Today’s Thought; Are you Blessed?

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

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

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

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

You are Blessed!!!

Shalom
Fred Herr

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

Devotional 10-16-09

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steve Matthews

Devotional 10-9-09

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marilyn Holleron

Devotional 10-2-09

Was Job the First Boy Scout?

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

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

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

Lee Oxley

Devotional 9-23-09

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chyrl Budd

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

Devotional 9-18-09

AN AMAZING WOMAN

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

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

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

Jean Dean

Devotional 9-11-09

Searching for God’s Voice and Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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