Devotional 4-1-10

Maundy Thursday

Lectionary Readings: Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 116: 1-2, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31-35.

“What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions, the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.” 1 Corinthians 11:26 (The Message)

Today is Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday. Congregations everywhere will be gathering to share in a communion meal as a remembrance of the Last Supper Jesus shared with his disciples. The meal in Jesus’ day was a Passover meal which the Jewish community continue to share to commemorate the “passing over of the angel of death” and the escape of the Jewish community from the bondage of the Egyptian pharaoh. The Exodus lectionary reading for today relates part of that story. All who participate in the traditional Passover celebration use the same, centuries old, sequence of words and actions to commemorate an act of God’s grace.

Many of the words used in communion services today will also be the same ones we’ve heard over and over. Sometimes we say them without really considering their meaning. We can become so superficial with our worship that our senses are dulled and our minds wander. But Paul in his writing to the church at Corinth urges us to participate as if it was a first-time, special occasion. That will be a challenge for those of us who have “grown-up” in the church with communion a frequent event. Perhaps, looking at the communion service with a new emphasis on the meaning of the words that are spoken will allow us to focus on the depth of Christ’s love for us and the magnificent sacrifice that is commemorated.

During the Passover meal, Jesus told the disciples that the bread was his broken body and the wine—his blood shed for our sins. Jesus also asked the disciples to consider a radical behavior change: to love one another. The words are deceptively simple, but the actions required are definitely radical and life changing. We have the benefit of knowing the actual events that take place between this day and Easter morning. The disciples had no way of deciphering what Jesus meant at their Passover meal. They could understand the words of the commandment “Love one another”, but probably not the depth of effort that it takes to live by these words. The ultimate act of God’s grace in the sacrificial death of Jesus for our sins makes it possible for us to begin to understand that God is Love and the best way to be thankful for the love that God lavishes on us is to love one another.

“What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!”

Dear Lord, As we receive communion today, help us participate as if it were a new and very special occasion. Clear our minds so that we can pay close attention to the words and the messages that the words convey. As we pray, may we be empty vessels that await the sustenance of a life-giving meal. May we give our attention to the spiritual and everlasting rather than the earthly and fleeting. Help us to love as you first loved us. Amen.

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 3-31-10

Alignment
I have a cross in the windowsill above the kitchen sink. It was made by one of our daughters with 2 sticks held together by a pipecleaner, but it is beautiful in its simplicity. I like having it there to remind me of the most important event that has ever occurred but confess to not often taking time to really look at it. Last night, while washing dishes, I noticed the cross was unbalanced because the pipecleaner had become loose. Repositioning the cross so that it looks "right" is not difficult; however, unless the thing that holds the vertical and horizontal pieces together is tightened, they remain in a rather precarious balance, and it is easy for them to end up out of alignment again. Shoring up the pipecleaner sounds like an easy job, but I don't bother with it because I am too eager to rush off to the next thing, and I worry that if I take it apart I won't be able to put it back together the same way again.

It occurred to me that my spiritual life is like this cross. Without the shoring up that I get from prayer, worship, Bible study, and time spent with others who are also on the Christian journey, it is far too easy for me to get out of balance and find myself becoming too cynical, too judgmental, too caught up with my needs and concerns and less empathetic about the plight of others. I struggle with the thought of turning the misaligned cross of my life over to the one who can bind it back together properly because it means slowing down enough to really communicate with God as well as giving up control to allow him to work in me. It also involves the probability that God, in rebinding me, will shape my life into something that is unfamiliar, putting me in situations and taking me places where I am not comfortable. That takes faith and trust that I do not always seem to possess. During Lent, we are called to honest introspection about our relationship with God and each other and the way we view and respond to our world. If we let him, God will take the off-centeredness in our lives and bring us back into balance; He will help make the vertical way we live align better with the horizontal Christians we proclaim to be. I pray that we all will have the faith and trust to take advantage of this amazing gift.

Prayer: Dear God, forgive our lack of trust and our unbelief. Please help us in this journey to Easter to understand more fully the gift that you gave us by sending your son into the world and the tremendous sacrifice that his life and death entailed, all to prove how much you love us and that our lives can be so much richer if we will just allow you to take control and align us to your will. Amen.

Mary Taylor

Devotional 3-30-10

Jesus answered, “The light will be among you a little longer. Continue on your way while you have the light, so that the darkness wil not come upon you; for the one who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. Believe in the light, then, while you have it, so that you will be the people of the light.” [John 12: 35-36]

What if every year’s spring equinox brought a sudden change in weather and temperature? We would know on exactly which day to pack away heavy clothes and break out the short sleeves. In the last days of winter, we would be jittery with childlike anticipation. Possibly because there is no way to predict with complete certainty our last day with that winter coat, we often trudge through as pessimists. Whether or not diagnosed, many of us have a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder. With the lack of sunlight, our moods and energy levels deteriorate.

The seemingly most Godly people in my life have faces that I am always happy to see. Even when I know they are carrying heavy emotional burdens, they continue to endure with a faith-filled glow about them. They truly are people of the light. Especially around Easter, sermons encourage us to live every day as though Jesus Christ will arrive tomorrow. If we knew that were the case, might our expectant faces be nearly luminescent?

We might think of the second coming as that first bright and warm day of spring. Without a tangible date, though, we easily fall into a spiritual sort of Seasonal Affective Disorder. From today’s scripture, “The one who walks in the dark does not know where he is going” reminds us that we often forget about our true North. Not only do we take for granted all of the beauty of winter, but we also disregard the fact that spring is truly on its way. My prayer for us all is that we savor every moment of the now while anxiously awaiting what is to come. As we expect tomorrow’s sky to be the brightest ever seen, I hope that our faces shine with Christ’s light.

Natalie Wray

Devotional 3-29-10

Please read Matthew 25:14-30

I grew up in a family that was critical. My parents saw criticism as a way to make sure their children did not become braggarts. While not truly cruel or unkind, I felt that no matter want I did or did not do, there was always room for improvement. What I did just wasn’t quite right. I was afraid to try new things. I was certain I would make a mistake. The parable of the ungrateful steward suited me to a tee. People told me I was intelligent, and creative, but I was still afraid to use my gifts.

One summer, my husband Tim and I had a bumper crop of tomatoes. They were beautiful, round and red. I prepared them in every way I knew how. I didn’t want to waste any. I got out a cookbook and found a recipe for tomato casserole. It looked complicated but sounded good. Tim is the gardener in the family, but he was gone. I was afraid. I love to cook, but I had never prepared fresh tomatoes before because I knew that cooking them was a lengthy process. What if I made a mistake? What if it didn’t turn out right? Drawing a deep breath and praying a prayer for courage, I picked the tomatoes from the vines and took them into my kitchen. (I much prefer to stay inside my house, so even this was a bit new for me.) Then I boiled water to remove the peels, squeezed out the seeds, cut the tomatoes up and layered them in a casserole dish with cheese, onions and breadcrumbs. It was a messy job and by the time I was through there was tomato juice all over the kitchen!

