In the Pause Comes Peace

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.  Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and your minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7  (NLT)

Trying to keep my focus on the One who's the “reason for the season” is difficult -He often gets shoved aside by the demands of a daunting to-do list. How can I possibly pause to reflect on the birth of Jesus, when there's SO much to do...and so little time to do it?! Besides, I can just wait until the Advent services, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to do all my reflecting...right? Wrong. This is the very reason the Christmas season has always been so stressful for me. To find the peace I so badly need, reflecting on--and conversing with - Jesus needs to happen daily!

In her devotion, “The Treasure of Thrown-Away Food”, Lysa TerKeurst says we can find “a powerful peace centered in the awareness of God's presence.” She suggests we start by “noticing something for which to be thankful - no matter the circumstance.”  If we remember to keep our eyes open, we can always find something. Also, she says we must “pause to acknowledge this something as a reminder of God's presence”. (Yes, pause!  The to-do list can wait.) In this pause, we then “choose to focus on God's presence until his powerful peace is unleashed.” Notice that the outcome of proclaiming thanksgiving is peace - just as the scripture from Philippians (above) reminds us. 

I believe when we “choose to focus on God's presence”, we willingly give Him our complete attention, patiently keep our eyes and ears open, and trust him with all our hearts. If we are “those whose minds are steadfast” (Isaiah 26:3), it's then that, in the midst of all the chaos and to-do lists, we can find His “perfect peace”.  A powerful peace that “exceeds anything we can understand”. A peace that will “guard our hearts and minds” this Christmas season.

Prayer: Prince of Peace, forgive us for being too busy and distracted to keep our focus on you.  Help us to remember each and every day to pause and approach you with thankful hearts and steadfast minds.  And thank you so much for the “powerful peace you unleash” in our hearts when we do.  Amen.

Sharon Irvin (reprinted from 2016)

Words from Psalm 100

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2 

Words from Psalm 55

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. Psalm 55:22 

Peace Came

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. Micah 5:4-5

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

Every birth is a miracle, and every child is a gift from God. But nearly 20 centuries ago, there was the miracle of miracles. A baby was born, but he was the Son of God. The Gospels tell of this birth but Dr. Luke provides most of the details surrounding this awesome occasion. With divine Father and human mother, Jesus entered history - God in the flesh. The angel appeared to Mary. And Mary would conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear Jesus, the Son of God.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. And angels of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid." I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." Luke 2:8-14 

Peace - and we can have and accept this peace. It can be ours, and it is our choice. What a blessing for us. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the peace you brought to us. Let us accept it and live in your peace. Amen

Marilyn (Jones) Albin (reprinted from 2016)

Words of Praise

 

Words from Psalm 100

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Psalm 100:4 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Fear Not!

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! 

The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart....Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward." - Psalm 19:8 and 11. 

Almost every time an angel appears to someone in the Bible, they always begin with the words "Fear Not!" This morning, I was reminded of our upcoming advent theme this year of not being afraid when reading words by the reformer Martin Luther from his biographer Roland Bainton. According to Bainton Luther adapted these words from Psalm 96 during a year of hiding from his enemies in what must have been a time of deep sadness and depression at fleeing governmental and ecclesiastical rulers who had the power to exile him or even put him to death for his standing on the Word of God. 

(Here I Stand by Roland Bainton published by Abingdon-Cokesbury in 1950). 

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God has willed

His truth to triumph through us.

The prince of darkness grim,

We tremble not for him-

His rage we can endure,

For lo! His doom is sure:

One little word shall fell him.

-Eine Feste Burg by Martin Luther, translated by Frederic Henry Hedge in 1852. 

How often those that we think of having the greatest faith suffered depression and sadness. From David to Jeremiah to Esther to Ruth St. Paul to Martin Luther to modern saints like George Muller of Bristol or Mother Theresa, even those with what seems like the strongest faith had difficult days and had to be reminded to lean on God. May we remember the "peace that passeth all understanding" even on those days it is most difficult! May God restore to us joy when we need it most!

Prayer:

Create in me a clean heart O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation 

and uphold me with a willing spirit.

-Psalm 51:10 and 12

Brent Shaw

Words from Colossians

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2 

Thankful for All Our Blessings

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

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

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

While reading Brene Brown’s new book, Atlas of the Heart, I found myself agreeing and feeling convicted while recognizing myself in her descriptions.

