SATURDAY, APRIL 23

“Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.” (Revelation 3:19-20)

Open the Door

Somebody's knocking at your door;
Somebody's knocking at your door;
O sinner, why don't you answer?
Somebody's knocking at your door.

Perhaps you’re familiar with this old African-American spiritual. Maybe you sang it at youth meetings or at Camp Skyline around a campfire. Even though we have grown more cautious about opening the door to strangers who come to our homes, we know this song refers to Jesus knocking on our doors, asking to come into our hearts. Revelation says He wants to eat with us, fellowship with us. None of us would turn Him away!

Or would we? We may say we want Jesus in our hearts, but do we really want Him directing our lives? Do we want to share his heavy burden? Bear a yoke that is hard? Will we really examine our hearts and be honest about facing our own shortcomings? Are we willing to stand up for what is right? Can we welcome folks who “aren’t like us”? Are we willing to admit our prejudices? Can we stop “playing God” by judging others? Are we willing to support causes we know are just and right with our time as well as our money?

What is it that God requires of us? “To do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8) First we have to open that door. What a feast awaits us!

Prayer: Dear God, help me to open the door that lets in your love, your truth, your way. Amen.

Diane Falconer

GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 22

“He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3-5)

This passage is the last of the so-called servant songs from the book of Isaiah. Christians identify the “suffering servant” with Jesus, but Isaiah is most likely referring to exiled Israel suffering Babylonian captivity. In both cases, what appears to be rejected (53:3) is redeemed. In fact, what appears to be “struck down by God” becomes a sign of God’s faithfulness. A significant fact is the consciousness on the part of Israel and Jesus of their complete dependence on God.

Pain and suffering come with existence in this world. Confidence in God’s presence in the midst of pain and suffering is a gift of grace, affirming that God’s love claims us and makes us whole even when we are “despised and rejected.” Ours is a world in which love and the banality of evil are in constant conflict. Jesus’ death on the cross reminds us that God does not intervene supernaturally to prevent suffering, but human suffering is never the last word. God’s love remains a “light to all nations” (49:6) drawing us into God until God is all in all. Like the “good thief” hanging next to Jesus on the cross, we can trust that we remain with Christ in suffering and in death.

I think of a six-year-old boy named Jimmy whom I knew 40 years ago. When a priest offered him a communion wafer so that he could have Jesus Christ inside him, he replied, “I already have Jesus inside me.” Jimmy died shortly thereafter. Jimmy understood God's presence in the midst of suffering and death.

Prayer: God of grace, in the cross of Jesus we find the epitome of divine compassion. Help us to have child-like trust in your deep and abiding love even as we experience evil, suffering, and death. Amen.

Ernest Krug

MAUNDY THURSDAY, APRIL 21

“And Jesus cried out and said, ‘He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone who hears my sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my sayings has a judge; the word that I have spoken will be his judge on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me.’” (John 12:44-50)

I think the words in this scripture tells me God’s plan that he presents through his son, Jesus. Jesus is God’s advocate and God’s hopes for humanity are presented through Jesus to us. As Jesus indicates, we are not always listening to God's word, and Jesus will not judge us, but there will be judgment. We all need guidelines to live as decent human beings, and our faith presents the guidelines to live in the light of our saviour, Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Dear Father in Heaven: Help us to keep the words and deeds that you instructed our Lord Jesus to teach us: To be good people ... kind, honest, caring for others, and peaceful, especially now when we have become so self-centered and self-righteous. We need your help to do so. Amen.

Barbara Buchanan

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

In the Old Testament, the Prophets were God’s light, His spokespeople for letting the world know specifically how to relate to Him. In the New Testament, Jesus lived out the actual reconciliation between God and man when He died for our sin and rose again in victory. At Jesus’ ascension, He is clear that with the Holy Spirit’s power within all of us (not just a few – as was the case with the Old Testament prophets), it is now our responsibility to be God’s spokespeople. As Jesus is the Light of the world, our lives must reflect that light, pointing the way to Him.

We all have our own little corner on this planet – a circle of family and friends, colleagues and a community in which we live. I don’t live in your corner, so it is up to you to be God’s light to the lives you touch. The same is true for me, as I try to reflect God’s light in my “corner” of Michigan.

There are lots of ways that light illumines our world. Maybe you will see yourself as one of these lights – or all of them, at one time or another. Candlelight - that warm glow of friendship. A flashlight - a small beam of light along a narrow path. Headlights - that find clear passage on a dark road. A light house - guiding ships home from a stormy sea. Starlight - that cheers a lonely soul. Sunshine - that floods the day with goodwill. Or Moonshine - that lets us see at night.

Think of the moon, it is a dead piece of rock, with no energy source of its own. When it is in the right position, it reflects the sun’s light so brilliantly that it can light up a dark sky. Our lives are like that, dead without God’s love. But when we are focused on God, His love fills our lives so that we become His reflection, lighting up all those dark little corners in the world.

