Second Chances, New Beginnings

"He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103: 10-12

Unlike the way we deal with other people, God does not keep an account of the impolite comments, sins, and transgressions we make. The little lies we pass on, the judgmental opinions we share, and the intentional slights we commit affect our personal relationships, but they are forgiven by God. We are guilty of mentally recording the faults and failings of friends and acquaintances only to revive them later. 

God does not reward or punish us based on the severity or number of sins we have committed. He accepts us where we are and reveals His plan for our lives offering the knowledge that we have a second chance to measure up to His expectations.  For those who fear God’s judgment and recognize His authority, should never worry that God will demand suffering equal to the severity of their failings. The possibility of God’s eye-for-an-eye punishment is so unlikely that David, the author of this passage, compared it to the distance between the earth and the farthest planet and the east to the west.

A “logical” person might ask, “Why doesn’t God deal with us in accordance to the severity of our inequities?” The answer is that He already “wounded” Jesus “for our transgressions” and “crushed” him for our sins (Isaiah 53:5).

Prayer: Lord God, give us the confidence to fear you and appreciate the gift of forgiveness you offer each of us. Help us hold ourselves to the plans you have for our lives. We thank you for the chance to experience a new beginning. With God’s assurance that our sins are not collected into ever-increasing bundles of inequities, help us to dive into God’s plan for our lives.  Amen                                                                                                                                                                  

Carol McClain  

Words from Romans

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 

Words from Psalm 130

Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. Psalm 130:7 

Words from Job

For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant. Job 14:7-9

Words from Hebrews

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23 

God's Umbrella

He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Psalm 91:4 TLB

"Stay under God's umbrella." These were the words of a pastor whose television program I was watching one Sunday morning as I was dressing for church. He was teaching his congregation about God's plan to protect us from the storms of life. He said that God's rules are not about making our lives difficult, but rather about providing shelter from the storms.

During our first winter storm this year, when the weather changed rapidly from rain to sleet to heavily-falling snow, the image of that pastor standing under an umbrella came to mind. In less than twenty-four hours, in order to protect ourselves from the storm, we needed to change from a light jacket and an umbrella to a coat, hat, gloves, and boots, and then finally to seeking shelter and staying indoors.

As the snowstorm raged, I started thinking that when we need shelter from the storms of life, we don't need to stay indoors or change our clothing. We have our heavenly Father's promise that He will shield us with His wings, shelter and protect us, and be our armor. All we need to do to protect ourselves is to "stay under God's umbrella" and seek Him.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for all the promises You have made to us. Please forgive us when we rely on our own solutions, coming to You only when we fail. Thank You for always being there when we finally realize how much we need the protection of Your umbrella. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Judy Welch (originally shared on the Presbyterian Church of Canada devotion page)

Words from Second Corinthians

You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NIV 

The Apple of His Eye

In a desert land he found him, in a barren howling waste. He shielded him and cares for him; he guarded him as the apple of his eye. Deuteronomy 32:10  

For thus says the Lord of hosts "After glory He sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he touches you, touches the apple of His eye." Zechariah 2:8

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 17:8

Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Proverbs 7:2

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" Genesis 1:26

Recently I read "the apple of his eye" twice in different places and said to myself, "I feel a devotion coming on.”

In Hebrew apple is "ishon" and means man. If you stand very close to someone you can see your reflection in the pupil of their eye. That's the man in the center of the eye. The ishon is "The little man of the eye." Your eye is a very sensitive place and it is very protected. Your eyelids rapidly close when danger is propelling too close. Your head turns, and your hands ward off a threat. Deuteronomy reflects Israel's vulnerability and God's tender, loving affection for his people. God provided complete protection; His people were a priority. In the "howling wilderness", God provided manna to eat, water from a rock, and safety from their enemies. His care was as automatic as if He was guarding the center of his eye from harm.

In Genesis we learn that God created man in his own image. When God looks closely into your eye, He sees himself. We are the apple of His eye and He loves us dearly.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for making us the apple of your eye. Thank you for your unending grace and love. Thank you for protecting us and guarding us when we are vulnerable. Help us remember the care you give to us in all circumstances. Amen

Nancy Hall

Extending Sympathy

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

And the same verses from The Message:

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. 

In a recent article in Real Simple magazine, five ways to extend sympathy were highlighted. Having lost my mother last summer, this article was interesting to me. It was titled “Simple Ways to Help a Loved One Navigate Grief”. The defining word here being "simple".

Five experts in different fields were consulted, and the two that I’m focusing on for this devotion are:

Send no-pressure invitations: extend invitations to others to join you for a meal, an outing, if they feel up to it.

