Devotional 11-19-10

Psalm 98:4-9
Shout to the Lord

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity Psalm 98:4-9

I love the imagery of these verses from Psalms. I love the image of the whole world praising God – the seas roaring its praise and the hills singing. I believe God is worthy of such dramatic praise.
Before last weekend, my definition of praise was probably too narrow. If asked, I would have defined praise, without much thought, as the songs of praise in worship, the prayers of thanksgiving we offer to God, and the words of the sermon that extol God’s majesty. With that definition of praise, it’s hard to imagine that the sea and the hills could actually offer praise.

Last Sunday, Ember led the early service in the song “Shout to the Lord” – a song partially based on Psalm 98. Following that, in Jack’s prayer, he asked God that we would shout loudly with our actions of praise of the Lord.

Shouting with our actions our praise of the Lord.

The next day I read about praise as described by Frederick Buechner. He wrote that praise of God is volcanic – explosive. “The whole of creation is in on the act – the sun and moon, the sea, fire and snow, Holstein cows and white-throated sparrows, old men in walkers and children who still haven’t taken their first step. Their praise is not chiefly a matter of saying anything, because most of creation doesn’t deal in words. Instead, the snow whirls, thee fire roars, the Holstein bellows, the old man watches the moon rise. Their praise is not something that at their most complimentary they say, but something that their truest they are.”

Do we shout of praise of God with our actions? Does our praise of God reflect who we are at our “truest?” Trees stand, reaching the skies while the ocean crashes and the sun paints the skies with colors of glory – all of them shouting a testimony to God’s greatness. Do we do the same with who we are, with what we have been given and with our actions?

Prayer: Our Jesus, our Savior, Lord there is none like you. All of our days, we want to praise, the wonder of your mighty love. Our comfort, our shelter, tower of refuge and strength, let every breath, all that we are, never cease to worship you. Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing. Power and majesty, praise to the King. Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name. We sing for joy at the works of your hands. Forever, we’ll love you. Forever we’ll stand. Nothing compares to the promise we have in you. Amen.

Prayer adapted from the song “Shout to the Lord,” Words and music by Darlene Zschech

Kim Matthews

Devotional 11-12-10

November 12, 2010
Luke 15:1-10 “Each One is Important”

When I was a little girl I often heard my grandmother singing that old song “The Ninety and Nine”. Of course I had no idea what that hymn was about, only that it meant a great deal to her. In case you don’t remember it or have never heard it, it goes like this:. “There were ninety and nine that safely lay . . .” This hymn is about finding something that was lost.

Have you ever lost something that was really important to you? Not misplaced, but actually lost? I suppose how a person would react would be in relation to how important the thing that was lost was. If something is lost, who will go looking for it? If I said I lost a quarter in my yard while I was cutting back some herbs, someone, maybe a kid would go looking for it. If I said I lost a $100.00 bill in my yard, some of you might not read the rest of this devotional but would feel a prompting by the Holy Spirit to help with the herb drying and find that $100.00 bill. Again, the value we place on something will determine how much time and effort we are willing to go through to search for that lost object.

This is another time when Jesus was trying to get the Scribes and Pharisees to understand the nature of God. Remember, they were the religious people of the day, the ones who kept the rules, the spiritual I’s dotted and t’s crossed. They did everything the way it was supposed to be done. And they were proud of that. They did not think there was anything lost about themselves. But they were threatened by the fact that the sinners and tax collectors were coming closer to them. They didn’t want anything to do with those lost people. They couldn’t understand why Jesus was welcoming them and eating with them.

As I was preparing this week, I wondered for the first time, if Jesus acceptance of these sinners was easy for him to do. Initially, I thought, of course it was, he was God’s son. But now I wonder. Jesus was a pious Jew. He knew the laws of Moses at least as well as any Scribe or Pharisee there that day. But I wonder if, through his own prayer life and his own intimate interaction with God, God showed Him that everyone was equal in God’s sight. Scripture tells us that Jesus interacted with the lost. It doesn’t tell us whether or not he really wanted to do it from his human side. But he was compassionate, where the Scribes and Pharisees were not. Jesus wanted them to understand that God chose him to come for the lost. So he told them these parables.

A shepherd had 100 sheep. Ninety nine of them were accounted for one was lost. A woman had 10 coins. One was lost so she only had nine. The first thing these parables teach us is that god is interested in everyone from the ones the world thinks of as important to the ones who the world says are not. Everyone in the world is equally important to God. That’s an idea we still struggle with today, because, like the Scribes and Pharisees, we want to limit God’s love. We need to understand also that the lost sheep wasn’t more valuable just because it was lost. All 100 sheep were part of the flock and the shepherd, who of course represents God, was equally concerned about all of them. But the shepherd wants all 100 of them to be accounted for and when he realizes one is missing he goes looking everywhere he can think of to find it. When he does, he gently lifts it up, because sheep are notoriously stupid, and takes it back to be with the other sheep. When a sheep is lost, they don’t bleat for help, because they are afraid. They just lie down and curl up into themselves. It cannot help in its own rescue. We might wonder about those 99 sheep and what was going on with them while the shepherd was gone. They may have felt it was unfair for the shepherd to leave them vulnerable while he was out looking for the one lost sheep. After all, they had acted as they were supposed to. They allowed themselves to be herded. They did not go adventuring off to taste the grass somewhere else.

The other parable Jesus told is about the woman who lost a coin. In the culture of Jesus’ day, a woman was given a dowry. They did not carry purses, so they would keep their money in a headband or a necklace of some kind. Probably this coin had come loose from the chain or been dropped somehow. It was not any more valuable that the other coins. The thing Jesus wants us to understand here us that both the coin and the sheep are lost

The last thing I want to lift up this morning is that as the shepherd rejoiced when the sheep was found and as the woman rejoiced when the coin was found, so God rejoices when the lost are found. God searches for the lost and rejoices when anyone lost is found. “There is rejoicing in heaven when even one sinner is found.” These Scriptures teach us God looks for each and every one who is lost because each and every one is important.

Here’s the thing. We are lost in one way or another. I find it kind of tempting to take sides in these stores. The Scribes and Pharisees were doing their best to please God and they wanted credit for that. That’s me most of the time, at least on the surface. But when I look inside myself, I know that through some choices I’ve made that I knew were wrong, and plenty more choices I made without understanding the consequences, I’m a sinner, just as lost as someone who has never heard about God at all (like the tax collectors, prostitutes and so forth). In fact, I’m probably more lost because I willfully disobeyed God. I knew what I was supposed to do and I chose something deliberately. Jesus wanted people to understand that just as everyone is lost, everyone needs a relationship with God. Some people think they already have one and they’re doing what they’re supposed to, some know just how sinful thy are and are willing to admit it, and most of us in this time and in this place have a bit of both.

But the real emphasis in these Scriptures is not so much on the lost as it is in the rejoicing of the one who finds, the one who loves all of us and wants to be in relationship, in community with us. The good news of the gospel is that everyone is loved by God, held accountable, certainly, but loved and accepted by God. God, like the shepherd searching for the lost sheep, looks everywhere for us, too. Through wilderness, briars, who knows what and rejoices when we are found. God looks for us like the woman who looks for the coin everywhere and dusts it off after she has found it. We all get lost. We all need dusted off sometimes. Let us be thankful that we have a God who does that. Let us be thankful that whether we are the Pharisee or the tax collector, we have a God who searches everywhere for us, and rejoices once we are found.

Rev. Dorcas Conrad
(adapted by Kim from Dorcas' sermon)

Devotional 11-5-10

Bibles and Oranges
Especially in the colder months, I sometimes find myself wanting to eat an orange just for the smell of it. While peeling it, the aroma seems to be everywhere. After eating it, the sweet scent continues to linger on my hands. It’s unfortunate that I frequently forget just how great oranges are, and I eat junk food instead. Isn’t it ridiculous that, when an orange and an order of french fries are both readily available—and we know we’ll feel better while digesting the orange—we too often choose the fries? I think we’d all prefer to share the room with someone who smells of citrus rather than someone carrying the odor of a deep fryer.

Many of us try to cram too many activities into our calendars, usually at the expense of our mental, emotional, and physical health. I know that spending time reading my Bible is to a spiritual lifestyle what eating that orange is to a physical one. I still find myself making time for things that don’t matter, and the result is double the dissatisfaction! First, I’m guilty about wasting my time; secondly, I’ve done nothing to help deal with stress. It is no surprise to me that making time for Bible study makes the rest of my life fall into place.

Like that sweet smell of the orange lingering on my hands, the effect of devotional time stays with me for a while. It can begin to fade, though. Devoting time to God is such a fulfilling labor of love, similar to peeling an orange. Imagine that while you read a passage today, the effect stains your fingertips. When you next pick up your Bible, it will cover your hands. It will of course take time to completely saturate the center of your head and your heart. With every step, others will want to be around us more often because of God’s love radiating from us.

My prayer for you is that the Bible finds its way into your hands on a frequent basis, and that the sweet result is a combination of greater joy and inner peace.

