Lenten Devotions: A Postlude

Isaiah 2:5  O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!

Walkers
(by Patricia Lindroth)

Leisurely walkers, power walkers,
Young walkers, young-at-heart walkers,
Youthful walkers, senior walkers,
All seeking to keep physically fit.

CROP walkers, labyrinth walkers,
The Way-of-St. James walkers,
In-the-footsteps-of Paul walkers,
All seeking to deepen their faith.

Are you a walker?
With which walkers do you identify?

In the words of the Isaiah scripture
and of a Negro spiritual let us:

“Walk in the Light, beautiful Light,
Walk where the dew drops of mercy shine bright.
Shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the Light of the world.”

Prayer: Gracious and loving God, guide my thoughts, my actions, my feet so that I may walk in the LIGHT, the LIGHT you gave the world with the birth of your son, Jesus.  In His name.  Amen.

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 4

Luke 24:1-2  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body.

Have you ever asked someone, “Have you seen my….?”  You can fill in whatever something you were looking for.  It is one of the most frustrating experiences in life.  You know what you are looking for.  You know where you left it.  You know where it ought to be.  But in the end it is not there.  You are sure someone took it.  It might be the kids, or elves or even aliens, but you know someone took it.  There could be no other explanation.

If you have ever been through one of those “Have you seen my…?” kind of experiences, then you know to some degree how the women felt when they went to the tomb.  The women had watched Jesus die.  They had seen Jesus’ body being placed in the tomb.  They had watched the stone being rolled across the entrance.  They knew where Jesus was.  There was no doubt in their minds.  They were certain that when they arrived at the tomb after the Sabbath they would find his body.

This time however they were wrong.  He was not there.  We might guess that given a moment or two they would have asked anyone around the tomb, “Have you seen our friend?”  Mary Magdalene used words similar to this to ask about Jesus in the Gospel of John.

The gift of their almost “Have you seen my…?” moment however is that they are given an answer even before they can ask.  They are told that Jesus is not dead but is alive.  They are told that they will not find him in the tomb but out in the world.

This is the answer that comes to us on this Easter morning…Jesus is not dead, he is alive.  Jesus is not in the tomb, Jesus is raised.  This answer gives up hope:
    hope that God is about life and not death,
    hope that this physical world is not all that there is,
    hope that God cares about us enough to raise his Son from the dead,
    hope that we can still find the Christ who loves us so very much.

This Easter then have hope and know that the one who was dead is alive and is always available to be found.

John Judson

SATURDAY, APRIL 3

John 19:25  Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

Last year, I had a miscarriage.  It’s a peculiar kind of grief.  It’s a life that was, but wasn’t.  The grief, more than anything, is over what never will be.  We could have other children, but we will never have this child.

As I waited two days for the procedure to remove the pregnancy, my body felt like a tomb.  I was a bearer of death.  When I awoke from the procedure, I began to sob.  Even though the child was dead, there was some comfort in cradling that death inside me.  Once it was gone, I felt truly empty.

I thought of Mary, bearing a child destined for death.  She held her son, helped him grow, only to watch him die in a cruel and painful way.  I used to wonder how she could sit at the foot of the cross and watch him die.  I now imagine the worst part of it all was when they rolled a great stone in front of his body, sealing him off from her forever.

One blessing is that my miscarriage happened in the spring.  As I grieved, I was surrounded by new life everywhere I looked.  Trees budded and flowers bloomed.  My comfort, and the comfort of us all, is how God continuously brings life out of death.  Plants die to fertilize the soil for new growth.  God is this constant generative force, always promising, and always delivering new life.  God rolled the stone away from Jesus’ tomb, bringing forth the promise of eternal life for us all.  Even in the tomb there is the promise of life.  

Prayer:  Life-giving God, we thank you that nothing, not even death, can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Amy Morgan

GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 2

Hebrews 10:23-25  Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

On Good Friday when we remember the crucifixion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, we also remember how bleak the hope of eternal life in Christ must have seemed to the disciples on that day.  What the disciples didn’t yet know that day was that Jesus would be raised from the dead on the third day, forever dismissing the notion that the life of every soul ends with death.  We now live with the knowledge (and hope) that our relationship with God in Christ is permanent.  And yet, that hope is fragile, and we easily question God’s love for us when we feel alone and in pain.  So the author of Hebrews reminds us that we are a community of faith and need each other.  We must “provoke one another to love and good deeds,” and we must meet together for the purpose of “encouraging one another.”

God gives us grace to meet God’s demands upon us, but God does this through a community of faith.  We owe it to ourselves and to our brothers and sisters in Christ to “be there” for one another, to be agents of God’s grace for one another.  Wednesday Night Connect, Wednesday Evening Worship, Saturday Worship, Sunday Worship, Bible study groups, Presbyterian Women, choirs, Focus, Covenant groups, Shawl Ministry, “Dinner for Eight,” and other gatherings of believers present opportunities to give and receive God’s grace as we “see the Day approaching.”  Individually, we tend to feel inadequate to the task of being faithful to God, but together we become the body of Christ in the world.

Prayer:  God of grace, forgive our self-centered resistance to being the body of Christ.  Continue to call us into communion with you and with one another so that we might “hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering.”  Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who has saved us from ourselves to be members of his body, the Church.  Amen.

Ernest Krug

MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 1

Luke 22:19  Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.”

Come to the Table

When we celebrate Communion, we are reminded that Jesus invites everyone to the Table.  In the hymn Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ (The Presbyterian Hymnal, #514) the second stanza begins, “Christ is able to make us one, at the table He sets the tone, teaching people to live to bless, love in word and in deed express.”

When we come to the table, we are reminded that there are folks missing.  We read of people in churches who have been turned away from Communion because of inappropriate behavior or left out because they cannot eat gluten or because they don't have the cognitive ability to understand the mystery of Communion (who does?).

One of our priorities at FPC is to expand the breadth of the Table by offering gluten-free Communion elements, addressing mobility issues of coming to the Table, and inviting people of all ages and abilities to lead and participate in worship.  We continue to learn that our church family is complete only when everyone gathers at the Table together – when our Leader Dog for the Blind puppy-in-training yelps in an unexpected interlude, when our friend Terry reads Scripture in Braille, when Walt can find a place to easily maneuver his walker, and when children of all abilities are welcomed in worship with their unique needs and gifts of joyful noise.

When we are able to partake together of the bread and cup, God gives us a glimpse of the mystery of wholeness, and we begin to understand that this is indeed the joyful feast where “Jesus lives again, earth can breathe again, pass the Word around: loaves abound!”

Prayer:  Gracious God, yours is an open Table of welcome and hospitality for all people in the name of Jesus Christ.  At the Table of Christ all are received with gracious love and open arms.  Let us share the means of your grace in the name of Christ who makes us one.  Amen.

Cindy Merten

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31

Acts 2:22  Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know-this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.  But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

God gave us the gift of Jesus Christ and salvation.  Even though man tried to destroy him by crucifixion, he rose through the will of God, and will forever be our spiritual leader and savior.  How defining this gift from God is!  How can one not have unquestionable faith in God and his Son.  How fortunate we are to receive this gift, to be able to mourn Jesus' crucifixion, but joyously celebrate his rising on Easter and know that he is with us in our daily lives.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, as we offer our daily prayers to you, please know how grateful we are for all your blessings, but especially the gift of your Son and the peace of knowing that we have eternal salvation through Him.  Amen.

Barbara Buchanan

TUESDAY, MARCH 30

Matthew 6:25-34  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry … Look at the birds of the air … Consider the lilies of the field … Do not worry about tomorrow.”