I thought of the many times I sensed God calling me to do something new, but I was afraid. This small act of getting out of my comfort zone felt freeing. I tried something I had always been afraid to try. The casserole turned out well and tasted so good that my husband told his parishioners about it. He insisted I make it again and take it to church for Wednesday night snack supper. People called me for the recipe.

Now when I am afraid of a new direction that God is calling me in, I remember the day I tried something new, something that I had been afraid to try and how it turned out well. It may seem small, but it wasn't to me. I am learning to trust my gifts and talents, and not hold back in fear. God wants that for each of His children.

Rev. Dorcas Conrad

Devotional 3-28-10

John 12:1-8

In this chapter of John, Jesus is in Bethany visiting Lazarus, Martha and Mary. A dinner is given in Jesus’ honor with his disciples in attendance, as it is 6 days before Passover and the betrayal! The Bible tells us that Lazarus is reclining at the table with the others while Martha serves them. But what about Mary?

I am sure Martha is stressed that Mary is not helping with the meal. However, it is here that Mary does something unusual. She brings out a pint of pure nard (an expensive perfume) and pours it on Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair. Even today, we can hear those in attendance complain about the lack of help for Martha, the waste of the expensive perfume that could be sold for top dollar, the lost opportunity to cash in the nard and give to the poor. All of these objections are true, but I think they miss the point.

Jesus reminds them the nard is for his burial and that we will always have the poor, but we will not always have him. Therefore, the challenge is to identify what is precious to each one of us and then be willing to use it to glorify God’s work. Ah- but that can be most difficult! It can be easy to “mouth” conviction but it can be much harder to put words into action. If you had a great amount of money or time for Christ how would you use it?

Is it reflected in your budget and your priorities?

I am ashamed to admit I still have my jar of nard.

Marvin Jones

Devotional 3-28-10

Gracious and loving God,

It’s the weekend, and wow, are we tired. We plop in our easy chairs as we turn our faces towards the fridge and the next basketball upset. You have had a hard week and you drop to your knees and pray as you turn your face towards Jerusalem. In the garden you asked the Father, “Let this cup pass from me,” but in the end said, “Not my will but Yours.” His will was that we should see grace beyond comprehension. And you entered the city. May we this week not take the bypass around the city and end up at Easter Sunday, but follow in the wake of the lowly donkey -- the lowly donkey that was called into service because the Lord needed it. May we be so needed by you. As we follow, we hear the cheers HOSANNA, HOSANNA, crucify him, crucify him, HOSANNA, crucify… This is going to be a tough week for you. It will get darkest just before the light.
“It’s Friday but Sunday’s comin.”
“We know the rest of the story.”
“We are Easter people.”
All true, but let us not get there so fast. Let us walk the road with you and know and understand that your sacrifice was great and your gift immeasurable.
We pray these things in your name. Amen

Steve Matthews

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Devotional 3-27-10

What It Means to Know Christ
Phillipians 3:4-14

How precious is the gift of the cross, how splendid to contemplate! In the cross there is mingling of good and evil, as in the tree of paradise; it is holy beautiful to behold and good to taste. The fruit of this tree isnot death but life, not darkness but life. This tree does not cast us out of paradise, but opens the way for our return.

This was the tree on which Christ, like a King on a chariot, destroyed the devil, the lord of death and freed the human race from sin. This was the tree upon which the Lord, like a brace warror wounded in hands, feet, and side healed the wounds of sin that the evil serpent had inflicted on our nature. The knowledge of all good, which is the fruit of the cross, cut way the shoots of wickedness.

The wonders accomplished through this tree were foreshadowed clearly even by the mere types and figures that existed is the past. Meditate on these, if you are eager to learn. Was it not the wood of a tree that enabled Noah, at God's command, to escape the destruction of the blood together with his sons, his wife, his son's wives and every kind of animal? And surely the rod of Moses prefigured the cross when it changed water into blood, swallowed up the false serpents of Pharaoh's magicians, divided the Red Sea at one stroke and then restored the waters to their normal course, drowning the enemy and saving God's own people? Aaron's rod, which blossomed in one day in proof of his true priesthood, was another figure of the cross; and did not Abramham foreshadow the when he bound his son Iassc and placed him on the pile of wood?

By the cross death was slain and Adam was restored to life. The cross is the glory of the apostles, the crown of martys, the sancitication of the saints. By the cross we put on Christ and cast aside our former self. By the cross we, the sheep of Christ, have been gathered into one flock, destined for the sheepfolds of heaven. --by Theodore of Studios

Submitted by Rev. Jeremiah Jasper

Devotional 3-26-10

The Lord Needs It

Luke 19:28-40

His footsteps were slow
As he walked his final path to Jerusalem.
The disciples had been told,
but the refused to hear.
Was he walking alone?
Isolated in their denial?
Or did he find some comfort
In the nearness of friends?

Closer, just a few miles to go.
How often had he walked this path in his mind?
The journey had been long,
And the end was just beginning.

He sent two friends ahead.
"Go, and as you enter the village,
you will find a young colt,
never ridden,
tied to a post and waiting for you."
As he said it, did he think of the future?
Tied to a post and waiting?
Nailed to a cross, barely breathing?
"Untie it, and bring him here.
If you are asked, say
'The Lord needs it.'"

They did as he said,
And found what he said.
The owners asked what they were doing.
"The Lord needs it."
So they gave it to him.
No questions; no hesitations.
Do we always answer the same?

They laid their cloaks on the back of the animal,
and then his friends lifted Jesus up to ride him.
Friends, lifting up their friend.
Face to face, heart to heart.
Would they remember this moment, later?
When he broke the bread,
or washed their feet?
When they lifted him down,
face to face, heart to quiet heart,
off the cross?

The donkey plodded along,
carrying a king,
stepping, not in the mud,
but on clothing, thrown on the ground.
Gifts.
Jesus entered Jerusalem,
as his forefather Solomon had entered Gihon,
riding his father's donkey.
Was he riding on a donkey,
Provided by his Father?

The crowd shouted praise,
"Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
As he rode, did he hear the echo
of the angels' praise
on the night that he was born?

As the crowd shouted,
the Pharisees complained.
"Teacher! Make them stop!"
These Pharisees were the ones who should have known.
Who should have recognized the son of the God they loved.
And yet they were blind to the man in front of them.

Jesus told them,
"If these are quiet,
the very stones on this ground
will cry out!"
God is changing the world,
And if you cannot see it,
If you cannot sing His praise,
The void will be filled
By those who will.

The song will not be stopped.
The Lord has need of it.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 3-25-10

“Reveling in Jesus”
John 12:1-8
A short time before his death Jesus was being honored at the home of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. Mary took a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume, and poured it on Jesus’ feet, wiping them with her hair. Judas objected saying that the perfume should have been sold and the money (a years wages) should have been used to help the poor. I have to tell you, when I read that I was agreeing with Judas. Perfume worth a years wages???! I can’t imagine spending a day's wages on perfume, much less a year's on perfume, so I’m probably not a very good judge, but it certainly seemed wasteful. I thought of Haiti and what a year's wages could do to alleviate suffering there. Now the verses go on to say that Judas had ulterior motives, as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was in it. Jesus rebuked Judas (and me) saying, “It was intended that she should save the perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (NIV Bible)

My study Bible says that Jesus was making the point that money should not be the main focus of our lives. I think there is another lesson that we can take from this passage. To me, Mary was celebrating Jesus, the man. The washing of feet was a common occurrence in those days, but Mary took it a few steps further. She washed them herself with expensive perfume and dried them with her own hair. Mary wasn’t just washing his feet, she was reveling in having Jesus in her home, reveling in having him with her.

