Lenten Devotional – The Fourth Sunday in Lent – Joy

Scripture: Luke 23:43 –

⁴³ Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

I had a friend who was, for a second time, diagnosed with cancer. She took the information hard, but having beat cancer before, she had a determined mind to do it again. As she took each chemo treatment, she prayed and visualized Jesus holding the medicine as it was delivered into her body. She used alternative methods as well, by asking me to give her healing touch treatments. After each treatment she felt more relaxed and hopeful.

As time passed it grew clear to her that this time she was not going to win against the cancer. She told me at one of the last treatments, “I don’t want you to feel you have failed me.” I gave her a hug and wondered why she was concerned about me, when she was the one who was dying.

Seeing her for the last time in her bed, I thought how beautiful she appeared. I felt a peaceful joy come over me that I believe she gave me.
Years later, I read this quote from Willem ten Boom, “Of course we should be happy… A child of God is a citizen of heaven and the attitude of a Christian must be one of praise when someone has died. Our grief…would just be one of selfishness on our part, of grieving for the sake of ourselves.”

Prayer: Dear Father, help us remember who we are. That as your children, we have your promise of life with you in paradise.

– Kris Bertsch – Wanatah, Indiana

 

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 22 – The Journey of Life

Scripture: John 10:10 –

¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

I really like Lent. I know it’s weird. I really like to dig deep into the journey of Christ leading up to Easter morning. It helps reveal my own “junk.” Lent helps me remember that life is a journey and this is a period of time where it’s okay to feel the pain and the hurt. It’s a time to not just let it all go, but to dig a little deeper and sit with the pain, hurt, and sorrow.

For the past several years I have been taking a photography journal during Lent. A photo a day with a one word focus. Every day is a different word, except every Sunday is “celebrate.” I love looking for the people, places, flowers, landscapes, sunsets, signs, or buildings that express the word of the day.

It helps me to remember it is Lent. And it moves me from digging into the deeper parts of pain and helps raise me up to find the abundance. For when I am seeking the word “refuge” I can see both the pain and the joy, not only in the word I’m pondering for the day but also in the picture that usually jumps out at me.

Lent is of both pain and of abundance. Where do you find yourself this Lent and how do you journey through?

Prayer: God of both pain and abundance, hold us close as we journey.

– Dawn Barnes – Indianapolis, Indiana

 

 

What the Bible Says About Gender, Marriage, Fornication, Adultery, Rape, Incest, Homosexuality, Bestiality, and Prostitution

Here is a rather comprehensive overview by Mark Driscoll concerning what the Bible says about a number of sexual topics and practices.

While such a broad and frank discussion may make some of us uncomfortable, it is important to realize that, despite recent events, what God has prescribed, and proscribed, in sexual matters is not limited or modified by our society’s changing fashions of what is acceptable practice.

Rather than attempting to rationalize our preferred practice as acceptable, our task as Christians is to follow God’s requirements, as outlined in His Word.

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Positive Sexuality in the Old Testament

Despite all the sexual sin, there are positive images of sexual love in the OT. “The most explicit affirmations of sexual pleasure are found in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Several of the Proverbs, for example, are devoted to the theme of finding true sexual pleasure.

This theme is expressed both through warnings against seeking sexual fulfillment outside of marriage and through assertions concerning the delight that the married person should find in one’s spouse.

Above all, however, the Song of Songs is significant in this regard. . . . The book is best seen as an extended description of the celebrative dimension of sexuality. This literature is erotic in the positive sense of the term. It celebrates sexual pleasure and eros, the attractiveness that the lover finds in the beloved.”[31]

Throughout the most erotic book in the Bible, the Song of Songs, children are never mentioned, as the entire focus of the book is simply marital passion and pleasure. Pleasures in the Song of Songs include kissing (1:2), oral/fellatio—her initiative (2:3), manual stimulation—her invitation (2:6), erotic massage—his initiative (4:5), oral/cunnilingus—his initiative (4:12–5:1), striptease (6:13–7:9), and new places and positions, including outdoors—her initiative (7:11–13).

Traditionally, Christians have derived their marriage and sexuality teaching from the words of Christ and the apostles, but it should be recognized that these New Testament teachings are built on the teachings of the Old Testament.

Sex In the Teachings of Jesus and the New Testament

In the New Testament, we find that the design of God in creation for human sexuality is simply assumed, as is what constitutes a violation of God’s design. “Jesus understood the stories about the creation of humans in Gen. 1-2 not merely as descriptive but also as texts that supplied a prescriptive model for subsequent human sexual behavior (Mark 10:6-9; Matt. 19:4-6, 8b).

This is clear from his remark ‘From the beginning of creation it was not so’ (cf. Mark 10:6; Matt. 19:8). It is also clear from his back-to-back citations of Gen. 1:27 (‘The Creator “made them male and female”’) and 2:24 (NRSV: ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined [attached, glued] to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’).

Jesus did not emphasize the openness of creation to change but rather a binding standard that critiqued all postcreation compromises. Malachi (2:15-16) may be making a similar normative allusion to Gen. 2:24, though there are difficult translation issues: ‘Did he [God] not make [you/them] one? . . . Do not act faithlessly against the wife of your youth. If one hates and divorces . . . , he covers his garment with violence.’”[32]

Ultimately, Jesus intensifies sexual ethics. Contrary to the Jewish context of easy-divorce in his day, Jesus warns that illegitimate divorce and remarriage is adultery (Matt 5:32). This would also preclude polygyny (several wives). “The underlying principle is that having two wives rather than one constitutes adultery.

If this applies even when the husband thinks he has dissolved the prior union, then it certainly applies to a union not yet dissolved in the husband’s eyes.”[33] Jesus also included lust as adultery of the heart (Matt 5:28). “Jesus expands the reach of God’s will, from regulating outward behavior to interiorizing the demand as well.”[34]

Other issues such as homosexuality (Rom 1:26-27; 1 Cor 6:9, 1 Tim 1:10; Jude 1:7) and prostitution (1 Cor 6:15-16) are mentioned in the NT as well. The intent for all those in Christ is purity and redemption from sexual sin (1 Cor 6:9-11; Eph 5:3; 1 Pet 4:1-4).

Jesus’ Forgives and Heals Sexual Sin

Jesus brings grace and healing for the sexual brokenness of humanity. In a fallen world, no one perfectly fits the creational design for human sexuality.

Virtually all have some measure of sexual brokenness. Because of the work of Christ on the cross, all sexual sin is forgiven for those who are in Christ. Further, Jesus’ resurrection and the outpouring of the Spirit offer hope even now to grow and become more sexually whole in Christ.

In the New Testament we also learn that human sexuality paints one of the most poignant pictures of God’s relationship with his people. In the Old Testament, Israel is repeatedly portrayed as a wayward lover of God, who had redeemed her.

In the New Testament, the church is referred to as Christ’s bride (e.g., Rev 19:7), and Paul explains that the one-flesh union of man and woman mentioned in Genesis is a picture of Christ and his church (Eph 5:31).

In the Bible we find a divinely created pattern for marriage and sex, but we also find it violated repeatedly throughout human history. God does not leave things broken, however, and is always at work redeeming the sin, wounds, and brokenness involved in human sexuality.

By way of summary, one scholar offers the following six points for a biblical approach to sex:

• Those functions founded in the unfallen created order that God proclaimed good (Gen. 1:31) may be seen as normative for matters touching theological ethics.
• Sin came as a result of the fall, introducing a distortion of the created order and fostering enmity and alienation where none had previously existed.
• That distortion brought with it not only alienation from God, but also alienation from other human beings (Gen. 4:10-14) and from one’s self (Rom. 7:15-24).
• Sin has also introduced a distortion into all social relationships, including those between men and women (Gen. 3:16).
• Redemption attempts to remove or rectify the alienation introduced by the fall, restoring humankind to fellowship with God (Rom. 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-22) and with itself (Isa. 2:1-5; Mic. 4:1-7).
• The community of the redeemed is charged with modeling in itself the fruits of redemption and with laboring to bring about the redemption of the world.[35]

God Can Cleanse What Sex Has Stained

As I pastor, I have met with people guilty of every sexual sin mentioned in this chapter. It breaks people, ruins families, affects generations, and is heartbreakingly serious for anyone who loves people. You as well are likely guilty of some of the sins you’ve just read about, and perhaps feel dirty as a result.

Throughout the Bible, some dozen words are used to speak of sin in terms of staining our soul, defiling us, and causing us to be filthy or unclean.[36]

The effect of sin, particularly sins committed against us, is that we feel dirty. This explains why rape victims often take a shower after their assault, as both their body and soul long for cleansing.

Perhaps the most common cause of defilement in Scripture is sexual sin. Genesis 34:5 speaks of a young woman named Dinah who was raped and thus “defiled.” First Chronicles 5:1 speaks of incest between a stepmother and her adult stepson and that “he [Reuben] defiled his father’s [Jacob’s] couch.”

Referring to adultery, Numbers 5:27 says, ”she has defiled herself and has broken faith with her husband.” Speaking of prostitution, which includes stripping and exchanging sexual favors for gifts, Leviticus 21:14 names such women among the “defiled.”

As a Christian, our identity must only be marked by what Jesus Christ has done for us; it is no longer marked by what has been done by or to us.

To explain this, the Bible uses concepts such as atonement, cleansing, and a purifying fountain:

• “For on this day shall atonement be made for you to cleanse you. You shall be clean before the LORD from all your sins.”[37]
• “I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.”[38]
• “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”[39]

On the cross, Jesus dealt with the sin that has stained our soul. Jesus both forgave our sins at the cross, and cleanses us from all of the sins that we have committed, and all of the sins that have been committed against us. In Christ we are new, clean, and able to live new, clean lives. God loves you and is always there to help you.

Footnotes

[1] Gen. 1:28.

[2] Robert A. J. Gagnon, “Sexuality,” in Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, ed. Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005), 739.

[3] Gen. 2:24.

[4] Mark 10:6–8.

[5] Eph. 5:31.

[6] Tikva Frymer-Kensky, “Sex and Sexuality,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary, vol. 5, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1144.

[7] Stanley Grenz, Sexual Ethics: A Biblical Perspective (Dallas: Word, 1990), 82.

[8] Gen. 2:18-25.

[9] Gen. 2:18-25.

[10] Gen. 24:1–67.

[11] Gen. 24:67.

[12] Gen. 29:20.

[13] Gen. 4:18-24.

[14] Gen. 29:14–29.

[15] Gen. 16:1-16.

[16] Gen. 29:31–30:24.

[17] Gen. 6:1–2.

[18] Gen. 26:34–35.

[19] Gen. 29:31.

[20] Gen. 21:8–14.

[21] Gen. 23:1–2 and 25:1.

[22] Frymer-Kensky, “Sex,” 1144.

[23] Frymer-Kensky, “Sex,” 1145.

[24] Martin Noth, Leviticus, rev. ed., Old Testament Library (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1977), 136.

[25] Williams, “Sexuality,” 731.

[26] Gen. 16:3.

[27] Gen. 2:18; Matt. 19:4-6.

[28] Gen. 4:19–24.

[29] Gen. 25:28, 27:1–45, 35:22, 38:18–28; 2 Sam. 3:2–5, 13:1–29, 15:1–18:33; I Kings 11:1–4.

[30] 1 Tim. 3:2, 12.

[31] Grenz, Sexual Ethics, 70–71.

[32] Gagnon, “Sexuality,” 740.

[33] Ibid., 741.

[34] Ibid.

[35] Williams, “Sexuality,” 727.

[36] Psalm 106:39; Prov. 30:11–12; Mark 7:20.