Psalm 23:5  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

A Parable and a Zen Story

Henry Nouwen, in his book Reaching Out, helps us to move from 'hostility' to 'hospitality'.  It's not too easy.  He advises, in the words of the parable, to not worry about our needs.  That's not easy either.  To illustrate how we might go about it he tells us the story of a Zen master:

Nan-in, a Japanese Zen master during the Meiji era (1868-1912) received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.  Nan-in served tea.  He poured his visitor's cup full, and kept pouring.  The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself.  “It is overfull.  No more will go in!”  “Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of opinions and speculations.  How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”

For all of Isaiah's talk about punishment of both foreign and domestic hostility, both his and Christ's vision of the Kingdom of God is one of overwhelming hospitality.  Nouwen continues,

To convert hostility into hospitality requires the creation of the friendly empty space where we can reach out to our fellow human beings and invite them to a new relationship.  Just as we cannot force a plant to grow but can take away the weeds and stones which prevent its development, so we cannot force anyone to such a personal and intimate change of heart, but we can offer the space where such a change can take place.

Following Dr Nouwen's advice is perhaps harder than we like to consider, but not following it is to ignore the lessons of both the prophet and the Messiah.  Agree?

Prayer:  Father God, truly our cup does overflow.  Help us to empty ourselves of pride and self-importance so that you have room to fill us with the joy of the relationships for which we were born in your image.  Amen.

Ross Stuntz

MONDAY, MARCH 29

Psalm 102:6-7  I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.  I watch, and am as a sparrow alone.

Lost
(by Janet Munson)

Paddling but going nowhere.
Quacking urgently while spinning round and round.
A distressed lonely calling… no replies.

This describes a young merganser
we observed near the shore of Lake Huron
from our cottage deck in July.

How could WE be of help?
Where would WE find his family?
How even then would WE re-unite them?

Many minutes later
emerging slowly down-the-shoreline
came the muted, then distinct
sounds of quacking
as his family paddled toward him,
finally greeting; necks entwined
proceeding on their journey.

Prayer:  Unike the lost and lonely duck on Lake Huron last summer, may we patiently wait when lost; confident of Your return to our midst.  Amen.

Janet Munson

PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 28

Psalm 150:6  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord

Psalm 46:10  Be still and know that I am God

Breath Prayer
(by blogger Christine Sine)

Breathe in the breath of God
        Breathe out your cares and concerns
Breathe in the love of God
        Breathe out your doubts and despairs
Breathe in the life of God
        Breathe out your fears and frustrations
We sit quietly before the One who gives life and love to all creation
We sit in awe of the One who formed us in our mothers’ wombs
We sit at peace surrounded by the One who fills every fibre of our being

Breathe in the breath of God
        Breathe out your tensions and turmoil
Breathe in the love of God
        Breathe out your haste and hurry
Breathe in the life of God
        Breathe our your work and worry
We sit quietly before the One who gives life and love to all creation
We sit in awe of the One who formed us in our mothers’ wombs
We sit at peace surrounded by the One who fills every fibre of our being

Prayer:  Spirit God, with your breath you gave life to all creation.  Fill us, renew us, and restore us with each breath we take so that we may praise your name and sing of your glory.  Amen.

Sheila Roebke

SATURDAY, MARCH 27

Luke 15:27-28  The servant replied to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has him back safe and sound.”  Then the elder brother became angry and refused to go in.

Three Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son

“The parable of the prodigal son is alive and well in my own family.  My two sons are very different and have always been very competitive.  Today they met again for the first time in two years, and I was very concerned about the outcome.  Driving to lunch with them, I kept thinking about this passage – God's unconditional love and my gratitude for both of them.  I was so focused on the potential negative outcome, I almost forgot to enjoy the time with them.  They were both sensitive, caring, and concerned during our time together.  I do not know what might happen next, how or if they can build a loving relationship.  I do know that I can trust that God will help me – and them – to understand what that relationship might look like.”

“As an older sibling, many times it seemed that my sister was favored and given the chance to do many things earlier than I was able to do them.  There was resentment, yet always with love.  Over the years the love has taken precedence over the resentment.  How grateful I am that our relationship has endured and that we are now such good friends.”

“How very often we have to choose between resentment and gratitude.  Do we choose to stand outside and hold our grudges, nurse our resentments and have a perverse satisfaction with the faults of others?  Or do we feel the pain of our hurts and then act to leave our resentments behind so that we can experience the joy that gratitude can bring.”

Prayer:  Oh Lord, help us to move past our resentments and to be able to give thanks in all circumstances.  Amen.

Tuesday 9am Bible Study Group

FRIDAY, MARCH 26

Colossians 3:12,14  Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Former Pastor L. P. Jones frequently chose this thought-provoking saying for the benediction:

“Life is short and there is precious little time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us, so make haste to be kind, and may every act of love and kindness be a reflection of God’s love in you.”

Simple, eloquent, wonderfully wise and meaningful.  The writer must have had in mind the countless ways there are to reach out, be it a warm smile or a kind word, a helping hand or a listening ear, a thoughtfully written note or a concerned phone call, a word of praise or understanding patience, a hug or a comforting shoulder to cry on.  How often it is the little things that count, and each will be a reflection of God’s love in us.

Prayer:  Loving Father, help me to be more sensitive to the needs of those who travel with me on my life journey.  Amen.

Vera Harkin

THURSDAY, MARCH 25

Hebrews 12:26-27  Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also the heaven ... that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

I recently came across these words in a small calendar dated July 1942 that my grandfather sent to my father as Dad hastened to complete his college coursework early so he could begin serving in the Navy.  While I feel shaken by world events today, I am humbled to remember the cataclysmic events that have uprooted this world in the past.  What must Grandpa have been thinking as he wrote his note to his son on the July 2 page?  He wrote, “Mighty words, these.”

The scripture passage is a slight re-phrasing of Haggai 2:6 which is written as encouragement for the Jewish people as they rebuilt the Temple following their 60-70 years of exile in Babylon.  And the writer of Hebrews paraphrases it for an entirely different purpose; those things which can be shaken will be destroyed so that only the unshakable kingdom of God will remain.  And these words from Hebrews, taken out of context by the 1942 calendar producer, seem to suggest that God creates havoc for a purpose.  How far we have strayed from the original intent!

And yet, there is a thread of truth woven through the passages beginning with Haggai.  In Haggai, the treasure of all nations shall come to fill the new Temple which will belong to the Lord; God promises prosperity to God's people.  In Hebrews, the writer says that, in response to this shaking of earth and heaven, God's people should worship God with reverence and awe.  Finally, the words of the 1942 calendar focus on the unshakability of what remains.

Earth and the heavens were shaken in Haiti last month.  Has this swept away the rubble in the world's vision so that we can now begin to see clearly the work that must be done to build up God's Kingdom in the world, pouring out the treasure of all nations, so that all of God's people may have life and have it abundantly?  I pray it is so.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, grant us eyes to see Your kingdom standing firm and unshakable in the midst of chaos.  Amen.

Charlotte Fischer

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24

Matthew 5:3  “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 11:28-30  “Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.  Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.”

Lindsey John, or LJ as she was known to friends, was an amazing young woman, attractive, popular, an honor student, and all state cross country champion.  At age twenty, facing the diagnosis of inoperable brain cancer, she began a race like no other in her young life.  It was a race run with humility, joy, courage, love, hope, and trust in God modeled by her Savior who suffered death on the cross.

In a letter she wrote to a friend, LJ said, “God has a plan.  I know no matter how hard I try to control it, destiny is out of my hands.  Life on Earth is wonderful, and I’m going to try to learn as much as I can and be the best I can.  However, I know that life in heaven will be indescribable.  Honestly, the day I make it there will be the best day of my life.”

