Devotional 9-28-18

Please read Psalm 26

In preparation for this devotion, I found several listed scriptures for this Sunday’s liturgy, and randomly selected the above. Silly me! As I’ve gotten into it, I find I’ve picked a somewhat difficult scripture. Let me explain.

At first read, the speaker is bragging about how good he is. In fact, he sounds like he’s perfect: “…I have led a blameless life….” “…I walk continually in your truth….”; “I wash my hands in innocence….”; “…I love the house where you live….”

And he gives assurances to God: “I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.” What’s this? I learned we should be humbled in the presence of the Lord.

I read on only to discover that the psalmist says it again! “…I lead a blameless life!” Then he’s defending himself, not knowing where he stands when it comes to eternal life.  His declaration moves full circle from an attitude of certainty to one of uncertainty! So what’s the explanation here?

Well —something I have learned about Bible Study over the past few years is something that, in a rush for time, I forget. And it’s this: If your Bible has a study guide or editors’ notes, read them—preferably first! I did not read the notes for this scripture. But here they are for you:

“This claim to be blameless or righteous…should not be stretched too far. Whenever the psalmists examined themselves before God, they acknowledged their deep need for forgiveness. Here though the issue is God’s fairness. Knowing little about life after death, the psalmists expected that good people would do better in this life than bad people…. In calling for justice, they emphasized that they had been more faithful to God than their enemies. Compared to the people plotting murder and betrayal against him, the psalmist was blameless. In a wholehearted, sincere way he had followed God. He doesn’t mean he never makes a mistake. He means only that he doesn’t deserve punishment.” (The Student Bible, New International Version, Psalm 26:11, page 506)

And now, we understand.

Heavenly Father, when we are challenged by something—be it great or small, let us not dismiss it in frustration. Rather, help us to be patient, to find help, and to never give up until that challenge is resolved. Amen

Diane Feaganes

Devotional 9-23-18

Give a little, save a little, spend a little.

We are created to be generous. Genesis 1:26 tells us that we are created in God’s image, and our understanding of God is that God is loving and generous. But, we also have a bent to selfishness. The disobedience in the Garden of Eden caused humanity to struggle with sin. Pride and selfishness interfere with our desire to be generous. We struggle with fear and scarcity, even as we desire to be generous.

We live in a consumerist culture that leads many people to struggle with debt. Generosity must be learned and practiced in a culture where money and possessions have almost a mystical power. Our relationship with money and possessions can interfere with our living into the call to be generous. That relationship is often rooted into how money was treated in our family.

Was money a taboo subject when you were growing up? Did you know how much money your parents made? Did you know how much your parents had?

Was money talked about at the dinner table? Did your parents teach you skills in handling money? Were family conversations around money filled with anxiety? Hopefulness? Gratitude? Anger?

I was humbled and honored to do serve at Dave Ohl’s funeral recently. At the evening visitation time with the family, I had a chance to visit with Dave’s grandchildren. I learned that Dave Ohl sent cards to his five grandchildren all their lives. He sent cards for all occasions, even Halloween. Dave picked out five specific cards that matched the individual personalities of each of the five grandchildren.

In each card, Dave wrote each grandchild a personal note. He also included money and ended each note with the admonition to, “give a little; save a little; spend a little.” In his loving and generous gifts to his grandchildren, Dave Ohl passed on to them a healthy attitude toward money that focused first on giving.

What seeds Dave Ohl planted for nurturing generous grandchildren!

You are created in God’s image. What will your family say was the attitude about money and possessions in your household?

Rev. Jeff Taylor

Devotional 9-14-18

Help yourself with God !!

James 4:7-8 (Common English Bible (CEB))
⁷ Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. ⁸ Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Back in the 70’s there was a TV show called “Laugh In” and during the show a phase was often used “the devil made me do it !! ”.  Well this phrase caught on and it seemed as everyone would use it at some time.  We all thought it was funny to use and blame everything that we did on the devil and depending on how it was used, we would laugh.
There are times though that the devil does try to disrupt our lives.  It is those times that we need to come closer to God.  Pray for God’s almighty hand to guide us and strengthen us to make right decisions.  To help us reject the what the devil is placing in front of us.

When a person in the United Methodist Church; joins the church, is confirmed into the church, is baptized for the first time or even wishes to reaffirm their faith.  A Litany from the UMC Book of Worship is used.
Below is a portion of the Litany that is asked of the individual.
“On behalf of the whole Church, I ask you:
    Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness,
      reject the evil powers of this world,
      and repent of your sin?

    Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you
      to resist evil, injustice, and oppression
      in whatever forms they present themselves?

    Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior,
      put your whole trust in his grace,
      and promise to serve him as your Lord,
      in union with the Church which Christ has opened
      to people of all ages, nations, and races?”
Reference UMC Book of Worship

When we reject evil (devil) forces of this world, call upon God to help us and for us to accept Jesus Christ as our savior, we can be a powerful force !!!!  Our life and the life of others can be made whole.

Prayer
God, I call upon you to help me through my troubles and decisions.  Guide me away from whatever the evil is placed in front of me, so that my life will be as full as it can be.  Then God, help me become the disciple that Jesus wants me to be to all I encounter, so that they too will have the joy I have through you and Christ Jesus.

Amen

If you have not accepted Christ as your Savior or you are in need of guidance, please seek the guidance of a pastor at our church or one close to you.

May the peace of God be with you.

Fred Herr

Devotional 9-7-18

Summer vacation has come to a close, so three weeks ago, my husband and I picked up 4 of our grandchildren after the first day of school in our van. You cannot believe the excitement that day.  The noise level was unbelievably loud.  All four of them wanted to tell us about their first day back to school at the same time.  They had so much to tell us and they all wanted to be the first to tell us because they were so excited and so energetic.  Each one tried to talk over the others, so they had to be the loudest, so we could hear them first.  Whew!!! It was crazy in that van!!

But isn’t this commonplace today, when we want to share a story with someone.  Whether we are in an office or a restaurant or at home, we find ourselves getting louder so we can be heard over everyone else and everything else that is going on around us.  We just want to be heard, so we can tell our important story.

In James 3:1-12, we hear about “taming the tongue”. “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.”  You see, it really is difficult to control our tongue.  We have something important to say and we do not want to wait. Our tongue can get us into so much trouble so quickly.  So often it controls us, not us controlling it.

The author of James explains that with God’s help we can slow down and think first, so we can control what we are about to say. The words we speak can harm and hurt or they can encourage.  The words we speak can destroy or build up.  If we love God, we must love all of God’s children as well.  What are we going to tell others and what tone are we going to use to tell them?

Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that “the tongue has the power of life and death.” What a responsibility for us to carry every minute of every day. Can you, with God’s help, stop before you speak? How will you use your tongue today?


Blessings,
Rev. Suzanne Ellis

Devotional 9-1-18

How Are WE?

Not counting mowing our own lawn and that of my grandparents as a 12-13 year old I have worked…at something since I was 15. I helped a contractor build a house before I had a driver’s license and had to wait at the end of our street (this was a summer job by the way) for the contractor or a worker to pick me up. The list of jobs reads like the “what to expect when you arrive” page for an upcoming job fair: construction worker, prep cook (I made 600 – from scratch – buttermilk biscuits every shift), short order cook, telephone installer, real estate appraiser…and so on. Twice on this list you would you encounter the job title of table waiter. At either time I can’t say that I was ever taught or trained how to wait on tables…just a lot of common sense and a longer list of DON’T’S (like spill the food on the customers, stick your fingers in their food, NEVER NEVER NEVER put a glass glass into the ice machine…you get it).  Because of our schedules we tend to eat out a lot. From the moment we walk in, the greeting seems to be standard – almost as if it is in the 2018 training video, the host or hostess says, “How are WE?” WE? You mean ME? The same WE conversation continues at the table, “Are WE ready to order?” Have WE decided on a drink?” “Do WE want dessert?” WE WE WE! It would appear that in an attempt to connect with the customer and IRRITATES me! All of this group hug good feeling is going to fade to gone when the check comes. At that point the paper is passed and WE are not paying…I am paying.

I wonder if I could make a difference at work or at the grocery store or at church if I were to take on the WE position. Show up and ask, “How are WE?” and MEAN it. Your well-being is my well-being. I am the church, you are the church, WE are the church together. I do want to know how WE are. I want to be part of your life. I want to know what you like, what you don’t like, what troubles you, what makes you happy. And when it’s time to pay > with a compliment, with a prayer, with financial help, with physical tasks…I’m still here, and it will be WE paying the check.

James 2:17…So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

Steve Matthews