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)

Grateful Hearts, Joyful Praise

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Psalm 107:1 

St. John's Bread

John’s clothing was a rough coat of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Matthew 3:4 (New English Bible) 

He would have been glad to fill his belly with the pods that the pigs were eating and no one gave him anything.  Luke 15:16 (New English Bible)

Years ago, I enjoyed reading about the plants in the Bible. There are so many interesting stories about biblical plants, but often there are controversies about exactly which plant is referred to in a particular scriptural verse. Whatever the story might be, it always amazes me to learn that many of these plants have been growing for thousands of years. 

During a warm summer evening a few years ago as I closed the windows in my sunroom, I heard the throbbing sound of the cicadas in the trees and thought it might be similar to the sound of locusts in the trees. It was a monotonous and somewhat irritating noise, but it started me thinking about one of the more interesting controversies regarding a biblical plant: the carob (or locust) tree. 

Botanists seem to be in agreement that the pods of the carob tree were the husks of Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, but what did John the Baptist eat? Was it insects or did he pluck pods from the locust tree? What exactly was St. John’s bread? Evidence is available to support both the plant and insect theories, but no clear conclusion has been drawn.

As I listened to the night sounds of the cicadas and felt the pulsing rhythm as if it were a human heartbeat, I wondered what Our Lord provided as St. John’s bread.

The singing cicadas were reminding me that for thousands of years God has been providing our daily bread, and we can rejoice in His steadfast love. 

This is what the Lord God says: I, myself, will search for my sheep and take care of them. Ezekiel 34:11

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for touching us with the sights and sounds of Your presence and with the blessed assurance that You will always be there to provide for our needs. In Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen

Judy Welch

Making Excuses

"But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.” Luke 14:18

I have a friend who I’ve known for almost 50 years. When we run into each other, she’s friendly and talkative and invariably ends the conversation with, “We’ll have to get together sometime.” For the first ten years of our friendship, I’d reply, “That’s a good idea. When should we do it?” My friend would say that she’d give me a call. After ten years of the call never coming, I decided to change my response to, ‘Well, let me know when you want to do that,” but didn’t expect to hear from her.

Now, you may ask, “Why didn’t I just initiate the invitation?” I have no good answer to that! The friend is a pleasant person who, I’m sure, would accept my invitation if I contacted her, but wasn’t the ball in her court since she was the first to suggest getting together? Did I really want to spend time with her? Was I afraid she would turn me down? Had this proposal to “get together” been exchanged too long to have sincere meaning? So many possible excuses.

A story is told about a man who wanted to borrow his neighbor’s ladder. His neighbor says,” Sorry, I can’t let you borrow my ladder. It’s holding up my wall and the wall will fall down if you take the ladder.” “Why that’s ridiculous, your ladder doesn’t hold up the wall!”  “That’s right,” retorts the neighbor, “but when you don’t want to do something, one excuse is as good as another.”

Making excuses keeps us from experiencing many things, both positive and negative. The invitation to “hit a few balls” with your new supervisor at work might lead to a long friendship formed around your mutual love of golf. Pleading, “I’d love to, but I promised I’d take the kids to a movie,” could be interpreted as not wanting to socialize with your supervisor and forfeiting future invitations. Excuses sometimes protect us from anticipated rejection; if I say no, I avoid the possibility of getting hurt. Excuses cover up our poor judgement; I didn’t want to eat that apple, but the snake made me do it! 

What about when God asks us to do something to further His kingdom. Do we take a chance and say, “Here I am Lord,” or do we give an excuse? Are we too old, too young, too fearful, or do we accept God’s invitation? Do we take our salvation seriously and make it a priority or do we miss out on the joy and peace that come with receiving God’s love by making excuses?