[37] Lev. 16:30.

[38] Jer. 33:8.

[39] Zech. 13:1.

 

Don’t compare apples and oranges

Here is a short article by Rebekah Simon-Peter describing what did, and didn’t, happen at our UMC’s recent special General Conference.

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Satan offered Jesus power over all the kingdoms of the world. Tempting indeed for a person who was here to proclaim the Kingdom. Yet what Jesus meant by “kingdom” and what Satan meant were two entirely different things. Jesus had to have understood the difference. Otherwise, he would have succumbed to a soul-killing temptation.

Just as Jesus had to be clear about meaning, and to not project his understanding of Kingdom onto Satan’s, so we have to be clear about the meaning we ascribe to words. And to not project our personal definitions onto someone else’s words. Otherwise it’s like comparing apples and oranges and finding oranges wanting because they are lousy apples.

The Traditional Plan and the One Church Plan had different meanings for different General Conference constituents. From what I gather, many delegates who voted for the Traditional Plan were not voting against gays. Rather, they were voting for something else. Likewise, many delegates who voted for the One Church Plan weren’t voting against biblical authority. Rather, they were voting for something else.

Some people are saying, “The United Methodist Church now rejects gays.” But is that what happened at General Conference? That depends on who you ask.

I have to admit that as a One Church Plan proponent, I didn’t get why people would vote for the Traditional Plan since the OCP seemed to allow space and grace for theological differences.

So, I asked around amongst my friends and colleagues who supported the Traditional Plan. This is what I found:

• One friend and colleague believes that the church moves forward only when it is countercultural. John Wesley challenged the culture of his time. Martin Luther challenged the culture of his time. Thus, my friend believes that we must challenge the culture of our time.
• Another friend supports the Traditional Plan because she feels it supports a deep reverence for God and the Scriptures.
• A third colleague believes that God alone wills human sexuality and that the will of God is delineated through the creation, and union, of Adam and Eve, which was male and female, and thus heterosexual.

When I polled One Church Plan proponents, here is what I found:

• One friend supported the One Church Plan because her interpretation of the Bible prioritizes Jesus’ first and second commandments (to love God with our whole being, and our neighbor as ourselves) above any passages related to sexuality.
• Another colleague supported it because of his understanding that our United Methodist baptismal covenant welcomes all people — regardless of sexual orientation — into the fullness of the life of Christ, and the fullness of the life of the church.
• A third friend and colleague supported the One Church Plan because it would allow United Methodists the freedom to follow their conscience as they minister with the love of Christ in their various settings.

It is tempting to use either Traditional Plan or One Church Plan rationales as justifications to bolster your arguments for why supporters of the plan you didn’t support are wrong. I get it. I’m quite capable of falling prey to the same temptation.

Here’s the thing, though. Making them wrong victimizes both you and them. Because it’s an “against” position. In the law of emotional triangles, what goes around comes around. Victimizing others because you feel victimized simply reinforces victimization. Jesus put it this way: Judge not lest you be judged. This is a spiritual temptation that will not get us where we want to go, assuming that where we want to go is Christlike love.

A few caveats:

• First, to be sure, some folks did vote against gays and some folks did vote against biblical authority.
• Second, regardless of why people voted the way they did, votes have unintended consequences which can do great harm.
• Third, I am not urging anyone to leave the denomination or to stay. That choice is between you and God. What I am doing is encouraging us to expand our powers of emotional intelligence as we traverse this Lenten journey.

Want to act instead of react? Step out of the emotional triangle and self-differentiate. Have the courage and clarity to say what you are for instead of simply reacting against what you oppose. In other words, lead with vision and not from reaction.

Self-differentiation is a key ingredient of emotional intelligence. Jesus shows us how it’s done. Notice that Jesus didn’t fight Satan in the desert, or even quarrel with him. Instead, Jesus simply articulated his own vision again and again. It’s what allowed him to emerge unscathed from his 40-day journey through the desert.

How will your 40-day journey go?

Dear Liturgical Churches: Please Pay Your Musicians Fairly

Here is an interesting article by Jonathan Aigner, who takes time to outline his thoughts concerning what a full-time Church Organist should be paid.

We are always quick to recognize that the appropriate salary for a part-time organist in a smaller local Church, with fewer job requirements and responsibilities, would logically be less, depending on what those duties actually are.

The article is helpful in quantifying what the position is worth, if only to realize how much of a “gift” the musician is actually, if not wholly voluntarily, making to the Church, week after week.

• What about your local Church? 

What proportion of the article’s job requirements and responsibilities do you require?

How much do you pay your organist in relation to what Aigner outlines?   Half?  A quarter?  Less?

If thinking about your local Church’s situation makes you uncomfortable, perhaps you should have a word with your Finance Committee!

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I’m a member of a few Facebook groups for professional musicians, and every once in a while someone will share a job posting for a choir director or an organist or a church music director.

Obviously, I would think this is a good thing. I’m glad there are still opportunities for people like me in churches that value good liturgical music over the jesusy pop fluff that has taken over many churches.

There was a troubling detail hidden in this post, though, and that’s why I bring this up. My goal isn’t to embarrass anyone, so I won’t reveal this particular congregation, but it was a relatively large mainline Protestant church in a major US city with an above-average cost of living index of 113.4 for this year. By the way, in this major metropolitan area, according to salary.com, the average salary for an Administrative Assistant is $40,663.

Just keep that in mind while you read about this particular position.

Responsibilities include:

• Conduct and administer the training choir for the Community Choristers program.
• Assist the DOM in rehearsing the RSCM choristers.  (7 rehearsals per week.)
• Substitute for the DOM or ADOM in rehearsals and services when away.
• Recruit, maintain, and direct the handbell choir seasonally.
• Oversee maintenance of bells and equipment, and handbell music library.
• Staff singer in all choirs.
• Assist in administering a large-scale chorister program, both Day School and after school, including: recruitment, collection of yearly fees, rehearsal logs, rosters, communication with parents of choristers, maintain attendance and calendar, vestment & folder maintenance, holding auditions, training etc.
• Assist at all choral rehearsals including choristers and adults as needed.
• Collect payments, coordinate lesson registrations, and scheduling for church music school.
• Maintain music portions of church and school websites.
• Copyright and recordings manager (shared with DOM).
• Record keeper for finances, attendance, staff payroll.
• Proofreader for bulletins and communications (shared).
• Maintain choir library (assisted by volunteers).
• Assist in preparing and maintaining contracts for staff and guest musicians.
• Organist for the 7:30 a.m. liturgy on Sundays.
• Substitute organist on Saturdays & Sundays as needed.
• Substitute organist for funerals and weddings.

Required skills:

• At least a bachelor’s degree in Music, preferably choral or organ music.
• Experienced choral ensemble singer.
• Strong Experience working with youth choirs.
• Experience working with choirs of all ages.
• Well-organized and task-oriented administration skills.
• Computer desktop publishing skills.
• Ability to lead hymns from the organ.

Preferred skills:

• Master’s degree in Music, choral or organ.
• Strong keyboard skills as an organist.
• Experience working with youth in an RSCM-style choral program.
• Experience with music administration.

Not only is this list more than one person could reasonably handle, it gets worse.The salary range is $40 to $45K per year.

So let me get this straight. You want an educated and experienced professional, an organist and choral director who is capable of accompanying services, directing choirs, doing admin busy work, who will constantly practice to maintain their skills, and who will work every weekend and on all Christian holidays, and you want to pay him or her like a secretary?

If this is all the budget space you can manage, you really should be looking for more volunteers.

There are mountainous regions of the country where this salary range might be adequate. Or maybe if there was a housing allowance in addition to the salary. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here. This is a city in which the cost of living is well above average.

Now, there may be some of you who are thinking this really isn’t a big deal. They’re going into church work, so money really shouldn’t be much of a priority. Heck, there are some folks that don’t think we should be paid at all.

But these are people who have invested at least tens of thousands of their own dollars in learning their craft, and likely more than that. They likely started training for their vocation since their early childhood, and continue doing so throughout their professional lives. They are people who need a safe place to call home, healthy meals, and reliable transportation. Like you, many have spouses, children for whom they nurture dreams.  They hope to be able to put some away for the other end of our lives, as well.

And they’re people who have dedicated their lives to service in the church.

Listen, none of us expect to get rich. We’re not asking for a huge payday. We simply need to be paid fairly, with the opportunity to take care of ourselves and our families.

And, churches, if you don’t pay your musicians fairly, the day will come when you’re going to run out of qualified candidates. It’s already happening. Organ and choral music tracks are disappearing from music schools. The number of MSM programs in the US is in the single digits. Before you know it, they may disappear completely. The pool of qualified candidates will run dry. No longer will children grow up learning the tradition of sacred music, and none of them will arise to use their gifts in the service of the liturgy.

Then you’ll be forced to hire some guy with skinny jeans and a six-string Ovation who thinks he’ll be the next Chris Tomlin. You’ll pay him like it’s a gig. With no one able to direct them, your choirs will disband. The organs will fall silent, collecting dust until they’re scrapped altogether. Your liturgy will become a mini rock concert by the house cover band. Your congregation will go from participants in liturgy to casual observers of knock-off entertainment.

And then you’ll be really sorry.

Lenten Devotional – Day 21 – All She Could Do Was Sing

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:55 –

“Where, O death, is your victory?
  Where, O death, is your sting?”

One evening at choir practice a woman told the other members about her sister in New England who had suffered a stroke. She had just returned from visiting her sister in the hospital.

The woman had been told by a nurse that the part of the brain that controls speech had been damaged, but not the part that controls the ability to sing. She had learned that her sister would probably not be able to speak plainly again. But, she would be able to sing.

The choir members’ concern for our member’s sister suddenly turned from sorrow to hope and joy when they learned that whenever the sister needed anything she just had to sing out.

Easter is the song that triumphs over death’s inability to silence the love and grace of God.

Prayer: God of grace, whose son died for our sins, may we like he triumph over the darkness of this world that seeks in vain to silence us. Amen.

  – Norman Tippens – Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Lenten Devotional – Day 20 – Breaking Away

Scripture:  Ecclesiastes 3:1 –

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

Reflecting on more my than 30 years of ordained ministry, there always is some sorrow as one ministry concludes and another begins.  Following the leading of God’s Spirit, I gradually grew a parachurch ministry which became known to a small circle of followers as “BreakAway.” I sought support and funding from various sources.

In 2013, my ministry partners and I launched “BreakAway Ministry” fulltime and were renting storefront space in downtown Valparaiso, Indiana. By 2016 the season for this unique downtown ministry had come to a close. God’s still-speaking voice had called me onward to a new form of ministry in rural Indiana.

Moving out of our rental space, shutting down a Facebook page, obtaining a new email address, dis-assembling our webpage, printing hard copies of a three year weekly inspirational blog, thanking our donors, and saying “good-bye” to those who had shared a BreakAway journey with us… carried some sorrow.

BreakAway lived for three years and sustained countless people on a spiritual journey who may never find their way back into the organized church again. As I recall… Jesus ministered for just three years. And then he died… and rose again … and the gift of the Holy Spirit continues to touch lives  long after just those three years. Our memories of a three-year ministry are always tinged with joy and gladness as we reflect on them now.

Prayer: Oh God, you are the one who enables us to break away from whatever holds us back. Amen.

  – Victoria S. Ubben – Wanatah, Indiana

Lenten Devotional – Day 19 – Tomorrow is Another Day…

Scripture:  Isaiah 41:10 –

¹⁰ So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Several years ago, my employer was unexpectedly diagnosed with leukemia.  Having no family history of cancer, and given his outstanding good health, this came as a shock. As his personal assistant, I had become very close to him and his family. Our staff watched him struggle through chemo and radiation, only to succumb to the disease in less than nine months.