I think Jesus was telling us that there are times when we need to set aside all of our duties, our to do lists, even our good deeds and take time to celebrate the man Jesus. A man who got hungry and thirsty, a man who laughed and cried real tears, a man who enjoyed celebrations (even turning water to wine for one wedding), a man who got tired and dirty and needed his feet washed. But, a man who loved with a greater love than we can understand - loved enough to accept the humiliation and extreme pain of crucifixion. He endured this, not just to save those he knew and loved on earth at that time, but all that were then, and all of us who were yet to be.

Jesus felt pain as we feel pain, hurt as we hurt, yet He loved with a greater love than we can comprehend. Take time to revel in the man, Jesus!

Margaret Williams

Devotional 3-24-10

…in the breaking of the bread

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him … He had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. That is near the end of the 24th chapter of Luke. The story is from a subsection in the chapter entitled the Walk to Emmaus. The story begins with two travelers; we assume they are not disciples based on the fact that upon their eventual return to Jerusalem they meet up with ‘the eleven’. The travelers are headed to Emmaus. Jesus suddenly joins them but they do not recognize him. He asks what they are discussing as they walk. They respond by asking him if he is the only one who doesn’t know about the things that have happened in the past three days. I find the irony quite delicious considering the actions of the chief priests and rulers, the betrayal by Judas, the scattering of the disciples from the garden and, last but not least, Peter’s denial. He is indeed the only one who DOES know what has happened in the past three days. It’s not until they have persuaded Jesus to stay and share a meal that they are given the opportunity to know who he is.

My dad enjoys meal time with family and friends; holidays, birthdays, special occasions and the like. When the event is closing in he will say, “Are we going to be able to break bread together…?” Now, he isn’t asking if we are going to have communion together, he is talking about dinner. But in that dinner time we do commune. We sit and talk, we listen, we share, we laugh, we care, we offer advice, we take advice, we recognize, a little bit more clearly, the person at the table.

I, along with several friends, just returned from a three day journey, interestingly enough called The Walk to Emmaus. During those three days we enjoyed many meals including communion. Throughout the Walk, each step was an introduction to someone new. As we would break bread together we would recognize each other a little more clearly. Due to the spiritual construction of the weekend ,we did indeed recognize Christ more clearly and to perhaps a small degree, we got a clearer picture of ourselves.

My prayer this Holy season is that eyes will recognize, our hearts will be opened and our hands and feet will be those of our risen Christ.

Steve Matthews

Devotional 3-23-10

The Prayer shawl ministry is one of the ministry of J.M. that is dear to my heart. Since we started the ministry I have made a few shawls, although not as many as my aunt Isabelle Marino who has made over 300 plus. When I start a shawl, I pray for the person, that I don't know, for God to bring comfort, healing, support or joy, which ever is needed by the person to whom the shawl will go to.

Sometime when I am making a shawl I have difficulty staying on task without making a mistake, like dropping a stitch or staying in pattern. When this happens I put it down and come back to it later. It seems like I will get nudge to get it out and finish it. It is like God is telling me, "I have someone who needs comfort from your shawl, FINISH IT!" So I finish it!

A few weeks ago I finished a purple shawl and took it to church and laid it on the altar rail for blessing. Well, there is a co worker of mine who may have a tumor or cyst on the base of brain and spinal cord or could be M.S. Another co-worker was telling us about what was going on and passing a card for us to sign to send to her. Well, I knew where that purple prayer shawl was going. I didn't know that her favorite color was purple; God Knew all along. God works in mysterious ways. He knew where it was going all along, and He lead me to finish it.

What a wonderful ministry to be a part of. You are praying and asking for God to bless the recipient of your finished shawl and you receive a blessing as well.

I saw her when she was at the hospital for tests. She was so thankful for the shawl that she kept around her most of the time. I can only hope that, whatever the tests show, the the shawl will give her all the comfort, support and blessing in a way only God can do.

I would like to invite anyone who would like to get involved in this ministry contact me and you can do His work too!

Dear Lord,

Thank you for being there to guide us when we started this prayer shawl ministry. Thank you for keeping us to the task of finishing shawls when you know someone needs comfort. Thank you for everyone who is involved in this ministry. Lord, reach out to those who might be interested and give them a little push, saying "You can do it" "Don't be afraid. I'll be there with you!"

Let them know they will also be blessed by being a part of a wonderful ministry. You never know who will be the next recipient.
Only God Knows!
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Melanie Herr

Devotional 3-22-10

Isaiah 43:16-21

When torrents of rain beat the desert, it changes the landscape from brown to blue. Rushing streams press nutrients to dormant life sleeping just below the desert floor. New life rushes to bloom. Now in season are colors of pink and blue. They spring up in the desert making everything look fresh and new.

We resist change. No matter if it’s in the form of discipline or growth. The whole of our beings scream no. Our nature is to go along with the status quo. It’s scary to face the unknown.

Only God knows our future, he fills our unknown. Our father soaks up our fears and causes something new to grow. God is with us as we pass through the seasons of our lives. No matter what we face, he is the constant in our lives. As we press into him he presses back giving us hope and joy. God is alive and active in all the seasons of our lives. No matter what we face. No matter how loudly we scream no.

Father God, your breath alone causes new life to bloom. You fill us with your vast love. Your mercy and grace surround us. No matter what was before. We honor and praise you. In Jesus name, thank you.

Amen

Judith Wilburn

Devotional 3-21-10

Read Philippians 3:4b-14

…yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus

As I read this passage, I once again think about the amount of time I spend worrying and complaining about not having enough time. When I am finally alone, I realize that all of the worry and emotion is very misplaced. Many times I am overly concerned with the things I have, or think I need.

The value of knowing Christ as a King and Savior surpasses all of the “things” we have. Working to have a close personal relationship with Christ helps us to not only be better Christians, but just better people.

The relationships I share with friends and family are my most prized possession. Having a relationship with Christ is the most important of all. I believe that as I attend the Walk to Emmaus this weekend, I will take a step closer in my journey with Christ.

Lord, help us to realize that everything we have is through your grace. Help us to place our energies into loving others and serving in your name. Each day, as we meet with others, help us to see others as if they are at their best, even when they look and feel at their worst.

In your holy name
Amen

Hulse Budd

Devotional 3-20-10

Choices
Lectionary Reading: Phillippians 3:7-14

“What are you giving up for Lent?” a friend asked me a few years ago. I was stumped. I had not thought of giving up anything for Lent (and why would I do that anyway?)Then while reading a few articles about sacrificing a little to represent the greatest sacrifice that Jesus gave I began to understand why it was done.

