JM Devotional Ministry

Devotional 1-27-12

2012-01-27T18:34:00.000-08:00

Astounding Authority and Amazing Power

Please read Mark 1:21-28

Mark is widely believed to be the first written account of the life and works of Jesus Christ. It is an action-packed Gospel that establishes Jesus’ messiahship not only by who he is, but by what he does. The very first words of the Gospel declare who he is (“Jesus Christ, the Son of God”). Mark immediately seeks to provide support for that claim by depicting the works of Jesus. An example of the quick action in Mark can be seen in the fact that in its 16 chapters, Mark uses the word “immediately” some 31 times, 9 of those in the very first chapter. Mark gets right into it.

This week’s reading falls just before the middle of the first chapter of Mark, and already Jesus has been introduced, baptized and anointed by the Holy Spirit, driven into the wilderness where he was tempted, and called his first four disciples. And I thought I was busy!

This passage portrays the first of many miracles of Jesus—specifically the healing of a man with an unclean spirit. I confess that the miracle stories are difficult for me to accept, and of the miracle stories, the hardest for me are the exorcisms. I suppose my skepticism comes from the fact that demon possession and exorcism is just not part of my own life experience. And yet it is the first act of Jesus’ public ministry.

As I studied the passage, I realized that Jesus didn’t set out on a healing spree or an exorcism tour. He was simply preaching in the synagogue. I can imagine myself in the synagogue listening to Jesus deliver his first sermon. It must have been powerful preaching; Mark says the people were astounded because Jesus spoke as one having authority. Who did he study under? Where did he go to seminary? What is his degree? Is he a Rev. or Dr.? What other churches has he served? Where does he get his authority?

The answers comes from a most unlikely source—because just then, the sermon is interrupted by a man possessed of an unclean spirit who declares the preacher as the Holy One of God. It is easy to imagine that there would be aides in the temple who would act quickly to resolve such disruptive behavior. If it happened at Johnson Memorial, we would look to the ushers to escort the man out. But Jesus—baptized, anointed, and tempted—has been prepared to fight against forces of evil in the world. He commands the spirit to shut up and get out, and the evil spirit obeys. If they were astounded at his teaching, Mark says that they were amazed by his actions.

The source of Jesus’ power and authority is in who he is, to be sure; but its revelation to us is in what he does. Actions speak louder than words.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 1-20-12

2012-01-20T02:00:00.000-08:00

Livin’ In the Belly of a Big Fish

One of the lectionary passages for this week is in Jonah. I love Jonah…I am Jonah. He/I know what to do, we understand the message and yet…not gonna do it.

We recently purchased a new appliance for our home. An appliance large enough that even with the seats down in the minivan, needed to be delivered. The clerk told us that an automated system would call my designated number and advise us of the ‘delivery window’. Well hey, that’s good news, right? No more waiting around from 8A to 6P for someone to show up. I should have suspected trouble when the call did come and the computer generated voice announced that my TWO hour delivery window was from four o’clock PM to eight o’clock PM. I was no math major but it did not take a whole lot of brain power to pick up that error. Four PM rolls around and nothing. Five – nothing. Six – nothing. Seven – nothing. At eight I called. Still in possession of my composure, I asked the person at the other end of the 800 number about the status of my delivery. I was informed that I was number 13 and the truck was on number six. I felt the glue slipping. I was about to come unhinged. “You mean I have waited here for the four hours of my two hour window and no one could bother to call me with an update?” I was assured that someone would call me right away. No return call. Nine – nothing. Ten – nothing. At 10:15 I called back. I’ll have to say I wasn’t obnoxious, but I was certainly belligerent. The call at 10:45 found me in no better shape. When the fourth call ended, Kim said, “It’s not their fault, they can’t control the truck.” Not what I wanted to hear! I was in a mood, and I wanted my delivery. With a birthday just around the corner, anyone watching would have guessed that I was going on five not 50. The only thing missing was me stomping my little feet and promising to hold my breath until I got my way. More calls, more angst, more raised voice and more unkind lip service from me.

Jonah knew what he had to do, and he didn’t want to do it. He wound up in the belly of a big fish. We wrestle with the Ten Commandments; is it seven thou shalt nots and three thou shalts or seven shalts and three nots? Jesus made it simple; Love God, Love your neighbor. That night on the phone I felt like I had turned from what I knew I should be doing, how I should be acting and landed smack dab in the fish >> and that stinks. I know that I can’t un-ring the bell from that night. There’s no way to track down the people who got to “deal” with me. But I also know that I’ll get spit up on shore. That God will dust me off and set me on the right path – again. Grace is an amazing thing.

I pray that the next time I/we are in a situation and are ready to strike that we smell fish and God and our neighbor.
Steve Matthews

Devotional 1-13-12

2012-01-13T02:00:00.000-08:00

Ginzel – Pauline – Madame Alexander - Can you guess what Icollect?

Well, if not, these are the names of some of the companiesthat make the dolls that I have collected as an adult.

However, when I was just a young girl, my family began thecollection for me. Every time a memberof our family or a friend of the family’s traveled to a foreign land or anunusual location in the United States, they were encouraged to bring back adoll to add to “Suzanne’s collection”. And so I have dolls from Siam(now known as Thailand), theCzech Republic,Argentina, Greece and India – just to name a few of thecountries. I also have some of my mostprecious dolls from my childhood – Tiny Tears, Shirley Temple, as well as the originalBarbie and Ken dolls. Then added to my collection was my mother’s doll in heroriginal outfit from the 1930’s, and my aunt’s Bi Lo Baby, in pristinecondition, because it was never played with, since it was so special.

Now that I am in my golden years, I seldom buy a new dollfor my collection. But when I do buyone, it’s not because of the company that made it, or the antique or monetaryvalue of it. Rather, it is because ofthe doll’s face. I like to look in the eyes of the doll, and if it speaks tome, then I can’t resist adding it to my collection. The eyes make all thedifference.

In Psalm 139, David explains that God and God’s eyes havesearched him and have known him inside and out, in all ways. God put Davidtogether in his mother’s womb, and God’s works are most wonderful. For David, such knowledge is truly amazingand beyond comprehension.

I love this Psalm. God’s eyes. Only God is with each and every one of us fromthe beginning until eternity. Only Godknows our every thought, word and deed. Only God sees and knows our inner workings, our innermost thoughts, ourcomings and goings. God’s eyes are beyond our comprehension, but truly areamazing!

In our daily lives, we encounter so many people. And yet we only see into someone else’s lifewhat they allow us to know or see. Weall do it. We keep so much from everyother human being around us. But Godknows us in every way, whether we want God to know it or not. To me that is scary and yet such acomfort. God’s eyes are a blessing to mein all that I do and say. God – the onebeing I can always count on – God’s presence and love with me every minute inevery way.

God’s eyes – God’s love and grace – always present for allof God’s children. The eyes are soimportant and make the difference!!!!!

Blessings,

Rev. Suzanne Ellis

Devotional 1-6-12

2012-01-06T02:00:00.000-08:00

What a Blessing

1:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 1:10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 1:11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
I am struck by the image of Jesus being baptized by John in the river Jordan. As he comes out of the water he sees the “Spirit” descending like a dove on him. Then Jesus hears a voice coming from heaven. With my mental health background this is somewhat suspect. Was Jesus so stressed that he was delusional and having hallucinations?

During my three years of training in both the Georgia and South Carolina mental health systems, I met and talked with many individuals who believed that they had a special relationship with God. God had talked with them, and they had heard the voice of God. God had touched them and given them various instructions or messages for this world. Some believed they were God, some Jesus, and others that the Holy Spirit possessed their souls. This experience certainly gave me a different perspective than I had prior to my clinical training.

When one reads this passages it is natural to ask the question “Is it true?” or “Is it real?” This question always raises the anxiety of those who hear it. For some finding an answer is difficult. For others it is easy to use theological double talk, religious shaming or rigid indoctrination to quickly answer, “Yes!”

Even with my mental health background, I believe it as it is written. Here’s why: It happened to me.

It did not happen when I was baptized because I was baptized as an infant. I have no memory of the event. It did not happen when I joined the church at six years of age. I only remember my aunt who never showed affection hugging me as the church members filed by to congratulate us for what I did not at that time know. It did not happen when I was sixteen and decided to answer this mysterious thing referred to as “the call to ministry.” I was not even sure I wanted anyone to know about my career choice.

In fact I do not know at what age it happened or if it is a “true” event. That is the point. In our religious lives we are so locked into the need for certainty that we miss the truth of spiritual events. The world has to be created in seven days and Mary has to be a virgin. Many times we believe it has to be true or if not, it is false? Not true!!

Here is what happened to me: I saw God in his heaven. God spoke to me. As a scared, frightened, child who was abused by parents, teachers, siblings, school mates, I did not know if the world was safe or if I would survive. During Sunday school, Vacation Bible School or maybe in a dream I looked to the heavens and the heavens opened up. There sat God on his throne. God looked down at me with compassion in his eyes and caring in his voice and spoke. God said, “Son it is going to be ok. You are going to be ok. Don’t worry.” That’s it! The End.

Did it really happen? Was it real? Is it true?

To me it is, and that is all that really matters.

So it was with Jesus.

So it is with you.

What a blessing.
Rev. David C. Johnson
Rev. David C. Johnson DMin BCC is assistant director for operations in the Pastoral Care and Education department of Carolinas Medical Centers in Charlotte, NC. He serves as president of Association of Professional Chaplains and may be contacted at: David.Clark.Johnson@carolinashealthcare.org,

Devotional 12-30-11

2011-12-29T19:30:00.001-08:00

There is a time for everything…

…And a season for every activity under the heavens.

God has created a world in which, amazingly, certain events take place because it is the right time for them. When the human body needs nutrients, it creates a sensation of hunger. When Spring approaches, the snow melts. The process of nature is an impressive cycle which, sometimes through dramatic change, always settles into beauty. For our life events, however, an important obstacle to peace is choice.

²a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

As I say, the problem is choice. Throughout childhood, we learn the basics of appropriate behavior. As adults, we face a more complex version of the same issues. Is this the time to tear down or to build? Should I be silent, or do I need to speak up? Our spiritual needs similarly revolve around a central question. What action is appropriate at this time?

With the dawn of the new year, we tend to make unrealistic plans for change in our lives. What a small step it would be to focus more on spiritual decision-making… and with such a great result. We can use Ecclesiastes 3 to fortify our spirituality and mediate on what it is to make the wisest decisions. Though we all make mistakes, we can rest in verse eleven, which says,

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Despite our sinful, self-centered, and impulsive ways, we can have faith that everything will end well, as our Lord has always intended. Maybe we should simply resolve to make better resolutions? Verse fourteen is a perfect conclusion:

Natalie Wray

Devotional 11-24-11

2011-11-23T19:16:00.001-08:00

As I pondered on what to write fora Thanksgiving devotional, I came across this beautiful prayer by Ralph Waldo Emerson. This prayer of Thanks is so welcoming because of all the negative press we have been hearing about regarding unemployment, stock market crashes, Wall Street protestors throughout the world, bankruptcy for both the United States and Europe, selfishness and greed by us, as we well as our Government officials, or violence if one does not get his/her way.

Some of us have forgotten about GOD and the beauty around us, which He gave to everyone through HIS goodness and grace. For this reason, this prayer spoke to me and hopefully will speak to you as well. Let us give thanks to God and concentrate onthe goodness of one’s faith.

WE THANK THEE

For flowers that bloom about our feetFather,
we thank Thee.
For tender grass so fresh, so sweetFather,
we thank Thee.
For the song of bird and hum of bee
For all things fair we hear or see
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

Forblue of stream and blue of sky
Father,we thank Thee.
Forpleasant shadeof branches high,
Father,we thank Thee.
Forfragrant air and cooling breeze
Forbeauty of the blooming trees,
Fatherin heaven, we thank Thee.

Forthis new morning with its light.
Father,we thank Thee
Forrest and shoulder of the night
Father,we Thank Thee
Forhealth and food, for love and friends
Foreverything Thy goodness sends,
Fatherin heaven, we thank Thee.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gisela E. Kemper

Devotionl 11-18-11

2011-11-18T22:29:00.000-08:00

Risk, Fear andWhat’s Buried in the Backyard

It’sfunny how we go into a class or hear a sermon and say to ourselves (or perhapsa pew mate) “I don’t like that scripture.” Why don’t we like it? Is it confusing? Is it too harsh? Does it hit too close to home? My New Testament scripture for this devotionalis the third in a parable trifecta. Firstthe bridesmaids and the oil, then the Master with the three servants and theirtalents and now the sheep and the goats.

Someof the bridesmaids should have planned better. Not sure why the goats are singled out. It’s the second of the three that I’m stuckon. As lessons and sermons unwrappedthis passage, I don’t think I heard anyone say, “Yep, that’s my favorite. I have that one framed and mounted in the livingroom.” A lot of what I heard and read (blogs and comments) about this parable centeredaround risk. Did the Master expect hisservants to take a risk? Some say yes,others have said absolutely not – it was only the end result that wasimportant. Why are we reluctant to risk? Fear? Fearof what? Failure? Embarrassment? As a young elementary schooler, I was aspirited pre-teen (not a chatty little kid – hey, I’m writing this). One day in class, without knowing it, I hadbecome, in this particular teacher’s view, too disruptive with mysocializing. She called me up to herdesk. In those days a teacher’sauthority was absolute and not be questioned. When I arrived desk-side, she proceeded to place what I thought was ahugely wide piece of sticky tape across my mouth. It spanned from my nose to my chin and withno seep to chance, blocked the pie hole from which the disturbanceemanated. If that wasn’t enough, she made me sit in achair beside her desk and FACE my classmates. Embarrassed? I’m not sure we have a word… My tiny soul was embarrassed to the very coreof its being. That little episode wouldfollow (haunt) me for years to come. Iwould spend the rest of my school years not exactly running away but certainlynot volunteering for any role that would place me in position to suffer asimilar fate - embarrassment. I’m notsure I could really even focus on the task and say that failure bothered me. It was that failure may lead to more ‘stickytape.’

Yearslater, after joining JM, I was asked to be moderator of our Sunday Schoolclass. I still don’t know to this daywhat led me say yes – but I did. Icalled Kim and said, “You’ll never believe what I said I would do.” And I told her. She said, “Oh, you will be fine.” I protested, “But you know how much I hate totalk in front of people.” Her reply, asclear today as it was then, “They aren’t people; they are our Sunday Schoolclass.”