We were devastated when he died – we had lost a true friend, not to mention the uncertainty of our jobs and how this loss would affect our families. While still in the throes of grieving, his replacement moved in to take over the reins. As it happened, he invigorated us, keeping us on and raising our spirits.  He helped us help him into his new role, breathing new life into the office. After the downcast mood from previous months, we were renewed and inspired to get back to work.

In the midst of our sadness, we found hope, encouragement, and satisfaction.  Things were not the same; we were working harder than ever, but it was what we, or at least I – needed to get through the bad times. We were given a new lease on our work lives and given new meaning for what we were trying to accomplish.

Prayer: Almighty God – give strength and hope to those coping with loss.  Help us remember that you sent your son to live among us and that you are ever present to guide us through dark times to brighter days. Amen.

  – Kathi Wise – McLean, Virginia

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 18 – Beautiful Feet

Scripture:  Romans 10:14–15 –

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Do you have beautiful feet?

Like the Devil in the musical “Damn Yankees”, I always wear shoes and avoid open sandals because I have a corn on one foot and an ugly nail on the other. But recently I discovered that I have beautiful feet.

This spring my wife and I attended a funeral service of a former parishioner.  There were many family members and friends gathered by the grave but I
didn’t see our current pastor. Instead, Ellen’s sister led the service. When she invited others to witness, I hesitated but felt led to share how much Ellen had meant to us at church, her kindness to me and my wife, her two nieces, and the little children on her school bus. Her sister then said something that I did not hear clearly.

Later my wife told me that she had said, “He’s the preacher who led Ellen to Christ.”  In over 40 years of ordained ministry and as an adjunct seminary
professor who has taught dozens of men and women who now preach the Gospel, I have been blessed and honored in many ways. But I had never heard anyone say that about me – that I had led them to Christ.

You don’t have to be a preacher to share the Good News of God’s love in Christ.  You too can have beautiful feet.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to be beautiful messengers of your grace and mercy. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

  – William Nash “Bill” Wade | Strasburg, Virginia

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 17 – There is Always Hope

Scripture:  Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 –

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

There were so many moments of loneliness as I served Jesus for eight years in Eastern Europe. There were days and nights when I said to myself, “What am I doing here?” “Am I really making a difference?” Now I say, “Why did I fret? Why did I worry? Why was I ever concerned about being alone as I grew older and wondered if I would die alone someday?

Today, the man of my dreams proposed to me on the top of a mountain in Northern Maine. He put his arm around me as his drone captured the scene and said, “So, what’s the chance you’ll marry me?” I was so mesmerized by the beauty of the ring that I was speechless. Yes, I have been blessed by the Lord with the man of my dreams. At the ripe old age of 55, I will finally marry.

The older we get, the more we realize how life brings emotional seasons of feasting and of famine, times of sorrow and times of joy. (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8)  Through it all, however, we will keep our eyes on the Lord and focus on the hope that we have in him.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for being my Creator and Sustainer. The future is unknown and so uncertain. Only you can see it. When tough times return, may I always remember you. Yes, “even then your powerful arm will guide and protect me.” (Psalm 139:10)

– Cindy B. – North Brookfield, Massachusetts

Lenten Devotional – The Third Sunday in Lent – Discipline Through Love and a Stroke…

Scripture: John 16:33 –

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Nearly three years ago, at age 39, I had a stroke. One morning I didn’t wake up and “slept” for three days. In three short days, God turned my life completely upside down. I had to give up my position as a full-time office manager and take a less demanding part-time position. This meant that my pay was cut more than half. My husband and I were worried about taking care of our family. When I look back on that year, it was full of pain and frustration. I cried to God almost every day.

Through all of this, God was gently but forcefully trying to get me to a place where he could use me. Looking back, I see that he was trying to pull me along a little faster than I was going at the time. He LOVED me so much, that he was willing to work with me.

In the years since the stroke, I have grown so much closer to him. I have “matured” more in those years than I had in the previous 39! I look back now
and realize that it was not anything but pure love that brought me through that tough time, and it was from God. Knowing that God’s love and grace was with me even in my desperate times has changed my view of my life with him – it is now a life of joy!

Prayer: Lord, please help me to see all of my trials and misfortunes as temporary, knowing you have overcome them all. Amen.

  – Jana Sperandio – Connellsville, Pennsylvania

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 16 – Unexpected Joy

Scripture:  Matthew 5:4 –

⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.

Our granddaughter was born, and then, just weeks later her father, our son, was diagnosed with cancer.  As medical testing progressed, we learned that it was a very serious lymphoma which might not ultimately be treatable.

At the same time, it was becoming clear that my wife and I needed to leave our comfortable church home of 30 years. To top it all off, a person absolutely central to my hunger ministry was making my work life very difficult.

It was a true “dark night of the soul” time. I don’t think God visited all these ills upon me. In fact I drew nearer to God in the midst of these trials.  God’s good graces in the form of family, friends, prayer, medical technology, and spiritual direction saw us through.

And when the season of suffering had passed, with my son’s health restored, and a vibrant new church home, I even found new vigor for my work life. Now I know joy and gladness in ways I could not before. Each and every day is a gift.

Prayer: Faithful God, thank you for bearing us up in times of suffering. Be with us and see us through into a season of gladness.  Amen.

  – Dave Miner – Indianapolis, Indiana

 

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 15 – Desert to Garden

Scripture:  Psalm 119:50 –

⁵⁰ My comfort in my suffering is this:
    Your promise preserves my life.

“One morning you’ll wake up and realize you haven’t thought of your father in an entire day and feel incredibly guilty,” my friends said. “And that’s okay.”  We were having dinner after my father passed away, many years ago. I was a bit past 30 at the time and hadn’t experienced much grief – my own or others’. My father was the first person I’d ever really lost and I was sick with grief. This group of friends each had lost a parent at younger ages, and they told me I was part of their club now. Not the happiest club to join, obviously, but the friendship and their counsel helped.

They were right. At first, grief washed over me in waves, when driving, singing a hymn, or shopping.  Gradually I went longer periods without feeling grief. I could more often think of my father (a very smart  and funny man) and remember his silly jokes, his gardening wisdom, and his ability to bring birds to his feeders. The loss was still there, but the overwhelming sadness faded. One morning I did wake up and feel incredible guilt for not grieving constantly. And then I went about my day.

Now, my vegetable and flower gardens filled with flowers, birds, and butterflies are a tribute to my father. He’s still with me. Out of sadness, peace can follow.

Prayer: Faithful God, keep me ever mindful that even in the dry, dark periods, new life is born.

  – Jean Blish Siers – Charlotte, North Carolina

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 14 – Joy in the Mourning

Scripture:  Psalm 30 –

A psalm. A song for the dedication of the temple of David.

¹ I will exalt you, Lord,
    for you lifted me out of the depths
    and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
² Lord my God, I called to you for help,
    and you healed me.
³ You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
    you spared me from going down to the pit.

⁴ Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

⁶ When I felt secure, I said,
    “I will never be shaken.”
⁷ Lord, when you favored me,
    you made my royal mountain^[c] stand firm;
but when you hid your face,
    I was dismayed.

⁸ To you, Lord, I called;
    to the Lord I cried for mercy:
⁹ “What is gained if I am silenced,
    if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?
    Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
¹⁰ Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
    Lord, be my help.”

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

On a beautiful October Saturday, 31 years ago, my lovely bride Carol and I were joined in holy matrimony in Marsh Chapel at her alma mater, Boston University. The day before, my father died. If you think that sentence was abrupt, try living through it…yikes! While there were some very difficult moments, God’s presence, through Carol, brought me much joy, not unlike how Rebekah comforted Isaac after his mother’s death (Genesis 24:67).

It was, however, a full ten years before I could get through that time of year without a bout of sadness for the loss of both parents (mom died six years before dad, when I was 19). Once again, God worked through my lovely bride, gently shifting my focus from the time I lost, to the time I had with  them. This view has helped me find joy every autumn since.

Even today, bad things happen. As I write this, I’m still recovering from the horrific abuse I suffered at the hands of an organization I worked with a
few years ago. But the memories of times when God brought me joy, combined with Carol’s continued loving presence, are slowly helping me find a new perspective. And even if it takes another ten years, I have faith that joy will come in the morning.

Prayer: Gracious Jesus, of whom the church is your bride, may the memories of times you helped us be a source of sustenance and healing in present
difficulties. Amen!

  – Charlie Stribula – Woodbridge, Virginia

Lenten Devotional – Day 13 – A Bedtime Story

Scripture:  Psalm 63:5–7 –

⁵ I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

⁶ On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.
⁷ Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Christian tradition assigns 40 days to the season of Lent. But for some, Lent with its somber tones, spans a much longer length of time that doesn’t rest on any calendar. Life’s unexpected losses, unrelenting griefs, unanticipated despair, and unacceptable hardships all conspire to delete any glimmer of joy.

When I was appointed to serve churches 200-plus miles from where my husband and then teenaged son lived, I entered a personal Lent which began the moment they left for home that first time. Many a night I cried, but only God heard me. Then one evening while lying in bed, I looked up and saw that the ceiling fan which had four blades resembled a cross. Immediately I realized the ceiling fan/cross over me signaled Christ’s gracious presence with me always.  And in that very moment, resurrection joy began to feed my weary heart, mind, and spirit.

Lent may be for a season, and as I learned, anyone can be in their own time of Lent. Yet as surely as God moves in mysterious ways, may it be that when any of us meditates in the watches of the night, our soul will be satisfied—and sustained.

Prayer: Gracious One, help us to trust that you are always with us in the presence of Christ Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit during this Lent and at any other time of Lent in our lives. Amen.

– Chris Suerdieck – Emmitsburg, Maryland

Lenten Devotional – Day 12 – I’ll Meet You in the Morning

Scripture:  1 Thessalonians 4:13 –

Believers Who Have Died

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.

Laughter, music, praise, and testimony; we were having a wonderful time at church that day. We were also in the process of saying “Good bye” to my dad and laying him to rest.

Some people may not have understood what was going on – after all, they had come to a funeral. So I tried to explain: “I’ve shared this passage from First Thessalonians so many times at other funerals I’ve presided over; some people understood, though many did not. But, if my words to them are to hold true, more importantly, if my faith in God and his word is real, then I cannot grieve like those who have no hope.

My dad lived a life of loving service. He passed his faith onto his children and made sure we were living our faith – not just riding on his coattails. I miss
him every day. Yet, our Lord’s death and resurrection gives me the assured hope that I will see my dad again one day.

If you had come to my dad’s memorial service, you might have thought you had come to a church celebration. You would have been right.

Prayer: Loving Father, remind us again that, if this season means anything, we have the hope-filled promise of new life through the death and resurrection of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

  – Joe Phipps – Fairfield, Iowa

Lenten Devotional – Day 11 – Joy in the Midst of Sorrow

Scripture:  Psalm 30:4–5, 11–12 –

⁴ Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
    praise his holy name.
⁵ For his anger lasts only a moment,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night,
    but rejoicing comes in the morning.

¹¹ You turned my wailing into dancing;
    you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
¹² that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
    Lord my God, I will praise you forever.

When we married on a beautiful day in May 1986, the service was joyful, filled with music, scripture, and Holy Communion, as well as sacred promises and hope-filled vows. Harold’s dad was best man and my oldest sister was honor attendant. Harold’s children and my younger brother and sister were in our wedding party along with childhood friends, college and seminary classmates, and ministry colleagues. We were surrounded in the filled sanctuary by extended family, friends, colleagues, and church members from all the seasons of our lives.