Consider sympathy fuel for your soul: instead of exhausting or draining, offering something to others can provide a lift. Tell them, “I’m here to listen”. Let them know you are thinking about them. Sometimes we are afraid to say something simply because we’re not sure what to say…so we avoid people and situations. Offer an invitation (see above!). These things are not overwhelming, as this suggestion implies you may be thinking, but will be affirming and, chances are, much appreciated. Of course, every situation and every person’s journey through grief is different, but I have found this to be true when offering sympathy to those in my life who have lost loved ones. “Fuel for my soul”.

In our previous Wednesday morning Bible study, we explored the women of the New Testament (From Daughters to Disciples by Lynn Japinga), and in the chapter on the women who were present at the cross and resurrection, we find that they just showed up. They were present throughout the death and resurrection of Jesus. The author says: “when someone is in a crisis, merely showing up seems insufficient.” We may think that there is some tangible task that needs to be done for the bereaved. But: “sometimes, just being present is the greatest gift.”

The article cited above offers suggestions for both: offer an invitation when they are ready to accept, and just be present, if they are open to that.

Good advice, and good for those of us who want to offer Christian support during a sorrowful time. I was comforted by the cards and expressions of condolence offered by friends and church members following the death of my mother.

Prayer: Lord, help me to understand that it’s not difficult to let someone know that I care. With your help, I can reach out to others in their time of grief, no matter what their level of need is. There are so many for whom just being present can be appreciated. Help me to be that "present person" for others. Amen.

Donna Gustafson (reprinted from 2022)

Summer Days

On this warm summer day, Lord, may we lie back in your love, like on a sunny beach near singing waves, or in shady grass under a whispering tree.

Service

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind...In humility, count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Phillippians 2:1 - 11

Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Proverbs 11:25

I have been dismayed at how much time and energy I have had to put into the simple act of changing cell phone service providers because I have been given a phone that is not one used by my current provider.

There are so many large and complicated issues in our daily lives; sometimes we must meet draining challenges in our work, and other times our loved ones might need our help in addressing overwhelming obstacles.  Our own personal situations often lead us to have to sort out issues in areas where we are called to make big changes. 

I find myself in all three categories at the moment, and alongside those issues my focus is drawn daily to the upheavals our country and the world are experiencing.  Times like these require more effort to connect to God's heart and to be God's vehicle to the world he created. 

My communications with my current cell provider have been frustrating.  The customer service is truly customer disservice.  The company has done everything it can to frustrate the customer looking for essential information, and to keep the customer powerless and ostracized. 

The situation has made me realize that frustration with worldly things is a distraction from my life with God.  I am anxious to solve this problem because I don't like what it is doing to my mind.

The one successful thing I did might not have helped to advance my request, but it helped me not to lose myself in this mess:  I wrote a letter describing how Harry Potter might need to wrestle the information I need, and filled it with references to the stories I love so much.  Who knows? Perhaps the person pushing the button of the automated email response got a chuckle out of reading my email.  Anyway, I tried to make the best of a communication that was intended to convey the resistance I was sensing by the company that supposedly is set up to "serve" customers. 

It is illuminating to note the times each day when something worldly tries to distract me from my real purpose.  Praying for blessings on each person driving alongside me on the commute to work is more important than anything except driving safely.  It is something I can do to serve the God and the people in God's world. It is small, but mighty.  Like most prayers, the power is in how it changes the feed of human consciousness, and how it changes me. 

It must be so frustrating to work in the service industry when the company you represent will not allow you to truly serve and relate to your customers.  I can recall so many instances of helpful people on the other end of a phone call or email recently, and I hope I have indicated my gratitude sufficiently to those who have served so well.  In my own work, I find that when people understand that I am ready and willing to be of service to them we accomplish great things.  We connect and we engage our gifts. 

Service is for some people their complete mission, their utter joy.  I have not been guided to that kind of purity yet in my life, but I do know how right it feels sometimes to join the forces of those who feel complete in themselves and at the same time feel completed by the service they can offer to others. 

Prayer: God who calls us to celebrate our being simply by being the gifts we can be for one another, teach me to focus on the beauty of serving you and my brothers and sisters rather than by wasting energy on things that pull me away from you. Help us all to remember these words: (1 Peter 4:10-11:) As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2017)

Dandelions for Dinner

Everyone shall eat roast lamb that night, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Exodus 12:8 TLB

Each spring when the grass turns green and those pesky little yellow flowers appear in my lawn once again, I am reminded of my mother and of the dandelion greens she served for dinner when I was growing up. However, as a student of the plants of the Bible, I am also reminded that dandelions symbolize the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

There is perhaps no meal in all history more worthy of remembering than the Passover meal Jesus ate with His disciples during the week we now call Holy Week. Exodus 12:8, quoted above, describes the foods which are to make up the Passover celebration. It was the custom of the ancient Hebrews to eat five bitter herbs with their unleavened bread and lamb. Many herbs have been mentioned, but most botanists believe the five herbs to have been lettuce, endive, chicory, mint, and dandelion. Today we would probably refer to them as salad.