In the section on Gratitude, she mentions how many of the emotions that are good for us – joy, contentment, and gratitude have appreciation in common. She goes on to say that gratitude is good for our physical and mental health. In researching the section on gratitude, Robert Emmons, a professor of psychology at UC Davis, figured prominently. He says, “gratitude makes us appreciate the value of something, and when we appreciate the value of something, we extract more benefits from it; we’re less likely to take it for granted.” He continues: “with gratitude we become greater participants in our lives as opposed to spectators.”

Whether you make lists, say daily prayers of thanks, or share your thoughts of gratitude with others, let us remember that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father…” (James 1:17)

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the many blessings in my life. Help me to focus on gratitude instead of bitterness, even when it's hard. Guide me in becoming an active participant in a life of gratitude. Amen.

Donna Gustafson (reprinted from 2022, edited)

A Difficult Year

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2

On January 14, 2025, I wrote this for an online devotional,” My brother has cancer. This verse is helping me face a new year that looks difficult…whatever you are facing in the new year, God promises to walk alongside you.”

Little did I know that on April 9, 2025, my brother Kurt would die. My brother was my baby brother, eleven years younger than I. I felt such shock, grief, anger at God, denial, and sadness. Why didn’t God save him? We needed him. He was only 55 years old. He left three children, a wife, and two sisters bereft.

I take comfort in King David’s honesty in talking to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? … I cry by day but you do not answer.” Psalm 22.

I don’t think I will ever understand why my brother died. I think God understands my anger and He is still there in spite of it. Sometimes I can’t sense God’s presence, but I believe He is still there. And there are times when I do sense His presence. Through it all, I remember, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”

Prayer: Dear God, life hurts. We are grateful you promise to be there in the dark times and the good times too. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Nancy Brumbaugh

Words from Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2 

Words from Psalm 50

Offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High. Psalm 50:14 

Community and Reciprocity: Lessons from The Serviceberry

"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3

I recently read The Serviceberry: Abundance and reciprocity in the natural world by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Our theme for the stewardship season follows this popular slim book (you can read it in a day). “In The Serviceberry, Kimmerer wonders how this “model of Serviceberries and ancient gift economies could help us imagine our way out of the mutually assured destruction of cutthroat capitalism.” In a “serviceberry economy” we eat what’s in season, share what’s readily available, and measure the value of common spaces and birdsong alongside our GDPs.” (Quoted portion from the Presbyterian Outlook)

"If our first response to the receipt of gifts is gratitude, then our second is reciprocity: to give a gift in return.”  - Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry. 

Some takeaways for me:

“Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you can take care of them.

Never take the first one. Never take the last.

Take only what you need.

Take only that which is given.”

The cover art attracted me first, because cedar waxwings eating berries is a sight I see at a local park when I head out to take photos. I can’t say I see this sight often, because cedar waxwings are somewhat elusive, but these beautiful birds do live in the Lincoln area year-round. In the winter, I can find them hanging out with the robins, all travelling in a flock to better find food and water sources. To me, this tells us a bit about collaboration and community, hence the scripture shared above. It’s about working together, seeing the good in others and mutual generosity.

Prayer: Lord, we know we need each other. Help us to cultivate community and reciprocity where we live, be it church, school, neighborhoods. Amen.

Donna Gustafson (photos taken a Pioneers Park, winter 2021. These robins and cedar waxwings were within the same flock, enjoying the juniper berries.)  

The Importance of Generosity

On this day as we celebrate stewardship and giving, I have been asked to say a few words about the importance of generosity. A topic that initially seems so simple and yet for a variety of reasons can become quite complicated.

Just by definition, Webster’s dictionary gives no less than 2 specific meanings to the word generosity.

1) Any person showing a readiness to give to others, more of something, like money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected.

2) Plentiful, being more than enough without being excessive.

Naturally, we tend to think of the importance of financial generosity as our congregation prepares for another year of keeping things moving in a forward direction. As important as this type of generosity is, I would like to focus on some other ways to be generous beyond monetary giving. 

First of all, I believe that every one of us has a special gift(s) that when shared freely with others can make a tremendous difference. I personally have experienced this type of generosity more times than I can count. 

One such occasion comes to mind when my wife Ivy and I were still dating. We were both from small towns, each about 40 minutes from where we met at Kearney State College. During the summer I would usually drive from Lexington on a Friday afternoon to Holdrege where she lived. I would stay over until late Saturday afternoon when I would have to leave and go back to Kearney to work my swing shift at a local grocery store. One of these weekends showed me how generous a person, who was not really familiar but was not a complete stranger could be. 

