Devotional 8-31-19

How firm is your root?

Gospel Reading; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 “Parable of the Sower”

This parable is the first of many that Jesus will be teaching the Disciples and the people concerning the Kingdom of Heaven.  Although the people he is speaking with at the time, for the most part, are rejecting him.  In the parable Jesus uses the actions of a person sowing seeds by broadcast seeding.  On a land that is rocky, dry and where other vegetation may also grow with the sown seeds, not all of the seeds will mature.  In the first illustration, the seeds land on hard ground and are soon eaten by the birds. In the second some of the seeds land in rocky areas with some soil but not enough to sustain growth.  The third example, the seeds fall on soil but the seeds from weeds grow at a faster pace and choke out the farmers seeds.  The seeds that are sown on fertile land will grow and produce good crops some of which will produce great yields.

So how does this parable speak to us today?  Well there are those that hear the spoken Word but may reject it or let the evil one distracts them from understanding the Word.  Others will hear the Word and understood, even rejoicing, but when turmoil enters their life and their roots in faith and understanding the Word are weak and they fall away.  Others have worries of life, other distractions of fame, money and things. These choke out understanding the Word and the call to be Disciples for Christ.  When the Word is heard and understood it will result in fruitfully by bringing others to Christ, “thirty, sixty and even one-hundred-fold, thus leading others to Salvation.  It also means working for Christ by using the fruits of the Spirit that we are all given.

A friend of mine recently told me his story after he accepted Christ.  He was so excited about what he had experienced he wanted to share it with others, to bring them to Christ.  So, he talked with all of his friends and thought that they would attend his church one Sunday.  But when Sunday came not many attended.  He began to doubt himself.  (The Evil one speaking to him).  He prayed and tried again.  But this time he let Christ enter the hearts then he nurtured them and before he knew it some attended, then more and soon others started their journey with Christ.  So, he was sowing the seeds where there was good nurtured soil and watched his friends grow into Disciples of Christ.

As we sow the seeds, nurture the seeds we too can see others grow into Disciples of Christ and then they well become the sower.

Blessings to all,
Fred Herr

Ref. A Christian Apologetics Blog posting by Bill Pratt

Devotional 8-16-19

Discipleship Disturbs Our Peace
Isaiah 5: I-7
Psalm 80: 1-2, 8- I 9
Hebrews I I :29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56

The Old Testament readings offer an allegory of the loving, nurturing Gardener. He has worked tirelessly to prepare the soil for the tender plantings, believing his care will result in a grape harvest worthy of a priceless wine. The time of harvest reveals just the opposite; a grape that is sour, wild, unworthy of the care and precautions he worked tirelessly to provide. Rather than ripping up the vines our Gardener instead removes his protections and destroys the watchtower and winepress.

The Psalmist adds to this allegory the grieving laments of the people, people who have known peace and prosperity, but now are experiencing injustice, vulnerability, and brokenness. They beseech God to restore them; to make His face shine on them again.

The passages from Luke and Hebrews have given me a different perspective, reading them together in light of our current social climate, than I used to think they meant. Have we Christians become, over many years and generations, the bitter, sour fruit so lovingly planted by the Gardener? The change has taken place slowly at times, more quickly at others; but we do find ourselves living in a time when poverty, injustice, lack of compassion, lack of love for humanity, acquiescence, and lethargy have put out the glowing embers of our own Christianity.

The author of Hebrews tells us of many heroes of the faith, but some died gruesome deaths, and many did not receive what was promised in their lifetimes. These are the heroes making up the great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on to the finish line. But what must we be willing to endure, what path must we take, to reach this finish line? Jesus speaks to us in Luke, "I came to bring fire to the earth...Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!  From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three...You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?"

Jesus tells us the life of faith is risky and arduous. Discipleship does not guarantee health, longevity, power or wealth. The great cloud of witnesses stands ready to cheer us on to the finish line of faithful discipleship. The journey to that finish line is compelling, offering some of us pain and loss along the way. The peace Jesus offers is deep life-changing peace that may disrupt our relationships; break in order to mend; upset what we used to believe discipleship means, because His peace is worth the risk.