I no longer eat dandelions for dinner, but each spring as they appear in my lawn, I feel a sense of wonder that they were likely among the bitter herbs Jesus ate with His paschal lamb during Passover almost 2,000 years ago. When dandelions dot our landscape, they serve as a gentle reminder that our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. He became our Paschal Lamb, the Lamb Who takes away the sin of the world.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we are so saddened when we think of that Last Supper and of Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, but we are eternally grateful that He came to save us from our sin. In His holy name we pray. Amen.

Judy Welch (originally shared on the Presbyterian Church of Canada devotional page)

Words from Psalm 118

This is the day the Lord has made. Psalm 118:24 

A Prayer is a Wonderful Thing

A Prayer is a wonderful thing. It gives you hope and makes you sing. (from The Lawrence Welk Show)

My son-in-law, Ron, enjoys Garrison Keiller and so did Duane so his column comes into my e-mail every once in a while. Not long ago, he wrote “I seldom invite friends to come to church with me and after a Sunday morning service that was deeply moving, I don’t know why. If you knew a great bakery, you would tell people. If you read a good book, you wouldn’t keep it a secret.”

A few Sundays ago, in our church, I wept in time to the music and listened to a sermon that seemed to be tailored to me. So I asked myself “Why don’t I let others know about the special feelings that assail me as I sit in this pew?” Why don’t I say, come with me to church on Sunday morning. I know just the place.

Sitting there amid friends, I let the music enter me, the pastor’s words come into my being, the friends greet me. People hug me, they help me in my everyday life, even invite me to lunch. Why don’t I tell others about all of this – invite them to join me. Why not? I don’t have the answer – do you?

Carolyn Olsen

People Went Straight to Heaven

Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him. Genesis 5:24 

By an act of faith, Enoch skipped death completely. “They looked all over and couldn’t find him because God had taken him.” We know on the basis of reliable testimony that before he was taken “he pleased God.” It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Hebrews11:5-6 The Message version of the Bible

And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 2 Kings 2:11

I never thought about it, even though I had read it, that humans have been taken directly up to heaven, never having to die. How cool is that? Jesus was taken up to heaven, but not until after he died for us.

Henry Morris says in a “Days of Praise” devotion book: “In any case, there will also be one entire generation of believers who will—like Enoch and Elijah—be caught up alive into heaven. This could very well be our generation!” First Thessalonians 4:16-17 says, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”

Daniel 12:4 says, But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. “What a description of our society, Henry Morris says, with speeding automobiles all over the land and airplanes filling our skies! In little more than one lifetime, the world ‘progressed’ from horse and buggy to spacecraft, and everyone is racing to and fro.” I saw a news report where they said we could have people living on Mars in the not too far future.

I definitely see we have non-Christian scientists that are developing deadly instruments of destruction, and some do not believe God developed the world in 7 days as the Bible clearly states. These, and others are items are signs of the last days.

Some days when I hear news or read the paper (yes, we still get the paper), I feel we might be getting close to the last days. But people have thought that for centuries. These are just interesting thoughts. Our great Lord is in control, and I am thankful. We do not need to fear, as Christians, our Lord will care for us in all circumstances.

Sandra Hilsabeck

Trust and Letting Go

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

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

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

When my husband Joel was in a rehabilitation hospital following a motorcycle accident, he developed panic attacks due to PTSD. These attacks were upsetting for all of us, likely no one more than Joel himself. Any of us who witnessed an attack felt a sense of helplessness. People who have experienced panic attacks can attest: someone trying to talk you out of one simply doesn’t work.

I’ve had to appreciate that lesson many of us must learn: I can’t "fix" it, I just need to let it go and trust God. I could be a support when I was there (in the hospital). I had to trust the medical personnel…and when I left the hospital room, remember that it’s fruitless to worry. In some ways, leaving a loved one at the hospital and going home is the perfect analogy to letting go of worry…we’re not there to witness what we can’t control, and we’re not there, so we can’t control it! We just need to trust that God is in control, and he is with us, giving us a sense of peace.

