerball was over one billion dollars! Oh, what could I imagine doing with all that money, even if shared with other likely winners. Yes, I can imagine it, but have not given into the temptation to buy such a ticket. Odds are astronomically beyond imagination of winning – 300,000,000 to one! 

Now just suppose one did win? How would they respond? Would they be like the rich fool in the parable Jesus shares? This rich fool saw how much bounty he had! He would tear down his old barns and build bigger ones to store his abundant harvest.

Some observations: I notice the personal pronouns in the passage… “I, my, I will, myself…” I also notice just how self-centered the rich fool is with no care of those around him. Next, reality hits when God confronts the rich fool and says, “You fool, didn’t you know this night your soul was required of you?” (The Message says it more directly –“You are going to die!”)  

Now to be fair to the farmer, there are some positives for him – he is a planner, a thinker, and able to bring about a huge harvest. Great! But then all that is a waste. Jesus’ challenge in the parable is: Whose bounty will this harvest be with the farmer gone?

Hence, the challenge is in the caveat that Jesus advises one to watch out – Be on guard against all kind of greed, regardless of one’s possessions, even if they have accumulated a lot. The accumulation is not evil, but the fixation and focus on any kind of greed is what can derail anyone. We are stewards of not only possessions, but also time, relationship, and life.

One way to be vigilant is to keep perspective on the so-called ‘prosperity gospel.’ It would suggest that all one has to do is simply have the faith of a mustard seed and it would result in a bounty of material blessing. Maybe, but then is it a faith that is rich toward God?

Hence, the ultimate value of whatever one has or needs is how rich one is toward God.  

Look at Luke 12: 22 – 34. Essentially there is no need to worry. If God can adorn the lilies of the valley, could not God provide for you or me with an abundant need? For wherever one’s treasure is, there will be their heart also. It is with God!

Prayer: O God, remove all obstacles that block us from the abundance of Your grace and mercy. Help us to see our needs and rely on Your provision through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Rev. Dr. John J. Duling

Faith

A week later his disciples were again in the room, and Thomas was with them.  Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them, saying, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here; see my hands.  Reach your hand here and put it into my side. Be unbelieving no longer but believe.” Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said, “Because you have seen me you have found faith. Happy are they who never saw me and yet have found faith.” John 20: 26-30

“Happy are they who never saw me and yet have found faith.” If I had been one of the disciples, I would probably have been Thomas. I would have been the one who would have wanted “hard evidence” when confronted with a miraculous situation. With evidence in hand, I would have accepted and believed. But I also would have wished that I could have been among those happy people who could believe with confidence without demanding proof. Many times in my life, faced with much less critical situations, I have wanted that simple, unswerving faith that some other people seemed to have. Thomas was reprimanded only lightly by Jesus, and he was not removed from the group of disciples, so his experiences give me personal hope. Maybe those of us who find doubts eating into our faith can still be counted as followers of Christ. Perhaps expressing our doubts, as Thomas did, is better than claiming a faith and belief that is not clear in our minds. Christ knew that to fulfill the purposes for which he came to this earth he would have to make the supreme sacrifice, giving his life. His Resurrection is a central part of Christian beliefs. Each of us knows that we will not have to give as much as Christ did, but we need to always realize that giving of ourselves without concern about reward is the way we demonstrate our faith.

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven, we believe much, help us in our unbelief. Amen

Franklin Eldridge (reprinted from 2008 Eastridge Devotion book)

Empathy

To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; 1 Peter 3:8

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Matthew 5:7

I recall reading an essay in National Geographic magazine for the year 2020: “Embracing a history with photograph”. Ruddy Roye’s first assignment as a photographer for Nat Geo was to photograph people who donated artifacts to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. He recalls the difficulty of the assignment, as many of these artifacts came with “painful stories, and the items’ faithful guardians were now aged and infirm”. There was also a gratitude that he felt, being entrusted to tell the stories of those who have a part of a heartbreaking history for African Americans.

I’m currently reading a novel set pre-Civil War era. The author’s characterizations are so fantastic that I find myself anxiously turning the pages to find out how it all plays out…and to remind myself it's "just" fiction (albeit depicting events that could have happened)*. I have heard many times that reading fiction cultivates empathy, and I believe that's true!