So what was I going to give up for Lent? People have given up sweets or pizza, movies or tv, video games or the computer. All of those seemed a little self-centered to me. It also seemed to me to be the opposite of what Jesus has told us to do while he was living. He said feed to poor, make disciples, care for the sick, etc. An article in the latest Guidepost magazine talks about five things to take up rather than give up this Lenten season. The author says “Lent doesn’t always mean forbidding ourselves some pleasure. It can be an opportunity to seek the pleasure of God’s presence.”

Although the author says things like get outdoors, spend time with others, and pray for the little things, I decided that I could do something a little different. I wanted to do something positive, something for which I am thankful. So each day of Lent I sent a thank you note to someone who had touched my life in some way. I thought of people who had done something for me or someone who has done things for others without being thanked. The teacher who befriended me when I was a new teacher at my first school got one. The lady in one of the churches where my father was the pastor who called me up every time she made beans and cornbread received a note. The choir director who let me continue to be in the choir even though my voice is not the greatest. I found that I had more people to thank than the forty days of Lent. It was an eye opening experience to think of the people throughout my life who did little (and BIG) things for me that led me to where I am today.

Our biblical study at School of Christian Mission last year was Food and Faith taught by Rev. Richard Work. The study itself was about how faith is nurtured, strengthened, and enhanced by food. It explored the ways food creates community, offers hospitality to strangers and expands one’s concept of “neighbor.” But, again, Rev. Work stressed positive works that can be done during Lent rather than giving something up – do something for the good.

This has been a wonderful exercise for me to do. I never seem run out of people to thank. God has been with me as I write the hard ones – the ones that ask for forgiveness - and the ones that thanked people for things they have done without being asked (even if they are not my favorite person). The blessings I have received when those that I thanked come to me later to thank me for remembering them.

I challenge you to think of something you can do this Lenten Season. Do something for yourself that will bless you throughout the whole year.

Prayer:

Lord, you are so wonderful to me and I cannot thank you enough for giving me this life that I am living. Guide me to do Your will and show me the way that You want me to follow. May my practices during Lent help make me a new person in You. I praise your name and give you the glory. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Ruth Ellen Fise

Devotional 3-19-10

Judas the Disingenuous
Lectionary Reading: John 12 1-8

These passages discuss the anointment of Jesus at Bethany by Mary. She anointed His feet with an expensive perfume made from pure nard and dried them with her hair. Judas Iscariot complained about her using the expensive perfume. He said that it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. We learn two lessons here.

1. Jesus acknowledges the he knows that He is to die. He tells Judas to leave Mary alone. The poor will always be present but He will not.
2. Judas does not care for the poor. He was in charge of the disciples’ funds but often used the money for his personal use.

Jesus lets them know that he will be leaving them but Judas, who will eventually betray Him causing His death, shows his true side—he says one thing but believes in another. He pretends to care for the poor but uses disciples’ funds for himself. We see this many times in today’s society. We were warned to be careful in donating money to the people in Haiti because many of the groups collecting funds were not to be trusted.

We see the same in people who pretend to be devoted to Jesus but are not. Many so-called Christians seek riches in material things in the name of God. There are still many Judas’ among us.

Let us pray: Dear God, help us to keep the goal of becoming closer to you in this time of Lent. Let us not be influenced by the material achievements but by Your love. Amen

Carolee Brown

Devotional 3-18-10

Lectionary Reading – John 12:1-8

I continue to be amazed at the stories in the Bible. When reading them, it is such a comfort to see how they relate to my life today. John 12 1-8 is no different.

Six days before Passover, in the town of Bethany, Jesus arrived at the home of Lazarus, to attend a banquet in his honor. This family loved Jesus, and it was their way of thanking him for bringing Lazarus back from the dead.

Martha prepared the meal. I, too, have prepared many meals for special guests. I know the pressure that Martha must have been feeling. She loved Jesus and wanted everything to be perfect. I have been ‘hostess’ Martha, many times in my life.

Lazarus, understandably, sat proudly beside Jesus, and was eternally thankful for his new life. I, too, have sat beside someone I love, and was so happy to have them with me. I have been ‘thankful’ Lazarus, many times in my life.

Mary purchased an expensive perfume to wash the feet of Jesus. I, too, have shopped and gone beyond my means for a “special gift”; to give to someone I love. I have been ‘extravagant’ Mary, many times in my life.

Judas quickly found fault with Mary’s extravagance. She should have sold the perfume and given the money to the poor. Judas, no doubt, had his own plans for the money, since he was the one who held the purse. I, too, have found myself judgmental of others actions, without taking the time to really look inward at my own motives. I have been ‘judgmental’ Judas, many times in my life.

And then, there was Jesus, with his response to Judas. Jesus makes it clear that Mary’s gift was given in love, and in preparation for his death. What a comfort for Mary, to hear the words of Jesus. Her gift was one of love, and it was received with love. And yes, I even hope I have shown the understanding that Jesus showed Mary in accepting gifts, many times in my life.

This scripture speaks to me through all the people involved, but most of all through our Savior and his gracious acceptance of Mary’s actions.

Lent is a time of preparation for receiving the greatest gift from God, the promise of eternal “Life” through his son. I don’t have to be hostess, I don’t have to purchase anything pricey, I don’t have to question the motive, and I don’t have to just sit proudly beside. Instead, I can choose to be prepared to receive the gift of “Eternal Life”; given in Love from God through his dear and loving Son, our Savior. And that is exactly, what I have chosen to do, many times in my life.

Let us all be thankful for a Loving God.

Glenna B. Allison

Devotional 3-17-10

Please read Psalm 126

"How we laughed and sang for joy and the other nations said,"What amazing things the Lord has done for them".

During the season of Lent is is a little difficult to think of singing for joy. It has also been a little difficult to find joy in our daily lives given the headlines we see in the papers daily. It seems there is anger, fear, death and distruction everywhere we look. About now you're wondering if you want to continue to read this. I don't blame you.

This Psalm is one of the "songs of ascent". The pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for feast days sang these songs to make their journeys pass easier. Now you and I are probabaly not going to walk through Wal-Mart singing for joy or sing our way through the mall. People would take a wide berth around us.

What we can do is to let the joy show in our faces. It is so hard to be miserable if you have a smile on your face. Likewise, it is difficult to be in a bad mood if the person you are facing is smiling at you. During this season of Lent could I suggest that instead of giving something up, you take something up. Why don't we try to smile every day. I know that sounds too simple but maybe it isn't. It's easy to smile when everything is going your way but how about when it doesn't?

Why don't we let the "son-shine" show in our faces everyday. We have received a wonderful gift. A price has been paid to make our lives worth living. Why don't we show others that we are thankful for the amazing things the Lord has done for us.

Smile !!

