What's in a Name?

And they continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house . . . Praising God, and having favor with all the people, And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 2:46-47 KJV

Recently, I attended the funeral service of a friend here at Eastridge Church named John Wolfe. His wife, Catherine, is a member of another denomination so I had only met her a couple of times. My friend, Berna Stading, and I met Catherine when we went to visit John in his home after he was no longer able to attend church services. 

John was a very humble elderly gentleman and so friendly that all of us who sat in the same pew with him on Sunday mornings and those sitting in pews nearby became his friends. 

The Sunday before his 95^th birthday, I brought him a loaf of homemade bread and a few homemade cookies. The next Sunday instead of thanking me he said, “If you ever want to bring some more bread to me, I wouldn’t turn it down.” His comment set the pattern for our friendship.

Berna and I took homemade bread and cookies to his home when we visited him, but since we didn’t really know Catherine, we were never quite sure how our gifts were received.

Catherine didn’t remember us when we greeted her at John’s funeral service, until I mentioned that we were the ones who brought homemade bread to John. “Oh,” she said, “That was the best bread, you’re the ‘bread ladies’!” We were so pleased to learn that our bread and cookies had been a source of Christian caring and joy for both of them. 

What’s in a name anyway? Our names are Berna and Judy, but we loved being called the “Bread Ladies”! 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise you for bringing such wonderful friends to us as we worship You. They are just one of the many blessings you give us. Mostly, we praise and thank You for Your Son, Jesus the Christ, Our Living Bread. Even though He knows each of us by our names, He calls us His friends as He forgives us and saves us from our sins. It’s in His holy name we pray.  Amen 

Judy Welch

Shepherd Scripture from The Message

 God, my shepherd!

    I don’t need a thing.

You have bedded me down in lush meadows,

    you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word,

    you let me catch my breath

    and send me in the right direction.

 

Even when the way goes through

    Death Valley,

I’m not afraid

    when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd’s crook

    makes me feel secure.

 

You serve me a six-course dinner

    right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head;

    my cup brims with blessing.

 

Your beauty and love chase after me

    every day of my life.

I’m back home in the house of God

    for the rest of my life. Psalm 23

“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him. John 10:11-13

God, pick up the pieces.

    Put me back together again.

    You are my praise!

Listen to how they talk about me:

    “So where’s this ‘Word of God’?

    We’d like to see something happen!”

But it wasn’t my idea to call for Doomsday.

    I never wanted trouble.

You know what I’ve said.

    It’s all out in the open before you. Jeremiah 17:14-16

*all The Message paraphrasing

Words from Proverbs

Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble, Proverbs 3:23 NIV 

Words from Psalm 27

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 

Celebrating Juneteenth

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” – Isaiah 61:1

“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” – Amos 5:24

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8

Today we recognize Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday's name, first used in the 1890s, is a portmanteau of the words "June" and "nineteenth", referring to June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War.

For a fictional take on this historic event, read Paulette Jiles book, Simon the Fiddler.

For more information, click here: The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth | National Museum of African American History and Culture

Fishers of Men

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”.

Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 18-22 

Recently on a picnic by the lake, I observed two little boys, one about seven and the other about three. Their father was close by. All three of them were fishing. Dad had a nice rod and the boys both had children's rods. All of them were casting out into the lake and slowly reeling in their lines. Dad had a nice sideways cast and the boys’ casts mimicked dad's. The younger son usually cast only a few feet out but enthusiastically did so time after time. The older son kept trying to cast further out and of course dad cast out the furthest. Nobody was catching any fish when the smaller boy suddenly announced that he had a fish. Dad hurried over and lo and behold under a bunch of seaweed on the line there was a little fish. It was too small to keep so after holding the fish and touching it all over, the little boy threw it back. Over the next twenty minutes the smallest boy caught two more small fish which he returned reluctantly to the lake. The older boy and dad had switched over to using worms which were on the smaller boy's line. Finally it was time to go home for supper and they dragged their heels for about twenty minutes hoping to catch that last fish.

I was very impressed by the dad teaching his sons how to fish. He showed them how to stand on level rocks at the edge of the lake, how to cast further out, how to put lures or worms on the hook, how to take the fish off the hook, and how to hold the fish, identify it, and return it to the lake. Of course, a picture had to be taken of the fish. Dad remained patient and calm throughout this whole process and it was reflected in the boys patiently waiting to catch a fish. It was obvious the this was a precious time between dad and the sons.

I was reminded of the above Bible verse as well as the song "I Will Make You Fishers of Men" that I had learned at the Presbyterian Church Camp at Okoboji.  Jesus called the fishermen to make them fishers of men. He taught them patiently by using parables. He displayed his love for everyone - both Jews and Gentiles. He talked about God and the kingdom of heaven. He encouraged them to preach the gospel and take risks trying their new skills in healing and caring for others. Even though the disciples frequently did not get it, Jesus did not give up on them. This was a very precious time between Jesus and his followers.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the loving relationship you model between father and son. Thank you that we have the opportunity of sharing that love in our own families. Thank you for those who take the time to teach and learn from each other. Help us remember that Jesus loves us all and we should love one another. Remind us that we are to be fishers of men - sharing the gospel with those around us. Amen.

Nancy Hall

Words from Proverbs

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 3:3 NIV 

Temptations

Run from anything that gives you evil thoughts…but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right. 2 Timothy 2:22

Remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

Rick Warren in “The Purpose Driven Life” explains how to keep from sinning temptations and tells you “What on Earth Am I Here For?”

Refocus your attention on something else. Sin is won or lost in your mind.

Reveal your struggle to a godly friend or support group.

Resist the Devil. Don’t ever try to argue with the Devil. He’s better at arguing that you are, having had thousands of years to practice.

Realize your vulnerability. You are not exempt; you can fall flat on your face too.

God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it.

Be careful who you surround yourself with. Find godly friends that have the same goals as you do.

Indeed, we have a great high priest ever living to intercede for us at the throne of God. Hebrews 4:14 

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son (Jesus) to be the Saviour of the world. 1 John 4:14

Sandra Hilsabeck

Second Chances, New Beginnings

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

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

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

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

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

Carol McClain  

Words from Romans

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

Words from Psalm 130

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

Words from Job

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

Words from Hebrews

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

God's Umbrella

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

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

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

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

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

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

Words from Second Corinthians

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

The Apple of His Eye

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nancy Hall

Extending Sympathy

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

And the same verses from The Message:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Donna Gustafson (reprinted from 2022)

Summer Days

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