Day 7: Wednesday, March 8, 2017, #Lent Devotion

Posted on Mar 8, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions | Tags: , , ,

Day 7: Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Rev. Bob Walker

All Things: REALLY?

Scripture:
Philippians 4:13 (NRSV) “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Devotion:

This is one of my all-time favorite scriptures. A friend used to lead his congregation in the recitation “We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!!! It is a great verse as long as you understand that Christ will lead you to accomplish anything that is His will for you. Not just any ole thing. When we pray to do His will then he gives us the strength to do it. You know the old adage: “God does not call the equipped but he equips the called!” So as long as it fits into God’s will for us and those around us we will succeed. And we must remember it is through God’s power, not our own. The minute we think it is all about us is the moment we begin to slip down a very slippery slide to failure.
 
So as we strike out on the mission that Christ has set before us “We can do all things through him who strengthens us!!!” We just have to stay on track and ask every morning, “Now what did you have in mind for me today, Lord?” Keep the faith and Godspeed.
 
Prayer:
Lord, it is in your Holy Name we set out on our day. Give us the grace to see your will clearly and then the courage to follow it! AMEN.
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Day 6: Tuesday, March 7, 2017, #Lent Devotion

Posted on Mar 7, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions | Tags: , , ,

Day 6: Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Rev. Sela Finau

Stillness

Scripture:
Psalm 46:10 (NRSV) Be still, and know that I am God!

Devotion:

A few years ago, I participated in a retreat at the Still Water Lodge in Glen Rose. This is just down the road from Glenlake Camp and Retreat Center, a familiar site for many youth and adults in our conference since ongoing church events take place at Glenlake, and it’s owned and operated by the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. This was my second gathering with this particular group at the Still Water Lodge. It was early fall, and the facility and grounds were very serene.

Early the next morning, I woke up and went to spend some time sitting on a wooden bench swing looking over the water. It dawned on me that morning, of why they may have named that place Still Water Lodge. The water in the river behind the lodge seemed to be very still, thus the name Still Water. Whether or not that was the meaning behind the name remained unverified. Regardless, I have not been around many rivers, so I am uncertain and know very little of its behavior as opposed to oceans. But the stillness of the water connected me to the stillness of that morning. It was very peaceful and very serene, and the weather was perfect, fog slowly moving over to cover the skies and meet the morning dew. The mist from the fog softly dropped on my bare skin and I could feel its refreshing coolness. I could hear the birds chirping all around, a very pleasant sound. And even though I could hear the sounds of traffic in the background, I meditated on the present. It was as if God was saying to me, “Be still, Sela, for I am here.” I would have stayed in that space, that sacred space, with God all day if I could.

Prayer:
Oh God, may the peace that I experienced that morning be something that I continue to seek not only for myself but for others around me as well. In this season of Lent, help us to find a place of stillness where we might experience your presence and peace. Amen
 
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Day 5: Monday, March 6, 2017, #Lent Devotion

Posted on Mar 6, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions | Tags: , , , , ,

Week 2

Day 5: Monday, March 6, 2017
Robin McKinley
Blessed Are the Peacemakers
 
Scripture: Matthew 5:9 (KJV) “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
 
Devotion: This verse always makes me think of my Grammy. I adored her and she adored me. In truth, everyone adored Grammy. She most definitely was a child of God, and she believed her grandchildren were children of God, too. She found little daily ways to make peace, and she taught me through her deeds about unconditional love.
 
When I was six, I had a terrible case of hives for no known reason. Later, the hives reappeared when I was slicing tomatoes, so my father determined that I was allergic to tomatoes. This was sad for me because I loved tomatoes. And, my grandfather was a tomato farmer. Whenever we would go to visit Papa and Grammy, we would tour whatever new development they had on their farm. Soon after the discovery of my allergy, we went for a visit and began to take a tour of his tomato greenhouses. Being one of five children, I was mostly invisible, but suddenly someone noticed I was there and I had to leave the greenhouse. I didn’t want to be left alone, but I never said a word. My angel Grammy took me by the hand and said “Come on, let’s go look at the flower garden.”
 
Around the same age, Grammy taught me to sew, and I had many hours of fun with her. Grammy would patiently show me how to keep the seams straight and how to put an applique on the front of a top. We invented appliques from the scraps of other cut out projects, like a fish that Papa teased was just a sucker. When I was too tired to go on, Grammy would notice before I did, and took me lovingly to bed.
 