Natalie Wray

Devotional 10-29-10

Halfhearted Commitment
Please read Luke 19: 1-10. Jesus and Zacchaeus

Zacchaeus is a fairly obscure biblical character—he’s only mentioned in one chapter of one Gospel. He’s very familiar, though, because of the song so many of us learned as children—the one with the hand motions that is probably running through your head as you read this. Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he; he climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see…

If it wasn’t already running through your head, you can thank me that now it is!

I know there was more to the song, but what I took from it was just that Zacchaeus was short. So short, in fact, that he climbed a tree to see Jesus. It was much later that I learned there’s so much more to the story, and to Zacchaeus. The takeaway should be the last line of the song, after Zacchaeus had come down from the tree and hosted Jesus: A better man was he, yes, a better man was he! We are changed for the better when we accept Jesus’ invitation into relationship with him.

Zacchaeus, the tax collector—the chief tax collector, Luke says—would have been despised by his own people. Tax collectors are not popular today, but tax collectors in first-century Palestine were seen as in cahoots with Roman oppressors. They got to keep a percentage of whatever they collected, and what they forwarded on to Rome financed the brutal treatment of their own people—and God’s chosen ones. A short man, he would have been looked down upon in more ways than one.

Zacchaeus was unloved and probably saw himself as unlovable; he was searching for something else, something more, something that his riches could not give him when he climbed that sycamore tree. Zacchaeus wouldn’t have predicted that Jesus would want to have a relationship with the likes of him. Jesus’ loving and gracious invitation transformed Zacchaeus instantly. Immediately, he gave half of his riches away.

My dad really liked the story of Zacchaeus. He once (probably more than once) used the story as the basis of a devotional for a United Methodist Men meeting. Dad suggested that we, like Zacchaeus, might like to climb a tree to see Jesus and his disciples. We admire Jesus and what he and the disciples do; healing people, feeding multitudes, casting out demons—it’s all good stuff. But we want to watch—from a distance. Dad suggested that, contrary to the way Zacchaeus hurried down from his perch at Jesus’ invitation, we might be more apt to cling to the tree where we can observe in safety without the risks associated with committed, participatory discipleship. Dad ended the time of devotion by inviting his audience to examine their fingernails for sycamore bark.

We might ask ourselves: What is our sycamore tree? What is it that we cling to for comfort and safety? What separates us from active, hands-on discipleship?

What about Zacchaeus? Zacchaeus was a tax collector—the chief tax collector. He was very rich. He may have completely let go of the tree, but he held on to half his riches. As a planned giving fundraiser, I would like to have been invited to that meal with Jesus and Zacchaeus. I would have talked to Zacchaeus about the other half.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 10-22-10

No Solitary Saints

I heard a preacher on the radio say that John Wesley had made the observation that the word saint never appears in the singular form anywhere in the Bible. I do not remember running across this in Wesley's writings, but I did check "Bible Gateway" on line. It is true that the word saint does not appear even once in the Bible. The word saints appears at least 69 times, however. There is no such thing as a solitary saint. We cannot be all that God calls us to be without the support of a caring Christian fellowship.

In the tenth chapter of Hebrews, we read, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as ye can see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:234, 25 KJV).

We Christians need one another. We need to come together. As Hebrews tells us, we need to do more than look at the back of someone's head and listen to the preacher's sermon. We need to encourage each other and challenge each other. We need to share one another's burdens.

Exactly this sort of sharing was the centerpiece of Methodism in the beginning. Methodism was a renewal movement within the Church of England. It provided those who attended highly structured worship on Sunday another place to gather and share openly with other believers. Initially, Methodists gathered not as churches but as bands, classes, and societies.

If we are going to know the holiness and the power which the first Methodists knew, we are going to need to come together for study, fellowship and prayer. If we are going to live victorious lives, we are going to have to have one anothers' support. If we are going to bring the world to Christ, we are going to have to challenge one another to be witnesses.

Hebrews 10:24 and 25 is often quoted by people who tell us that we need to go to church on Sundays. If we look closely at what these verses are telling us, however, we will find that one hour of worship is not all that we need. We need the fellowship and support that we can find in a Disciple Bible Study or a covenant discipleship group. We need to gather in a setting in which we can share openly. If your church does not already offer such a setting, perhaps you could help to start group which will help its members to grow in Christlikeness. You need it, and so does everyone else.

Rev. Mark Flynn
Greenbrier District Superintendent
Used with Mark's permission from the Greenbrier Greetings
Newsletter of the Greenbrier District.

Devotional 10-15-10

Jeremiah 31:27-34 and Psalm 119:97-104 • Genesis 32:22-31 and Psalm 121 • 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 • Luke 18:1-8

Communicating with GOD

How do we communicate with each other? We would use direct forms of communications, such as; speech, one to one, in a group setting or by writing a letter, today e-mail.

Is it important to communicate with each other? Of course it is, communicating with others, answers questions, it prevents conflicts, it is necessary for our own intimate needs and psychological health.

But how do we speak and learn from our heavenly Father? We know the answer, prayer and reading his Word.

In each of the readings for the week, an underlying theme is communicating with God. God wants us to have to have a relationship with him. He wants us to speak with him, learn from him and listen for his guidance. He wants this just the same way we speak with one another about our; concerns, needs, desires, joys, sorrows, failures, etc.

So take time each day to read his Word and mediate on what God is saying to you. Pray with him without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray continually”. And listen for him to speak to you. His answer may not come at that moment but when you least expect it. So be ready all the time to hear him.

Recently, I have been listening for his guidance in my life as my seasons change. And one day, while speaking with a friend she a made comment to me that I quickly answered. But then just as suddenly, as my answer, I realized that her comment was an answer from God that I had been praying about. So his answers are not given to you like you think they might. Always LISTEN! Always Learn! Always speak with GOD!!

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, you are our great teacher; you are always there to listen to us and guide us. Thank you for being there for me and help me to listen for you. Father today I ……………… (fill in here whatever you need to discuss with GOD today.) Through Jesus your son and the Power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Grace and Peace
Fred Herr

Devotional 10-8-10

How Do I Praise Him?
Italicized stanzas inspired by Psalm 66.

How do I praise him?
How do I sing joy
to a God I cannot imagine?
Cannot comprehend?
How do I sing his praises?

Worship God joyfully!
Sing of him to all the earth.
Sing hymns to his glory
And write symphonies to his majesty.
Give the God who created you
Unending praise.

How do I praise him?
How can I speak of a God
who spoke me into being?
What words can I use?
How do I sing his praises?

Shout it from the mountaintop
Whisper it in God’s ear,
Praise his amazing works.
Marvel at his power.
The entire earth stands
As a testament to his presence.
Open your eyes and see.

How do I praise him?
How can I command words
to sing of a God
whose hand has formed the earth?
How do I sing his praises?

See what God has done.
He has saved us!
He carries us through the storm,
Turning sea into sand,
Keeping watch on the nations,
Guiding our steps.
Let the sound of his praise be heard!

How do I praise him?
How can my feeble song
witness to a God
who has removed my sin with his grace?
Died in my place?
How do I sing his praises?

Kim Matthews

Devotional 10-01-10

One Size Fits All
I am, I admit it, a satellite radio junkie. Despite the 150+ channels offered, it’s not the variety that attracts me – it’s the consistency. Since my job takes me in and around the geography of four states, I am delighted to be able to drive from Huntington to Roanoke without a single spec of effort being expended on seek, search or find tasks. The only knob twiddling necessary is an occasional adjustment to the volume. CD’s in the car aren’t my thing and keeping the iPod connected to the AUX port, well – ok, sometimes I do that, but I am a satellite radio kind of guy. My palette includes a wee bit of national news (too many commercials), a jazz channel called Watercolors and the channel that I am almost always, probably, certainly, maybe, for sure, usually tuned into, number 66, The Message. It is tagged with the genre Christian and given the description Christian Pop and Rock. They play songs by artists such as Mercy Me, Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, and our own Michael W. Smith.

On a day in late August of this year, the station was ‘taken over’ by singer, song writer Natalie Grant. She was promoting the release of her new record (see, I’m old school) - her new album. She took on the role of DJ. (Do we still call them DJ’s? We have come full circle from record discs, to 8 tracks, to cassettes to compact discs and now to Digital – DJ’s). Natalie would tell about the making of the album, highlighting interesting factoids about an individual song as it would begin to play. She shared a particular story that reached into my mind as much as my heart. While traveling to the airport from her home in Nashville, she saw ahead a group of people working on the side of the road. They were all wearing orange vests. Her assumption was that they were simply a road crew, possibly picking up trash. As the car drew closer she said she noticed that the individuals seemed to be stooped over (almost as if weighted down or hiding) and were making a conscious effort NOT to make eye contact with the passersby. As the car was now even closer, she saw that on each vest were the words “I AM A DRUNK DRIVER”. Her point; what if we were all given a vest with our sins spelled out and forced to wear it in shame for all to see?

