Devotional 12-30-11

There is a time for everything…

…And a season for every activity under the heavens.

God has created a world in which, amazingly, certain events take place because it is the right time for them. When the human body needs nutrients, it creates a sensation of hunger. When Spring approaches, the snow melts. The process of nature is an impressive cycle which, sometimes through dramatic change, always settles into beauty. For our life events, however, an important obstacle to peace is choice.

 ²a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

As I say, the problem is choice. Throughout childhood, we learn the basics of appropriate behavior. As adults, we face a more complex version of the same issues. Is this the time to tear down or to build? Should I be silent, or do I need to speak up? Our spiritual needs similarly revolve around a central question. What action is appropriate at this time?

With the dawn of the new year, we tend to make unrealistic plans for change in our lives. What a small step it would be to focus more on spiritual decision-making… and with such a great result. We can use Ecclesiastes 3 to fortify our spirituality and mediate on what it is to make the wisest decisions. Though we all make mistakes, we can rest in verse eleven, which says,

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Despite our sinful, self-centered, and impulsive ways, we can have faith that everything will end well, as our Lord has always intended. Maybe we should simply resolve to make better resolutions? Verse fourteen is a perfect conclusion:

Natalie Wray

Devotional 11-24-11

As I pondered on what to write for a Thanksgiving devotional, I came across this beautiful prayer by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This prayer of Thanks is so welcoming because of all the negative press we have been hearing about regarding unemployment, stock market crashes, Wall Street protestors throughout the world, bankruptcy for both the United States and Europe, selfishness and greed by us, as we well as our Government officials, or violence if one does not get his/her way.

Some of us have forgotten about GOD and the beauty around us, which He gave to everyone through HIS goodness and grace. For this reason, this prayer spoke to me and hopefully will speak to you as well. Let us give thanks to God and concentrate on the goodness of one’s faith.

WE THANK THEE

For flowers that bloom about our feet Father,
we thank Thee.
For tender grass so fresh, so sweet Father,
we thank Thee.
For the song of bird and hum of bee
For all things fair we hear or see
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For blue of stream and blue of sky
Father, we thank Thee.
For pleasant shade of branches high,
Father, we thank Thee.
For fragrant air and cooling breeze
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For this new morning with its light.
Father, we thank Thee
For rest and shoulder of the night
Father, we Thank Thee
For health and food, for love and friends
For everything Thy goodness sends,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gisela E. Kemper

Devotionl 11-18-11

Risk, Fear and What’s Buried in the Backyard

It’s funny how we go into a class or hear a sermon and say to ourselves (or perhaps a pew mate) “I don’t like that scripture.”  Why don’t we like it?  Is it confusing?  Is it too harsh?  Does it hit too close to home?  My New Testament scripture for this devotional is the third in a parable trifecta.  First the bridesmaids and the oil, then the Master with the three servants and their talents and now the sheep and the goats.

Some of the bridesmaids should have planned better.  Not sure why the goats are singled out.  It’s the second of the three that I’m stuck on.  As lessons and sermons unwrapped this passage, I don’t think I heard anyone say, “Yep, that’s my favorite.  I have that one framed and mounted in the living room.” A lot of what I heard and read (blogs and comments) about this parable centered around risk.  Did the Master expect his servants to take a risk?  Some say yes, others have said absolutely not – it was only the end result that was important. Why are we reluctant to risk?  Fear?  Fear of what?  Failure?  Embarrassment?  As a young elementary schooler, I was a spirited pre-teen (not a chatty little kid – hey, I’m writing this).  One day in class, without knowing it, I had become, in this particular teacher’s view, too disruptive with my socializing.  She called me up to her desk.  In those days a teacher’s authority was absolute and not be questioned.  When I arrived desk-side, she proceeded to place what I thought was a hugely wide piece of sticky tape across my mouth.  It spanned from my nose to my chin and with no seep to chance, blocked the pie hole from which the disturbance emanated.   If that wasn’t enough, she made me sit in a chair beside her desk and FACE my classmates.  Embarrassed?  I’m not sure we have a word…  My tiny soul was embarrassed to the very core of its being.  That little episode would follow (haunt) me for years to come.  I would spend the rest of my school years not exactly running away but certainly not volunteering for any role that would place me in position to suffer a similar fate - embarrassment.  I’m not sure I could really even focus on the task and say that failure bothered me.  It was that failure may lead to more ‘sticky tape.’

Years later, after joining JM, I was asked to be moderator of our Sunday School class.  I still don’t know to this day what led me say yes – but I did.  I called Kim and said, “You’ll never believe what I said I would do.”  And I told her.  She said, “Oh, you will be fine.”  I protested, “But you know how much I hate to talk in front of people.”  Her reply, as clear today as it was then, “They aren’t people; they are our Sunday School class.”

The church is our support group to risk.  Together we are greater than the sum of our parts.  I firmly believe that God expects us to risk.  I believe that the Master in the parable expected risk. After all, he scolded the one for not investing with the bankers.  If it were that easy, he could have dropped the money by the bank on his way out of town.  Do we really think God couldn’t feed, cloth, visit anyone He wanted to - WITHOUT us?  He calls us to serve.  And yes, that involves risk.  I heard a sermon recently that dealt with leaving our comfort zone.  Staying sequestered in a nice comfy place where everything is known isn’t what gets God out there. Maybe you risk by taking a sandwich to a person who looks hungry.  They take one bite, say, “Yuck, I don’t like peanut butter” and throw it away.  You risked and got put down for it.  What if no one had ever offered food or help to that person?  You were the first.  They see something in you that they’ve never seen before: love, God. You may be the only Jesus someone sees today.

I don’t claim to have any particular talent. Only a willing heart.  If I leave my willing heart sitting in chair beside the teacher’s desk with tape over its mouth, then that makes me the servant who buried the talent in the backyard.

Psalm 100 says: 
Make a Joyful Noise >>> nothing about being in tune

Worship the Lord with gladness >>>nothing about things always going your way

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise >>> nothing about ‘only after you have formally learned how to pray.’
For the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. >>>

Devotional 11-11-11

The Parable of the “Good” Steward?

Please read Matthew 25:14-30.

We typically call this parable “the Parable of the Talents.”  We like labels, but whatever label we may put on it, it is a parable of Jesus that cannot be confined by a label.  It is a parable about money.  It falls conveniently in the Lectionary during November, also known as Stewardship Season, and so we have all heard sermons about the “good” stewards who doubled their master’s money and were rewarded, and the “bad” steward who buried his talent.  Since the parable in English translations uses the word, “talent,” we get another meaning from the parable not to hide our God-given gifts and talents.  And we hope that everyone will know we are really talking about money. 