Grammy died when I was 15. The only thing that brought me any peace was knowing that she was in the arms of God, as a child of God. I was given her Bible, and out dropped a piece of paper upon which was written the scripture “Blessed are the peacemakers.” That verse describes her life. Grammy was a peacemaker, and she made peace by giving her 18 grandchildren all the unconditional love it was possible to give.
 
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Spirit, Thank you for the peacemakers that show unconditional love. Please help me be a peacemaker in my daily life. Help me notice what others need so that I can add to their peace. Amen
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Sunday, March 5, 2017

Posted on Mar 5, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions |

Sunday, March 5, 2017
 
Prayer
God of all seasons, God of both feasting and fasting, you guide us through the letting goes and the new beginnings of our lives. We confess our weakness in doing this fully in the season of Lent, and we ask that you might enable us to let go of all impediments to our journey toward “life and life more abundantly.” Help us, gracious God, to begin anew in grace. May we never lose hope in the eternal spring that you have promised to all creation in a new heaven and a new earth. Amen.
 
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Day 4: Saturday, March 4, 2017, Lent Devotion

Posted on Mar 3, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions | Tags: ,

 
Day 4: Saturday, March 4, 2017
Tylor Cavender
 
The Greatest of These is Love

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-17 (NIV) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Devotion: What would the world look like if we could all show love? Not the kind of love found on MTV. Not the kind of love that found in a romance novel. But patient, selfless, humbled, and kind-hearted love. What works could be accomplished if we all showed love, instead of immediately judging? With social media and cell phones saturating every aspect of society, we are presented with a multitude of opportunities to show others what it looks like to truly show love.

How many times have you heard someone say something like, “I love football!” If you are from or in Texas, the answer to that is surely more than you can count. Now, think back to the times you’ve heard someone say something like, “I love football!” How many of those statements were said by someone who actually played football, or helped other to play football, or truly wanted to get better at playing football, or didn’t misplace their calm when their team wasn’t as good as they wanted?

I think the word love is too commonplace. Do we really mean the things we say? The word love is used so much that it seems to have meaning at both ends of the spectrum. I know I’ve heard some toddlers say they love chicken nuggets. But, that’s not what it means to really love. I also see movies or TV shows where people are afraid to say “I love you.” It isn’t a huge commitment and should be taboo to show love.

Paul tells us that love is patient, self-sacrificing, modest and kind-hearted. If we truly showed love towards someone the way that Paul describes, wouldn’t we live enormously different? We should live our lives in a way that, at the very least, attempts to replicate this kind of love. It is important to do this for everyone we encounter, not just our family and our friends. We should show this kind of love to complete strangers. We should show this kind of love to people who we don’t agree with. We should show this kind of love to the people who come from different faith backgrounds. We should always strive to be patient with each other. We should demonstrate kindness in every interaction that we have. We should always do anything within our abilities to make sure other’s needs are our first priority. We should make sure that we do not pursue attention for ourselves in these actions, but for Jesus.

Imagine what life would be like if everyone did that? Imagine the kinds of conversations we could have, the kinds of progress that could be made. The amount of arguments, protest and judgment would drop at astonishing rates. Imagine how many people would find faith if we showed them that kind of love.

Prayer: Awesome God, help us to remember these words from Paul’s letter. Help us to remember that these words can still be useful today. Help us endeavor to be a living example of Love so that we may glorify you. It is in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

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Day 3: Friday, March 3, 2017

Posted on Mar 2, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions | Tags: 

Day 3: Friday, March 3, 2017

Oh patient God, our questions and worries turn to complaints, and you know the struggles of our lives —
Layer upon layer of needs;
List after list of demands;
Pile upon pile of letters to answer and bills to pay;
Constant noise from TV, traffic, background music;
Emails, Phone and text messages beeping at us;
All penetrating our eyes and maybe our souls —
Information overload, constant stress.
O God. Clear your way in us to see what is important. Help us to reprioritize our lives. Toss out resentment and grudges. Lift worry from our brows. Help us carry our burdens gently. Heal our vision and memory. Lead us into this holy Lent. Amen.
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Thursday, March 2, 2017, Lent Devotion

Posted on Mar 2, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions |

 
Day 2: Thursday, March 2, 2017
Carolyn Gautier
 
Love
Scripture: 1 John 4:16. (NIV) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.
 
Devotion: Whenever the Lenten season is upon us I go back to my childhood. Like most of us, I grew up in a Christian home that followed a church calendar that observed Lent.
 
