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)

Responding to a Call from God

 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

    before you were born I set you apart;

    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” 

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:4-10 

The call of God comes in mysterious ways! I think of a movie, “Field of Dreams,” in which Ray is called upon to build a baseball field in the middle of an Iowa cornfield at the peak of the farm crisis. The risk is that Ray will lose his house and farm. The word comes to Ray by way of a simple whisper to “Build it and they will come.” Or another to “Ease his pain.” Ray had to build the field! 

Additionally, Ray had to go find a writer who had written an article about one of the ball players. That journey was wrought with all kinds of adventure as well.  But Ray faithfully heeded the call and did what had to be done. On this journey, they pick up a young ball player who was meant to be part of this game as well.

Upon their return, they find the ball field completed and legendary players out in the field or at bat! Eventually, everyone is on board with the whole intent of the field, even those who were the “naysayers.” The climax is when Ray sees his own dad in the field and plays catch with him.

Cathy and I were at the Field of Dreams and found it to be a very meaningful experience to see the sight of dreams. A family was playing ball and I even went to bat, two strikes and a base hit!

This experience is of the profound impact and ultimate authority that the call of God can have on us. Ray had to build that ball field! Jeremiah had to respond to the call of God to be a prophet to Israel. The good news is that we have this unshakable call given to us – without excuse!  God will help us and give what we need to do that call in Jesus’ name!

Prayer: O God, let us listen and dare to trust that You have called us for something to do. What will it be? How will we know it’s Your call? Help us to listen, sense the direction of Your Spirit, and dare to say yes, without excuse, through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Rev. Dr. John J. Duling

Our Daily Bread

Give us this day our daily bread Matthew 6:11    

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." Matthew 26:26 

This week I set out to bake several loaves of bread in my bread machines. This is something I really enjoy from choosing the recipe from my multiple bread machine cookbooks, to putting the ingredients together, to smelling the wonderful aroma of fresh baking bread. Even better is giving them away to family and friends and people I barely know who need a bread hug.

In this process I realized the miracle of bread. How can so many variations of ingredients come out as wonderful bread? How do they all come together in the right consistency? What does yeast do? Why do they need salt and sugar?  I contemplated the thousands of years people of all different cultures have made versions of bread readily accepting the miracle that an edible result would happen. I remembered how the Jews fled Egypt and their bondage so quickly that their bread did not have time to rise and how they continue to recall and include this in their Passover celebrations after all these years. Even Satan tempted a fasting Jesus in the wilderness saying, "You can make these stones turn into bread".

I am sure a scientist could explain to me the chemical and biological reactions that take place during the making of bread, but I still find wonder in the miracle that makes it come out as bread. God has truly blessed us with the miracle of bread in our everyday lives. From our toast in the morning, the sandwich at lunch, and the rolls at special holidays together, this is a miracle we take for granted. Even at the last supper, Christ compared the breaking of bread to the breaking of his body and we celebrate after all these years his words along with bread during communion. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise you for your loving us so much that you give us the miracle of bread to nourish our bodies as well as our souls. As we pray "Give us this day our daily bread", help us remember your daily miracles around us and be grateful for all you have provided. Amen.

Nancy Hall

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. John 14:1

The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is over, so I expected things to calm down and mellow out in my life. Well, it’s late January when I am writing this and that hasn’t happened yet! Do you ever toss and turn at night like I do with too many things running through your head?  There’s family and work commitments, as well as all of those “extra-curricular” things going on like church, scouts, friends, various committees, volunteer work, and so much more.  It’s too much for any of us! Everywhere you turn there is helpful advice on how to manage all of this…just look at most magazines, many books, and lots of talk-show topics. But the Bible is very clear on this issue: We can only have true peace through Jesus. He needs to be number one on our “to-do list” each and every day.  