This is a parable about money—a lot of money.  Let’s try to get some perspective on just how much was at stake for these three slaves.  Never mind that a talent was a silver coin that weighed 60 or 70 pounds.  Each talent was worth about 6000 denarii; a denarius was the average worker’s daily wage.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average daily wage for All Occupations in West Virginia in 2010 was $136.00.  By today’s standards in West Virginia, then, a talent would have been worth over $800,000.  The master had a portfolio that was worth roughly $6.4 million.  When he left, he diversified it among three of his slaves.  The first got $4 million, the second $1.6 million, and the third $800 thousand.  The first two each actively traded the investment and ultimately doubled his money; the third took a more conservative approach and preserved the principal amount.  So when the master returned, his $6.4 million was worth $12 million.

In my work at the United Methodist Foundation, I have used this parable as an illustration.  There is an easy interpretation that this parable promotes investing and discourages preservation at the expense of lost opportunity.  We generally think of the master as representing the figure of God, right?  It is certainly different from the typical portrait of God as gracious, merciful, and abounding in steadfast love.  The parable presents a downright harsh description of the master, when you think about it.  The master is shown as absent, harsh, and concerned only about maximizing wealth.  Did Jesus mean that character to represent God?  Is the common interpretation the only way to look at Jesus’ parable?

This parable is open-ended and invites different interpretations.  As with any parable, we bring our own context and understanding to the reading.  Our Western minds, trained by our worldview, automatically think of the first two slaves as the heroes.  They are the ones who took risks and produced a good return.  And to us, that is a good thing.  However, it has been suggested by some that the original audience would have heard it quite differently. For example:

“The social-economic situation in which Jesus told this parable benefited only the small ruling elite. It was a system that concentrated wealth in a few hands, a society where the poor became poorer, and the rich became richer.  Even though poor Jews hated exploiters, since financial profit was attached to being a rich man’s steward, many accepted to serve the rich, and some even aligned with these exploiters. I look at the parable of the talents as a critique of this situation.”[1]

When viewed from within that context, the audience would question how the first two slaves could have earned a profit of 100% absent usury or some other form of exploitation or dishonesty.  The central character of the parable, the third servant, is seen as the hero of the story because he does not collaborate with the other two to further exploit the poor.  Like a modern-day whistle-blower, he stands up to his master and refuses to cooperate with him, knowing that the master is harsh and cruel.  By refusing to be a part of the system, he becomes the “good” steward and suffers the consequences by being thrown into the outer darkness. 

The literary context of the parable is also important. Because of its placement, it can be seen as a contrast between the kingdom of earth and the kingdom of heaven.  “The parable of the talents thus shows that in this world, rich people exploit and praise fellow exploiters. The rich become richer and the poor poorer. But it is not so in the kingdom of God.”[2]

Interestingly, the story that immediately follows this parable is the judgment parable where the sheep are separated from the goats, (Matt. 25:25-40).  There, we learn that we visit Jesus by feeding the hungry, by giving drink to the thirsty, by welcoming the stranger, by clothing the naked, by caring for the sick, and by visiting those in prisons. In other words, we meet Jesus beyond the margins, in places of pain and suffering—perhaps in the very outer darkness into which the “good” steward was thrown!

Jeff Taylor 

---

[1] Folarin, G. O. (2008). The parable of the talents in the African context: an inculturation hermeneutics approach. Asia Journal Of Theology, 22(1), 94-106, at 99.

[2] Id., at 104.

Devotional 11-4-11

“Get Ready—Stay Ready”

Lectionary Readings: Joshua 24:1-3 & 14-25; Psalms 78; 1 Thessalonians 2: 13-18; Matthew 25:1-13
“1At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise.” “13Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Matthew 25

Have you ever missed an important event in your life? I once missed my friend’s birthday party because I had not paid attention to the date and completely forgot about the event. I missed out on the fun and celebration of the event, plus I felt that I had greatly disappointed my friend. I had not properly prepared for a significant event in my friend’s life and created a situation that led to the need to ask for her forgiveness. I let trivial worldly activities interfere with a relationship between friends.

In the parable found in Matthew, Jesus was telling his disciples about preparations for a wedding. What a joyous occasion a wedding was in Jesus’ time. The whole community helped with planning and carrying out the traditions and rituals. One of the key events in the celebration was when the bridegroom came to move the bride to their new home. The move was usually accompanied by a “parade” of community well-wishers. In the parable, Jesus relates that the bridegroom was delayed, but when he finally is on the way all were alerted and moved out to meet him. Those who were prepared had enough oil on hand to handle the delay; those who did not buy extra oil have run out and must go and purchase more oil. The message is that one must always be prepared for Jesus’ return. We should strive to avoid the world’s distractions—we must daily “get ready” by confessing our sins and asking God to lead and guide us through our journey. We must persevere with our daily walk and endure life’s trials. The blessing of a grace-filled relationship with Christ will be our reward.

Our adult choir will be singing “Keep Your Lamps” by Andre Thomas this Sunday morning. As with many of the slave songs, this song's impetus came from hearing a sermon based upon the parable found in the book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 1-13. As a response to the message of this parable, one can only imagine the song stirring from the soul of one slave listener. Jesus was indeed deliverer and a hope for the slave. One can only speculate that this song was sung often, when there was a possibility of deliverance. (You can select from several choirs singing it on You Tube by searching for the title of the song.) Here are the lyrics: 

"Keep Your Lamps”
by Andre Thomas
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
The time is drawing nigh.

Children, don’t get weary
Children, don’t get weary
Children, don’t get weary
‘til your work is done.

Christian, journey soon be over
Christian, journey soon be over
Christian, journey soon be over
The time is drawing nigh

What are you doing in your daily walk to prepare for your future? Perhaps you are being called to increase your study time. Perhaps it’s your prayer life that needs attention and improvement. Perhaps you are being called to a ministry that is outside your comfort zone or to continue and improve a current ministry. Are you being asked to give up a habit that is a burden to your relationship with God? Whatever the call, you are encouraged by the words of the anthem to not grow weary until your work is done.

Oh God, our strong deliverer: We confess that we do not always follow where you lead. We are not always ready to follow your guidance or work to improve our relationship with you and with others. We have been lax in our preparations and have failed to honor promises that we have made to you. Please forgive us and help us to improve. We thank you for the many messages sent to inspire and encourage us. Help us to heed those messages and to turn from our foolish ways. AMEN

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 10-28-11

“Precious in the Sight of the Lord…”
Psalm 116 Verse 15

Have you ever had the experience of participating in the responsive Psalter reading during worship and wondering a short time later just what you read? I have. Perhaps my mind was distracted by other thoughts or concentrating more on which verse was for the leader and which for the congregation, the pulpit or lectionary side of the church. Members of the choir can find themselves multi-tasking, reading and opening music for an anthem which immediately follows. Yet, thankfully, there are times when the words of the Psalm leap off the page and speak to us as if they were directed just for us. Such was the case for me several months ago.

