Devotional 4-6-20

Is this Holy Week different?

Read Psalm 36:5-11, Isaiah 42:1-9, Hebrews 9:11-15

My answer, to the title of this devotional, is yes and no.  As Holy Week began on Palm Sunday, we would have been celebrating Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem together at Johnson Memorial, or in other congregations, with our church Family, as a body of Christ.  But we could not.  We did celebrate together, as a Body of Christ in spirit, as we received the message, virtually from our Pastor.  We still had wonderful music from members of the Music Ministry and we heard the word of God. Thanks be to God!

God would still show us his love as in Psalm 36:7, "Your faithful love is priceless, God! Humanity finds refuge in the shadow of your wings."

What about the rest of Holy Week?  Well, things are different!  Many of us will be staying in our homes.  Some that are very needed, in their calling, will be working to care for others.  We will not be able to visit or be together in person with family, but we can still keep in touch from a distant.  Just like past years we can still be contemplating what we know of the days leading to Easter Sunday.  As written by the Prophet Isaiah 42:1,4,  ”Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.”  42:4 “He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching.”

As the week continues, we will celebrate Maundy Thursday, although differently, but it has the same meaning that Christ give his body and blood for our salvation.  We will cry on Good Friday as we remember Christ’s Crucifixion on the cross for us.  We will pray and contemplate all of this on Saturday leading to a Glorious Easter Sunday and the RESURRECTION of our Savior Christ the Jesus as he conquers death and leads us all to eternal LIFE.

In the message of Resurrection that there is life eternal.  There will also be life again in the world as we conquer what is happening today.  All of this through the Love of God and the Blood of our Savoir Jesus Christ.  Yes, this Holy Week will be different but the same. Halleluiah, Amen!!

Fred Herr

Devotional 11-22-19

Paul’s Warning
 

II Thessalonians 3: 6-13

As he began working on his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul remembered how well  his previous letter had been received by them. They were on their way to establishing their own church and it was wonderful! They were enthusiastic about what was happening! They were so eager to learn more about this man called Jesus, and to start their church in his name. Paul’s first letter to them was full of information about Jesus and Paul’s personal knowledge of him. There was much to be done to bring in new believers. Paul had given them a lot of encouragement and incentive to work hard. They were growing together through Christ’s love. They understood that Paul expected them to work together and keep busy to be successful.

But Paul had heard some disturbing news from his followers. Many of the Thessalonians were idly wasting their time while others continued working and doing the right thing. He believed it was time to set the record straight. Everyone was to be working! Paul’s followers told him that plain idleness had set in because everyone decided they would just wait for Jesus to arrive.

Paul must have thought long and hard about what he would say in his second letter to the Thessalonians. They must understand that certain things were to happen before Jesus returned. No one knew quite what those things were, or how long that would take, but Paul told them to get back to work! They must not sit idly around doing nothing. He warned that idleness would not be tolerated. He urged them in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down, work hard, and earn their meals. Most important, Paul just wanted them to do what he had asked, and to do it right.

Heavenly Father,
How blessed we are when we work together for the common good. Whatever the goal, we have fun doing it together, sharing the work, using the best of the talents You have given us. And when the work is over and the day is through, we smile. No need to worry, Father! There will be no loafing, no whining, no complaining, no waste of time, for this work, dear Lord, is done for You. Amen

Diane Feaganes

Devotional 11-15-19

The Song of a Baby's Cry

Lectionary Readings:  Isaiah 12; Isaiah 65: 17-25; Psalm 118; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20: 27-38     “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The Lord is my strength and my song, he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12: 2

I have a framed message in my living room that says: “God gave us music so we could pray without words.”  It is the end-part of an anonymous quote that starts with “Bach gave us God’s word; Mozart gave us God’s laughter; and Beethoven gave us God’s fire.” Music is a magnificent means of communication.  Most of us have chosen one or more genres that we enjoy and probably a list of examples that make a “favorites list”.   God created us in his image, so I joyfully jump to the conclusion that God loves music also.  I believe He gave us music to communicate with each other and with Him.

Some have speculated that music actually begins in the womb.  The rhythm of the mother’s heart, all of mom’s internal bodily noises, as well as the music of the fluid the baby moves in supply melodies to the developing baby’s brain.  Then after birth, the loving messages of those who cuddle and attempt to soothe the baby provide the first external notes.

Babies, however, cannot respond in kind (at least at first).  Babies mainly communicate with crying. The baby cries for food, warmth, dryness, relief of gas, fear, loneliness, etc.  Crying does not initially compare favorably to a definition of a song.  Many a care giver has been frustrated by the cries of a baby--especially when it seems that after multiple attempts to determine the cause of the cry, the baby is not soothed.  And yet, the song of crying signifies life—the child is sending out messages.

I have really enjoyed my volunteer hours at Lily’s Place and am thrilled when asked to cuddle one of these special little ones.  I am not always successful in the game of “soothe the baby to sleep” though.  Recently we’ve cared for a special one who frustrated many of his care givers.  He cried when he was being fed and therefore didn’t always eat his full measure, he cried when he was swaddled, and when he was unbound, cried when he was both wet and dry, cried when he was rocked and when he was still, cried when left alone and when he received attention. He was prayed for, sung to, loved, cuddled, rocked and snuggled. It seems nothing soothed him—at least for any length of time.  What was he trying to communicate?  What was he saying with his cries?