This week my Wednesday bible study group is studying the story of Joseph in Genesis, in particular the passage when Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to ask for grain during the famine. “God’s presence is the promise in every situation” is what our author shares. It’s not hoping for our circumstances to change; it’s knowing that God is with us through it all.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to place my trust in you and let go of the things that cause me to worry. Help me remember that you are with me, always. Amen.

Donna Gustafson

I Counted my Blessings and Fell Asleep

It had been one of those days - I couldn't put my finger on the reason but I felt "down." Trying to look back on the day I started recalling each event and began to see I should count my blessings. The day began with each member of our family physically and mentally able to arise! Surely that is a blessing in itself. The sun was bursting through our kitchen window as we enjoyed together a breakfast adequate for our physical needs. Each of us had work to do.

After all had left to go their various ways, I couldn't resist an urge to go out to our garden and check for any evidence of approaching spring. A purple crocus and dozens of tulip sprouts were peeking up out of the soil. The air felt warm and moist - a beautiful feeling. The phone rang - a friend - could I come and have coffee? A friend, one of the richest blessings of all.

A call came during the day from my husband. A job, which we both had such high hopes of his getting, had been filled. Instead of falling apart, I was able to accept the disappointment with calmness and strength as I had prayed to God that I might do no matter what the decision might be.

The family began arriving home from various duties of the day - wholesome, happy and glad to come home. My cup overflows!

Nighttime - dinner together - shared problems and successes of the day. Understanding, listening ears, we all need this blessing.

Surely I am showered with hundreds of blessings each day that I fail to recognize as His hand at work in my life.

We all shy away from being called "religious" because that implies we are overly pious. But to be more aware of the spirit of God in just the everyday, ordinary experiences - that is different. Yes, He is a wonderful Lord.

Shared anonymously by an Eastridge member for the 1973 Lent devotional called "He's a Wonderful Lord".

Grief is Strong Medicine

"Grief is strong medicine, life loves on." - (page 133, The Sacred Bridge by Anne Hillerman) 

Sitting in the beauty shop waiting my turn, I spoke with the lady sitting by me. She said, “you look nice but sad." When I told her that I am a recent widow, she smiled and asked, “Do you have a church?”, I replied, “Yes, Eastridge Presbyterian Church for the past 50 years." Her reply was “Then you know Jesus."

My answer was not on the tip of my tongue and luckily my hairdresser was ready for me. But, I thought, Do I Know Jesus?  I have learned of his life, his teachings. He loved the little children, he turned water into wine, he fed the multitudes with loaves and fishes, he healed the bleeding woman, he raised his friend from the dead, he helped the blind to see and as a child, he talked to the priests in the temple. He also died on the cross and was risen from the dead.

I could have told that very nice and concerned lady all of this, but my faith is mine. Sometimes, I find it hard to understand, hard to define. As a widow beginning to walk the lonely path, I feel his presence. I am reminded of the old hymn “In the Garden”.  He walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me, I am his own.  Yes, maybe I can’t claim to know him, but he and I are friends. He, his Father and the Holy Ghost.

Carolyn Olsen 

Thanks and Gratitude

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1: 2-3  

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Philemon 1:4-6

In October 2009, our youngest son, Joel, had the opportunity to spend four weeks in Ireland as part of his senior year studies at Hastings College. Much time was spent making plans, by Hastings College administrators, to ensure the quality and safety of this trip for the five students selected as “guinea pigs” for this new program. Projects of interest were pondered and researched by the “Irish Fellows”, as the students were called, to determine what his or her course of study would be while in Ireland. After much contemplation and prayer, Joel chose to study the concept of pilgrimage. He read several books and articles on pilgrimage along with checking out other people’s definitions of pilgrimage. He then began to “search” for his own personal definition by making plans to have such an experience himself while in Ireland.

Before leaving, the “Irish Fellows” took classes in Irish history, literature and religion. One of Joel’s requirements was to write a blog about his feelings and experiences as he prepared for this trip and then during his time in Ireland. It was wonderful to have the opportunity to read and share in the thoughts of our then 22-year-old and be able, from far away, to experience his experiences, to share in his questioning, and to be in wonder at the way he could express himself and, at times, give clarity to some of my own personal frustrations and worries.