The setting was Mother’s Day Sunday and the reading was Psalm 116. Since my mother had died just six weeks before, the feelings of loss were still quite fresh. I contemplated staying at home that Sunday but because of responsibilities, I decided to attend worship and “stay detached.” The Psalm speaks of God’s mercy in hearing our voice, our prayers and supplications. The particular focus of this devotional, however, is simply on verse 15. “Precious in the Sight of the Lord” the verse begins and then takes an unexpected turn. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (The New Revised Standard Version says “the death of his faithful ones.”) What comforting and reassuring thoughts those were to me. Since that Sunday I have pondered this verse a great deal.

Surely God’s ultimate will for us is wholeness, health and well being. Surely God loves all his creation equally with no partiality or favoritism. Still, the passage states that the death of his faithful ones is precious to God: those who have known the Lord, loved the Lord, served the Lord, meditated on his word and tried to walk in his ways. These words certainly described my mother but many others persons, too.

It seems that as a church family we have gathered far too many times this year to celebrate the lives of deceased members and mourn our losses together, sometimes under very difficult circumstances. As All Saints Sunday approaches, we are reminded once again of those who have gone on before us. If we have not encountered a very personal loss this year, we have in past years or will in years to come. Perhaps if we are able to shift our focus slightly from our personal feelings to God’s perspective, precious is the death of his saints, then we can rejoice in their triumphal homecoming.

Prayer: Lord God, one of Thy saints from long ago said that “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” We offer thanks for those dear to us who are now in Thy presence. May we pattern our lives after their example that we, too, may someday join them in a place prepared for us. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

Sue Darlington Woods

Devotional 10-21-11

When I was in high school, I briefly attended a church in which congregants were encouraged to create their own harmonies to the songs and even add their own words.  There was a man who often sat close to the youth, whose name I don’t remember.  It was his singing that was unforgettable.  Despite being admittedly tone deaf, the man sang with reckless abandon.  I enjoyed his singing because of the deep-hearted love behind every atrocious note. 

Verse five of the hymn God, Whose Love Is Reigning o’er Us is as follows:

Lift we then our human voices in the songs that faith would bring;

live we then in human choices lives that, like our music, sing:

Alleluia, Alleluia, joined in love our praises ring!

 The verse makes no mention of perfect harmony or uniform sound.  The act of singing solidifies the faith, not the accuracy of the performance.  It is our responsibility to make our lives sing loud enough that others hear it, turn toward us, and hopefully join the singing.  The man I remember from my youth opened his mouth every week with thanksgiving.  I suppose he stays in my memory not as much for his awful singing but for his awesome faith.

Psalm 90 is one of many perfect prayers, saying in verse four, “O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”  If we could only remember this prayer throughout the challenges and frustrations of the day.  Sometimes it is hard to choose the Christian action, especially when our thoughts are betraying us.  If we work harder to keep God in our hearts, we can ‘live in human choices’ that bring Him glory.  We need to ask Him to fill our hearts with spiritual contentment and joy:

Lord, thank you for every day, every person, and every thing with which you have blessed me.  Help me to be satisfied with your everlasting love so that my life sings your praises and helps others see you.  Amen.

Natalie Wray

Devotional 10-14-11

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. -- Romans 12:15-18
As I write this, a beautiful purple aster is is full bloom in my front yard. It's huge, as big as a bush! It was given to me some years ago by my "surrogate mother-in-law," Jenny Lou Linsenmeyer. My mother-in-law passed away in 1994 and Jenny Lou, my sister-in-law Charlene's mother, moved in to fill the void. She never announced that she was going to be my surrogate mother-in-law, but she started taking a special interest in me. At family gatherings she would make a point of talking to me--really talking to me, not just the usual, how are you? She would ask, how's it going with your job, how are your parents, what books are you reading, what are your grandchildren up to, did you catch the sale at Elder-Beerman. My birthday is the day after one of Charlene's son's, so we generally were together for his celebration. Jenny Lou started bringing me a birthday gift on those occasions. When she discovered I enjoyed gardening as did she, she would give me a plant from her own yard. Thus, the aster, that started out in a small pot and is now as big as a bush. My yard is full of coral bells and other perennials I've forgotten the names of which started in Jenny Lou's yard.

My own mother was only 37 when she lost her mother. Over the years I watched her be a surrogate daughter to many older ladies at church. For years she was the youngest woman in her circle and I always felt she was honoring her mother by attending to the needs of "her ladies." Like so many relationships, her efforts to help them were rewarded by their love and devotion to her.

Today, many families are scattered all over the country. Someone who lives in West Virginia but has parents in another time-zone may appreciate some motherly advice from one close at hand or a father-figure to talk with. Could you play the part of a surrogate? Is there someone whose life would be brightened by a surrogate son/daughter, sister/brother, mother/father, grandmother/grandfather.

Jenny Lou Linsenmeyer passed away last Thanksgiving, but her gifts are still bringing beauty to my life. I thank God that she chose to be my surrogate mother-in-law.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 10-7-11

Inspired by Philippians 4:4-8

Celebrate!

Find joy, again and again, in the Lord!

Allow others to see the Lord through you.
Approach them with a gentle spirit, for
in your actions,
in your words,
in your witness,
they will see God.
Others will move closer to God
because of you.

Stop fretting.

Cast all of your worries on God.
His shoulders are wide,
and he can carry you.
He yearns to free you
from the prisons you make for yourself.
Take everything to God in prayer.
Bring him your needs,
your worries,
your gratitude.
Take all of it to God.

God will bring you peace.

It will cover you,
envelope you,
surround you,
beyond what you can understand.
Beyond what you can imagine.

My beloved sisters and brothers,

Start focusing on what is of God.
Truth
Honor
Justice
Purity
Joy
Praise
Excellence
All creation, worthy of praise.
Fill your minds, your lives, your hearts
with these things.

Celebrate!

Find joy, again and again, in the Lord!

Kim Matthews

Devotional 9-30-11

As it happened I finished one of my class readings yesterday which pushed my original plans for this devotional aside. I will share this reading with you instead. I must confess I found the questions challenging and humbling:

“Do you really want to live your lives, every moment of your lives, in God’s Presence? Do you long for God, crave God? Do you love God’s presence? …“Thou shalt love the Lord they God with all they heart and soul and mind and strength.” Do we really do it? Is love steadfastly directed toward God, in our minds, all day long? Are our lives unshakable because we are clear down on bed rock, rooted and grounded in the love of God?...