Thechurch is our support group to risk. Togetherwe are greater than the sum of our parts. I firmly believe that God expects us to risk. I believe that the Master in the parableexpected risk. After all, he scolded the one for not investing with thebankers. If it were that easy, he couldhave dropped the money by the bank on his way out of town. Do we really think God couldn’t feed, cloth,visit anyone He wanted to - WITHOUT us? Hecalls us to serve. And yes, thatinvolves risk. I heard a sermon recentlythat dealt with leaving our comfort zone. Staying sequestered in a nice comfy placewhere everything is known isn’t what gets God out there. Maybe you risk bytaking a sandwich to a person who looks hungry. They take one bite, say, “Yuck, I don’t like peanut butter” and throw itaway. You risked and got put down forit. What if no one had ever offered foodor help to that person? You were thefirst. They see something in you thatthey’ve never seen before: love, God. Youmay be the only Jesus someone sees today.

Idon’t claim to have any particular talent. Only a willing heart. If I leave my willing heart sitting in chairbeside the teacher’s desk with tape over its mouth, then that makes me theservant who buried the talent in the backyard.

Psalm100 says:
Make a Joyful Noise >>> nothing about being in tune

Worship the Lord withgladness >>>nothing about things always going your way

Enter His gateswith thanksgiving and his courts with praise >>> nothing about ‘only after youhave formally learned how to pray.’
For the Lord isgood, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. >>>

Devotional 11-11-11

2011-11-11T19:10:00.001-08:00

The Parable of the“Good” Steward?

Please read Matthew 25:14-30.

We typically call this parable “the Parable of theTalents.” We like labels, but whateverlabel we may put on it, it is a parable of Jesus that cannot be confined by alabel. It is a parable about money. It falls conveniently in the Lectionary duringNovember, also known as Stewardship Season, and so we have all heard sermonsabout the “good” stewards who doubled their master’s money and were rewarded,and the “bad” steward who buried his talent. Since the parable in English translations uses the word, “talent,” we getanother meaning from the parable not to hide our God-given gifts and talents. And we hope that everyone will know we arereally talking about money.

This is a parable about money—a lot of money. Let’s try to get some perspective on just howmuch was at stake for these three slaves. Never mind that a talent was a silver coin that weighed 60 or 70 pounds. Each talent was worth about 6000 denarii; adenarius was the average worker’s daily wage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average daily wage forAll Occupations in West Virginia in 2010 was $136.00. By today’s standards in West Virginia, then, atalent would have been worth over $800,000. The master had a portfolio that was worth roughly $6.4 million. When he left, he diversified it among threeof his slaves. The first got $4 million,the second $1.6 million, and the third $800 thousand. The first two each actively traded theinvestment and ultimately doubled his money; the third took a more conservativeapproach and preserved the principal amount. So when the master returned, his $6.4 million was worth $12 million.

In my work at the United Methodist Foundation, I have usedthis parable as an illustration. Thereis an easy interpretation that this parable promotes investing and discourages preservationat the expense of lost opportunity. Wegenerally think of the master as representing the figure of God, right? It is certainly different from the typical portraitof God as gracious, merciful, and abounding in steadfast love. The parable presents a downright harsh descriptionof the master, when you think about it. The master is shown as absent, harsh, and concerned only about maximizingwealth. Did Jesus mean that character torepresent God? Is the commoninterpretation the only way to look at Jesus’ parable?

This parable is open-ended and invites differentinterpretations. As with any parable, webring our own context and understanding to the reading. Our Western minds, trained by our worldview,automatically think of the first two slaves as the heroes. They are the ones who took risks and produceda good return. And to us, that is a goodthing. However, it has been suggested bysome that the original audience would have heard it quite differently. Forexample:

“The social-economic situation in whichJesus told this parable benefited only the small ruling elite. It was a systemthat concentrated wealth in a few hands, a society where the poor becamepoorer, and the rich became richer. Eventhough poor Jews hated exploiters, since financial profit was attached to beinga rich man’s steward, many accepted to serve the rich, and some even alignedwith these exploiters. I look at the parable of the talents as a critique of thissituation.”[1]

When viewed from within that context, the audience wouldquestion how the first two slaves could have earned a profit of 100% absentusury or some other form of exploitation or dishonesty. The central character of the parable, thethird servant, is seen as the hero of the story because he does not collaboratewith the other two to further exploit the poor. Like a modern-day whistle-blower, he stands up to his master and refusesto cooperate with him, knowing that the master is harsh and cruel. By refusing to be a part of the system, he becomesthe “good” steward and suffers the consequences by being thrown into the outerdarkness.

The literary context of the parable is also important.Because of its placement, it can be seen as a contrast between the kingdom of earthand the kingdom of heaven. “The parableof the talents thus shows that in this world, rich people exploit and praisefellow exploiters. The rich become richer and the poor poorer. But it is not soin the kingdom of God.”[2]

Interestingly, the story that immediately follows thisparable is the judgment parable where the sheep are separated from the goats, (Matt.25:25-40). There, we learn that we visitJesus by feeding the hungry, by giving drink to the thirsty, by welcoming thestranger, by clothing the naked, by caring for the sick, and by visiting thosein prisons. In other words, we meet Jesus beyond the margins, in places of painand suffering—perhaps in the very outer darkness into which the “good” stewardwas thrown!

Jeff Taylor

[1] Folarin, G. O. (2008). Theparable of the talents in the African context: an inculturation hermeneuticsapproach. Asia Journal Of Theology, 22(1), 94-106, at 99.

[2] Id., at 104.

Devotional 11-4-11

2011-11-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

“Get Ready—Stay Ready”

Lectionary Readings: Joshua 24:1-3 & 14-25; Psalms 78; 1 Thessalonians 2: 13-18; Matthew 25:1-13
“1At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise.” “13Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” Matthew 25

Have you ever missed an important event in your life? I once missed my friend’s birthday party because I had not paid attention to the date and completely forgot about the event. I missed out on the fun and celebration of the event, plus I felt that I had greatly disappointed my friend. I had not properly prepared for a significant event in my friend’s life and created a situation that led to the need to ask for her forgiveness. I let trivial worldly activities interfere with a relationship between friends.

In the parable found in Matthew, Jesus was telling his disciples about preparations for a wedding. What a joyous occasion a wedding was in Jesus’ time. The whole community helped with planning and carrying out the traditions and rituals. One of the key events in the celebration was when the bridegroom came to move the bride to their new home. The move was usually accompanied by a “parade” of community well-wishers. In the parable, Jesus relates that the bridegroom was delayed, but when he finally is on the way all were alerted and moved out to meet him. Those who were prepared had enough oil on hand to handle the delay; those who did not buy extra oil have run out and must go and purchase more oil. The message is that one must always be prepared for Jesus’ return. We should strive to avoid the world’s distractions—we must daily “get ready” by confessing our sins and asking God to lead and guide us through our journey. We must persevere with our daily walk and endure life’s trials. The blessing of a grace-filled relationship with Christ will be our reward.

Our adult choir will be singing “Keep Your Lamps” by Andre Thomas this Sunday morning. As with many of the slave songs, this song's impetus came from hearing a sermon based upon the parable found in the book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 1-13. As a response to the message of this parable, one can only imagine the song stirring from the soul of one slave listener. Jesus was indeed deliverer and a hope for the slave. One can only speculate that this song was sung often, when there was a possibility of deliverance. (You can select from several choirs singing it on You Tube by searching for the title of the song.) Here are the lyrics:

"Keep Your Lamps”
by Andre Thomas
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
Keep your lamps trimmed and burning
The time is drawing nigh.

Children, don’t get weary
Children, don’t get weary
Children, don’t get weary
‘til your work is done.

Christian, journey soon be over
Christian, journey soon be over
Christian, journey soon be over
The time is drawing nigh

What are you doing in your daily walk to prepare for your future? Perhaps you are being called to increase your study time. Perhaps it’s your prayer life that needs attention and improvement. Perhaps you are being called to a ministry that is outside your comfort zone or to continue and improve a current ministry. Are you being asked to give up a habit that is a burden to your relationship with God? Whatever the call, you are encouraged by the words of the anthem to not grow weary until your work is done.

Oh God, our strong deliverer: We confess that we do not always follow where you lead. We are not always ready to follow your guidance or work to improve our relationship with you and with others. We have been lax in our preparations and have failed to honor promises that we have made to you. Please forgive us and help us to improve. We thank you for the many messages sent to inspire and encourage us. Help us to heed those messages and to turn from our foolish ways. AMEN

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 10-28-11

2011-10-27T11:16:00.001-07:00

“Precious in the Sight of the Lord…”
Psalm 116 Verse 15

Have you ever had the experience of participating in the responsive Psalter reading during worship and wondering a short time later just what you read? I have. Perhaps my mind was distracted by other thoughts or concentrating more on which verse was for the leader and which for the congregation, the pulpit or lectionary side of the church. Members of the choir can find themselves multi-tasking, reading and opening music for an anthem which immediately follows. Yet, thankfully, there are times when the words of the Psalm leap off the page and speak to us as if they were directed just for us. Such was the case for me several months ago.

The setting was Mother’s Day Sunday and the reading was Psalm 116. Since my mother had died just six weeks before, the feelings of loss were still quite fresh. I contemplated staying at home that Sunday but because of responsibilities, I decided to attend worship and “stay detached.” The Psalm speaks of God’s mercy in hearing our voice, our prayers and supplications. The particular focus of this devotional, however, is simply on verse 15. “Precious in the Sight of the Lord” the verse begins and then takes an unexpected turn. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (The New Revised Standard Version says “the death of his faithful ones.”) What comforting and reassuring thoughts those were to me. Since that Sunday I have pondered this verse a great deal.

Surely God’s ultimate will for us is wholeness, health and well being. Surely God loves all his creation equally with no partiality or favoritism. Still, the passage states that the death of his faithful ones is precious to God: those who have known the Lord, loved the Lord, served the Lord, meditated on his word and tried to walk in his ways. These words certainly described my mother but many others persons, too.

It seems that as a church family we have gathered far too many times this year to celebrate the lives of deceased members and mourn our losses together, sometimes under very difficult circumstances. As All Saints Sunday approaches, we are reminded once again of those who have gone on before us. If we have not encountered a very personal loss this year, we have in past years or will in years to come. Perhaps if we are able to shift our focus slightly from our personal feelings to God’s perspective, precious is the death of his saints, then we can rejoice in their triumphal homecoming.

Prayer: Lord God, one of Thy saints from long ago said that “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” We offer thanks for those dear to us who are now in Thy presence. May we pattern our lives after their example that we, too, may someday join them in a place prepared for us. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

Sue Darlington Woods

Devotional 10-21-11

2011-10-20T22:57:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school, I briefly attended a church inwhich congregants were encouraged to create their own harmonies to the songsand even add their own words. There wasa man who often sat close to the youth, whose name I don’t remember. It was his singing that wasunforgettable. Despite being admittedlytone deaf, the man sang with reckless abandon. I enjoyed his singing because of the deep-hearted love behind everyatrocious note.

Verse five of the hymn God,Whose Love Is Reigning o’er Us is as follows:

Lift we then our human voices in the songs that faithwould bring;

live we then in human choices lives that, like ourmusic, sing:

Alleluia, Alleluia, joined in love our praises ring!

The verse makes no mention of perfect harmony or uniform sound. The actof singing solidifies the faith, not the accuracyof the performance. It is ourresponsibility to make our lives sing loud enough that others hear it, turntoward us, and hopefully join the singing. The man I remember from my youth opened his mouth every week withthanksgiving. I suppose he stays in mymemory not as much for his awful singing but for his awesome faith.

Psalm 90 is one of many perfect prayers, saying in versefour, “O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad allour days.” If we could only rememberthis prayer throughout the challenges and frustrations of the day. Sometimes it is hard to choose the Christianaction, especially when our thoughts are betraying us. If we work harder to keep God in our hearts,we can ‘live in human choices’ that bring Him glory. We need to ask Him to fill our hearts withspiritual contentment and joy:

Lord, thank you for every day, every person, and every thingwith which you have blessed me. Help meto be satisfied with your everlasting love so that my life sings your praises andhelps others see you. Amen.

Natalie Wray

Devotional 10-14-11

2011-10-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. -- Romans 12:15-18
As I write this, a beautiful purple aster is is full bloom in my front yard. It's huge, as big as a bush! It was given to me some years ago by my "surrogate mother-in-law," Jenny Lou Linsenmeyer. My mother-in-law passed away in 1994 and Jenny Lou, my sister-in-law Charlene's mother, moved in to fill the void. She never announced that she was going to be my surrogate mother-in-law, but she started taking a special interest in me. At family gatherings she would make a point of talking to me--really talking to me, not just the usual, how are you? She would ask, how's it going with your job, how are your parents, what books are you reading, what are your grandchildren up to, did you catch the sale at Elder-Beerman. My birthday is the day after one of Charlene's son's, so we generally were together for his celebration. Jenny Lou started bringing me a birthday gift on those occasions. When she discovered I enjoyed gardening as did she, she would give me a plant from her own yard. Thus, the aster, that started out in a small pot and is now as big as a bush. My yard is full of coral bells and other perennials I've forgotten the names of which started in Jenny Lou's yard.

My own mother was only 37 when she lost her mother. Over the years I watched her be a surrogate daughter to many older ladies at church. For years she was the youngest woman in her circle and I always felt she was honoring her mother by attending to the needs of "her ladies." Like so many relationships, her efforts to help them were rewarded by their love and devotion to her.

Today, many families are scattered all over the country. Someone who lives in West Virginia but has parents in another time-zone may appreciate some motherly advice from one close at hand or a father-figure to talk with. Could you play the part of a surrogate? Is there someone whose life would be brightened by a surrogate son/daughter, sister/brother, mother/father, grandmother/grandfather.

Jenny Lou Linsenmeyer passed away last Thanksgiving, but her gifts are still bringing beauty to my life. I thank God that she chose to be my surrogate mother-in-law.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 10-7-11

2011-10-06T12:31:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Philippians 4:4-8

Celebrate!

Find joy, again and again, in the Lord!

Allow others to see the Lord through you.
Approach them with a gentle spirit, for
in your actions,
in your words,
in your witness,
they will see God.
Others will move closer to God
because of you.

Stop fretting.

Cast all of your worries on God.
His shoulders are wide,
and he can carry you.
He yearns to free you
from the prisons you make for yourself.
Take everything to God in prayer.
Bring him your needs,
your worries,
your gratitude.
Take all of it to God.

God will bring you peace.

It will cover you,
envelope you,
surround you,
beyond what you can understand.
Beyond what you can imagine.

