Devotional 11-20-09

The following are prayers taken from worship bulletins printed in the 1960's.

God our Father, forgive our sins, calm our hearts, and strengthen our faith. May Thy Spirit guide our paths by teaching us Thy will. Help us to grow in Thy grace through Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Adapted from a Worship Folder:

Our Father, forgiver of sin, healer of sorrow, vanquisher of death, draw us close. You are our salvation and our unending hope. Bring us into your Kingdom, transforming us into children of goodwill, builders of a world where righteousness shall reign, and the law of love shall triumph over hate and strife. Increase in us true devotion to you, nourish us with all goodness, and keep us steadfast through your mercy and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Adapted from the same Worship Folder:

Almighty and everlasting God, who is always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and who wants to give more than either we desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things we fear to even tell you. Give us those good things we are not worthy to ask. Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Thanks to Betty Long for the loan of her notebook of Worship Folders.
Adaptations made by Kim Matthews

Devotional 11-13-09

Having taught school for over for over twenty years before retirement, hundreds of students visited my language arts classroom. When I became ill in June 2007, I heard from many former students and also from some of their parents. Their kind words regarding time spent in my classroom while wishing me good health warmed my heart; however, Jimmy's words always caused a lump to form in my throat whenever I received his letters.

When Jimmy attended middle school, he was usually in trouble. He greatly annoyed most of his teachers by not doing his work, causing classroom disruptions, or fighting with other students. I vividly recall Jimmy being suspended from school for walking into the girls' dressing room while girls were changing clothes, and another time for setting fire to astroturf that was rolled-up in the school's courtyard. He was suspended many times for various violations; however, Jimmy never caused me any trouble; for some reason, unbeknownst to me, Jimmy liked me and I liked him.

As Jimmy grew older, he never quite figured out how to stay out of trouble. Due to committing a violent crime while under the influence of drugs, Jimmy presently resides in the Mount Olive Correctional Center in Mount Olive, West Virginia. Two years ago, when Jimmy heard I had cancer, he wrote to me telling me how much he appreciated my kindness to him, and that he was keeping me in his prayers. Jimmy found God in prison and has been involved in Christian fellowship and Bible study while serving his sentence. He continues to write to me from time to time and recently included the following poems he had written for my family and me.

Love Him Most of All

All ye lovers of the Lord
in all things great and small,
Give him thanks and sing his praise,
but love him most of all.
While we were yet sinners hopelessly lost,
walking this world alone,
Jesus visited this wretched world
leaving his heavenly throne.
He suffered, bled, and died for us
with pain no man could bear,
Bruising the serpent's head with his heel,
he proved that God really cares.
Upon his body he bore our sins
as his innocent blood was shed,
Doing for us what we could not do,
for we were all spiritually dead.
Now we've been quickened and made alive
by the only begotten son,
As long as you've accepted Jesus as Lord
and accepted the work that he's done.
So, all ye lovers of the Lord
in all things great and small,
Remember to thank him and praise his name,
but love him most of all.
(written April 3, 2009)



The Warrior's Call to Freedom

The warrior's call to freedom
is revealed in the blood of the lamb;
It is written by the hand of God
and delivered by the great I am.
It is carried across the ages
and heard by the great and small;
It bears the message of eternal peace
for those who will answer this call.
"Take up thy cross and follow me,"
the Spirit speaks to our hearts;
These resounding words of Jesus
from within us should never part.
Down in the valley of the shadow of death,
you can hear those words ring out;
Almost as though he's standing before you,
urging you further on up to the Mount.
Today is the day to answer this call,
please don't make the Master wait;
Answer the warrior's call to freedom,
for tomorrow may be too late.
(written September 19, 2009)
Hearing from Jimmy these past few years has blessed my life in so many ways. Although Jimmy's body is confined behind the bars of prison, his soul soars as he maintains a deep and trusting faith in God, our Father. Please join me in keeping Jimmy in our prayers.

Theo Tippett

Devotional 11-6-09

Radical Faith

Please read Mark 12:38-44

The second half of the Gospel reading from the lectionary this week is probably familiar to many of us. Jesus is sitting in the temple, watching as people place money in the treasury. A widow comes and deposits two copper coins, equal to about one penny. Jesus tells his disciples that she gave everything she had – “all she had to live on.” He contrasts that to the many people who had contributed out of their abundance.

What is it that the widow contributed? She gave a very small amount of money in the “grand scheme” of contributions given to the temple. For her, it probably represented all of her money. For her, it was not a “small” contribution.

But that’s not all she gave. She gave EVERYTHING. When she offered the two copper coins, she was offering them to God in faith. I imagine that she believed what she was doing for God was going to make a difference – what she was giving to God had POWER. Can you imagine that? Could you place yourself in her shoes and actually believe that giving a penny to God would make any kind of difference at all? That’s radical faith.

What difference DID it make? The gift of her faith brought her closer to God – it brought her the joy of living in relationship with her creator. When we step out in faith – when we take any kind of action that is in response to a call from God – we are brought closer to Him. I imagine it made a huge difference in her life, and I know it can make a huge difference in our own lives. Joy comes with radical faith in God.

Did the penny make any difference? When we step out in faith, and move to the calling of God, it’s not a stretch to believe that God gives our actions power. She might never have known how lives were changed through her penny; we may never know the consequences of our actions done in obedience to God, but we can believe that God knows, and that what he calls us to do in His name makes a difference to someone else.

Do you think the widow could have imagined that we would be learning from her actions, even today, over 2000 years later? Could she have dreamed that her donation of a penny – everything she had – would inspire you and me to faithful generosity?

What difference does it make? It makes all the difference in the world!

Kim Matthews

Devotional 10-30-09

All Saints Day

Mom and I were traveling north on I-79 earlier this week. It was a beautiful, crisp, fall day. The mountains in West Virginia were a glorious patchwork of deep brown, red, orange, yellow, and green. At times, when the sun was just right, it was almost too beautiful to be real. I’ve always loved this time of year. Growing up in the steep mountains of the southern West Virginia coal fields, I never took the beautiful fall colors for granted…I knew it was only a matter of a few weeks—less if there was any significant wind and rain—before the mountains would give up their colors for dreary gray.

There’s a melancholy in the autumn, too. We know that cold, dark, and gray are just around the corner. If we can hope past the winter, we know there’s a spring that waits to be bursting with fresh new colors.

Dad loved the autumn, too. We would go to Grandma Mitchell’s in Lewis County and gather nuts—hickory nuts, hazel nuts, butternuts, but especially the black walnuts. People can be divided into two categories: those who love black walnuts, and those who hate them. We loved them. My brother and I liked to climb up in the tree and shake the limbs to knock down the walnuts. We laughed at the dirty looks Dad would give us when he would walk under the tree thinking we were finished, only to get pummeled with nuts. It was all part of the game. We wore gloves to keep from staining our hands as we knocked off the outer hulls. Eventually, the stain would bleed through the gloves. Dad would spread the walnuts out on the garage floor to dry. After several days of drying, he would crack several at time with a hammer, and then, sitting in front of the television, begin the painstaking process of picking walnuts out of the shell. No one else had the patience for it. Fortunately, his patience paid off for all of us when we enjoyed the cakes and pies with the delicious unique black walnut flavor.

Dad loved autumn. Mom told me that as she stands at her rear window looking at the fall splendor, she can hear Dad’s voice saying how beautiful it is. She told me she caught herself saying out loud the other day, “I know it’s a lot prettier where you are, honey.”

What a great attitude! What a faith, and a hope in the resurrection! Mom knows and trusts God’s promise that death is not the end, but the beginning of something else, something better. “[H]e will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away. And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” Revelation 21:4-5.

Oh, when the saints go marching in;
Oh, when the saints go marching in!
Oh, Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in!

Jeff Taylor

Today’s Thought; Are you Blessed?

Please read:
Job 42:1-6, 10-17
Psalm 34:1-8 (19-22) (UMH 769)
Hebrews 7:23-28;
Mark 10:46-52

I was Blessed even before my birth. My Heavenly Father had a plan for me. Are you Blessed? I was Blessed with two loving, guiding and caring parents. Are you Blessed? I was and I still am blessed by the many loving and caring teachers and Pastors at Johnson Memorial UMC. Are you Blessed? I have been Blessed by God for guiding me to marry a loving, caring, thoughtful wife and mother of our children for thirty-eight years. Are you Blessed? We were blessed with three wonderful, caring and loving children and grand children. Are you Blessed? I was guided by God’s plan to a position of helping others in time of need. Are you Blessed?

Now you might feel that I am “tooting” my own horn but the purpose of this is not to show off the Blessings God has given me, but to guide you to think about the Blessings in your life. We all have been Blessed by the grace of God in many ways. Sometimes we just need to think about those Blessings.

Just like Job, God had a plan for him, and once Job listened to God and allowed God into his life he was Blessed many times over until the day he joined God in heaven.

You are Blessed!!!