Prayer: Help us hear God’s call to accept his salvation not with excuses, but with an enthusiastic, “Here I am Lord.” We know we need to make the things that are important priorities in our lives. Give us the courage and strength to reach out and accept God’s invitation to eternal life without denials, excuses, or justifications for our hesitation. Amen

Carol McClain (reprinted from 2024)

October: Clergy Appreciation Month

 

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

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

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

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

Have you ever walked in our pastors' shoes,

And gone where their feet have trod?

Have you ever thought of what they mean to us,

And on your knees, given thanks to God?

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

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

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

Robin Hadfield (reprinted from 2018)

Autumn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carolyn Olsen (reprinted from 2023)

Dancing With God

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. Psalm 30:11-12 

Let them praise God’s name with dancing and make music to Him with tambourine and harp for the Lord takes delight in His people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Psalm 149:3-4

So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him: he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Parable of the Prodigal Son) Luke 15:20

One of my favorite TV shows is “Dancing with the Stars”. As I watch from week to week, it amazes me to see the improvement each celebrity exhibits as he or she becomes more confident in themselves and their ability to execute the dance with their professional dance partner. Some celebrities possess a natural ability to dance while others show more awkwardness. But even the most awkward celebrity shows progress as their professional dance partner guides and leads them through the steps during their daily practices in an attempt to put their assigned dance performance together. 

As I reflect on my life, I view it as a dance with God. At times, it has been as smooth and graceful as a Viennese Waltz while at other times it has been exuberant and joyful like the Lindy Hop or Jive. Still at other times, I have allowed my anger and haughtiness towards God to resemble the Paso Doble or take the form of the freestyle dance when I wanted to throw out all the rules and do things “my way”. Through the years, I’ve even allowed myself to drift away from God’s arms, all the time knowing, God’s arms would be open wide and ready to accept me back into His loving and guiding embrace at a moments notice. 

Prayer: Dear God: Thank you for being my dance partner in life and, ultimately, in death. Open my heart to feel your guiding hand each day as we move together through our ups and downs and joys and sorrows. May my trust in you increase daily knowing you have a plan for my life if I just will take notice and feel your gentle, guiding touch.  Amen 

Patty Niemann (reprinted from October 2009) 

A Prayer for Today

A recent prayer shared by a member of the Wednesday Bible Study group. 

God Wanted to Give us Faith

In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God’s grace, which he has given to us so fully and freely. God, with full wisdom and understanding, let us know his secret purpose. This was what God wanted, and he planned to do it through Christ. Ephesians 1:7-9

I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it. Ephesians 2:8-9

Henry Morris says in Days of Praise, “Faith preserves and protects us. Jesus insisted, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24) This is an absolute change and eliminates the possibility of hell (John 10:28-29).”

I lost my best friend this spring. She lived a few doors from me. I could talk to her late in the evening and bring all my questions about life to her. She understood our Lord Jesus so well.

She was the strongest Christian I have ever known. I know Jesus welcomed her into his heaven.

Now, I have a friend that heard yesterday her grandson’s father passed away. The family is in the middle of lots of struggles. The grandson had left home as a junior in high school because of struggles between him and his mom. The father had a part of 30 acres of land on a plantation in the southern U.S. with some other relatives and they don’t know what will happen with that land. He was found dead on the land, and they do not know why he passed away. He had been divorced from the grandson’s mother for the majority of the son’s 17 years. 

However, they knew the last few months or maybe longer that he had been reading the Bible. He may have found Jesus and is in heaven! How wonderful!

Do you know if you are baptized? Parents today often baptize their infants before they talk.

Philip says to an officer in Acts 8:37, "If you believe with all your heart, you can be baptized". The officer said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” If you can say these words, you will receive the saving grace of Jesus, and we will see each other in heaven. Jesus said in John 6:63: "The words I told you are spirit, and they give life." You can say these words today!

We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit. We must not be proud or make trouble with each other or be jealous of each other. Galatians 5:25-26 

Sandra Hilsabeck

Psalm 22

My God, my God why have you forsaken me?

Why are you so far from saving me.