My beloved sisters and brothers,

Start focusing on what is of God.
Truth
Honor
Justice
Purity
Joy
Praise
Excellence
All creation, worthy of praise.
Fill your minds, your lives, your hearts
with these things.

Celebrate!

Find joy, again and again, in the Lord!

Kim Matthews

Devotional 9-30-11

2011-09-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

As it happened I finished one of my class readings yesterdaywhich pushed my original plans for this devotional aside. I will share thisreading with you instead. I must confess I found the questions challenging andhumbling:

“Do you really want tolive your lives, every moment of your lives, in God’s Presence? Do you long forGod, crave God? Do you love God’s presence? …“Thou shalt love the Lord they Godwith all they heart and soul and mind and strength.” Do we really do it? Islove steadfastly directed toward God, in our minds, all day long? Are our livesunshakable because we are clear down on bed rock, rooted and grounded in thelove of God?...

Do you want to live insuch an amazing divine Presence that life is transformed and transfigured andtransmuted into peace and power and glory and miracle? If you do, then you can.But if you say you haven’t the time, I can only say to you, ‘Then you don’treally want to, you don’t yet love God above all else in the world, with allyour heart and soul and mind and strength.’ For except when terrific pressurescome upon us, we find time for what we really want to do.”
–from A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R.Kelly

Human devotion is never complete. For with each new plateauwe reach, we are so amazed at the wonder of new feeling in our relationshipwith God that something within us says, “This must be it! There can be nogreater feeling!” And then we are blessed and humbled to hear the testimony ofa sister or brother further along in their journey who calls back to us, “Enjoyit where you are, but greater wonders lie ahead! Enjoy the new place you havediscovered, but soon you must climb higher!” There is no reason to believe orexpect that we have or will know the fullness of God’s love in this life, forGod intends to love us forever, but the invitation remains: “Climb higher!”

Joe Hill

Devotional 9-23-11

2011-09-22T18:08:00.001-07:00

Philippians 2:1-13

What should we do?

Why should we do it?

In the book of Philippians Paul describes the Christian patterns of service one to another. And the humility of Christ.

Pride allows us to elevate ourselves above others. We must step out of the limelight and be second to others. Humility allows us to see the needs of others and to serve them. Humility comes from a broken heart over our sins. As well as recognition of the sacrifice Jesus made to free us from them. A servant’s spirit starts with hatred of individualism and pride. A humble heart strikes a balance between recognizing our, flaws and how much Jesus loves us anyway. To serve we must be obedient. Because it is through obedience that we can best serve others. God requires us to love and be ready servants. Jesus made himself nothing in order to serve. I pray that we can find joy while loving and serving. I pray that we reflect light. I pray that we Work out our salvation, not by looking inward. But by turning and looking outward for ways to serve and love.

Judith Wilburn

Devotional 9-16-11

2011-09-18T17:39:00.001-07:00

Please read Psalm 78.

Psalm 78 is a long Psalm. It is mainly a brief history lesson from Moses through David. It shows the love and protection our Awesome GOD has for us. (And patience), but it also speaks of how we, as then, continue to test Our Awesome GOD. But he just keeps on Loving us to no end. What an Awesome GOD we have.

There is a song sung by many titled "Our God is an Awesome God." Generally all we hear is the "chorus" but in the attached YouTube video we get to hear all of the lyrics. Please listen to this video/audio file as you read Psalm 78.

Our do we LOVE our Awesome GOD?????

http://youtu.be/2w2b033DXCw

Grace and Peace

Fred Herr

Devotional 9-9-11

2011-09-08T17:40:00.001-07:00

What’s Your Message?

Haveyou ever been in a conversation and thought, “I’m getting mixed signals here;what’s the message?” No means yes, yesmeans maybe, maybe means ‘isn’t going to happen’. What’s your message?

Oneof the lectionary readings this week is in Exodus. We pick up just after Pharaoh has let theHebrews leave. They get to the edge ofthe sea and WHOA…look at all that water. God parts the sea and lets them pass on dry land. A few verses later he lets Pharaoh’ssoldiers get just far enough in, gums up their chariot wheels and then pullsthe plug. The water covers them and“none survive.” The slaves, now safelyon shore, sing and dance and praise God for His deliverance (Ex 15:2 -- TheLORD is my strength and my might, and he has become my salvation; this is myGod and I will praise him…). They makeup a song, Miriam gets a group together with tambourines, and again theysing. That’s right up through Chapter14. By Chapter 16, they are all whiningand complaining that there is not enough food and water. Again, God provides. As we arrive at Chapter 20, Moses enters thecloud, goes up on the mountain and receives the Commandments (and other rules)from God. This whole time, at the bottomof the mountain, the native are restless. As Chapter 32 unfolds, Aaron is throwing agold party, and it seems that golden calf is on the menu. God is great… as long as he gives us what wewant. What’s your message?

Ihave had the opportunity to ride in the Bishop’s Bike Ride to Annual Conference. We trek from Charleston, along two-lanecountry roads, with our end destination being Wesley Chapel on the campus ofWest Virginia Wesleyan College. It’s 150miles over two days. It is an awesomeway to see some of the scenic beauty of West Virginia at a snail’s pacecompared to the same route by car. We travelthrough many little towns (some I had never heard of until the ride). Riding a bicycle on a road populated byautomobiles can be tricky even on a good day. A light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak,is that ever-familiar diamond shaped sign with its outline of a bike and thewords “SHARE THE ROAD.” When that sign is spotted, a rider can finallyexhale as the thought passes through his rapidly pedaling brain, “This is a townthat sees a lot of riders. They will be ready for us and will indeed Share theRoad.” It does not take long for thepulse to quicken and the side-to-side sweep of the head to begin as he getscloser to the (wonderful) sign and discovers that it is full of bulletholes. What’s your message? Welcome, just stay off MY road!

Questionnairesfocused on service workers reveal that restaurant employees dislike Sundaylunch more than any other shift. Theysay that the church crowds are the worst. They are impatient, demanding, hateful and the absolute WORST of all(especially to someone who waits tables) they don’t TIP. What’s our message?

I’llclose with this little ditty. It’s an oldie but goodie, and I thinktimely. A woman traveling very close tothe car in front of her is obviously irritated that the driver ahead does notshare her sense of urgency. The driverin front slows entering an intersection. Clearly frustrated, the woman ‘leans’ on hercar horn. The man in the car, maybe justto get away, makes a quick left across traffic onto a side street – without usinga signal. The woman, now more agitatedthan ever, begins to yell obscenities through her open window, she thrusts herarm from the same open window, and without troubling three of the fingers orthe thumb on that hand ensures that this no-signal-slow-poke understands thathe is her “Number 1.” And for goodmeasure, steering with her knees at this point, she lays on the horn until theintersection is out of sight. A policeofficer stopped nearby witnesses the entire exchange. As the woman’s car clears the intersection,the police office becomes alarmed. He immediately activates the car siren andflashing lights. He pulls the woman tothe side of the road and with little or no conversation puts her into thecruiser and takes her to jail. Timepasses at the police station and finally the woman, the officer and asupervisor are all brought together. Thewoman DEMANDS to know what is going on. Prompted to speak by the supervisor the police office recounts for the womanwhat he saw and heard at the intersection. He ends by saying when I saw your car pass by me with its “Follow Me toChurch’” and “HONK if you Love Jesus” bumper stickers, its Christian fish outlinestuck just below the name of the car and the WWJD transfer on the rear glass…Inaturally assumed that the car had been stolen. What’s your message?

Weoutwardly show symbols of our Christianity but do we outwardly show ourChristianity? Maybe it’s a talk the talk or a walk the walk thing. What’s your message?

“Preachthe Gospel at all times and when necessary use words” -St.Francis of Assisi

Steve Matthews

Devotional 9-2-11

2011-09-02T21:00:00.000-07:00

“Living with Joyful Thanksgiving”

Have you ever given someone a gift that you thought was very special; something you had put a lot of thought into, only to see it passed over with hardly any reaction? Maybe, they even forgot to say thank you or worse found something wrong with the gift. Isn’t that what we all too often do with God’s gifts to us? It is all too easy to get bogged down in our every day lives and problems and forget the many blessings that God gives us every day (not to mention His greatest gift, his Son.)

Psalm 148 talks about how all of nature praises God. What is nature if not a glorious hymn of praise? Each season brings it’s own special joyful homage to God. In the spring, we watch as the world bursts forth with new life. The summer sun sparkles on the waters and warms the earth. In the autumn the leaves change to beautiful oranges, reds, and yellows and eventually fall to crunch noisily and joyfully under our feet. In winter, the earth sleeps. But, who can not watch a snowflake fall lazily from the sky and not know that nature is still celebrating God’s love? The moon and the stars at night, the sun by day, the winds. the oceans and rivers, the birds singing, the fish swimming, and all of the other animals on earth praise God by their very existence.

Nature praises God just by being. Is not one way to praise God by living our daily lives in joyful thanksgiving, aware of how truly blessed we really are?

Margaret Williams

Devotional 8-27-11

2011-08-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Jezebel Envisioned, Part II
Poetry by Molly Hicks, Master of Divinity student
Methodist Theological School in Ohio
July 2011

Thank you to Molly Hicks for granting me permisson to use her poetry as a devotional. Molly says of Jezebel, "She is vengeful, indeed, but I decided her humanity needed its say, as well." Part one of her poem was published as a devotional on August 12.

III. 1 Kings 21: 1-16

Metaphor: The struggle between religion and class

I came to Ahab today,
And he was withdrawn,
Sulking,
He would not eat,
Like a child he lay,
His back turned,
His breathing slight.
I felt his sadness,
And I touched his heart with mine,
“Naboth refused his land to us,” he said,
(Father would be furious!),
“This is unheard of!” I said,
“But his denial is the way of Yahweh,” he said.
Then arose my very own fury,
And I saw to it,
That Naboth breathed no more,
And my King received his vegetable garden,
This was my love given to Ahab.

IV. 2 Kings 9: 1-37

A Pomegranate Seed: The bitter end

My king has died in war,
And Elijah still lived,
Stories of his,
Rising prophetic power,
Traveled quickly,
Across our land.
This high priest of Yahweh,
Even crowned a new king,
Jehu,
A false king for Israel,
And my father's grandson,
Joram,
This precious gift,
Was slain by this false king,
This Yahweh king made by Elijah.

And then, you see, I was alone,
And feeling old.

Jehu traveled to Jezreel,
Where I stayed in respite,
And I knew my own fate,
For all I did,
For father,
For Ahab,
For Ba'al,
Meant nothing to Yahweh,
And nothing to Yahweh's people,
And Elijah meant to finish,
This endless battle,
That both him and I knew,
Would continue forever.
So I dressed in my royal gowns,
And painted my face,
As I did when I first came,
To this beautiful, cursed land,
And I waited for Jehu.

He arrived below my bedroom window,
I called him Zimri, the murderer he was,
And I imagined him to be Elijah,
Oh what a feast he will be for Ba'al,
On the day of his end,
And I cursed Elijah in my soul,
As I looked down at Jehu...

...Then before I could stop it,
I was falling,
To the street below,
I saw the faces of the people,
And the hooves of the horses,
And then the chariot covered me,
As I spattered that deep, deep red and purple,
Like the grapes of the vineyards speckled across,
The rich green cloth of this sacred land.

References

Frymer-Kensky, T. (2002). Reading the Women of the Bible: A new interpretation of their stories. New York: Schocken Books.
Pruin, D. (2007). What is in a Text? - Searching for Jezebel. In L. Grabbe (Ed.), Ahab Agonistes: The Rise and Fall of the Omri Dynasty (208-235). New York: T&T Clark.
Miller, J.M. & Hayes, J., (2006). A History of Ancient Israel and Judah (2^nd ed.) Louisville: West Minster John Knox Press.
Nowell, I. (1997). Women in the Old Testament. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.

Molly Hicks

Devotional 8-19-11

2011-08-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

Basket Case

Lectionary Readings: Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:21-28.

A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it. Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile. Exodus 2:1-3
You’ve heard this story many times: One of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt decided the Israelites were becoming too prolific. He decided that the best method to control the population was to have all the male babies killed. Moses’ mother devised a way to save her special baby who eventually grew up to save the Israelite nation from the evil domination of the Pharaohs. Moses is one of the main spiritual leaders in Judeo-Christian heritage but would never have lived past infancy, had his mother not devised this ingenious plan.

I recently received an e-mail which described various humorous signs posted by churches. One of them claimed that Moses was the first “basket case”. A basket had been part of the plan that saved Moses’ life—the basket kept Moses afloat until the Pharaoh’s daughter noticed and then later adopted him. However, the accepted definition of a basket case is a person who is emotionally or mentally disabled, who can no longer cope or is too impaired to function. Although Moses spent some time in a basket at an early age, his times as a true “basket-case” came during his adult life after he fled Egypt as a fugitive and when God was recruiting him for service via the burning bush. God’s plan for Moses did not end with the life-saving basket and although Moses had several episodes that could qualify him as a basket case, God continued to call and use Moses in fulfilling His Plan.

The point of all this is that God has a plan for each of us. Much of the time we, like Moses, have no idea what the outcomes or goals will be for that plan. Many of us are called to a certain profession or task, but we may never really understand the significance of that calling on the lives of others. We struggle to know if we’re doing the right thing or heading in the right direction. Sometimes even the suggestion of a change of plan results in confusion, disbelief and fear for us. What are we to do? Paul says: “Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him…You’ll be changed from the inside out…God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1-2 from the Message) All of us are called to a greater service than we could ever achieve under our own power. God can use even our own times as a “basket-case” for His Plan. What He needs most from us is a true surrender to serve Him and then He provides the direction, the circumstances, the words, the strength and maybe even a basket-rescue.

Dear Loving and Forgiving God, I apologize for my lazy approach to life and for my unwillingness to follow where you have called me. I am sorry that I have refused or have been reluctant to surrender my will to yours. Please continue to call me so that I might have another opportunity to surrender myself to you. Use me as I am in the circumstances you have placed me, but continue to change me so that I may be more like the child you want me to be. Help me to see You in each person I meet and find ways to fulfill your Plan for my life. Thank you for hearing me and all of your children as we pray this prayer and thank you for the “baskets” you send us in order to save us again and again. AMEN

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 8-12-11

2011-08-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

Jezebel Envisioned Poetry by Molly Hicks, Master of Divinity student
Methodist Theological School in Ohio
July 2011

Thank you to Molly Hicks for granting me permisson to use her poetry as a devotional. Molly says of Jezebel, "She is vengeful, indeed, but I decided her humanity needed its say, as well." Part two of her poem will be published as a devotional soon.