Debbie McGinnis

Devotional 3-16-10

The Power of a Praying Parent
Psalm 9:10: Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

When getting together with friends both at church and outside of church, we always end up talking about our concerns for children. As parents, we are always worried about whether our children are doing well or are struggling, are in trouble or are a work in progress. Recently, an invitation on Facebook to join the Power of a Praying Parent web site made me aware that there are thousands of parents like me who are praying daily for their sons and daughters. This group began when Moms got together to collectively pray for their children. Their devotions were then chronicled in the book entitled “The Power of a Praying Parent” by Stormie Omartian and on the web site by the same name. There are prayers for healing, prayers for loneliness, prayers asking for strength to make difficult decisions, prayers asking God’s help for addictions, prayers for intercession, prayers for young men in trouble, and prayers for newlyweds, to name a few. I was struck by the number of mothers’ prayers that were answered. These Moms thought it was time that children and young adults be lifted to the Lord in prayer as they grow and face the challenges of life. I was humbled when I read their stories and realized more than ever how important it is to tell our children, grandchildren, and young adults about our Lord Jesus Christ and to have faith in God because when alone He is the only one they can turn to. I realized how important it is to strengthen ones faith in these times when our Faith is being attacked at all levels in our secular world. Nothing sums it up better than the song “Above All Else,“ written by Ms. Omartian and sung by Debbie Boone:

So much to say and just a lifetime left to say it.
How quickly time passes.
If I had my way, I’d keep you safe within my arms
While the storm of life crashes.
I won’t always be with you, my child, but words I can give.
When the winds of hope are dying down, these words will live
Above all else, know God’s the One who’ll never leave you.
Look to Him above all else.
He is love you can depend upon, a heart set to care
If in the darkest night you should be lost, He will be there.
He’s the Everlasting Father
In His hands you’ll never fall.
He’s the One who holds it all,
Above all else.
He’s the Keeper of our tears,
He’s the One who you must fear
Above all else.
He’s the Giver of the kingdom
Bought for you right from the start,
And He’ll ask you for your heart
Above all else.
So much to say
And not enough time left to say it.
Just love the Lord
Above all else.

Let us get together in churches and in groups and keep praying for those we love the most.

Gisela E. Kemper

Devotional 3-14-10

Morning Thankfulness

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings every morning,
thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
Many are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed against the morning light as long as possible,
thank you, Lord, that I can see.
Many are blind.

Even thought I huddle in my bed and put off getting up,
thank you, Lord, that I have strength to rise.
Many are bedfast.

Even though the first hour of the day is hectic – socks are lost, toast is burned, tempers are short-
thank you, Lord, for my family.
Many are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like those in the women’s magazines and the menu is sometimes unbalanced,
thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
Many are hungry.

Even though my house feels too small and its outdated furniture is showing wear,
thank you, Lord, for its warmth and protection.
Many are homeless.

Even though my job is often monotonous,
thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
Many are unemployed.

Even though I grumble from morning to morning and wish my circumstances were different,
thank you, Lord, for your gift of life.

The first time that I read “Morning Thankfulness”, it was printed in the Johnson Memorial UMC May 16, 1993, bulletin at a time when Betsy and Anna were preteens, my parents were battling devastating illnesses which would eventually take their lives, and I was suffering from teacher burn-out. None of this was good for a marriage besieged by money woes and a serious case of “I do more than you”.

As I read each line, I was ashamed that I had not been more grateful for all of the blessings God had given me. When I arrived home that afternoon, I cut the poem from the bulletin and posted it on the refrigerator, where for seventeen years it served as a constant reminder of God’s love for me.

I hope it will do the same for you.

Becky Warren

To leave a comment for the author, go to http://jmlent.blogspot.com

Devotional 3-14-10

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (II Corinthians 5:16-21) NRSV

When you read this scripture, who comes to mind? Whose lives speak the language of this “new creation” in Christ? How did their fire start? What draws you to their warmth? Why do you just want to be in their presence and learn why they look at life differently?

Our congregation is blessed with many whose lives speak to the rest of us about their relationships with God through Christ – about their being “new creations.” I’m sure every life’s story is different. Some have held on by their fingernails and faith. Some have met Christ, and simply blossomed. Some can identify their transformation and reconciliation as falling somewhere between these two extremes. But the blessing they all offer us as a result of their love and faith is the reality of kingdom of God – here – now – being lived out in front of us!

They’re holding the door open for us to come in from the cold; to hear their stories and feel the warmth of God’s love, to experience the freedom found in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Don’t you want to go in? I know I do – and I’m sure we will all be welcomed as beloved members of His family.

Father, we offer thanks for those whose hearts speak Your love to our hearts. May we learn to share as they have shared. May we be willing to serve as they have served. And may we see You in the faces we encounter each day, knowing You love us all simply, ferociously, unconditionally. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Linda Summers

Devotional 3-14-10

Luke 15:11-32, but what happened next?

He watched his father return to the house
And he threw his staff across the yard
In disgust.
How could his father be so gullible?
How could he believe his younger son,
That he had changed?
That he was repentent?
That was nonsense.
And why was it,
when he had worked so very hard,
That his father never rewarded him
Never celebrated his return after a long day
In the fields.
Why?

It is grace,
The likes of which
We have never seen before.
It is grace,
And there is nothing
That compares to it.
It is unfair.
It is undeserved.
It is love.
And it is available for all.
Even for the younger son.
Even for the older son.
Even for you.
Even for me.

The older son
Remembering the joy on his father's face,
Decided to go into the house,
There he found his brother,
A look of astonished wonder in his eyes.
Shining through tears.
The younger son looked at the older, and said,
"How can this be?
I would eat what we feed the pigs,
I deserve nothing else,
And yet look what he has done for me.
How can this be?"

It is grace.
The likes of which
We have never seen before.
It is extravagant
It is prodigal.
It is life changing.
How can anyone stand,
Drenched in the rain of God's love,
And not notice the wetness?

It is grace,
And it will soak through our hardest layers,
And will change everything
If we let it.
The older son stood amazed at the change
in the younger one.
Where was the arrogant brother who used to be?
Where was the one who was so hard to love?
Changed.
Altered.
Never to be the same.
It is grace,
And is it available for even the older brother.

The father came into the room.
He saw the amazement on the face of his younger son,
And he saw the confusion on the face of his older son.
Walking up to the older one,
He said, "I am glad you are here, son,
The party wouldn't have been the same without you.*
I love you, my child,
More than you can imagine.
More than you can fathom.**
At that moment,
Grace went to work,
Melting the heart of the lost son.
And his brother.
Their lives were never the same
Because they were loved.

It is grace.
The likes of which
We have never seen before.
It is grace
And there is nothing that compares to it.
It is unfathomable.
It is never ending
He offers it to all of us,
And we stand amazed in the heat of its presence.
We stand changed in its fire.
We stand before the father
And nothing about us is ever the same.

Kim Matthews

Devotional 3-12-10

Isaiah 64:8 – “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter.”

Think about the image inherent in this verse from Isaiah. God is the potter, and we are the lump of clay that takes shape in His hands. Visualize a potter’s wheel on which lies a shapeless lump that has just the right consistency to be molded. The potter makes the wheel spin; she slowly, carefully begins to shape the clay according to a design that she carries in her mind. She alone decides what the design and purpose of her project will be. As the design takes shape, the potter needs to do some reshaping as the design fails to take the intended shape.

Isaiah says that we are the shapeless lump of clay and the design for the purpose of our lives is in the mind of God, the potter. What might that purpose be? Perhaps it is teaching, preaching, caring for children, serving the poor, tithing, leading, following, making policies, following the policies made by others; the possibilities are endless. However, all too often we reject God’s plan because the devil convinces us that we have a better one. God may need to do some reshaping as he calls us back to our true purpose.

