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