But shadows also fell across that day, Harold’s mother had died of her husband, children, and grandchildren. In April, my father was diagnosed with a terminal metastasized cancer that would take his life three months later and had already robbed him of most mobility. We contemplated different scenarios from postponing the ceremony, to changing the location to my hometown, but in the end my parents wanted us to go ahead as we had planned, though neither he nor my mother were able to be with us that day.

I remember talking with my parents that morning on the phone.  Afterward I stood weeping in the embrace of friends. And then, with a glad heart, gathering everything I needed, I went to the church.

Prayer: Loving, holy God, we thank you that Christ can transform our tears of dark grief into a dawning joy. Amen.

  – Kathleen Overby Webster – Roanoke, Virginia

 

Lenten Devotional – The Second Sunday in Lent – Crushed

Scripture: Psalm 34:18 –

¹⁸ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Lent for me is a time of reflection and learning. As I look back, I can see the periods of light and dark – like shadows and sunlight in a forest. One of the darkest stretches I ever faced was the sudden loss of a job that I dearly loved.

The end was swift and incredibly cruel in its delivery. To say that I was crushed in spirit would be quite the understatement. During that time, I penned these words on my blog: the situation created a massive breakdown in the way that I valued myself. It caused a tremendous wave of self-doubt and feelings of unworthiness. And it didn’t matter how often friends around me said “God has something better in store for you”.

I felt like a horrible and failed person.  And that took me to some very dark places in my mind.  Several times I thought about ending my pain in a very permanent way.

But the Lord was near – even when I couldn’t recognize it. He saved the crushed in spirit.

Circumstances led me to new jobs that were actually more aligned with my desire to help people. And just like stepping into the sunlight from shade – I moved into a new season. And I know the Lord is near in this season too.

Prayer: Lord, be ever near. Even when I am too broken to feel your presence – help me know you are here.

  – Chris Howell – Lynchburg, Virginia

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 10 – Season of Joy and Gladness

Scripture:  Luke 10:27 –

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Are you kidding?  After a death?  After divorce?  After failure?

We all experience misery of some kind, even a conversation with a friend gone sour. Sadness and special kinds of raw pain occur during life’s difficult events. It most likely robs our energy and can even feel like falling deeper and deeper into despair!

So what’s the plan? Do something? Yes! Face the pain and listen for the healing. I think it sneaks up on us:

…the sun comes up so we can choose to take a walk…

…we call a friend and a conversation allows us to share what’s in our heart,

…new insight comes into our thoughts and spirit

Despite our despair, the love of Jesus carries us even further and the healing can begin! That “truth and peace” IS Jesus…as Zachariah speaks in apocalyptic terms…to rebuild the Temple…It is (or can become!) the “Day of the Lord” and gladness pushes in!

“Fasting” (not just with food) in the scripture can lead us into a “time out” from a routine that is now full of sadness…but ever so slowly we move into that new “season of Joy”…even though it is never easy.

Prayer: Dear God, you know our feelings and you provide joy! Help us to embrace the joy and allow you to deal with our suffering. We love you. Take our suffering and turn it into “truth and peace.” Amen.

  – Lesley Green Huffaker – Coronado, California

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 9 – Service Brings Joy

Scripture: James 2:14–17 –

Faith and Deeds

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

When I got divorced and left my job and home, I went through a long period of darkness. I kept to myself, doing what I needed to do to get by and do the best I could for my young daughter.

I knew I was starting to feel better the day I signed up to do the Scholastic reading program for her daycare. I know it’s a little thing, but helping her school was, well, helping! In my case, I served when I had enough strength to give back. But it also gave me more strength to keep on. Because service gives us life.

I’m guessing you’ve done some kind of service project before in your life. I’m guessing you even enjoyed it! I mean, your back may have hurt the next day, but it feels good to do something for someone else. It feels good to do a tangible thing that you know will help someone who needs it.

God made it to work that way. God designed us to find joy, to find LIFE in giving to each other, sharing with each other, caring for each other. Because, remember, God made us in God’s own image. And God enjoys giving to us, sharing with us, caring for us, and so gave us a bit of that same trait when mixing our human ingredients together.

Prayer: God who delights in giving, we are grateful for opportunities to serve you and your children. Thank you for creating us to feel joy when we do. Amen.

  – Jeannie Hunter – Nashville, Tennessee

Tithe: Four Spheres That Need Your Financial Gifts

A conscientious young couple feels obligated to tithe (10 percent) to their local church, but they also want to support a friend doing missionary work in Rwanda.

On their tight budget, they can’t tithe to their church and significantly support their missionary friend.  They are frustrated and ask you for advice.

What would you say?

These New Testament passages illustrate giving to four groups to advance the gospel—the local church, family, the poor, and missions.

The Local Church

Galatians 6:6: The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.

Paul instructs the new believers in Galatia (Antioch of Pisidia, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium) to share all good things with their teachers. Does sharing all good things mean merely sharing the spiritual truths they have been taught? No. Galatians 6 is about doing good—especially to the “household of the faith” (6:10). Paul is boldly saying, “Financially support those who teach you!”

In America, studies find that 2 percent of churchgoers give nothing to their church[1], and 34 percent of churchgoers give to four or more organizations [besides their church].[2] Church leaders sadly admit that the Pareto 80/20 principle (law of the vital few) is at work in church giving—80 percent comes from 20 percent of the people.

If those who attend a local church don’t support it, who will? If you receive significant spiritual teaching from your local church, shouldn’t a significant part of your giving go there?

Your Family

1 Timothy 5:8: But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

The Old Testament had laws to protect widows, but what is our role today in caring for widows and family? Paul says the head of the family must provide for his own. Don’t abdicate your responsibility for the care of your widowed mother or aunt to the church—or the government.

But aren’t you responsible for supporting your family anyway, apart from your giving? Of course, but sometimes, family members need an extra boost. If your extra help for needy family members advances the gospel, you may consider that as part of your giving. However, supporting family can be never-ending! Set a boundary. Helping family members does not excuse you from generously supporting your church, the poor or missions.

The Poor

Galatians 2:10: They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do.

In this passage, Paul recounts how the Apostles asked him to remember the poor as he preached to the Gentiles, and he is eager to help the poor—not reluctant.

At the Last Supper, the disciples mistakenly thought Jesus had instructed Judas to leave the feast and “give something to the poor” (John 13:29). This reveals that Jesus habitually gave to the poor.

Praying for the poor is not enough. Preaching to the poor is not enough. The old saying is true: An empty stomach has no ears.

Missions

3 John 7-8: For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

The early church sent gospel proclaimers all over the Eastern Mediterranean. By supporting gospel travelers, the believers were fellow workers with the truth—true giving partners. As you support gospel workers, you are not “just a donor.” You are a fellow worker with the truth!

So we have four places to give to advance the gospel. How much should we allocate to each one? The New Testament doesn’t say. However, regarding the tithe, the New Testament does not teach giving 10 percent to the local church. Jesus mentions tithing twice, but neither time does He command it for His followers. Paul taught much about giving, but he was silent on tithing.

In your giving, are these four groups represented?  How much should you give to each one?  Ask the Lord for His guidance about His money.

Prayer:  Father of all, sometimes I don’t know where to give.  I must help my family, but I need boundaries.  I want to be generous with my church too, but I often neglect the poor and missions.  Help me honor You in my giving.  Give me an idea!  Amen.

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 8 – A Time to Laugh

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:4 and Zechariah 8:19

Ecclesiastes 3:4 –

⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Zechariah 8:19 –

¹⁹ This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.”

It was a hard few years. My father abandoned us. My mother, sister, and I were doing all we could to put a roof over our head and food on the table. My mom, now a single mom with two teen-aged children, worked a full-time day job, a part-time night job, and a weekend job. I worked at a restaurant after school, for a janitorial service at night, and pumped gas on weekends (this was a while back!)

My sister babysat children and animals every chance she could. All the money went to make the house payments, utilities, and food. Clothes and other things came from the Salvation Army thrift store. Thank God for them!

In the midst of it all, we always made time to eat supper together. My mother would tell us, “This won’t last forever.” And it didn’t.

Several years later we were stable. Mom was working just one job, I was in college, and my sister was babysitting for “fun money.” We still had supper
together. One night my mom invited some friends who were like us—a single mom with two kids. We had pizza, games, and laughed all night. When they left, my mom said, “This was what I was living for. This is good.”

Prayer: Dear God, thanks for getting us through hard times so we may be able to celebrate with others. Amen.

  – Michael Henderson – Florence, South Carolina

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 7 – Rescued

Scripture: Psalm 16:1–2 – 

A miktam^[a] of David.

¹ Keep me safe, my God,
    for in you I take refuge.

² I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    apart from you I have no good thing.”

 

When we were in our early 30’s, my husband Fred decided to go to college. I was a college graduate, and I was enthusiastic about the idea. I was, at the time, teaching kindergarten in a public school and Fred continued to work as many hours as possible.

Fred studied diligently, determined to do four years of college in three. Our occasions for “together time” were rare. As time passed, I began to feel overburdened by it all. I lost my appetite, became extremely anti-social, and very nervous, all of which was very embarrassing. One day I “hit a wall” and had to leave school early. I confided in the school principal, who was very helpful, understanding, and supportive.

I prayed a lot. Psalm 16, as well as other passages of scripture, were very helpful to me. Fred was understanding, in spite of his heavy personal load. Somehow, with God’s help, we made it through to college graduation! Once the pressure was off, I gradually regained my composure.

Since that time, I have lived joyfully, with thanksgiving to our God for his help and guidance. I have served the church in many capacities, having learned by experience how helpful God is in our everyday lives.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your ever-present help. I have no good apart from you. Amen.

  – Dodie Fauber | -ynchburg, Virginia

The Most Sinful States in America?

Here is a strange but interesting article by Gene Veith that is sure to provoke some conversation.

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Researchers have attempted to quantify the sinfulness of the various states in the union.  Yes, this is absurd, as if one could measure the depravity of the human heart.  But the methodology, the findings, and the rankings are interesting nonetheless.

The researchers measured “Anger & Hatred” by looking at the violent crime rate, bullying statistics, child abuse cases, and “Share of Internet Comments that are Hostile” (!), among other factors.

“Jealousy” was measured by the number of thefts per capita, the frequency of identity theft, and incidents of fraud.

“Excesses & Vices” looked at the obesity rate, number of smokers, amount of alcohol drinking, amount of drug abuse, and even the amount of coffee drinking!  (How is that a vice?  Do I detect a Mormon influence?)

“Greed“:  number of casinos per capita; share of gambling disorders; number of people convicted of embezzlement; rate of charitable giving.

“Lust“:  use of online pornography; teen birth rate; number of arrests for prostitution.

“Vanity“:  beauty salons per capita; plastic surgeries; money spent on personal care products.

“Laziness“:  exercise rate; hours spent working; volunteer rate; hours watching TV; youth who are neither going to school nor working.

Here is the ranking, from Wallethub [go to the link to see how each state scored on each of the “sins”]:

1          Nevada

2          Florida

3          California

4          Texas

5          Tennessee

6          Louisiana

7          Georgia

8          Illinois

9          Michigan

10        Arizona

11        New Mexico

12        Oklahoma

13        Pennsylvania

14        Ohio

15        Alabama

16        Missouri

17        New Jersey

18        Arkansas

19        South Carolina

20        Washington

21        Virginia

22        Maryland

23        Delaware

24        New York

25        Mississippi

26        Colorado

27        North Carolina

28        Kentucky

29        West Virginia

30        Alaska

31        Indiana

32        Oregon

33        Massachusetts34        Montana

35        Kansas

36        Hawaii

37        Rhode Island

38        Connecticut

39        Minnesota

40        Wisconsin

41        South Dakota

42        New Hampshire

43        Utah

44        Wyoming

45        Iowa

46        Idaho

47        Nebraska

48        North Dakota

49        Maine

50        Vermont

Numbers 1-3, no surprises.  But who knew that the great state of Texas was so wicked?