Do you want to live in such an amazing divine Presence that life is transformed and transfigured and transmuted into peace and power and glory and miracle? If you do, then you can. But if you say you haven’t the time, I can only say to you, ‘Then you don’t really want to, you don’t yet love God above all else in the world, with all your heart and soul and mind and strength.’ For except when terrific pressures come upon us, we find time for what we really want to do.”

–from  A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R. Kelly

Human devotion is never complete. For with each new plateau we reach, we are so amazed at the wonder of new feeling in our relationship with God that something within us says, “This must be it! There can be no greater feeling!” And then we are blessed and humbled to hear the testimony of a sister or brother further along in their journey who calls back to us, “Enjoy it where you are, but greater wonders lie ahead! Enjoy the new place you have discovered, but soon you must climb higher!” There is no reason to believe or expect that we have or will know the fullness of God’s love in this life, for God intends to love us forever, but the invitation remains: “Climb higher!”

Joe Hill

Devotional 9-23-11

Philippians 2:1-13

What should we do?

Why should we do it?

In the book of Philippians Paul describes the Christian patterns of service one to another. And the humility of Christ.

Pride allows us to elevate ourselves above others. We must step out of the limelight and be second to others. Humility allows us to see the needs of others and to serve them. Humility comes from a broken heart over our sins. As well as recognition of the sacrifice Jesus made to free us from them. A servant’s spirit starts with hatred of individualism and pride. A humble heart strikes a balance between recognizing our, flaws and how much Jesus loves us anyway. To serve we must be obedient. Because it is through obedience that we can best serve others. God requires us to love and be ready servants. Jesus made himself nothing in order to serve. I pray that we can find joy while loving and serving. I pray that we reflect light. I pray that we Work out our salvation, not by looking inward. But by turning and looking outward for ways to serve and love.

Judith Wilburn

Devotional 9-16-11

Please read Psalm 78.

Psalm 78 is a long Psalm. It is mainly a brief history lesson from Moses through David. It shows the love and protection our Awesome GOD has for us. (And patience), but it also speaks of how we, as then, continue to test Our Awesome GOD. But he just keeps on Loving us to no end. What an Awesome GOD we have.

There is a song sung by many titled "Our God is an Awesome God." Generally all we hear is the "chorus" but in the attached YouTube video we get to hear all of the lyrics. Please listen to this video/audio file as you read Psalm 78.

Our do we LOVE our Awesome GOD?????

http://youtu.be/2w2b033DXCw

Grace and Peace

Fred Herr

Devotional 9-9-11

What’s Your Message?

Have you ever been in a conversation and thought, “I’m getting mixed signals here; what’s the message?”  No means yes, yes means maybe, maybe means ‘isn’t going to happen’.  What’s your message?

One of the lectionary readings this week is in Exodus.  We pick up just after Pharaoh has let the Hebrews leave.  They get to the edge of the sea and WHOA…look at all that water.  God parts the sea and lets them pass on dry land.   A few verses later he lets Pharaoh’s soldiers get just far enough in, gums up their chariot wheels and then pulls the plug.  The water covers them and “none survive.”  The slaves, now safely on shore, sing and dance and praise God for His deliverance (Ex 15:2 -- The LORD is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is my God and I will praise him…).  They make up a song, Miriam gets a group together with tambourines, and again they sing.  That’s right up through Chapter 14.  By Chapter 16, they are all whining and complaining that there is not enough food and water.  Again, God provides.  As we arrive at Chapter 20, Moses enters the cloud, goes up on the mountain and receives the Commandments (and other rules) from God.  This whole time, at the bottom of the mountain, the native are restless.  As Chapter 32 unfolds, Aaron is throwing a gold party, and it seems that golden calf is on the menu.  God is great… as long as he gives us what we want.  What’s your message?

I have had the opportunity to ride in the Bishop’s Bike Ride to Annual Conference.  We trek from Charleston, along two-lane country roads, with our end destination being Wesley Chapel on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College.  It’s 150 miles over two days.  It is an awesome way to see some of the scenic beauty of West Virginia at a snail’s pace compared to the same route by car.  We travel through many little towns (some I had never heard of until the ride).  Riding a bicycle on a road populated by automobiles can be tricky even on a good day.  A light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, is that ever-familiar diamond shaped sign with its outline of a bike and the words “SHARE THE ROAD.”   When that sign is spotted, a rider can finally exhale as the thought passes through his rapidly pedaling brain, “This is a town that sees a lot of riders. They will be ready for us and will indeed Share the Road.”  It does not take long for the pulse to quicken and the side-to-side sweep of the head to begin as he gets closer to the (wonderful) sign and discovers that it is full of bullet holes.  What’s your message?  Welcome, just stay off MY road!

Questionnaires focused on service workers reveal that restaurant employees dislike Sunday lunch more than any other shift.  They say that the church crowds are the worst.  They are impatient, demanding, hateful and the absolute WORST of all (especially to someone who waits tables) they don’t TIP. What’s our message?

I’ll close with this little ditty. It’s an oldie but goodie, and I think timely.  A woman traveling very close to the car in front of her is obviously irritated that the driver ahead does not share her sense of urgency.  The driver in front slows entering an intersection.  Clearly frustrated, the woman ‘leans’ on her car horn.  The man in the car, maybe just to get away, makes a quick left across traffic onto a side street – without using a signal.  The woman, now more agitated than ever, begins to yell obscenities through her open window, she thrusts her arm from the same open window, and without troubling three of the fingers or the thumb on that hand ensures that this no-signal-slow-poke understands that he is her “Number 1.”  And for good measure, steering with her knees at this point, she lays on the horn until the intersection is out of sight.   A police officer stopped nearby witnesses the entire exchange.  As the woman’s car clears the intersection, the police office becomes alarmed. He immediately activates the car siren and flashing lights.  He pulls the woman to the side of the road and with little or no conversation puts her into the cruiser and takes her to jail.  Time passes at the police station and finally the woman, the officer and a supervisor are all brought together.  The woman DEMANDS to know what is going on.  Prompted to speak by the supervisor the police office recounts for the woman what he saw and heard at the intersection.  He ends by saying when I saw your car pass by me with its “Follow Me to Church’” and “HONK if you Love Jesus” bumper stickers, its Christian fish outline stuck just below the name of the car and the WWJD transfer on the rear glass…I naturally assumed that the car had been stolen.  What’s your message?

We outwardly show symbols of our Christianity but do we outwardly show our Christianity? Maybe it’s a talk the talk or a walk the walk thing.  What’s your message?