I. 1 Kings 16: 29-33

The Announcement

When father, Ethba'al, King of the Sidonians – all of Phoenicia,
Told me of my future husband,
I was fearful,
What did I know of this place in the south?
“This will strengthen the alliance of kingdoms,
Israel, Judah and Phoenicia,” he said.
“You will make me proud,
by bringing more prosperity,” he said.
“Then...you can give me a grandson,” he said.
And at that...my heart melted,
I loved him even more,
And I smiled.

Then I began to imagine,
New rivers and mountains,
Beautiful fields of barley and pomegranate bushes,
Vineyards stretched across the desert landscape,
Like a vast green cloth,
Speckled with deep, deep red and purple,
Like blood spattered across the altar of sacrifice.
Ba'al will surely have blessed this place,
And the people will surely welcome me,
Daughter of the high priest, Ethba'al
Meaning “Ba'al is with him.”
He will surely be with me, as well.

New Home

By the next new moon,
Samaria was my kingdom,
And Ahab my king,
I was taken as wife,
And we were blessed by a priest,
But this union was not for Ba'al.
The temple was for Yahweh,
And the land was blessed by Yahweh,
Ba'al would not be happy,
Until he was welcomed, too.

I longed for Sidonia,
From sunrise till the night sky,
My husband was observant and curious,
He asked to know my god,
So I told him,
Every story grandmother had given me,
And I told him,
Every way Ba'al had blessed my life,
And father's as well,
My husband listened.

King Ahab built a great temple for Ba'al,
With an altar,
And Asherah,
The goddess mother, sacred pole.
Then I had a place for Ba'al,
And others could know him,
As they knew their Yahweh,
Here they would find their souls,
They would know true fear,
And kindness.

The new temple lay empty in daylight,
But I learned that some came,
In the first and last light of day,
They arrived in secret,
Hidden by the rising and falling cloak of night,
And they found Ba'al,
And were blessed by him,
It seems many remembered him,
Through their ancestors' time in Canaan,
When the people here lived for Ba'al.

II. 1 Kings 18: 20-40; 1 Kings 19: 1-3

Spiritual Conflict

In the city, I learned Ba'al's prophets,
Arose from Yahweh's people,
Like lions rising miraculously,
From an eternal nap.
The people asked for Ba'al's stories,
They were hungry for memories,
Of their loved ones,
And their gods and goddesses.
I began to feel at home,
In this strange place.

How could so many turn to this Yahweh?
Who is this Elijah, speaking so much untruth?
Before death we must find balance in our souls,
Ba'al brings this balance.
We receive Ba'al's happiness through rain,
A piece of him, a drop of his lifeblood,
Spared to thank us for serving him so well.
We accept the rain and grow our sheep, our crops,

We burn offerings of grains and animals,
And Ba'al is renewed, his lifeblood returned,
In honor of giving us such bounty.
He gives so much when we are good.

Once the whole of this land,
Knew Ba'al through storms as well,
Yes, he has anger, too,
His voice a great rush of thunder,
His breath weaving through the trees,
A ferocious wind,
His tears of shame churning great floods and destruction,
We listen to this anger,
We sacrifice ourselves in these deadly times,
And repent.
Ba'al, the god of all people,
The cult of Yahweh is for Ba'al,
They must see this and call it by his name.

When I heard of the killings by the brook,
By Elijah's swords,
I felt the anger of Ba'al,
Arise within my own blood and body.
My message to Elijah was clear,
The gods willed upon me,
The need to end your life,
For you, and you alone,
Can be the sacrifice to Ba'al,
For the deaths you have caused,
In your false god's name.

Molly Hicks

Devotional 8-7-11

2011-08-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

"In one way or another, God makes sure that we all expeience what it means to be outside so that he can personally open the door and welcome us back in"
Romans 11:30
All experience what it means to be outside. It is a part of Gods plan. It is not easy, it is not fun. God makes sure that we all experience it.We may have felt the hurt of being excluded from a group or we may know the hurt of having doors closed in our face. We don't always see the whole picture. What we do need to remember is that God loves us, he wants the best for us, and he does have wonderful gifts for us. Sometimes it is necessary to move through a situation to know that God has been in control. It is only as we look back that we can know that God was in control.
Perhaps there was a job or an assignment that we really wanted, there were certain people we wanted in our life. God has always known which doors should be opened. God has a plan for the life of each of us. GOD KNOWS.

It is for each of us to put our trust in God and have the faith to believe that with God's love for each of us and with our trust in him that all will be according to Gods plan.

Let us be reminded to put each problem in Gods hands, let us ask for Gods will as we try to work through our problems. Then let us be joyful as we praise God and thank him for being with us as we deal with being outside. God makes sure that we all experience what it means to be outside so he can let us back in.

Marilyn Holleron

Devotional 7-29-11

2011-07-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-26

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. ²⁶For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”

Finders Weepers, Losers Keepers

Once upon a time there was a woman who had a beautiful gold bracelet with inlaid diamonds. Every day, when she woke up, she put it on her arm. Every night, before she went to bed, she put it on her nightstand. One day she woke up and realized that her bracelet was missing. It was not on the nightstand. She did not remember taking it off her arm the night before. She tried retracing her steps from the day before, but to no avail. At the end of her failed search, she sat on the edge of her bed and cried.

Once upon a time there was a woman who went to the grocery store. While she was shopping, she saw something glisten on the floor. She reached down and picked up a beautiful gold bracelet with inlaid diamonds. She placed it on her arm and rejoiced at her good fortune.

Whenever I found something as a child, I used to say, “finders keepers, losers weepers.” It is a saying made up by finders as a way of laying claim to a find. It is devoid of compassion for those who have the painful experience of losing.

In Matthew 16:24-26, Jesus says, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Jesus’ saying is more like “Finders Weepers, Losers Keepers.”

What does Jesus mean when he says, “those who lose their life for my sake will find it”? Does he bid us to die? The short answer is: YES! Notice that Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow. The cross may be for us today a symbol of resurrection, but there can be no resurrection without death.

All of this raises the question: What are you willing to die for?

I have heard people say thing like, “that chocolate cake is to die for.” However, I have a feeling that any restaurant that sells chocolate cake and demands that the person who orders the cake die shortly thereafter as the price, will discover that no matter how tasty, that particular chocolate cake is not a big seller.

What are you willing to die for? Family? Friends? Your faith? How about a stranger? Or a murderer? How about your enemies? Or atheists? What are you willing to die for?

In Romans 5:7-8, Paul wrote that, “Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.”

Jesus did not die for the Methodists, or the Christians, or people with the right belief, or people who do good deeds. Jesus died for the best of the best and the worst of the worst, because all are sinners and Jesus died for sinners.

What are you willing to die for? Jesus says, “those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” Read that line again, but this time emphasize the word “their.” How does that affect your reading of the text?

How many of us are preoccupied with our selves? Preoccupied with our looks, our success, our wealth, our health? Oh, maybe we include our families and our friends. But do we include all the people that God created?

One interpretation of the text for our day may be that when Jesus calls us to lose our lives, he wants us to die to selfishness so that we can begin to live in a way that focuses not on self, but on others (even our enemies).

Once upon a time there was a woman who found a beautiful gold bracelet with inlaid diamonds. She wanted that bracelet. She pictured wearing it on her arm. But she knew that it did not belong to her and that somewhere there was a woman missing her bracelet. Instead of placing it on her arm, she went in search of the woman who lost it. She put a stranger’s pain ahead of her own desire to keep the bracelet. She put another ahead of her self.

How are you losing your life today?

Prayer

Almighty God,
You made the earth and the sun and set them in motion.
Help us to remember that the earth revolves around the sun.
Break us of the desire to have both the earth and the sun to revolve around us.

Help us to die to our selfish ways.
Help us to live in love that places others’ needs and dreams ahead of our own.
Help us to love those who are easy to love as well as those who are hard to love.
Help us to love the least, the last, and the lost.
Help us to love others, as Jesus loves us.

Until we have died to self.
Until we live for the good of your creation, including all of the people you have made.
Until people can see the kingdom of God through our living.
In the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

David A. Stackpole, M.Div., J.D.

Devotional 7-22-11

2011-07-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Please read Matthew 7:25-34

Last night Tim and I took a man to Mannington because he did not have a ride there. It is his home. He was in Fairmont all day shopping. He asked for a Bible, and Tim had one laying in the backseat of the car, along with an “Upper Room” devotional magazine for him to read when he wanted. He knew both publications well. He picked up the Bible and began paging through the Psalms. As we traveled, he read beautifully about God being in a magnificent thunderstorm. The language itself was powerful and amazingly descriptive. His reading was perfect. Intonation and cadence joined to make this an experience I will never forget. So many people are intimidated about reading the Bible aloud. Maybe he couldn’t have done it as well in a public place. His voice was powerful, yet not loud. I could see lightning and rain as he read. I could hear thunder.

He told us a little about himself. “I’m really slow,” he said. “I can’t hold down a job because of that, so I’m on disability. I finally got my GED.” I told him that that was not my impression of him and that he seemed very intelligent to me. He did. “I go into Fairmont about once a month or so to do a little shopping or just to clear my head”, he said. “Sometimes I eat at McDonald’s then go down to the river and watch the boats or the ducks and geese swim. If it’s hot I go somewhere I can put my feet in the water and keep cool. It’s quiet and I need to reflect a lot. I drink coffee to stay awake all night so the police won’t arrest me for vagrancy. I like the solitude.”

“So what kind of pots did you buy today?” I asked him. “Are thy hand made for display or what?” He replied that he was going to plant roses in them. “I just love to grow things,“ he said. “I live with my dad. He used to travel around fixing sewing machines, but he doesn’t do that anymore. He’ll have supper waiting for me. I plant all kinds of flowers in our yard. Roses, tiger lilies, azaleas, peonies. It’s calming to be outside. It helps me be quiet and think. I have a cousin like me who’s slow. She can’t keep a job either.” He sounded resigned.

Every word that came out of his mouth was thoughtful and deliberate. His grammar was perfect. (Snob that I am, I always notice that first when I meet anyone. Anyone.) We took him to his house and let him out. “Very nice to meet you,” he said. “Yeah” Tim replied. “Come by the church anytime. Hope to see you again.” “Me, too!” I echoed. Tim turned the car around and we headed home. “Gentle soul” he said. “Yeah,” I agreed. “He’s not slow. He’s just too gentle for this world.”

How many other people are like that? How quick are we to judge them? Why do we think everybody has to be like us?

Rev. Dorcas L. Conrad

Highland Avenue UMC
Fairmont, WV

Devotional 7-15-11

2011-07-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

Free us for Joyful Obedience

I have had to make lots of phone calls this month, asking people if they would be willing to do this or that. I really don’t like to make those kind of phone calls, but I have found myself doing it a lot lately. I’m the lay director of the next Emmaus women’s walk, so many of the phone calls have been to ask community members to serve on the team.

It has been a joy to speak to everyone I’ve called, and even though not everyone can say “yes,” everyone is resting in the middle of God’s will, and we are all finding grace in the process.

Even though I don’t like to call people to ask them to serve, I am finding joy in obedience.

There is a line in the Prayer of Confession that is part of the United Methodist Communion Liturgy that says, “Free of for joyful obedience.” It’s one of my favorite parts of communion.

Free us for joyful obedience.

It seems like it would be a paradox – to be made free so that we can obey. We shouldn’t be surprised, though. Faith in Christ is full of contradictions and paradoxes. We are Christians – people who have received forgiveness we do not deserve, through grace of unlimited value that we did not earn. We follow a Lord who has died but is alive, a God who created the universe but loves us each in a personal way, and we walk with a Holy Spirit we cannot see, hear or touch, but who surrounds us with love. We know our God in three parts, and yet our God is one. We are mortal beings who will live forever. Nothing should sound like a paradox – everything is beyond our imagination. We are made free so that we can obey, and in that obedience we find joy.

We are asked to serve – in our communities, in our churches, in our families, at our places of work, with our friends. We pray about service, and we try to listen to God’s call on our lives, and yet, if you are like me, there are times when I am held back from answering the way God is leading me. What is it that prevents you from being free for obedience?

Is it fear? Selfishness? Worry? A lack of confidence? Unwillingness? Unhappiness? What is it that is keeping you from saying “yes” or “no” in obedience to God? What does God need to free you from so that you can find the joy in obeying him?

Perhaps we all need to make that line part of our prayers each day. Free me for joyful obedience.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

(Trust and Obey, lyrics by John H. Sammis, 1887)

Kim Matthews

Devotional 7-7-11

2011-07-08T07:39:00.001-07:00

Watching the Royal Wedding was high on my “to do” list. To feel surrounded by the grandeur of Westminster Abby was once again a thrill. I remember the feeling of walking amid the grandeur of the beautiful cathedral but on this special day to see the sun shining into the Abby was also thrilling, and made the setting so appropriate for a very special wedding. The words that were spoken, addressed to the young couple, were so meaningful. The words that they heard and we all heard at a distance were—“Be who you were meant to be, and you will set the world on fire! “ WOW—Can we really do that? Set the world on fire? Imagine what we could be if we could just figure out what we are meant to be. It seems like a lifetime of searching --What are we meant to be? Then as we search it slowly becomes more clear. Just listen to God as he tells us what he would have us to do and to be. Talk to God, he will help us figure this out. I think that what the speaker was trying to tell the young couple and all of us is that we can do more with our lives, we need to be intentional, and if we do more we can make a difference. The Duke and Duchess will do much that we would never ever dream of doing. We can still do things that we may never dream to do, there is the force within us to achieve. God wants the very best for us. Read again some of the scripture that was used at the wedding. It was a challenge to the couple and can also be to us.

Romans-12 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God- what is good and acceptable and perfect”

Spiritual life grows as we give ourselves to each other, and to God’s will. We become richer in soul. And our prayer this day is that we will be able to discern what God I s saying to us, and what it is that he would have us to do. There may be some surprises for us, and we may go in an entirely different direction from what we expect. Just remember that God is good.