John Teter was always working on something. If not one of his own cars, he would be busy repairing clocks for other people, fixing old radios or finding new potential projects at garage sales. He was always busy and I think he truly enjoyed being able to give back to others in this way. He rarely asked for more in payment than the cost of parts on work he did for other people in his community.

This one Saturday, he happened to notice that my car was leaking antifreeze so he asked me to pop the hood. Upon further inspection he diagnosed the problem as being a bad water pump that would need to be replaced. At the time, he probably didn’t see the feeling of pure panic that shot through me upon hearing this news.  I was thinking new water pump . . . this is Saturday, where would I be able to get it fixed. . .I had to be at work by 5 . . .in another town. Strike that, how was I going to pay for it? I had maybe $10 on me, no check book and I didn’t have a credit card. Maybe he did see a worried expression cross my face. 

“I think we can fix it here in the garage if you want to.”  

“I’ve seen sicker horses than this get better,” which was one of John’s favorite sayings. He was already heading to his old pick-up truck to go down to the parts house. I followed and hopped in the passenger seat, feeling nervous and a little apprehensive.

While the man at the counter was retrieving the new water pump, I noticed that John already had his credit card out.

“John, I may be a little short for this. I will gladly repay you.”

“Don’t you worry about it, we can settle up later.”

I was speechless, but grateful. I was also grateful for his mechanical expertise. I had never changed a water pump and had really no idea what was involved. We worked together, tearing things down just to get to the defective water pump. By now it was getting close to the time for me to be leaving for work. I was going to call and let them know that I wouldn’t make it, but he handed me the keys to his Buick without even batting an eye. 

“Here, take my car, I will keep working on this.” I was just feeling so amazed and pretty guilty this man that I barely knew was fixing my car, with parts that he paid for, and then lending me one of his own cars to get to my job. Why would he go to all of this trouble for me?

At that time, his daughter and I weren’t even engaged yet, but he was treating me like I had been family for years. Maybe he thought that it was either fix my car or he would soon be claiming me as a dependant. Either way, he showed me what true generosity looks like and I learned how to accept it from another graciously. 

By the way, Ivy and I were engaged within about 3 months and I don’t believe John ever did allow me to pay him back.

I have been able to find numerous verses in the Bible that speak about being generous with our individual gifts. Remember, each and every one of us have some special gift or talent to share.

Ephesians 4:7 “He has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ”

Romans 12:8  “If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.  If it is giving, give generously.  If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.  And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.  And God will generously provide all you need.”

Tim Hanson, shared in worship on 10-26-25.

Trust God Through the Tough Times

Yes, though I walk through the deep, sunless valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me…Psalm 23:4 

When walking through such sunless valleys, which we all do at times during our life spans, it is human for us to experience fear, dread, despair, hopelessness, worry, pain. Psychologically speaking, it is probably somewhat healthy to acknowledge and accept those feelings without letting us be consumed by them.   

It is by our faith in God that we can trust during those difficult periods of our life, that He will ALWAYS be with us during such times. God will not always rescue us from rough patches, but He will always be with us. We must trust this, read His word, and listen for direction and guidance from Him.   

Because He is with us, we can go through trials and hardships with stability, and positive attitudes. We can trust Him completely.  

One of my favorite quotes has for years been: “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning to dance in the rain.” If we put our trust in God, we can find moments of goodness and joy in the scariest of times, knowing that there is hope.   

Prayer: Father God, author of love and hope, help us to turn to you in faith during the toughest of times and in doing so, have positive expectations. Let us praise you and be thankful for your love and guidance in the toughest of times. Amen

Connie Barry (reprinted from 2023)

Sorrow in America

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelations 21:4

How many times in the last few months have you asked yourself "will this violence and pain for America ever stop?" When is the next tragedy and will it be in my hometown or to someone I love? Unfortunately emotional and spiritual pain is very prevalent in our society. During these times we see no hope in sight for our country and ourselves. But we are promised that our suffering will end, that all tears will be wiped away and there will be no more death. 

During these times of tragedy we can only rely on God and his word for strength. One thing that has always helped me is that I have Bible verses memorized and I will chant them over and over in my head when I am in desperate need of inner strength. His message is embedded within my heart when I have no other words. God is our hope, continue to pray! 

Have a courageous day!