As I reflected on this story I wondered what the officials must have been thinking as they issued the vests. Did they lift up a silent prayer, “Thank you Lord that I’m not like THOSE people?” I, too often, am willing to play that role. ‘You don’t know what your sin is? Well, here friend, let me tell you.” I’ll even go the closet and find you the perfect vest with the sin written in the perfect font so that no one will have to squint. But wait, what’s this? Oh, it is my side of the closet; a hundred times wider, a hundred times higher and a million times deeper. My past, my present, my future – my sins. Vest after vest as far as the eye can see.

It is with a grateful heart I say “Come friend, let us go arm in arm, together, to get our new vests. They are here at the foot of the cross. They are one size fits all, and they bear only one word -- FORGIVEN.

Luke 6:39-41 41Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 42Or how can you say to your neighbor,* “Friend,* let me take out the speck in your eye”, when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

Steve Matthews

Devotional 9-24-10

Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

There are many people who argue that we are living in the end days. Hate and tragedy seem almost to multiply from one year to the next. When there is so much pain throughout the world, it is sometimes difficult to find a reason to smile. I’m hoping I can help you with that today.

Our daughter Devon is a shining example of the ability to endure and thrive despite adversity. From her twenty week ultrasound through her first six months of life, we went through many potential diagnoses. What began as a fear that she might not survive birth, to assuming she would possibly not see her second birthday, to thinking she would only make it to her adolescent years, turned into a prognosis much like anyone else’s. Devon has been hospitalized more in her three years than many of us have in three or more decades. You might be wondering where the reason to smile comes into the picture. Have you met this child? Through so many challenges, she continues to live with faith in others and joy in her surroundings. This angel spontaneously sings multiple times each day. It is not uncommon for her to hug and kiss a toy when she puts it down, to give it a fond farewell.

Much like others, today’s Psalm is a reminder that the faithful and godly will be saved. Stand without fear in the midst of personal, national, and even global tribulation. Have faith that the Lord’s arms will embrace us when we fall. While we should put forth effort to make a positive difference, we need to remember to hand over our burdens to God and live with joy.

Though it seems there are so many reasons to live in fear or anger, there really are so many more reasons to live with love and happiness. We should all see the world the way that Devon does. I challenge you to find a blessing in everything you see. God’s gifts are absolutely everywhere.

Natalie Wray

Devotional 9-17-10

This was a devotional that my sister sent to me from her church in Alabama. It's not only timely but it made me think about the Convocation Sunday we are having at church this Sunday. I think the only thing that could actually spoil the joy of heaven would be to be there and not have the people you love with you. To me, that would be more like the alternative.
Please think about....

l

It was one of the most compelling television documentaries I'd seen in a long time. It aired on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The stories of rescuers and of survivors, told first-person, took the viewer into what that day really felt like for the people who lived it. One story I just can't shake was told by a British young woman who worked in a brokerage firm high up in Tower Two. She recalled with remarkable composure the confusion in her office on whether or not to evacuate the building. She's alive today because she made the right decision. But many of her coworkers never made it out. She broke down for the first time as she talked about her good friend in the office. All she could say was, "I keep thinking, 'I should have asked him to go with me.' I can't get that out of my mind."

Okay, change the scene. You're in heaven, and you're looking for a coworker you cared about...a fellow student or a teammate, a family member, or a neighbor, maybe a friend. You ask Jesus, "Lord, is (there's the name) here? Is he here? Is she here?" What if He says, "Oh, did you bring her? Did you bring him?" "You never asked him. You never asked her to go with you." Another scene: I've been to funerals where I looked at someone I'd been close to and I realized I had talked with them about everything except one thing - Jesus. And now I couldn't.

We can't have back any of those missed opportunities, but the future is yet to be written. I want to turn my regrets for the past mistakes of not telling someone about Jesus into a passion to be sure I don't make that mistake again. You and I have been placed in the lives of some people who are not ready for eternity, who have never been to Jesus to have their sins erased. God put us here to be their spiritual rescuer - to be their link to Jesus. To help them be in heaven with us.
Our assignment comes crystal clear in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 5, beginning with verse 11. "Since we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men...for Christ's love compels us...God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." No doubt about it. You're the one God is counting on to deliver His life-saving message to the people who are within your reach.

You can't just depend on your life to rescue them. They won't guess Jesus died on the cross for them. You have to tell them that. Start by loving them in their language of love. Pray with them when they share a burden. You'll be showing them your personal relationship with God as you pray with them. Share the difference Jesus is making in your life at a point where the conversation allows you a natural opportunity. In fact, each day pray for...look for opportunities. They're all around you. Let your hope story open the door for you to ask, "Has anyone ever shown you what the Bible says about how to have a personal love relationship with God and how to go to heaven?" And, in some cases, you might want to put your love for them and God's love for them in a letter where they can receive it without distraction and without debating.

You only have to be God's glove; Him inside you helping you to do and say what you could never do without Him. But silence? That's just not an option. Not if you want them to be in heaven with you. You know what they must know to get there. You're safe. You got out. They're still in the collapsing building. Life's biggest regret would be having to say, "I should have asked them to go with me." You still can. There's still time.

From "Ronald P. Hutchcraft"

May we never be afraid to ask someone to church or share our joy in Christ because we don't want to look silly or pushy or worse yet, judgmental. Would that be worth the risk of now inviting some to heaven ?

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 9-10-10

LOST & FOUND

Lectionary Readings: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Psalm 14; 1Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10.
“…there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Luke 15:7

I don’t like stopping to ask for directions. If I’m traveling to a new place, I’d rather anticipate where I’m going and research the maps or directions from someone who has been there before. And before computer programs like “Map-Quest” I enjoyed being a member of AAA so that I could request the “trip-tiks” and all the travel brochures. Now that there are GPS systems in cars and phones, I have to rely on stopping for those directions even less. So, one would suppose that I would never be lost again. How wrong could anyone be!!! I continue to get lost by not getting those directions first. Every time I think I already “know” where I’m going and set off on my own without getting directions, I lose my way. When I allow myself to think that I am independent of assistance, I am lost!

The Gospel lesson for this week reminds us of the shepherd who lost one member of his flock. He had 99 sheep safely corralled, but he left these to search for only one who was lost. The next part of Luke 15 relates the story of the lady who threw a party because she found one lost coin. And Luke tells us in both instances their neighbors and friends were so happy for them, but that the angels of heaven will be even more joyful when a sinner repents.

These examples support the mysterious ways in which God interacts with us in the world. If left to human inclinations, we might be content with our flock of 99 or our bank account of 9 remaining coins. We are reluctant to ask for God’s direction for our path and then even more reluctant to follow God’s plan when we get a glimpse of it. We, like the sheep and the coin are lost. God is searching for us with constant and abiding love. In order for God to “find” us, we must surrender—to admit that we are lost and cannot find our true direction by ourselves. When we allow God to “find” us, we become the cause for heavenly rejoicing. God uses each moment to reach out to us. We tend to ignore the whispered voice and the knocks on our hearts. However, God continues to use everyone in our path and every circumstance as a means of contact. No matter our imperfections and brokenness—all can be used to further “God’s Plan”.

We sang this hymn last Sunday during communion and I was moved by the line: Let us be bread, broken and shared. In order to fulfill God’s plan we surrender ourselves as we are, in whatever condition or state of wholeness and we will be “found” and saved to become a blessing.
Let us be bread, blessed by the Lord,
Broken and shared, life for the world.
Let us be wine, love freely poured.
Let us be one in the Lord.
Words by Thomas Porter #2260 in the Faith We Sing

Dear Shepherd of this worldly flock, We thank you for your persistence in gaining our attention and saving us from our pride and self-reliance in not asking for assistance. We are sorry for ignoring your message and for not following your directions for us. We thank you for the gift of amazing grace which “saved a wretch like me…I once was lost, but now I’m found”. Heal us from our tendencies toward stubbornness and apathy so that we might live as one loved by God to share that love with the world. Open our hearts to understand the path we are to take and the mission we are meant to accomplish. AMEN.

Devotional 9-3-10

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; he led them by a straight way, till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men! -- Psalm 107:6-8

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
--The Road Not Taken
Robert Frost (1874-1963)

I just returned from taking my youngest son to Boston University. The night before he left, his oldest brother, who went to college in New York City, gave him some advice for living in a big city. First, he said, don't take the same route when walking from place to place--go a block out of your way or get off of the subway a stop early so you are always seeing new neighborhoods and exploring new territory. Second, don't walk around with earphones in, rather, listen to the sounds of the city.

I was thinking that this might be good advice for our spiritual lives as well. Do you read the same devotional materials all the time? Maybe it's time to try something new. Sing the same hymns continually? Try some new ones (hopefully the choir will lead us!). I'm sure we all have our favorite books of the Bible. You might be surprised what's waiting for you in the ones you usually skip over. This past year I read The Shack. I really didn't think I'd like it. I can honestly say I set out not to like it, but, surprise, I loved it and felt that it really spoke to me.