Peace and Joy to each of you,

Marilyn Holleron

Devotional 7-1-11

2011-06-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

In the Voice there was an article about the spring storms. Having just returned from Oklahoma to visit our daughter Julie and her family. I would like to share about our trip that took us on inter-state 44 thru a very small portion of Joplin Missouri that was devastated with a very deadly tornado. On the way out we did not know if we would see anything about the loss that went on there. As we were driving thru Joplin we began to see about a two block space on inter-state 44. As I said it was only a very minimal portion of what went on there. To the right we saw downed trees,debris that was unbelievable [siding from houses, clothing, paper , and a vast array of things hanging out of blown down trees]. To the left there were homes very much like our own. I am talking about all brick houses. They were totally blown in from the front . Trees were totally uprooted and huge road signs were broken like tinker toys. Traveling a little further up the inter-state we saw a flag pole that had survived the winds. There was a huge American flag flying at half mast. Her bottom stripe had been partially torn off and she was really frayed but she was proudly there showing all that they she had survived that they would indeed survive.

On the way back home we traveled back across that same area. We saw the power company restoring power. Men were out with their chainsaws cutting apart the downed trees, tarps were covering roofs, and people were cleaning up the debris. Perhaps that will be their firewood for next winter. Volunteers were notified of the exit to take to sign up to help. And the large frayed flag was still flying at half mast. Nature may have it's way, but human nature will always survive thru faith and our willingness to help each other in times of trouble. It was truely a humbling exprience. Please keep the people of Joplin in your prayers.

Jean Ramsey

Devotional 6-24-11

2011-06-23T18:01:00.000-07:00

Resurrection Reality PEACE
John 20:19-31

Do you remember how Walter Cronkite used to close his broadcast by saying, “And that’s the way it is”? Such is a world vision that reflects the painfulness of reality. It is an echoing of the somber words of agnostic Bertrand Russell: “Brief and powerless is Man’s life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark.”

Life on Easter evening for the disciples opens in a somber, fearful mood. John reports, “When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews.” Huddled behind locked doors, the followers of Jesus are struggling.

Today, we struggle with reality, we doubt like Thomas did. I have I been in a season of doubt since Oct. 24, 2010 when my brother died. I didn’t doubt God in 1972 when I was laying beside my mother, and she never woke up at the age of 43, and I was 9. I didn’t doubt in 1981 when I was a freshmen in college and my brother David called to tell me that my brother John had been killed. I didn’t doubt in 1979 when my grandmother who raised me died. But my life fell apart when David died. I have questioned God, and the God I serve is big enough, deep enough, strong enough, wise enough to handle my doubts and my questions. In fact the biggest venue on television is the genre of so-called reality TV. I’ve got this great idea for reality TV. It would be the ultimate survivor show. Take a guy who is obviously a religious fanatic. So much so that he believes he’s the messiah, the savior of the world. Then you could have authorities who are out to get him. Let’s say they succeed and put him to death. But how’s this? He rises from the dead after three days. Now that is a survivor! His reality changes our reality.

He didn’t just survive. He triumphed! Now that is real reality, resurrection reality peace. It is way beyond the survivor. Now comes the really great part; you can be a part of the show.

Resurrection reality peace takes us way beyond the survivor. “Peace be with you,” the Savior said. Jesus offers reality that is so much better than just struggling to survive. In resurrection reality, our Lord and Savior offers a spiritual peace that triumphs in the midst of the raging storms of modern living. Reality TV says that the purpose of life is to claw your way ahead, to do everything you possibly can to make money, to win in the end, to survive by being number one regardless of what happens to others.

Resurrection reality peace with Jesus offers a purpose that is far beyond just looking out for number one or just advancing your career or just earning money.

Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Resurrection reality peace is about living your life to the mighty purposes of God. It is about advancing the kingdom of God through evangelistic witness and the deeds of love and mercy. Reality television is about living life for insignificant goals. Resurrection reality peace is about the opposite—living life for the greatest goal of all, the advancement of God’s kingdom here on earth, the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ by words and deeds. To what purpose are you living? Is it reality TV or resurrection reality peace? Resurrection reality peace is just the opposite. It is not all up to you. Jesus “breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ ”Many of us live with the functional atheism of reality TV. Resurrection reality peace is completely contrary to that. It is living in the conviction that God is not asleep or in a coma but will act with you and through you, empowering you to accomplish the impossible for God’s kingdom. We are not alone. God is with us, in history and in our lives, transforming them with a resurrection reality peace. “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Which do you choose? Will you live on your own power, exhausted and struggling, or will you open yourself to the mighty power of God? Peace, purpose, power—three things we all desperately need. TV reality offers no peace, only the running of the rat race. It offers no purpose beyond the accumulation of money, place, or pleasure. It offers no power beyond your own limited resources. Resurrection reality peace offers peace for a purpose with power. It breaks through locked doors and banishes fear. This can be yours. You won’t be voted off the island but rather have reality shaped day by day and moment by moment through the risen Lord and Savior who, in the power of the Holy Spirit, stands in our midst this hour. Just Believe. I believe Thomas. I believe church. I believe Jeremiah. God help my unbelief. Amen

Preached on May 1, 2011 at Johnson Memorial UMC by Jeremiah A. Jasper

Devotional 6-17-11

2011-06-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

Pentecost

Brothers and Sisters In Christ Jesus,

Last Sunday we celebrated the birthday of the Church, not our congregation, Johnson Memorial, but the Christian Church. Sunday was Pentecost, the day the Spirit of God came upon the first disciples and the Church was born.

The account of this miraculous birth is in the second chapter of the book of Acts. It is a dramatic story, a story of wind and fire and the gift of understanding. The disciples finally understood their mission in the world and those who were witnesses to the event understood the Good News of God in their own native language. We are a Church, a People, born of God's Spirit, born of the wind and fire of God. The image of wind says that we are the people of God in action, moving, causing things to happen, even moving things around a bit. Wind by definition cannot be still. Still air is not wind. And the fire of Pentecost says that the Church has the power, heat and light of God. The Church of Jesus Christ is empowered by the Holy Spirit to be God's agents, God's witnesses in the world. The Church is to be an energetic, dynamic, and vibrant community of faith. It is the Body of Christ in and for the world.

So, this week read the second chapter of Acts and come to worship on Sunday as the windy, fiery people of God.

Grace and Peace,
Jim Perry

Devotional 6-10-11

2011-06-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Come Spirit Come!

Who can see the night sky in all of it’s starry glory or the awakening of the earth after the dead of winter and not believe in God? Every day brings new discoveries from the unexplored depths of land and sea. The possibilities and healing miracles seem only to be limited by mans ability to perceive. Science is marvelous and amazing. But what is science if not God’s miraculous plan? Man is a key part of God’s plan. We are all part of a bigger picture. Each of us is a small part of a bigger plan than any of us can imagine.

Each of us is a unique creation of God, each with our own special talents, abilities and gifts. Sometimes we are aware of our talents and abilities, but sometimes God calls us to step out of our comfort zones. He asks us to do things we can’t imagine doing. But, He doesn’t ask us to do them alone. When God calls us to take that leap of faith out of our comfort zone into His great cosmos, know that He has also given us the Holy Spirit to sustain us and give us the inner strength to accomplish whatever He is asking.

Ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven He sent the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came and turned the disciples into apostles. A disciple is a follower and a learner. Is that not what we are? God uses each of us. We don’t have to be perfect or brilliant. We only have to be willing. Peter denied Jesus 3 times, yet God forgave Peter and sent the Holy Spirit to turn him into an apostle--a messenger, a missionary. God will do the same for each of us, if we open ourselves up to Him and the opportunities He has for each of us to use the unique talents He has given us. Open yourself up to God, be a part of His amazing plan!

Margaret Williams

Devotional 6-3-11

2011-06-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 1:15-19: I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

One of the blessings of my life is that I am part of the ministry of the United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia, serving as Associate Director. Part of what we do is to serve as the Trustee for endowment funds and custodian for churchs' reserve funds. We often explain to people that we have a conservative investment policy with a goal of achieving a reasonable return while following socially responsible principles.

I was privileged to attend the funeral this week for Gordon Scott, a member of the Ashland Area Emmaus Community. His son said of him, "He was a shrewd investor who invested his life in the things that mattered."

What does it mean to be a shrewd investor in life? As I think about it, perhaps the same three investment goals we have at the Foundation could be applied to this question.

A conservative investment policy for our lives means that we do not lose the gifts we have been given. God calls us to invest our time wisely so that it is not wasted, to use our talents for his glory rather than allowing them to wither away from disuse, and to share our spiritual gifts so that others see God through what we do. We are called to invest what we have been given in the things that matter. What matters in your life? Is that how you invest your gifts?

Do we expect and produce a reasonable return on what we invest? Do we see the fruit of our investments? Gordon was involved in Scouting, in his church, in the Emmaus Community. He had friends and family who gathered to mourn his death. He invested his time and gifts in all of these, and all present could see that his investments were bearing fruit. The lives of youth have been changed. Others have seen God through his efforts. The faith of Christian leaders in the church has been strengthened and developed through the Walk to Emmaus program. And his voice will continue to echo through all of these ministries long after he is gone. As the Ephesians passage says, can others hear of our faith and our love of Christ as it echoes through what we do?

Do we listen for the revelation of God's wisdom? Do we invest our lives following the guidance of God? Do God's principles and priorities guide what we do?

Am I a shrewd investor? Are you? We have a glorious inheritance from our Creator; we have access to immeasurable power and an incredible hope. Do we use what God has given use wisely so that it produces fruit, and do we trust and obey our Lord? Are we shrewd investors in the things that matter?

Kim Matthews

Devotional 5-27-11

2011-05-26T19:10:00.000-07:00

This week's gospel passage is part of Jesus' farewell discourse to his closest disciples that centers on the final Passover meal they shared together.

Jesus knew that his ministry on earth would soon be coming to an end. He would be betrayed and denied by his own, arrested, tried and crucified. He and his disciples had shared together what would later become known as the Last Supper. During the supper, Jesus got up from the table and began to wash the disciples' feet to demonstrate for them that leadership means service.

Jesus knew the arrest and crucifixion would be confusing for his disciples. He knew they would be tempted to leave their new life and go back to their old ways, before they had responded to his invitation to "follow me." Jesus wanted to encourage the disciples to continue believing in God and him, and he explained that belief equals action. It is within this context that Jesus continues his discourse as recorded in this week's gospel passage, John 14:15-21:

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.

Jesus' promise to the disciples, and to us, is that the Holy Spirit will empower us to live in ways that give testimony to Jesus' life. Jesus makes it clear here that discipleship empowered by the Holy Spirit is more than mere belief or creed.

They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me.

This week, think about how others have seen Jesus because of your belief in him. What has the Holy Spirit empowered you to do that gives others a glimpse of Jesus?

It's easy to talk the talk; discipleship involves walking the walk.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 5-20-11

2011-05-19T22:28:00.000-07:00

Read Acts 7:55-60

If you have seen the movie Braveheart, you no doubt have a vivid memory of protagonist William Wallace being put to death in a most gruesome manner. Though no one would want to take Wallace's place, we can all admire his strength of will through the experience. I have always looked up to the apostle Stephen in a similar way. It is an amazing feat to die for one's beliefs. Few have the chance-- not that many of us are anxious to do so-- and possibly fewer have the spiritual strength.

During our day-to-day existence, we thankfully aren't asked to die for our Christian faith. We are expected to live for it, which should by comparison be a simple task. We can show that we are grateful for our salvation by being forgiving of others and by standing up for what is just. We are so willing to open our mouths to share everything from bad jokes to insults, but we could more frequently use our voices to improve others' lives (and our own). We are quick to take advantage of what we think we deserve, while we could be using our time to help a neighbor. Imagine how everything would change if we Christians were to use just twenty-five percent more of our energy to stand up for what is right. In turn, there would indeed be less road rage and other wastes of time.

Stephen stood before Israel's leaders and shed an unpleasant light on their past. Though he knew his own words would be used against him, he had the resolve to continue. Stephen acted according to the truth in the face of death. For most of us to act in the name of God, the consquences are minimal, so we have no reason to hold back! I pray we are all inspired by Stephen and others like him whose faith oulasted their wordly bodies. Let us use our energy to spread God's message of truth and show the power of His amazing love.

Natalie Wray

Devotional 5-13-11

2011-05-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

Tea Time

The makers of Celestial Seasonings tea include an interesting, often inspirational, quote on most boxes of their teas. Over the years, I have saved many for just such an occasion as this. So grab yourself a cup of tea and enjoy.

Every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character.--Oscar Wilde

Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.--Tennyson
Ultimately time is all you have, and the idea isn't to save it, but to savor it.--Ellen Goodman

We must take care to live not merely a long life, but a full one; for living a long life requires only good fortune, but living a full life requires character.--Seneca

Fill the cup of happiness for others, and there will be enough overflowing to fill yours to the brim.--Rose Pastor Stokes

The flower that follows the sun does so even on cloudy days.--Robert Leighton

The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.--Sarah Ban Breathnach

Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark.--Rabindranath Tagore

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.--Galileo

What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?--Jean-Jaques Rousseau

He who forgives ends the argument.--African Proverb

A gem cannot be polished without friction nor a man perfected without trials.--Chinese Proverb

Every piece of the universe, even the tiniest little snow crystal, matters somehow. I have a place in the pattern, as do you.--T.A. Barron

The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.--Dorothy Nevill

What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.--Meister Eckhart

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 5-6-11

2011-05-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Running Between the Raindrops

With the April we have had, it is not a stretch to have a conversation turn to the weather. People say things like "I may have to build a boat" or "Do you think the floodwall is high enough?" Several times in the last few weeks, as I am leaving a customer's office -- in the rain -- customers will say, or I will say, "If I run between the raindrops, I could stay dry." Pretty near impossible considering what is pouring down.

I ran a quick GOOGLE search for songs and hymns that reference rain. Believe me, there are loads. To name just a few: Come Rain, Let Your Mercy Rain, Rain of Your Mercy, In the Midst of Rain, Rain Down and the Todd Agnew song, Grace Like Rain. Grace Like Rain, hmmm.

In the movie The Presidio, two of the stars are Sean Connery and Jack Warden. The history between their two characters dates back to active combat and a time when Warden saved Connery's life. His heroic actions resulted in the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor (actually named just Medal of Honor). As the story line unfolds, we discover that Warden is in cahoots with the bad guys. During his attempt to "make things right", he is fatally shot. He's laying there dying, Sean Connery assuring him that everything will be ok, and Warden mutters these words about the Medal of Honor: "I think it was easier to earn it than it was to wear it."

Grace like rain falls down on me. Lyrics from Agnew's song. It pours down all around us, yet for reasons known only to us, the words "I don't deserve it", "I don't like so and so", "I wasn't nice to such and such" run through our minds. We spend a tremendous amount of time and energy trying to get out from under it. Grace is hard to wear. It covers us and makes us different. What will it do to my life if I get some on me? I will be changed. I will be clean. Let's stop running between the raindrops. Let's go get wet.