While undergoing chemo, Lindsey continued with her studies at MSU and graduated with honors.  She ran with friends in the Terminating Cancer race.  She wore bright colored wigs and costumes to her bi-weekly appointments, bringing laughter and treats to her fellow patients.  A wounded healer, LJ welcomed friends and strangers into her heart and became a blessing to others, bearing the light of Christ.

When radiation and aggressive tumors ravaged her body and she could no longer walk, she allowed her friends to carry her to social gatherings and to be by her side to watch her sister’s wedding from her hospital bed days before her passing.

Lindsey lived and died courageously, trusting in God’s gracious love and the promise of salvation.  Those same things Lindsey clutched in her hands she gave generously to others, sustaining and comforting all those who mourn her passing.

Prayer:  God of grace, you have promised blessings of the kingdom to the poor in spirit.  Help us to live in the poverty of spirit which enables us to give and love abundantly.  Amen.

Sheila Roebke

TUESDAY, MARCH 23

Psalm 149:1  Praise the Lord!  Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Many times when I meditate I look to songs.  Songs to me are like a Singing Bible.  In songs, I can rejoice, thank and praise the Lord, as well as be encouraged and challenged in my daily living.

Lift Every Voice and Sing
Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet, with a steady beat, have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
 
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!  Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided:
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Fill My Cup
Fill my cup, let it over-flow; Fill my cup, let it over-flow;
Fill my cup, let it over-flow; let it over-flow with love.
Lord, let me be your instrument, spreading sunshine in the land;
Let people see Your works in me; Help me live the best I can.
It’s my desire to live for you and to always walk upright;
Give me the strength to face each day;
Stay with me through each dark night.

Prayer:  Dear God, I thank you for the opportunity to sing your praises.  I sing because I am happy, I sing because of your mercy, your eye is on the sparrow and I know that you watch me.  May your eyes continue to watch over us and bring us peace.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Rosy M. Latimore

MONDAY, MARCH 22

John 14:6  Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 11:26  “Whoever believes in me will never die.”

THE WAY
It's in my DNA

I am one of the fortunate people.  I have the Holy Spirit by my side and in my heart and mind.  My eyes have been opened to the truth and saved from the utter darkness of no Christ just as Saul on the way to Damascus.  He became a believer and he was shown the way.  It was in his DNA.
 
I am one of the fortunate people.  I own a study Bible that Louise Westfall gave to me for Covenant.  I use it all the time, sometimes comparing it with one of my others around the house.  Some date back to mid-1800’s, many with underlined paragraphs and thoughts written over the words or stuff written in the margins.  I come from kith and kin, as my Mom would say, that were believers as well.  They knew the way as well.  It was in their DNA.
 
I am one of the fortunate people.  I have been attending John Judson’s Bible study on Acts, where I learned about the early movement called THE WAY.  God's people were being called to change direction, drop everything they thought they knew about their God, and go in a new direction.  Believe in Christ, the Son of God, the Word of God, in One with the Father, the fulfillment of the scriptures of the Savior to come.  They had to repent from old and take up the new.  THE WAY changed their focus to follow Christ and not Moses’ laws.  It was God’s DNA.
 
I am one of the fortunate people.  I can be a servant to the Lord.  I can help, I can pray, and I can serve.  Thanks be to my parents, their parents, their parents and so on, and in God's mercy, it’s in my DNA.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, thank you with all my heart that I know you.  You are my salvation.  I trust your words and rely on you.  You are my great comforter and healer.  You help me navigate through all the stormy seas of my life.  Help me to radiate your love to others.  Help me to direct them to THE WAY and be a witness to your great love.  In Christ's name, I pray.  Amen.

Barbara Rubel

SUNDAY, MARCH 21

Psalm 26:7  That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works.

My journey of faith continues with the strongest and most wonderful happening yet.  Carl and I have been contemplating moving to California for several years.  We have looked at houses during this time; however, we didn’t find “the right house.”  We wanted to be closer to our three California offspring and their families.

This year, on our California Christmas holidays, I felt the time was right and we would find “it.”  We looked near Julie, then near Tom and Bob, one half-hour south, but didn’t find “the one.”

Four days before we were to leave for Michigan, we were shopping at Nordstrom’s and waiting to check out.  I talked to another couple also waiting.  I mentioned Michigan.  The lady said she was from Charlevoix.  I told her we were looking for a house but hadn’t found one.  She responded that she had a house for sale that was not yet on the market.  Her mother had died and she was getting ready to sell her house.

We arranged to see it on Sunday.  Our families went with us.  The two sisters selling the house loved our family and we all loved the house.  It’s perfect, a one-story, end-unit condo with green belts to walk.  And, Carl can get out.  It’s five minutes from Julie, Ed and Samantha, and 25 minutes from Bob, Cindy, Ian and Will, and from Tom and Kimberly.

We are ecstatic about our being close to our offspring, being able to continue what I believe God chose me to do, and looking forward to better health for Carl.  We will miss our fifty-six years with First Presbyterian Church and all the wonderful people.

God moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform, and I truly believe his hand was on my shoulder when I talked to Kay, the lady from Charlevoix.  The next street over is Charing Cross which is around the corner from us here and another is Robinwood – we’re on Robinhood.

Prayer:  Loving God, thank you for your trust and having faith that we are truly in your hands.  Help me to honor that faith every day.  Amen.

Lou Stewart

SATURDAY, MARCH 20

James 1:19  Everyone should be quick to listen.

A few years ago my young friend Maggie invited me to go with her to Quarton School for Friend’s Day.  She showed me around her classroom and the other rooms in her school.  We went to the library and joined her second grade classmates as they sat on the floor and listened to the librarian.

She held up a small journal and told them to carry one with them all the time.  “Everyone has a story to tell,” she said.  “It’s important to write down your stories, to keep a record so that you will remember and then be able to share your stories with others someday.”

Everyone has a story to tell.  In our fast paced, almost out of breath days, it can be hard to slow down and just listen to those around us.  Fred Rogers said, “The purpose of life is to listen – to yourself, to your neighbor, to your world, and to God and, when the time comes, to respond in as helpful a way as you can find – from within and without.”

We can begin by asking ourselves at the end of a day, “Who have I listened to today?  What did I hear?”  We can ask God to help us slow down, to be receptive to others, to hear their stories.  We can expect God to tap us on the shoulder and say, “Listen.”

Prayer:  Dear God, put wonder in our hearts so we don’t miss opportunities to listen and care for others.  Amen.

Jane Haggerty

FRIDAY, MARCH 19

John 5:30  And Jesus said, “I can do nothing on my own initiative.  As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.”

Such a challenge Jesus presents to those of us who want to follow what he teaches and at the same time, what a relief to be grateful knowing that God created us and God is directing each of us to be the piece in the puzzle that each of us is meant to be.

Jesus giving God credit is as important to us as it was to Him.  Each of us is a person whom God created, and it is God who directs and controls our lives, as God directed and controlled Jesus’ life.

How grateful I am when affirmations appear that I am where God wants me to be and doing what God wants me to do.

“Ordinary” and “trivial” are words that accompany most of us on our journeys through life, but knowing that God directs what we do convinces us that everything we do is much more than ordinary or trivial.

To be grateful to God every second of every waking day is the ultimate expression of love, and how can it be otherwise when we watch tomatoes appear from flowers, butterflies morph to dust, human beings create computers and understand algebraic topology?

To wake to the surprises each day has a chance to present to us is a gift of God.

We make the best choices of ways to use the moments and hours of that day when we trust in God to open our eyes to the moments and give us direction during the hours.

