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