I don't walk around with earphones, but I'll admit I turn on the radio as soon as I get in the car and usually turn on the TV or radio as soon as I walk in the house. That background noise just seems necessary for some reason. However, when I'm outside walking the dog or working in the yard I like to listen to the sounds of nature. I often say I do my best thinking and perhaps my best communicating with God when I'm mowing the grass. The sound of the mower shuts everything else out and I can get down to what's really on my mind. We like to talk to God but we also need to listen for God. How can we hear the "still small voice" when we are bombarding our ears with all manner of sounds?

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" -- Psalm 46:10

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 8-27-10

I was listening to two versions of the song Hallelujah this morning -- one by Jason Castro and the other by Lincoln Brewster. They are basically the same tune with some of the same words, but others changed. I think Brewster may have re-written it, although Castro's version is not the original, either.

Anyway, I was thinking about the songs, and decided to play around with the tune and words, myself. This is the result -- it's about Moses and Ezekiel and a little about me.

What is your call to ministry? When you answer it, can you feel you life singing "Hallelujah"?

Your life had changed, from Nile to sand
You cared for sheep and walked the land
Until God sang through holy fire and drew ya
You fought his will, explained your faults,
Convinced his song was all for naught
Until your staff sent forth an Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah

You dreamed of God and found the word
To tell his song when it wasn’t heard
The chords of desolation strummed right through ya.
He led you to a place of death
Of hopelessness and dust, no breath
Until you spoke the words of Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah

The night is long when God steps in
When the waiting’s done and the trust begins
He calls you to a plan that overwhelms ya
You won’t say yes, you can’t say no
When morning comes and doubts must go
Your life itself becomes an Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah

Kim Matthews

Devotional 8-20-10

Blind Guides!
Please read Matthew 23.

In Matthew 23, Jesus confronts religious leaders for not practicing what they preach. They talked the big talk about Moses and law, but when it came to their own actions, they didn’t walk the walk. Their words were empty. Jesus denounces them as “blind guides” who put on a show of religiosity while neglecting the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faith.

For the past five years or so, I have relied on a GPS to help me find my way around the hills and hollows of West Virginia. It is a useful tool, but not foolproof. For example, my first GPS unit suggested that the quickest route home from I-64 is a right turn through a fence at the end of a dead-end. Fortunately, I did not rely solely on my GPS to get me home, but also on my own vision, memory, and common sense. In an episode of The Office, my favorite television show, Michael Scott, in spite of Dwight Shrute’s protestations, drives off the road and into a pond in deference to the voice of his GPS to “turn left.” Funny as it is on a sitcom, it turns out this is a real problem. Several accidents have been reported because people blindly follow their GPS directions and miss the obvious.

In their book, The Invisible Gorilla, psychologists Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons discuss inattentional blindness. The term inattentional blindness describes how we fail to perceive the obvious, not because we’re not paying attention, but because we’re focusing our attention on something other than the obvious. Inattentional blindness causes us to obey the GPS even when the obvious road signs point to something else. Inattentional blindness is why we shouldn’t text and drive. So you think you’re immune to inattentional blindness? Think you’re pretty perceptive? Before you read any further, take a simple test of watching a short video and counting the number of times a basketball is passed.

Take the test at this link: http://www.theinvisiblegorilla.com/gorilla_experiment.html

Did you take the test? Are you still confident that you’re observant? Perhaps you’re surprised that you’re not as perceptive as you thought. The theme of Chabris’ and Simons’ book is not so much that we fail to perceive the obvious as much as it is that we are surprised by our lack of perception. That is to say, we think we are more observant than we are. We think our memories are better than they are. We think we can multi-task, but can we really? We are overly confident when it comes to matters of perception. In a sense, we’re like the Pharisees and scribes who were the subject of Jesus’ criticism. Blind guides!

Blind guide! Am I so focused on my own agenda that I fail to see the opportunity for ministry right in front of me?
Blind fool! Am I so focused on low prices that I fail to consider the working conditions in the factories where products are manufactured?
Blind man! Am I so focused on my current need for energy that I fail to see the long-term effects of mining and off-shore drilling on the environment?
Blind guide! Am I so focused on the bottom line investment return that I fail to consider the social impact of my investments?
Blind fool! Am I so focused on church that I fail to see God?
Blind man! Am I so focused on “me” that I fail to see others?

Dear God, open my eyes that I may see clearly your truth revealed; let me hear clearly your voice of truth; and open my heart to share your love with others. Amen.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 8-13-10

Faithful Pilgrims

Hebrew 11:29-12:1

A person of faith is always, always, always a person in motion. These actions figures are not on the List of Faithful Saints because they were models of perfection. They were not always perfectly obedient to God. They screwed up at times like the humans they were. They obeyed God much of the time, but when they disobeyed, it was ugly. Noah got drunk after the flood and passed out naked in a tent, only to have his son, Ham, walk in on him in his rather ignoble condition. Abraham lied about his wife, saving own skin but putting Sarah at risk—twice. Jacob cheated Esau. Moses killed an Egyptian. Rahab supported herself through prostitution. Jephthah was the son of another prostitute and then was run out of town by his father’s real wife. Barak refused to fight without Deborah holding his hand. Samson had a weakness for beautiful, persistent women. David’s misconduct in the bedroom and the battlefield are well-documented. In other words, these people are closer in temperament to Jerry Springer than Jesus Christ; they ought to be in the Hall of Shame, not the Hall of Fame. They’re not on the list because they were so special. In fact, many of them were profoundly ordinary. Abel didn’t seem to do much of anything remarkable except watch sheep superbly. They’re not on the list because they won all the battles. Many were notorious failures. The writer says that some were stoned, some endured colorful episodes involving raging fires, hungry lions, flogging and sword fighting. What makes a person of faith influential today? What common thread runs through the lives of all these people on the Hebrew list? What do a good-hearted prostitute, a good man with a drinking problem who built a boat and a blinded, strong man have in common? They were people who were willing to act on vision even though the fruit of their faith was not readily apparent. The text tells us that they all died before receiving everything God had promised them. But they never fully enjoyed those promises. Those who live by faith may never understand why a sheep offering trumps a fruit offering in God’s eyes, as it did in the lives of Abel and Cain. Those who live by faith may never understand that curious tugging which makes us long to leave home and move into unfamiliar territory, as in the lives of Abraham and Sarah. Faith does not guarantee power or beauty or riches or even influence. “Faith is merely and miraculously—the assurance “of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. This is what that odd assortment people of Hebrew 11, had in common; THEY ACTIONIZED THEIR FAITH, INFLUENTFLUAL BECAUSE OF GOD’S ON THEM. WE SHOULD ALL BE SO INFLUENCED. My hope and prayer for myself and for the church is that we might be faithful farsighted pilgrims; that we not be so anxious for immediate results that we miss the blessing of a glorious adventure, following the call of God in our lives.

Jeremiah A. Jasper

Devotional 8-6-10

"I know the plans I have for you," announces the Lord.
"I want you to enjoy success. I do not plan to harm you.
I will give you hope for the years to come." Jeremiah 29:11 NIRV

When I was a teenager I had my life planned out. I wanted to be an elementary school teacher, wife, and a mother. When I got to college and about to flunk out it, I realized that I was not going to get my Mrs. before I got my BA. God had other plans for me. So, I buckled down and received my BA in Education. Later, I did become a Mrs. and a mother to Michael.

As a divorced single parent, I am very grateful to God for blessing me with His plans. I had and have a wonderful support system, with God in the front. My plans are not always His plans and that is sometimes hard to take. I try to pray every day, "Thy will be done."

To paraphrase from the book, Mountain Prayers, A Vacation for Your Soul, p.76,"Your plans may have been quite good and notably responsible ones, and certainly you should make plans for your future based on the knowledge and experience you possess today. But when God sends a delay, routes you to another road, or changes the climate completely, give thanks for what He puts in front of you. Maybe even laugh. When God hands you his plans, you're getting the great ones." AMEN

Kay Lewis

Devotional 7-30-10

Our Grateful Praise

“For the Beauty of the Earth” has always been one of my favorite hymns. I thought about what a beautiful devotion could be made by playing this hymn with a slide show of pictures. Oh, the pictures, which ones to use? Nature shots of the beauty of the earth would be no problem. We are nature lovers. The question was how to narrow down the selection. “For the love which from our birth” -- That was easy, my daughter in her hospital bed holding her new born son with her older children curled up beside her, a love radiating that you could almost touch... or maybe a picture of our newborn twin granddaughters sleeping peacefully side by side--hand in hand. “Brother, sister, parent, child”--our teenage grandson standing hand in hand with his little sister as he coaxed her into the ocean, or maybe her gazing up at him with adoration as he posed in his cap and gown after graduation. But, I missed that one--it was a ‘mind’ picture (a memory). Reality started to set in...I am not very ‘tech savvy’. This project was way beyond my computing skills. Then it occurred to me that although my pictures have special meaning for me, everyone has pictures that they could use to illustrate this hymn. I think that when we take pictures we are often trying to capture our blessings from God. We all have many blessings, and we often forget to thank Him for them. So here is the hymn, you supply the pictures (blessings). Read through it and think about all the pictures stored away in boxes and albums, the pictures stored on your computer, and all those ‘mind pictures’ that you missed capturing, but will never forget. Then go back and sing (you know the tune) and let your mind supply your own personal slide show. And when you get to the end, sing with joy and thankfulness, “Lord of all to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise."