Shalom
Fred Herr

Pray: God my Father in Heaven thank you so much for all that you have Blessed me with and help me to see those Blessings. Help me to use the talents, gifts and Blessings you have given me to help others. I pray this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen

Devotional 10-16-09

Share and Share Alike - Yeah Right!
Have you seen on TV or maybe in your own house the exercise where an item is to be divided (usually between children – each wanting the lion’s share) and the adult says, “One of you cut, the other gets to pick.”? This kind of ensures an equitable division of the booty. Growing up with one brother might seem to some as a prime opportunity to have worn, day and night, a custom made “selfish suit” with one brother always trying to outdo the other and always wanting the most, the best, the biggest, etc. I don’t remember it that way at all. Rob and I are two years apart in age and have always been nearly the same size. The size thing was great because we could share clothes. This meant more for both – Hmmm. All, that is, except for shoes! I don’t know whose big, flat feet I inherited, but my shoes were my shoes; as big as the box Rob’s came in. We never had to fight over food or treats and other than wanting what he had because he was older and cooler and I wanted to be cool too, I don’t remember us arguing about any of that ‘kinda stuff’.

We lost Mom is August. As her end drew near and during our time of honoring her life, the stories told and the memories shared opened my eyes. Mom was a “share-er.” It’s not that fighting or selfish behavior was forbidden; it’s that we just didn’t see it to know that it was a possible way to be. Mom’s mom, our Grandma Toby, was the same. She raised two daughters on her own. Financially strapped and continually moving from one small apartment to another, she only voiced one regret that I can ever remember hearing from her. During a cold winter’s bus ride one evening, she encountered a child on the bus. The child did not seem to be dressed warmly enough, and my grandmother always wished that she had given the child her coat.

Because Rob and I are named in Mom’s will, we have had to sign a certain number of documents.

I am glad that there are lawyers to keep all of these things straight, and I am equally glad that I am not one of them. The wording is fairly technical and, I am sure, universal. It contains the kind of language understood across the industry to keep everyone singing off the same sheet of music. There is one phrase in her will that although it is ‘legal-ese’, sounds so much like her. With regard to certain parameters, if Rob and I were to have to divide her property, it says, “Share and share alike.” I can just hear her; “You boys share that now, share and share alike.”

Mom was not actually a share-er; she was a give-er. She would not share her time, money, possessions, love -- she would give them to you and never expect anything in return. As my memories run like an endless reel of film, she always put others first. She would endure personal discomfort if it meant that you would be comforted. She would sit in a straight back chair next to your hospital bed so that you would not be alone. She would gladly give you the sweater she was wearing because you needed it or just because you commented on how much you liked it. She did not share and share alike. She gave and gave and gave. She found joy in making others happy.

A little boy cries out in the night, frightened from the storm outside his window. As his parents arrive he announces that he was scared to be there by himself. Trying to console him and at the same time not show any sign of agitation, they respond that he was not alone – that God was with him. He thinks for a moment and responds back that while that is all well and good he sometimes needs God with skin on. You do not have to travel far to run into WWJD. Bracelets, bumper stickers, tee shirts and even spray paint on a building wall. We read the Bible and go to church and study and speculate. In THIS situation, “What Would Jesus Do?” We hope we get it right. Sometimes in our lives (and we all know someone; or several someones) there is that person that is Jesus with skin on -- someone that lives the answer to the question.

In Mark 10:35-45 we read …the first among you must be slave of all. Mom lived her life with a servant’s heart. She was a great role model. and I am blessed to have known her, learned from her and been loved by her.

Steve Matthews

Devotional 10-9-09

Lectionary: Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31

What does it mean to have grace? Several months ago we heard in the Sunday sermon that we should choose grace over wealth, power, fame. Just how do we choose grace? What is the meaning of grace? This is a topic that causes me much contemplation, and has since my teen years when i heard about the man who sold all of his clothes except for one suit. He travelled wherever he was called, he represented his church, and he wrapped his life around the needs of the people in whatever situation he found himself. It was as difficult to imagine then as it is today. How easy is it for us to do God’s will?

In the lectionary reading for today in mark, the word is concerned with what we must do to have eternal life. First of all we must obey all of the commandments. Then Jesus tells us to sell all we have and give to the poor, and we will then have heavenly wealth. His request is for us to follow him. We can follow if he leads us with a good life; can we follow when the road gets rough?

Jesus said, “do you know how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom? It is easier for a camel to go thru a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”

The disciples ask, “Then who has any chance at all?”

Jesus replies, “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it”

Read in mark to get the rest of the story. Jesus has a promise for those who follow his request and then also a bonus.

I believe in God’s promise of good gifts, and I know of the burden of troubles that also come. We can rejoice in the gifts we receive which are hundreds of times more than we deserve to receive and thus we know that Jesus is the ultimate source of grace. So as Christians we choose to strive for this grace. Grace over wealth, power, fame. By the way, the bonus --eternal life.

God help me to show grace and mercy to those around me. Help me to have feelings of love enough that I can live my life with purpose, love and joy, and know that the love comes from the center of who I am. In God’s name I pray. Amen.

Marilyn Holleron

Devotional 10-2-09

Was Job the First Boy Scout?

Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and who feared God and shunned evil.

Psalm 26:1
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the Lord; I shall not slip.

When I first read the lectionary for today, I have to admit that the Boy Scouts of America was not the first thing that came to mind. However, the more I thought about the above scriptures, and as I tried to define the phrase, “I have walked in my integrity”, I remembered the Scout Law.
A few weeks ago I heard Luke Finley’s father (Luke is a scout in Johnson Memorial’s Troop 20) compare the virtues of Scouting and the Scout Law to the Ten Commandments at Luke’s Eagle Award Ceremony. The more I thought about the twelve points of the Scout Law, (It is one law with 12 points, and not 12 laws as all young Scouts are sternly reminded) I reflected upon the character of Job.
How would I describe a man who was “blameless and upright”?
As the Scout Law states: A Scout is Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.
I have omitted any discussion of Job’s cleanliness, since I did not see it specifically addressed in the Book. I have no doubt he was probably a very clean man, in both thought and action, given the circumstances he found himself in.
Neither did I find any discussion of Job’s cheerfulness, although I believe that he was as cheerful as one could be having lost all of your children, as well as your wealth, while afflicted with boils.
Clearly, Job was Thrifty. We are told in Verse 3 that he owned thousands of sheep, camels, oxen, donkeys and had many servants. One commentary that I read indicated that that much livestock was worth several hundred thousand dollars alone. A Scout is taught to work to pay his own way, and to help others. He conserves and protects natural resources.
He was Trustworthy, Loyal, Courteous and Kind. Apparently, he was known as the “greatest of all the people of the East," according to Verse 3. One does not receive that kind of praise without exhibiting traits of courtesy, kindness and trustworthiness.
However, what really sets Job apart is that he is brave, obedient, and most of all reverent. He steadfastly refuses to blame God for the horrible calamities that befell him. When his wife tells him to just “curse God and die," he responds that we should be willing to accept adversity, as well as good from God, and refuses to abandon his faith in the Lord.
So, in conclusion, the simple answer to the initial question posed is no. Job was not the first Boy Scout, but he “walked in his integrity," and in so doing, fulfilled all of the points of the Scout Law long before Baden Powell wrote the law that formed the foundation of his organization.

Lee Oxley

Devotional 9-23-09

The Prayer of Faith
“Is any of you in trouble or hurting? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” James 5:13-18

Add’l Lectionary readings: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22; Psalm 124; James 5:13-20; Mark 9:38-50

The passage from James reminded me anew of the power of connecting with God through prayer. The power of prayer is positively overwhelming. I have felt the comfort and reduction of anxiety when others have prayed for me. I have felt the reassuring presence of God in my heart when I have prayed. I have seen my patients visibly relax and begin to heal when they have been prayed for. I know that prayer connects us as we sing and as we worship, also. So why is it not more of a priority? Why isn’t prayer the first thing I think of rather than the 3rd or 4th?

I think one of the answers is that we operate too frequently under a false assumption that we can control the situation on our own. It is a habit that I have great difficulty in breaking. But, when I step out of the way, God has room to become my center—my guide. When I surrender myself to God, He fills me with the confidence of His control and I can begin to discern His plan.

The passage from James also helped me recall the story of Elijah. I have had the privilege of singing all and parts of the oratorio “Elijah” by Mendelssohn. One of my favorite passages is in a trio “Lift Thine Eyes”—“Lift thine eyes to the mountains, whence cometh help. Thy help cometh from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” This trio is followed by a wonderful chorus: “He watching over Israel, slumbers not nor sleeps.” We need not worry whether God is listening or available to our prayers, He desires the connection with us no matter the hour or circumstance. The “glitches” we experience in connecting with God are usually on our end of the line, not God’s.

James also gives us another key to the power of prayer. It is that faith can make all the difference. Praying for each other believing that God will answer the prayer according to God’s rich tapestry of a plan changes the perspective of the prayer. We relinquish the selfishness of the prayer when we pray that God will provide according to God’s plan. Faith is the ingredient that helps us wait for an answer, to allow the plan to unfold, to understand an answer to prayer that is different from what we expected, and to open our hearts and minds to actually listen for the answer. Great and glorious words are not required. Special places, lighting, times or circumstances are not needed. One need not study or secure any advanced education to begin the conversation. God requires that we just ask (and it will be given), seek
(and we will find) and to knock (and the door will be opened).