Steve Matthews

Devotional 4-30-11

2011-04-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

After he said these things, Jesus became visibly upset, and then he told them why. "One of you is going to betray me." The disciples looked around at one another, wondering who on earth he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one Jesus loved dearly, was reclining against him, his head on his shoulder. Peter motioned to him to ask who Jesus might be talking about. So, being the closest, he said, "Master, who?" (John 13:21-25 from The Message)

Sometimes reading a different version of a passage in the Bible will give us a different viewpoint. When I read these verses of John from The Message, I was struck by the line "was reclining against him." That phrase creates a vision of John leaning against Jesus in my mind.

Our beagle is a pack dog. She likes to be close. She'll jump up on the couch when I'm sitting on it, find a spot, and start walking in circles. Once she has massaged the couch into submission, she plops down, right against me. It doesn't matter if she has the entire couch as a resting place, she chooses to shove herself against me.

Shouldn't we be that way with God? Reclining against him when we have questions?

Consider Thomas, one of the lectionary readings for this week. He had doubts, and he gets a bad name because of it. Really, though, he did what we are all to do -- he asked Jesus for help. He leaned against God. Sometimes I think I am too slow to remember to do the same thing.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 3-4-11

2011-03-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

Creation

In the beginning was God.
His hands itched to create,
to swirl nothingness with the power of his Word
and create goodness and glory.

Nothing existed except for God.
The breath of his Word swept across the nothingness,
until God imagined light.
From a tiny flicker of thought
in the mind of God,
there was a spark.
God pulled light out of darkness,
and it was good.
God created the Day and the Night.

God moved across the water,
dividing it with power greater than we can imagine,
until there was sea and sky.
Related and yet separate.
God imagined clouds and wind,
waves and tides.
And he created them,
and they were good.

God swept across the ocean,
and like a potter with clay,
divided out land from sea.
Mountains rose at his thought.
Valleys and canyons were carved by his fingertips.
With joy and power, he sculpted the earth,
setting into motion the tectonic plates,
floating on a core of fire.
Each detail felt his breath
until he was satisfied.
Using the fabric of life,
he quilted together the trees,
Leaves and berries were his stitches,
Pops of color in the flowers.
Seeds for the future,
creating for the perpetuation of all he designed.
As he tugged the last aspen into place
he knew that it was good.

Like a photographer, he gathered the light,
and bound it into the sun and moon.
He met the needs of his creation
for heat and light,
by swinging the sun into the sky.
The moon became an anchor for the tides.
Earthly time flew from his Words
as the movement of his creation through the sky
marked the hours and the years.
His paint bush dabbed power in the sky
as stars began to glint and glimmer.
Giving the planet a push, he set the world spinning,
creating an evening and a night.
And they were good.

The next morning, God surveyed his canvas,
and smiled, rubbing his hands together with glee.
Life began to pulse as his Word spoke.
The air lifted creatures with wings
and fish shot through the deep.
Color and variety danced on the joy of God's imagination.
Clown fish darted as anemones waved in the water.
Eagles soared as God played with ostriches.
Fish swam and birds flew
as God declared their goodness.

Cell to cell, worms and elephants began to evolve
from the imagination of God.
Serpents basked on rocks, soaking in God's sunshine,
as spiders wove webs.
Animals sprang to life,
and God planted dreams of creation in their minds.
God's hands became gentle as he whispered.
A self portrait.
Man and woman, two parts of a whole, were spoken into being.
He blessed them with his imagination, his joy and laughter.
He blew across their hearts to start them beating
with love, created out of his own depth of being.
He made them clever and emotional,
and touched their lives with an awareness of their creator.
God laughed
at the goodness of it all.

He invited them to dominion and responsibility.
He placed his creations in their care --
the moon and the stars;
the water and the air;
the plants and the animals;
each other.
He promised them his presence,
and kissed them with his spirit.
The master touched his creation,
hallowing it,
and knew that it was very good.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 2-25-11

2011-02-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." --Genesis 1:26

"The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all, our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope. --Wendell Berry (born in Kentucky in 1934, author and farmer)

Caution--this may get a little preachy!

What have you done today to care for the earth that God so lovingly provided for you and me? What did you do this morning with your empty cereal box? Toss it in the garbage? I know what you're thinking, Give me a break--it was just one cereal box! But look at it this way--what if every family in our state threw one cereal box into a pile. Would you tell your children or grandchildren to go play on that pile of boxes? Now add to that pile all the recyclable things you throw away in a day:

newspapers, magazines and junk mail,
egg cartons, Starbucks cups, fast-food cartons,
yogurt, cottage cheese, and other such containers,
peanut butter jar, soup and other tin cans,
plastic milk containers, plastic water bottles and soda bottles, aluminum cans,
glass jars, wine bottles,
cardboard boxes--the mac and cheese box, pizza box, toothpaste box, shipping boxes,
detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, ketchup bottles,
on and on and on..................

Still want to send the kids out to play in that pile of trash?

Recycling is not just for Old Hippies or New Age Seekers. Recycling is for everyone. Especially for those of us who claim to be God's people. Don't we want to take care of God's amazing creation?

If your community doesn't have a recycling program, demand one! There are certain businesses that provide recycling bins. It is not that much trouble to take your trash to those bins if you don't have curbside recycling.

How about your business? How about your church? Are we serious about "saving the earth" or not?

Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money. --Cree Indian Proverb

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 2-18-11

2011-02-17T19:24:00.000-08:00

“Bragging about God”

How is your life different because you are a Christian? That is what I have been contemplating for the last two weeks. This has not been an easy task. I cannot remember a time that I did not believe in God. He was always there. But what if I hadn’t been raised in the church? What if my parents had not taught me to pray? How would my life be different? What different choices might I have made?

My faith grounds me. It gives me rules to follow. That’s good because I am a rules follower. I like knowing what the rules are -- knowing what is expected of me. I would like to say that I always follow these rules. Unfortunately the more I study the Bible and attend church, the more I find I need to work on. Hopefully this makes me less judgmental of others and keeps me humble when I invariably fall short. My faith gives me strength, not mine, but the strength that comes from God. I know God has carried me through some very difficult, very stressful times. My faith gives me peace, an inner core of calm. Yes, I get stressed. Can you be alive today and care about others and not be stressed occasionally? The difference is the inner core of peace that I can tap into during difficult times. The inner peace that come from God.

I believe that I am a different person than I would be without my faith. My priorities would be different and my values would be different, so I would have lived my life differently. I am a much happier person because of my faith. All of this is a gift from God. I need to thank Him for it all, but I also need to tell others that I don’t do things on my own--that what I do and who I am is with a lot of help from God!

So what about you? How would your life be different? How will you tell others? I will be saying, “With a lot of help from God!”

Margaret Williams

Devotional 2-11-11

2011-02-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

Psalm 119:1-8

When I sat down with JM Kid’s Club one Sunday evening, I thought it would be neat to have the children take part in helping me with a devotional writing. We all know that inspiration comes in the most unexpected ways. The following is today’s Psalm excerpt, paraphrased and slightly modified by members of our Kid’s Club.

If you follow God’s rules, you’ll be eternally happy.
Blamelessness is like a chain, and someone else will be inspired by you.
If you do the right thing no matter what, you’ll be a happy person.
I will work hard to follow God’s light.
I won’t be embarrassed if I focus on God’s rules.
I will praise God and try to live a sinless life.
I will always try to follow God’s laws.
I hope that He doesn’t let me down or give up on me.

I would like to share with you that the children had no concern that God would ever let them down or give up on them, as mentioned in the scripture. I pray that all of us could emulate their faith. When the scripture is worded like this, I ask myself why it is so difficult to walk in God’s light. I feel sheepish, because it really can be simple. Had I chosen just to write something on this Psalm by myself, I doubt it would have been so perfect.

'Out of the mouths of babes oft times come gems’

Natalie Wray

Devotional 2-4-11

2011-02-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Isaiah 58:6-7

Churches expend a great deal of energy trying to figure out how to worship. Should it be traditional or contemporary? Pipe organ or praise band? Chairs or pews? Ordered or spontaneous? Well-meaning people make passionate arguments that one form or another is somehow superior, whether superior is defined as more rooted in scripture and tradition or more likely to draw in more people.

I’m not pointing fingers—this is confession time for me. I’ve been in a lot of those discussions for several years, and have made some of those impassioned pleas. I want a worship style that is pleasing to me, that makes feel happy and good. I want to come to church, enjoy my time there, and leave feeling better.

I am convicted by this week’s lectionary passages, and particularly the reading from Isaiah 58, a portion of which is printed above. True worship, according to the prophet, is about more than ritual to make me feel better. True worship requires us to get involved, not only during the 11:00 a.m. hour, but the rest of the week. Piety, singing hymns, and praying, in and of themselves, will not bring about God’s kingdom of justice and righteousness. God expects us to act to make the kingdom a reality. Who will feed the hungry if not us?

Here are some startling statistics from Bread for the World, the non-profit hunger-fighting organization led by David Beckmann:

925 million people are hungry.
Almost 16,000 children die each day from hunger-related causes. (That's one child every five seconds).
In 2008, nearly 9 million children died before they reached their fifth birthday. One third of these deaths are due directly or indirectly to hunger and malnutrition.

Am I looking for a worship experience that will move me to participate in ending hunger? Or do I want worship to lull me into continued complacency?

If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in. Isaiah 58:10-12

As worshiping Christians, we should be about the business of ending hunger. We’d better get busy.

Amen.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 1-28-11

2011-01-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

Whew! That Was Close

There is a commercial break in your favorite TV show. You seize the moment to round up a snack. Once in the kitchen you admire your food selection and speed of preparation; a stacked high sandwich, a piece of (still moist) chocolate cake and a tall, cool beverage. And now,Yikes, the realization that you have three things to carry and only two hands to carry them with. It would take too long to ferret out a tray so you compromise. The cake is shorter than the sandwich, less likely to topple – its plate gets to set on top of the drinking glass, the sandwich held in the free hand. You hear your show about to return to the airwaves, you spin and WHOA!!! The wheels almost come off the bus. But thanks to your cat-like reflexes, you maintain your balance, you juggle just a bit, and, yes, you manage to save the food, the floor and everyone’s eardrums. As you head back to TV-land you mutter the words, “Whew! That was close.” Calamity avoided.

You are late for church. The speed limit gets a wee bit of a work out, and the STOP signs don’t get their full One Mississippi, Two Missi…. Oh, now a traffic signal looms on the horizon. Can you make it? Will it change to green when you need it to? As you get closer you can see that the perpendicular signal has changed to yellow – that means yours should change to green very soon. You could stay at speed (or a little faster) and zoom right through. Something makes you flinch; you tap the brake and begin slowing as if to stop, and WHOOOSH! The car approaching the yellow light must have also been late for something because the driver interpreted the intermediate caution light as HIT THE GAS so as to not be held up by a red light. Had you maintained your original intent, a crash would have been unavoidable. You get stopped in time and again mutter the words, “Whew! That was close.” Catastrophe avoided.

While returning to Galilee from Judea, Jesus did, in GPS language, some ‘recalculating’. He went through Samaria. Without delving too deeply into history or geography, suffice it to say – that was a no-no. He encounters a woman at a well. A woman whose life would never be the same again. He is where he is not supposed to be, doing something he is not supposed to do with someone he not supposed to do it with. He was a man, a Jew, talking to a woman, a Samaritan. I wonder if when the sun had set on the day, and she had had a chance to reflect on all that had taken place, which perhaps shouldn’t have taken place, if she thought to herself, “Whew! That was close.” A lifetime of ridicule and bitterness and not knowing God avoided.

I have two scars on my back. To the casual observer they are not un-alike. One is positioned directly over my spine – directly above the disc between the L4 and L5 vertebrae. It was put there by the skilled, caring hands of a surgical team determined, I would like to think, to give me back my life. The ruptured disc beneath had halted all meaningful existence. I think back on the decision that had to be made to ‘go under the knife.’ I was forty and had never been in the hospital. I played and re-played the surgeon’s words about medication and therapy and how surgery was probably the only real solution. Scared, I went forward. When I awoke from the operation and had no pain, when just a few days later I could walk, literally thousands of feet further than before, I knew that the decision had been the right one. I sometimes think back on that time painfully aware of how near I came to Plan B (which was no surgery) and say to myself, “Whew! That was close.” A life of pain and inactivity avoided.

The second scar actually took residence before the surgical scar. It is a little higher on my back and just about an inch from my spine. It came to be a part of my life when, at age twelve, while helping my dad with yard work at my grandparent’s house, I slipped and fell on a hatchet. I can’t see the scar. Occasionally while on a beach vacation my sons will mention it or while applying suntan lotion Kim will rub a finger over it and make a tut-tutting noise. I do think about it sometimes. Its nearness to my spine. Its potential to have wreaked havoc or killed. And I think, “Whew! That was close.” A life of paralysis avoided.

Attending a downtown church and in the off hours attempting to support a downtown economy, we have all been approached by individuals needing assistance. I know I have. And, much to my shame, I must say that I may have taken to an art-form the spotting up ahead of someone I think may be such a person and purposefully directing myself away. Judging, when I have no right to judge (not to mention the direct order to Judge Not…). I then smugly mutter to myself, “Whew! That was close.” Confrontation avoided. Oh, but wait. What else was avoided?

Rewind and don’t deviate. Don’t re-direct. To the casual observer two people are passing on the street. An entirely different thought process results in an entirely different outcome. Offer a kind word. Offer help if able. Show grace and kindness. A life of wondering if people care, if there is a God, if there is hope –avoided. “I almost didn’t get a chance to help him/her.” “Whew. That was close.”

Lord, help me - us – to step out of our comfort zone. To go through Samaria even though it may not be popular or proper. Let us show You to those around us. Amen.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

Steve Matthews

Devotional 1-21-11

2011-01-21T11:46:00.000-08:00

Walk in the Way that Leads to Life

A couple of weeks ago, Jack asked us to touch the water in the baptismal font and to “remember our baptism.” We came toward the altar, dipped our hands into the water, and remembered that we are claimed by God, beautiful in his sight, and loved beyond measure.

I was seven when I was baptized, and I can remember it, but on that day two weeks ago, it wasn’t my baptism I was remembering. I watched my 17-year-old son walk down the aisle, touch the water, and I remembered his baptism. He was not quite one year old when we brought him to the altar at Johnson Memorial. Our family sat together in two front pews and brought this new human being forward to the altar rail. I listened as the choir sang the responses in the liturgy, and as the congregation promised to surround our son with love and forgiveness and to pray for him, so that he would become a disciple of Christ, and walk in the way that leads to life. On that day, and on every day before and since, God has reached down, touched our son, and claimed him as His own.