Becky Rankin (reprinted from 2017) 

Waiting

Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage, wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

This time of year could be called the waiting time. Summer comes to an end and slowly the trees turn beautiful colors of yellow, bronze and red. We wait and frost comes and leaves fall to the ground covering the lawns. Naked branches reach for the sky and next will come even colder winds. Then when the harvests are all done comes a time we call Thanksgiving. Families and friends will sit down to give thanks together. Even the poor will enjoy meals prepared by institutions able to do so. Maybe a dusting of snow will fall as we continue to wait.  

Even colder winds will come and still we wait. We plan and hope for the coming season. Finally, we reach Advent. Our waiting is nearly done. It is time for us to think of a very young mother waiting for her babe to be born. How anxious she must have been as she made the long journey to Bethlehem. Did she know how close she was to the end of her waiting time? 

We know we have reached the end of ours. Tired of waiting, joy will free us all. In the stable a child will be born. Our Lord, Christ the Lord. All we have to do is remember to celebrate the quiet time, to love one another and hold joy in our hearts while we wait. 

Carolyn Olsen

America the Beautiful: A devotion for November 11

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. Genesis 1:31

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24

In The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon, we’re shown glimpses into the lives of little-known Americans who likely were not found in your school history book.

Katherine Lee Bates wrote America the Beautiful as a poem, inspired by a trip to Colorado in 1893. Those of us who have visited Colorado ourselves are probably not surprised! The views are stunning.

Through the years Katie received many letters of praise regarding her famous poem. However, according to McMahon, her favorite was this: On the day “the Germans surrendered in the Great War, soldiers serving in France heard about it at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”. After the chaos and sounds of war, “a bewildering silence fell. The soldiers stood speechless, staring at one another, or dropped to the ground. Then they saw on a hillside a battalion in formation and heard them singing ‘America the Beautiful’ and they all came to life again, and sang it with tears on their faces”.

Armistice Day, later known as Veterans Day in the United States, is commemorated every year on November 11 to mark the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, at 5:45 am for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at 11:00 am—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918—although, shelling from both sides continued for the rest of the day, ending only at nightfall (from Wikipedia).

Although America the Beautiful lost out to The Star-Spangled Banner to be signed into law as the national anthem in 1931, its appeal lies in that it doesn’t speak of war, but of beauty.

O beautiful for spacious skies

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

 

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassioned stress

A thoroughfare of freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God mend thine every flaw

Confirm thy soul in self-control

Thy liberty in law!

 

O beautiful for heroes proved

In liberating strife

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine!

 

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

 

O beautiful for halcyon skies

For amber waves of grain

For purple mountain majesties

Above the enameled plain!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till souls wax fair as earth and air

And music-hearted sea!

 

O beautiful for pilgrims feet

Whose stem impassioned stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till paths be wrought through

Wilds of thought

By pilgrim foot and knee!

 

O beautiful for glory-tale

Of liberating strife

When once and twice

For man's avail

Men lavished precious life!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till selfish gain no longer stain

The banner of the free!

 

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!

God shed his grace on thee

Till nobler men keep once again

Thy whiter jubilee!

(Words by Katherine Lee Bates, composed into the song we know today by Samuel Ward)

Happy Veteran’s (Armistice) Day!

Donna Gustafson

The “This I Know People”

For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16 RSV

For more than 15 years, I enjoyed coauthoring children’s sermons with my friend, Anne.  Anne lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she attended a small country church.  She was responsible for giving the children’s sermon once a month (sometimes more often if her pastor requested it).  

I was so delighted when one month in 2017, she chose the children’s song, “Jesus Loves Me,” as her topic.  “Jesus Loves Me” was the first hymn I ever learned and it has remained my favorite for 80+ years. 

So many interesting stories surround the history of “Jesus Loves Me.”  One such story is that the famous Swiss Reformed theologian, Karl Barth, was asked if he could explain Christianity in a few words.  He replied, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” 

However, the story behind this hymn is really a tale of two sisters.  Anna and Susan Warner lived in New York in the 1800’s and when their father lost most of his money in the depression of 1837, the family moved to what had been their summer home on Constitution Island in the Hudson River across from West Point, the US Military Academy.  It became their permanent residence.

At that time, Anna and Susan’s uncle, The Reverend Thomas Warner, was the chaplain at West Point.  Both the girls began teaching Sunday school classes to the cadets, and they continued teaching for 50 years.  Neither of the girls ever married. 