Dear Great and Wonderful Provider of All Things: We ask today that you grant us the faith needed to begin our quest for you through prayer. We ask that you help us to surrender our faulty will to Your divine plan and deliverance. We also ask that you continue to guide us to more open two-way communication. Help us to listen more and talk less. Help us to pray more often and to make prayer a priority and center of our daily walk. We pray for all these things knowing that we are unworthy. We thank you for this magnificent connection and always for your loving care. Amen.

Chyrl Budd

P.S. I also recommend that you read the whole book of Esther. It won’t take long and it will be a blessing to you. She was a brave and faithful servant of God.

Devotional 9-18-09

AN AMAZING WOMAN

One of the lectionary readings for this day is Proverbs 31:10-31 wherein are extolled the many virtues of a righteous woman whose price is far above rubies. I have heard of multi-tasking but this woman multi-tasks to the nth degree.

She feeds her family well (gets up early to do it), pays the utility bills, sews and knits, buys property and works it (a vegetable garden maybe?). She dresses well and her family's clothes are always ready for the bad weather season (no hunting all over the house for the missing boots). She is wise and kind, trustworthy and generous, and finds time to volunteer to help the needy and she also makes and sells items. What a gem to have on the Bring & Buy Sale Committee. Of course, this wonderful woman is never idle and needless to say her husband is held in high regard in the town where they live.

I feel exhausted just writing about her. On the other hand many of us carry as heavy a workload with our day jobs, our families, our extracurricular and volunteer activities. Maybe that is why the second lectionary reading is Psalm 1, a favorite of mine, especially v.3, "....shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (KJV). Isn't that refreshing! Each one of us experiences times when we feel worn out, that we simply can't do another thing. Turn to Psalm 1 and drink of the water of His Word, make a time when no matter how short we can remember that the LIGHT of God surrounds us, the LOVE of God enfolds us, the POWER of God protects us, the PRESENCE of God watches over us. Wherever we are God is there to bear us up and renew our strength (ISAIAH 40:31).

Jean Dean

Devotional 9-11-09

Searching for God’s Voice and Love

Have you heard God’s voice? At the same time you are searching for God, he is speaking to you. Billy Graham

I read these words and they struck me because I was searching for God and for answers at a very difficult time in my life. I did not hear God’s voice, much less thought he was speaking to me, or even cared about me. While praying for guidance one day, I realized that HIS voice came through the people he sent into my life. HIS voice came through church members who prayed; HIS voice came from our minister at the time who came to visit my family; HIS voice came from family members; HIS voice came from my next door neighbor who took me to her bible study, However, the most amazing voice of all came from an individual, whom I hardly knew. Through God’s grace and intervention, she just happened to be looking for a prayer partner and now has become a good friend.

For the past two years my friend and I have been getting together once a week for prayer sessions. We get together to pray for people we love, family members, friends, church, country, neighbors. This has been a very special time for both of us. We have a little ritual. Before we invite Christ into our hearts, we light the Christ candle, we have a cup of tea, and we read a devotion out of our devotional for that day. Then we take turns praying for the people, problems, hopes, and dreams that we have written on our lists. We have shared personal stories, happiness, disappointments, but also have given praise for the good things. Looking over these past two years, some of our prayers had been answered, others not. Unlike my friend who is passionate about her love of Christ, her faith, and who never questions God’s love, my faith waivers when my prayers are not answered, at least not when or the way I want them to be answered. We have had discussions about this issue; as to why I felt that God listens to other people more than he listens to me and answers prayers faster for others than for me. My friend always puts my mind at ease by assuring me that God does not work this way; that we must strive to keep our faith no matter what the outcome and never give way to skepticism since such feelings will interfere with our communication with HIM.

Thinking about this, I came across the following quote from “The Language of Prayer” (talk about hearing God’s voice): “Trust in your Faith and know that because of it you will receive answers to your prayers.”

We have to believe that God answers prayers in HIS time and accept the fact that it is not always what we hope or expect. We have to make time to hear HIS voice. In one of the devotionals that my friend and I read, there were the following words:

Fix your heart and mind on me, that you may hear what I have to say to you. When diverting thoughts intrude themselves, send them away promptly without paying attention to them. Return in heart and mind to me, for I desire to hold fellowship with you. Yes, I know you are unworthy and unfit for this. I am acquainted with your faults, even better acquainted with them than you are. But you do not yet grasp the debt of my merciful heart or the largeness of my heart...We still have a long way to reach that goal, but I haven’t given up.

What beautiful words these are that speak of God’s love. He is with us always in good times or in bad and HIS voice can be heard by us in many different ways if we but open our hearts and believe that HE will never give up on us.
Gisela Kemper

Devotional 9-4-09

“There but for the grace of God go I”. I have heard and said that saying all of my life, but I don’t think I ever put the right spin on that saying. It always made me a little uncomfortable. (I was raised a Presbyterian, so I have that predestination thing lurking in my subconscious.) I always thought it wasn’t quite fair that God had spared me from whatever horrible situation that someone else was enduring. Did God save me from being in that position? Did He love me more that that person? Of course not. Was I a better Christian than them? Definitely not! So why did they have to endure this and not me? When I read Psalm 124 I had my epiphany. We all have our trials to endure and find our way through. The grace is not that God has spared us, but that God is there beside us, guiding and sometimes carrying us through. All we have to do is open ourselves up to Him and ask for that help and guidance. There but for the grace of God go I-alone to face the world.

Margaret Williams

Devotional 8-28-09

Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.--Galatians 6:2

"Sir, you wish to serve God and go to heaven. Remember you cannot serve Him alone; you must therefore find companions, or make them: the Bible knows nothing of solitary religion."--John Wesley, founder of Methodism

"We are family, I've got all my sisters with me." --1979 song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers

Community

In the past month I've had the privilege of sharing in a joyful celebration and a time of sorrow with members of my Sunday School class. We had a bridal shower for the daughter of one of our families who remarked that we had all helped raise her. Just a little over a week later we served an after-funeral meal to the family and friends of other members who had lost their mother. In both instances, our diverse group of individuals came together in love and friendship to share in our friends' joys and sorrows. We are "family" to each other.

When I was twenty-something, I was helping out in the church kitchen and an older lady remarked that she had made more friends in the kitchen than in the pews. As I have grown older her words ring truer and truer.

Are you familiar with Toby Keith's song, I Love This Bar? (Stay with me, I'm not trying to corrupt anyone!). Here's the chorus:

I love this bar
It's my kind of place
Just walkin' through the front door
Puts a big smile on my face
It ain't too far, come as you are
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

Every time I hear that song, I want to substitute the word church in place of bar. It doesn't rhyme, but it tells how I feel about my church and my church family.

If you don't have a church family I urge you to find one, otherwise you are cheating yourself out of one of God's greatest blessings, the gift of community.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 8-21-09

Mark 11:20-23: "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. (NIV)

God is the Lord of this creation. God is sovereign over all things. No structure, no creature, no object or being my act or be still without God's allowing it to be so. Jesus anticipation that the mountain will respond to our command is not based on the size of one's faith but on the God to whom faith looks. This is why the discourse begins with the command "Have faith in God!"
But what can be said for the figurative mountain that simply will not move? What can be said for the individual who finds himself or herself faced with such a mountain in the form of some circumstance or trial? What can be said for that situation when, despite every protest or proclamation hurled against it, the obstacle in a person's life will not simply go away?

Could it be that the mountain is not moving because it has not accomplished God's intended purpose? Could it be that in the course of doing God's bidding, the mountain has some service to render to you?

In the Hebrew Bible, Our Father (who art in Heaven) is often called "El Shaddai", generally translated in the Christian Bible as "God Almighty." But "El Shaddai" also makes reference to the old perception of God as the "God of the Mountains". Time and again from Moses to Elijah, even on down to Jesus and the Apostles, God is met in intimate, mysterious, and supernatural ways in the mountains. I imagine that such is the experience of the modern-day mountain climber. Even if she or he does not recognize or name the presence and proof of divinity in their experience, I still suspect that the divine encounter is what keeps them climbing peak after peak. Relying on God to help us to overcome our own seemingly immovable obstacles has the same potential for divine encounter.

Now God's strength and companionship may manifest supernaturally or they may come in the appearance of your church family, a close friend, even a total stranger that provides something in the way of a word or a deed that gives you the strength to move forward. And you keep climbing...and God is with you. Progressing in this way, eventually you find that you no longer need the mountain to move because you find that you are on top of it! And as a result you are standing higher than you ever have. In moving higher up the mountain you have moved deeper into the presence of the God upon whom you relied in order to get there.

It may be that the mountain in your life that won't move is God's way of trying to get you to a fresh or deeper encounter with God Almighty.

Joe Hill

Devotional 8-14-09

It is amazing to contemplate the extent to which Jesus is able to meet he needs of everyone in every conceivable situation. Also it is astounding to find the wide diversity of expressions as to the nature of Jesus. He is described in the language of almost any of the many interests of humanity.