In my church it was popular to abstain from something during Lent. As children, my class mates and I would come up with some doozies. Eating vegetables topped the list. Also doing homework, bathing, wearing long pants in the snow.
 
I remember one friend, Gretchen, who wore shorts under her school uniform. Keep in mind this was in Chicago where this year on Feb. 23 it is 39 F. When asked by the teacher why she didn’t dress warmer she replied “Aim to be different, aim to be Christ-like”. This phrase was part of our religious education.
 
I thought Gretchen was brave and defiant, traits I still admire. It is difficult for a child to go against peer pressure and act differently.
I got home from school and mother asked me what I was giving up for Lent. Doing homework came to mind. Mom and I talked about this sacrifice (LOL) and she said I should reconsider. I went blank. My family only had soda during a flu epidemic. Candy and other treats were seldom in the house and had to be shared with siblings.
 
My mother then suggested don’t give up anything. Instead, add something that would please God. The list became so much easier. All this brings me to the above passage from John.
 
Listed at age 10
1. Love your siblings. Help with homework. Read a story
2. Love your teachers.
3. Love your friends.
4. Love people around the world. Give money to missions.
5. Love God.
6. Be kind.
 
Prayer: Dear God, Let us remember to love each other as you have loved us. Amen
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Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017, Devotion

Posted on Mar 1, 2017 in BLOG, Devotions, Uncategorized | Tags: 

 
Day 1: Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Don Hughes
 
10 Ideas for a Meaningful Ash Wednesday
 
Ash Wednesday is an important day in the church calendar. It marks the beginning of Lent, a season of preparation for the celebration of Easter. Below are ideas for a meaningful Ash Wednesday.
 
1. Worship services on Ash Wednesday, a time of prayer, singing, confession and pardon, a sermon, and the imposition of ashes.
2. Serve on Ash Wednesday. We are part of the human family, making it a great day to serve others.
3. Give to your congregation and other organizations that serve others. Generosity can also be creative.
4. Abstain/fast. Giving something up for Lent is a common practice for many Christians. We give up a favorite food or try to kick a bad habit. Don’t confine to food or habits.
5. Pray your day. Rather than setting aside special time for prayer, pray your day. Pray for drivers and fellow passengers. Pray for people in hospitals and police stations. Offer prayers throughout the day thanking God for our coworkers.
6. Make something, making today a great day to create something. Get back in the workshop. Sit at a piano and let the music flow. Take out the paints and create a work of art. As you create, remember our Creator who longs to be in relationship with you.
7. Be still, others find meaning in stillness. Light a candle and pause before the presence of God. Enjoy a cup of coffee on your deck. Listen for the voice of God.
8. Clean something. Ash Wednesday is a good day to start spring cleaning. As you remove things you no longer need and reorder those you do, be mindful of the ways God cleanses us. The Bible tells us “As far as east from west – that’s how far God has removed our sin from us” (Psalm 103:12). We remember that Jesus gave his life so we might be free from our sins and know new life.
9. Burn something, when you finish cleaning, take some paper you no longer need and light them, watch them burn to ashes. The ashes our pastor smudge on us during Ash Wednesday worship comes from the burning of last year’s Palm Sunday palms. They remind us of our mortality and call us to repentance – seeking God’s forgiveness for our sins both for the things we have done and not done.
10. Forgive and seek forgiveness. As we pray for God’s grace, we should also seek forgiveness from those we have wronged. Ash Wednesday is a great time to go to those you have hurt. It is a wonderful day to forgive another. Jesus taught us to pray, forgive us for the ways we have wronged you just as we also forgive those who have wronged us (Matthew 5:12).

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An Ash Wednesday Prayer for Meditation

Eternal and merciful God, we praise you for your unwavering goodness to us all;
For mercies that fall like rain on the just and the unjust;
For words that find us in our seasons of not-knowing;
For songs your love has taught our hearts to sing;
For coincidental happenings which, viewed in retrospect, speak of your gentle leading and loving care;
For good memories and true hopes, and every thought of you.

We find it hard to pray. Well-clothed, well-fed, well-housed, well-served by gadgets and conveniences, what do we lack in our daily life? Show us, in this season of Lent, our poverty of spirit and the leanness of our souls;
Give us the will to search out new definitions of self-denial; Teach us, untaught hearts, to love with a love that reflects and embodies your love;

Expose our timidity and unbelief that live behind our craving for security;
Give us – in these days – to know, as we have not yet known, Jesus Christ, in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his struggle in life and suffering.

These mercies we seek in faith, and with thanksgiving, in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen

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