We look for signs. They come at us as harsh realities sometimes, gentle nudges other times, comforting affirmations, but always, always reassurance that we are loved by God who created us and never leaves us alone.

Prayer:  Please God ,help us to know you are with us every moment of every day.  Amen.

Pat Olson

THURSDAY, MARCH 18

Psalm 32:1-2  Happy are those whose sins are forgiven, whose wrongs are pardoned.  Happy is the one whom the Lord does not accuse of doing wrong and who is free from all deceit.

Psalm 63:1  O God, you are my God, and I long for you.  My whole being desires you: like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.

I am approaching this Lenten Season feeling sort of sick to my stomach.  Will a good dose of repentance cure my queasiness?  There are many sources of my ailment – some minor contributors, some major.

The minor ones, similar to that yucky feeling after smelling rotten eggs, are just that, minor.  Such as an airline which aggressively charges for luggage over and above the ticket price, but loses all aggressive behavior when it comes time to find luggage which they have lost.

The major ones feel to me more like an immediate need to get off a wave-tossed ship.  Knowing I won’t be reading a Lenten devotion authored by Mary Austin, is one such seasick feeling.  Another major contributor to my stomach ailment is the devastation which occurred in a mere 45 seconds on January 12, 2010 in Haiti.

I ask again, will a good dose of repentance cure my queasiness?  How do I ask for forgiveness?  Do my sins include not doing enough?  Not letting go?  Failing in listening to God for guidance?

Prayer:  O God, help me to prepare for Easter by repenting during Lent.  Please give me the guidance to know how to repent and become closer to you.  Amen.

Julie Wagner

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17

Matthew 25:15  He gave…to each according to his ability.

In Costa Rica, near the Arenal volcano, there is a path 6” wide that extends as far as you can see to an anthill that contains about 8 million ants.  The Queen ant lives off a fungus that is formed from the leaves of only one kind of tree.  These “tree cutter ants” go out each day, get a chunk of leaf much larger than themselves, and carry it on their backs to the anthill.  All along the path other ants are scurrying back and forth, keeping the path clear.  What you can’t see, is that on the back of each carrier ant is a smaller ant, whose job it is to clean the piece of leaf before it goes into the anthill. You just can’t take your eyes off this convoy.  Jobs are basically assigned according to size and strength.

I see this display of teamwork… peace…equality... and I realize these ants are my teacher.  Each ant is necessary to the process.  If God designed a plan so wondrous for ants, imagine God’s plan for us!

Prayer:  Gracious and Wondrous God, help and guide each one of us to find that unique place where we fit into your beautiful design of the whole.  Amen.

Joanne Blair

TUESDAY, MARCH 16

Proverbs 3:25-26  Do not be afraid of sudden fear, nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.

It seems to be a given today that our society expects parents to have unconditional love for their children.  It may be an unfair burden we place on our human nature and a reminder that God is in charge.  The concept comes to us from the parable Jesus told of the return of the Prodigal second son, the gratitude his father had for his return, and the bestowing of gifts the father gave to the returning son.  We need to remember this is a parable, and the way I read it, Jesus is talking about God’s unconditional love for us.

We have no idea why the son wanted to leave the father’s home, why he requested or demanded his share of the family fortune.  We do know why he returned home, though, because he’d lived a lascivious life, squandered the money, was hungry, and regretted his sins against heaven.  Maybe the father welcomed him home because during the time of the son’s absence he realized he’d treated him unfavorably, maybe he recognized in his son some of his own failings, maybe he’d lived with unimaginable guilt as to why he’d acceded to his son’s request when he knew he wasn’t ready to leave home.  Whatever the reasons for the departure or the welcome, they were human reasons made possible by God’s unconditional love for both the father and the son; love that enabled the father to forgive and the son to repent.

We do the same denial of our human nature when we pretend we can eliminate fear.  Fear, like anger, happens.  It is an undeniable aspect of our genetic structure.  It causes our body to produce chemicals that protect us as well as misguide us.  Fear is.  I would go so far as to say fear is God given.  It reminds us how precious life is.

What this Bible passage may tell us is that it is OK to acknowledge fear as it is OK to acknowledge that one of our human inadequacies is to be capable of unconditional love however worthwhile the striving for it may be.  Reassurance, though, comes from acknowledging that only God is capable of unconditional love.  Knowing and trusting in the unconditional love God has for us is what will keep our feet from being caught, keep us going forward toward living the life God has in mind for us.

Pat Olson

MONDAY, MARCH 15

Matthew 27:28-31  And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe upon him, and plaiting a crown of thorns they put it on his head, and put a reed in his right hand.  And kneeling before him they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  And they spat upon him, and took the reed and struck him on the head.  And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe, and put his own clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.  

There’s nothing dainty about Good Friday.  I was a little surprised recently when I Googled “Crucifixion Re-enactment” to find that re-enactments of the events of Good Friday are pretty frequent among some Christian groups around the world.  They take place in Mexico, Syria (Damascus), Australia and other places – quite prominently in the Philippines.  These pageants get down to the nitty-gritty about the human agony and suffering of Christ.

Somewhere today there is a young Filipino man who has been preparing himself mentally and training physically to enact the role of Jesus on April 2, 2010, maybe before a Super Bowl-sized crowd.  It’s the opportunity of his lifetime and he’s not in it for the money.  Mel Gibson might have been in it for the money, at least in part, when he produced The Passion of the Christ.

Some Christians disparaged the Gibson movie as being anti-Semitic.  I think the aversion of many of those critics was really about getting too close to the intense physical suffering our Lord had to endure and God had to permit for our salvation.  I identify more with the young Filipino who may actually have spikes driven through his palms than with the tut-tutters of Gibson’s movie.

We’ve done a lot of dramatizations of scripture at FPC, but I don’t think we’d try doing Good Friday.  If we did it, we could start the dragging of the cross at Pleasant and Lincoln and wind up at a make-believe Golgotha in our church parking lot.  Likely objections from the neighbors might cause us to move the ceremony to Skyline.

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, we humbly thank you for the three greatest events in human history, which we celebrate as Christmas, Good Friday and Easter.  Help us especially to remember the day on which your Son our Lord was tortured and crucified for our sake.  Amen.

Stan Evans

SUNDAY, MARCH 14

Matthew 13:31-32  Jesus told them another parable, “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man takes and sows in his field.  It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up, it is the biggest of all plants.”

Ramen Slaw

On page 40 of our 175th Anniversary Collection of Shared Favorite Recipes I am proud to be reminded of my Dad’s efforts in the late 1960s thru the 70s.   When he retired from First National City Bank, Wall Street, NYC, he became determined to make a difference in our world efforts toward peace.

The Presbyterian Church USA sponsored a group he founded called “Emerging Economies.”  Their purpose was to enable under-developed third-world countries to resist the spread of Communist encroachment, and to develop economic sustainability.

He, A. Eugene Adams, and my step-mother, Ruth Harris Adams, who was a renowned pediatrician from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, traveled to several of these countries to make that difference.  Dad’s thinking was that churches should invest a part of their national endowment money in socially conscious projects and companies around the world, instead of just buying stocks and bonds in the US market.

In South Korea he found Sam Yang/Ramyon, a company that had just started to make instant noodle soups, and who needed expansion capital.  The soups were inexpensive, nutritious, easy for working people to fix, and filling – a delicious meal in a packet.  There was nothing like it in Korea at that time.

Emerging Economies invested in Sam Yang/Ramyon which went on to become one of the largest corporations in the Korean economy.  As they say, the rest is history.