I heard Jim McCune, recent pastor at the Campus Christian Center, preach a sermon at a United Methodist Conference regarding our need to “return to the potter’s shed.” He indicated that people have drifted away from God’s plan and that we need to return to the potter’s shed to be reshaped. Jeremiah 18:3-4 speaks to this. “So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.”

Have we become spoiled by drifting away from God’s purpose for us? What would God, the Potter need to do to reshape our lives? What new directions would we need to take to put us in line with God’s purpose for us, to be God’s hands and feet in the world?

When we pick up the newspaper, we see greed instead of generosity, violence instead of peace, injustice instead of justice, and hate instead of love. Shouldn’t we love as God has loved us, seek justice, share our resources with others, join in the work of God’s kingdom, and put ourselves in God’s hands to constantly allow ourselves to be reshaped so He can use us here in this place at this time? We need to develop reliance on God to show us the way, to point to the things He needs for us to do, which are many.

Maudie Karickhoff

Devotional 3-11-10

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” Psalm 32:1

The theme throughout this week’s scripture readings from the Book of Joshua to the parable of the prodigal son from the passages in Luke deals with the blessings bestowed on the man who admits or confesses his sin and is forgiven.

Psalm 32 contains a list of the blessings that are bestowed on a righteous man who confesses his sin:

1. His sins are covered or atoned for (Verse 1)
2. He shall receive blessings from God (Verse 2)
3. His transgressions are forgiven (Verse 5)
4. Deliverance from great waters (Verse 6)
5. God is a hiding place (Verse 7)
6. Preservation from trouble (Verse 7)
7. Compassed with songs of deliverance (Verse 7)
8. Instruction from God (Verse 8)
9. Guidance from God (Verse 8)
10. Compassed with mercy (Verse 10)

The words of the classic hymn “Grace Greater Than Our Sin,” written almost one hundred years ago summarize the words from these passages eloquently.

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Verse 1

Marvelous grace of our living Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and guilt,
Yonder on Calvery’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the lamb was spilt.

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and
cleanse within, grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin.

Lee Oxley

Devotional 3-10-10

The mission of Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church is to bring others to Christ, embrace them with love, nurture everyone in faith, worship God joyfully, and reach out in service to the world.

The vision of Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church is to be a covenant community transformed by God's grace to share the love of Christ with the world.

Please read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

God makes his appeal through men who are ambassadors for Christ! Paul is proclaiming the way of reconciliation and the imperative need that man accept the ways which God has provided; he underscroes the urgency of immediate acceptance of God's grace.

What is reconciliation? Renewal of friendship, the act whereby barriers of any kind between parties are removed and their relationship is placed on a firm basis of love and friendship.

Man, to be on a basis of love with God must remove barriers in his heart again man (Matt 5:23-24), to the end that God may give him the glory Christ promised (John 17:22).

Since man often places barriers between God and himself, God has planned the way of reconciliation and gives us a redeemer to remove those barriers (2 Cor 5:19-20).

On our part, the reconciliatin is by faith, through Jesus Christ, for we are not our own (1 Cor 6:19, 20; 7:23) and we become what we are through grace (1 Cor 15:10).

Reconciliation brings life (Rom 11:15) and being justified and reconciled, we do not again face condemnation (Rom 8:1). It is a gift of God (Eph 2:8) and we become his workmanship (Eph 2:10).

The initial step is reconciliation: "Repent" for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt 4:17). If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (John 1:9).

Reconciled through Christ -- All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was in Christ, reconciling the world until himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has committed unto us the word of reconciliaton.

(Cor 5:14-21) These verses bring us to the heart of Paul's gospel ... by indentifying with our life, death and even sinfulness, God in Christ has tranformed the whole human situation; Jesus' resurrection inaugurated a "new creation." (Cor 5:17)

This is more than the transformation of individuals, although it includes that. From this good news, inspired by Christ's love for all (Cor 5:14), springs the Christian mission -- really God's mission (Cor 5:20).

The Ministry of Reconcilation (Cor 5:17) In Wesley's own translation, he adheres to the original Greek text. "If anyone be in Christ, there is a new creation." He adds -- "Only the power that makes a world can make a Christian." By the power of God's love communicated to us throgh Christ, we are re-created, our dulled spiritual senses are reawakened. For then "God, men, the whole creation, heaven, earth and all therein appears in a new light."

Now we konw what Paul meant when he said, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself." We can't keep this good news to ourselves, according to John Wesley, but must become ambassadors for Christ to the whole world, God making his appeal through us.

Prayer
We ask forgiveness, Our Father, for all the wasted opportunities in our lives to serve others, for the words we might have spoken, for the deeds we might have done to bring others to Christ. Forgive us that when we should have listened to your voice we turned a deaf ear. Forgive us when we might have seen great needs, we looked the other way. Give us other opportunities and help us to heed them.

Help us, O Lord, in the ministry of reconciliation to recognize ourselves as your instruments. Work through us in this the world's greatest mission. We ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Sources:

The Wesley Study Bible, NRSV, Abingdon Press 2009.
The Goodwill Bible, National Publishing Company, 1943.
The Interpreter's Commentary on the Bible, Abingdon Press, 1971.
Mysteries of the Bible, Readers Digest, 1988

Frank Hanshaw

Devotional 3-9-10

Lectionary Reading: Luke 15 1-3, 11-32; Luke 15:29

So he answered and said to his father,'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.' New King James Version

Those words were spoken by the "faithful' son upon the return and 'party' for the son that went away with his 'goods that falls to me' and 'wasted his possessions with prodigal living'.

I am lucky to have 3 sisters. I can see myself as the 'faithful' son, when I was much, much younger. Why should I celebrate them or with them when I don't think they deserve it? It is not right that I spent my time and energy and then one of them gets the glory. I was the one that stuck around because I was expected to do the work. Then no real thanks comes to me. HUMPF!

I did have those feelings from time to time growing up in our home with my three sisters, but I was also the one that felt they gave in to mother and daddy, when I wanted to stand up for our 'rights'. They 'always' gave in to them. HUMPF again!

It must have been hard living with me. In fact, I think at times, I had a hard time living. Am I ever glad I grew up. Or at least I think I have.

My sisters and I get along now, very well. Oh, we have our moments, but we get over them quickly and in the end we are always there to support each other.

To me the story of the lost son in Luke, conveys forgiveness, and isn't that what Easter is about? God loves us so much that he gave his only son to forgive us!

Through God's love,
Kay Lewis

Devotional 3-8-10

A New Perspective

Lectionary Readings: Joshua 5: 9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32.

My nursing students participated in an exercise earlier this year, where the patient was an electronic mannequin who could be programmed to respond to their assessments and also change based on the sequence of treatments the students chose. We gave the mannequin the name “Bill” for this exercise and told the students that he was aged 44, African American and homeless. We simulated a foul odor on his clothes and made him look dirty and disheveled. As each student group approached “Bill” they all made some assumptions about how and why he was so smelly and why he acted and spoke in a disoriented manner. They jumped to the conclusion that “Bill” was inebriated and had been brought to the hospital because he was being a public nuisance.