When we lose ourselves in others' stories, we increase our capacity for empathy and compassion. Empathy, defined by Merriam-Webster, is the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.

Empathy isn't only something we may struggle to experience when interacting with those who have different life experiences than we do...sometimes it's hard to relate to those close to us or similar to us. Often our own egos get in the way. Perhaps a frequent prayer that God opens our eyes, ears, and hearts to those around us.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to put myself in other people’s shoes by trying to understand where they come from. Help me to not make judgements based on how I feel, but rather what they have chosen to share with me. Help me to look for truth and exhibit humanity in this world. Amen.

Donna Gustafson

*(Horse by Geraldine Brooks)

Over-Achieving Love (sermon from 7-24-22)

It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you don’t forgive them, they aren’t forgiven.”  John 20:19-20

We began our sermon series, "Hymns that make you go hmmmm," with a contemporary (mid-19th century) re-writing of Psalm 103. This week, we move to an older hymn - around 100 years older, written by another prolific hymn-writer, with a different method - Charles Wesley. Yes, we turn today to our good friends the Methodists.

I want to put this in perspective a little bit - for us worshipping in this Presbyterian church today. The Presbyterian movement - John Calvin and John Knox - had been around in Switzerland, Scotland, and France, for almost two hundred years when the Wesley brothers started riding around the countryside preaching. They were largely influenced by the Moravian movement - a part of the counter-reformation in Europe that emphasized simple, common language that could be easily understood in worship - no big books of prayers and liturgies needed! The Moravians also believed in living simply - simple speech and a simple lifestyle - also as a way to connect with others, mostly with those who are "not", who do not "have." Yes, the Wesleyan brothers and the Methodist movement were highly influenced by a desire to share Christ, their lives, and their livelihood with those who did not believe.   

I'm assuming you've all at least heard the Wesley name. We have, here in our own community, a Wesleyan University. I don't know about you, but when I think of the name. Wesley, what I think of is Methodists, and John Wesley. He's the brother I think of, with all his writings on theology and the church. Charles, however, whether we know it or not, is the brother we "sing." Charles did not like public speaking and was often thought to be the more "emotional" of the brothers. I'm not sure if that's true, as it seems a fairly objective insight. Maybe he was shy, maybe even, yes, more emotional than John; he really didn't like preaching as an expression of his faith. Instead, he turned to music, writing more than 6,000 hymns, including some you probably know by heart; like Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Christ the Lord is Ris'n Today, and Rejoice the Lord is King.

I really like Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. I know for some it is a favorite hymn, chosen to be sung at weddings, at funerals, at baptisms, and every occasion in between. Unlike last week's hymn, it's not based on one scripture, on one Psalm. If we were to go through and reference ever bit of scripture in these words, I could preach all day. Which I won't. But it does make it a good camp song. The Wesleyan brothers were dubbed, "Methodists" for the way in which they shared the gospel, training preachers to ride horses from town to village to countryside, set up a tent, and hold a revival. In order to do this, preachers needed to be able to preach to the people they met, sharing the gospel in meaningful ways that often involved leaving a script behind in order to speak "correctly" about faith. Songs then, were sung around the campfire, in a tent, and led by various musical instruments - sometimes with the voice as the only instrument. Like camp songs today, they needed to be easy to sing, easy to remember, and a strong connection to the Christian faith of the people, focusing on Jesus, sin, and salvation.

So, let's talk about love. Overall, the hymn follows a nice pattern, each verse sharing a different, important, foundation of faith. Perhaps one of the reasons I like the hymn so much is that this first verse finds love as the way to explain the relationship between God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It's my favorite way to talk about the trinity - that the love between God the Creator and God the Redeemer is so strong that it becomes a person, or the being of the Holy Spirit.  I like this theory of relationships, that every time we are in relationship with someone else - no matter what that relationship is - that the relationship itself becomes a life to be nurtured, cared for, and supported. It's beautiful, then, to think about this love between the one Jesus called Abba, Father; and the son; as so strong it is the powerful presence, being, and person of the Holy Spirit that we carry in our hearts and lives today. God is made known to us by the strong and mighty power of love, a love divine, a love that is shared with all of creation. 

For Wesley, just as for many of us, that strong love is most known to us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the son. While the main scriptural reference here is Philippians 2, where Paul quotes one of the oldest Christian hymns, we also think of John 3:16. Charles gets right to the point here in this camp song - the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ and the giving of the son so that we might have eternal life, tells us even more about this love divine, this love excelling. 