One day, as I was reading one of Joel’s blog entries, it became clear to me the vast amount of influence many of you at Eastridge Church had on his life, both personally and spiritually. Faces and names came to mind as I continued reading. It became very evident that I needed to express my thanks to our church family for the many ways you helped in his development as a young Christian. With that in mind, I’d like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to each of you who:

            - spent time planning Sunday School and Bible school lessons when you could have gone to the movies;

            - poured over vocal octavos and hand bell music when you really just wanted to sit down and listen to your favorite CDs;

            - made phone calls and sent emails to secure arrangements for mission trips when you could have been making plans for your own vacation;

            - traveled on these mission trips when you could have used this time for your own personal “get-aways”;

            - took the time to attend youth fund-raisers when shopping at Gateway might have been more appealing;

            - shared your time as a mentor or youth sponsor, officially or unofficially, when you could have chosen to spend that same time in quiet solitude;

            - accepted, and tried to answer, the “hard” questions that were asked when you could have pretended to not hear;

            - provided a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear when you could have turned and walked away;

            - showed your faith through your actions instead of “hiding it under a bushel”;

            - gave an encouraging smile when your own worries and troubles were overwhelming.

Prayer: Dear Lord: My thankfulness and gratitude runs deep for our Eastridge church family. So many have been instrumental in the spiritual and personal development of our children and youth over the years. In both big and small ways, may each of us continue to see how we can share the talents you have given us to build up, encourage and support our own community of faith along with the various communities that reside outside our church’s walls. May our lives always be a testament to your love, grace and faithfulness.  Amen.

Patty Niemann (reprinted from January 2009)

He's a Wonderful Lord

The doctor had just told me I had rheumatic fever and that I would be in the hospital for at least ten days for tests and observation. Recently I had phoned the superintendent of schools in Fremont, Nebraska, to inform him I would be unable to take my first teaching position. As I lay in my bed at Bryan Memorial Hospital that fall day it seemed the world had caved in on my young world of dreams and ambitions. I reached for my Bible on the bed stand. It had been my practice to take it with me when I was away from home. The verse I turned to I cannot recall, but as I prayed and read my Bible a strange and wonderful feeling came within my whole being. I felt an uplifting of my spirits that I cannot really explain. It was a happy feeling and I knew I was ready to make the best of my situation and God would be helping me.

This time in my life proved to be a most rewarding one. I learned much about patience, love, understanding, and appreciation of family and friends. I had more time for reading, thinking and handcraft work than I had ever had before. In the long winter months of bed rest and recovery I continued to receive strength and inspiration from reading my Bible.

Betty Thomson, reprinted from the Eastridge Lent devotional, 1973 (and shared previously in 2021)

That Tree I Knew (in honor of National Love a Tree Day)

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  John 3:16

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

“To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born,

And a time to die;

A time to plant,

And a time to pluck what is planted;

A time to kill,

And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

And a time to build up;

A time to weep,

And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

And a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones,

And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

And a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to gain,

And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

And a time to throw away;

A time to tear,

And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

And a time to speak;

A time to love,

And a time to hate;

A time of war,

And a time of peace.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Recently our neighborhood lost a great tree. What I mean when I say “great”: old, tall, healthy, spectacular-looking. Since it was still healthy, I was saddened to hear that it was going to be cut down. The reasons behind it being cut down are not important here; but I do want to say that cutting down a healthy tree is different from cutting down an unhealthy tree.

The morning it was to be cut down, I was at home. The tree's owners advised us that there would be a crane and large trucks preventing us from using our driveways and the end of the street. I was interested in how they would cut down such a tall tree, but also just wanted to watch its end. I’ve noticed this tree for the nine years we have lived on this block and have always marveled at its beauty and uniqueness. Sometimes it was a quick glance before getting in my car and seeing the morning sun hit it in just the right way. Or maybe it was studying its beauty and waiting for the perfect photo opportunity. I KNEW this tree.

As I watched it come down, piece by piece (kind of like taking apart an artificial Christmas tree), I thought of all this tree had “seen”. It had been standing during the first World War (maybe), the second (certainly), surviving through our current age of technology. It had likely sheltered countless species of birds, as well as squirrels and raccoons.

While admiring the skill of the man who operated the chainsaw (not to mention the crane operator), I watched it come down faster than I had expected. Despite the difficulty of removing such a large tree, they were done by noon. It seemed wrong that something that had grown to this towering height over so many years came down in just a few hours. I thought of the approximately 100 years of growing from a tiny seed...it was sobering, sad. The loud, violent sound of the chainsaw seemed appropriate to what was happening. The smell of the ground stump still lingered over a week later, a clean pine scent I enjoyed, despite its reminder of what was no longer there. 

The tree is/was a world unto itself, as many large trees are. I am not sure what sort of analogy I want to make, but what stands out to me has been the fact that all living things must die eventually. For humans that means eternal life. For this tree, I guess, it just means that its time on earth has come to an end. BUT: there are parts of this tree that will go on forever. We are all connected to the earth in one way or another as living beings. In Diana Butler Bass’s book, Grounded, she shares thoughts from Paul Tillich (a German-American Christian existentialist philosopher, religious socialist, and Lutheran Protestant theologian): “Human life may be finite, destined for dirt and death; but the ground and all that came from it and was connected to it was drenched with the divine, the source of infinite holiness.” She shares that Tillich didn’t mean that God was literally dirt, but that He is the “numinous presence at the center of all things”. 