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words”    -St.Francis of Assisi

Steve Matthews

Devotional 9-2-11

“Living with Joyful Thanksgiving”

Have you ever given someone a gift that you thought was very special; something you had put a lot of thought into, only to see it passed over with hardly any reaction? Maybe, they even forgot to say thank you or worse found something wrong with the gift. Isn’t that what we all too often do with God’s gifts to us? It is all too easy to get bogged down in our every day lives and problems and forget the many blessings that God gives us every day (not to mention His greatest gift, his Son.)

Psalm 148 talks about how all of nature praises God. What is nature if not a glorious hymn of praise? Each season brings it’s own special joyful homage to God. In the spring, we watch as the world bursts forth with new life. The summer sun sparkles on the waters and warms the earth. In the autumn the leaves change to beautiful oranges, reds, and yellows and eventually fall to crunch noisily and joyfully under our feet. In winter, the earth sleeps. But, who can not watch a snowflake fall lazily from the sky and not know that nature is still celebrating God’s love? The moon and the stars at night, the sun by day, the winds. the oceans and rivers, the birds singing, the fish swimming, and all of the other animals on earth praise God by their very existence.

Nature praises God just by being. Is not one way to praise God by living our daily lives in joyful thanksgiving, aware of how truly blessed we really are?

Margaret Williams

Devotional 8-27-11

Jezebel Envisioned, Part II
Poetry by Molly Hicks, Master of Divinity student
Methodist Theological School in Ohio
July 2011 
 

Thank you to Molly Hicks for granting me permisson to use her poetry as a devotional.  Molly says of Jezebel, "She is vengeful, indeed, but I decided her humanity needed its say, as well."  Part one of her poem was published as a devotional on August 12.

 III. 1 Kings 21: 1-16
 
Metaphor: The struggle between religion and class

I came to Ahab today,
And he was withdrawn,
Sulking,
He would not eat,
Like a child he lay,
His back turned,
His breathing slight.
I felt his sadness,
And I touched his heart with mine,
“Naboth refused his land to us,” he said,
(Father would be furious!),
“This is unheard of!” I said,
“But his denial is the way of Yahweh,” he said.
Then arose my very own fury,
And I saw to it,
That Naboth breathed no more,
And my King received his vegetable garden,
This was my love given to Ahab.

IV. 2 Kings 9: 1-37

A Pomegranate Seed: The bitter end

My king has died in war,
And Elijah still lived,
Stories of his,
Rising prophetic power,
Traveled quickly,
Across our land.
This high priest of Yahweh,
Even crowned a new king,
Jehu,
A false king for Israel,
And my father's grandson,
Joram,
This precious gift,
Was slain by this false king,
This Yahweh king made by Elijah.

And then, you see, I was alone,
And feeling old.

Jehu traveled to Jezreel,
Where I stayed in respite,
And I knew my own fate,
For all I did,
For father,
For Ahab,
For Ba'al,
Meant nothing to Yahweh,
And nothing to Yahweh's people,
And Elijah meant to finish,
This endless battle,
That both him and I knew,
Would continue forever.
So I dressed in my royal gowns,
And painted my face,
As I did when I first came,
To this beautiful, cursed land,
And I waited for Jehu.

He arrived below my bedroom window,
I called him Zimri, the murderer he was,
And I imagined him to be Elijah,
Oh what a feast he will be for Ba'al,
On the day of his end,
And I cursed Elijah in my soul,
As I looked down at Jehu...

...Then before I could stop it,
I was falling,
To the street below,
I saw the faces of the people,
And the hooves of the horses,
And then the chariot covered me,
As I spattered that deep, deep red and purple,
Like the grapes of the vineyards speckled across,
The rich green cloth of this sacred land.
 
References

Frymer-Kensky, T. (2002). Reading the Women of the Bible: A new interpretation of their stories.  New York: Schocken Books.
Pruin, D. (2007). What is in a Text? - Searching for Jezebel. In L. Grabbe (Ed.), Ahab Agonistes: The Rise and Fall of the Omri Dynasty (208-235). New York: T&T Clark.
Miller, J.M. & Hayes, J., (2006). A History of Ancient Israel and Judah (2^nd ed.) Louisville: West Minster John Knox Press.
Nowell, I. (1997). Women in the Old Testament. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.
 
Molly Hicks

Devotional 8-19-11

Basket Case

Lectionary Readings:  Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:21-28.

A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman.  The woman became pregnant and had a son.  She saw there was something special about him and hid him.  She hid him for three months.  When she couldn’t hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it.  Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile. Exodus 2:1-3
You’ve heard this story many times:  One of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt decided the Israelites were becoming too prolific.  He decided that the best method to control the population was to have all the male babies killed.   Moses’ mother devised a way to save her special baby who eventually grew up to save the Israelite nation from the evil domination of the Pharaohs.   Moses is one of the main spiritual leaders in Judeo-Christian heritage but would never have lived past infancy, had his mother not devised this ingenious plan.

I recently received an e-mail which described various humorous signs posted by churches.  One of them claimed that Moses was the first “basket case”.  A basket had been part of the plan that saved Moses’ life—the basket kept Moses afloat until the Pharaoh’s daughter noticed and then later adopted him. However, the accepted definition of a basket case is a person who is emotionally or mentally disabled, who can no longer cope or is too impaired to function.  Although Moses spent some time in a basket at an early age, his times as a true “basket-case” came during his adult life after he fled Egypt as a fugitive and when God was recruiting him for service via the burning bush. God’s plan for Moses did not end with the life-saving basket and although Moses had several episodes that could qualify him as a basket case, God continued to call and use Moses in fulfilling His Plan.

The point of all this is that God has a plan for each of us.  Much of the time we, like Moses, have no idea what the outcomes or goals will be for that plan. Many of us are called to a certain profession or task, but we may never really understand the significance of that calling on the lives of others.  We struggle to know if we’re doing the right thing or heading in the right direction.  Sometimes even the suggestion of a change of plan results in confusion, disbelief and fear for us. What are we to do?  Paul says: “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.  Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him…You’ll be changed from the inside out…God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1-2 from the Message)  All of us are called to a greater service than we could ever achieve under our own power.  God can use even our own times as a “basket-case” for His Plan.  What He needs most from us is a true surrender to serve Him and then He provides the direction, the circumstances, the words, the strength and maybe even a basket-rescue.