Anna and Susan used their writing skills to supplement the family income.  Anna wrote poetry and Susan wrote novels.  While Susan was writing a novel entitled, “Say and Seal,” she asked Anna to write a poem that the father in her story could read to his young son, who was terminally ill, to allay his fear of dying.  The poem Anna wrote contained three verses, just twelve lines.  She based her poem on John 3:16. 

During America’s Civil War, the poem, “Jesus Loves Me,” was prayed in homes, in churches, and on battlefields.  In 1861, William Bradbury, a music publisher and choir director, added music to the poem.  He also added a four-line chorus to be sung between the verses.  Since that time, many changes have been made to the original song but the original song can be found on Wikipedia. 

However, my favorite story about “Jesus Loves Me, “is the one about the missionaries in China in the 1940’s.  In 1949, they were being persecuted by the communists and they wanted to tell Christians outside China’s borders that they were OK.  They wrote a letter using the words, “The this I know people are well.”  The censors allowed it to go through because they thought the phrase meaningless and nonsensical. 

The next time you hear or sing this song, just think how many ways it has helped to teach the gospel of God’s love.  Do you consider yourself to be one of the “This I Know People”? 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, We praise and thank You for the talents of poetry, writing and music You have given to people who spread in simple but beautiful ways the good news that indeed, Your Son, Jesus Christ, loves us.  Help each of us to use whatever talent that you have given us to spread Your love.  It’s in Jesus’ holy name we pray.  Amen. 

Judy Welch

 

Words from Second Corinthians

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18 

Being Grateful Enhances Our Lives

 

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to God. Philippians 1:3.

In this time of uncertainty (when will we get the vaccine?), fear (discrimination and hate is loose in our country) frustration (we miss being with our family and friends), difficulty (some folks are facing economic and job, housing struggles), I often feel at loose ends, a bit lost and all over the place.  I have decided that I needed a new focus, and have chosen gratitude in my relationships as my focus.

Gratitude is defined as a warm feeling of thankfulness toward the world or toward specific individuals.  It means thanks and appreciation.  Gratitude, which just so happens to rhyme with attitude, comes from the Latin word gratis, which means thankful, pleasing.  When you feel gratitude you are pleased by what someone did for you.  I think that’s the easy kind of gratitude.  I want to work on looking at my relationships like Paul stated, truly giving thanks for those in my life and dwelling on their good points, “looking at them through the eyes of love”.

That can be difficult to do at times as other folks have different needs and do not exist to please us.  They think and act independently from us and can be annoying.  It is also easy to take our loved ones for granted.  Over time, it becomes easy to see others’ faults too clearly and to dwell on the hard times and not the good times.

On the site, Wanderlustworker.com, the author lists 7 ways Gratitude can change your life.  I am adding my own twist on these to help guide me in my relationships.

1.  Gratitude shifts our focus to looking at others in a positive light, even when  problems or disappointments arise. This is a lifelong process, and a choice, I am sure.

2.  Gratitude improves the quality of your life. Studies have linked gratitude with satisfaction of life.

3.  Having gratitude makes you feel happier. It’s a natural occurrence.

4.  Having gratitude reduces your fears.  Keeping a gratitude journal can help to reduce your fears and worries, as you live more in a  state of abundance.

5.  Being grateful toward others strengthens your faith and your belief in God, and allows your gratitude and relationship toward him to grow.  You can also develop a focus toward helping others as part of your spiritual enlightenment.

6.  Feeling gratitude toward others gives you peace of mind.  This focus fosters good will, positive vibrations, and the desire to add value to the world by first being grateful, no matter what.

7.  This overall feeling of gratitude motivates you to reach for your goals.

Prayer: O Heavenly Father, we ask that you guide us to live a life of gratitude towards others.  We thank you for your never ending Love and Mercy, and pray that we can show that to others and let them feel our gratitude for being in our lives.

Connie Barry (reprinted from 2021)

Ten Great Things

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20            

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

While attending diabetes education classes at a local hospital, I received an information sheet entitled "Ten Great Things about Being a Diabetic". This sounded really strange as most people don't feel great about having diabetes, but its message put a positive stint on the subject. I can't remember all ten points, but they included:

You eat healthy

You take good care of your body

You get exercise

You get to use fancy technology

You get to know your physician well in a long-term relationship

You get to make positive important choices for yourself every day         

I wondered recently what "Ten Great Things about Being a Christian" might look like. Here's my list.