O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

By night, and am not silent. Psalm 22:1-2

Some nights when sleep escapes me, I hear myself say, “Where are you God?" But then a gentle reminder comes to me - not all is good - not all is bad. Think of what you have – children, grandchildren, friends, a comfortable home and no hunger.  I may not sleep but I am more content. 

But not long ago, a terrible windstorm arrived in Lincoln and the world we know was very ugly.  A dead limb still hangs in the ash tree near my property spewing seeds and dead leaves each day. Great gashes remain in the tree down the street and where many stately trees stood, now only gaps remain. So is everything God does good?

My mind does wonder that often as I think of the many loved ones I have lost and babies crying from hunger. People running for their lives and others living on the streets. 

On page 15 of “Prayer In The Night” by Tish Harrison Warren, we read the author saying, “Where are you oh God? Is anyone watching out for us? Does anyone see? And tell us why? Why this evil, this heartbreak, this suffering?”  

I agreed with the author but then as I drove through the neighborhood just the other day, I saw the world back together again. Trees have been trimmed, yards are greeting fall with color and green trees are suddenly sporting bright yellow leaves and a sugar maple suddenly answers all my questions. Beautifully attired on one branch, it has turned into fall colors of red, yellow and orange. 

God is here, he loves us.  Amen

Carolyn Olsen

Words from Galatians

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

Thankful for Volunteers

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace". 1 Peter 4:10

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another". Galatians 5:13

A few years ago in an Upper Room devotional, a church volunteer in Mississippi shared how it was his responsibility to prepare his church's altar for worship, and how doing this weekly added "another layer of meaning to the worship experience". I'm certain many of us here at Eastridge are equally blessed by the volunteer work we do in the many ministries here.

In my role as office staff, I can see many of you at work in the church:

• I see you making coffee on Sunday mornings
• I see you stocking shelves in our Food Pantry
• I see you ushering on Sunday mornings
• I see you cleaning the church on spring clean-up day
• I see you assisting with funeral luncheons
• I see you providing a meal for the youth
• I see you setting up for events and providing food
• I see you singing in the church choir
• I see you helping serve communion
• I see you sending cards to church members
• I see you visiting our homebound and hospitalized church members
• I see you going above and beyond in so many ways...too many to list here!

God sees your care and concern for others and the church. You ARE the church!

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for volunteers. Thank you for opportunities to serve you and others.

Donna Gustafson

Love Your Neighbor

When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:33-34

Immigration laws are a hot political topic. Should citizens of other countries who enter the United States illegally be entitled to public benefits such as health care and food stamps? Should there be a path to citizenship for undocumented workers? Should certain immigrant students be allowed to have driver’s licenses, and should they be charged in-state college tuition rates? What should be done about the thousands of unaccompanied children arriving from Central American countries? 

As Christians, in struggling to answer these complicated questions, we must certainly consider God’s law as it was imparted to the Jewish people through Moses long ago.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of living in a safe and secure environment with access to food and shelter and health care. We know that we have brothers and sisters for whom these basic needs are not easily met. We ask that You guide us in making fair and just decisions that will improve the quality of their lives and bring Your Kingdom nearer for all of us.  Amen.

Judith Keller (reprinted from September 2014)

Words from Psalm 95

Come, let's sing for joy to the Lord, let's shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1 

Friendship

 A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17 

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. (Anais Nin)

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17  

One of the benefits of investing in long-term relationships is the ability to know someone more deeply and fully. Humans can complement one another in so many wonderful ways, and experiencing these interactions is also a gateway to experiencing more closeness with God. I love how the years of life I have been granted have blessed me with the crossed paths of so many different strangers who have become friends for eternity. It is a wonderful richness to treasure.

I began to realize as a young adult that the face of God was present in the faces of so many in my earthly community. The generous spirit shines very brightly when someone tries to reach into your life and share his or her strengths. It feels so good to have something to offer to someone else, too, and to have so many gifts to share. 