Dear Loving and Forgiving God, I apologize for my lazy approach to life and for my unwillingness to follow where you have called me.  I am sorry that I have refused or have been reluctant to surrender my will to yours.  Please continue to call me so that I might have another opportunity to surrender myself to you.  Use me as I am in the circumstances you have placed me, but continue to change me so that I may be more like the child you want me to be. Help me to see You in each person I meet and find ways to fulfill your Plan for my life.  Thank you for hearing me and all of your children as we pray this prayer and thank you for the “baskets” you send us in order to save us again and again.  AMEN

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 8-12-11

Jezebel Envisioned Poetry by Molly Hicks, Master of Divinity student
Methodist Theological School in Ohio
July 2011
       

Thank you to Molly Hicks for granting me permisson to use her poetry as a devotional. Molly says of Jezebel, "She is vengeful, indeed, but I decided her humanity needed its say, as well." Part two of her poem will be published as a devotional soon.

I. 1 Kings 16: 29-33

The Announcement

When father, Ethba'al, King of the Sidonians – all of Phoenicia,
Told me of my future husband,
I was fearful,
What did I know of this place in the south?
“This will strengthen the alliance of kingdoms,
Israel, Judah and Phoenicia,” he said.
“You will make me proud,
by bringing more prosperity,” he said.
“Then...you can give me a grandson,” he said.
And at that...my heart melted,
I loved him even more,
And I smiled.

Then I began to imagine,
New rivers and mountains,
Beautiful fields of barley and pomegranate bushes,
Vineyards stretched across the desert landscape,
Like a vast green cloth,
Speckled with deep, deep red and purple,
Like blood spattered across the altar of sacrifice.
Ba'al will surely have blessed this place,
And the people will surely welcome me,
Daughter of the high priest, Ethba'al
Meaning “Ba'al is with him.”
He will surely be with me, as well.

New Home

By the next new moon,
Samaria was my kingdom,
And Ahab my king,
I was taken as wife,
And we were blessed by a priest,
But this union was not for Ba'al.
The temple was for Yahweh,
And the land was blessed by Yahweh,
Ba'al would not be happy,
Until he was welcomed, too.

I longed for Sidonia,
From sunrise till the night sky,
My husband was observant and curious,
He asked to know my god,
So I told him,
Every story grandmother had given me,
And I told him,
Every way Ba'al had blessed my life,
And father's as well,
My husband listened.

King Ahab built a great temple for Ba'al,
With an altar,
And Asherah,
The goddess mother, sacred pole.
Then I had a place for Ba'al,
And others could know him,
As they knew their Yahweh,
Here they would find their souls,
They would know true fear,
And kindness.

The new temple lay empty in daylight,
But I learned that some came,
In the first and last light of day,
They arrived in secret,
Hidden by the rising and falling cloak of night,
And they found Ba'al,
And were blessed by him,
It seems many remembered him,
Through their ancestors' time in Canaan,
When the people here lived for Ba'al.


II. 1 Kings 18: 20-40; 1 Kings 19: 1-3

Spiritual Conflict

In the city, I learned Ba'al's prophets,
Arose from Yahweh's people,
Like lions rising miraculously,
From an eternal nap.
The people asked for Ba'al's stories,
They were hungry for memories,
Of their loved ones,
And their gods and goddesses.
I began to feel at home,
In this strange place.

How could so many turn to this Yahweh?
Who is this Elijah, speaking so much untruth?
Before death we must find balance in our souls,
Ba'al brings this balance.
We receive Ba'al's happiness through rain,
A piece of him, a drop of his lifeblood,
Spared to thank us for serving him so well.
We accept the rain and grow our sheep, our crops,

We burn offerings of grains and animals,
And Ba'al is renewed, his lifeblood returned,
In honor of giving us such bounty.
He gives so much when we are good.

Once the whole of this land,
Knew Ba'al through storms as well,
Yes, he has anger, too,
His voice a great rush of thunder,
His breath weaving through the trees,
A ferocious wind,
His tears of shame churning great floods and destruction,
We listen to this anger,
We sacrifice ourselves in these deadly times,
And repent.
Ba'al, the god of all people,
The cult of Yahweh is for Ba'al,
They must see this and call it by his name.

When I heard of the killings by the brook,
By Elijah's swords,
I felt the anger of Ba'al,
Arise within my own blood and body.
My message to Elijah was clear,
The gods willed upon me,
The need to end your life,
For you, and you alone,
Can be the sacrifice to Ba'al,
For the deaths you have caused,
In your false god's name.

Molly Hicks

Devotional 8-7-11

"In one way or another, God makes sure that we all expeience what it means to be outside so that he can personally open the door and welcome us back in"
Romans 11:30
All experience what it means to be outside. It is a part of Gods plan. It is not easy, it is not fun. God makes sure that we all experience it.We may have felt the hurt of being excluded from a group or we may know the hurt of having doors closed in our face. We don't always see the whole picture. What we do need to remember is that God loves us, he wants the best for us, and he does have wonderful gifts for us. Sometimes it is necessary to move through a situation to know that God has been in control. It is only as we look back that we can know that God was in control.
Perhaps there was a job or an assignment that we really wanted, there were certain people we wanted in our life. God has always known which doors should be opened. God has a plan for the life of each of us. GOD KNOWS.

It is for each of us to put our trust in God and have the faith to believe that with God's love for each of us and with our trust in him that all will be according to Gods plan.

Let us be reminded to put each problem in Gods hands, let us ask for Gods will as we try to work through our problems. Then let us be joyful as we praise God and thank him for being with us as we deal with being outside. God makes sure that we all experience what it means to be outside so he can let us back in.

Marilyn Holleron

Devotional 7-29-11

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-26

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  ²⁵For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.  ²⁶For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?  Or what will they give in return for their life?”

Finders Weepers, Losers Keepers

Once upon a time there was a woman who had a beautiful gold bracelet with inlaid diamonds.  Every day, when she woke up, she put it on her arm.  Every night, before she went to bed, she put it on her nightstand.  One day she woke up and realized that her bracelet was missing.  It was not on the nightstand.  She did not remember taking it off her arm the night before.  She tried retracing her steps from the day before, but to no avail.  At the end of her failed search, she sat on the edge of her bed and cried.

Once upon a time there was a woman who went to the grocery store.  While she was shopping, she saw something glisten on the floor.  She reached down and picked up a beautiful gold bracelet with inlaid diamonds.  She placed it on her arm and rejoiced at her good fortune.

Whenever I found something as a child, I used to say, “finders keepers, losers weepers.”  It is a saying made up by finders as a way of laying claim to a find.  It is devoid of compassion for those who have the painful experience of losing.

In Matthew 16:24-26, Jesus says, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”  Jesus’ saying is more like “Finders Weepers, Losers Keepers.”

What does Jesus mean when he says, “those who lose their life for my sake will find it”?  Does he bid us to die?  The short answer is: YES!  Notice that Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow.  The cross may be for us today a symbol of resurrection, but there can be no resurrection without death.

All of this raises the question: What are you willing to die for?