When things die, they return to the earth and atmosphere in different ways. 

Unlike trees, as human beings we are promised eternal life with God when our earthly bodies perish. 

Scripture tells us:

For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:40

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever! No one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. John 10:28-29

For You granted Him authority over all humanity, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. John 17:2

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for your promise of eternal Life with You. Help us to turn to you when we are grieving the loss of something that was once living, whether it is a part of nature or a beloved being with whom we have shared life. We know that all living things must die; we turn to you for understanding and comfort when these losses hurt us. Thank you for the connectedness of living things on this earth. Be with us on our journey. Amen.

Donna Gustafson (reprinted from 2022)

(photos of the white pine referred to in this devotion are shown above. Click on photos to view larger.)

Storing Treasures

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:19-21

Jesus teaches about the orientation we must endeavor to achieve, directing our hearts toward the things of heaven, rather than worldly possessions and desires.  He speaks of moths, rust and thieves as threats to the material goods we strive to attain.  Of course, Jesus is also addressing more broadly the many agents ready and waiting to erode the worldly wealth we are so inclined to try and possess.  

I am inclined to be a saver, or as we sometimes joke, an “archivist,” following in the footsteps of my parents and grandparents.  My more minimalist adult children often respond with a polite “no thank you” when I offer “treasures” that I see as important elements of the history of our family.  Their arguably more scriptural perspective prompts me to contemplate how I might direct my heart more faithfully in sharing the worldly possessions—from financial assets to antique china—with which I have been endowed.  This is especially true during the season of stewardship.  

The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson puts it another way:  “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 

Prayer: Heavenly Creator, thank you for the many ways you care for us as we navigate this physical world.  We ask for your direction in turning our hearts toward heaven.  Guide us in using and sharing the worldly possessions for which we are responsible in ways that bring glory to you and your light to those we encounter.  Amen 

Barry and Alinda Stelk (reprinted from 2017)

Psalm 121 Promise

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8 

The Month of May

The month of May is a long one. It stretches 31 days but oh how wonderful it is. The sun shines, the rains come and the world we have been given wakes to late spring and the coming of warmth and beauty. Birthdays, graduations, marathons, and at the end of the month memories of the past for Memorial Day. Yes, it does stretch out and we get very busy in our own happy way. We plant flowers, pull rhubarb, greet neighbors and give up monthly meetings until fall. 

But as I write this, I am reminded of a hymn we sang when I was young that had a stanza that went “In the rustling grass, I hear him pass, he speaks to me everywhere”. The ground on which we walk, the water that we carelessly use but also so badly need for sustaining life, the trees that blow in the wind, the birds that sing are all a gift from God. Even the storms remind us that we are not really in charge. His land we must tend, and while tending, make time to stop and listen so we can hear him pass and hear him speak.  Amen. 

Carolyn F Olsen (reprinted from May 2024)

Words from Proverbs 16

The mind of a person plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9 

Happy Anniversary, Eastridge Presbyterian Church (Some Eastridge History)

 

In 1953, a seed was planted. That seed fell on good soil and was heard and understood (Matthew 13:1- 23). Eastridge Presbyterian Church has produced significant crops in worship, education, mission, fellowship, and music.

Eastridge began with six families gathered for worship at Holmes Elementary School in May 1953. Worship has taken on a special meaning during Lent and Advent, with traditions including a children's palm processional on Palm Sunday, communion on Maundy Thursday, a Good Friday service, an Easter sunrise service, and Christmas Eve candlelight services.

Eastridge has long made a commitment to nourish outside the church through its mission efforts. During the 1960's, family nights combined food, fellowship and education. Summer work camps for youth also began in the 1960's. The food pantry, which began in a basement closet, expanded to require a separate building. Today, our outreach includes service and funding to numerous organizations.

The house that is Eastridge was built on rock in 1953 (Matthew 7:24-27). The building that houses the sanctuary and fellowship hall was dedicated in November 1956, and the education unit was added in 1960. The lounge was built in 1976, and the sanctuary was expanded and a balcony added in 1987. In 2008 the welcome center and the alteration of the chancel were completed in the sanctuary. Over the past 20 years other improvements have been made to the property.

Happy anniversary, Eastridge Presbyterian Church! (information above taken from historical documents in the office).