Investing in developing noodle factories was only one of many ways in which my Dad and Ruth devoted their time, energies, and personal monies toward improving the economies and the health care of the under-developed countries they visited.

Prayer:  Help me to sow seeds of hope and promise where I walk each day, I pray.  Amen.

Janet Munson

SATURDAY, MARCH 13

Luke 19:10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.

So often we are seeking for God, yet we don't realize that God first is seeking us.  Though we are His creation, Christ really has no need for us.  Yet He chose to reconcile us to Himself.  And through this reconciliation, He humbled Himself from all His glory to become a man – man who would not only die, but also bear the weight of all the sin in the world for us.  Even though we are unnecessary for His existence, He did all this because He loves us and sought a renewed relationship with us.  He seeks a relationship with us.  What an awesome God!

God knows we will seek Him and is already there when we look for Him.  He says in Revelation 3:20, “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”  He is calling – we only need to open the door and let Him in.  He wants to share a meal with us – and not just a quick meal on the run.  This passage is referring to a time of lingering, of fellowship, a communion of spirits as time and food and conversation are shared.

Then He finishes this passage from Revelation with these words from Chapter 3:21, “To the one who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me, even on my throne."  Just recently, I learned that the original word "throne" in this passage is better translated as "bench."  This is a place where more than one person can sit, together with a friend. Essentially Jesus is saying, “Come and sit with me here in glory – for I have saved you a seat, right next to me!"

How often do we hear kids say those same words – or say them ourselves – “Save me a seat!” or “I'll save you a seat!”  It might be on the bus, in the lunch line, at Sunday School, at a potluck, at a sporting event or recital, or even at the movies.  We want to sit by someone special, so we save them a seat by saying, “Please come and sit by me.”  We, too, feel special and included when someone goes to all the trouble to save us a seat.

What a wonderful thing that the Son of God not only seeks us out, but having redeemed us, waits for us in heaven, saving us a seat right next to Him.  We still seek Him and He gently answers, “I am right here. Please come and sit by me!”
 

Deborah Blair

FRIDAY, MARCH 12

Isaiah 26:4  Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.

As a Seed
(by Donna Miesbach)

Lord, let me be as one small seed

that questions not, but

sends its roots into the dark
from whence it neither sees nor knows
the way its needs shall be fulfilled.

Lord, let me trust as this small seed,
so I, too, may reach into the dark
and find You there.

Prayer:  Lord, I do not know where my journey will take me; I pray that Your Presence will always be with me wherever I go.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Nancy Therasse

THURSDAY, MARCH 11

Psalm 92:1-2  It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High, to declare your steadfast love, and your faithfulness.

Gratitude

G    Grab hold of the many blessings that are a part of each day.
R    Recognize them as gifts freely given.
A    Allow yourself to receive and enjoy them.
T    Treasure them.
I    Inspire those around you with your new attitude and countenance.
T    Touch others with your appreciation and say "thank you" often.
U    Uncover the gratitude you've never acknowledged; express it today.
D    Decide how to make gratitude a part of your daily life.
E    Encourage others to notice and embrace their blessings.

Prayer:  Dear Lord Jesus, help us to develop an attitude of gratitude in all areas of our lives, thanking you for knowing our hearts. Amen.

Sheryl McCristal

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

Mark 10:21  Jesus said, “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

I found it interesting that I received the request to submit a Lenten devotional while I was streaming a football game from San Diego on my computer.  During the broadcast there was a commercial from a San Diego mega church that was very much aimed at young adult males.  Since then, I’ve been thinking about it primarily because how at variance it seemed to be with how I understand what we do at First, and especially what we seek to do during Lent.  I asked Dr. J. about it and he told me it is the result of something the publications are calling “Guy Church.”  I want to tell you about it and ask you to reflect on it with me.

The commercial claimed that if you attended their service you would find that: the music was real loud, you would find something pertinent to your life, you wouldn’t hear anything weird, and most importantly you would be there for less than an hour and thus wouldn’t be at risk of missing any activities having to do with Charger’s games.

My marketing/advertising instincts told me that they were very clever, telling young men what they might want to hear about their Church but for me at least it didn’t square with my understanding of Lent, not to mention the story where Jesus meets a rich young man that is found in Mark 10:17-27.

If I understand the commercial correctly, they are telling these young men that there is no need for change, at least not at this Church because that would be something weird and uncomfortable for them.

Contrast this to Lent or the story of the rich young man which ask us to deliberately put ourselves in a place where we must change, trying to add or subtract something from our environment that keeps us from our focus on God.  Any marketer in their right mind would tell us that this is crazy and very poor marketing, but maybe that’s the point.

Prayer:  Gracious God: Thank you for the tradition of Lent, a time when we can focus on you and what you would have us do and be. A time when we can seek to tune out the distractions of our culture that tell us that everything is about us, as we truly seek to have everything we are be about you.  Amen.

Terry Chaney

TUESDAY, MARCH 9

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.

I recently rediscovered my copy of a special little book titled Lincoln's Devotional.  It has been missing for too long and I am anxious to share it with others.

In December of the year 1849, the Lincolns lost their second son, Edward – perhaps of diphtheria.  Edwards's funeral was held in the First Presbyterian Church of Springfield, Illinois, and a friendship developed between the Lincoln family and the Pastor, Mr. Smith.  Mrs. Lincoln joined the church, but Lincoln himself did not, saying he “couldn't quite see it.”  However he attended meetings in the Church and served in several capacities.

In the same year in London, England. the Religious Tract Society published a daily devotional titled The Believers Daily Treasures.  It is not known how Abraham Lincoln acquired his copy of the devotional, but it is known that on the inside cover of this tiny book of scriptures, Lincoln signed his name with typical abbreviation.  From this one can surmise that the book itself or the one that presented it to him was held in deep regard.

This daily devotional, unseen for many years is a new testimony that Abraham Lincoln was a man of profound faith.  “Take all this book upon reason that you can, and the balance on faith, and you will live and die a better man.”

Prayer:  Loving and gracious God, may your word always be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path as we walk humbly with you through all our days.  Amen.

Glen Tyndall

MONDAY, MARCH 8

John 11:25  “I am the resurrection and the life.”

The Living Gift

As we celebrated the coming of the Christ Child just a while ago, we rejoiced in the angel songs we heard the children sing.  We listened again to the stories of the shepherds’ watch, the wonder of the night star, the birth of the Child, and the gifts that the wise men offered.  Quietly, we lit our candles and silently paused to remember how the world and our lives were changed by that night.  Then we were sent forth with joy into the darkness to share the love we received and to be bearers of the light in our world during the days before us.

Now with the Lenten season upon us, we now find ourselves somberly thinking of the life, journey, and temptations that Christ the Man and Son of God faced, the questions and tests put to Him by the established powers of His time, and how His ministry – full of light and hope – blessed the lives of the helpless.  We will quietly ponder all that He, with such compassion and courage, accomplished, and our hearts will again ache at the foot of Good Friday’s cross.

In waiting for Easter, the anticipation and excitement we encountered at the coming of Christmas has subsided.  Instead, these are days full of thoughtful reflection.  Then on Easter Sunday, we awaken with thanksgiving, joyfully offering praise for life – for life eternal.  How amazing and wonderful that the gift and promise of Christmas Eve has been fulfilled with Easter morning and lives on – with us and for all of God’s children.

DEO GRACIAS!

Prayer:  “Christ, we do all adore Thee and we do praise Thee forever, for on the cross that hast redeemed us.  Christ, we do all adore Thee.”  Amen.   (from Theodore DuBois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ)

Swid Kirchhofer

SUNDAY, MARCH 7

Luke 10:25-28  And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  He said to him, “What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?”  So he answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself.”