Gracious loving Father,
We offer our prayer to be faithful in completing the journey with courage, demonstrating the love of Christ for everyone, the outrage of Christ at injustice and inhumanity, and the strength of Christ to carry us forward when we fall. Amen.

Linda Summers

Devotional 8-9-19

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAITH

THE 13 BOOKS OF HEBREWS
 Hebrews 11:1-3 NRSV
¹Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ² Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. ³ By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.
Having read the short book of Hebrews for the first time (yes, it’s true) I have discovered It is full of thought- provoking information, supposedly written by an unknown author.  Scholars apparently can’t agree about who may have written it or for whom it was written. But I was fascinated with it! In Chapters one through ten, the writer focuses on many aspects of Jesus and his life, using what I believe is an unusual approach which is very interesting and leaves much to think about. The writer believed his audience was faced with deciding whether they would stick with Judaism or change to Christianity and makes a good case for becoming Christians because of Jesus and his impact on their lives. He compares the Old Testament with life’s advantages to living in the present—the life of those who lived after Jesus’ time.  He maintained it was far better than those who lived during Old Testament times.

Have you thought much about the meaning of faith? In Chapter 11 the writer discusses true faith. He defines it in the above verses, and further examines it by relating the faith of numerous men in the Bible who counted on their faith in order to trust in God’s promises. Some promises were kept, some never materialized, but these people kept their faith.  Some never saw results during their lifetime, but they were fulfilled by God, nevertheless.

In the remaining Chapters 12 and 13, he goes into more details about faith and what these men interpreted as God’s promises, the New Covenant, and more about the vivid contrast between Old Testament Judaism and New Covenant Christianity--why Christianity is so much better for everyone. He writes of the new kingdom and what is required of mankind to be a part of it. So much of what he says can so easily be applied to our present contemporary Christianity and what the future holds for all Christians, when God’s promise to all who are faithful, is fulfilled.

If you, like me haven’t read Hebrews…or it’s been a long time since you’ve read it, please do so! It is written in such a way that you must take the time to think about it and appreciate it as being just a little, or perhaps even a lot different from what we are used to. I enjoyed it!

Diane Feaganes

Devotional 8-2-19

Hope from the Shoot

Being a parent is difficult no matter what the child’s age.  Hosea 11: 1-11 reminds us of God’s love for Israel.  The more He tried, the more they disobeyed.  His love is strong but they do not appreciate that love. He tries many different approaches such as “Tough Love,” but they even begin to worship false idols.  God searches for the delicate balance in order to nurture, teach, instill discipline, and love for one another.

This balance is the greatest goal that any parent must face.  In today’s society, this challenge of being a parent is especially difficult. It can be a heart breaking experience and totally devastating because of the current drug crisis that has attacked our population. Some parents are blessed with that wonderful balance and never have to deal with the worship of the “drug idol.”  I am one of the blessed in raising my daughter, but I have seen close parents “wail” at the total agony in seeing their child being literally swallowed by the addiction of drugs. They struggle to help but to no avail. Any child can succumb, there is no “type.” The worship of this idol means more than family or parent. I saw some parents totally give up.

As a high school counselor, I remember that for quite a while the popular approach of the philosophy of so called “tough love” was recommended.  God tried this with his children but eventually decided that was not the answer.  The answer was not to abandon but to love.  The approach changed in society so that help was love, understanding, and support.

In Colossians 3: 1-11 God wants us to be aware of the following: the power of prayer, the cross, power of forgiveness, the depth of his love, and need for patience.  All of these are characteristics of a Christian. Only through the acceptance of a higher power can we keep that parent’s love strong. I have seen this acceptance eventually give a parent peace in dealing with the devastation.  The child eventually accepting Grace from God in his life. It can sometimes take years but the patience and love of a parent can help it happen.

In Isaiah 11: we learn that the royal line of David will be chopped down like a tree but from the stump will grow a shoot.  This shoot will be Hope of the coming of the Jesus.  He will bring hope and love to the people   What greater love can parent give than the Hope of God’s Grace as God gave the people of Israel?