TO THE ARTIST: He is the One altogether Lovely.
TO THE ARCHITECT: He is the Chief Corner Stone.
TO THE BAKER: He is the Living Bread.
TO THE BANKER: He is the Hidden Treasure.
TO THE BIOLOGIST: He is Life.
TO THE BUILDER: He is the Sure Foundation.
TO THE CARPENTER: He is the Door.
TO THE MEDICAL WORLD: He is the Great Healer.
TO THE EDUCATOR: He is the Teacher.
TO THE ENGINEER: He is the New and Living Way.
TO THE FARMER: He is the Sower and Lord of the Harvest.
TO THE FLORIST; He is the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon.
TO THE GEOLOGIST: He is the Rock of Ages.
TO THE HORTICULTURIST: He is the True Vine.
TO THE JUDGE: He is the Righteous Judge.
TO THE JEWELER: He is the Pearl of Great Price.
TO THE LAWYER: He is the Advocate and Law-giver.
TO THE NEWS MAN: He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
TO THE OCULIST: He is the Light of the Eyes.
TO THE PHILANTHROPIST: He is the Unspeakable Gift.
TO THE PREACHER: He is the Word of God.
TO THE SCULPTOR: He is the Living Stone.
TO THE SERVANT: He is the Good Master.
TO THE STATESMAN: He is the Desire of all Nations.
TO THE STUDENT: He is the Incarnate Truth.
TO THE THEOLOGIAN: He is Author and Finisher of our Faith.
TO THE TOILER: He is the Giver of Rest.
TO THE SINNER: He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World.
TO THE CHRISTIAN: He is Savior and Lord.

What is Jesus Christ to me?

What is He to you?

One has written and we sing:
Jesus is all the world to me;
My life, my joy, my all.
He is my strength from day to day;
Without Him I would fall.

Written by Rev. Samuel B. Cunningham
Pastor at Johnson Memorial UMC as the sixties began

Submitted by Betty Long

As an extra, Anita Farrell shared this memory of Rev. Cunningham: He lived near the park and grew flowers, especially chrysanthemums. It was not unusual to come in on Sunday mornings and find he had placed flowers in every classroom.

Devotional 8-7-09

Follow the Outline
Please read Philippians 3: 1-21

Chances are, you know a retired man in your neighborhood whose lawn is the envy of everyone else’s. In the Beverly Hills neighborhood of Cross Lanes, my dad was that guy. He mowed twice a week, properly followed a fertilizer schedule, and kept his shrubbery perfectly trimmed. Last summer, when Dad at age 79 gave up the regular mowing to a lawn service, he continued to do his own edging and trimming. We joked that it was because no one else could do it to his satisfaction. It was true, though; no one else could do it as well.

After Dad’s sudden death in May, Mom agreed to let me assume responsibility for Dad’s shrubbery. We both knew I would not do it as well, but someone would have to do it; it might as well be me. About a week after the funeral, I showed up at Mom’s to take care of the hedges. She showed me where he kept the tools and left me alone for my task.

I had not anticipated what an emotional experience it would be to trim Dad’s hedges. As I began to pick up the larger hedge trimmer (he used two: one for the rough cut and the smaller one for finishing and shaping) and began to unwind the electric cord, I was overcome with sentimental feelings. Dad always fussed at the way I wound my extension cords. I wrapped them tightly from hand to elbow, while Dad was more fastidious, making big sweeping loops and taking care to get all the twists out. I thought to myself as I looked at Dad’s cord, the way he left it…it’s never going to be the same.

As I got to work with the trimming though, first with the forsythia, I found that it was beginning to look pretty good. Dad took such good care of his plants, I discovered that all I really needed to do was cut back the new growth, and it looked (almost) as if Dad had done it himself. When I finished the first group of forsythia that create a privacy hedge in the back yard, I realized that Dad had left a great outline for me to follow.

Following Dad’s outline worked around front with the boxwoods, hollies, and junipers, too. What a gift Dad left by providing an outline for me to follow. I never would have imagined that I would be able to get the perfect round or square looks that were a source of pride to him. All I have to do, though, is follow the outline.

Trimming the hedges each few weeks has given me some time not only to visit with Mom and help her out, but also to experience a time of spiritual connection with my father. I can imagine him smiling as I get each shrub down to the perfect outline he left. And I chuckle at what he might be thinking as I wind his electric cord tightly between my hand and elbow.

In Philippians 3:17 Paul urges us to provide a good outline for those who will come behind us.

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.”

In lawn care and life, I cannot measure up to the example my dad established for me…but I’m getting better.

Dear God, thank you for the lives of the saints who showed us how to live and love. May their example encourage us to live lives that are pleasing to you, so that those who come behind us find us faithful. Amen.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 7-30-09

Coming into Wal*Mart – the Back Way

Wal*Mart – now, there’s a love-hate relationship. I am in complete agreement with BOTH sides of the debate; yes, I think that they are too powerful and that they have run smaller businesses into the ground, and yes, I think that they have really good prices on a whole lot of things. Complicating this matter is the fact that the Wal*Mart Corporation built, several years ago, a store the size of O’Hare airport about a mile from our house. Throw into the mix that we are both working parents, both kids are in school, all of us are involved in outside activities and tell me now – what is convenience worth? To kick it up a notch, I can get to this particular Wal*Mart without having to go on what the country folk use to call, “the hard road.” I can travel Norwood Road to the intersection called Crossroads then get on Norway Avenue and travel right to the Wal*Mart property and come in the “back way.” Had I chosen to come via the front drive, I could have experienced a four lane state-supported highway. It has clearly marked lanes, a center turn lane to smooth out stopped traffic, a right turn lane that allows for slowing without hampering those coming behind. Well, golly gee whiz, the access point even has one of those new fangled gizmos called a traffic light. Red, yellow, green; you go then I’ll go > wow, how polite. It’s kind of like the instruction book that comes with an appliance or a toy. Do this, then do that.

As wonderful as all of this instruction is I still insist on coming in the back way. Traveling east towards the drive brings me to a “way-too-short” turn lane. As I prepare to make my left, I then get to play chicken with the oncoming cars that are going to come flying around the retaining wall of one million blocks (they are probably afraid it’s going to fall on them) and hope I make it, with my paint intact, on site. Now that I’m in, where do I go? I’m at Wal*Mart but not where I should be. I’m in no man’s land. No lines, no signs saying “Go This Way,” no signal light and most likely an obstacle or two – a delivery truck bringing merchandise or fork lift moving it from point A to point B. In other words, I think I’m where I need to be but I have no clear direction.

So it is too often with my faith. I believe in God but I have a lot to do, you know. So I say a little prayer before meals, I pet a puppy, I smell a flower, and I say “Thank you for my blessings, what a wonderful world.” I have just come to God the back way. His Word is a paved highway complete with signals, arrows and signs. In the beginning God…no other Gods before me…where two or more are gathered…love your neighbor…feed my sheep.

Turn right here.

Steve Matthews

Devotional 7-24-09

A Day of Miracles


John 6:1-13



The crowd was thick.
Anticipation was heavy in the air,
Carried on the heat of the day,
And on the wings of the flies.
Something was about to happen.


Philip stood next to Andrew,
His eyes squinted against the sun.
"He wants us to feed all of these people."
They looked out over the crowd.
A sea of faces.
Expectant and hungry.
Hungry for bread.
Hungry for the Bread of life.
He looked at the coins in his hand,
And said, almost to himself.
"He asks the impossible,We do not have enough."
Philip left to speak with Judas,
Still shaking his head.


Andrew stood at the edge of the crowd,
Feeling the weight of scarcity.
A small boy, who had been standing nearby,
Came to him, and tugged on his robe.
He held up his basket, grungy and dirty.
He said, "I have this.Will it be enough?
You can have it all."
Setting it down at Andrew's feet,
He looked up.
He was missing teeth,
But his smile was complete.
Andrew smiled back,
Patted the boy on the shoulder,
And thanked him,
For his food,
And for his generous spirit.


After the boy ran off to rejoin the crowd,
Andrew picked up the basket.
He always took everything to Jesus --People, questions, fears.
He supposed this was no different,
Although he felt like a fool.
Shaking his head as he argued with himself,
He carried the basket to where Jesus sat.
"A boy gave me this.
Five loaves, two fish,
I know it's not nearly enough."


Jesus smiled at Andrew,
And told him to have everyone sit down.
They shared the field,
They shared in thanksgiving.
They shared the food.
They all were part of a miracle.


When everyone had been fed,
Jesus had one more transformation to perform.
He sent his disciples into the crowd,
So that they could be changed.
So that their small faith, their attitude of scarcity,
Could be enlarged by witnessing abundance.
What had been small,
had been changed to excess.
What had been the generosity of a boy,
What had once been the seed of love,
Had born the fruit of a miracle.
Where the disciples had seen the impossible,
Jesus had shown them more than enough.


It had been a day of many miracles.


Kim Matthews

Devotional 7-17-09

Blessed, I have always felt that I was blessed being born into the Christian family that I was. I found this devotion in a book, The Power of Thanksgiving, 2008 by Barbour Publishing, Inc. I believe Cindy and Larry Stickler gave one to each of the choir members. They often gave special and seasonal gifts. What a blessing.