I have heard people say thing like, “that chocolate cake is to die for.”  However, I have a feeling that any restaurant that sells chocolate cake and demands that the person who orders the cake die shortly thereafter as the price, will discover that no matter how tasty, that particular chocolate cake is not a big seller.

What are you willing to die for?  Family?  Friends?  Your faith? How about a stranger?  Or a murderer?  How about your enemies?  Or atheists?  What are you willing to die for?

In Romans 5:7-8, Paul wrote that, “Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.  But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”

Jesus did not die for the Methodists, or the Christians, or people with the right belief, or people who do good deeds.  Jesus died for the best of the best and the worst of the worst, because all are sinners and Jesus died for sinners.

What are you willing to die for?  Jesus says, “those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”  Read that line again, but this time emphasize the word “their.”  How does that affect your reading of the text? 

How many of us are preoccupied with our selves?  Preoccupied with our looks, our success, our wealth, our health?  Oh, maybe we include our families and our friends.  But do we include all the people that God created? 

One interpretation of the text for our day may be that when Jesus calls us to lose our lives, he wants us to die to selfishness so that we can begin to live in a way that focuses not on self, but on others (even our enemies).

Once upon a time there was a woman who found a beautiful gold bracelet with inlaid diamonds.  She wanted that bracelet.  She pictured wearing it on her arm.  But she knew that it did not belong to her and that somewhere there was a woman missing her bracelet.  Instead of placing it on her arm, she went in search of the woman who lost it.  She put a stranger’s pain ahead of her own desire to keep the bracelet.  She put another ahead of her self.

How are you losing your life today?

Prayer

Almighty God,
You made the earth and the sun and set them in motion.
Help us to remember that the earth revolves around the sun.
Break us of the desire to have both the earth and the sun to revolve around us.

Help us to die to our selfish ways.
Help us to live in love that places others’ needs and dreams ahead of our own.
Help us to love those who are easy to love as well as those who are hard to love.
Help us to love the least, the last, and the lost.
Help us to love others, as Jesus loves us.

Until we have died to self.
Until we live for the good of your creation, including all of the people you have made.
Until people can see the kingdom of God through our living.
In the name of Jesus the Christ.  Amen.

David A. Stackpole, M.Div., J.D.

Devotional 7-22-11

Please read Matthew 7:25-34

Last night Tim and I took a man to Mannington because he did not have a ride there. It is his home. He was in Fairmont all day shopping.  He asked for a Bible, and Tim had one laying in the backseat of the car, along with an “Upper Room” devotional magazine for him to read when he wanted. He knew both publications well. He picked up the Bible and began paging through the Psalms. As we traveled, he read beautifully about God being in a magnificent thunderstorm. The language itself was powerful and amazingly descriptive. His reading was perfect. Intonation and cadence joined to make this an experience I will never forget. So many people are intimidated about reading the Bible aloud. Maybe he couldn’t have done it as well in a public place. His voice was powerful, yet not loud. I could see lightning and rain as he read. I could hear thunder.

He told us a little about himself. “I’m really slow,” he said. “I can’t hold down a job because of that, so I’m on disability. I finally got my GED.” I told him that that was not my impression of him and that he seemed very intelligent to me. He did. “I go into Fairmont about once a month or so to do a little shopping or just to clear my head”, he said. “Sometimes I eat at McDonald’s then go down to the river and watch the boats or the ducks and geese swim. If it’s hot I go somewhere I can put my feet in the water and keep cool. It’s quiet and I need to reflect a lot. I drink coffee to stay awake all night so the police won’t arrest me for vagrancy. I like the solitude.”

“So what kind of pots did you buy today?” I asked him. “Are thy hand made for display or what?” He replied that he was going to plant roses in them. “I just love to grow things,“ he said. “I live with my dad. He used to travel around fixing sewing machines, but he doesn’t do that anymore. He’ll have supper waiting for me. I plant all kinds of flowers in our yard. Roses, tiger lilies, azaleas, peonies. It’s calming to be outside. It helps me be quiet and think. I have a cousin like me who’s slow. She can’t keep a job either.” He sounded resigned.

Every word that came out of his mouth was thoughtful and deliberate. His grammar was perfect. (Snob that I am, I always notice that first when I meet anyone. Anyone.) We took him to his house and let him out. “Very nice to meet you,” he said. “Yeah” Tim replied. “Come by the church anytime. Hope to see you again.” “Me, too!” I echoed. Tim turned the car around and we headed home. “Gentle soul” he said. “Yeah,” I agreed. “He’s not slow. He’s just too gentle for this world.”

How many other people are like that? How quick are we to judge them? Why do we think everybody has to be like us?

Rev. Dorcas L. Conrad

Highland Avenue UMC
Fairmont, WV

Devotional 7-15-11

Free us for Joyful Obedience

I have had to make lots of phone calls this month, asking people if they would be willing to do this or that. I really don’t like to make those kind of phone calls, but I have found myself doing it a lot lately. I’m the lay director of the next Emmaus women’s walk, so many of the phone calls have been to ask community members to serve on the team.

It has been a joy to speak to everyone I’ve called, and even though not everyone can say “yes,” everyone is resting in the middle of God’s will, and we are all finding grace in the process.

Even though I don’t like to call people to ask them to serve, I am finding joy in obedience.

There is a line in the Prayer of Confession that is part of the United Methodist Communion Liturgy that says, “Free of for joyful obedience.” It’s one of my favorite parts of communion.

Free us for joyful obedience.

It seems like it would be a paradox – to be made free so that we can obey. We shouldn’t be surprised, though. Faith in Christ is full of contradictions and paradoxes. We are Christians – people who have received forgiveness we do not deserve, through grace of unlimited value that we did not earn. We follow a Lord who has died but is alive, a God who created the universe but loves us each in a personal way, and we walk with a Holy Spirit we cannot see, hear or touch, but who surrounds us with love. We know our God in three parts, and yet our God is one. We are mortal beings who will live forever. Nothing should sound like a paradox – everything is beyond our imagination. We are made free so that we can obey, and in that obedience we find joy.

We are asked to serve – in our communities, in our churches, in our families, at our places of work, with our friends. We pray about service, and we try to listen to God’s call on our lives, and yet, if you are like me, there are times when I am held back from answering the way God is leading me. What is it that prevents you from being free for obedience?

Is it fear? Selfishness? Worry? A lack of confidence? Unwillingness? Unhappiness? What is it that is keeping you from saying “yes” or “no” in obedience to God? What does God need to free you from so that you can find the joy in obeying him?