You know that you are loved

You know that God is always present and will never leave you

You can build a long-term relationship with your creator and redeemer

You have been saved through Christ's sacrifice on the cross

You know where you are going when you die

You have a guidebook on Christian living, the Bible

You can have fellowship with other Christians in church, in your community, and throughout the world

You have hope looking for Christ's return when wars will end, there will be justice for all, and heaven will be on earth

You don't have to be a theologian to understand the good news of the Bible

The Holy Spirit lives in you and inspires you to praise God, to pray, and to bring you closer to God

I challenge you to think in your own way about "Ten Great Things about Being a Christian" and incorporate them into your daily walk and lifelong journey with God, Jesus our savior, and the Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise you for sending your son Jesus to be both a human and God on earth. We thank you for his sacrifice to save us from our sins. We thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to us to experience your divine presence. Help us every day to remember the great things about being a Christian. Amen

Nancy Hall

We Seem to Forget

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

Several years ago, I attended the National Elders Conference of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Nashville, Tennessee. At the meeting, I was fortunate to be able to meet Ann Weems, who has been called the Presbyterian poet laureate. She passed away in 2016. She served on the committee that wrote The Brief Statement of Faith. Her work has often been published in Horizons, the magazine of the Presbyterian Women. Here is one of her poems:

“We Seem to Forget” by Ann Weems

What concerns me, what lies on my heart is this:

That we in the church -- papered and programmed,

Articulated and agenda’d—are telling the faith story all wrong.

Are telling it as though it happened two thousand years ago

Or is going to happen as soon as the church budget is raised.

We seem to forget that Christ’s name is

Emmanuel, God With Us. . . .

Not just when he sat among us, but now;

When we can no longer feel the nailprints in his hands.

We need to remember what the true purpose of the church is – to tell the faith story.

Prayer: Dear God, as members of your church, we sometimes get wrapped up in the details of the organization, and “we seem to forget.” Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us.

Robin Hadfield (shared previously)

The Bible is Magical

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8:39

We have a Bible Study at Firethorn that started in the 1980s and is still going. This last Friday we talked about what happened to Philip. We were very realistically oriented to what made sense, so we believed that he walked away and never came back. Later we noticed some other incidents which made us believe Philip was lifted up and placed miles away.

2 Kings 2:16 says: The Spirit of the Lord hath taken him (Elijah) up. My notes in my ICR Bible say Elijah was taken up in a fiery tornado that seemed to surround a fiery horse-drawn chariot as he went up until he was out of Elisha’s sight. It has been assumed that Elijah and Enoch have both been supernaturally preserved alive in heaven ever since that time in their natural bodies.

Ezekiel 3:12 says, Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from his place.

WOW! - Some people were taken up directly and were placed in other cities or countries and some were never seen again on earth as they were taken to heaven.

As we read these other verses, we realized these people were lifted up in the air by God. It makes this 1 Thessalonians verse about the end times more believable.

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: 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: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Another Bible says it this way: What we tell you now is the Lord’s own message. We who are living when the Lord comes again will not go before those who have already died. The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. And those who have died believing in Christ will rise first. After that, we, who are still alive will be gathered up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank you Lord, for the magical happenings in your Bible. And thank you for telling us what will happen to those of us who are alive and believe in Christ when Christ returns to earth. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

How To Find God in a Horror Movie

This may seem counterintuitive but bear with me as I explain.

Horror movies may seem like the bane of good Christian values, but like an onion it has layers. Peel back the surface, you will find that there are inherent values and a lesson to be learned by those who seek it. When you see a horror movie you come face to face with the worst mankind can come up with. In the movies, the devil is on earth, the dead come back to life, and society as we know it crumbles. Cynical viewing aside, a horror movie can be a morale about the injustice in this world. A simple truth that bad things happen to good people. Horror movies bring that to the forefront of our minds. Like Job, we are forced to reconcile that our power is limited when compared to the all-mighty. We don’t know everything. In the story of Job, we are shown that bad things happen to good people. We are humbled because our power doesn’t match God’s power. No one is perfect like God. We can struggle to comprehend the concept that bad things happen to good people. A good horror movie brings that struggle to the forefront. He knows all and we know little compared to him. We find God in horror movies by accepting our limited understanding when compared to the Almighty.

 Then Job replied to the Lord:

 “I know that you can do all things;
    no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
    Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know.

 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
    I will question you,
    and you shall answer me.’
 My ears had heard of you
    but now my eyes have seen you.
 Therefore I despise myself
    and repent in dust and ashes.”