I would like to share the following from the book with you.

Blessed

Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Psalm 96:6

Take time to be quiet and think about the good things God has done for you. Look at both the good times and the bad times in proper perspective. We are loved by a God of all creation, the Master of all eternity. He has made us important by His love for us. Think of how wonderful this love is. We have no way to comprehend this kind of love and attention. It is well that we take time to contemplate all these things. All honor and glory belong to the Lord, who loves us so much. By entering into His presence, we come to know just how very blessed we are.

Who am I, Lord, that You take notice of me? I cannot believe that You love me the way You do. Though I don't understand, I do accept Your gracious love, and I am thankful from the depths of my soul, Amen

Kay Lewis

Devotional 7-10-09

Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. --Proverbs 30:4 &5

Steve

On a spring day in 2007, I ran into my friend Steve Ferguson at CVS. I met Steve and his wife Bea years ago when our older sons played youth soccer. One Saturday after a game, a couple of their boys came home to play with mine, and we've been friends ever since. Eventually, the Fergusons had six children. Steve used to joke, "When they leave home, we're going to move and not leave a forwarding address." Of course, that didn't happen and the Ferguson home was always the center of activity for their extended family. We had not seen each other in a while and started catching up. He said he had seven grandchildren. I said, "Oh, my! I only have one and I am so wrapped up in her. Her mother is expecting another baby and I worry how I will make room for it. How do you spread yourself out among seven?" He simply replied: "You just get wrapped up in every one of them."

The following winter I got a call that Steve had passed away. He had some health issues, but no one realized he was sick enough to die. At the funeral, his pastor told how he had built a stage in their church basement for their Christmas pageant just a few months before. She had remarked that it would be nice if they had some sort of platform and the next thing she knew, Steve had organized some of the men of the church and they were carrying in lumber and tools and built not just a platform, but a real stage. "He built a stage," she said again and again, using it as a metaphor for living a good life. He took care of his family, he was a friend to all, he was a pillar of his church, he built a stage!

His words, "get wrapped up in every one of them," will always stay with me. As anyone who has more than one child or grandchild knows, your heart and your lap find room for the additional children. But I think his words go farther. We can get wrapped up in more than our blood relatives; in being a true friend to neighbors near and far, in causes, like fighting for justice, in spreading beauty and protecting the earth, in searching for God's purpose for our lives. We are wrapped in the loving arms of God, and we can build a stage!

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 7-3-09

Free
Fourth of July weekend. Fireworks. Stars and stripes. Independence Day. Flag flying high. Freedom. It all paints a picture in our minds, doesn’t it? You have freedom as our society defines it. You are free to speak your mind, to worship as you believe, to travel as you wish. All of that is precious and wonderful.

Picture something else for just a moment.

When he came to Nazareth , where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:16-19)

What holds you captive? Is it fear of failure? Is it the heaviness of sin? Is it worry about rejection? Do you think you do not have the gifts you need to do what God is calling you to do? Are you trapped in a relationship that isn’t healthy? Does loneliness weigh upon your heart? Is anger your companion? What keeps you from the freedom of life in Christ?

Perhaps it is time to declare your dependence upon God. Could it be that you need to hear his proclamation of release?

Hear the good news. You are free from sin, from anger, from fear. You are no longer captive to those burdens that threaten to overwhelm you. You are loved and set free by grace. God has set you free.

You're free to dance
Forget about your two left feet
And you're free to sing
Even joyful noise is music to Me
You're free to love
'Cause I've given you My love
And it's made you free
I have set you free!

(Chorus from Free by Ginny Owens)

Kim Matthews

Devotional 6-26-09

My dad, Floyd Taylor, died on May 15. He lived 80 healthy years and suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke a week before his death. Dad was kind, loving, and fair. He knew something about everything. If he didn’t know it, he could fake it pretty convincingly. He was a family man and a servant of God. He loved his church, Cross Lanes United Methodist Church. He was a prolific writer for his church’s newsletter. A humble man, he preferred to challenge his readers from behind the scenes, using the “Anonymous” pseudonym. Often, his writings found their way into these devotionals—anonymously. At the visitation and funeral, I heard from many of Dad’s former co-workers, neighbors, church friends, the yard man and others about how Dad had touched them. Karyn Stagg, a church friend of my parents, shared the following story with me and then wrote the article for the Cross Lanes United Methodist Church newsletter. She gave me permission to include it here.—Jeff Taylor

I wanted to pray over Floyd. He must have prayed over me instead.
No one really had a chance to say goodbye to Floyd Taylor. Not only was he not sick, he seemed as healthy as a horse. It was a devastating loss not only to Floyd’s family, but to our church family. Like everyone, my husband, Alan, and I were also distraught. When the prayer call came, Alan was on his way to Pittsburgh. I called to let him know Floyd was in ICU, and he called three times to get updates. You see, we are ushers and Floyd was the Universal Usher Extraordinaire. Some would call him Head Usher, but he was much more than that. It will be difficult to walk into the church without Floyd’s updates—his smiles—his kindness—his willingness to find substitutes when you forgot it was your ushering month and had planned a vacation! Floyd “covered” for a lot of people. Organizing the ushers wasn’t Floyd’s only church activity: he also oversaw the liturgists and wrote “anonymous” articles for the Newsletter. Most don’t know that he was initially involved in the Prayer Shawl Ministry, an off-shoot of the Prayer Committee, which I serve. Soon after the Prayer Shawl Ministry was started, shawls were sent to Floyd and Gerry’s son-in-law, Michael, and daughter, Janice Kruger. Michael had developed a devastating illness. Floyd wrote a beautiful short verse regarding the shawls; a piece we read when we deliver and before we pray for eh recipients. (Read it below). Now the Prayer Shawl Committee planned to deliver a shawl to him. Our talented knitters make beautiful shawls; it’s a special ministry and it’s a privilege to deliver them. And this was one shawl I absolutely wanted to deliver. But, life doesn’t always work the way we plan. Floyd was faltering and the shawl had to be delivered immediately. As things go, I couldn’t be there. Thankfully, Floyd got the shawl, but I was disappointed I couldn’t pray over him (and Gerry) before he departed to Heaven. As I dressed for Floyd’s wake, I went to my closet to choose a jacket. For some bizarre reason, I chose a wool one I hadn’t worn in a couple of years and really don’t like! It was too heavy for the recent weather and I had better choices. Why wear this? I thought as I put it on. However, when I slipped my hand into the pocket, my reason for choosing it became apparent: there I found Floyd’s handwritten verse carefully folded. I hadn’t seen it since he wrote it and since I had copied it onto my computer to give to our committee. Awed, I read it anew and put it back in my pocket before heading to the funeral home. I had wanted to pray over Floyd, but it appeared he was one step ahead of me. As the tears fell, I could see Floyd standing next to Jesus with a smile on his face! “It’s okay, Karyn. We’ve got you covered.”………….We miss you Floyd.

Karyn Stagg

Floyd’s Verse
Prayer shawls are a ministry of the Cross Lanes United Methodist Church. Each shawl becomes a consecrated enduring gift for a child of God faced with difficult challenges. It is prayerfully handcrafted to a length approximating the length of the outstretched arms of an adult. While the artistry is the work of a few, the gift is from the congregation. When you place it around your shoulders, know that you are being embraced by a host of God’s people who regularly lift you up in prayer.

Devotional 6-19-09

Special Invitation: Please join us as the Africa University Choir presents a concert at Johnson Memorial UMC this Saturday, June 20, at 7:30pm. The church is located on the corner of 5th Avenue and 10th Street in downtown Huntington. We would love to see you there!

If Huntington is too far away, the choir will be at the Clay Center in Charleston tonight (7:30), St Paul's UMC on Friday (Parkersburg, 7:30pm), Lewisburg UMC, 2:30pm and Beckley Temple UMC, 7:30pm on Sunday. For more information, go to http://www.wvumc.org/.

THANKS GOD FOR FATHERS

Lectionary Scriptures: 1Samuel 17: 1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49; Psalm 9: 9-20; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4: 35-41

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10.

My first job after college was as a house-parent at Burlington Home for Children and Youth. I will never forget the instructions my husband and I received at one of the first training sessions. Rev. Andy Agnew, the administrator, was sharing about some of the attitudes and background we could expect from the children and teens who lived in this community. He related that we should not be too quick to “preach” our beliefs, especially religious ones, as the kids frequently did not have the background or framework to understand. He stressed that we needed to be “living examples” of how to live and relate to others. As a way of giving us examples of what to say or not say he related an exchange he had had with one of the teens. The teen had asked what God was like. Rev. Andy explained that God was like a father who provided and cared for us. The teen responded that if God was like his “ole man”, he didn’t want anything to do with him. Fortunately, Rev. Andy related, he was able to “back-up” and re-form an answer about the nature of God that the teen could eventually accept. Rev. Andy’s life and actions also matched what he said so that the teen was eventually able to accept a relationship with God in his life.