Rain

Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.  Zechariah 10:1

May he be like rain falling on a mown field; like showers watering the earth. Psalms 72:6

There is such delight in being able to listen to a gentle spring rain, with only faint grumbles of thunder. The sound of drops pattering on horizontal surfaces and trickling down vertical ones is like a soothing lullaby. Seeing the mistiness making lights waver and bright spring greens shimmer is like enjoying a moving work of art, shifting in the changing cloud light. Birds send out their most joyful songs and seem to chuckle softly to themselves. Puddles reflect the white sky and seem to boil with bubbles as drops bounce into them. The freshness of the air and the smells of the wet earth make everything feel clean and rinsed of dusty weariness.  Spring's growth is nourished just as the soul's thirst for comfort and healing is tended. Memories of other times and places in this hypnotic kind of soft rainfall arise and pull this moment into a thread of continuity.  

Rain has many associations for Christians; in the Bible - and in agricultural states like the one where I live - rain is an important part of the planting and growing seasons. Crops and livestock depend on adequate rain, and ultimately everyone's food supply is tied to it. God provides all this, and it is a testament of his care when the rain falls; it is a gift that feeds all people. 

The rain can be threatening, and floods are a fearful event in Biblical lore. Rain is sometimes symbolic of God's righteousness showering down on the earth.  

But the beneficial rain is inclusive; it falls on everyone and everything. If we choose to shower blessings like this, we share them without exception to all within reach. God is in the water that baptizes us, the water that cleans us and everything we use and touch and see, the water that is a habitat for countless amazing beings, the water that nourishes our food and the trees and plants that give us shade and joy.

The rain I am enjoying at this moment is one of the ways I can experience God's peace that surpasses understanding. This same rain is making someone else feel soggy and chilled, so I have to hope that somehow God's comfort is felt by that person in some way as well. I often work in the evenings, and I am fortunate enough to be home by an open door for this rainfall. Someone else who planned an outdoor event for this evening has had to make a change in plans and isn't feeling as fortunate.  

There is a Jewish prayer recited at the start of the rainy season in Israel. This is an excerpt.  

May He send rain from the heavenly towers,

To soften the earth with its crystal showers.

You have named water the symbol of Your might,

All that breathes life in its drops to delight. 

O revive those who praise Your powers of rain....

For you are God, who causes the wind to blow 

and the rain to fall; 

for a blessing and not for a curse - Amen!

For life, and not for death - Amen!

For plenty, and not for scarcity - Amen!

Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2018)

Sing and Give Thanks

Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. Psalm 30:4 

O sing unto the LORD a new song, for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. Psalm 98:1

Henry M Morris, PhD states in “Days of Praise”: When we remember God’s holiness, we then remember how the mighty seraphim in the heavenly temple are continually crying out “Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts. (Isaiah 6:3) 

Mr. Morris continues on to state, “He (God) has not only forgiven our sins, saved our souls, and promised us eternal life, but He also daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Psalm 68:19. “What can we do except to perpetually “sing unto the LORD…and give thanks,” as David exhorts us in our text for today.  

And we can be thankful and sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, and give thanks to God, our Lord and Savior.  

Prayer: Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dying in our place on the cross for our sins. You give us the beautiful sunrise, the beautiful grain which I experienced as a child on the farm in Phelps County, Nebraska. We can also thank you for the grass, our families, our friends and neighbors. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Sandra Hilsabeck

Trust in the Lord

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

The Sojourner

And you shall make a response before the Lord your God, A wandering Aramean was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number; and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. Deuteronomy 26:5  

And you shall rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you. Deuteronomy 26: 11 

I recently read several devotions related to the Jewish festival of the First Fruits. I decided to look up the word sojourner which means a person who resides temporarily in a land that is not their own - a foreigner, exile, alien. I have met the definition of a sojourner several times in my life. The first was a summer long mission trip with 23 other college students from around the country to Troy, NY. There I experienced a historic community with characters like Uncle Sam and Emma Willard, very limited green space for children to play and lots of concrete with row houses, being fed by the community churches (lots of pasta), and main line denominational churches closing or uniting with other churches related to changing communities and populations.

My second sojourn was to my first social work job in Milwaukee. For the first time I experienced distinctly divided neighborhoods related to race, chronic multigenerational poverty, ghettos, and the frustration of trying to meet the needs of many with very limited resources.

My third was moving from my hometown in Iowa to Nebraska. You would think that living in a neighboring state would be about the same, but I was so wrong. Of course, there was Husker mania - a real eye opener when the football team won or lost. Then there was the difference in the unicameral and politics, and visiting the sandhills - a desert in the middle of the state - became a priceless experience.