Perhaps we all need to make that line part of our prayers each day. Free me for joyful obedience.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

(Trust and Obey, lyrics by John H. Sammis, 1887)

Kim Matthews

Devotional 7-7-11

Watching the Royal Wedding was high on my “to do” list. To feel surrounded by the grandeur of Westminster Abby was once again a thrill. I remember the feeling of walking amid the grandeur of the beautiful cathedral but on this special day to see the sun shining into the Abby was also thrilling, and made the setting so appropriate for a very special wedding. The words that were spoken, addressed to the young couple, were so meaningful. The words that they heard and we all heard at a distance were—“Be who you were meant to be, and you will set the world on fire! “ WOW—Can we really do that? Set the world on fire? Imagine what we could be if we could just figure out what we are meant to be. It seems like a lifetime of searching --What are we meant to be? Then as we search it slowly becomes more clear. Just listen to God as he tells us what he would have us to do and to be. Talk to God, he will help us figure this out. I think that what the speaker was trying to tell the young couple and all of us is that we can do more with our lives, we need to be intentional, and if we do more we can make a difference. The Duke and Duchess will do much that we would never ever dream of doing. We can still do things that we may never dream to do, there is the force within us to achieve. God wants the very best for us. Read again some of the scripture that was used at the wedding. It was a challenge to the couple and can also be to us.

Romans-12 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God- what is good and acceptable and perfect”

Spiritual life grows as we give ourselves to each other, and to God’s will. We become richer in soul. And our prayer this day is that we will be able to discern what God I s saying to us, and what it is that he would have us to do. There may be some surprises for us, and we may go in an entirely different direction from what we expect. Just remember that God is good.

Peace and Joy to each of you,

Marilyn Holleron

Devotional 7-1-11

In the Voice there was an article about the spring storms. Having just returned from Oklahoma to visit our daughter Julie and her family. I would like to share about our trip that took us on inter-state 44 thru a very small portion of Joplin Missouri that was devastated with a very deadly tornado. On the way out we did not know if we would see anything about the loss that went on there. As we were driving thru Joplin we began to see about a two block space on inter-state 44. As I said it was only a very minimal portion of what went on there. To the right we saw downed trees,debris that was unbelievable [siding from houses, clothing, paper , and a vast array of things hanging out of blown down trees]. To the left there were homes very much like our own. I am talking about all brick houses. They were totally blown in from the front . Trees were totally uprooted and huge road signs were broken like tinker toys. Traveling a little further up the inter-state we saw a flag pole that had survived the winds. There was a huge American flag flying at half mast. Her bottom stripe had been partially torn off and she was really frayed but she was proudly there showing all that they she had survived that they would indeed survive.

On the way back home we traveled back across that same area. We saw the power company restoring power. Men were out with their chainsaws cutting apart the downed trees, tarps were covering roofs, and people were cleaning up the debris. Perhaps that will be their firewood for next winter. Volunteers were notified of the exit to take to sign up to help. And the large frayed flag was still flying at half mast. Nature may have it's way, but human nature will always survive thru faith and our willingness to help each other in times of trouble. It was truely a humbling exprience. Please keep the people of Joplin in your prayers.
 
Jean Ramsey

Devotional 6-24-11

Resurrection Reality PEACE
John 20:19-31

Do you remember how Walter Cronkite used to close his broadcast by saying, “And that’s the way it is”? Such is a world vision that reflects the painfulness of reality. It is an echoing of the somber words of agnostic Bertrand Russell: “Brief and powerless is Man’s life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark.”

Life on Easter evening for the disciples opens in a somber, fearful mood. John reports, “When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews.” Huddled behind locked doors, the followers of Jesus are struggling.

Today, we struggle with reality, we doubt like Thomas did. I have I been in a season of doubt since Oct. 24, 2010 when my brother died. I didn’t doubt God in 1972 when I was laying beside my mother, and she never woke up at the age of 43, and I was 9. I didn’t doubt in 1981 when I was a freshmen in college and my brother David called to tell me that my brother John had been killed. I didn’t doubt in 1979 when my grandmother who raised me died. But my life fell apart when David died. I have questioned God, and the God I serve is big enough, deep enough, strong enough, wise enough to handle my doubts and my questions. In fact the biggest venue on television is the genre of so-called reality TV. I’ve got this great idea for reality TV. It would be the ultimate survivor show. Take a guy who is obviously a religious fanatic. So much so that he believes he’s the messiah, the savior of the world. Then you could have authorities who are out to get him. Let’s say they succeed and put him to death. But how’s this? He rises from the dead after three days. Now that is a survivor! His reality changes our reality.

He didn’t just survive. He triumphed! Now that is real reality, resurrection reality peace. It is way beyond the survivor. Now comes the really great part; you can be a part of the show.

Resurrection reality peace takes us way beyond the survivor. “Peace be with you,” the Savior said. Jesus offers reality that is so much better than just struggling to survive. In resurrection reality, our Lord and Savior offers a spiritual peace that triumphs in the midst of the raging storms of modern living. Reality TV says that the purpose of life is to claw your way ahead, to do everything you possibly can to make money, to win in the end, to survive by being number one regardless of what happens to others.

Resurrection reality peace with Jesus offers a purpose that is far beyond just looking out for number one or just advancing your career or just earning money.

Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Resurrection reality peace is about living your life to the mighty purposes of God. It is about advancing the kingdom of God through evangelistic witness and the deeds of love and mercy. Reality television is about living life for insignificant goals. Resurrection reality peace is about the opposite—living life for the greatest goal of all, the advancement of God’s kingdom here on earth, the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ by words and deeds. To what purpose are you living? Is it reality TV or resurrection reality peace? Resurrection reality peace is just the opposite. It is not all up to you. Jesus “breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ ”Many of us live with the functional atheism of reality TV. Resurrection reality peace is completely contrary to that. It is living in the conviction that God is not asleep or in a coma but will act with you and through you, empowering you to accomplish the impossible for God’s kingdom. We are not alone. God is with us, in history and in our lives, transforming them with a resurrection reality peace. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Which do you choose? Will you live on your own power, exhausted and struggling, or will you open yourself to the mighty power of God? Peace, purpose, power—three things we all desperately need. TV reality offers no peace, only the running of the rat race. It offers no purpose beyond the accumulation of money, place, or pleasure. It offers no power beyond your own limited resources. Resurrection reality peace offers peace for a purpose with power. It breaks through locked doors and banishes fear. This can be yours. You won’t be voted off the island but rather have reality shaped day by day and moment by moment through the risen Lord and Savior who, in the power of the Holy Spirit, stands in our midst this hour. Just Believe. I believe Thomas. I believe church. I believe Jeremiah. God help my unbelief. Amen

Preached on May 1, 2011 at Johnson Memorial UMC by Jeremiah A. Jasper