At this time of Lent what does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself?  As we recognize, ponder, and appreciate Jesus' sacrifice for our salvation, let us not forget the people of the world who are struggling in the face of devastating disaster, hunger, and political unrest.  "Loving thy neighbor" requires us to remember them in prayer and with other gifts we are able to give.  It has and continues to be spiritually restorative to see the support that has been provided to Haiti.

"Loving thy neighbor" has a reconstructive quality to the receiver as well as the giver.  Not only did Jesus die for our sins, He brought kindness, love, and a deep sense of commonality to humanity.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, may we always be appreciative of your Son's gifts and His sacrifice.  Help us to understand and emulate His life with understanding, compassion, and love for each other.  May we
always remember that we are Children of God.  Amen.

Nory Smith

SATURDAY, MARCH 6

1 Chronicles 17:16  Who am I, O Lord God and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?

“Let me ask you something.  If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience?  Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient?  If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous?  If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”
(Character of God in “Evan Almighty”)

Opportunities.  For the past year, I have been searching for them everywhere…and until I started praying about it, the search lead to stress upon more stress.  What opportunities were I missing?  What hadn’t I done right?  If only, if only…

When I heard the lines above in the movie “Evan Almighty,” my mindset began to change.  As I prayed, I began to ask God to open my eyes to possibilities.  Instead of praying point-blank for things like health and love, I started to pray for ways to bring healthy living into my life and chances to bring meaningful connections into my heart.

It is so easy to get caught up in doldrums and despair when times are tougher than usual, and refocusing my praying has helped me reevaluate what it really is that I am trying to ask God for.  Looking to God for opportunities and guidance, instead of the frenzied focus of missed opportunities via email or Monster.com changed my life.

Every day I pray, and every day I still continue to search (and yes, I do still search Monster.com, but with a different perspective), only now my searching has focus and the hope and peace that God’s plan for me is there, and I have the power to put it in action.

Prayer:  Heavenly Lord, as we spend the Lenten season preparing to commemorate the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, guide us in opening ourselves to the possibilities around us.  Help us to see why you have brought us this far in our lives, and what opportunities we can be exposed to in our lives and in assisting the lives of others.  In your holy name, we give thanks and praise.  Amen.

Amy Zimmer

FRIDAY, MARCH 5

Colossians 3:12-14  Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.  Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other … Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

My Dad and Mother were an example to us children in many ways.
Their caring was always apparent with the ability to notice neighbors and friends needs and to assist.

Remembering some of my Dad’s favorite passages in the Bible, are guidelines that I hope will help me live and show God’s love for the world.

Leviticus 19:33-34  When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien.  The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were alien in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Hebrews 11:9  By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country.

Hebrews 13:1  Let brotherly love continue.

As I remember all the gifts and love I have been given in my life, while I am a sojourner in this land, may I show my thanks and gratitude to God.  

Prayer:  Loving God, give me courage and faith to do your will, to be a blessing to the world where I live, that Your love may be known.  Amen.

Virginia J. Mottershaw

THURSDAY, MARCH 4

Luke 2:44-45  All were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.

While I was hibernating I awoke to the terrible news on the TV regarding the earthquake in Haiti.  For a frog, the only experience like an earthquake occurs when Stormy the cat bumps my home-bowl and spills a drop or two of water.  But when I realized what was happening to all those poor people, I was motivated to stay awake long enough to ruminate about Lent and the need for sacrifice.  Giving up something could be trivial if we did not find something to do with what we gave up; in this case money and perhaps time.

The boss' poster child is Judy Cotter from Northminster, who has given many weeks over several years driving to Louisiana to help the recovery after hurricane Katrina.  Judy is semi-retired, a nurse, and sleeps in her car in transit and while on site.  That is no little thing.

What are you giving up for Lent and what are you going to do with it?

Prayer:  Quicken our hearts, stimulate our minds, and rid us of excuses, Lord God, as we look out from a safe affluent place at parts of the global village that are anything else but safe and affluent.  Amen

Kermit the Frog

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3

Luke 9:46-48  An argument arose among them concerning who was the greatest.  Jesus took a little child and put it at his side, and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.”

When we think of little children we are often filled with warm images of children who cross our paths and whose antics we remember.  They are innocent, cute, harmless, and often funny.  They ask questions too deep for us to answer truthfully and credit us with knowledge we do not possess.

In this contemplative season of Lent, however, thoughts of children bring up images of horror.  The earthquake devastation in Haiti is too overwhelming to imagine, and, yes, it involves injury and death to countless small helpless children.  In a country as poor as Haiti, suffering existed long before that event, though perhaps off somewhere out of our conscious thoughts.

But now, and for a long time to come, the plight of little children is stage center.  What does it mean to welcome them?  It could literally involve opening a spare bedroom in the house, expanding our family circles to include theirs.  At the very least it involves money for food, medicine, shelter and clothing.  Think about that in this season of Lenten sacrifice and discover what God is asking of you when answering your prayers.

Prayer:  Loving God, we know that you do not cause tragic events, although you seem to permit their occurrence in this finite world you created.  We wonder why you order your creation this way, questioning whether you order it at all.  Help us to overcome our cynicism with re-kindled trust, our feelings of helplessness with avenues of service, through Christ who leads us through and beyond these things.  Amen

Hank Borchardt

TUESDAY, MARCH 2

Ephesians 5:18-19  Be filled with the Spirit as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts.

One of our familiar Easter hymns has an interesting history.  The African American spiritual “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” dates back to the early 1800’s.  In the days of slavery in America at that time few could read.  This spiritual conveyed the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, event by event.

A powerful emotional message was conveyed, also.  This soulful song was a parallel story for those suffering through the tragedy of slavery.

In a church service the song leader or preacher would sing out the first line and the congregation would follow.  The original hymn features more verses than are currently published in our hymnal.  The sequence follows:

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
    Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the cross?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they rolled the stone away?
Did you know he has risen from the dead?
    Sometimes I want to shout, “Glory, glory, glory.”
Were you there when they crucified my Lord.

As we read and sing these poignant words today, may we again experience the wonder and sorrow and promise felt by the slaves 200 years ago.

Prayer:  Lord, be with us as we hear and experience the music of the Lenten season.  Amen.

Diane K. Bert

MONDAY, MARCH 1

Ecclesiastes 1:4-6  A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.  The sun rises and the sun goes down, and hurries to the place where it rises.


From the diary of Martha Strong Gebhart, 1861 - 1922
First Presbyterian Church, Dayton, Ohio
Sunday, June 12, 1899
Dorothy was baptized today.  The only other little baby was also Dorothy… It was children’s day and Harriet and Jeannette were very much excited over it.  Jeannette said when Dorothy was “baplized she would be bigger.”  During the singing of the last hymns, Jeannette and William took the hymn book and as we were by the font seat walked almost up to the pulpit and sang with all their might, rolling their eyes and then bending their heads way down over the book as if they could see through it.  Everybody was convulsed and even Dr. Wilson shook.  Harriet, Martha, Dorothy Conover and one other little girl spoke a piece.

Prayer:  “Almighty God and heavenly Father, we thank you for the children whom you have given to us; give us also the grace to train them in your faith, fear and love, that as they advance in years they may grow in grace, and be found hereafter in the number of your elect children; through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Amen.  (John Cozen, Bishop of Durham)

Carol Held

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Philippians 2:1-3  If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Yes, I took part in the Web simulcast with Oprah and Dr. Eckhart Tolle discussing his book “The New Earth.”  I dutifully connected to the Web for 10 weeks in 2009 (or was it 2008) to listen and learn about living in the NOW and experiencing self control, self-improvement, and self motivation.  I watched and emailed questions in hopes that my question would be picked for an interview.  Though my questions were never picked, calm settled over me during these 3-hour sessions while I listened.  And an amazing thing happened in the weeks that followed.  I became a better listener instead of a fixer.