 

Carol L. Brown

Devotional 7-26-19

Lanterne Rouge

I love bicycling. Sometimes I ride nowhere – for no reason…just so I can ride my bike. For my age, I’m pretty new at the sport. Only seven years compared to other’s 25+. But that’s ok. I told myself in the very beginning that I was going to enjoy the ride and not put myself in a situation to consider a 30, 40, or 50 mile ride as “bad” because I didn’t finish it before someone else or that I didn’t do it as well as I had a previous time. So far – so good. Staying ‘true to my school’.

For riders of all categories – young/old, fast/slow, new/seasoned – the Tour de France represents the absolute pinnacle of the sport. These cyclists are primo. The TDF lasts three weeks and is comprised of 21 stages. Day after day after day the racers ride 100+ miles, climb and descend mountains in the Pyrenes and the Alps and suffer through ALL weather conditions > the race isn’t called on account of rain…or snow…or heat. The leaders of certain categories are recognized as the Tour progresses. Best time by a yellow jersey, most points by green and so on. A position held that is not recognized by jersey or award but is respected as much as any is that of last place – Lanterne Rouge. So named to represent the red light a train conductor would hang on the last car. So why is last ok?

In the 2018 Tour de France a young rider named Lawson Craddock (from Texas) rolled into an errant water bottle in Stage 1 and crashed. In that crash he opened a gash on his head that would drip blood into his eye for the rest of the day, and he broke his scapula. Do you remember riding a bike? How do you think you would do with a broken shoulder blade? Despite his injuries, Lawson pressed on. I told Kim, “He will have to drop out in the mountains. There is NO WAY he can climb up out of the saddle. He will tug his arms off.” Yeah right! Are there degrees of wrong? I was VERY wrong. Lawson pressed on. By rolling into Paris 20 stages later and finishing 145^th he earned the moniker, Lanterne Rouge. Thirty-one riders over the course of the three weeks crashed out, dropped out, timed out or just plain quit. Lawson didn’t.

Being a Christian in 2019 is a little like the Tour. The effort is long. It is difficult. Uphill in many ways. But we must not quit. Our commitment to the mission is challenged. There are people out there (even IN THERE [church]) trying to knock us off our bikes. You get scolded, fined, and booted out for that kind of stuff in the Tour > glad church is more forgiving. People drop out because the road proves to be too much. They ‘time out’ because they feel that they are the only ones doing anything, and they give up. Some walk away because of a disagreement with another. Our society is so polarized right now. We draw sides based on PEOPLE and their ideals and how well those ideals matchup to what we like. Always remember that no single individual represents an entire people. Because ONE behaves badly, do not assume that ALL in that group are also behaving badly. One bike rider that cheats is NOT the symbol for all cyclists. Press on. Stay the course. Do what Jesus said and love. He didn’t say to make everyone like you. He said to love.

Lanterne Rouge. I think I would like to be called that someday. Called that because I wasn’t flashy or fast: just steady and committed.

Matthew 20:16

Steve Matthews

Devotional 7-19-19

Luke 10:38-42  "While Jesus and his disciples were traveling,  Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his message.  By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal.  So Martha came to him and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself?  Tell her to help me."

The Lord answered, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.  One thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the better part.  It won't be taken away from her." CEB

Ah, Martha, a woman whose story starts so well: she has the gift of hospitality, and has welcomed Jesus to her home as a guest.  This is a role model for us as people of faith.  We in the church have spent much of the past couple of years emphasizing the importance of hospitality and generosity, as we welcome people to our church and community. We've remodeled and renovated our building to make it safer and more accessible.  We've talked in small groups and in worship settings about the gifts that new people bring to our lives, and the gifts that we offer them---deeper relationships with God and a caring community in which to grow in faith and discipleship. 

We've talked, too, about the way that our church "family" shares together in our joys, and brings comfort when we face sorrows.  At the beginning of the scripture for today, Martha seems to have all this figured out; she has extended the welcome and she has family to help her follow through.