For The Beauty Of The Earth Hymn

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
Pleasures pure and undefiled,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For each perfect gift of thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heaven,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

For thy Church which evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our grateful hymn of praise.

(words by Folliot Pierpoint 1864: music by Conrad Kocher 1838)

Margaret Williams

Devotional 7-23-10

As strange as it may seem it was in a Church History class while I was in Seminary that I first understood the true significance of the words “I am baptized!” It was while Dr. Goen, our professor, was lecturing on the Reformation era that he let the words fall on our ears, briefly paused, and proceeded to tell us this was the phrase Martin Luther repeated to himself time and time again when he was tempted in some way. It was by speaking these words; Luther later recorded that he would remind himself that he belonged to Christ. This reminder helped to move him to respond, as he believed Jesus would respond.

At first the phrase seemed almost childish to me. But the more I thought about them then and in the years since, the greater their impact has been on me. These three words reminded Luther and can remind us that Christ Jesus has claimed us. We are not possessions. We belong. We are family, included in the family of God. And because we are family we need with God’s help to live in ways that help us to become more Christ like on our journey through life.

Growing up, I recall hearing Dad say to my brothers and sisters before they could go out for the evening, “remember who you are” and “don’t do anything that will bring disgrace on the family name.” To me that is similar to Luther reminding himself of his baptism. In baptism he became and we become a new creation in Christ and part of the family we refer to as the church universal.

In the second chapter of Colossians verses 6-7 Paul reminds them and through them shares with us that: “as you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

We are called as Christians to uphold the family name. It is not a matter of works. It is rather a matter of being true to who we are by God’s grace. As family we come together to sing praise to God. As family we gather to hear God’s word proclaimed. As family we gather to receive the sacraments and as family we go forth to live as Christ’s witnesses sharing his love with others.

We have heard Pastor Jack tell us. Remember your baptism. We have also heard him remind us as new individuals are received into our church family at Johnson Memorial and into the church universal of the vows we also took to uphold the church with our tithes, our talents, our gifts, our service and the mission to which Christ Jesus calls us one and all. Our journey continues.

Prayer: O Holy Spirit, kindle anew within each of us the desire to share God’s love with all we meet this day and in the days to come. Fill us to overflowing with the love Christ Jesus has for one and all and send us forth in word and deed to share Christ’s love. Amen.

Rev. Thomas Malcolm

Devotional 7-16-10

Luke 10:38-42

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

I had just finished unpacking my office, which had been a major chore. I couldn’t believe how much stuff that I had accumulated in so short of a time. Sally came to my office and looked around and said, “wow! This place is busy.” Busy, I thought, what did she mean? She told me that, “when it comes to decorating, less is more.” “Too much stuff is just clutter… it overwhelms the eye,” she said. “Think of it like your taking a picture. You can’t fit the whole world in it. Decide what is important and focus on it.”

I understand Martha. There always seems to be so much to do and so little time. Step into her shoes for a moment. She has a guest. She is trying to be hospitable. She is trying to get everything ready. She is probably even remembering all the stuff in the Scripture about hospitality and welcoming the stranger. She is trying to do what is right.

And then there is Mary… sitting there doing nothing (are you thinking of the word lazy?). So much to do and Mary won’t even help. Surely Jesus believes in helping others. Surely he will tell Mary to lend a hand. Surely Jesus knows how important servant ministry is.

Jesus, however, does no such thing. Instead he says to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted about many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Mary chose the better part? Doing nothing is better? But Mary wasn’t doing nothing was she? She wasn’t passive; Mary was active. She was spending time with Jesus.

But back to Martha… before you think Jesus was harsh, think about his words: worried and distracted. Jesus is concerned about Martha (and all of us Marthas).

I can hear Sally saying, “this place is busy… focus.” If you could only fit one thing into the picture what would it be? Cooking, cleaning, or relationship? We have grocery lists and to do lists and Christmas wish lists. But where is our relationship list? Our lives can become so cluttered and so busy (like my office) that we lose our focus… our sense of what is important.

“Martha, Martha,” Jesus says to all of us Marthas, “you are worried and distracted about many things; there is need of only one thing.” But Jesus, I have so much that has to be done. My list is still full. But somewhere in my heart, I know that my words are correct, but not in the way that I meant them. I do have much to do. Should I start with a visit to my parents, a romantic dinner with my spouse, a bicycle ride with my kids, or an invitation to the neighbor to dinner at our house? Who knows, I might even find time to spend with God?

Rev. David Stackpole

Devotional 7-9-10

Take a moment and read the “The Good Samaritan” parable in Luke 10:25-37. It is probably familiar to many of us, but read it today and ask yourself the question, “Whose sandals fit my feet?” Which character speaks to you – to your life, to your call from God, to your present-day experience? What is God saying to you and your situation through this parable?

Are you the Priest, on his way to Jericho, who passed by an injured man? Don’t judge him too harshly. If he had stopped and touched what was in all likelihood a dead body, he would have been unclean, and unable to perform his duties as a priest. Are you a Levite, headed to Jericho to undoubtedly do the Lord’s work, unable to take the time to help? Are you someone who knows his or her call from God, who is already doing ministry for the Lord, and who can’t afford to be interrupted? Do you ever feel as if you are trying to balance the demands of family, work and church, and don’t feel that you can answer even one more call from God? What is God saying to you in this parable?

Are you the Samaritan, who most likely feels like an outsider? Do you wonder if you even have a role in the work of the church? When someone tells you that God gives everyone gifts, do you imagine that He must have missed you? Do you doubt that you have talents? Or do you walk into the church building and feel as if you do not belong? What is God saying to you in this parable?

Are you the innkeeper? Do you feel as if ministry has been dropped, unexpected and unwanted, on your doorstep? Do you feel surprised by what God is calling you to do? Are you wondering if you even had a choice in the matter? What is God saying to you in this parable?

Are you the lawyer, questioning God? Do you like to know the rules of the game before you start? Are you more comfortable if you know what is expected of you ahead of time, and perhaps would be happiest if you knew God wouldn’t demand everything of you? Are you looking for the loopholes? What is God saying to you in this parable?

Are you the injured person on the side of the road? Do you feel helpless and lost in your pain, wondering if God cares about you? Do you hear the footsteps of those who walk by, ignoring you? What is God saying to you in this parable?

What is God saying to you?

Kim Matthews

Devotional 7-2-10

July 2, 2010

Galatians 6:1-6 (7-16)

Today’s scripture has always felt like it was written specifically for me. There is so much said in so few pen strokes, and I’d rather not muddle things by adding much. I think of the following verses as “Paul’s Three Rules for Life”.

Verse 4: “Each one should judge his own conduct. If it is good, then he can be proud of what he himself has done, without having to compare it with what someone else has done.” No two people have walked the same path, so no two can be compared as such.

Verse 8: “If [a person] plants in the field of his natural desires, from it he will gather the harvest of death; if he plants in the field of the Spirit, from the Spirit he will gather the harvest of eternal life. ” Whether or not we get the “fruit” we expected, putting the time and work into any noble and Christian purpose will always leave us fulfilled.

Verse 10: “So then, as often as we have the chance, we should do good to everyone, and especially to those who belong to our family in the faith.” In the midst of so many peoples’ efforts to be divided, it is crucial for us to be caring toward one another.

If I were leading a Bible study on this scripture, I would have wallet-sized cards to give everyone. Each would be a small reminder, saying the following:

Rule 1: Judge only yourself, and take simple joy in your good works.
Rule 2: Sow in the field of the Spirit, because you reap what you sow.
Rule 3: Do good to everyone, especially brothers and sisters in Christ.

“SEE WITH WHAT BIG LETTERS I WRITE”, IN HOPES THAT THIS SCRIPTURE SPEAKS TO YOU! Maybe you want to make a card for yourself with Paul’s recommendations on it. His words are almost more potent today than they were when originally written. In a world with so many demons, we must try always to think and act with God’s love.

Natalie Wray

Devotional 6-25-10

A special person in my life asked me to pray for him. When I asked him what need he had or what I should ask of God, my friend revealed his need for guidance.

I have heard people relate how they let God open doors for them, then they just walk through. To a person seeking guidance this may seem a bit simplistic. In seeking guidance it can be hard to discern God’s will, so for a starting point it may help to find a meaningful bible verse, use it daily, hourly, or as needed. This may not be the one for you; there are many from which you can choose. Here is a verse that might work for you; it has meaning for me, and you can find it in Psalms 27:11.

Teach me Lord, what you want me to do and lead me along a safe path, because I have so many enemies.

Or as you might read this from The Message:

Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well lighted street; show my enemies whose side you are on.

Talk to God about what you want. Quietly ask for your needs to be filled, whether it be peace, forgiveness, joy, hope. It could be a need that is hard for you to verbalize, or you may not know for what you should ask.

Prayer is a spiritual act of worship. Let me suggest that you might even write out your needs. Writing out your needs may help you. At this point you may suggest that you don’t know how to pray. Let’s don’t go there. You know how to talk, ask questions, give someone directions or a compliment. Tell God out loud or in your heart -- he hears you either way. Then, be quiet, listen and watch. Opportunities may come to you and you wonder why. God may be answering your prayers. As I look back at my life I realize some of the prayer requests that I have had were not answered (I thought); actually the answer was no, but it took me a while to realize that. I also know now that no was the answer that was best for me.

When we follow these open doors, we are following God’s perfect will, and we know the comfort of the Holy Spirit surrounding us. This may lead us to places we never dreamed of going. Of doing things we never thought we would do. It may change our direction completely, change where we live, work; change what we do with our lives. Or it may change nothing. This is not to be feared, but you will find joy in knowing that you are within God’s perfect will, and the joy is God’s gift to us.

Heavenly father, thank you for being there when we call on you to help us. Thanks for your guidance and help us be able to listen and hear what you would have us to hear. Be with us when we have hard things to do, guide us when we are unsure, and strengthen us that we may give you the honor and the glory. Amen

Marilyn Holleron

Devotioal 6-18-10

“The Voice”

Lectionary Readings: 1 Kings 19:1-25; Psalm 42; Galatians 3:23-29; Luke 8:26-39

“Then he was told, “Go stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by.” A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper. When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he covered his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave and stood there.” 1 Kings 19:11-13. (The Message)

I don’t remember how old I was when I first heard this passage, but I clearly remember my father using it to explain how I would know right from wrong. My dad told me that God was with me always and that the voice I heard in my head/heart that most people called their conscience was really God sending me messages about how to behave. He emphasized that it would probably always be a very quiet voice that I would have to listen for. The voice would not be a yelling, nagging or preachy kind of voice. It would just be a gentle suggestive voice and I would have to be paying close attention. My dad also said that if I had any doubts about the message, I should always feel free to ask for his (my dad’s) advice and interpretation—he wanted to make sure I heard the voice correctly at an early age.

The story of Elijah is a powerful reminder that obeying God’s instructions can be the factor in whether we live or die. The passage for today from 1Kings follows the dramatic demonstration of God’s power on Mount Carmel. Elijah had challenged the 450 prophets of Baal to see whose God was the mightiest. Of course, the one true God of Elijah sent fire to consume the altar sacrifice after the prophets of Baal had failed to call forth fire from their god. The prophets of Baal were all killed for believing in a false god who could not deliver. And then the God of Abraham sent rain to cleanse the land of three years of drought. Queen Jezebel was not happy with these outcomes and threatened Elijah. Elijah, fearing for his life, ran away. He ended up in the desert, exhausted and depressed. God’s angels appeared and sent him to a cave on the top of Mount Horeb where he waited for directions from God which eventually came in the “quiet voice”.

How do we make sense of this type of voice? God has every method available to communicate with us: earthquake, wind, fire, thunder, lightening, etc. God does speak through these mighty powers, but the most frequent way that I “get in touch with God” is through the still small voice. I have sometimes tried to imagine what God sounds like. The kind of voice I hear most often is a male bass voice somewhat like my dad’s or James Earl Jones or maybe Morgan Freeman. I can also tell you without reservation that the voice has indeed been the guide for my behavior—that is when I pay attention to it. The still small voice works because it requires our participation and response. The most effective voice of God is not dramatic or flamboyant, but a whisper that I can only hear if I am actively listening. Elijah was paying attention—listening for the voice of God. When it came, Elijah’s response was to obey the directions from God and he lived to serve God many more days.

As we celebrate Father’s Day this weekend, we are very thankful for those fathers who willingly let God speak through them. We are grateful for men of God, like Elijah who have lived before us to demonstrate the power of God in their lives—that if we obey, God is with us. We give thanks for all the voices that give us clear messages of God’s love and care. And we are eternally indebted for the gift of the still small voice that resides in each of our hearts, guiding us toward more godly behavior.

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the many gifts you send throughout our lives. We are thankful for fathers who lived as godly men according to your guidance. We especially thank you for the voice they used to comfort, guide and direct us. We are grateful for all who are willing to let your eternal light shine through their daily walk and give voice to your word. Help us to continue to listen for that whisper that guides us as forcefully as a hurricane wind. Help us to quiet our constant blabbing so that we can truly listen for that still small voice that guides us to grace and eternal life. AMEN.

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 6-11-10

Luke 7:36-50

I attended high school graduation a couple of weeks ago. If you have ever been to a graduation, you may have noticed then when some students walk across the stage, there is a burst of applause from the student’s family, but all in all, the response is rather calm and sedate. Dignified. Then another student will walk across the stage, and the response is huge. There’s cheering and clapping, stomping of feet and a short lived, but lively celebration. I wonder if those students whose family and friends respond in what Steve and my boys would call a “ginormous” way are graduating after a long, hard battle. Does the battle serve to make them more grateful for the hard-won result?

The passage from Luke describes Jesus having dinner in the home of Simon the Pharisee. Picture for a moment what the scene was like. Homes of wealthy people at the time were built in a U-shape with a courtyard in the middle with a garden and maybe a fountain. William Barclay tells us that the garden area was open, and when a rabbi came to teach, people were welcome to come in and to listen. It was in this way that a “bad woman” – and that’s the word from the scripture – a “bad” woman – came to be near Jesus. She finds that Simon hasn’t provided basic hospitality for Jesus, so she strives to do it. She’s wearing what is called an alabaster around her neck – a common practice for the day – full of costly perfuse. She washes Jesus feet with her tears and dries them with her hair, anointing him with the perfume.

Now, Simon the Pharisee was an expert in detecting “bad” people. He knew one when he saw her, and he tells Jesus so. Jesus, who loves the Pharisee as much as he loves the woman, tries to explain it to him. Jesus asks the Pharisee who would be more grateful – a person forgiven a debt of 500 denarii or one forgiven a debt of 50 denarii. The one who is forgiven more will be more grateful. Jesus makes this incredible link – the one who is forgiven more will love God more.

This woman reacts to Jesus in a way that demonstrates her incredible love for him. No one can mistake it, this love is so obvious. Jesus is telling us that her incredible love arises from her awareness of how much she has been forgiven. Simon, on the other hand, believes that he is “good” – that he is in no need of forgiveness.



The person who is forgiven a debt of 500 denarii has a whole lot for which to be grateful. The woman in Jesus’ story who is forgiven much has many reasons to love her Lord.



But in comparison, the Pharisee in the gospel scripture, firmly believes he is “good” and he stands not only in judgment of the woman who is “bad,” but also in judgment of Jesus. Because of where he is standing, he is blocking his own view of how much he is in need of God – of how much God has done and will do in his life.



Are we like the woman who has been forgiven much or are we more like the Pharisee?

There is a prayer often used on an Emmaus walk – Dear God, help the person who needs you the most, and help the person who believes she doesn’t need you at all. So I ask you today – which one are you? Are you the person who needs God the most? Or are you the person who doesn’t believe you need God at all?



Kim Matthews

Devotional 6-4-10

Fanaticism

Please read Galatians 1:11-24

I was 17 years old in September, 1978 when my life changed. I had gone to pick up my friend for some typical Friday night running around, and he was still eating dinner. “Here, give this a listen,” he said, handing me his headphones as he headed back to the table. That was my introduction to the music of Frank Zappa; and my life has never been the same.

My already eclectic taste in music was immediately transformed that night by the first side of Zappa’s newest album, Studio Tan. I marveled at the musical genius, the artistic risks, the humor, the complexity of the rhythm, the lack of structure. It was unlike anything I had ever heard—really weird, strange, polyphonic sounds…and I loved it. The influences of Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Igor Stravinsky, and Lightin’ Slim were obvious. I spent the next several years buying every Frank Zappa album I could find, reading every interview or article, learning everything I could about Frank Zappa. I also spent an inordinate amount of time in high school and college trying to prove the artistic value of Zappa’s music to my friends. My militant efforts made a lasting impression, if only a very few converts. When Frank Zappa died in 1993 of prostate cancer, I received condolences from friends from whom I hadn’t heard in years.

My Zappa LP collection remains intact, and I’ve purchased everything on CD as well. Most of it is on one of my IPODs. I confess: I’m a Frank Zappa fanatic. There you have it.

If you are still reading, you may be wondering if this really is the weekly Johnson Memorial devotional. This may well be the first (and last) devotional to focus on Frank Zappa, but I promise—you’re in the right place. There’s a connection.

In this week’s Epistle reading, the Apostle Paul writes of the dramatic transformation in his life that occurred “when God…was pleased to reveal his Son” to him. You know about the dramatic conversion of Paul; he was a persecutor of Christians, and then became the one who would spread the message of the love and grace of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. Paul became a fanatic for Jesus Christ.

Chances are, you are fanatical about something, too. It may be a college or professional sports team, a politician, an author, a movie or television show, a rare collection that you try to expand…there’s something that you are passionate about. You schedule around it, you budget around it, you defend it, promote it, try to persuade new enthusiasts.

Sadly, when I compare my fervor for Zappa with my fervor for evangelism, I fall short. Sometimes we need to examine our priorities and ask ourselves whether we are as passionate about God and spreading the good news of Jesus Christ as we are about our own interests and hobbies.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 5-28-10

The Realization

My relationship with God has been quite a process over the years. As a teenager, I attended a small Presbyterian Church in my hometown. We had a strong youth group in those days that I enjoyed very much. As a young adult in college, I did not attend church very often. God and I did not talk very often. Then my dear mother became ill. I used to lay my hand on her heart and pray to Him. It seemed that He did not answer my prayers. As she became worse, I became angry with God. Events happened in my life that were sad and hurtful in addition to my mother’s illness. So I became angrier with God. It was not until the night before my mother’s heart surgery that someone said to me that God was tough and could handle my anger. I got down on my knees and prayed for my mother with the understanding that I must put my mother in His hands. I felt peace for the first time in years. My mother lived 12 more years and I thanked God for everyday.

When I went to Israel in 2005, I still felt that I needed to be emotionally touched sometime during that trip. I was always searching. I was at the Olive Grove where Jesus prayed before He was to die, when I heard my mother singing , “I come to the garden alone while the due is still on the roses..” My mother was ok!

A friend of mine recently died. An acquaintance of hers told me that my friend was very anti-religious and was an atheist or at least an agnostic. Then it really hit me—the realization of how sad it would be to not believe in God and a life after death. It would seem that life would have no meaning. Life, Death, and then nothing! How sad to believe that. Sometimes it takes quite a process to get to be where I am. How simple it is…the realization of what it is all about!

Carolee Brown

Devotional 5-21-10

Wanna Be Friends?
I recently spent a day at Carter Caves with my daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, Loretta, 5, and Thurston, who was 3 on that very day. It was a beautiful spring day, and we had such a good time. We toured the Cascade Cave, had a picnic next to a playground then walked to the natural bridge where we crossed the creek almost without getting our feet wet. On the way back, we ran into a woman and her two children who we happened to know, but had not seen in years. These children were wading in shallow water. The little girl, Anna, looked at Loretta and said, "Wanna catch water spiders?" Loretta was more than willing, and the two of them took off, hand-in hand, with buckets ready to scoop up unsuspecting spiders or any other critters they might encounter. You would have thought they were life-long friends, but the last time they were together was four years ago. I'm sure neither had a memory of the other, but what a precious sight to see them traipsing off through the water.

Several years ago my Sunday School class watched a video about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At one point it showed an apartment building in Nazareth (I think) where both Israeli and Palestinian families lived. An Israeli woman and her Palestinian neighbor were interviewed, both stating that they had never spoken to each other. I found that to be such a sad situation. How can you be neighbors for years and never stop to pass the time with each other? What lost opportunities for understanding! Those women could have learned something from watching two little girls, strangers one minute, wading in the water arm-in-arm the next.

Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18: 16-17). I think I glimpsed a little piece of heaven that day at Carter Caves.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 5-14-10

Stop the Hate

Have you ever hit the forward button in your e- mail and then wished you could take it back? Maybe the message was funny, but the more you thought about it , a little mean or a little degrading. Maybe it was a serious message that was purporting to give you facts, but the more you thought about it the facts seemed a little too good or too bad to be true. The internet is an amazing tool. But just like everything else it can be used for both good and evil.

The hate that seems to have invaded our society has been bothering me for a long time. No party or group is innocent--all have participated. Messages get reduced to sound bites that often are very misleading. We get so caught up in our own agendas that it seems ok to take liberties to persuade others to our point of view. My husband and I have even gotten e-mails that once featured Bush and now the name and the picture have been changed to Obama, but they contained the same hate filled message. We have received ‘infomercial’ e-mails that contain at best misguided or out dated information and at worst out right lies and skewed facts. Sometimes there is a combination of truth and fiction. These seem the most insidious because they give you just enough truth to be believable until you check them out. (Often they claim to have already been checked!) All too often we assume that the printed word is fact and forward the message without checking.

As Christians we are called to love, not hate. We should be able to disagree without resorting to half-truths and innuendo. We complain about people who give Christians a bad name. If we do not want to fall into that category our e-mails should reflect our beliefs--both religious and secular. They should not put down any group in our society and they should be factual.

Dave Pelzer wrote, “Hate is a cancer that spreads one cell at a time.” It is also spread one e-mail at a time. You can help stop the hate by pausing, thinking, and checking the facts. You can stop the hate one click at a time.

Margaret Williams

Devotional 5-7-10

Look Ma

Look Ma, no ---ma. Mother’s Day and no Mom. It feels weird to type the words and quite unnatural to hear them coming from my mouth. Being among those who exist on this planet without their mother is a club to which I never thought I would belong. Not to be confused with the childish behavior I currently exhibit, but I, for a long time into adulthood, was naïve enough to never consider that someday I would be here without my mom. Mom’s passing is still fresh enough that stories surface from people who I have not seen since she died but who want to share something they remember about her. It’s funny what the mind conjures up. I can picture, on Mother’s Day, the scene from the commercial “I want to teach the world to sing…” We won’t be singing about COKE, but we will be arm in arm, shoulder to shoulder singing and telling of our moms. I heard a member of our church whose family had been dealt a nasty hand by Alzheimer’s say, “We said goodbye to Mom twice.” I echo those words. I watched as the keen, sharp mind forgot, as the bright eyes faded into stare and the cleverly concealed wit and humor went cold. I’ll never forget the day that the harshness of reality settled in to stay and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that even though she looked at me, my mother did not know who I was. Whether the memory was made in childhood or on the day before she left this earth, each one is precious and immensely valuable. The phone rang in the wee hours of the morning August 16th. Somehow I knew. The voice on the other end did not say “Steve?”, or “It’s Dad.” I said “Hello,” and he said, “She’s gone.” Instant club membership. Mom tolerated her children but LOVED her grandbabies. I would like to think that a part of her remains through those that remain. That the lessons learned, the bad words shushed, the ‘not so clean’ jokes nipped off as she entered the room and the love in her smile, her hug, her simple pat on the arm that said “It’s ok” will carry on.

There is someone special in our lives now. Maybe it’s a mom, maybe it’s a mom-type someone. That person that you want to be proud of you – regardless of your age. That person you don’t want to hear what you say when you smash your finger in a drawer. That person whose smile makes your day better. That person who’s hug takes you back and makes you feel loved and secure. When you see that someone next > tell them.

Steve Matthews

Devotional 4-30-10

A Child Is Born
{Ryan Lavalley is a sophomore at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He has spent this semester in Nicaragua, taking classes and working on mission projects. He stays with a host Nicaraguan family. I have been privileged to receive e-mail reports of his adventure. This one screamed "devotion" to me. He gave me permission to share it with you. (Anita Farrell)}

Hello all!

Some wonderful news. This Monday at 10:40 in the morning, the son of my host-niece, Paublina was born. Fernandito was almost 8 pounds and healthy. He has some very healthy lungs because as soon as he was born we could hear his crying from the waiting room of the clinic we were in. It was beautiful moment when the doctor brought the new baby boy out into the waiting room, father proudly following. When his father took Fernandito in his arms, it was a testament to the beauty of new life and the innocence of childhood. In that moment I realized this child had no sense of language, no sense of nationality, no sense of religion, no sense of prejudice, hatred, poverty, jealousy, wealth, or race. He simply felt the loving arms of his father wrapping around him in a protective embrace. His father stared down into his small frail face and simply smiled with love.

It reminded me that we can find love or we can be taught hatred. In the end much of the ugliness in this world is taught and conditioned while most of the good comes from a place deep within us, a place of childhood and innocent love. When we reach for this part of our inner core, that place that connects us to the pure love that comes from a child, this is when we can find true peace and true strength within ourselves and within this world. We are born a package of genuine original love. We are like no other being on this earth. Our humanity, our human nature, cannot be evil, because how could this child be something other than love. I was reminded through the small glistening eyes of an infant that what makes me human is the ability to love and the ability to choose love. So congratulations and good luck to Paublina and her husband, and I pray that Fernandito feels the love I saw in his Fatheŕs eyes for the rest of his life. Fernando has safely come home today and is surrounded by his loving family. Gracias a Dios.

Paz y Amor
Ryan

Devotional 4-23-10

“Comfort Food”
Lectionary Readings: Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7: 9-17; John 10: 22-30

I was very pleased when I looked at the lectionary readings for this week and realized that one of my favorites was on the list. Like many of you, I think that the 23rd Psalm is one of the most inspired writings attributed to David. The psalm is widely known and deeply loved. This psalm has provided the lyrics for many songs and anthems written for children of all ages. One version is found in the Rutter Requiem that we sang during Lent. It has also been used as a prayer, a message of comfort for the dying, a sign of hope for the grieving and as the topic of many sermons. It is also the topic of a book, “Traveling Light”, by Max Lucado. Mr. Lucado has a way with words and I highly recommend this book for his insights into these well-loved words.

I have to tell you that the words of this psalm are an oft repeated “mantra” for me. My brain has finally mastered the memorization of the psalm and saying it over and over helps me to go to sleep. I even bought the bracelet that has multiple shaped stones and symbols of the words. I take this bracelet with me when I’m traveling, to remind me of the words of the psalm when I’m trying to sleep in an unfamiliar place. I also find it very comforting to repeat the words aloud as part of a worship service. We are all sheep, but there is but One shepherd—thus, these become words of celebration and exultation when repeated with many voices.

So it occurred to me that the 23rd Psalm is comfort food for our souls. We need it just like those who are calmed by chocolate, sugar cookies or peanut butter. The words wrap around us as snugly as grandma’s hand-stitched quilt in the big old rocking chair. There is something in this psalm for every soul. Maybe the phrase that means the most to you is: “He restores my soul.” Maybe it is: “I shall not want”. Maybe you need the entire psalm to feel God’s message for you. Whatever you need, the shepherd provides for his sheep—even comfort food.

So as a prayer for yourself and your loved ones, for those who are suffering, for those who are grieving, for our churches and the world, I invite you to say out-loud these love-filled words with me:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still the waters, He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. NRSV
AMEN.
Chyrl Budd

Devotional 4-16-10

Peter’s call to discipleship, to be a fisher of people, came after he confessed Jesus as Christ after a night of unproductive fishing. (see Luke 5:1-11). In response to Jesus’ invitation to “follow me,” Peter left his nets and committed himself to Jesus and his ministry. Later, Peter would boldly promise to follow Jesus even unto death.

Today’s gospel passage of a post-resurrection breakfast on the beach echoes that earlier account of a miraculous catch of fish. This time, Peter and the other disciples had gone back to fishing. It had been a strange few weeks; during the celebration of their last Passover celebration with Jesus, he would warn them of things they didn’t want to hear, of betrayals, denials, crucifixion, death, and, YES, resurrection.

It seems strange that after witnessing Jesus’ victory of live over death, the disciples would not be able to go back to their old ways. But then again, what else were they to do? Jesus had not yet given them any instructions as to how to continue his ministry.

I can imagine Peter rehearsing over and over again in his mind the events of the garden the night Jesus had been arrested. How could he, “the Rock,” have denied Jesus not once or even twice, but THREE times? And Jesus had called it. How could Jesus have known? How could he have let his friend down?

And I can imagine that Peter probably felt that, as a fisher of people, he was a complete failure, so he might as well go back to something he knew how to do.

“I think I’ll go fishing.”

“Me too!” the other disciples chimed in, each wrestling with his own doubts and fears.

In that context, Jesus makes his appearance on the beach as a stranger. He is revealed when his friendly fisherman’s advice yields another miraculous catch. The impetuous Peter doesn’t even wait to haul in the catch. He dives in and rushes to greet Jesus, who is broiling some fish.

After breakfast, Jesus and Peter have a conversation in which Jesus three times asks Peter, “Do you love me?” to which Peter three times responds that he does. I can imagine Peter, hearing the question the third time, recalling the third denial in the garden just before the cock crowed. Recently, I learned that our English translations limit the meaning of the conversation because of the different Greek words for love. In Jesus’ question, the Greek word “agape” is translated as love. In Peter’s responses, the Greek word “phileo” is also translated love. Agape love is unconditional; it is a full commitment, the highest form of love. Phileo, in contrast, is brotherly love.

Whatever we may make of the questions and answers, let’s not forget the three commands of Jesus after each of Peter’s responses.

“Feed my lambs.”
“Tend my sheep.”
“Feed my sheep.”

The subtle differences in the words of the commands suggest that Jesus is calling Peter to all of the duties of a shepherd. Peter’s human frailty and failures were no obstacles for Jesus.

As one who identifies with Peter’s impulsiveness and pride, as well as his failures and the limitations of his ability to fully commit, I find hope in this passage. In spite of my shortcomings, God can use me. Jesus doesn’t demand or ask for perfection—he calls us to love him.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 4-9-10

Show Me
The Easter bunny has hopped away. The baskets are filled with wrappers, all the candy devoured. The colored eggs have been found and discarded, and the bonnets put on a shelf for another year. What remains? Nothing remains – the tomb is empty. Yet everything remains – He remains. WV is called Wild and Wonderful. Ohio gets to be the Buckeye State, and Kentucky the Bluegrass State. As an Army brat I spent a little time in Missouri – the Show Me State. My boss likes to say, in response to an idea put forth, “I’m from Missouri, show me!” He’s not, but it gets the point across. Do we all have a little Thomas in us? Show me! John 20:24-29 tells of Thomas wanting to see the marks. Jesus did show, and Thomas did believe. 2000 years later we are still doubting, and he is still showing. Did you smell the beautiful garden in our sanctuary Easter Sunday? Have you seen the daffodils in manicured yards, in the interstate median, growing in the middle of a parking lot? Did you notice the Red Bud – full glory OVERNIGHT? Have you prayed for someone lately? Have you been prayed for recently? Do you love someone – are you loved? That’s Jesus showing you the marks of His existence. From behind closed doors, when we think nothing and no one can enter, He does.

Psalm 150 is a short six verses. It begins; Praise the Lord and ends; Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.

Amen

Steve Matthews

Devotional 2-12-10

Read Psalm 99

The Lord is Great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name, Holy is he! (verses 2-3)

There are many times when I become so involved in my problems, that I don’t take time to ask God for help. There have been times when I feel overwhelmed. You most likely have felt this way as well. Work is very busy, there are plenty of chores to do at home, and there are many family events than need planning and attention. It seems that all of our time is spent moving from one “job” to the next. I find myself thinking, when will there be time for “my plans”?

As I was preparing for this devotional, I read Psalm 99. The end of verse six reads, “They cried to the Lord and he answered them, He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud”. Then I realized that I had again fallen in to the human trap of self. I realized that even though life is very busy, and we are pulled in several directions to complete our jobs, and care for family, we are always supported by God. “My plans” are being fulfilled by serving God through caring, teaching, and loving those around me every day.

I have heard a phrase from time to time. “God only burdens us with what we can each bear.” Then, yesterday I heard the phrase differently. “God sometimes gives us more than we can bear to remind us that we need to depend on him”! I thought of Psalm 99 when I heard this, and realized that if we remember to ask God for guidance and continue to praise him, he will be there for us.

Lord God, thank you for listening to our prayers and carrying our burdens. Help us to remember that we are here to serve you, and through our work and service we bring praise to your name. In Christ we pray, Amen.

Hulse Budd

Devotional 1-29-10

Stewards of the Gospel

Please read Jeremiah 1:4-10.

Jeremiah was only a boy when God appointed him to be a prophet to the nations. Not surprisingly, Jeremiah said God must have dialed the wrong number. Fortunately, God was patient with Jeremiah and empowered him to be a great prophet with a message of hope for the future during turbulent times.

God’s call followed by Jeremiah’s excuses is a pattern we see repeated throughout the Bible. Think about it…when God called Moses, Moses pointed out that he was no good at public speaking. When God called Isaiah, Isaiah reminded God that he was a lost sinner, a person of unclean lips who lived among a people of unclean lips. When God called Jonah to go east, Jonah set out for the far west.

Accepting no ifs, ands, or buts, God used Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and even Jonah to do God’s ministry in spite of their weaknesses, unwillingness, and excuses. “You shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.” Jeremiah 1:7. As the saying goes, God doesn’t call the equipped; God equips the called.

We may think of God’s call as something that happened in ancient times to a select few. God calls us, too—maybe not as a prophet to nations; but make no mistake. God calls us to ministry. Most of us respond with excuses. We’re too young, too old, too busy, too weak. Maybe later…when this project is finished…when the kids are out of diapers…when the kids are out of college…when the mortgage is paid off…. We miss opportunities for ministry because we do not have enough faith to believe God will give us what we need to accomplish God’s will. Not our will, but God’s.

Recently I spoke at a local church program focused on some of the issues facing senior citizens. During his introductory remarks, the coordinator of the event noted that each person in the room could probably think of people who should have been there, who could have benefited from the information. He reminded the listeners that they were to be “stewards of the information and resources you receive tonight. Our job is to learn what we can and then share it with those who need to hear it.”

His words resonated with me! Isn’t that the charge of the Great Commission? The Gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit are not ours to keep. We are called to be stewards of the good news, to share what we have received, and to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

You come into contact with people every day who need the love of God. It may be the clerk at the grocery store who is in an abusive relationship; perhaps the neighbor who has an addiction problem; the neglected youth…God is calling you to witness the love of Christ to them by your words and actions. If not you, then who?

What’s your excuse?

Jeff Taylor