Prayer: Dear God, please bless us with your wisdom. Help guide us as we confront injustice in this world. Help us to put our faith in you lord. Help us to understand our shortcomings. Help us to grow. Help us to love. Guide us when life is cruel when we stumble and fall. Lift us up with your loving hands. In your name we pray, Amen.

Charles Kendeigh (reprinted from 2021)

Psalm 23

  The Lord is my shepherd.

    I have everything I need.

He gives me rest in green pastures.

    He leads me to calm water.

He gives me new strength.

For the good of his name,

    he leads me on paths that are right.

 Even if I walk

    through a very dark valley,

I will not be afraid

    because you are with me.

Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.

 

You prepare a meal for me

    in front of my enemies.

You pour oil of blessing on my head.

    You give me more than I can hold.

Surely your goodness and love will be with me

    all my life.

And I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

Times of Tribulation

 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

This week marks 23 years (see note below) since the 1997 snowstorm. Lincoln had more than a foot of snowfall, trees hadn’t yet shed their leaves and there were major power outages and damage throughout the city. While it was certainly a disaster and a tribulation, people still love to talk about their memories from that event.    

We stayed at my mom’s, camped out on the floor with sleeping bags and comforters. My grandmother was still alive then and she was so funny. During the day, it was easy to forget that we didn’t have power, the house would warm from the sun and meals baked in the oven, we went to the laundry mat once they had their power restored and I called our home phone number a few times a day to see if the answering machine would pick up (evidence of power!). One neighbor had a generator so every night we would go over to their house to watch the 6pm news and then come back and play cards by lantern until we were too tired (or too cold) to stay up any longer.   

At work we heard stories about who had gotten which utilities back, and creative ways that people were managing; showering at the hospital, making coffee with a camping percolator on a propane grill, digging small tunnels in snow banks for refrigeration. I remember seeing all the electrical trucks from out of state who came to Lincoln to give LES a hand in getting everyone restored. That storm changed so many company emergency response plans, and the timing that they determined was needed for emergency generators and how often organizations had power outage drills.  A small number of people had cell phones and all cellular plans were still “by the minute” pricing so if you worked for a company that had a switchboard outage you may have handed off your cell phone with a verbal agreement that your minutes would be paid for by the company.    

What a tribulation and adventure. Certainly an inconvenience.  Halloween was CANCELLED.  But now, 23 years later checking in with people it is still lovely to hear the stories of how we made it without technology, or heat, or hot water, in some neighborhoods for an entire week.   

Prayer: God who knows all the conveniences we have been offered, thank you for watching over us in times of emergency, tribulation and disaster.  While this was a challenging time for our community we endured and became stronger.  As we prepare for a winter and holiday season impacted by the inconveniences of COVID help us to remember the times that we have endured and overcome in your love and support.  Amen

Christi Moock (reprinted from 2020...so, 28 years since referenced storm)

Words from Psalm 7

 

I will give thanks to the Lord because of His righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High. Psalm 7:17

 

Follow Me

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

Finishing the Story

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. … As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16: 1, 5-8 (NRSV)

Last month I attended Presbytery meeting at Westminster Presbyterian Church, and its pastor Andy McDonald preached on the Gospel of Mark. It’s a short book: you can read it in an hour. The action moves quickly in Mark’s gospel, with a sense of urgency. There are numerous accounts of healing and the casting out of demons by the disciples as well as Jesus. The most notable aspect of the book of Mark, however, is its abrupt ending. The oldest versions of the text of this gospel close with the verses quoted above. Additional verses (9-20) were appended later, but they clearly don’t match the rest of the gospel in style.  Why the sudden ending? Did something happen to Mark before he completed his Gospel? Was a page of the original manuscript left in the copier? Pastor McDonald suggested that it is now up to us to finish this gospel, not with words, but by the way we live our lives. And the way to live our lives is to model our activities after those of Jesus and the disciples. What did they do in Mark’s gospel? They healed and the cast out demons.

Therefore, We should seek to heal: to heal families that have been torn apart by addiction or incarceration or separation, to heal a society polarized along ethnic, economic, and political lines, to heal a world separated into quarreling nations.

Demons? I used to think of demons as a quaint and primitive idea. Are there really demons possessing individuals? Yes! We know what demons we face today: the demons of racism and sexism, demons that convince men in entertainment, sports, business, and politics that they can exploit women and girls, demons that tell people that their religious beliefs compel them to oppress those who do not share those beliefs.

As the disciples learned, some demons are so powerful that prayer is required to exorcise them. (Maybe working together, too.)