After completing an initial assessment, they were to ask a person playing the role of a physician for treatment orders. The “physician” ordered some laboratory tests and came to the bedside to also perform an assessment. When the laboratory tests were completed, the results told the physician and the nursing students that “Bill” was suffering from an elevated blood glucose (sugar) level and that this was the cause of his disorientation and confusion. The nursing students changed their approach to “Bill” within seconds and began further assessments and treatments that would assist “Bill” to resolve his health problems.

As I re-read the story of the “Lost Son” (Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32) as part of this week’s lectionary readings, I was reminded of my assessment failures and my incorrect assumptions about people. Had I met the lost son at any point in the story, I would have made an incorrect assumption. I would have considered him a playboy with flashy extravagant ways had I met him when he had money. If I had met him while he was caring for the pigs, I would have just ignored him with indifference. If I had met him on his way back to his father, I would have avoided talking to him and assumed that he might be a hoodlum or a tramp. I would have been on the side of the other brother with his “righteous indignation” and anger. I would have gotten the situation “all wrong” just like my students did in the beginning of their assessment of “Bill”.

The parables Jesus told during his ministry help us to see our fellow humans in a different light: God’s light. The old is passed away and all things are new. Because of Jesus, we are given a clean slate, a new chance to improve, a fresh start. God forgives and then forgets our failures.

God can change us through our mistakes. First He shows us that our assumptions and wrong conclusions will be forgiven. Then He guides us with practice and through a mighty and transforming love to learn to change behaviors. Even though I continue to repeat my wrong conclusions about people by only looking at or smelling their outside, God continues to call me to seek the light He has placed within each of us. God never gives up His quest to guide us to that closer walk with Him. We are His, even when we are too stubborn to believe it. Thank you God!

Dear God, we are humbled by your continued pursuit of our souls. We are not worthy and yet you seek us and have sacrificed everything for us. Pour out your love on us once again this day as we ask for your forgiveness and mercy for our human frailties. Amen.

Chyrl Budd

Devotional 3-7-10

Luke 13:6-9
Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Devotion
Fred Craddock tells a story about a man who decided to open a grocery store. He was worried that it might not succeed and he would be out a lot of money.

First, he had to choose where to locate. He could lease a building in the main part of town, but it would be expensive. Worried he might lose a lot of money if the store went under, he leased a building in a back alley of a rundown part of town.

Next, he had to hire employees. He could hire some people from the area to ensure that he would have enough help to keep the store open from morning until night, but it would be expensive. Worried he might lose a lot of money if the store went under, he decided to run the store himself, closing the store at 5:00 p.m. so that he could be home in time for dinner.

Then, he had to decide where to get the groceries to put in the store. He could order from the wholesalers who had fast shipping to ensure the best produce, but it would be expensive. Worried he might lose a lot of money if the store went under, he ordered from a place that had slow shipping so that the produce was past its prime when it arrived.

Finally, he had to decide how to advertise. He could buy advertising on the local television station, but it would be expensive. Worried he might lose a lot of money if the store went under, he put up a couple of posters on some telephone poles instead.

The day of the grand opening arrived. Only a few people wondered in. He made a few sales, but many people left after seeing the quality of the food. One person tried to come at 5:00 p.m., but had to leave because it was closing time. Eventually, no one came at all.

After a few days, the owner of the store gathered his family around him and said to them, “I am a very smart man. I have to close the store. If I had paid for a lease in the main part of town, if I had hired employees, if I had ordered produce from the fast shippers, and if I had paid for ads on t.v., then I would be out a lot of money right now. Instead, I invested little and so I am out very little.”

Luke tells the story about a man who planted a fig tree and within three years had given up on it. All he did was plant a tree, but he expected a large fig harvest. The gardener did not just convince the man to give it another year. He offered to care for it. The gardener knew that you only get out of something what you are willing to invest in it. If you invest little, you will reap little.

Lent is a time for self-reflection; a time to look at ourselves and see what we are invested in. Have we really invested ourselves into our families, into caring for our neighbors, into helping the poor, into welcoming the stranger, into caring for the children and the youth and the infirmed in our community, and have we really invested ourselves into our church. Maybe we have planted the seed and that is a good thing, but have we REALLY invested ourselves? I know I haven’t always invested myself. Too often I have invested little because I was afraid of failure. Too often I have expected a harvest, without any effort.

Prayer
Loving God, you are the one who created us and you care for us daily. We don’t always bear good fruit, but you do not abandon us. Instead you care for us all the more. You are invested in us. Help us to invest ourselves in you and into the care of your creation. Help us to act, not for reward, but because it is what is right. Help us to be courageous in the face of the fear of failure, knowing that we only really fail when we refuse to try. Most of all, marinate us with your love in the name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

David Stackpole

Devotional 3-6-10

Soul Injury
I Corinthians 10: 1 – 13
This past Friday I attended a seminar that focused on the Chaplains work with returning veterans through the VA. Many of these veterans suffer from Post Trauma Stress Disorder. The chaplains who were leading the seminar had coined the phrase “Moral Injury” to describe theologically what was happening to these returning veterans. Their theory basically states that these individual had broken a moral code and were suffering because of it. Much of their work was based on Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning that is based on Frankl’s experience of surviving the German concentration camps during WWII.

I returned home from the seminar where my wife asked me if I had seen or heard Tiger Woods’ apology. She had saved it on my DVR and I was able to view his apology. I was struck at the tenor, tone, and theology of his apology. Much has been made about his religious history and upbringing. In his apology he admitted he had strayed from his Buddhist roots and that he had followed his “cravings”. As I listened to him I reflected that he was suffering from a “Soul Injury”. I was saddened by his apology and hope that his soul could recover as well as the relationships with his marriage and family life.

In verse 13 of today’s scripture we are told by Paul that, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to humanity. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” This says to me that: The devil did not make us do it. Our human cravings did. Lent is our way out.

Many of us have “Soul Injury”. We have done those things that we ought not to have done and not done those things we ought to have done. God understands that process. God understands our human nature and realizes that we will be tempted on a daily basis. It may be a gross temptation such as Bernie Madoff or Tiger Woods participated in over a period of time. It maybe societal temptation such as racism, sexism, classism, etc that stains us within. It may be that we slighted our husband, wife or child by giving into our immaturity. Whatever our Soul Injury is, God promises that it will not crush us because God’s forgiveness is greater than any sin.

Lent is that time that we take what AA calls a “moral inventory” and we may term a “soul inventory”. Good Luck! At least you will not have to face the cameras. You will only have to face God and God knows already.

David Johnson

Devotional 3-5-10

WHO? WHAT? WHERE?

Do you ever question who you are, where you are, what you do? Sometimes upon hearing of something brave or self-sacrificing that another person has done, do you wonder if you are where God wants you to be, doing what He wants you to do?

This morning in the Herald-Dispatch I read of a fourth year medical student at the Marshall University School of Medicine who, upon learning of the earthquake in Haiti, took a month away from his family and his studies to go to the island and do whatever he could to alleviate the physical suffering and distress. How wonderful, I thought, to be able to do that, to have the skills to help in this way.