God is made real to us in and through the lives of others—we can find our way on the path by following the light of those who let God’s light shine through them. God can use all his followers to be blessings to others, but we have to sometimes be willing to leave our comfort zones to answer the call.

This Father’s Day weekend, I have been remembering the lessons I have learned from Rev. Andy and some of the other Godly men that I have been privileged to know and love. I hope you will join me in celebrating all the men who serve God so faithfully

Thank God for men who:
- serve Him without regret or embarrassment
- cook and or serve meals for the needy
- assist people to keep their appointments
- wash dishes and clean up after a church meal
- faithfully bring their families to church and stay to worship with them
- open their wallets for the needy and support the church and other worthy projects
- sing with abandon and joy
- pray with us and for us
- teach Sunday School classes
- love their wives and children and nieces and nephews and in-laws, etc. without counting the cost
- freely share smiles, hugs and support when needed
- serve the church as called on committees and other projects
- are not afraid to share their emotions to express what God means to them
- allow God to shine through their lives in any number of ways

I know I could go on and on—but the sentiment is “THANKS!!” for all the large and small ways that each of you serve God. Every time you are faithful, the universe changes for the good. May your lives continue to be led by His Word and may you always know that God holds you in a warm embrace and is thankful for your stewardship. In the same way your friends give thanks for you, God rejoices in you and “calls you by name” and joins me and a host of others in an anthem of thankfulness.

Chyrl Budd

Note: For more information about Burlington United Methodist Family Services, go to: http://www.bumfs.org/.

Devotional 6-12-09

JUDGING
"The Lord doesn’t look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” Samuel 16:7 NIV

The first (of many) lessons I learned when I started working retail was not to judge someone by their appearance. There are many stories around town about lost opportunities because someone didn’t think the customer looked prosperous enough to warrant their time. They judged them by their outward appearance. We all make that mistake. We not only judge how other people look, we judge how they raise their children, how they treat their spouse, how they spend their money, their time, how they live their life. You name it, we judge it. It makes us feel better about ourselves-superior. We know how everyone else should live their life. When we are busy judging others we don’t have time to look very closely at our own life.

But, we don’t have all of the information or the wisdom we would need to judge fairly. We can only judge from the outside. There is so much that affects the way we behave--family background, physical problems, mental problems, chemical imbalances, etc. Medical science has made great strides, but there is still so much that is not known or understood--even by professionals--much less by us looking from the outside in. But God understands. He judges from the inside. He knows us to the depth of our being and judges us from that perspective.

We are not called to judge. In fact, we are warned against criticizing others. In Matthew 7:1-2 NIV, Jesus says, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured you.” Now that's scary! Maybe the next time we catch ourselves judging others we need to stop and take a minute to think of reasons why someone is behaving the way they are. Is there something we can do to help? That is what we are called to do, not to judge, but to love.

Margaret Williams

Devotional 6-5-09

A Christian

Several years ago, a preacher from out-of-state accepted a call to a church in Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, “You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.” Then he thought, “Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.”

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, “Here, you gave me too much change.”
The driver, with a smile, replied, “Aren't you the new preacher in town?”

“Yes,” he replied.

“Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about going somewhere to worship. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change. I'll see you at church on Sunday.”

When the preacher stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, “Oh God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.”

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders when you call yourself, “Christian.”

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

I'm glad a friend forwarded this to me as a reminder. So, I choose to forward it to you - my friend. God bless you; I hope you are having a wonderful day!

The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not PROTECT you...

Stay FAITHFUL and Be GRATEFUL!

Rev. Jeremiah Jasper

Devotional 5-29-09

Pentecost is about Testifying
John 15:26-27 (New International Version)

"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

I am a weenie when it comes to testifying. How about you?

I don’t like to testify to my faith. Yeah, I know that I am a minister. I have hundreds of hours of seminars and conferences, a seminary degree, and over 30 years experience in visiting, preaching, and praying. I still feel awkward when I find that I am called upon.

I wish I had your excuses. You are just a lay person, you have heard sermons all your life, but you can’t really remember anything specific. You have only had one intensive Bible study, and it was over your head. Sunday school is a time to drink coffee and catch up on what your friends have been doing in the past week. You don’t like to talk in front of people and, besides, everyone you know is a Christian.

That is why Pentecost is my least favorite Christian Holiday. Did I say holiday? I am sorry -- it is my least favorite “Holy Day.” There are no gifts, no painted eggs, no candy. There is no special meal of turkey, ham, cakes, cookies, or even a fish fry. There are not even any special songs, cantatas, or children choir specials. Worse yet, I am supposed to wear the socially unacceptable bright red coat.

Nope, Pentecost is no fun. It is just about testifying. It is a time to pull out and wear our “I love Jesus” T-shirts. It is the day we stand in the line at the grocery store and tell the person in front and behind us that, “Jesus is the Bomb”. It is the day that you go outside into your yard and dance the “Jesus is Coming Again” shuffle.

Today is Pentecost. It is the day set aside to remember that we are not alone. God sent the Holy Spirit, the Holy Comforter, to be with us, to strengthen us, to empower us. It is a gift better than any other that has been bequeathed to us. It is a day to testify to our experience of God in our life. I am going to attempt to muster up the courage to testify to what the Holy Spirit has done in my life. I invite you to do the same.

Did I ever tell you about the time God……………

Rev. David Johnson

Devotional 5-22-09

Joy
Do you have joy in your life? Is there something in your life that is so very special that you feel like you have arrived at a special point of having heaven here on earth?

About six years ago our minister asked during his Sunday sermon how many of us have joy in our lives every day. Do you remember this? There was just one person who admitted by raising his hand to having joy each day.

I had just lost the love of my life, but I knew that this was a message that I needed to hear.

Look for the joy, find the joy, hold onto the joy.

I knew that this must now be one of the missions of my life: -to find and hold onto the joys around me. According to the dictionary, joy is happiness, very glad feelings, great pleasure, delight or anything causing such feelings.

Just this week we read in the newspaper that we are the lowest in the country in the happiness poll. Many people weigh their happiness based on money or status in life, or waiting for others to compliment. Last week I heard a person on TV whose greatest joy was getting to meet a sports super-star. Perhaps we need to look in a different place to find our happiness.

Paul tells us in Galatians 5 that we have gifts which are known as the fruits of the spirit. They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control

All we need to do is to look within ourselves for these most precious gifts.

Now that we know what the real gifts are, let’s turn to the greatest gift -- that someone would die for you or me, that they take the pain for us. Where is the joy here? As we approached Easter during Lent, we were looking for the joy. Even on the darkest day, we can find joy if we look at this act. As Christians we are blessed by this, and it is now our duty to pass this joy onto those with whom we come in contact. .

Fill us with joy, let us share this joy for this is the commission that you give us. In your son’s name, amen.

Marilyn Holleron

Please remember Floyd Taylor's family in your prayers. Floyd, one of our devotional writers, died last Friday morning.

Devotional 5-15-09

Chillin' at the Cross
I heard a guy say once, “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” We took the youth to Spring Heights a couple of weekends ago. We left Huntington after school and work, stopped along the way for dinner and then made our way, far past the highway, to the camp. After arrival, a brief meeting with the camp director left us with the news that, due to all of recent rain storms, we would be unable to drive along the semi-graveled path to the cabin. We would have to ferry our gear by ‘youth mule’ to our sleeping quarters. We unloaded the vans and in a haphazard caravan fashion moved along the newly poured sidewalk to our home away from home. I went inside the two-sided cabin (boys/girls separated by a common sitting room), deposited my “stuff” and proceeded to take a mental role call. It didn’t take long to come up short on most of the youth. Knowing full well it would NOT work, I unholstered my cell phone to see who I could raise on the wire. Much to my surprise I had some signal and my call DID go through. The youth I dialed instinctively was my oldest son (15 yrs old). I said, trying not to sound panicked – just more mystified at the collective disappearance, “Where are you guys?” The answer came back in my ear, very calmly, “Chillin' at the Cross.”

Spring Heights is far enough away from town that light trespass or light pollution is not a problem. On a night (like this) with few stars and no moon, the meager light given off from the fixtures on the side of the dining hall fizzles in about 40 feet. The Cross is approximately 1200 feet (400 yards) from the dining hall. I know 400 yards because I paced it the next day. Not accurate enough to buy property but accurate enough to know it was W-A-Y down there. The cross is fixture at the camp. Many pictures have been taken of it and along side it. It has several times graced the cover of our retreat booklet (My youngest even keeps it as the opening picture on his cell phone.). What I’m trying to convey is that getting to the cross was not easy. It was dark, say, as dark as the inside of a dog. They most likely used the dim glow from their phones and iPods to light the way. But it was important enough to them to get there that they started out in pitch dark on a path that, even though traveled many times, had no doubt changed or lost some familiarity over the year since last trod.

We spent the retreat focusing on the 23rd Psalm. We memorized it (again) as a group and broke down each facet into deeper meaning. Their trek to the Cross makes me think of the verse, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley…"

As we walk through our darkest valleys in life, let it be so important to us to reach Christ that we are led by His light and when asked “What are you doing?” we can answer “I’m chillin' at the Cross.”