But how is this love made known to each one of us - as individuals? Once again, as in the hymn from last week, there is an individual reality that Charles brings forward. Once again, this makes some of us uncomfortable, as we know faith is not about the I, but about the "us". It's a discussion that we still have today among believers, about how we come to faith. Is it an individual act, made in the individual freedom to accept or deny the faith? Is it an act of God, the revelation of who God is, when we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and are able to see things more clearly? Both find lots of references in scripture, leading this preacher to hold her hands up and say, "yes!" to both. That it is a magical interplay between revelation of God's presence in the world, and the acknowledgement and acceptance of that presence into our hearts and lives. Yes, it is individual, and yes it brings us into community. The scriptural reference here to the divine ruach, the divine breath first breathed into the 'adam' and shared with 'eve', this divine breath that Jesus breathes into to the disciples when he appears among them in that enclosed upper room in Jerusalem, that divine breath gives life and life everlasting. Scholar Karoline Lewis here notes that this breath is breathed into the disciples, just like that first breath shared with 'adam. It is the breath of God exhaled into the disciples who have seen and believed, and the ones who need to see to believe, to those who doubt, and all those who are afraid and uncertain.  It is the breath of God inhaled by the disciples who have seen and believed, and the ones who need to see to believe, to those who doubt, and all those who are afraid and uncertain. It is shared with all of them who are gathered, waiting, wondering, searching, learning. And while I think there is much for us to learn from our faith today, I think this is the one thing I want us to come away with this morning - that you are loved with an amazing and divine, excelling love that will be shared and shared and shared until everyone is breathing in the love of God and breathing out the love of God, until we have peace with each other, and peace in the world. It's an individual breath, and something that brings us together. It is our life, and our peace. 

It is with this breath that we continue on in the faith - finding the strength and hope to pray for deliverance from the things in our lives (including sin) that we struggle with, and that leads us to look to THAT day of a new heaven and a new earth, when we will be made finally perfect in Christ, at one with God. Walter Brueggeman summarizes the hymn this way, "That is where we are headed when we are fully caught up in divine love. The ultimate goal and outcome of human life is that our “selves” of fear, anxiety, and responsibility are caught up in a complete yielding to wonder, love, and praise: • Wonder at the unimaginable splendor of God’s person • Love that arrives back at love divine that was our beginning • Praise, glad ceding of life over to God in ways that enhance God’s awesomeness.[1]

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, a hymn written by a man who believed preaching wasn't the only way to share the gospel. How will you share it this week? Amen.

Rev. Dr. Melodie Jones Pointon            

           

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[1] Brueggemann, Walter. A Glad Obedience (pp. 118-119). Presbyterian Publishing. Kindle Edition.

 

God's Love

For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

What a wonderful, reassuring message this gives us. No matter what is going on around us, God’s love is always present. I am reminded of Paul’s time that he spent in prison. He was in poor health, physically hurting, cold, and could easily be depressed knowing his future was uncertain. However, instead he rejoiced in the Lord, Jesus’s death and resurrection, and his saving grace. He encouraged the new churches begun on his journeys and recognized the spread of the gospel through his Christian friends. He embraced the ministry to the Gentiles and how this was part of God’s plan.

There are times when we can be easily overwhelmed with what is going on around us but knowing that God’s love is always present, and that God is in charge can give us the reassurance that we can make it through another day.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your love, for your son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, so that we can overcome all obstacles and grow in our faith in you.

Nancy Hall

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

“Therefore, God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” Philippians 2:5-11 (9-10 written here.)  

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16 

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Our fall Sunday worship and sermon’s focus on a section of The Apostles’ Creed. The September 16 Sunday focus was, “and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;” The day’s hymns and Scripture reflected this focus as well. See below a few details on some of the hymns that were part of worship that Sunday.

Although the contemporary song, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, There’s Just Something About That Name” may not be closely Biblically based, it is one of those songs that continue to run through our head, all week long. The Bill and Gloria Gaither Vocal Band wrote and performed it starting in the 1960s.

In contrast, the popular hymn, “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” lyrics were written in 1779 by Edward Perronet while a missionary in India. Its original eight verses were inspired by Philippians 2:5-11.