Then I read in the Upper Room Devotional Guide of a man, an accountant in Illinois, who wrote, "Often I am overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty.....what should I be doing for the Lord? When? Where? How?" Upon reflecting and reading from Jeremiah 29:4-7 he realized that God had put him where he is, to do what he is doing, to be a faithful witness, and to cease wasting time in needless worry and concern.

God has placed us where we are; we must do the very best we can for His glory and to further His kingdom in whatever way we can however ordinary it may seem. He has a purpose for each one of us. How blessed we are!

Jean Dean

Devotional 3-4-10

God is Calling, do not put on Hold!!!
Please Read Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9 NIV

In the passage from Isaiah God is calling all to come to him. You don’t need to bring anything with you! God will provide all you need to seek him. Listen for God to speak to you. We often are praying to God about our needs, concerns or whatever, but do we really take time to listen to him? Although it may not be in an audible voice, God may speak to us through an occurrence or through something we view that we do not expect to see. Or just quietly sitting without thought, maybe, as the snow is falling, on our porch during a spring or summer rain shower. How about while taking a walk in the park or the forest?

Is 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God is calling not only the righteous but the unrighteous as well, Is 55:7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Jesus was not sent to live among the righteous. He walked among all and that is what we all are called to do as well. Reach out to those in need, whatever the need is, show them they are loved. Help them see that God does love them and that by turning to him he will pardon them. Is 55:7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

But God can only wait so long for if we/they do not come to him before our/their last breath we/they will perish.

Luke 13:5 ..do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Read Luke 13:6-8 Parable of the fig tree

Parable of the barren fig-tree. (Commentary) *
This parable of the barren fig-tree is intended to enforce the warning given just before: the barren tree, except it brings forth fruit, will be cut down. This parable in the first place refers to the nation and people of the Jews. Yet it is, without doubt, for awakening all that enjoy the means of grace, and the privileges of the visible church. When God has borne long, we may hope that he will bear with us yet a little longer, but we cannot expect that he will bear always.

So don’t put God on Hold too long!!

Please read Psalm 63:1-8 as a closing prayer.

A confession and testimony; I really struggled to write this devotional. For when I first read all of the Lectionary readings I could not quite put them together. But one night during my prayer I asked God to help me write this devotion. So as I sat here this evening, in the quiet of the room, God began to speak to me as I typed this devotion. For these are not my words but God’s. I could not have written it without his guiding hand.

Peace and Grace to all though our Risen Lord and Savior
*Commentary from Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible

Fred Herr

Devotional 3-3-10

Loving us in our Imperfection
Romans 8:39: neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As many of you know I now live in Charlotte having moved for a new professional position in June of last year. What many of you do not know is that part of the plan for the move was that my parents would move from Waycross, GA to Charlotte also. The difficult part of the search for a new home in Charlotte was finding one that would have an area/apartment in which my parents could live. We found one that had an “in-law” suite. It consisted of a large bedroom, walk-in closet and bath with a much smaller sitting room. (Why not a small bedroom and larger sitting room is what I have been asking myself?)

Last week my parents spent the week with me in our new home and in their new “digs”. I spent a lot of time talking with my father about his early life, family members and end of life issues. As my mother slides further into her dementia, and my father grows frailer with his congestive heart failure and macular degeneration our conversations have grown more serious. When my friends ask me why I am bringing my father into my home, I have no real answer except, “it is the thing to do.” I think I am just as surprised as others that I would bring my parents to live with me.

The Sunday before Ash Wednesday was Valentine’s Day. The minister at the church I was visiting that Sunday made the topic of love her focus in her sermon. She tied the holiday with the holy day. It was an interesting joining of cultural, religious, and theological meaning. The sermon set me to thinking about my parents and this journey we are beginning. As my father told stories about his father, I realized that my grandfather was not a very loving person. I am well aware and have documented the reality that the sternness of my father has created distance between him and his four sons. I reflected on the relationship I have with my two children and the stories they tell about me. Their view of me is certainly a different perspective than the one I hold of myself.

I realized that I am inviting my parents into my home because I love them. My wife is allowing them into her home because she loves me. She is well aware how just how fallible my parents can be and are. I reflected on the reality that I am a finite and limited human being. I am full of my own insecurities and inadequacies and yet I know I am loved by my wife of thirty-eight years and my 35 and 33 year old children. I am also loved by my grandchildren who still think that Papa can do anything.

Lent is a time of getting in touch with the finite, limited, sinful part of ourselves that we would like to keep hidden. We are to stare at it eyeball to eyeball and see that part of ourselves we hope no one else knows. We are ashamed of it and like Adam and Eve want to keep it hidden. Yet with all the limitations I have, if I can love my father as mean and ornery as he has been and sometimes is, and with the humanness of their personhood, if my wife and children can love me as mean and ornery as I am sometime, how can God not love, accept, and forgive me.

Maybe that is what Paul had in mind in Romans 8:39. Maybe he realized just how mean and ornery he was and realized that the people that surrounded him loved him in spite of himself. Maybe that made him realizes that the power of love is not just a human thing to be celebrated on Valentine’s Day but that it is a divine thing that comes into focus during Lent and celebrated on Easter Sunday and every Sunday. Maybe that is what made him realize that nothing can separate us from the love of God

Rev. David C. Johnson

Devotional 3-2-10

We raised our daughters in Lexington, and like the youth here at JM, they had a wonderful youth group. It amazed me from time to time when I, the parent, had my duties usurped by a teen within the group. They were truly family and kept one another “in line.” It was a real gift to us that we had good daughters and friends that cared and were strong. I have felt that we were sent to Lexington so that our daughters could be in that particular group. “ MANNA,” the name the youth group used when singing, traveled to many places singing for other churches. MANNA was a good name for the group as they were forced into a deeper understanding of what ‘manna” was to them. They realized that they were also “manna” to others as they sang in praise of their Lord. One of the songs they sang at every concert was a catchy and lively song called “Let it Rain.” It might have been a theme song of sorts. I watched them sing with all the happiness and joy of knowing that they were enjoying what they were doing, and also making others happy.

LET IT RAIN, LET IT RAIN, LET IT POUR,
LET TROUBLES KEEP KNOCKING AT MY DOOR

I felt my heart tug and feel heavy as I knew that it would rain on all their lives, and that sometimes things would be hard for them. I occasionally hear from members of that group, and I know that they are being tested, and I have suffered as I have watched my own daughters feel the pain of the storms around them.

We are all tested, but as we are told in the Bible, God is faithful, and he told us he will not let us be tested beyond our strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that we may be able to endure. These are reassuring words and I have found myself reminding myself and other family members of these Bible verses many times.
As church family we too must always know that God is with us. We do have times that are hard to endure, when the rain comes and the storms are all around. We must remember that God is with us to sustain us and give us peace.

We are reminded during this season of Lent of what Jesus had to endure, we know that he went through his pain for each of us, and his suffering is one of Gods gift for each of us. We must remember and be thankful.

Dear God, be with us in all of life’s journey. May we have the faith of MANNA that with God we can endure all things, and in all things be thankful. Praise to our father who has made us in his image, and to his son who has shown us how to live in his image. Thanks also for the Manna in our lives.

Amen Amen

Marilyn Holleron