The baby’s cries were frustrating but not life threatening. But maybe the cries symbolize something else, like the collective cries of all those in pain or who grieve.  Perhaps they are the messages of all who are lonely and afraid.  They could also be a joyful statement: “Look, I’m alive in spite of my rough beginning and I want everyone to know it.”  He was communicating with us and we were trying to listen to catch his meaning. His song was not the one we expected, but it was his message.  What can this baby teach us about our relationship with God?

We are often too busy with our own agenda to listen for God’s message.  We fill our own silence with white noise and insignificant background sound to feel less alone and isolated. When we seek Him or respond, our song often sounds flat and out of rhythm because we have not truly listened to God.  God tells us to not be afraid, that He is with us.  However, God’s message to us is not always what we expect as He speaks to us in many voices and uses words, music, nature, silence, etc.. When we ignore His message we miss the chance to sing a new song that allows God to become our salvation and strength.

“I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, O my soul rejoice!
 Take joy, my King in what you hear; May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear.”
                                                                                                            Laurie Klein (the Faith We Sing)

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 10-25-19

When we mismanage powerful emotions and fail to completel embrace the pain or release control, the emotions can bury themselves  like the root of a noxious week that sprouts again when most unexpected to spoil the landscape of our lives.  -- Elizabeth Barker

Resentments can destroy your life the same as weeds in a garden and when we think we are just setting things right by letting others know how a person hurt us we are really hurting more than them. We hurt ourselves, we hurt that person’s reputation and we can hurt other’s opinion of them. If we can’t give a person grace, then just shut up and take it to God. He is the only one who can bring peace to any situation or circumstance or heart.

I failed in this regard. Learn to pause. Learn to reign in those powerful emotions that can destroy us. That is when we are our most vulnerable. That is when we will make mistakes. That is when we will fail if we are going to fail. It can sneak up on you. Sometimes it takes a long time to fall. By the time you land face down with dirt packed in your throat, it’s too late for wishing you had controlled your emotions. It’s been years but I still taste the dirt in my mouth from bitterness. Not the bitterness of what that person did but the bitterness of my own hard heart. Take it to God. Never run from God. He is grace. He is never the cause of your pain. He is the rain of love that surrounds and enables us to get through any circumstance or emotion. Pause and Pray. Pause and Pray. Pause and Pray. Don’t run. Stay close to God.

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that "no root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. Hebrews 12:15

Barbara Smith Lavalley

Devotional 10-18-19

Inspired by Psalm 145

I speak for the moment.
I speak in the time I have available to me.
I pray that my words of praise to God
would last forever.

My gratitude stretches across time,
into eternity,
My thankfulness is for today,
for it is all I have,
but I offer it to you, and
and I praise your name forever.

Great are you,
my God and King.
My creator,
for without you I would not live today.
My redeemer,
for without you I would not live tomorrow.
My sustainer,
for without you, I would not live at all.
Great are you,
and worthy to be praised.

You are unknowable,
Unsearchable,
and yet you hold my heart
in your hand.

I pray my generation,
my children's generation,
and those who come after me
who I cannot even imagine,
know you,
and declare your work
in their lives.

My mind,
my heart,
my breath
are full of your grace and mercy
and I pray I will never forget.
I pray that my words of praise
would last forever.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 10-4-19

"Because of the Lords great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
Lamentations 3: 22-24 NIV

 In Lamentations 1: 1-6 Jerusalem is in mourning. Psalm 137 is about suffering in captivity. I have never experienced physical captivity, but I am all too familiar with mourning and the captivity of grief. In January, as most of you know I lost my 26 year old grandson. In April, I lost one of my best friends since 7th grade to brain cancer. During that time I also lost three old friends that although they were no longer a part of my life, were still friends who will always have a special place in my memories and in my heart.

Our church has also had more than its share of mourning and grief in the past 12 months. We have lost people who we felt were irreplaceable to us personally and to our church. We have experienced the ups and downs of joy and fear as three of our grandchildren were born with health problems. We have celebrated, cried, prayed, and loved each other through all of this and so much more.

How do we as Christians deal with living in a world that will never be quite the same without our loved ones in it? In Philippians 4: 4-7 NIV Paul tells us: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." How do you "Rejoice!" when you heart is breaking? When I am feeling sad, it helps me to remember the good times and to thank God for that person, the relationship, the love, and all the joy that they brought into my life and the lives of many others. Could this be a way rejoicing?

Because of the Lords great love, we are not consumed by our grief, for his compassion never fails. I will wait for him--for his healing love.

Margaret Williams

Devotional 9-28-19

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”   Romans12:12
"Continue earnestly in prayer. Being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”  Colossians 4:2

Recently, I was reading The Secret of the Abiding Presence by Andrew Murray.  He has a chapter,  “The Power of Intercession” in which he writes about the value of united intercessory prayer. Never had I thought of prayer in quite that way.  One prayer adds to another and the effects are great.  Murray writes about the “superhuman energy” of such prayer.

Today I am thinking about our beloved country with its deep divisions, a country that needs badly united intercessory prayer. Our prayers might include ones for the healing of our nation, for those suffering at our border looking for asylum, Puerto Ricans seeking better government, members and friends in our church who grieve over the death of a loved one, those who are ill, jobless, and missionaries abroad and at home.

I believe that I am part of a congregation that prays, and I am thankful.  May we always “be one in the spirit” and, although we go different ways, let us pray united in the spirit, abounding in love.  Jesus has promised, “Surely I will be with you always.”
"Bless be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love
The fellowship of kindred minds.
Is like to that above.” 

Martha Casey