A young woman I know recently told me how she looks to me for guidance on how to face life. She said she had a difficult childhood but survived and thrived by choosing to discard bad influences and cling to the examples of those who inspired her. Every time she sees me she gives me a hug and thanks me for being there. She helps me to be my best self.

My decades-old friendships have given me the chance to have many sisters and brothers, and people who could be nieces and nephews - and in my heart, a lot of aunties and uncles. Families are wonderful, but families and friends can blend into a lovely mess. I am delighted to see the lines blur between blood relations and heart relations. 

Recently, I have had the gift of time with a friend I met in junior high. She was one of the people who eased me out of my academic rigor into a person who could relax and have fun with others, and she really pulled me out of a narrowness that was not healthy. She encouraged my spirit of adventure and helped me to relax in the face of stressful situations. She and I have had the chance to explore and laugh and talk about great ideas and just take time to look at the world at our feet. She has just come out of a challenging set of experiences, and for the time being I am able to give her a little of what she needs to remember about herself that restores her to living fully. We open a new gift every time we see one another. 

Prayer: Lord of all friendships and all colors of love, thank you for the people whose hands you have placed in ours, who are your hands in our lives.  Let us always treasure them as you treasure us, and to be your gentle hands reminding them of the power of love that is you. Amen

Mollie Manner (reprinted from 2017)

He's a Wonderful Lord

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ephesians 4:11-12

The laying of hands upon one's head during the ordination service of January 18, 1959, was a beginning for me as a layman when I said, "yes, I will serve as an Elder of Christ's Church", not really realizing the great commission set forth the duties of this particular position. When one is selected for this duty, he's blameless in life, sound of faith, should be a person of wisdom, and in everyday living, should be an example to the flock. The weight of all the hands upon my head said much to me at that moment, and the questions passed by quickly: how can I do it; why me, of all persons? Why should this take place early in life?

The answers to some of these questions and many others started to come to me from a young man studying at the time for the ministry. He said, "to begin with, it must be commitment, a personal certainty on the following things: pray, learn to worship, study the Bible, and seek friendship with persons who know God." He said it was like going swimming and not knowing really how, but jumping in anyway, for you are bound to make it. Well, every day since I have tried to live up to what it takes to be a Christian in my life. It has been through the strength of many who have been close to me that I have been blessed in many struggles. But there is not one to match our wonderful Lord, who is always near, if only you will ask. Because you see, those of us who go to Him in suffering know how real is His help.

If you ever have a challenge or are asked to serve as Elder, jump in, it is a real wonderful experience that will last forever. God gives to the church persons varying in ability so that all parts of the work of the ministry may be done. Whatever our Lord calls each of us to do, it is our responsibility to help one another fulfill our mission. 

Glen G. Engle, from the 1972 Eastridge "He's a Wonderful Lord" devotional. Editor's note: a timely devotion following Sunday's sermon (September 28)! Also, I found Glen Engle in a 1974 Eastridge directory (photo shown).

God Can Use You

Have you ever thought God can use you? You are just a young person in the United States of the world, but he can still use you! He has the hairs of your head numbered (Matthew 10:30). He knows all about you, and He loves you!

Look at the last four commandments of the ten Commandments in the Bible:

Thou shalt not kill.                                                                                           

Thou shalt not commit adultery.                                                                     

Thou shalt not steal.                                                                               

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.    

When you honor these or any of the other commandments, God is using you. Others are watching what you do, especially if you have told God you believe in him. No kidding, non-believers are watching what you do and are ready to criticize you. Or, if they are thinking about becoming a believer, they want to know how believers act on a daily basis.

Some events in my life where God has used others are as described here:

                I asked God after I had dated a few men when I was single (dating didn’t turn out to be much fun), to send a gentleman to me if there was someone who would want to have me in their life.

                God used my son to golf with Melissa who needed a room for 2 months and put him in my back yard when she said that. He pointed to my house.

                 God used Melissa after she stayed with me for 2 months. She got married and invited me.