Being a sojourner in these places made me appreciate going home to a place that was welcoming and familiar. Where I knew old friends and family and knew which streets to drive on to get from here and there. The one constant I experienced in all the above was being with other Christians and church families and knowing that although I am a sojourner in this world, Jesus promises a forever home in heaven where I am no longer a sojourner.

Prayer: Thank you, Heavenly Father, for being with us as we wander through our lives here on earth. Thank you for all the blessings you have given to us, especially the gift of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Nancy Hall

Words from Corinthians

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 

Words from Isaiah

You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11 

Strength from Jesus

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then, the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him?” Mark 4:35-41

Every day I wake up and look east out of my large picture window. I see the sun wake up and rise above the window. It pleases me to know that Jesus is in control of giving us the sun, the clouds, the rain, the snow and whatever the weather is that day. He is consistent and has provided the sun for almost 80 years (I turn 80 this August), even when the clouds prevent me from seeing it.

Jon Sloan, a former pastor of mine, says in his devotion written in 2013, “When we face our storms in life, where do we place our faith? If we place it on God and Jesus Christ, there is nothing to fear, we will be taken care of. If we place it on ourselves or on anything other than God, then yes, there is plenty to fear. Only God has the power to calm storms and to halt winds. And if God is for us, then who can be against us?" That is how I can see the idea of being afraid and fear being likened to having no faith. 

When I was left alone in my new house, I was afraid. We had built it to be together on the golf course. I turned to God in prayer, sometimes for half or more of a full day. Sometimes I would tell Jesus how I felt, sometimes I would cry, sometimes I would be angry. God and Jesus were there for me.

Before long I was asked to help with the Women’s Tennis Team at Wesleyan University. I had only taught tennis to children, refereed at tournaments for all ages, and played in tournaments myself. I had never taught adult college kids or coached any teams. I believed God would be with me, so I said “Yes” and found a career I loved. Secondly, Tom Tipton who had asked me to help him, retired, and the Athletic Director asked me to coach the Men’s Tennis Team at Wesleyan too. I had never coached adult men! What should I do? Have faith, like Jesus said to have. He is with me. I accepted and ended up taking both teams to the Nationals for NAIA Conferences. The experience at Wesleyan, the people I met and coached, blessed me so much.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, and your son Jesus, for giving me strength when I needed it. Thank you for listening to my prayers and helping me. You continue to give me strength and answer my prayers. Please be with my grandchildren as they experience trials and fears. Show them that you are with them no matter what they experience in life. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

Unfailing Love

The earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:5 

Rooted in the Faith

Rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:7 

Words from Habakkuk

The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. Habakkuk 3:19 

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

But God forbid that I should boast in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. Galatians 6:14 

Isaac Watts felt a clear tug to go into the ministry in England at age 24. He preached and wrote many hymns at that time with the hope of reviving a dying church in England. At that time, hymns were based only on the Psalms. Watts set about to change this. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross is considered the finest hymn in English Church History and Charles Wesley wrote that he wished he had written it rather than all his own.

    When I survey the wondrous cross

    On which the Prince of Glory died.

    My richest gain I count but loss,

    And pour contempt on all my pride.

 

    See, from His head, His, hands, His feet,

    Sorrow and love flow mingled down.

    Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,

    Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

  

    Were the whole realm of nature mine,

    That were a present far too small;

    Love so amazing, so divine,

    Demand my soul, my life, my all. 

This hymn was first published in 1707, yet its message continues to speak of the sacrifice Jesus made for us and His love that continues for us all.

Prayer: Thank you, God, that you loved us so much that you sent your son to die for us to take away our sin. As the hymn says "Love so amazing, so divine, Demand my soul, my life, my all". Help us remain focused on your love in our daily lives. Amen

Nancy Hall

(resources on Isaac Watts taken from Then Sings My Soul Book 2 by Robert J. Morgan)

Never Die

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9

Peter is telling us in this verse that we, who believe in Jesus Christ’s saving grace, are no longer in the dark but in the light. We are a peculiar people.

The Henry Morris Study Bible says this about a peculiar people, “Peculiar, in this sense, means a special possession.” We have been redeemed by His precious blood and therefore belong wholly to Christ. We have been saved.

This means: He who lives and believes in Me will never die, Jesus says in John 11:26. Brian Coatney says it this way in his book- A Year in Who We Are “To be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord.”

How exciting is that? We can be sad about losing someone we treasure and have loved dearly, but we can also be glad they are with Jesus in heaven. What wonderful thoughts are those?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for dying for us. Thank you for preparing a place for us with you for eternity. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck