Devotional 9-28-17

I have never turned away a stranger
but have opened my doors to everyone. --Job 31:31

Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—
a stranger, not your own lips. --Proverbs 27: 2

With her permission, I am sharing a Facebook post from my niece Kerry who is a social worker in Columbus, Ohio:

Friends. I have just had what might be the single most delightful conversation of my life with Ms. Ann Smith, an 80 year old woman dining next to me at Lavash. She struck up a conversation about an Uber Eats sign and we spent at least the next half hour (maybe longer) talking. She told me all about the 26 day trip she took for her 80th birthday which included a week-long cruise on the Columbia River even though she couldn't get anyone to go on the cruise with her. Next month she's going on a cruise around Portugal and Spain with a woman she just met. We talked about politics, and my job, and bad drivers, and so many other things. Several times I had to stop myself from weeping with joy at connecting with this woman. She reminded me of my grandmother. My 36th birthday is in about six weeks and when I told her she was inspiring me to consider a solo trip of my own, she told me I was "just a child" and that I should practice self-care and do things to find joy. And I feel so wonderful about it all that I just had to share with the internet. One million heart emojis could not convey how this chat with a stranger warmed my heart.

Afterwards, Ms. Smith came back and stuffed a note, about a restaurant in the area that has yummy desserts and a happy upcoming birthday message, also $7--so Kerry could treat herself on her birthday. This from a total stranger!

I told my niece that I have rarely been disappointed when striking up a conversation with a stranger.

Several years ago, I heard a story about Egypt on NPR. The reporter told about an average Egyptian coffee shop. Rather than single tables, there were long tables where strangers were forced to sit together. Patrons actually talked to each other rather than burying their noses in their phones or laptops.

Can you make someone's day by simply engaging in conversation? Think of what you might be missing by not.

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. --Matthew 25:35

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 9-22-17

In January, Jeff Taylor told us that as cradle Christians ours is more of a faith story of our growth as a christian. Looking back at my life, a lot of that growth was in micro-mini steps that are hard to quantify.

What I can tell you is that I eventually learned to ask God to guide me when I wasn’t sure what was the right thing to do.  A warm feeling in my heart would tell me I was on the right track. If I did not get a warm feeling I took that to mean I needed to rethink what I was doing.

I wish I could tell you that I always stop and ask for guidance, but of course that doesn’t happen!  It did teach me to listen for God’s voice.

The next time God spoke to me was many years later before our convocation about becoming  a Reconciling Ministry congregation.  I hate conflict and had been to enough meetings to know that the convocation would be painful for  me.  I didn’t want to go, but was feeling guilty, feeling like it was my responsibility to be there.  So I was  praying.  God told me that not only was I going, but I was going to speak!  Another thing I don’t like is speaking in front of groups.  I said “Ok, but what am going to say?  I get tongue tied on all those alphabet letters and besides I don’t like the labels!”  God reminded me of Mathew 22:35-40 when Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment was and “Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord, your God with all of your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Mathew 22: 37-40 NIV) I’m thinking, “Ok.  I can do this.  Everyone is my neighbor.  I don’t need to use those alphabet labels.”  I wrote out what I was going to say starting with the bible quote from Mathew.  I added that this makes it very easy for  me, I want all of our neighbors to know that they are welcome in our church before they come through our doors.  Sunday morning before church I was studying what I was going to say and  praying to God to help me not to stumble over my words.  At this point, God had one more surprise for me.  He told me I needed to add that what Jesus says trumps anything else in the Bible!  I added it, then took it out.  I’m thinking, this is really going to upset some people.God put it back in two more times!

God takes us out of our comfort zones.  Every time I have taken that step of faith I have been truly blessed!

Margaret Williams

Devotional 9-16-17

A few Sundays ago, I attended worship in a different church than my own. Steve and I went there only because a friend was preaching, and we wanted to hear his message. We live in a different town than the church; there is no chance that living where we live, we would become members of this church. I wasn't there in my Foundation role; I looked like a "regular" visitor.

As we sat there, a person brought us a visitor bag that had homemade banana bread in it. I tried to tell her that she didn't need to do that, but nothing stopped her, and we came home with bread.

As I sat there in worship, feeling guilty, I realized that I was doing the church an injustice. My guilt was based on the idea that the bread was offered in exchange for something - that it was offered to persuade me that they were friendly and to try to convince me to return. That's not a very grace-filled motivation behind offering a gift, and why would I expect that their motivation was anything but grace-filled? The bread was a gift, offered in the love of Christ, to two peoploe they did not know.

Glory to God.

Instead of feeling guilty, I should have felt thankful for their message of welcome and grace. And now I do.

There is a lesson in this for all of us, I think. When we offer hospitality, we should remember that it is a radical act of grace, not done in the expectation of something in return. When we receive that kind of grace, we should be thankful for it, and not think it was done in "exchange" for something.

It's grace.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 9-8-17

With a Voice of Singing

Psalm 149
¹ Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
² Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
³ Let them praise his name with dancing
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
⁴ For the Lord takes delight in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.
⁵ Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor
    and sing for joy on their beds.

When I was about five years old, I did something wonderful! I joined the Johnson Memorial Carol Girls Choir. I remember one of our first anthems was “Come Christians Join and Sing,” and I was so proud when the Carol Girls and Wesley Boys Choirs presented it to the congregation. From that very first performance, I was hooked.

When I graduated to junior high school, I became a member of the Crusader Choir, and with high school came membership into the Chapel Choir. With each graduation brought anthems with greater difficulty and deeper meaning. Those anthems helped me understand the scriptures in a way nothing else did.

I’m now a member of JM’s Sanctuary Choir, and I still get goose bumps when we are sight-reading an especially beautiful anthem. I may love the melody, or the words may move me to tears. Either way, singing God’s praises brings joy. It was true when this psalm was written. It is true today.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we are thankful for all You have given us. We are also thankful for the ways we can praise Your name. Let us praise Your name with dancing, instruments of all kinds, and, of course, singing! In Your name we pray. Amen

Becky Warren

Devotional 9-3-17

Humanity

Read Romans 12:9-21

A definition of Humanity is; compassionate, sympathetic, or generous behavior or disposition : the quality or state of being humane.

I believe that the above definition is exactly what is being stated in in the passage from Romans.  It is how we as Christians are to treat all we encounter, no exceptions.

It distresses me to hear Christians making light of another's misfortune, of looking at those who have made bad decisions in life as someone less then human.  We all are on this big ball floating in space, and it is all we have.  We have to care for each other as God desires for us to do.  We are losing our Humanity for our brothers and sisters.  We should be reaching out to each other offering support.

Love each other, reach out to all in need, be the Disciple we are called to be for Jesus Christ.  Again I say, no exceptions!!!!! Remember Jesus never made an exception...

Peace and love to all.
Fred Herr