What does it mean that so many “Bible belt” states rank so high on the iniquity scale?  It shouldn’t be too surprising to find much Christianity where there is much sin.  After all, as Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).

What does it mean that so many predominantly Lutheran states rank towards the bottom of the sin scale?  Can it be that those who put the most emphasis on the role of good works in salvation produce the fewest of them, and that those who minimize the role of good works in salvation produce more of them?  Is this evidence that faith really does produce the fruit of virtue?

I would say that we should NOT draw too many theological conclusions from this research.  If we did, the predominantly secularist New Englanders–though perhaps upholding the moralism of their Puritan ancestors while trying to do without their faith–would appear to be the most righteous of all.

The point, though, is that this study is primarily about culture, economics, class, homogeneity, and regional histories.  It deals with external crimes and vices.  But it doesn’t get at what the Bible means by sin:  the condition of the human heart.  Our internal sinfulness can manifest itself in these external sins.  But it need not.

Thus, even upright, law-abiding, skinny citizens from Vermont who do not use personal care products are still sinners.

 

Illustration from WalletHub, who invited websites to embed the graphic, which shows the degree of “sin” by the darkness of the color.

Lenten Devotional – Day 6 – As Called, Equipped

Scripture: Matthew 6:33 – 

³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Our first two years of adjustment to married life had been exciting, I’d say, comfortably eventful. We had experienced no trauma or crisis in our lives. We were satisfied and felt secure. My wife and I are both conservative and try to live within our means and budget. Now a problem began to show up. Try as we may, for some reason, we could no longer live within our means.

On my job, at that time, there would be no more money. What to do? After much praying and consultation, we were led to the fact that the only way for me to make more money was to better prepare myself and develop more skills.

At the age of 32, with very little money and no formal higher education, God was calling me to become an elementary educator. Now you know I wasn’t going to get rich there! However, my wife and I both are rich in friendships and lovely people. What a joy this experience has been, and continues to bring us both rich rewards for our efforts.

I received my degree in Elementary Education, my Masters in School Administration, and my Education Specialist Degree (EDS). When I retired, it was with 32.5 years of experience. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Thank you, God, that as you call us, you equip us. Amen.

  – Fred Fauber – Lynchburg, Virginia

 

 

3 Times Jesus Modeled How We Should Treat Sinners

Here is an important article by Matt Brown on how Christians should respond to fellow sinners.

We may all want to consider this Scripture-based teaching as we consider responses to all of the recent upheaval in our Church and our country.

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The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, which legalized gay marriage, has brought lots of scathing comments from all sides and an overwhelming amount of questions about how Christians should respond to the culture around us.

The best thing we can do is follow Jesus’ example towards sinners.

1. Jesus told us not to judge others.

Jesus clearly tells us not to judge others (Matthew 7:1-2).  We can’t expect non-Christians to behave like Christians.  Instead, we should focus on being a light to them and loving them.

Over and over again, the Bible tells us the importance of loving others (1 Corinthians 16:14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-6, 13).

It is hard to love others, and show the gospel to them, when we are angry at them or hating on them.

Anger and hate are not the way of Jesus.

 

2. Jesus showed mercy to the one caught in sin.

One day Jesus was teaching crowds of people in the temple, and religious leaders brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to him and set her in front of the crowd accusing her—asking Jesus what should be done with her.

Jesus does the weirdest thing, something that still leaves Bible experts confounded. He doesn’t respond at first … he literally stoops down and starts writing in the dust on the floor.

They kept demanding an answer, and Jesus finally stood up and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.”

Then he stooped down and kept writing in the dust!

One by one, the crowd began to leave. The Scripture says, “beginning with the oldest.”  The oldest likely left first because they had realized over the years how weak and vulnerable they were to sin themselves, and how many times they had failed throughout their life to adhere to God’s law.

What was Jesus writing in that dust? It’s almost like Jesus didn’t draw a line in the sand for the sinner. Instead, maybe he was writing the sins of the various religious leaders or crowd members in the dust?  Maybe he was pointing out that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) or “if anyone claims to be without sin, they are a liar and the truth is not in them” (1 John 1:8-10).

Either way, weird, right?!

Jesus shows overwhelming, astonishing mercy to this woman caught in sin. His response to her after every single person had left like dogs with their tails caught between their legs, was …

“Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers?  Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

In a very real sense, Jesus shows overwhelming, astonishing mercy and undeserved grace to sinners, and yet Jesus send the self-righteous scurrying off like dogs with tails caught between their legs.

Jesus doesn’t give her a free-pass to remain in her sin. He tells her to “sin no more.” With another man Jesus encountered, Jesus says, “Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you” (John 5:14).

So Jesus doesn’t condone the sin, but He also doesn’t condemn the sinner. He is the only One who can rightly condemn, and yet he offers overwhelming, astonishing grace to all of us.

While many Christians are out condemning sinners, Jesus did the opposite—He gave His very life to bear sinners’ sin and condemnation on the cross—for all who would trust in Him.

3. But Jesus didn’t hide the truth.

Some conclude Jesus was only gentle with sinners, and he often was … but we must also remember there were times when his hard teachings caused great crowds to leave in droves (John 6:60-68).

Jesus was clear about the truth, even when it was not popular, and even when it caused crowds to scatter. He wasn’t just trying to build a large following—He was on a mission to share both truth and love in profound ways, ways that still shake the world today.

Keep in mind that the crowd didn’t scatter because Jesus was rude and judgmental.  If our attitude or anger turns people away from Jesus, we are dead wrong.

However, there are times to share truth gently and respectfully (1 Peter 3:15), but stand for it nonetheless. Even though sometimes the world will hate us for it (John 15:18; Matthew 10:22; John 3:19-21).

There is a time to warn people, even non-Christians, against the deadly effects of the ways of this world (see Ezekiel 3:18; Acts 20:26-27).  Although mainly we should focus on preaching the hope and truth of the gospel—because only the gospel can change hard hearts—it is the only thing that worked for us.

We need both gentleness and holy truth.  We can’t be afraid to be clear about Christ’s truth.  It makes me sad when Christian leaders, or Christians in general, won’t admit to the truth of God’s Word simply because it is unpopular in culture and might turn people off.  There may be times when the crowds leave us too, as they did for Jesus, and only those true remain.

We shouldn’t be surprised by times of declining Christianity—if the crowds left our Lord Jesus because of hard teachings, there are bound to be times like this for us too.  Even in America.

So, no more angry judging.  Offer overwhelming, astonishing mercy to sinners.  But don’t hide the truth or be afraid of the crowds scattering.  Possible?

Lenten Devotional – Day 5 – Holy Week

Scripture: Matthew 25:40 – 

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

We enjoyed worshipping with a Navaho Indian congregation in Oklahoma and had eaten fry bread for lunch when I received a call from home. Although the news was sketchy, I learned that a tornado had hit our home church during the Palm Sunday worship service. I turned on CNN and it was surreal to see our
church and home on the news.

Later, I learned that among the 20 dead was my four-year-old daughter, Hannah.

During Holy Week, we retell the story of the suffering of Christ, with the fear and grief of the disciples who lose their teacher and friend. We felt as if we were living our own type of holy week, as we arranged different funerals and hospital visits. Several United Methodist ministers each took families in the congregation, and assisted with funerals and hospital visits.

We were eager for the message of Easter, and gathered in the parking lot of the church where we proclaimed that we were an Easter people. What
helped us heal was the hope of resurrection and the outpouring of love we received from God’s people through hugs, chainsaw crews, water, meals, and even fresh vegetables.

People suffer in large and small ways around the world, and God’s people can bring hope and healing through sharing. As Matthew 25:40 says, “Whatever you do for my people, no matter how unimportant they are, you do it for me.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for people who are not afraid to help friends and strangers who are suffering. Give us eyes to recognize how we can help. Amen.

– Dale Clem – Anniston, Alabama

 

Lenten Devotional – The First Sunday in Lent – A Time to Weep

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:4 –

⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

Any type of change can bring about sorrow and grief, but then, as you work through the grief, joy can come. The key is to work through the grief, not get stuck in it. View it as a season of life and trust your future to God.

There was a time of major change in my life as I was preparing for the mission field. I had to quit a job that I loved, leave a church that I loved, sell my house, and go back to school. While I knew this is what the Lord wanted, I cried and grieved through each of those steps.

The first semester of school was difficult, but I made it. Then during the second semester God opened a door for me to go back to my old church and do some ministry. However it was three hours away and I had no place to live.

God opened doors for me to be there every weekend, and extra in the summer. I did that for almost two years. There were many ministry opportunities, some of which gave me some college credits, and I was still able to graduate on time. I did not know the future but God did.

Prayer: God help us to grieve the changes and sorrows of life, and then through faith, keep moving on.

  – Karen Blackburn – Bluefield, West Virginia

 

Daylight Savings Time – Begins Tonight

Lenten Devotional – Day 4 – I Can Do All Things

Scripture: Philippians 4:13 – 

¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

After leaving the US Navy, my skill-set allowed for a job right where I was in Mississippi. Often people leaving a career in the military stay only a year or so on their first post-military job, so accepting an offer of a one-year contract seemed like an okay idea. Well, that one-year contract stretched to seven years, but when it ended, it ended abruptly, (like: “…this Friday is your last day…”).

The pain associated with a job loss takes many forms.

Embarrassment – Why me?

Physical – The knot in the pit of your stomach.

Emotional – Woe is me!

Spiritual – God, WHY?!!!

The devil loves to use a situation like this to tweak children of God and challenge their faith.

Well, shaking off the pity-party and getting past the embarrassment of having to tell family, friends, and ‘network’ associates was made easier with the
help of a few close Christian friends who encouraged me, prayed with me, and lifted my spirits.

Job interviews are not a fun thing for me, but after a bunch of them, an offer was finally accepted even though it represented a substantial pay cut. However, the job offered a spot working for/with some strong Christian folks who were a blessing to work with, and a great team of co-workers. God is Good! PTL…

Prayer: Dear God, Thank you for always being the strength in my weakness. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

– Denny Engle – Gautier, Mississippi

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 3 – After the Suffering

Scripture: Romans 8:38–39

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

She was in pain. Heart issues. Kidney failure – she’d been on dialysis for years. Kidney stones. Gall stones. A fractured spine. The day came when she and her family discerned that it was time to let go. Time to stop dialysis. Time to enter hospice.

The professionals said, “It’s just a matter of days, maybe a week.” The Lord didn’t call her home for almost a month.  Through it all, she held hands with her dear husband. She crinkled her nose when she was tickled about something. She asked visitors to sing hymns of faith with her.

Then she was gone. There were tears and broken hearts, yes, but the funeral was a true service of witness to the resurrection; a celebration of her life as a baptized and deeply loved child of God. She is remembered fondly. And even in this season of loss, there are smiles brought on by memories of her love of the Lord and her devotion to children. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Loving Lord, heal our broken hearts, we pray. As we approach Easter morning, when we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord, help us hold onto your promise of eternal life. Even as we miss our loved ones, help us live as a resurrected people – in joy, for the battle already is won. Amen.