Most of us think we have the answers to questions asked of us or we think we do.  In many cases, as I listen NOW, the individual asking the question has already made up their mind and they just want our reassurance.  OK, go for it.  Do it or don’t do it.  Aren’t we in control of which path we jump onto and travel?  Sure.

There are many roads and choices out there and some are scary while others are as clear as a sunny spring morning.  But if we can take a stand and dig our toes into this wonderful Earth of ours, most challenges will seem like a small breeze that ruffle our branches slightly.

OK, I’m standing like a tree with my toes dug into the healthy dirt of this planet but how does that related to Tolle’s book?  That 10-week exercise of listening and viewing taught me to listen.  It taught me to be grounded in my beliefs which seem to change as much as the weather.  But change is good because it causes me to ask more questions.  And during this process of learning, I’ve discovered a calming compassion and patience for others as well as for me.

As the tall tree stands to comfort those who seek shade or offer its branches to climb to new heights, I sincerely hope my roots grow deep to support my choices while encouraging others to step out onto the limbs of life itself and enjoy today.

Carla Lamphere

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Genesis 28:13b  This land on which you are lying I will give to you and your descendants.  

2 Thessalonians 1:9-10  They will suffer the punishment of eternal ruin, cut off from the presence of the Lord and the splendor of his might when on the great day he comes to be glorified among his own and adored among all believers; for you did indeed believe the testimony we brought you.

Banishment

Ha, banishment!  Be merciful, say “death”;

For exile hath more terror in his look,
Much more than death.
(Romeo and Juliet, Act III, Scene III)

Well there it is:  what's worse than death?  Banishment.  But 'banishment' from where?  

The ancients believed that one's soul was part of the home land.  Even the author(s) of Genesis believed that the essence of men was tied to the land and that the land was important in preservation of their descendants.  

By the time of Shakespeare, 'banishment' was a bit less specific but just as serious, 'worse than death'.

Do we still go along with this idea?  St. Paul did.  Speaking to the people of Thesolonica, he said that banishment from the presence of the Lord was indeed the worst punishment imaginable.  The Jews of the preceding century had surely seen a great variety of punishments.

Do we agree with Paul that the ultimate punishment is separation from God?  And who could bring down that separation upon us?

Think about it.

Prayer:  Father God, we pray that we may always crave your presence and never stray far from your care that is always with us.  Amen.

Ross Stuntz

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Mark 11:22-23  So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says.”

In recent days since the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, we have seen the profound suffering and pain experienced by the Haitian people.  Before the disaster the people were already aware of how it feels to live in poverty.  But this profound tragedy has been so many times worse.  
As was expressed in a poem in Mitch Albom’s latest book, Have a Little Faith, he used this verse by Robert Browning Hamilton:

I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And ne’er a word said she;
But, oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.

Prayer:  Gracious God, we pray that the faith of these people and the spirit they have reflected to so many, will help them continue to be assured that as the song goes, “Nothin’s gonna keep them stranded,” with God’s help.  Amen.

Carol Morrill

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Mark 10:27  Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

We look around and see so many challenges.  For ourselves, how will we pay the bills, care for our family, make the right decisions?  For our leaders, with so many interest groups how will they decide what is truly best for the people?  For our church, how will it respond to the many needs of our community and congregation and still follow Jesus?

Our inclination often is to throw up our arms and say, “We, they, it can never get everything done the right way.”  It is indeed overwhelming if we approach it from our human perspective.  We do not have the ability, wisdom, patience to meet all these challenges.

The good news is that we are not asked to meet all these challenges alone because we will surely fail.  God is with us and “for God all things are possible.”  Therefore approach these challenges knowing that God will take over where we fall short.  Approach each challenge with confidence and do what you can accomplish.  Work with fellow Christians on the bigger challenges.  Pray for the Lord to be with you and trust that he will finish the task.

However, don’t give up, sit on the sidelines, or wait for someone else to step forward.  It is when we are involved, trying, straining that we are best able to feel the Lord working with us to meet the challenges and leading us on.

Prayer:  Dear God, let us be involved in meeting the challenges we face with confidence that You are with us and that with You all things are possible.  Amen.

David R. Zimmer

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

1 Thessalonians 5:11  Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing.

These instructions were written by Paul to the church at Thessalonica.  It seems that Paul had visited there (Acts 17:1-14) on the second missionary journey, but was not there for a very lengthy time.  However, he realized the Thessalonians need for encouragement in their beliefs and so sent his young friend, Timothy, back to the city while he, Paul, was in Athens.  It would seem Paul was pleased with Timothy’s report and was grateful to learn that the young church community was holding strong.

Encouragement is a very important word.  

Early last fall, Sue Kohns, director of the Children’s Choirs, led the 1st-6th grade choristers in an exercise to develop a motto for what we do.  The children came up with a host of words that they thought were important to choir, and so we developed the following as our motto:

As worship leaders, we will encourage each other and those around us to see God in all we do.

In Chapel Choir, we spend our time not only learning anthems to offer to the congregation, but also in learning what it is to be a worship leader.  We strive to teach the children to encourage each other and, in turn, to encourage you, in seeing God in all that we do: singing anthems and playing instruments as well as simply being young children of God.  

When you see our children singing in the service please know there is a message for you, and it is this:  We want to encourage each of you and all those around you to see God in all that you do!

Prayer:  Dear Lord, we are so very grateful that you know each of us, young and not so young.  Help us always to keep focused on you as we try to encourage our friends and all our congregation to see Your hand in all that we do.  Amen.

Sarah Krug

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23

2 Corinthians 12:9  But he said to me, “My Grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

    This caught my eye while searching for another passage that I was more familiar with.  This action is also true in life.  We give into the familiar and are uncomfortable to search out the unknown.  But what we miss not going for this encounter with the unknown is challenging ourselves to share, grow and change, some of which can be painful and uncomfortable.

Last year, my girlfriend, Mary, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer which was very devastating for her and me.  She is the third person this year in my group of friends that faced many decisions about her life after receiving this news.  After many surgeries and treatment, we have come through this illness as closer friends.  I am not sure that I would have gotten the opportunity to know her on a deeper, almost sisterly level if it were not for this life altering event.  We first became friends when our daughters met at preschool.  The girls have a very close bond, as sisters as both girls have no sisters of their own.  Their relationship has blossomed as well during this time.

We are now focused on helping each other with goals to find the peace, love and grace in our lives.  We do this with our friends, families and those we can seek out everyday.  We walk every day outside if the weather is good and, if not, at a local mall early in the morning after dropping off our girls at school.  We always say hello with a smile on our face and in our voice to other walkers and open ourselves to other strangers chatting like old friends.  We are trying to extend ourselves in our community as caring women.  There are so many lonely people in the world, and we just have to say hello and hope they will respond.

As the scripture tells us, power is perfect in weakness.  So the next time life hands you lemons, make the lemonade and share it with all those who are willing to come over for a cup.  There is always plenty of Peace, Love, and Grace to go around.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, help us to be your voice and extend your hands of Peace, Love and Grace to everyone today and tomorrow.  Amen.

Kathleen Sleder

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Mark 10:15  “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”  

Ever wonder why so many people keep having babies?  Certainly no practical person would ever want one.  They really don't do much for you – especially at first.  They demand a lot of your time and attention.  They keep you from sleeping.  They cost money.  They grow up and argue with you.  And you worry about them for the rest of your life.

