[LENTEN DEVOTIONAL] Saturday, April 11

SATURDAY,  APRIL 11

Psalm 100:1-2  Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.  Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
 

For as long as I can remember, our church has been singing praise to God.  We have been blessed with outstanding leaders for our music program.  Our beloved Minister of Music Emeritus, Gerald Crawford, went to his everlasting home last year.  He would always tell our new church members that the most important choir is the congregation.  He would say, “Even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket or if you have an efficiency-apartment voice (with a small range), you can make a joyful noise to the Lord.  Pay attention to the words; therein lies the meaning.”

Fifteen years ago, on the occasion of his 25th year with us, an anthem was commissioned based on Jerry’s favorite Scripture, “God’s mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” [Lamentations 3:22-23]

The entire anthem alludes to Birth, Resurrection, and Pentecost.  Here’s the section about Easter:
 

New Every Morning
Words by Brian Wren, Music by Hal Hopson
Hymntune: CRAWFORD
 

As in a gray dawn, from a hidden sun,
diffused, and growing unobserved,
the light comes older than the earth,
but new every morning.

So in a garden, tired, and numb with grief,
the women find an empty tomb,
and Hope dawns, older than the sky,
but new every morning.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

My family has been inspired by the power of music.  Lois has sung in the Chancel Choir for over fifty years, and our children participated in the youth choirs for twelve years each. We are always glad to “Sing a New Song” [Psalm 98] and find new meaning in the powerful words.
 

Prayer:  Praise and thanksgiving to you, O Lord.  May our music and shouts of joy be pleasing in your sight.  Alleluia!  Amen.

Irv Poston
 

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[LENTEN DEVOTIONAL] Good Friday, April 10

GOOD FRIDAY,  APRIL 10
 

Psalm 22:1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?  Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
 

We recognize the first line of the first verse in Psalm 22 as the words spoken by Jesus on the cross.  It confirms the humanity of Jesus that he, though God’s son, could experience such despair.  Jesus suffered the disorientation we all experience when we lose control of our lives.  Categories of meaning disintegrate, and we are left in darkness.  It may be the death of someone we love, the loss of a job, or receiving a frightening diagnosis.  For Jesus, it was the people he loved turning against him and standing by helpless while the state nailed him to a cross – leaving him hanging, helpless, and in agony until the last breath left his body.
 
When Jesus cries out, he embraces the darkness.  Like Jesus we can embrace the darkness and wait patiently for the light, which will penetrate it and redeem our life.  As Walter Brueggemann reminds us in his book, Spirituality of the Psalms, Jesus promises to be in the darkness with us.  When darkness enters our lives, we can count on Jesus’ solidarity with us.  In our disorientation, our loss of control over the meaning of our lives, Jesus embraces us, and we find our hopelessness transformed into a new hope by grace.
 
[These thoughts are drawn from the work of Walter Brueggemann on ‘disorientation’ and ‘new orientation’ in his book, Spirituality of the Psalms.]
 

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, keep us mindful of your embrace when we experience times of darkness.  Draw us into your embrace when we lose our way.  We pray that we will always remain watchful for your light penetrating and transforming our darkness.    Amen.
 

Ernest Krug

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[LENTEN DEVOTIONAL] Maundy Thursday, April 9

MAUNDY THURSDAY,  APRIL 9
 

Matthew 11:28  “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
 

How comforting these words are to all of us.  We all go through life facing many challenges and setbacks.  These days we personally experience the effects of the economy on our personal lives.  The news today doesn’t just affect others, but it affects me and you directly.  For some of us, the burden is great with the loss of a job by us or a loved one, or a foreclosure.  For others, it may be the lost of retirement savings, the lack of financing, or the reduction in opportunities.  All of us are affected by the cloud of concern about the future.  And Jesus says, “Come to me … and I will give you rest.”

Some of us have lived much of life‘s journey and are nearing the end.  We have carried many burdens along the way and may still feel weighted down.  Our loved ones are sharing this time with us, but we all have concerns and are filled with uncertainty.  And Jesus says, “Come to me … and I will give you rest.”

Some of us are sick or lonely. Some of us are unsure what we believe.  And Jesus says, “Come to me … and I will give you rest.”

Jesus is ready to lift the burdens, concerns, and uncertainty from us and allow us to find rest in Him.  He is walking beside us and wants us to lean on Him and turn to Him, and pray to Him.  And Jesus says, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28:20]

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you for being with us always and being a place of rest from all the burdens of the life we live.  We praise you and thank you for your grace that welcomes us like we are and gives us rest.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

Dave Zimmer

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[LENTEN DEVOTIONAL] Wednesday, April 8

WEDNESDAY,  APRIL 8
 

Psalm 40:4  Happy are those who trust in the Lord.
 

Mary is 90 years old, almost 91.  She had one knee replaced about 10 years ago, but refuses to see any doctors for more than a very cursory check up now and then.  She doesn’t get around much, only leaves her bungalow about once a week, never complains about her arthritis or her missing teeth. She tidies her home, cooks fried chicken and greens, reads her Bible, and laughs as she tells stories about her life and her “family.”

Mary never graduated high school.  She married but never had children of her own.  Instead she helped support and care for others’ children over the years.  She worked hard cleaning houses for rich folks all her life.  She appreciated the simplest blessings in good times and bad, and turned her cares over to God.  Her motto and declaration rings in my ears:  God is good.