Grant is now 17. His thoughts and ours are turning to “What’s next?” He’s sitting for college entrance exams, filling out college applications and thinking about his future. What’s next?

I hear the echoes of Grant’s Church family promising to love him and pray for him. I’m grateful for how the Body of Christ has embraced him as he has grown from a toddler to a teenager. I pray that we have given him a firm foundation for whatever comes next.

In the Gospel lectionary reading for the week, James and John are working with their father, Zebedee. All three of them are in a boat, mending nets. Jesus approaches them, and he calls the two brothers into discipleship. James and John immediately leave their nets and follow Christ.

I wonder what Zebedee thought as his sons left. Had he spent a lifetime wondering “What’s next” for these two men? Did he worry about them? I’m certain that as they walked away from him, following Christ, his thoughts followed them, asking “What’s next?” for his two sons.

It’s an important question for our son, for these two young men, and it’s an important question for us. We are claimed by God – what’s next?

Do we hear the call of Christ? Are we willing to drop everything and follow him? Will we do it immediately?

How are we preparing the way for those who come after us? Are we teaching about Christ? Are we helping to build the faith of others – our sons, our daughters in the faith? Are we paving the way so that others can walk in the way that leads to life?

Kim Matthews

Devotional 1-14-11

2011-01-13T18:46:00.000-08:00

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory. --Romans 5: 1-2

Ticket, please

My 3-year-old grandson was at my house recently and I wanted something to keep him entertained while I did some work in the kitchen. I brought out my ark, a hand-carved wooden ark I bought at a craft show years ago that includes Mr. and Mrs. Noah along with two of a number of animals. Thurston decided to make a parade of the animals going toward the ark and the line wound from the dining room into the kitchen. Then he decided the animals should have a ticket to get on the ark and as I gave him a pad of sticky-notes to use as tickets I thought to myself, "Good thing we humans don't need a ticket."

A few weeks later, I took on a task at church--cleaning out and defrosting a couple of little refrigerators. A friend commented that I had taken on quite a job and I replied, "Well, if this won't get me into heaven, nothing will." I quickly added, "I know better--my theology isn't that messed up!"

We like to conjure up the image of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates with his giant book of the details of our lives. I guess we came up with that mental picture because that's the way we would run heaven. You cheated on your math test in 4th grade, you don't get in. You didn't teach Sunday School or Bible School or sing in the choir, you must be kidding!. Ah, you never missed a Sunday, come right in. But that's not God's way. Maybe God's way is almost too easy for us to comprehend. In Romans 10:13, Paul tells us, "For, every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." The ticket is already punched, we just have to pick it up. And we don't have to jump through hoops to get it--just pick it up!

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 1-7-11

2011-01-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Marilyn Holleron wrote this devotional for the Christmas meeting of the Young at Heart at our church. The meeting was cancelled because of snow (I’m already tired of snow, and it’s the first week of January), so this is its premier…

Christmas is a time of traditions. Traditions make us who we are - they give us security, comfort, satisfaction, and they help children set the course for what is meaningful in life. Think of your traditions. Traditions don’t need to go on forever, but maybe for a season of your life. Going to the zoo each New Years Day was great when the children were young, but when they are older going to midnight mass may appeal. A group of JM church friends spend several days together in the fall at a state park. Each morning the first thing we do after breakfast is to have a period of devotion where each one participates. A tradition for us here at the church each month with friends is our Young at Heart meeting. A tradition.

In our family when I suggested at the Thanksgiving table a few years ago that we each tell for what we are thankful, there was some groaning and rolling of the eyes, but the next year it was obvious that attention had been given to this thought. It continues (a tradition) to be an important part of our holiday meal. Our family has learned to express what we are feeling, and to express our beliefs. Is this what Jesus ask of us? The tradition of singing the Johnny Appleseed song as our grace before meals has gone on for years. Girlfriends, and significant others were alerted ahead of time that this is something we always do, in a circle and holding hands. Tradition.

Many of you have heard about our 20 something year custom of making gingerbread houses together. I can’t adequately describe the bonding of family that has been the result of this tradition.

It is important to let some things go, but if it is meaningful, you will know that also.

Frederick Buechner say in his book “Telling the Truth” –“You can kiss your family and friends goodbye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.”

Traditions--- there is significance in everything we do in life. God has given us each a foundation and then all that we do and think is a part of what makes us who we are today and what we continue to become.

A wise man once said, “Life is granted to no one on a permanent basis. It is a privilege, and we must use it wisely. It is up to each of us to make of it what we can.”

Prayer: Thank you for the traditions of our life. Thank you for the guidance you give us, that we may better serve you and do your will while we are here on earth. Thank you for your son that you have given, that we better understand how you would have us to live. Continue to guide us in all that we do. In your son’s name we pray. Amen

Marilyn Holleron

Devotional 11-19-10

2010-11-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-12T12:40:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-07T13:10:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-23T18:36:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-09T19:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

"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

2010-07-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-01T19:36:00.001-07:00

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

2010-06-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

“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

2010-06-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

“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

2010-04-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-09T20:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-02-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

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

Devotional 1-22-10

2010-01-21T21:52:00.000-08:00

Musing on Psalm 19

The sky, the air, the clouds, the very heavens,
The home of God himself
Speaks of his glory.
The earth below our feet,
The trees, the mountains, the rocks
Speak of his creation.

Every day witnesses to God’s greatness
Every night declares its knowledge of God.
Even though their voices are silent and wordless,
Their proclamations are heard to the very ends of the earth.

God has placed the sun in the sky
And told it the path it must travel.
Its road is paved with the joy of its purpose
And nothing on earth is shaded from its heat.

God has set the world in order
Created the perfect plan for his creation,
Shown us the way to live
Made our paths straight,
Revived our souls,
Shared with us the wisdom of the ages.

His laws are right,
Bringing us joy,
Inspiring our reverence,
Opening our eyes,
Enduring forever.

His word is true and righteous.
Completely perfect and without compare.
His word is a pearl of great value,
Finer than any treasure,
Sweeter than life.

His laws are our warning,
Our security,
Our foundation.
In obedience we find great reward.

Lead me not into temptation,
Keep me from disobedience and sin,
So that I shall be blameless,
Free. Innocent.

I pray that my words,
My very thoughts,
The beating of my heart,
And the currents of my mind,
Shall be acceptable to you,
My God and my salvation.
My Rock and my redeemer.
Amen.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 1-9-10

2010-01-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

This is an awesome sight - "The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier", Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. I would encourage all who read this booklet to go and see this. You won't be disappointed.

How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? 21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
How long does he hesitate after his about face to begin his return walk and why? 21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.
Why are his gloves wet? His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.
Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time? And if not, why not? He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder
How often are the guards changed? Guards are changed every thirty minutes, Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
What are the physical traits of the guard limited to? For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.' Other Requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the Tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform {fighting} or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. Their shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis (the boxer) and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, (the most decorated soldier of WWII} of Hollywood fame. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for Guard duty.

Eternal rest grant them o lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!' Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

GOD Bless Them and Keep Them.
Submitted by: Paul S. Riggs

Devotional 11-20-09

2009-11-19T17:42:00.001-08:00

The following are prayers taken from worship bulletins printed in the 1960's.

God our Father, forgive our sins, calm our hearts, and strengthen our faith. May Thy Spirit guide our paths by teaching us Thy will. Help us to grow in Thy grace through Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Adapted from a Worship Folder:

Our Father, forgiver of sin, healer of sorrow, vanquisher of death, draw us close. You are our salvation and our unending hope. Bring us into your Kingdom, transforming us into children of goodwill, builders of a world where righteousness shall reign, and the law of love shall triumph over hate and strife. Increase in us true devotion to you, nourish us with all goodness, and keep us steadfast through your mercy and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Adapted from the same Worship Folder:

Almighty and everlasting God, who is always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and who wants to give more than either we desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things we fear to even tell you. Give us those good things we are not worthy to ask. Through Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Thanks to Betty Long for the loan of her notebook of Worship Folders.
Adaptations made by Kim Matthews

Devotional 11-13-09

2009-11-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

Having taught school for over for over twenty years before retirement, hundreds of students visited my language arts classroom. When I became ill in June 2007, I heard from many former students and also from some of their parents. Their kind words regarding time spent in my classroom while wishing me good health warmed my heart; however, Jimmy's words always caused a lump to form in my throat whenever I received his letters.

When Jimmy attended middle school, he was usually in trouble. He greatly annoyed most of his teachers by not doing his work, causing classroom disruptions, or fighting with other students. I vividly recall Jimmy being suspended from school for walking into the girls' dressing room while girls were changing clothes, and another time for setting fire to astroturf that was rolled-up in the school's courtyard. He was suspended many times for various violations; however, Jimmy never caused me any trouble; for some reason, unbeknownst to me, Jimmy liked me and I liked him.

As Jimmy grew older, he never quite figured out how to stay out of trouble. Due to committing a violent crime while under the influence of drugs, Jimmy presently resides in the Mount Olive Correctional Center in Mount Olive, West Virginia. Two years ago, when Jimmy heard I had cancer, he wrote to me telling me how much he appreciated my kindness to him, and that he was keeping me in his prayers. Jimmy found God in prison and has been involved in Christian fellowship and Bible study while serving his sentence. He continues to write to me from time to time and recently included the following poems he had written for my family and me.

Love Him Most of All

All ye lovers of the Lord
in all things great and small,
Give him thanks and sing his praise,
but love him most of all.
While we were yet sinners hopelessly lost,
walking this world alone,
Jesus visited this wretched world
leaving his heavenly throne.
He suffered, bled, and died for us
with pain no man could bear,
Bruising the serpent's head with his heel,
he proved that God really cares.
Upon his body he bore our sins
as his innocent blood was shed,
Doing for us what we could not do,
for we were all spiritually dead.
Now we've been quickened and made alive
by the only begotten son,
As long as you've accepted Jesus as Lord
and accepted the work that he's done.
So, all ye lovers of the Lord
in all things great and small,
Remember to thank him and praise his name,
but love him most of all.
(written April 3, 2009)

The Warrior's Call to Freedom

The warrior's call to freedom
is revealed in the blood of the lamb;
It is written by the hand of God
and delivered by the great I am.
It is carried across the ages
and heard by the great and small;
It bears the message of eternal peace
for those who will answer this call.
"Take up thy cross and follow me,"
the Spirit speaks to our hearts;
These resounding words of Jesus
from within us should never part.
Down in the valley of the shadow of death,
you can hear those words ring out;
Almost as though he's standing before you,
urging you further on up to the Mount.
Today is the day to answer this call,
please don't make the Master wait;
Answer the warrior's call to freedom,
for tomorrow may be too late.
(written September 19, 2009)
Hearing from Jimmy these past few years has blessed my life in so many ways. Although Jimmy's body is confined behind the bars of prison, his soul soars as he maintains a deep and trusting faith in God, our Father. Please join me in keeping Jimmy in our prayers.

Theo Tippett

Devotional 11-6-09

2009-11-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Radical Faith

Please read Mark 12:38-44

The second half of the Gospel reading from the lectionary this week is probably familiar to many of us. Jesus is sitting in the temple, watching as people place money in the treasury. A widow comes and deposits two copper coins, equal to about one penny. Jesus tells his disciples that she gave everything she had – “all she had to live on.” He contrasts that to the many people who had contributed out of their abundance.

What is it that the widow contributed? She gave a very small amount of money in the “grand scheme” of contributions given to the temple. For her, it probably represented all of her money. For her, it was not a “small” contribution.

But that’s not all she gave. She gave EVERYTHING. When she offered the two copper coins, she was offering them to God in faith. I imagine that she believed what she was doing for God was going to make a difference – what she was giving to God had POWER. Can you imagine that? Could you place yourself in her shoes and actually believe that giving a penny to God would make any kind of difference at all? That’s radical faith.

What difference DID it make? The gift of her faith brought her closer to God – it brought her the joy of living in relationship with her creator. When we step out in faith – when we take any kind of action that is in response to a call from God – we are brought closer to Him. I imagine it made a huge difference in her life, and I know it can make a huge difference in our own lives. Joy comes with radical faith in God.

Did the penny make any difference? When we step out in faith, and move to the calling of God, it’s not a stretch to believe that God gives our actions power. She might never have known how lives were changed through her penny; we may never know the consequences of our actions done in obedience to God, but we can believe that God knows, and that what he calls us to do in His name makes a difference to someone else.

Do you think the widow could have imagined that we would be learning from her actions, even today, over 2000 years later? Could she have dreamed that her donation of a penny – everything she had – would inspire you and me to faithful generosity?

What difference does it make? It makes all the difference in the world!

Kim Matthews

Devotional 10-30-09

2009-10-29T18:45:00.000-07:00

All Saints Day

Mom and I were traveling north on I-79 earlier this week. It was a beautiful, crisp, fall day. The mountains in West Virginia were a glorious patchwork of deep brown, red, orange, yellow, and green. At times, when the sun was just right, it was almost too beautiful to be real. I’ve always loved this time of year. Growing up in the steep mountains of the southern West Virginia coal fields, I never took the beautiful fall colors for granted…I knew it was only a matter of a few weeks—less if there was any significant wind and rain—before the mountains would give up their colors for dreary gray.

There’s a melancholy in the autumn, too. We know that cold, dark, and gray are just around the corner. If we can hope past the winter, we know there’s a spring that waits to be bursting with fresh new colors.

Dad loved the autumn, too. We would go to Grandma Mitchell’s in Lewis County and gather nuts—hickory nuts, hazel nuts, butternuts, but especially the black walnuts. People can be divided into two categories: those who love black walnuts, and those who hate them. We loved them. My brother and I liked to climb up in the tree and shake the limbs to knock down the walnuts. We laughed at the dirty looks Dad would give us when he would walk under the tree thinking we were finished, only to get pummeled with nuts. It was all part of the game. We wore gloves to keep from staining our hands as we knocked off the outer hulls. Eventually, the stain would bleed through the gloves. Dad would spread the walnuts out on the garage floor to dry. After several days of drying, he would crack several at time with a hammer, and then, sitting in front of the television, begin the painstaking process of picking walnuts out of the shell. No one else had the patience for it. Fortunately, his patience paid off for all of us when we enjoyed the cakes and pies with the delicious unique black walnut flavor.

Dad loved autumn. Mom told me that as she stands at her rear window looking at the fall splendor, she can hear Dad’s voice saying how beautiful it is. She told me she caught herself saying out loud the other day, “I know it’s a lot prettier where you are, honey.”