Neida Hearn, New Zealand housewife, doing laundry in 1974, composed “Jesus, Name Above All Names”. She had become interested in different Biblical names given to Jesus and their meanings. 

The hymn, “O’ How I Love Jesus” based on I John 4:19, reminds us that we love Jesus “because He first loved me”. It was written by Frederik Whitfield in the 1800s. “Fairest Lord Jesus,” another familiar hymn, continued with the Jesus theme.

The sermon, scripture, and music helped us to understand the phrase of The Apostles’ Creed section, “and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord”.

                       

Prayer: God, we confess that we sometimes say The Apostles’ Creed without understanding its meaning.  Remind us to focus on the words as we say it. Amen.

Lois Poppe (reprinted from 2018)

Have a Grateful Heart!

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe”. Hebrews 12:28

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

I love reading these three verses Paul penned as he wrote to early Christians about how to live in the love of Christ. We have been given an unshakable foundation, unconditional and everlasting love and mercy. We should pray always with thanksgiving to God even as we petition Him for our ongoing needs and concerns.

It is by being grateful for all we have been given and by trusting God for guidance that we will experience true peace.  

At one point in time I was given a gratitude journal. It always surprised me how many entries I could come up with on any given day. The word gratitude itself is derived from the Latin word, gratus meaning pleasing, thankful. 

The journal is no longer a daily task and as I get older, I realize it is all about attitude. I choose my attitude daily and many times during any given day. I choose to have a grateful heart, count my blessings and thank God daily. It does not mean I do not get irritated that I had an unpleasant encounter with a loved one or that I am not annoyed that the microwave is broken. But I can move on and be thankful for all my many other blessings and bring a kind and generous attitude in my interactions with others. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the unshakable foundation you have given us and for your never-ending love and mercy. Guide us to have grateful, thankful hearts and fully embrace your love and pass it on to others.

Connie Barry

Old Coffee Cans

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16  

Around Memorial Day, I often have the remembrance of my family putting together garden flowers like lilacs, peonies, tulips, and snowballs, and arranging them in old coffee cans covered with aluminum foil. We would then put a little water in the cans and head out to the cemeteries and the relative’s graves. The cans of flowers were perfect to set up by the tombstones. Another coffee can was used to haul water from nearby spickets to finish the water supplies in the cans of flowers—that was my job. The coffee can served other multiple purposes in my home. My mother carefully packed cookies in a coffee can for my dad to take on his long haul trips as a truck driver. My dad used the cans to sort nails and tools at his work bench. He also kept rags and used paint brushes in the cans. My dad had started an earthworm business for fishermen, and I frequently packed a dozen big worms in a coffee can with moist dirt. Even the girl scouts used the coffee cans tied to trees to wash their hands.  I do not have a single coffee can in my house anymore as I don’t drink coffee, but the smell of coffee and the coffee can always give me warm feelings.

Similar feelings occur when I remember scriptures that I memorized in Bible school, Sunday School, and confirmation class. Scriptures like John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 13, Psalms 100, and many others. I am so thankful to my church teachers for helping give me these gifts which are available anytime I need them. I smile whenever I hear “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer.” We ended every Sunday School class in the 5^th grade with those words. These scriptures remind me of my beliefs, the creator God I trust in, Jesus his son, and the promise of believers in grace, forgiveness, and life evermore.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for my pleasant memories of my family and their love. Thank you  for your Holy Spirit and your assuring words from the Bible. Remind us all that our lives have been a huge investment from other Christians in learning about you, believing in you, and accepting you as our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Nancy Hall (reprinted from 2020)

Wisdom

 

 Does not wisdom call out?

    Does not understanding raise her voice?

  At the highest point along the way,

    where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

  beside the gate leading into the city,

    at the entrance, she cries aloud:

  “To you, O people, I call out;

    I raise my voice to all mankind.

  You who are simple, gain prudence;

    you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.

  Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;

    I open my lips to speak what is right.

  My mouth speaks what is true,

    for my lips detest wickedness.

  All the words of my mouth are just;

    none of them is crooked or perverse.

  To the discerning all of them are right;

    they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

  Choose my instruction instead of silver,

    knowledge rather than choice gold,

  for wisdom is more precious than rubies,

    and nothing you desire can compare with her. 