Steve Matthews

Devotional 5-8-09

Happy Mothers' Day

Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ. --Colossians 3: 23-24

This past year I had an e-mail from an old friend who mentioned that she remembered the Halloween costumes I wore in grade school. This friend literally grew up and joined the circus, so she knows something about costumes! The fact that she remembered my costumes from all those years ago was quite flattering. But the compliment was really for my Mom. Joan Gardner would never have let one of her children leave the house for Trick or Treat in a store-bought costume! All costumes my brothers and I ever wore were meticulously made by hand. Likewise, should you ever see my Mother show up at a covered-dish dinner with something from the grocery store deli, repent and say your prayers because the end of the world is near!

I was fortunate to have a Mother who came from that generation of woman who believed: if you're going to do something, do it right! That attitude showed in everything my Mother did. Especially when it came to her "church work." She wasn't one who just showed up for a couple of hours on Sunday mornings. When she taught Sunday School or Bible School, she'd spend all the time necessary to make sure her lessons and crafts were just right. If I had a nickle for every hour she spent in the church kitchen, I could retire! Her church work branched out; she volunteered for Christian Associates, the downtown churches food and clothing pantry. She didn't stop at a couple of hours a week, but often went in early and stayed late to sort clothes and make sure the Size 10's were not mixed in with the Size 12's. Today, at almost 80, she's the "Iced Tea Lady" at Common Grounds.

If you spend more than ten minutes with my Mom, you'll hear something about her church, her spiritual and social hub. It is the central part of her life. Participating in worship on Sunday mornings, taking her famous meat loaf to someone who's experienced a death in their family, or picking up friends for Young at Heart, she serves the Lord constantly and humbly. What a wonderful example!

Charm is deceptive and beauty does not last: but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. --Proverbs 31: 30-31

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 5-1-09

This was meant to be a re-telling of this week's lectionary Psalm -- Psalm 23. As I wrote it, I kept hearing the passage concerning love in I Corinthians 13, so you may find echoes of that scripture as well.

Oh, Lord, my God.
You care for me as if I am your own.
You fret over me.
You search for me when I am lost.
You never give up.
You love me.
In you, I can find everything I need.
In you, I am complete.

If I will just but breathe,
You will take me to lush, green fields,
Still waters.
You will take me to peace.
You will transform and renew my spirit with you own.
If I will just but listen and follow
You will lead me on right paths.
You will direct my journey
So that I am with you.
Always.

Even when I stumble.
Even when I walk in darkness
Even when the world around me seems too heavy to bear
Even when I feel alone
You are with me.
You lay your hand upon my heart
I am comforted.
You never fail, and
I am loved.

I am prone to fear
But in you, I have no fear.
In you, I am free of my sins
For you do not keep a record of my wrongs.
Your persevering presence is my strength.
Your love and your touch
Calm my soul.

You walk before me
You prepare the way for me
Even when I feel as if enemies surround me
Even when I cannot find a friend
You are my hope.

I am covered
Anointed with your grace.
It flows over me with abundance
Never ending.
My life is so full of blessings
That my heart cannot hold it.
My life overflows with grace.
You give me faith.
You give me hope.
You give me love.
And my life cannot contain it.

You have been with me from the very beginning
When I was a child, you walked with me
Even as I stumbled.
Even though I am no longer a child
You continue to light my path
Your goodness and your mercy
Follow me

Every day I am alive
Every day of my life
Even as my life ends
My life continues in you.
I will dwell with you,
I will live in you,
Forever.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 4-24-09

You are Witnesses to These Things
Read Luke 24:36b-48

When Jesus appeared to his disciples after his death and resurrection, they were understandably frightened. Can you imagine what the disciples must have thought? Even though they had witnessed many of the miracles of Jesus from turning water into wine to reviving Lazarus, they were witnesses to the brutal death of Jesus. How could he be alive?

It is understandable to me that even Jesus’ closest disciples wanted proof before they believed. After all, seeing is believing. He showed them his scars and had a meal with them, and somehow that was enough. As they ate, Jesus “opened their minds to understand” and reminded them as to how the scriptures had foretold of the Messiah’s suffering, death, and resurrection on the third day. “You are witnesses to these things.”

I am blessed to be involved in a small group of men that meets together each Wednesday morning. We call ourselves Andrew’s Brothers, named after the disciple Andrew who brought his brother Simon Peter to know Jesus. Before the sun comes up, we sing (albeit off-key) and share scripture, devotion, prayer, coffee and—once each month—breakfast. We soothe each other’s pains and scars, and we celebrate each other’s joys. In that level of intimacy, the resurrected Christ is revealed.

Are you part of a group that reveals Christ to you, so that you can see and believe in the resurrection? Although I love church and worship, Sunday school and sacred music, devotional reading and Christian service, there is no aspect of my own spiritual life that is as important to me as my mid-week group. We encourage each other and hold each other accountable. We lift each other up, and at the same time keep each other humble.

I urge you to join or form a group where you can experience Jesus’ resurrection. You can meet in a home, a restaurant or coffee shop, or at the church. You can have a prayer group, a book study, or perhaps just good Christian fellowship. Share joys and celebrations and you may find that Jesus is revealed. “You are witnesses to these things.”

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 4-17-09

Chattingwith God

I have a good friend that I walk with a couple of times a week-when we can get our schedules together. My husband says it's not exercise, it's therapy! In many ways he's right. Over the years we have walked and talked our way through a lot-both good and bad. We have helped each other sort things out just by listening and occasionally asking a question.

Do you ever wish you could sit down and talk to God like that? You can! God wants us to have that same kind of relationship with Him. God is with us always, just waiting for us to slow down and open ourselves up to him-to 'run things by Him' when we are confused, to tell Him when we are excited and filled with joy, or over flowing with sorrow. He wants us to tell Him about our anger and hurt feelings. In the telling and the sharing we become closer to God. He becomes that close friend that gets us through the rough spots, the one we rush to share our good news with.
My daughter was recently talking to her teenaged son about God. She told him that if he talked to God, he was praying. She was so right. Talking to God throughout our day is a form of prayer. Prayer comes in many forms. It can be formal, group prayers, meditation, and quiet, private prayers. But don't discount having a quick chat with God throughout your day -- just like you would with a close friend.

Margaret Williams

Devotional 2-20-09

TRANSFORMATION

The risen, living Christ calls us by our name;
Comes to the loneliness within us;
Heals that which is wounded within us;
Comforts that which grieves within us;
Releases us from that which has dominion over us;
Cleanses us of that which does not belong to us;
Renews that which feels drained with us;
Awakens that which is asleep in us;
Names that which is still formless with us;
Empowers that which is newborn with us;
Consecrates and guides that which is strong with us;
Restores us to this world which needs us;
Reaches out in endless love to other through us;
The risen, living Christ calls us by our name.




Grace to you, grace to you.
May grace abound in all you do.
Grace to do the will of the father.
Grace, grace to you.

Peace to you, peace to you.
May peace abound in all you do.
Peace to do the will of the father.
Peace, peace to you.

Joy to you, joy to you.
May grace abound in all you do.
Joy to do the will of the father.
Joy, joy to you.

Rev. Jeremiah Jasper

Devotional 2-13-09

Spring Thaw
You gaze out at the snowcapped mountains and feel the warm sun on your skin. Spring rains kiss your flower garden. Birds flock in pairs, fluttering, chirping merrily as they gather twigs. Trees burst forth with new life. The fresh smell of flowers penetrates your stuffy nose. You can't help but be taken in by the beauty of spring. You love retreating to the cabin just as the deep freeze begins to thaw.

Although this is a normal part of the cycle of life, and it's magnificent to watch, adverse effects often occur. Melting snow along with heavy rains can produce flash floods, washed-out roads, and flooded homes that leave whole towns in disarray. It can't be helped. Sometimes even the most beautiful things can have adverse effects. Just like spring, adversity is part of life. You can count on it!

What adversity or hardship are you facing in your life? Hopefully it's not as devastating as a flood caused by melting snow. But even if it is, you won't have to face it alone. God promises to be there with you to enjoy the spring thaw in whatever area of life it comes--physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual--and help you face any of the adverse effects you might encounter in the process. He knows that even the floods leave fertile soil behind, enriching your life and decorating it with beautiful springtime flowers.

So drag a chair out onto the deck, have a seat, and take it all in. Listen and enjoy as the spring thaw comes to your cabin and to your heart. It's magnificent!

Taken from: Mountain Prayers:A Vacation for Your Soul
2007 Honor Books

Kay Lewis

Devotional 2-6-09

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.--Isaiah 40:26

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?--J.B. Priestley

Many Sunday nights you can find me in worship in front of the TV, watching a show that doesn't preach the Gospel or promote any religion. The show is Nature on PBS stations. As I ponder these programs I am constantly in awe of a God who planned for glaciers and volcanoes, deserts and oceans, rain forests and mountain ranges. I see God's hand in a fig tree in Africa that could not exist without the pollination of a wasp so small it can fly through the eye of a needle. I see an amazing God in tiny hummingbirds who eat their weight in nectar every day and a 2-ton mother elephant who tenderly cares for her 300-pound baby.