I think we can all agree that we need to down-size and stop over-extending ourselves. But even in the face of too many responsibilities we can have peace in our lives. The solution to our anxieties is so clear, but in our humanness, we continue to forget the important truth. Jesus died for us. He was blameless, but He took every single one of our sins upon Himself and washed them away with His blood on the cross. Whenever we think about that awesome truth it can help us to keep everything else, especially our earthly responsibilities, in perspective.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the most awesome and amazing gift of dying on the cross for me. I know that I don’t deserve Your grace and forgiveness, but You give it to me anyway. Help me to keep my life in perspective by keeping you at the center. I know that true peace is only possible through You. Thank you. Amen

Chris Boden (reprinted from the 2008 Eastridge Daily Devotion book, originally shared as a February devotion!)

The Christian Life

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, and from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3: 14-21

A city workman once discovered water flooding through a culvert where water did not ordinarily run. He was curious as to its source and started an investigation.  To his surprise, he found that a large water main had burst, shutting off water from hundreds of homes in one section of the city. He hurried to a telephone and tried to call the water company repeatedly, but all the lines were busy. All the lines were being taken up by exasperated homeowners berating the water company.  Meanwhile, the only person who knew the source of the trouble was barred from using the telephone.

Do we keep the lines between God and us so busy with complaints and requests that we cannot hear His voice? Our lives need to be purposeful through constant contact with His will for us. Let’s not let our busyness, preoccupation with our own lives or our selfishness keep us from constant contact with God or keep us from listening to Him when he speaks to us.

Prayer: Our Father, we do not pray for easy lives, but that we may be strong to “bear the strain of toil and fret of care.”  We do not pray for tasks equal to our powers, but for power equal to the tasks that are ours. Thus, each day shall new power and richness of life come to us, and we shall “more perfectly love Thee and magnify Thy holy name.” Amen

Gerry Draney (reprinted from the 2008 Eastridge Daily Devotion book)

Shaped By the Potter’s Hand

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot shaping it as seemed best to him.

Then the word of the Lord came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it.

“Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ Jeremiah 18:1-11     

I love the hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord,” written by Adelaide Pollard. Here is the story of that hymn.

Adelaide was discouraged. Living in Chicago she taught at several girls' schools. She was also recognized in the city for her admirable ability as an itinerant Bible teacher. Yet, she knew her real calling was to go to Africa as a missionary. A seemingly impossible task for she was unable to raise the money to fund the expedition.

One night, while walking the streets in contemplation, she stopped in on a prayer meeting. She listened to the very simple prayer of an elderly woman, whose words expressed the discontent in Pollard's own heart. The lady prayed, "It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord - just have your own way with our lives."

Returning home, Pollard kept thinking about the lady's simple prayer. This led her to study the story parable of the potter in the book of Jeremiah. She began reading, "Then I went down to the potter's house…" Before retiring for the evening, Pollard wrote the popular hymn, "Have Thine Own Way, Lord." Pollard did not make it to Africa in that year of 1902, but God continued to mold her into an outstanding teacher and evangelist for a ministry in Chicago.

This story of the hymn is personal from my ministry. A member’s daughter (Margi) was married to a pastor (Marvin) serving the Fort Madison Presbyterian Church, Fort Madison, Iowa. They were visiting First Presbyterian Church, Prairie City, Illinois, where I was pastor. We were going to sing this very hymn and Margi asks to speak about this hymn. By Margi’s account, Fort Madison was the hometown where Adelaide lived before she was in Chicago. Margi told the same story that I have shared. Now a strange twist in this is the last name of the Pastor - Rev. Marvin and his Wife, Margi Potter!

Just take a look at the 1^st verse: 

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the Potter, I am the clay:

Mould me and make me After Thy will,

While I am waiting, Yielded and still.

It concludes that what the Potter’s hand would form in us and mold in us is expressed by the concluding words that people would see “Christ only living in me.” 

Prayer: Lord God, Master Potter, may Your Hand graciously mold us and make us to Your will that we may be yielded and still. It is a life’s work that seemingly never ends. But may the result be that people will see “Christ only living in me.”  Amen

Rev. Dr. John J. Duling