– Katy Yates Brungraber – Brownsville, Pennsylvania

 

 

How to Make The Most Out of Lent

Lent is upon us and many of us are still praying and thinking about what Lenten sacrifice or practice we should implement over the next forty days. Sometimes it can be difficult to know what we should do for Lent. Of course there are the popular ideas of giving up social media or giving up chocolate, and while these can absolutely be helpful to our personal growth and relationship with God, these and other popular Lenten ideas can often be chosen with no particular personal meaning behind them.

Lent is not simply a time where we deprive ourselves of joy for a few weeks—just because. It is a time where we are supposed to focus on our own personal relationship with God, developing our mental, personal, and spiritual health—so that we can make more room for God in our every day lives. As Christopher West describes, Lent and fasting is “never an end in itself, it’s a means to the joy of the feast.” Lenten practices are meant to reveal to us the full and true joy of the Easter Season and God’s love for us every day of our lives.

So what are some ways for us to achieve the fullness of Lent and the gain the most out of our Lenten practices? Here are a few ideas…

Give up trying to do everything by yourself – Self-sufficiency and independence can be great qualities to have, but there is true beauty and humility in acknowledging when we need help from others. Asking others for help can foster fruit in a variety of areas. We can develop our relationships with others when we let them into our lives in ways that allow them to take care of us in some way. Likewise, when we are always trying to do everything by ourselves, and we’re constantly taking care of others without letting them take care of us, resentment often grows without us even realizing. This resentment can creep up on us and damage our relationships with others and with God. So this Lent, take a step back, give up stubbornness, embrace humility, and reach out to others when help is needed. Or simply allow others to help if and when they offer.

Give up overthinking and jumping to conclusions – This can be a hard one, but wow it makes a huge impact. When something small occurs, it can be all too easy—even automatic—to ruminate on the situation, overthink, and come to negative and often unrealistic conclusions. Not only can this ruin our day in about five seconds, it can also heavily impact our relationships. We may treat others differently because of a conclusion that we developed in our heads, and the other person will have no idea why we are acting the way we are acting. But how do we stop this habit of overthinking?

First, take interactions and situations at face value. Don’t add ideas, put words in others’ mouths, or create outcomes that aren’t based in facts. Second, when these negative thoughts or overthinking spirals begin, instead of thinking of the most negative conclusion, intentionally think of the best possible outcome. At this point, we often begin to question, “What’s the point of thinking of the best possible outcome? It probably won’t happen.” Now, when this question arises, ask the same question about the negative outcome. “What’s the point of thinking of the worst possible outcome? It probably won’t happen.” Exactly. The difference, however, is that thinking of the best possible outcome gives us hope, while thinking of the worst outcome makes us want to give up. Hope gives us joy and helps us grow closer to God. Because of this, thinking of the positive scenarios is the more Godly practice.

Give up over-scheduling and overworking – We live in a society that is extremely focused on achievement. Especially because of social media, we constantly feel the need to be doing something and to be able to say, “I’m so busy!” Sometimes it almost becomes a competition to see who has the busiest schedule. Being this busy leaves very little time for fun, for enjoyment, for relaxation. We lose touch with who we are as individuals, as a couple, or as a family because we are so focused on getting to the next activity or working on the next project.

Give up this over-scheduling and overworking habit this Lent by setting aside time to do something that gives you joy. Make time to relax and spend time together as a family. Instead of scheduling an event or a project for work, schedule time for a date night. Whether you just hang out at home and enjoy the peace and quiet or you take a day trip to one of your favorite spots, regularly make time this Lent to step back, relax, and prioritize time to do something that brings you—or you and your family—joy.

These are just a few ideas to bring us closer to God this Lent. We don’t have to choose one of these ideas, and we certainly don’t have to practice them all. Maybe choose just one thing to work on this Lent. But as we decide what it is we will practice, let us start by asking God, “What barriers need to be removed in my life for me to be able to love You and love others the way You want me to?”

Lenten Devotional – Day 2 – Seasons of Sorrow to Seasons of Joy

Scripture: Lamentations 3:21–23 –

²¹ Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

 

Our church recently experienced a season of sorrow, as we lost three members of our choir in six weeks. Grief for the loss of friends is raw and painful, yet there will be joy again in seasons to come. In this Lenten season, we grieve for the suffering Jesus endured, while remembering his victory over death and the joy-filled seasons of hope and everlasting life that Easter brings.

This time of loss reminds me of other grief-filled seasons. In February 1991, we lost my father-in-law to cancer, after a long, difficult struggle. Then, my wife and I discovered she was pregnant with our second child, after we had experienced months of disappointment with secondary infertility. As spring moved into summer, my father’s health declined rapidly and he passed away in August.

The loss of two fathers within six months was almost impossible to bear. Yet, my wife completed her pregnancy with good health, which renewed our hope.
Through the miracle of new creation, our son was born, bringing us joy as a new season began.

I’ve learned that our lives have both seasons of sorrow and seasons of joy.  Times of sorrow pass, because we build our hope and joy on the resurrection of our Savior and his steadfast love for us. I know my choir friends have begun eternal life with Jesus, free of earthly pain and suffering. Holding that faith brings joy, no matter what emotional season we find ourselves in.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, we give you thanks for conquering death, which melts away our sorrow and fills us with ever-blossoming joy. Amen.

– Bob Brooks – Fredericksburg, Virginia

 

 

Ash Wednesday: Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore!
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.

I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in his arms,
In the arms of my dear Savior –
O, there are ten thousand charms.

 

Let not conscience let you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness he requireth
Is to feel your need of him.

Come ye weary, heavy laden,
Bruised and mangled by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

Joseph Hart, 1759

 

When did Ash Wednesday begin and why do we celebrate it?

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. Although Ash Wednesday has ancient roots, it does not appear in the rituals of The United Methodist Church or our predecessor denominations until the 20th century.

Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ashes are an ancient symbol. In Genesis, we read that God formed human beings out of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). After expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the first human beings are told by God, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19 NRSV). The Hebrew word translated dust, is occasionally translated ashes elsewhere. Throughout scripture, ashes are part of rituals when people seek forgiveness and mourn their sin (see Numbers 19:9, 17; Hebrews 9:13; Jonah 3:6; Matthew 11:21, and Luke 10:13, among others).

The imposition of ashes on the foreheads of Christians to mark the beginning of Lent can be traced at least to the 10th century.

In earlier centuries, ashes were used to mark those who had been separated from the church because of serious sins and were seeking to be re-admitted to the fellowship of the church. In effect, they were redoing the process of final preparation for church membership along with those doing it for the first time. They were sprinkled with ashes and given rough garments to wear as a sign of sorrow for their sins and their commitment to seek renewal in Christian life through this season.

Since the tenth century, the observance of Ash Wednesday has become a general rite for all in the church.

United Methodists first adopted an official ritual for Ash Wednesday that involves the use of ashes in the 1992 Book of Worship. Prior to that time, we either had no official service at all for this day (through 1964) or we had an “ashless” Ash Wednesday Service (1965 Book of Worship).

In many churches the ashes are made by burning the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. Ashes are placed on the forehead, usually in the sign of a cross, in a ritual known as the Imposition of Ashes. The ash cross on the forehead is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins.

As the ashes are placed on the forehead, words such as these are spoken: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,” recalling God’s words to Adam in Genesis 3:19, or “Repent, and believe the gospel” recalling the message of both John the Baptist and Jesus (Mark 1:15).

Through the service of ashes on the first day of Lent, we come before God recognizing our humanity, repenting of our sin, and remembering who we are and who we can be.

 

Lenten Devotional – Day 1 – Ash Wednesday – Joy–A Perfect Fit

Scripture: Ephesians 6:10–18 –

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

There was an electric anticipation in the arena. Small groups scanned entryways, waving to family and friends. Young ladies in white gowns clustered tightly, smiling into each other’s cell phones. Young men wearing dark green robes stood in line; adjusting ties, caps, and tassels. As the procession began, I marveled at what I was about to witness.

This was my first High School graduation since my son’s death. Had he remained with us, my son would have marched with the Class of 2015.  The principal invited my husband and me to the ceremony. We couldn’t go.

Even after some years of grief, our memories and emotions remained too raw in 2015. Two years later, I watched a number of my son’s childhood friends cross the stage. As their names were read, both my eyes and smile widened. A welt of “Mom” pride and authentic joy grew from within. I truly felt “my cup running over.”

Society often requires us to wear special clothing for a variety of events.  As Christians, Paul suggests we include truth, righteousness, faith, peace, and salvation as part of our daily “wardrobe.” When everything “fits” we have opportunity to experience pure joy; elation, exultation, and rapture with God.

Prayer: God in Heaven, guide us this Lenten season to embrace the joy, which stems from the life and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Strengthen us with your love, so we can share the same devotion you have for us, with others. In Jesus’s name, we pray. Amen.

  – Kelly Desclos–Estes – South Boston, Virginia

 

A devastating fire burned a church down. Not a single Bible was touched by the flames

This story of this Church fire in West Virginia was first posted by the Coal City Fire Department’s FaceBook page two days ago, and has today been picked up by CNN.  (You can find the CNN article at:  https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/05/us/church-fire-bibles-untouched-trnd/index.html).

 

 

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A devastating fire burned a church down. Not a single Bible was touched by the flames

By Gianluca Mezzofiore, CNN

Updated 7:43 AM ET, Tue March 5, 2019

Bibles were left untouched by a fire in West Virgina.

(CNN)  When firefighters arrived at Freedom Ministries Church in Grandview, West Virginia they were left stunned by what they saw.

A devastating fire — so hot that firefighters had to back out at one point — was ravaging through the building, the Coal City Fire Department said in a Facebook post.

But as they went through the charred wreckage, they noticed something extraordinary.

“In your mind, everything should be burned, ashes. Not a single bible was burned and not a single cross was harmed!!” the department wrote.

The Facebook post, which went viral, features compelling photos of a pile of about a dozen intact Bibles surrounded by the rubble.

“Though the odds were against us, God was not,” the firefighters added. No firefighters were injured in the operation. The cause of the fire is still unclear.

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Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is this coming Wednesday.

Join us and the people of the other downtown Churches at First Presbyterian Church, 11th Street & 8th Avenue, at 7 pm for a combined worship service as we begin our season of Lent and consider the depth of love our Father God has for His children.

When did Ash Wednesday begin and why do we celebrate it?

Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. Although Ash Wednesday has ancient roots, it does not appear in the rituals of The United Methodist Church or our predecessor denominations until the 20th century.

Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service focuses on both themes, helping us realize that both have been triumphed through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Ashes are an ancient symbol. In Genesis, we read that God formed human beings out of the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). After expulsion from the Garden of Eden, the first human beings are told by God, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19 NRSV). The Hebrew word translated dust, is occasionally translated ashes elsewhere. Throughout scripture, ashes are part of rituals when people seek forgiveness and mourn their sin (see Numbers 19:9, 17; Hebrews 9:13; Jonah 3:6; Matthew 11:21, and Luke 10:13, among others).

The imposition of ashes on the foreheads of Christians to mark the beginning of Lent can be traced at least to the 10th century.

In earlier centuries, ashes were used to mark those who had been separated from the church because of serious sins and were seeking to be re-admitted to the fellowship of the church. In effect, they were redoing the process of final preparation for church membership along with those doing it for the first time. They were sprinkled with ashes and given rough garments to wear as a sign of sorrow for their sins and their commitment to seek renewal in Christian life through this season.

Since the tenth century, the observance of Ash Wednesday has become a general rite for all in the church.

United Methodists first adopted an official ritual for Ash Wednesday that involves the use of ashes in the 1992 Book of Worship. Prior to that time, we either had no official service at all for this day (through 1964) or we had an “ashless” Ash Wednesday Service (1965 Book of Worship).