I find it extremely sad that some people want to pit God against science. Albert Einstein said it better than I ever could: "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

As I am writing this, snow is blanketing our town again. It is beautiful, magical, pure. It is God.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 1-30-09

Lectionary Readings : Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21 -28

I love to eat ! I’m sure that won’t surprise many of you. I rarely miss meals and usually find an excuse to add a snack or two. I practice fooling myself that “I really don’t eat that much” or that “I am eating as healthy as possible”, but I know the truth. I make periodic resolutions to cut down on my intake and to get more exercise, but I regularly fail at these endeavors. You see: food is my all time-comfort-support activity. I eat when I’m sad, sorry, happy, lonely, afraid, excited, with friends, alone—I guess I eat “whenever”. Eating is not the problem though, but the amount that I take in is more than I need.

The church at Corinth asked Paul to teach them the proper procedures if they were asked to eat food that had been blessed to be offered to idols and what would happen if they actually ate in the temple of an idol. We don’t really have this problem in our culture, so it’s hard to relate to the concern. Paul replied that since we know there is really only one God, eating the food and worrying about its intended use at some pagan ritual should not really be the focus. “Food will not bring us close to God.” “We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” 1 Corinthians 8: 8-9.

I was challenged anew when I read Paul’s admonition to avoid being a stumbling block to others. Food cannot bring me closer to God, but too much food can separate me from God. What kind of a role model am I? Is God asking me to change? Can I keep on saying to students and patients: “Do as I say, not as I do?”-- I don’t think so! I can no longer be an advocate for healthy living if I am not living up to the basic requirements. I am my own stumbling block and I am a stumbling block for those observing me.

God provides for everything that we need—at exactly the right time and place. I know that he communicates with us in many ways--through prayer, the scriptures, other writings and the witness of others, to name a few. I think that God is calling my name through these readings and asking me to own up to my over-indulgence and pray for forgiveness, as well as for the daily strength it will take to change my ways—even with Super Bowl Sunday this weekend. Can I be so bold as to suggest that those of you reading this might also have a habit that needs to change in order to be more complete in doing God’s will? Is there some activity in your life that is separating you from God? What is your stumbling block?

The choir has worked on the anthem “Order My Steps” by Glenn Burleigh. The words really hit home this morning as we sang them in the sanctuary. May the words become a prayer for all of us as we try to live more closely to God’s commandments. May you also find each day in the Word the message that is meant for you. May you be healed of any affliction that separates you from God or is a stumbling block to others. Nourish us with “soul-food” that fills us with faith, hope and love.

Dear Father and Mother of us all,

Order my steps in your Word, dear Lord, Lead me, guide me, every day.
Send your anointing, Father, I pray. Order my steps in your Word, please, order my steps in your Word.
Humbly I ask Thee, teach me your will, While you are working, help me be still.
Tho’ Satan is busy, God is real! Order my steps in your Word, please, order my steps in your Word!
I want to walk worthy, walk worthy Lord, my calling to fulfill.
Please order my steps, Lord, and I’ll do your blessed will.
The world is ever changing, but You are still the same,
If you order my steps, I’ll praise your name.
Order my steps in your Word, order my tongue in your Word; guide my feet in your Word,
wash my heart in your Word. Show me how to walk in your Word, show me how to talk in your Word.
When I need a brand new song to sing, show me how to let your praises ring, in your Word!
Please order my steps in your Word.
AMEN.

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 1-23-09

NO!! I don’t wanna, I’m not gonna and you can’t make me. You’re not the boss of me! In an air stabbing motion, our arms are crossed – swoop swoop, a great blast of breath from our nostrils and there >> that’s that. PERIOD, end of story. Or is it?

How do you know when God is talking to you? Do you know when God is talking to you? When I feel like I should have a better idea I remember that some of our Bible heroes were less than on the ball when God was ready to press them into service. Moses argued with a bush. Samuel? Well, we’ll give Samuel a break because he was a kid and just getting started – but, Eli? Come on. He was a seasoned God-man and it took him three times being visited by Samuel to recognize that it was God speaking.

One of the scriptures given for use for this devotional period is from Jonah. Ah, Jonah. Now there is a guy who heard but chose another path. I could not find a reference that explained why Jonah did not like the people of Nineveh , but the Bible makes it very clear HE DID NOT. He disliked them so much that he was willing to blatantly wave his arm in the air and say -- to God nonetheless -- “Talk to the hand.”

Back to the question -- how do you know when God is talking to you? Words like conscience, free will and gut feeling come to mind. Sometimes we sense that there is a need that someone could really use help. Our “right & wrong o-meter” is dinging wildly, and yet we ignore it and go on about our business. Let’s kick it up a notch. What if the person that needs help is on our Top 10 List of People We Do Not Like? What if we would rather hop a boat to Tarshish or Cincinnati instead of, not just helping, but speaking to, looking at or generally acknowledging this person as a fellow human? We often hide in our warm houses, our moving cars, our church. If by some miracle we mellow enough to stomach a half hearted gesture of good will, we do so KNOWING that our helpee -- our adversary -- will never accept the help or acknowledge what we are trying to accomplish.

But wait, oh, my goodness – what if they did? Could we handle it? I have not seen a modern day story of anyone spending time in the belly of a fish for disobedience, but is it possible that we spend our three days (or longer) in the belly of another monster - guilt? Is guilt another way God is saying, “I told you what I needed and you walked on by.”? Every once in a while I hear God in the distant voice of my mother. “Two wrongs don’t make a right,” “If you can’t say something nice…,” and her spin on the golden rule, “Do unto others….”

This is the age of technology. The age of caller ID. When God calls, don’t let Him get Voice Mail – “Hi this is Steve; sorry I missed your call. Please leave your name, number and a message and I’ll get back to you. Thanks.” BEEEEP! Try hard to recognize the caller, answer, and say “Here I am Lord, send me.”

Steve Matthews

Devotional 1-16-09

Please read Psalm 139: 1-6 and 13-18

“For thou didst form my inward parts;
Thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

God knits, just like Mom.

The 139th Psalm is one of my very favorites. It is comforting to know that the great and powerful Creator of the universe knows me, even me. No matter where I go, even in the darkest places, God is there with me.

But what I really like about the 139th Psalm of the motherly image of a God who knits.

When Mom wasn’t cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, tending after her children, attending school or church functions, or busy with the many other household tasks, she was knitting. Knitting was her idle pastime. She knitted in the car, in waiting rooms, and knitted while she watched television. If she had a few moments between tasks, she’d knit a few rows.

Mom’s love for her four children is like God’s love described by the Psalmist; no matter how secretive we thought we were, Mom knew what we were up to. There was no fooling her; the good news is that Mom and God love us anyway.

Recently, I was re-organizing my closet and I found that after a half year on Weight Watchers, I can again wear my favorite sweater knit by Mom. It is a heavy argyle pattern with suede patches on the elbows. It is a tangible indication of the motherly love with which it was knit. And inside the collar is sewn her label, “Taylor-Made.” It is comfortable.

Speaking of comfort, I am not uncomfortable with the image of God as Father; but I think we miss something if we limit our understanding of God. Bring Many Names, a hymn written by Brian Wren, which is in our United Methodist hymnal supplement, The Faith We Sing, addresses this. Check out the second verse:

“Strong mother God, working night and day,
planning all the wonders of creation,
setting each equation, genius at play,
Hail and Hosanna, strong mother God.”

I am thankful for a knitting God and a knitting Mom, both of whom comfort their loved ones.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 1-9-09

Be My Voice

Psalm 29

I depend on you, God’s many angels.
I count on you, His heavenly creations,
To praise his name,
When my lips fall silent,
When I stand here, a creature of dust,
Made silent in amazement at his glory.
Fill the heavens with His praises,
Glorify his name with your sweet songs,
For there are times when my throat closes,
And my tongue falls silent.
There are times when his majesty is too great
For my feeble songs and my useless words.

His voice is never silent.
It echoes across the waters
Lifting waves in its wake.
His voice is powerful,
Thunderous,
Mighty and glorious.
His voice is majesty.

The bass of his voice makes mighty trees tremble.
Even the most towering,
Even the ones which seem to reach all the way to heaven.
The tenor strains lift me to my feet,
And give me wings to skip like a child.

His voice has the heat and flash of fire,
It shakes the wilderness,
It thunders across empty land,
Land not seen by anyone.
His voice even reaches to the wilderness of my heart,
His breath warms my coldness.

His mighty voice,
His powerful exhalation,
Stirs the leaves of the trees
Whips them around as if a mighty storm were passing.
His exhaled breath,
Strips away the leaves,
Strips away my pretenses.
Leaves us all bare,
Until all that we have left
Is to glorify his name.

Our mighty God sits high in heaven,
Enthroned as a king
A reassurance for all of eternity.
He gives me strength.
He gives us strength.
He creates in us a mighty and powerful ability
To do His work in the world.
He rules from heaven,
And he gives us the wonderful blessing of peace.

Praise His name and His mighty works,
Be my voice, all you angels,
For when I stand here speechless.

Kim Matthews