                God used Art and Sue Blackman who lived next door to Bryce Hastings in St. Louis. They invited Bryce to their son’s wedding at the Lincoln Country Club.

                God used Lincoln Blackman because he married Melissa.

                I asked God to help me invite my guests to my 80th birthday party. 

You never know when you are going to be used by God. Everyone who came to the party had such an enjoyable time and saw so many friends they hadn’t seen in a long time. God added several people to my mind to invite. That is just what I wanted when I prayed to Him for help making the guest list. I wanted it to be fun for everyone.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for listening to my requests and responding in ways that were much better than I imagined when I asked. Bryce has been a wonderful blessing for me the last 30 years of my life and we celebrated 24 years of marriage. Thank you Lord for bringing him from St. Louis to Lincoln. Help all my children and grandchildren be used by you in some way. Let them know when their prayers are being answered. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

Sing to the Lord

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises to our God on the lyre. Psalm 147:7

Give Thanks to the Lord

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy is everlasting. Psalm 107:1 

God's Creation

And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. Genesis 1:9-11

In early September of this year, Steve and I spent a couple of days at our family cabin in the mountains outside of Denver. The cabin has been in the family for 62 years and is at 9,000 ft. I have wonderful memories of all those years.

As I was sitting on a large rock watching Steve on a ladder staining a section of the cabin, I started looking at the ground around me and all the trees (aspen, pine, etc.) I picked up small white quartz rocks from the ground and put them in a small bag. I then found and put in my bag small pinecones. The squirrels had not eaten all the seeds out of the cones. I then found an aspen tree with a few yellow leaves. This showed that fall was coming. Those leaves went into the bag. I brought my bag home with my treasures and have shared with others. I will keep these special objects to remind me of the cabin and part of God's creation.

This experience showed me to look always and see God's creation. God's creation is all around us and everywhere I go. Open our eyes and see it all the time. Thank God for the skies, waters, mountains, trees, flowers, rocks, and people.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for creation and remind us to see and be thankful. Amen.

Susan Taylor (reprinted from 2019)

Praise in Music

 Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. James 5:13

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

Music brings us together to share our joy and sorrow, to comfort us, to rouse our spirits, to celebrate, and to stir up memories. When we get together with friends of the same “era,” reminiscing about favorite tunes and lyrics tightens the bonds among us. I know a family of musicians who take their guitars and keyboards whenever they gather. Every family reunion is ended with a bittersweet singing of Edelweiss - “May the Lord, mighty God, bless and keep us forever.”

Although solos can be beautiful, the community created when a group of musicians perform is a unique experience. Just like athletes who feel a surge of energy when their team successfully defeats an opponent, choir and orchestra members feel their spirits soar when the climax of the finale is perfect. Individuals who previously had no connection come together to achieve a mutual goal.

Sacred music holds a special place in worship. Everyone has a specific hymn that is meaningful to them. When the initial notes rise from the piano or organ, the warmth of the familiar words and melody comfort us; we join in heartily and create a community of believers sending the message to God. Cantatas and oratorios pull us into the story they are telling. The opening chorus of Beethoven’s “Messiah” can send your heart beating in anticipation of the soaring solos and choruses to come. Whether it’s a traditional hymn written by John Wesley, a stirring gospel or spiritual, or a praise song sung with guitar accompaniment, the shared experience of joining with a congregation to sing affirms our membership in a community with shared beliefs.

A study reported in the Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging, found that adults who participated in religious music activities had a greater sense of purpose and meaning in life as well as reduced evidence of anxiety and depression than others who were not involved in spiritual music. Along with the spiritual benefits of music, it can improve our learning, concentration, memory, mental fitness, and reduce pain. The benefits of music affect people of all ages.  Involving and encouraging young children and teens to join a community of music lovers exposes them to the same benefits.

Prayer: Dear God, make us aware of opportunities to sing praise to you. As we join with the community of your believers, let us sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in our hearts to you. Amen 

Carol McClain (reprinted from 2024)