I'm sure there are a lot of reasons why people continue to have, enjoy, and love them.  I think that they help to remind us of, and add to, this miracle we are living.  How could God create anything so perfect and wonderful (I was like that once)?  How can they sleep so peacefully (we slow down and appreciate anew the world around us)?  Who could ever have accomplished this magnificent creation (I could never have even imagined it)?  How can I love this child so?  Can it really be that God loves me like this?

Verse 16 continues, “And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.”  Is this what happens when we receive the Kingdom?

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, help us to be like little children.  Trusting.  Seeking.  Calm.  Full of wonder.    Waiting.  Humble.  Eager to receive the Kingdom.  Amen.

Carl Fischer

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

Psalm 51:10,15  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.  O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

This Psalm asks God to watch over us.  We ask God to show God’s self through us.

One student was reminded of the movie Evan Almighty.  In it, the main character, Evan, tries to run from God’s plan.  But God keeps making small changes in Evan’s life – making him grow masses of facial hair, magically garbing him in biblical-style robes – to encourage Evan to change his life and do God’s will.  Eventually, Evan accepts these changes and lives the way God would have him live.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, our hearts and minds are unclean from factors beyond our control.  We long for your Spirit to guide us back to your path.  Please purify our hearts so we may stay with your plan for us.  We can’t do it alone and need your help.  Amen.

Mark 12:30-31  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

These verses instruct us to love everyone (including God) with everything we have.

One group of students remembered the movie The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.  When the Grinch hears the singing of the Whos in        Who-ville on Christmas morning, after he has stolen all their gifts, decorations, and food, his heart grows.  His mindset changes from selfish to compassionate.

We thought about the people of Haiti.  We believe we must give ourselves and everything we can because they are our neighbors.  By loving our neighbors, we love God.

Prayer:  Dear God, help us to give all that we have in loving you and loving each other.  Help us to use the entirety of our heart, of our soul, and of our mind to express this love towards you and towards our neighbors.  Amen.

From the FOCUS Youth Group

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20

James 1:2  Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Here we are again in the midst of economic misery, two wars, stunning natural disasters, personal loss and sorrow, illness and every kind of conflict small and large.  “When will things ever get back to normal?” you may be asking.

Well, after many years of asking that very thing, I’ve come to believe this is normal.  Although there may be times of seeming ease and calm, they are always interrupted by the bad stuff.  Problems and challenges will never end.  This is what living is about – to figure out how to handle them and to work for a better future.

For me, being part of a church family is a great place to do that.  Here we have a group of people who may have plenty of personal issues, but who feel very blessed and want to spread the blessings to others.

Not only that, we are doing it with a strong sense of hope that comes from our faith.  Right in this church, for a couple of years there was a lot of anguish about where we were going and what would become of us while we searched for a new pastor.

Now, after hard work from the Pastoral Nominating Committee supported by prayer, we have one, and suddenly the atmosphere here has brightened.  At session meetings, there seems to be a renewed sense of direction and purpose.  Life hasn’t become any easier, but here, in this community of faith, we can do something to help.

Prayer:  Dear Lord,  Help us to meet our problems and challenges with a joyful spirit, knowing we can find strength in facing them together, buoyed by your guidance and love.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

Barbara Hoover

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Joshua 1:9  Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident.  Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go.

The study of Joshua reminds us that God's people are, and always have been, connected. How are we now connected?

On a December day, a group of willing souls gathered to prepare FIRST NEWS for mailing.  Camaraderie filled the room as the new USPS requirements for bulk mailings were learned, practiced, and double checked for accuracy.  We connected with each other amid chatting, laughter, and refreshments.  It was a joy and blessing to connect.

Later, family members, from 9 weeks to 92 years gathered for hugs and stories, gifts, pictures, more laughter, and food.  It was a joy and blessing to connect.

In the family and in church, God's gift of connection provides strength, support, and direction.  We connect in meetings, Bible studies, potlucks, social events, mission projects – with friends, newcomers, and visitors.

The story of Joshua illustrates continuing connection with and among our ancestors in faith.  Acts tells of the early church's connection with the disciples of Jesus.

God's plan for connection blesses us and our church in the journey of faith, not only in Lent, but all year long.  Thanks be to God.

Prayer:  Loving God, make us always thankful for family, friends, and church.  May we live to serve and care for others, as expressions of gratitude for these precious gifts.  In Jesus' name.  Amen

Ginnie Spurr

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18

Joshua 1:2  Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River.

My mother-in-law gave me a gift when my daughter Erin graduated from high school.  After a busy party in the backyard, sitting under a tent, she gave me a small box.  In it was a lovely antique diamond ring with a butterfly setting.  As I began to read Joshua for Bible study, I looked down at my hand and that ring.  “Lord, lead me across this river Jordan.”

A few days prior, my son Matt showed me an engagement ring.  Matt had decided to propose to a girl he had known for only five months.  Her name was Jordan.  In the few times we had met I had noted all the ways she was different from the women in my family.  She smoked, she wore black nail polish, and she had lots of tattoos.  What did those observations say about me, the woman with a magnet on her fridge with a quote from Joshua that read:  “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”?

More importantly, what was Jordan really like?  It is so easy to fall back on stereotypes, but as I continued my studies that week I discovered that God was urging me to achieve my full potential just as God had encouraged the Israelites while crossing the Jordan River:  “Be strong and courageous… the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)

A few months have passed now, and Jordan and I are getting to know one another better.  She is a sweet and kind young woman.  With my own mother-in-law as an example, I have seen how reaching out in Christ’s love creates a special bond.  Now it is my turn to continue that tradition.

Prayer:
“Lord bring us to our Jordan
Of newly opened eyes,
Through love, immersed in living
As you were once baptized.”  Amen.
(Lord When You Came to Jordan Brian Wren 1979)

Colleen Fisher

ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Romans 12:6  Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith.

A few years ago Chris Gannon preached about the opportunities, presented throughout our lives, to answer God’s call to serve.  She said the calls come over and over, kind of like the charity calls we all receive.  You know what the call may be, so often you don’t answer.  Charities keep calling and calling.  God keeps calling and calling.  Different times, different places, God keeps calling.

When I retired from my teaching career, I was asked to share my skills, in a multitude of ways, within our church and with charitable organizations.  I ignored all requests.  I just wanted to indulge myself in every leisure opportunity possible.  I had breakfasts with friends, computer lessons, knitting lessons, cooking lessons, and socialized from dawn to dusk.  While rushing from one indulgent activity to the next, I began to become aware that something was missing.  Still, I ignored the calls to share my talents.  

Then, one morning, I met a school parent I knew who asked if I would consider tutoring.  When I declined, she became just a little confrontational and asked, “How can you NOT share your talent when so many children are in need?”  I didn’t know how to answer.

Soon, thereafter, I began to answer some of my calls.  I realized God had given me gifts I needed to use to be a whole person.  We have all been given different gifts through grace, and by combining our gifts in the service of others, we renew our world in God’s image.

During Lent, listen more carefully to the calls for your gifts.  Answer the calls!

Prayer:  Lord, make us more aware of your calls to serve.  Help us use our gifts more wisely.  Amen.

Joan Palleschi

Lenten Devotional 2010

LENT: Our broken world is in God's hands and the peace of Christ has been
given to us.

The first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 17 this
year. Our 2010 Lenten Devotional is printed and available around the
church. Look for a new Lenten Devotion posted one per day during the season
of Lent.

If you would like to receive the devotional every morning in your inbox,
see subscription information in the box on the right.

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