Prayer: Let my light shine to wipe out the darkness in the world. Amen.

Deborah Blair

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:4-5)

Rejoicing Spirits, a worship service that celebrates the gifts of all people is a new addition to our Saturday services this year. We call this a “no-shush” service because all who attend are encouraged to worship freely and without concern about making “noise.” It has been a blessing to be a part of this service as we make joyful noises with drums, chimes, piano, tambourines, and our voices, and together rejoice in the Lord through song, story, and signing. Fellowship before and after the service allows time for networking and building friendships.

While Rejoicing Spirits is the name of one of our services, it is also a reflection of our life together as a faith community, the Body of Christ. As we rejoice with one another in the celebration of communion, celebrate the births and baptisms of twins and others, welcome the children by planting seeds of faith through education, and mourn the loss of friends and family who have gone before us, we continue to grow and reach out beyond our doors confident that the Lord indeed is near and our spirits are knit together to form the church community we know as FPC Birmingham.

As we walk together through this season of Lent, may we let our gentleness be known to everyone and continue to rejoice in the Lord always.

Prayer: Gracious and loving God, we give you thanks for this community of rejoicing spirits. Make us ever mindful of those who feel on the fringes, and help us to reach out and enfold them in the embrace of this community. Amen.

Cindy Merten

MONDAY, APRIL 18

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:14-15)

Here are some more answers from the children of the PW Mom’s Circle when asked, “If you could talk to God what would you say or ask?

Logan DeVos (age 4) – Dear God, thank you for making the sky so bright, the sun, and all the food for me. God, what do you look like?

Emerson DeVos (age 5) – Dear God, if I could ask you something it would be why don’t our bodies go to heaven? And would you make the world so nice with lots of weather, like sunshine, all the time – I would be happy. I love you.

Colton DeVos (age 8) – Dear God, I have a few things to ask you. Why does the world have to be at war? Why can’t it be at peace? I would love to see you in person – why can’t I now? Thank you for my wonderful family.

Abby Hammond (age 1 ½) – I like to col col (color).

Ethan Hammond (age 3) – I like to eat more food.

Quinn Elise Hock (age 2) – I would give Baby Jesus a gift and I would wrap it up and I would say here you go Jesus, here you go Jesus. Jesus would open it and say, “I love you, Quinnie.”

Cullen Lee Hock (age 4) – Excuse me, I need to tell you something. I love you so much! I’m good at stuff but Dad is even better!

Gabrielle Mary Hock (age 5) – How are you doing? How did you make the whole world? Did you make Grandma and Grandpa? Are you doing well? Is your father in good shape? I love you!

Prayer: Loving hearts that gladly meet you, willing hands upraised to greet you, ears and eyes and lips we bring, Jesus, as we softly sing. “Father, we thank you: Father in heaven, we thank you.” Amen.

PW Mom’s Circle

PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 17

“For everything there is a season…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

The seasons of the church year take in aspects of Jesus’ life – Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord, Lent, Eastertide – and the life of the church – Pentecost, Ordinary Time, Trinity Sunday.

Advent writing is easy: it fits in with new beginnings, it is close to the new year when many make resolutions related to self-improvement, and it falls right after Thanksgiving, a time when we recount the good events of the current year.

Writing about Lent and Easter is a little more difficult. My mind wanders. However, this year we have a new perspective. We’re in a new climate and a new city, and we spend lots of time at home taking care of my mother with help from a hospice agency. We often sit at the bay window in the breakfast room, looking north and seeing birds and plants and the neighbors’ trees that shade our yard. Our world is small.

As I write, gray-green female cardinals fluff their feathers outside the window. Their accompanying males, vivid red, almost fluorescent, stay farther away in a tree and on the fence. Cardinals replaced the tiny ruby-throated hummingbirds we gazed at as they flitted from tree to feeder to another tree in early autumn. None of them are aware of what takes place inside our house. For everything there is a season.

From my mother’s sick room, I see the bulging buds of the Bradford pear tree and a 6-inch shoot from the corm of an iris plant. The signs of nature reviving from the winter are side by side with the expected death of one we have loved for so long. For everything there is a season.

Contemplate the seasons in Jesus’ life. We know stories of his birth, the flight to Egypt, his youthful visit to the temple in Jerusalem, and his ministry during a few short years when he traversed the holy land telling the Good News of God’s love for humankind. The long story of the last days of his life make up a significant part of the gospels, showing us people who use power and might to combat those who lead to the Truth. Somehow, the Easter story of the risen Christ remains a profound influence on civilization. Praise God!

Prayer: God of Advent and Lent and Easter, as the seasons of our lives change, bring us ever closer to Jesus and his story for our lives. Amen.

Marilyn Donnelly