  “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;

    I possess knowledge and discretion.

  To fear the Lord is to hate evil;

    I hate pride and arrogance,

    evil behavior and perverse speech.

  Counsel and sound judgment are mine;

    I have insight, I have power.

  By me kings reign

    and rulers issue decrees that are just;

  by me princes govern,

    and nobles—all who rule on earth.

  I love those who love me,

    and those who seek me find me.

  With me are riches and honor,

    enduring wealth and prosperity.

  My fruit is better than fine gold;

    what I yield surpasses choice silver.

  I walk in the way of righteousness,

    along the paths of justice,

  bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me

    and making their treasuries full. Proverbs 8: 1-21

Words from Corinthians

 

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God. 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

A Heart to Volunteer

"Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

My spirit is always wanting to volunteer and help! Whether it be at my kids’ schools, cheerleading, booster parent, or making a friend a meal. God has blessed me with the personality to put myself out there for others without being shy or embarrassed. Most days I do this with a joyful heart! However there are other days when I say out loud "Why did I sign up for this?" or grumble that I don't have the time to help.

I have learned through the years to only say yes or volunteer when I can be a blessing to others and humble myself to do the tasks with a happy heart. This only comes from asking God to help me serve others with a true joy in my heart!

Dear Lord, please help us to realize our strengths that you have bestowed upon us and use them wisely to be more Christ like. Help us to reflect, recharge, and reconnect where you need us. We want to glorify you and spread your word through our actions. In Your Name - Amen!  

 

Becky Rankin (reprinted from 2017 and 2021...a good devotion for all of us while gearing up for fall programming!)

 

From Bad Boy to Pastor

With all my heart I strive to find thee; let me not stray from thy commandments. I treasure thy promise in my heart, for fear that I might sin against thee. Psalm 110:10-11

I have a fondness for gospel music and old hymns. They touch my soul, they lift me up and make me happy that I am a Christian.   

I have always liked the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” but I’ve loved it even more since it became the theme song for a series of Hallmark movies based on novels written by a favorite Christian author of mine, Janette Oke. The series is called “Love Comes Softly,” and the stories follow several generations of a family during the settling of the Canadian west. 

However, it’s the backstory to this hymn that is so interesting to me. The lyricist’s name is Robert Robinson. Robert grew up in a small town in England in the 1700s. His father died when he was a very young boy and Robert became a “street boy” always looking to skip school and make mischief with his gang of friends. 

When he was a teenager, his mother sent him to London to apprentice as a barber, but Robert wasn’t interested in becoming a barber. He joined up with a notorious gang of troublemakers and participated in drinking, stealing and many other unsavory activities. One night his gang decided to attend an open-air evangelistic meeting to disrupt the meeting and heckle the speaker who was a dynamic Methodist preacher named George Whitefield. Robert had no idea that he would hear something that night that would change his whole life. Before he left that meeting Robert had given his life to Jesus and began his journey to becoming a Methodist pastor, but after a few years of preaching, he decided that his personal theology was more in line with Baptist traditions, and he became a Baptist pastor.

He wrote inspiring sermons, theological papers, religious poetry and hymns. When he was only 23, he wrote the words that became the lyrics for “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” The words focus on God’s never-ceasing mercy and grace. Robert was confessing that his heart is prone to wander away from God. The “old Robert” was never far from his memory. When he died at the age of fifty-four, he had no idea that his words would ring out centuries later in churches around the world giving Christians comfort and reassurance of God’s steadfast love.    

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise You and we thank You for always waiting for us to repent when our wandering hearts cause us to stray from your commandments. Your grace and mercy give us reassurance that You are truly the God of second chances. Amen  

Judy Welch

Run 2 God

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

A business pickup truck was beside me. I don’t remember the business name, but I remember his license plate tag as he pulled ahead of me – Run2God – and I immediately liked it. I have thought about the plate name many times and wondered about the owner and why he picked that phrase. The word “run” is unique. I thought of going to God, praying to God, sitting with God, listening for God, and walking with God instead of running. Running is full action; not skipping or jogging. When we run, we are in a hurry and anxious to get there. I picture running to our Father’s waiting arms.

Prayer: Dear Father, we are thankful we can come to you in different ways and you meet us where we are. Help us run the race and not grow weary as we journey through life. Amen. 

Cathy Schapmann