In many churches the ashes are made by burning the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. Ashes are placed on the forehead, usually in the sign of a cross, in a ritual known as the Imposition of Ashes. The ash cross on the forehead is an outward sign of our sorrow and repentance for sins.

As the ashes are placed on the forehead, words such as these are spoken: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,” recalling God’s words to Adam in Genesis 3:19, or “Repent, and believe the gospel” recalling the message of both John the Baptist and Jesus (Mark 1:15).

Through the service of ashes on the first day of Lent, we come before God recognizing our humanity, repenting of our sin, and remembering who we are and who we can be.

 

Preparation for Lent – A Mardi Gras Prayer

Today is Mardi Gras (“Fat Tuesday”) and Carnival (“Farewell to Meat”), which precedes Ash Wednesday and Lent around the world, even where Lent has ceased to have much religious meaning.  It was natural to develop a festival, a “last fling,” before the prayerful fasting and abstinence of Lent.

How can we give this day before Ash Wednesday some religious meaning for us?

It may be that we are going to a Mardi Gras party and there will be much feasting.  Our country may celebrate Carnival with gusto.  Perhaps we can have a special family dinner together, with meat.

What’s important is that we let our feasting anticipate our fasting.  One way to do that is to begin to focus on the meaning of the day, when we first get up. 

It can create a sense of anticipation all day, that something very new is about to begin tomorrow.

We can prepare for whatever we will do, no matter how purely “social” or simply ordinary our day will be.  Knowing why we go to a party, or enjoying the planning or preparation for a special meal, will add much meaning to this day.

Our Prayer

In these or similar words, we can pray in the spirit of this day.

Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for it is from your goodness that we have this day
to celebrate on the threshold of the Season of Lent.

Tomorrow we will fast and abstain from meat.
Today we feast.
We thank you for the abundance of gifts you shower upon us.
We thank you especially for one another.
As we give you thanks,
we are mindful of those who have so much less than we do.
As we share these wonderful gifts together,
we commit ourselves to greater generosity toward those
who need our support.

Prepare us for tomorrow.
Tasting the fullness of what we have today,
let us experience some hunger tomorrow.
May our fasting make us more alert
and may it heighten our consciousness
so that we might be ready to hear your Word
and respond to your call.

As our feasting fills us with gratitude
so may our fasting and abstinence hollow out in us
a place for deeper desires
and an attentiveness to hear the cry of the poor.
May our self-denial turn our hearts to you
and give us a new freedom for
generous service to others.

We ask you these graces
with our hearts full of delight
and stirring with readiness for the journey ahead.
We ask them with confidence
in the name of Jesus the Lord. 

 

What to Give Up for Lent 2019? Consider Twitter’s Top 100 Ideas

Once again, you can follow in real time what Twitter users say they are giving up for Lent, which this year begins on Ash Wednesday, March 6.

As in past years, food is the most popular category for abstention, followed by technology and “vices” like smoking and drinking alcohol.

After analyzing the first 1,500 tweets—both serious and sarcastic—OpenBible.info’s Stephen Smith noted that “perennial favorites” such as social networking, alcohol, and Twitter lead the list so far.

“If I had to guess, with an unusually cold February across much of the U.S., weather might feature more prominently this year than last year,” wrote Smith, who has tracked Lenten tweets since 2009.

Last year, food items were two to three times as popular to abstain from as technology items or personal habits, according to 29,609 tweets (excluding retweets) analyzed by Smith during the week of Ash Wednesday 2018.

Social networking ranked No. 1. The biggest increase: plastics.

CT previously reported how LifeWay Research offered a chance to compare Twitter’s serious vs. sarcastic sharers via a 2017 study on what Americans who observe the Lenten season before Easter say they actually give up:

Of note:

• 3 in 10 Americans with evangelical beliefs (28%) say they observe Lent; of these, 42 percent typically fast from a favorite food or beverage while 71 percent typically attend church services.
• Catholics remain the most likely to observe Lent (61%), with 2 out of 3 fasting from a favorite food or beverage (64%).
• Overall, 1 in 4 Americans observes Lent (24%), according to LifeWay. Most American observers fast from a favorite food or beverage (57%) vs. a bad habit (35%) or a favorite activity (23%).
• Hispanics were the most likely ethnic group to observe Lent (36%), and were more likely than whites to abstain from a favorite activity (34% vs. 17%) or a bad habit (50% vs. 30%).

Stephen Smith made a word cloud of the top 100 results of 2018:

 

Twitter’s Top 100 Ideas for Lent 2018

Here are how the top 6 ideas have trended over time:

The trend line of Twitter’s top 6 Lent ideas (2019 data is preliminary).

CT regularly reports on Lent, including three views on why bother celebrating Lent, the best books to read for Lent, Lent in Narnia, and the argument for lengthening Lent. CT editor-in-chief Mark Galli offered his thoughts on “giving up self discipline” for Lent.

Below is Stephen Smith’s running tally of the top 100 most-mentioned Lenten sacrifices (both serious and cynical) in 2019. (This list will eventually cover all tweets from March 3–9 that mention giving up something for Lent and, except as noted, excludes retweets.)

Top 100 Things Twitter Gave Up for Lent (based on 1,700 tweets)

Rank	What	Number of Tweets
1.	social networking	120
2.	alcohol	84
3.	twitter	82
4.	meat	40
5.	chocolate	39
6.	lent	24
7.	sex	22
8.	coffee	21
9.	sweets	20
10.	fast food	18
11.	sugar	18
12.	soda	18
13.	men	14
14.	marijuana	13
15.	college	13
16.	school	12
17.	bread	11
18.	work	10
19.	giving up things	10
20.	boys	10
21.	smoking	9
22.	facebook	9
23.	beer	9
24.	booze	9
25.	chips	9
26.	life	8
27.	red meat	8
28.	swearing	8
29.	you	8
30.	catholicism	7
31.	stuff	7
32.	dairy	7
33.	rice	7
34.	caffeine	6
35.	carbs	6
36.	junk food	6
37.	candy	6
38.	god	6
39.	pizza	6
40.	religion	6
41.	people	6
42.	shopping	6
43.	brexit	5
44.	breathing	5
45.	diet coke	5
46.	cheese	5
47.	winter	5
48.	myself	4
49.	ice cream	4
50.	netflix	4
51.	homework	4
52.	instagram	4
53.	starbucks	4
54.	cookies	4
55.	worrying	4
56.	negativity	4
57.	liquor	4
58.	takeout	4
59.	eating out	3
60.	pasta	3
61.	dating	3
62.	celibacy	3
63.	pork	3
64.	church	3
65.	complaining	3
66.	fish	3
67.	love	3
68.	single use plastic	3
69.	wine	3
70.	going out	3
71.	everything	3
72.	chicken	3
73.	me	3
74.	online shopping	3
75.	masturbation	3
76.	gossip	3
77.	cocaine	2
78.	guilt	2
79.	our friendship	2
80.	cake	2
81.	tv	2
82.	the presidency	2
83.	virginity	2
84.	seafood	2
85.	donald trump	2
86.	classes	2
87.	procrastination	2
88.	being sad	2
89.	uber	2
90.	lectures	2
91.	hope	2
92.	french fries	2
93.	football	2
94.	women	2
95.	us	2
96.	so much	2
97.	sushi	2
98.	my phone	2
99.	anime	2
100.	bad habits	2

Rank	Category	Number of Tweets
1.	food	329
2.	technology	230
3.	smoking/drugs/alcohol	142
4.	irony	65
5.	habits	61
6.	relationship	60
7.	school/work	51
8.	sex	32
9.	religion	30
10.	generic	23
11.	politics	11
12.	entertainment	11

This Is How Tradition Prevailed at the UMC Conference

By  Megan Briggs

–

February 28, 2019

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As delegates, bishops and all those who watched from home recover from the United Methodist Church’s Special Session of the General Conference in St. Louis, which concluded Tuesday, the question of what lies ahead looms large. Many are surprised by the outcome of the vote on the denomination’s official stance on homosexuality. While polls indicated two-thirds of the clergy and delegates from the U.S. were in favor of the more progressive One Church Plan, the Traditional Plan won out. The reason why this happened has to do with the delegates coming from countries outside the U.S.

As a statement released by the Wesleyan Covenant Association explains, the UMC is growing fastest overseas, in “Africa, the Philippines and parts of Eurasia, where there is clear commitment to the historic teachings and practices of the church universal.” For this reason, 43 percent of the over 800 delegates came from outside the U.S. The majority of these delegates were in favor of the Traditional Plan.

Traditionalists Rejoice

“We are gratified that the church reaffirmed its historic teachings on the definition of marriage, its sexual ethics and its standards for the ordination of clergy,” said WCA president, Rev. Keith Boyette.

Conservatives in the U.S., such as those belonging to the WCA, joined with delegates in the UMC’s Central Conference, which represents Eurasia, Asia and Africa, to glean a majority vote for the Traditional Plan. The Traditional Plan does not allow for the ordination of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” and penalizes clergy that perform same-sex weddings. Under the Traditional Plan, clergy who perform such ceremonies will face a minimum one-year suspension without pay for the first wedding, and permanent removal from ministry for the second.

Dr. Jerry P. Kulah, Dean of Gbarnga School of Theology, United Methodist University in Liberia, spoke at the Reform and Renewal Coalition Breakfast on Saturday, February 23, 2019. Kulah emphasized the fact that the UMC is not solely represented by the U.S. and that Methodists in Africa do not need “to hear a progressive U.S. bishop lecture us about our need to ‘grow up’” when it comes to sexual ethics.

While some argue that believers in places like Africa have not had to wrestle with the issue of homosexuality to the extent that the U.S. has, Kulah does not believe this is the case. “We Africans, whether we have liked it or not, have had to engage in this debate for many years now. We stand with the global church, not a culturally liberal, church elite, in the U.S.”

What About Those in Support of the One Church Plan?

According to a statement from Michigan Bishop David Bard, “research indicated approximately 2/3rds of delegates representing U.S. churches voted for more inclusive plans.” A study by Pew Research indicates that 51 percent of United Methodists said homosexuality should be accepted in 2007, and 60 percent said so in 2014.

Many U.S. pastors are posting letters to their social media pages and sending emails to congregants assuring them their churches will remain inclusive of LGBTQ+ members and seekers. However, the road may be rocky ahead. While nothing in the Traditional Plan prohibits welcoming LGBTQ+ members, it is very clear that clergy may not be practicing homosexuals. This will inevitably create problems for more progressive conferences that have ordained such people already.

For instance, Karen Oliveto became the first lesbian to become a UMC bishop in 2016. While it was determined that Oliveto’s status as openly gay technically meant she was in violation of the UMC’s Book of Discipline, she remains in her position of Bishop of the Mountain Sky Area, which includes Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and parts of Idaho. For now, Oliveto’s job is safe, but tenuous at best. Speaking to the Billings Gazette, Oliveto said traditionalists “have voted to shrink the ‘big tent theology’ that has been a historic cornerstone of our tradition.”

Since the Judicial Committee of the UMC deemed certain parts of the Traditional Plan unconstitutional, that body will be reviewing the plan at an upcoming meeting in May. For this reason, Oliveto says the UMC’s trajectory concerning homosexuality “is yet to be written.”

Pastor Adam Hamilton, who leads Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, the UMC’s largest congregation in the U.S., was a very outspoken advocate of the One Church Plan. Speaking to reporters, Hamilton said he fears the vote sends the message that “LGBTQ persons are second class in the church.”

