Memorial Day

I thank my God every time I remember you ~ Philippians 1:3

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. Psalm 4:8 

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29: 11 

Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. Lamentations 3:21-25 

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. Psalms 33:20-22 

He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence. I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. 2 Samuel 22: 2-4 

Words from Isaiah

In repentance and rest is your salvation,

    in quietness and trust is your strength.

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;

    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.

For the Lord is a God of justice.

    Blessed are all who wait for him!

People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it. ~Portions of Isaiah 30

Daily Spiritual Exercise

In our current Wednesday morning bible study, we are reading Trevor Hudson's book, Discovering Our Spiritual Identity. In one week's lesson, Trevor shared the above, which was the result of his time spent with a Johannesburg monk studying the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius.

Donna Gustafson

Learning

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the Passover.  And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom; and when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.  His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him.  After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.  And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so?  Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”  And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me?  Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”   Luke 2: 41-49 (RSV)

This devotion was inspired by the windows in the sanctuary at Eastridge. The second window from the southeast corner illustrates the story of Jesus in the temple at age twelve. The youngster stands in the center of the window; three bearded rabbis hover to one side. His parents, who dominated the Nativity window and remained in the foreground in the Nunc Dimittis window, have now shrunk to tiny figures in the corner. Beneath Jesus’ feet is a lamp signifying scholarship.

What conclusions can we draw from this familiar story? The danger of making assumptions? Evidence of a strained relationship between parents and adolescent?  Jesus as a child prodigy? As a teacher I’m pleased to read that Jesus is described as listening and asking questions. All of us, including Jesus must learn what it means to be human. And for this we look to our history and literature, and the thoughts and writings of the wisest among us today, as well as those who have gone on before.  They provide us with the materials for our task.

Prayer:  Oh God of Wisdom, give us the joy of learning and the gift of discernment to see how you are working out Your purpose in the world today, and how we are called to participate.  Amen. 

Bill Wehrbein (reprinted from Eastridge Devotion book, 2008)

On Being Grateful

The wisdom of the learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure; and he that hath little business shall become wise.  Ecclesiastes 38:24

As a friend of mine wrote: “Isn’t it terrible how you can be fine one minute and brought low the next!”  In my case, the being “fine” was going about a morning’s work at home, twirling from one task to another, and the “brought low” was catching my rubber-soled shoes in the carpet and falling like a tree—hard and straight—across the footboard of the bed.  One trip to the emergency room for X-rays, two strong medicines, and reaction to those medicines later, I was 911’d to the hospital where I stayed for three days. That provided time to meditate on the unexpectedness of human life. It was also time to count one’s blessings.

Listening to the coughing and labored breathing, with the help of a swooshing and engulfing apparatus, of my roommate in the throes of emphysema, I was grateful for clear air passages. Hearing about the woman down the hall in a several weeks’ coma after surgery to remove a brain tumor, I was grateful for a clear head. As my vital signs returned to normal and as my wrenched back improved a bit each day, I was grateful for a “hopefully” temporary rather than permanent disarrangement of my system. Although there are easier ways to gain such wisdom than a trip to the hospital, it will suffice.

Prayer: Perhaps we all need some of Pollyanna in our attitudes; being glad for what’s there rather than pining for what’s not. Thank you for your many gifts to us—of life, of friends, of health sufficient for the day, which we often accept as a matter of course.  May we be aware and grateful.  Amen 

Ruth Ann Lyness (reprinted from Eastridge Devotion book, 2008)

Identities

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:9-13

As I was driving to work one day, I followed a vehicle with a personalized license plate reading “JENZ MOM.” Of course, little else in my life has given me more pleasure than to be known as “Gina’s mom,“ and “Matt’s mom,” and “Erin’s mom.”  But I began to think about my other identities: wife, daughter, sister, “in-law“…grandmother, aunt, cousin…friend, neighbor, colleague, citizen. 

As I pondered, I came to realize that my most important identity is that of Christian, a child of God. For ultimately, it is my understanding of God’s love and my relationship with Christ which form the thoughts, words, and actions that shape and define all my other relationships. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father,  it is an incomparable privilege to be a “Child of God.” We thank You for Your unfailing love and pray that we can be worthy members of Your family. Amen. 

Judith Keller, reprinted from March 2009

 

Wait on the Lord

 Lord, I wait for you; you will answer, Lord my God. Psalm 38:15