Prayer: God give us the strength to follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples.

Bill Wehrbein (reprinted from 2018)

How to Involve the Body of Christ in the World

I would like to base my devotion "How to Involve the Body of Christ in the World" on a scripture from The Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus is speaking:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven. Matthew 5: 14-16

Jesus came to the earth, in the form of man, to shed light to the world so men might see God through Him. Christians are to shine for Jesus' sake, or in other words, to carry on Jesus' message of hope and love to the world. Jesus is saying that we, as Christians, are the light of the world.

Man is to be the bearer of eternal light. Man is to let his light so shine that other men shall see the light and give glory to God. We as Christians must radiate God’s light through Jesus, for Jesus and God are one.

As Christians we sometimes feel that we have to debate with ourselves whether or not to love, to hope, or to perform any other action which shows Christ’s light in us. We often feel that we must hide the fact that we are Christians.

The sun warms the earth with light and we too as Christians must show our Christian love by gathering and reflecting light from Christ to the world around us.

As a college freshman, life on campus is new, exciting, and presents challenges. The biggest challenge is to live as Christians - showing Christ’s light. We have been reared in Christian homes, but now we are on our own and it is difficult at times to remain a shining light. We are set in a new world of changing forces surrounding us. I guess you might say we had been in a protected world through high school, but now we are faced by an open new world.

In a church related college, the students have a common background, but at a state college such as Towson State College, it is more of a challenge because of the varied backgrounds of the students. It is more of a challenge to shine our light as a Christian.

I have picked a few examples that I have observed on my own campus relating to the new world in which we are faced.

1) The first is going to church on Sunday. At college you don’t have your parents encouraging you every Sunday morning and it is easier to just not go, for many. But I have found that those of us who do go set an example for others to follow.

2) Second is taking the Lord’s name in vain. It stops me short when I hear this going on, but I have found that setting an example of yourself and not using it is the best remedy for people that notice. 

The whole idea of showing light is based on setting an example for others by the way we carry out our lives. If we can live a life as a Christian, we are showing others the Christian life – thus involving Christ in the world. I have found that the people at college who live a Christian life and involve Christ in their everyday life tend to be looked up to and followed by others. (I went to Towson State College in Baltimore, Maryland, and belonged to a Christian Fellowship group.)

When the lights go out, confusion results but when they resume, things go back to order. This can be related to us as Christians. If we turn out our light of Christian love and hope, then the world will be in confusion. Let’s keep our light burning for Jesus – setting an example for others is letting our light of Christian love and hope shine.

~Susan Taylor, adapted herself from an essay she wrote in 1965, during her freshman year in college. Susan found this recently when cleaning out storage areas. (reprinted from 2021)

Circle of Forgiveness

"In your anger do not sin”...Ephesians 4:26 

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

“I hate you!” shouted my angry sixteen-year-old self at my inebriated, alcoholic father one cold February evening. He had disappointed me again, and we had argued. After stalking dramatically out of the room, I left the house to go wherever small-town teenagers might have gone on Tuesday nights in the 1960s. Library? Play practice? I can’t remember. What I do remember vividly, however, is what happened early the following morning as my three siblings and I got ready for school. Our uncle, Mom’s brother, appeared unexpectedly at our front door bringing with him the devastating news that there had been an accident during the night, and Dad was dead! 

As the world crumbled around my family, I internalized my grief and began to wonder. Wow! Was it possible that I had somehow caused this horrible event? I had sinned by lashing out in anger. And I had long blamed Dad and his drinking for everything that wasn’t quite right in my life and in my family. I had pleaded and bargained with God, praying fervently that the drinking would stop. Well, now it was stopped, but in a way that I certainly never anticipated. That self-assumed burden of guilt was heavy, but impossible to share. Bringing added pain was the knowledge that my last words to my father had been so hateful. Why had I been so mean? Did he know that I loved him? Could I ever be forgiven? 

Biblical scriptures and my Christian faith eventually brought assurance that God, my heavenly Father, had graciously forgiven me for no other reason than that He loves me. Over time, as my family survived, and as I gained better understanding of alcoholism, it became easier for me to forgive Dad for all the ways in which he had failed us. I could only hope that Dad had forgiven me for my last angry words. Forgiving myself has been the most difficult of all, and I’m still working on it after all these years. 

Prayer: Thank You, God, for Your endless grace and forgiveness. I ask, as did the psalmist in Psalm 51:10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.”  

Judith Keller (reprinted from 2017)