Quickly, things take a sad but familiar turn.  Martha is conflicted.  She's offered this hospitality, but now it's become a lot of work!  She's preparing a meal for her guest, and there are lots of details to sort out.  The Common English Bible says that she becomes "preoccupied with getting everything ready....." How modern and relatable this story becomes.  Saying "come on in," is the easy part. Actually serving the guest is the challenge, at our home or at our church home.  Did we remember to open the right doors? Did we offer a friendly greeting?  Did we show a visitor where the nursery is, or where the Sunday School classes meet?  Did we explain about the after-church reception in the Commons (and tell visitors how to get there)?  Does the bulletin give enough detail so that someone who hasn't been here before, could easily follow along?  And, of course, if someone needs prayer or other assistance, would they feel comfortable asking us?  Did they hear and see in us, the presence and power of God?

This brings us to the center of the story, and what Jesus says is the "necessary" thing.  Martha is bogged down in the details, and her frustration now leads her to a complete failure of hospitality.  "Don't you care..." she asks her guest, complaining now that her sister Mary has been listening to him, instead of helping with dinner.  She's annoyed at her family, for not doing enough to help, and she's forgotten the whole reason for the dinner in the first place--- to welcome Jesus. Martha even tries to triangle Jesus into her family conflict, asking him to tell Mary what to do. There's no welcome or warmth in that.  Meanwhile, Mary has taken time to just be in the presence of the Holy One, to make room in her life for him. Jesus reminds Martha that this is the necessary thing, the "better part." Our "doing" is not as central as our "being" in the holy moments that we have together. He's speaking to her, but also to us.  When we welcome people to our church home, all the details matter, but they are secondary to our central purpose:  welcoming people to learn about Jesus, and his love for them, so that they can form a faith relationship that will be life changing for them.  We are inviting them to share a faith journey with us, as we listen, learn, and worship together.  If we focus on Jesus, the details will begin to become clear to us, and second nature ---because we will be genuinely welcoming and loving, caring about each person we meet as a valuable child of God.  

Prayer for the Day (from Ruth Duck, Flames of the Spirit) "God of stillness, God of action, help us to find a proper balance in our lives.  Teach us to find the time and space for prayer and learning, like Mary, who studied at the feet of Jesus.  May we do our share in common serving, like Martha, who offered her skill in the kitchen.  In work and in prayer, may we be worthy disciples of Jesus, the Word of your love. Amen."    

Terry Deane

Devotional 7-12-19

Sharing in the Inheritance of the Light

Read these two verses from the first chapter of Colossians:

Verse 3: In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our lord Jesus Christ

Verse 9: For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord., fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.

Years ago, when Steve and I were first married, Gloria Peak approached us after worship.  She told us that she had been praying for us.  I'm not certain, but I think she was part of a prayer group in the church, and maybe we had been assigned to her as people for whom to pray.  Being told by someone that she is praying for you is an awkward moment.  I thanked her, and asked her to not stop. 

How do you feel when you find out that someone is praying for you, specifically, by name? I imagine we all feel a sense of gratitude.  It is a gift to know that someone is remembering you, and is praying for you.  It is an act of steadfast love, reflecting the grace of God.

Years later, I was attending a meeting at West Virginia Wesleyan College.  It was the month before Grant, our older son, was to start school there.  On a break, I walked across the campus and sat on a wall across the street from his dorm.  I spent some time in prayer for him, thinking about his future college years, praying for him as he left home to do something new.  When we dropped him off to start school, we left him with a care package.  Among the many items in the box was a note from me, telling him of my prayers for him.  I hoped it was one way to help him understand how loved he was (and is) - by his family and by his God.

Who are you praying for right now? Who in your life needs to be reminded that you love them, that you care enough about them to lift them in prayer? Who needs to be reminded of the love of God, and that they are not alone?

I invite you to take a seat in a pew, or find a quiet wall, and spend some time in prayer for that person.

And for you, I pray verse 11-12:

May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. Amen

 

Kim Matthews