What a great attitude! What a faith, and a hope in the resurrection! Mom knows and trusts God’s promise that death is not the end, but the beginning of something else, something better. “[H]e will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away. And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” Revelation 21:4-5.

Oh, when the saints go marching in;
Oh, when the saints go marching in!
Oh, Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in!

Jeff Taylor

2009-10-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today’s Thought; Are you Blessed?

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

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

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

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

You are Blessed!!!

Shalom
Fred Herr

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

Devotional 10-16-09

2009-10-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steve Matthews

Devotional 10-9-09

2009-10-08T19:10:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marilyn Holleron

Devotional 10-2-09

2009-10-01T19:57:00.000-07:00

Was Job the First Boy Scout?

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

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

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

Lee Oxley

Devotional 9-23-09

2009-09-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chyrl Budd

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

Devotional 9-18-09

2009-09-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

AN AMAZING WOMAN

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

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

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

Jean Dean

Devotional 9-11-09

2009-09-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

Searching for God’s Voice and Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Devotional 9-4-09

2009-09-03T17:41:00.001-07:00

“There but for the grace of God go I”. I have heard and said that saying all of my life, but I don’t think I ever put the right spin on that saying. It always made me a little uncomfortable. (I was raised a Presbyterian, so I have that predestination thing lurking in my subconscious.) I always thought it wasn’t quite fair that God had spared me from whatever horrible situation that someone else was enduring. Did God save me from being in that position? Did He love me more that that person? Of course not. Was I a better Christian than them? Definitely not! So why did they have to endure this and not me? When I read Psalm 124 I had my epiphany. We all have our trials to endure and find our way through. The grace is not that God has spared us, but that God is there beside us, guiding and sometimes carrying us through. All we have to do is open ourselves up to Him and ask for that help and guidance. There but for the grace of God go I-alone to face the world.

Margaret Williams

Devotional 8-28-09

2009-08-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.--Galatians 6:2

"Sir, you wish to serve God and go to heaven. Remember you cannot serve Him alone; you must therefore find companions, or make them: the Bible knows nothing of solitary religion."--John Wesley, founder of Methodism

"We are family, I've got all my sisters with me." --1979 song by Sister Sledge, composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers

Community

In the past month I've had the privilege of sharing in a joyful celebration and a time of sorrow with members of my Sunday School class. We had a bridal shower for the daughter of one of our families who remarked that we had all helped raise her. Just a little over a week later we served an after-funeral meal to the family and friends of other members who had lost their mother. In both instances, our diverse group of individuals came together in love and friendship to share in our friends' joys and sorrows. We are "family" to each other.

When I was twenty-something, I was helping out in the church kitchen and an older lady remarked that she had made more friends in the kitchen than in the pews. As I have grown older her words ring truer and truer.

Are you familiar with Toby Keith's song, I Love This Bar? (Stay with me, I'm not trying to corrupt anyone!). Here's the chorus:

I love this bar
It's my kind of place
Just walkin' through the front door
Puts a big smile on my face
It ain't too far, come as you are
Hmm, hmm, hmm I love this bar

Every time I hear that song, I want to substitute the word church in place of bar. It doesn't rhyme, but it tells how I feel about my church and my church family.

If you don't have a church family I urge you to find one, otherwise you are cheating yourself out of one of God's greatest blessings, the gift of community.

Anita Gardner Farrell

Devotional 8-21-09

2009-08-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Mark 11:20-23: "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. (NIV)

God is the Lord of this creation. God is sovereign over all things. No structure, no creature, no object or being my act or be still without God's allowing it to be so. Jesus anticipation that the mountain will respond to our command is not based on the size of one's faith but on the God to whom faith looks. This is why the discourse begins with the command "Have faith in God!"
But what can be said for the figurative mountain that simply will not move? What can be said for the individual who finds himself or herself faced with such a mountain in the form of some circumstance or trial? What can be said for that situation when, despite every protest or proclamation hurled against it, the obstacle in a person's life will not simply go away?

Could it be that the mountain is not moving because it has not accomplished God's intended purpose? Could it be that in the course of doing God's bidding, the mountain has some service to render to you?

In the Hebrew Bible, Our Father (who art in Heaven) is often called "El Shaddai", generally translated in the Christian Bible as "God Almighty." But "El Shaddai" also makes reference to the old perception of God as the "God of the Mountains". Time and again from Moses to Elijah, even on down to Jesus and the Apostles, God is met in intimate, mysterious, and supernatural ways in the mountains. I imagine that such is the experience of the modern-day mountain climber. Even if she or he does not recognize or name the presence and proof of divinity in their experience, I still suspect that the divine encounter is what keeps them climbing peak after peak. Relying on God to help us to overcome our own seemingly immovable obstacles has the same potential for divine encounter.

Now God's strength and companionship may manifest supernaturally or they may come in the appearance of your church family, a close friend, even a total stranger that provides something in the way of a word or a deed that gives you the strength to move forward. And you keep climbing...and God is with you. Progressing in this way, eventually you find that you no longer need the mountain to move because you find that you are on top of it! And as a result you are standing higher than you ever have. In moving higher up the mountain you have moved deeper into the presence of the God upon whom you relied in order to get there.

It may be that the mountain in your life that won't move is God's way of trying to get you to a fresh or deeper encounter with God Almighty.

Joe Hill

Devotional 8-14-09

2009-08-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to contemplate the extent to which Jesus is able to meet he needs of everyone in every conceivable situation. Also it is astounding to find the wide diversity of expressions as to the nature of Jesus. He is described in the language of almost any of the many interests of humanity.

TO THE ARTIST: He is the One altogether Lovely.
TO THE ARCHITECT: He is the Chief Corner Stone.
TO THE BAKER: He is the Living Bread.
TO THE BANKER: He is the Hidden Treasure.
TO THE BIOLOGIST: He is Life.
TO THE BUILDER: He is the Sure Foundation.
TO THE CARPENTER: He is the Door.
TO THE MEDICAL WORLD: He is the Great Healer.
TO THE EDUCATOR: He is the Teacher.
TO THE ENGINEER: He is the New and Living Way.
TO THE FARMER: He is the Sower and Lord of the Harvest.
TO THE FLORIST; He is the Lily of the Valley and the Rose of Sharon.
TO THE GEOLOGIST: He is the Rock of Ages.
TO THE HORTICULTURIST: He is the True Vine.
TO THE JUDGE: He is the Righteous Judge.
TO THE JEWELER: He is the Pearl of Great Price.
TO THE LAWYER: He is the Advocate and Law-giver.
TO THE NEWS MAN: He is the Good Tidings of Great Joy.
TO THE OCULIST: He is the Light of the Eyes.
TO THE PHILANTHROPIST: He is the Unspeakable Gift.
TO THE PREACHER: He is the Word of God.
TO THE SCULPTOR: He is the Living Stone.
TO THE SERVANT: He is the Good Master.
TO THE STATESMAN: He is the Desire of all Nations.
TO THE STUDENT: He is the Incarnate Truth.
TO THE THEOLOGIAN: He is Author and Finisher of our Faith.
TO THE TOILER: He is the Giver of Rest.
TO THE SINNER: He is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the World.
TO THE CHRISTIAN: He is Savior and Lord.

What is Jesus Christ to me?

What is He to you?

One has written and we sing:
Jesus is all the world to me;
My life, my joy, my all.
He is my strength from day to day;
Without Him I would fall.

Written by Rev. Samuel B. Cunningham
Pastor at Johnson Memorial UMC as the sixties began

Submitted by Betty Long

As an extra, Anita Farrell shared this memory of Rev. Cunningham: He lived near the park and grew flowers, especially chrysanthemums. It was not unusual to come in on Sunday mornings and find he had placed flowers in every classroom.

Devotional 8-7-09

2009-08-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

Follow the Outline
Please read Philippians 3: 1-21

Chances are, you know a retired man in your neighborhood whose lawn is the envy of everyone else’s. In the Beverly Hills neighborhood of Cross Lanes, my dad was that guy. He mowed twice a week, properly followed a fertilizer schedule, and kept his shrubbery perfectly trimmed. Last summer, when Dad at age 79 gave up the regular mowing to a lawn service, he continued to do his own edging and trimming. We joked that it was because no one else could do it to his satisfaction. It was true, though; no one else could do it as well.

After Dad’s sudden death in May, Mom agreed to let me assume responsibility for Dad’s shrubbery. We both knew I would not do it as well, but someone would have to do it; it might as well be me. About a week after the funeral, I showed up at Mom’s to take care of the hedges. She showed me where he kept the tools and left me alone for my task.

I had not anticipated what an emotional experience it would be to trim Dad’s hedges. As I began to pick up the larger hedge trimmer (he used two: one for the rough cut and the smaller one for finishing and shaping) and began to unwind the electric cord, I was overcome with sentimental feelings. Dad always fussed at the way I wound my extension cords. I wrapped them tightly from hand to elbow, while Dad was more fastidious, making big sweeping loops and taking care to get all the twists out. I thought to myself as I looked at Dad’s cord, the way he left it…it’s never going to be the same.

As I got to work with the trimming though, first with the forsythia, I found that it was beginning to look pretty good. Dad took such good care of his plants, I discovered that all I really needed to do was cut back the new growth, and it looked (almost) as if Dad had done it himself. When I finished the first group of forsythia that create a privacy hedge in the back yard, I realized that Dad had left a great outline for me to follow.

Following Dad’s outline worked around front with the boxwoods, hollies, and junipers, too. What a gift Dad left by providing an outline for me to follow. I never would have imagined that I would be able to get the perfect round or square looks that were a source of pride to him. All I have to do, though, is follow the outline.

Trimming the hedges each few weeks has given me some time not only to visit with Mom and help her out, but also to experience a time of spiritual connection with my father. I can imagine him smiling as I get each shrub down to the perfect outline he left. And I chuckle at what he might be thinking as I wind his electric cord tightly between my hand and elbow.

In Philippians 3:17 Paul urges us to provide a good outline for those who will come behind us.

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.”

In lawn care and life, I cannot measure up to the example my dad established for me…but I’m getting better.

Dear God, thank you for the lives of the saints who showed us how to live and love. May their example encourage us to live lives that are pleasing to you, so that those who come behind us find us faithful. Amen.

Jeff Taylor

Devotional 7-30-09

2009-07-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

Coming into Wal*Mart – the Back Way

Wal*Mart – now, there’s a love-hate relationship. I am in complete agreement with BOTH sides of the debate; yes, I think that they are too powerful and that they have run smaller businesses into the ground, and yes, I think that they have really good prices on a whole lot of things. Complicating this matter is the fact that the Wal*Mart Corporation built, several years ago, a store the size of O’Hare airport about a mile from our house. Throw into the mix that we are both working parents, both kids are in school, all of us are involved in outside activities and tell me now – what is convenience worth? To kick it up a notch, I can get to this particular Wal*Mart without having to go on what the country folk use to call, “the hard road.” I can travel Norwood Road to the intersection called Crossroads then get on Norway Avenue and travel right to the Wal*Mart property and come in the “back way.” Had I chosen to come via the front drive, I could have experienced a four lane state-supported highway. It has clearly marked lanes, a center turn lane to smooth out stopped traffic, a right turn lane that allows for slowing without hampering those coming behind. Well, golly gee whiz, the access point even has one of those new fangled gizmos called a traffic light. Red, yellow, green; you go then I’ll go > wow, how polite. It’s kind of like the instruction book that comes with an appliance or a toy. Do this, then do that.

As wonderful as all of this instruction is I still insist on coming in the back way. Traveling east towards the drive brings me to a “way-too-short” turn lane. As I prepare to make my left, I then get to play chicken with the oncoming cars that are going to come flying around the retaining wall of one million blocks (they are probably afraid it’s going to fall on them) and hope I make it, with my paint intact, on site. Now that I’m in, where do I go? I’m at Wal*Mart but not where I should be. I’m in no man’s land. No lines, no signs saying “Go This Way,” no signal light and most likely an obstacle or two – a delivery truck bringing merchandise or fork lift moving it from point A to point B. In other words, I think I’m where I need to be but I have no clear direction.

So it is too often with my faith. I believe in God but I have a lot to do, you know. So I say a little prayer before meals, I pet a puppy, I smell a flower, and I say “Thank you for my blessings, what a wonderful world.” I have just come to God the back way. His Word is a paved highway complete with signals, arrows and signs. In the beginning God…no other Gods before me…where two or more are gathered…love your neighbor…feed my sheep.

Turn right here.

Steve Matthews

Devotional 7-24-09

2009-07-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

A Day of Miracles

John 6:1-13

The crowd was thick.
Anticipation was heavy in the air,
Carried on the heat of the day,
And on the wings of the flies.
Something was about to happen.

Philip stood next to Andrew,
His eyes squinted against the sun.
"He wants us to feed all of these people."
They looked out over the crowd.
A sea of faces.
Expectant and hungry.
Hungry for bread.
Hungry for the Bread of life.
He looked at the coins in his hand,
And said, almost to himself.
"He asks the impossible,We do not have enough."
Philip left to speak with Judas,
Still shaking his head.

Andrew stood at the edge of the crowd,
Feeling the weight of scarcity.
A small boy, who had been standing nearby,
Came to him, and tugged on his robe.
He held up his basket, grungy and dirty.
He said, "I have this.Will it be enough?
You can have it all."
Setting it down at Andrew's feet,
He looked up.
He was missing teeth,
But his smile was complete.
Andrew smiled back,
Patted the boy on the shoulder,
And thanked him,
For his food,
And for his generous spirit.

After the boy ran off to rejoin the crowd,
Andrew picked up the basket.
He always took everything to Jesus --People, questions, fears.
He supposed this was no different,
Although he felt like a fool.
Shaking his head as he argued with himself,
He carried the basket to where Jesus sat.
"A boy gave me this.
Five loaves, two fish,
I know it's not nearly enough."

Jesus smiled at Andrew,
And told him to have everyone sit down.
They shared the field,
They shared in thanksgiving.
They shared the food.
They all were part of a miracle.

When everyone had been fed,
Jesus had one more transformation to perform.
He sent his disciples into the crowd,
So that they could be changed.
So that their small faith, their attitude of scarcity,
Could be enlarged by witnessing abundance.
What had been small,
had been changed to excess.
What had been the generosity of a boy,
What had once been the seed of love,
Had born the fruit of a miracle.
Where the disciples had seen the impossible,
Jesus had shown them more than enough.

It had been a day of many miracles.

Kim Matthews