Mary entered my life when I was three years old.  She worked for my parents, rejoiced at our family weddings, and years later returned to my home to help me raise my own children – she is a member of our family and counts us her own children.  She phones me to say hi, check up on the kids, share a memory, and say “I love you.”

Having this connection, this bond with Mary—a poor, uneducated Black woman with a heart of gold—has enriched my life and the lives of my siblings and my children more than any other person I can think of.  Because of Mary’s love for all of us, because of her tender care, her patience, her loyalty, her work ethic, her indomitable spirit, her deep and abiding faith in God, we all view racism, poverty, injustice, hardship, and inequality through a unique lens. Because of Mary, our lives are different. In a way, we saw the face of God. Mary will always live in our hearts.
 

Prayer:  Dear God, thank you for Mary.  Help us to touch lives as she touched ours.  Amen.

Diane Falconer

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[LENTEN DEVOTIONAL] Tuesday, April 7

TUESDAY,  APRIL 7
 

Romans 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.
 

Some of my happiest memories are the years I spent teaching in the Church School of the four churches of which I have been a member. Learning to use the Bible and memorization were a large part of the curriculum, and we tried to find ways to make it fun. One Sunday I asked the students to find and memorize John 11:35. Moaning and groaning soon turned to laughter and joy when they found it and discovered it had but two words – “Jesus wept.”

And Jesus continues to weep for all those men, women, and little children who go hungry each new day. Statistics indicate that there are over 2500 verses in the Bible dealing with the issue of helping the poor, the sick, and the hungry – and admonishes us to do all these things always – not just once in a while.

Is it really possible to feed the whole world? The answer is yes – if only food is produced, priced, and marketed in ways that make it available and affordable locally. We in America spend about 10% of our income for food while the world's poor pay up to 80% of their income for food. And there-in lies the challenge.

May we as Christians continue to work for justice and peace in all its forms and in all its places, ensuring a place at the table for all God's children.
 

Prayer: Loving and gracious God may your Word always be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path as we seek to know your will – what is good and acceptable and perfect. Amen.

Glen Tyndall

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[LENTEN DEVOTIONAL] Monday, April 6

MONDAY,  APRIL 6
 
Matthew 7:1-2  Do not judge lest you be judged.  For in the way you judge, you will be judged: and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.
 

Delayed Judgment

I recently took a course with my daughter’s school on creativity, and one of the steps in this course was called “delayed judgment.”  By delaying our judgment, our mind has an opportunity to be open to many possibilities. The example they gave was trying a new dish called lobster ice cream. I could never eat lobster ice cream, they are not even closely related or in the same category.  Hearing those two food items put together would make anyone think twice.

What if you tried this combination of foods and were not told what it was?  By delaying our judgment until after trying this dish we may be pleasantly surprised.  In reality, there is a restaurant that offers lobster cold soup.  Now, that sounds more interesting, and placing this in a different context sounds more appealing.  Yes, I am sure lobster cold soup is something you might be adventurous to try.  We don’t usually associate ice cream and lobster together.

So many times I judge a situation that narrows my thinking, and if I stop, and delay my judgment, the situation that I think I see, may change.  I think that is what God does for us.  He is always there to help us see another point of view.  We may be led by God in some new way, through a friend or stranger, to open our view of thinking.  God is always there to prompt us to delay judgment.
 

Remember, God is also delaying His judgment about our lives as well.  There are days I think God is waiting patiently for us to grow, and he is delaying judgment. I can also delay my judgment of others as well. I may not know all the other things going on in a person’s life situation and may not fully understand, and they may not understand me as well.
 

Prayer:  God of all, please help me to delay my judgment of others and to be more open to your will and love those in need, even though we do not fully understand.  Please help me to be and instrument of your understanding and love in this day.  Amen.

Kathleen Sleder

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[LENTEN DEVOTIONAL] Palm Sunday, April 5

PALM SUNDAY,  APRIL 5
 

Psalm 90:1-2  Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. … from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Our God, Our Help in Ages Past
[Presbyterian Hymnal #210 – Words by Isaac Watts based upon Psalm 90]

Our God, our help in ages past
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home.

From the Presbyterian Society of Bloomfield founded in 1834 to today’s vibrant congregation, our members have worshipped together.  This year we celebrate the 175th Anniversary of our church.

The logo shows our three churches: 1860-1916 – E. Maple and Peabody; 1918-1954 – Woodward and Euclid; 1954-Present – 1669 W. Maple.

Looking back, perhaps our earliest members sang this hymn, which dates back to the early 1700’s.  These early settlers would have walked or arrived by horse and carts at Deacon Fish’s home for Sunday services.  They would have welcomed fellowship with one another. 

Throughout the years of renting or sharing space, the worship services continued, culminating in our first church building in 1860.  Today we continue the heritage of worship, music, and mission.  May we each challenge ourselves to be actively perpetuating these activities for future generations, just as our predecessors did.
 

Prayer:  Lord, give us wisdom, energy, and motivation to continue the fine traditions of worship, fellowship and service initiated by those who came before us.  Help each one of us to earn the accolade, “Well done, you good and faithful servant.”  Amen.

Diane Bert

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