Hamilton will be addressing the decision with his congregation this weekend and deciding in the coming months whether his church will stay with the UMC or not. According to the Washington Post, Hamilton plans on gathering Methodist leaders from across the country to discuss more options in May.

The Future of the UMC

While the UMC is growing overseas and will likely continue to grow overseas, leaders in the U.S. fear this most recent decision will stifle growth among American youth.

A statement from the Association of United Methodist Theological Schools, which represents 13 seminaries across the United States warned “if the Traditional Plan passes, we will very soon lose an entire generation of leadership here in the United States.” This is due to the fact that younger generations favor inclusivity in church. In fact, Rev. Thomas Wolfe, president and CEO of Iliff School of Theology (a UMC seminary), says 30 percent of the school’s students identify as LGBTQ+.

The UMC stands to lose many colleges and universities in the U.S. as well, not just seminaries. “According to the recent statement by the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church, many if not most of our colleges and universities and seminaries will separate from the UMC,” the statement says.

As far as the Central Conference of the UMC is concerned, though, the Traditional Plan will allow them to continue ministering and engaging in missions around the world. Unfortunately, it appears the plan may cause a big division along national lines in this global denomination.

Megan Briggs

Megan Briggs is a writer and editor for ChurchLeaders.com. Her experience in ministry, an extensive amount of which was garnered overseas, gives her a unique perspective on the global church. She has the longsuffering and altruistic nature of foreign friends and missionaries to humbly thank for this experience. Megan is passionate about seeking and proclaiming the truth. When she’s not writing, Megan likes to explore God’s magnificent creation.

Ash Wednesday – March 1, 2017 – Joint Worship Service

Central Church will join with the Beaver Falls Ministerium on Ash Wednesday – March 1 – for a joint worship service at First Presbyterian Church (across from the Post Office) at 7 pm.

Other combined Lenten worship services are currently being discussed at the Beaver Falls Ministerium, so stay tuned for further developments.

In the meantime, please mark your calendars to join us at First Presbyterian Church at 7 pm on March 6 as we begin our Lenten journey on Ash Wednesday.

 

What is Lent?

Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, the day of Mardi Gras.  This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the day that begins the 40 days of Lent (not counting Sundays). 

Did you ever wonder what these terms mean?   Well, here’s the scoop!

Mardi Gras – is a French word pronounced: märd grä, the last day before the fasting season of Lent.  It is the French name for Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.

Literally translated, the term means “Fat Tuesday” and is so called because it represents the last opportunity for merrymaking and excessive indulgence in food and drink before the solemn season of fasting.

Ash Wednesday – is the first day of Lent.  On this day, ashes are placed onto the foreheads of the faithful to remind them of Christ’s death, of the sorrow one should feel for their sins, and of the necessity of repenting, which is turning from your sins and turning to God.

Ash Wednesday, is so called from the ceremony of placing ashes on the forehead as a sign of penitence.  The ashes are obtained from burned palm branches from the Palm Sunday of the previous year.

The ashes are placed onto the foreheads of the officiating clergy, and the congregation, while saying: “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”

Many believe the practice of placing ashes onto the forehead began in 1091 A.D. by the Roman Catholic Church.  However, the custom of placing ashes onto the head as a sign of repentance dates back to Old Testament times:

“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. – Daniel 9:3-5. 

See also, Esther 4:1-3, Job 2:8; Job 4:2-6, and Isaiah 58:5.

 

Lent– from Old English ‘lencten=spring’, Latin ‘Quadragesima’.

In Christianity, Lent is a time of penance, prayer, preparation for, or recollection of baptism, and preparation for the celebration of Easter.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, the 40th weekday before Easter.  Of the Sundays in Lent the fifth is Passion Sunday and the last is Palm Sunday.

The week preceding Easter is Holy Week. Lent ends at midnight, Holy Saturday.

Lent may also have a parallel in the Jewish Omer, the interval between Passover and Shavuot that has become a time of semi-mourning and sadness.  During the weeks of the Omer period, Jews in some communities refrain from wearing new clothes and there are no marriages or other public festivities.

Although we are almost to the beginning of this special season, remember that Jesus wants all of our hearts and lives–everyday–not just during the 40 days of Lent.

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. – Titus 2:11-14.

Preparation for Lent – What Can I Do Before Lent Begins?

Anything worth doing is worth preparing for.

Just imagine that this Lent is going to be different from every other Lent we’ve experienced.  Imagine that there will be many graces offered me this year.  Let’s even imagine that God is going to help transform our lives, with greater freedom, greater joy, deeper desires for love and service.

If we want it, we will choose it.

Lent will be this wonderful season of grace for us if we give ourselves to it.  And, we will give ourselves to it to the degree we really want it badly.  So, in these days before Lent, we need to prepare our hearts.  We need to prepare by realizing how much we want to grow in freedom, how much we need to lighten our spirits and experience some real joy, and how much some parts of our lives really need changing. 

So, preparing our hearts is a process of preparing our desires.  This means practicing our sense of anticipation.  If I imagine Lent as an “ordeal” or a time I dread in some way, then I’ve already predisposed myself to not get very much out of it.  These days before Lent are a time to start anticipating something wonderful that is about to happen.

Our Focus:  On what God wants to give us.

Our sense of excitement and anticipation will grow more easily if we begin to imagine what God wants to give us.  There is really something coming that we can truly look forward to.  If we get too focused on ourselves, and what we are going to do or not do, we could risk missing the gift God wants to give us.  We have to keep aware of the fact that grace comes from God.  This is about God’s great desire to bless us.  Then, it is easier for us to imagine that what we really want to do is place ourselves in a space to receive what God wants to give us.

Not starting from a dead stop.

Taking some time to get ready for Lent will ensure that we aren’t going to miss the first week or two of Lent, because we are just getting started.  Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, but we want to be ready to really take off on that day, rather than just beginning to think about Lent on that day.  Part of what makes a vacation or a special anniversary so special is the build-up to it. 

Before we get to Ash Wednesday, we should start asking ourselves some questions and we should start with some preparations.  “What does God want to give me this year?”  This question may require that I slow down a bit and listen to my inner spirit.  For example, even if I’m very busy, I realize I’m hungry when I hear my stomach start “growling.”  “What am I going to be doing on Ash Wednesday?” 

Too often, Ash Wednesday is like every other day, except that I manage to get to church and get ashes on my forehead.  Is there anything else I can do on Ash Wednesday?  How will fasting and abstaining happen for me, for my family on that special day? 

Lent is not something I need to do alone.

If I have a spouse, or children, or some close friends, or distant e-mail companions, I can begin now to talk about how we will support each other in this Lenten journey.  The anticipation and the preparation is transformed with the companionship of family and close friends.  We shouldn’t be deterred by the fear that our spouse or children or friends “won’t be into it.” 

Jesus said, “Fear is useless; what’s needed is trust.”  Let’s begin now to tell others about our desires.  Let’s help support others’ expectations.  Let’s help others see that Lent doesn’t have to be something I avoid, and certainly can’t be reduced to “giving up candy.”  We can help our loved ones to begin to imagine what they could receive from God in these days.

Ash Wednesday is a great place to start with our planning.  “What are we going to eat?”  We shouldn’t be embarrassed if we really haven’t fasted in a long time, or perhaps ever before.  We can plan to intentionally have only one full meal on Ash Wednesday.  We can make that meal very meaningful and symbolic. 

Getting ready, means getting my house ready, too.  And, it can mean lots of choices.

The symbols in our home, and the concrete choices we make can shape the way we will begin Lent, as individuals and as a family.

And, it doesn’t take much time.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare for the beginning of Lent.  It just takes desire and focus.  God can do so much with that.  We can give God more of a space to touch our hearts if we begin to establish some simple patterns. 

We could  wake up each morning, and for something like a half a minute to a minute, stand by the edge of our beds, and just ask the Lord for the grace to let this day be one in which I long for the beginning of Lent.  Perhaps we need to ask for specific helps or graces to get ready to begin Lent. 

Whatever we try to say, our Lord can understand the Spirit trying to speak through our simple words. And all it takes is the time to find and put on our slippers. 

And each night, in the days ahead, we can practice giving thanks to God before I go to bed.  This simple pattern, in the morning and evening can stir our spirits to look forward to and prepare for Lent, as a season of grace.

May our Lord bless us all on this journey ahead.

 

Effective Stewardship – Month #7

We are personally accountable to God for

how we use the money He has entrusted to us.

“For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ,

so that each may receive recompense for what has been

done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Cor. 5:10).

 

If you read annual reports from publicly held companies or banks, you will frequently see the word “fiduciary.” Fiduciary is used as an adjective to describe something which is held in trust. It is also used as a noun to describe the one who is a trustee who must account for that which is held in trust.

For example, a bank president has a fiduciary responsibility to stockholders in the bank and to depositors who place their money in the bank. A company treasurer has a fiduciary responsibility to the owners of the company. A payroll clerk has a fiduciary responsibility to pay people what they have earned.

You may never have considered yourself a fiduciary, and you may never have acted officially in a fiduciary capacity, but in reality, you are a fiduciary. All of us are. That applies both to Christians and to those who are not part of God’s family through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We who are Christians will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. There, we will not be judged for salvation, since the penalty and judgment for sin was settled once and for all on the cross of Calvary when the Lord Jesus paid the price for our sin. Instead, when we stand before Christ, we will give an account of how we have used what God has entrusted to us.

Just as a bank president must account to stockholders and depositors on how their funds are used, we must account to Christ for how we have used what God has entrusted to us. Since everything we have rightfully belongs to Him, we will need to report on how we have managed His assets!

As you consider how you have used what God has entrusted to your care and keeping during the past few months, what kind of job have you done? And more importantly, as a “fiduciary” of what God has placed in your hands, will you stand before Him with joy, eager to report on your giving and management of His assets?

 

 

 

Devious Diversions – Transform My Mind

The Roman empire Paul crisscrossed lacked our modern media.  But the principles he laid out for Christian living in his letter to the Ephesus church apply well to our day also.

Paul had lived in Ephesus for at least three years. His quotation here isn’t directly from Scripture.  It’s probably the text of a hymn they’d often sung together, loosely based on Isaiah 26:19; 15:17; 52:1; 60:1) and Malachi 4:2).

Interact with God’s Word:  Ephesians 5:4-16

1. How do the electronic media excuse sins that God condemns? Do you risk being fooled into discounting God’s anger with impurity?
2. Clearly, we’re to avoid acting out sinful behaviors (v. 7), but could viewing/listening to it as entertainment be a form of participation?
3. Paul’s quotation (in verse 14) is meant to be a wake-up call. What “darkness” (vv. 8-13) should you steer clear of? What “light” should you shine on evil to expose it?
4. Paul characterized his days (v. 16) as evil. How would you size up our days?
5. How do you determine (v. 10) what is pleasing to the Lord?
6. What changes might be required (vv. 15-16) to live wisely and make opportunities for doing good?

Spend Time in Prayer:  Ask God for the ability to retain a pure mind in an environment of obscene stories and coarse jokes.

Ephesians 5:4-16

4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.

7 Don’t participate in the things these people do.8 for once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!9 for this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.

13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them,14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,”Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

Prayer for the Week: Lord, transform my life by renewing my mind in accordance with Your good and perfect will.

7 Promises God Gives People Who Tithe

These promises come from my primary passage Malachi 3:8-12, during which God makes this request, “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,’ says the Lord of  hosts.” This is what God says He will do if you test Him:

1. “I will not open for you the windows of heaven” – This indicates a sudden deluge of activity. It is important to note God used this same verbiage in Genesis 7:11-12 when referring to Noah’s flood.
2. “and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” – Rather than being a destructive form of judgement as in Noah’s day, this sudden deluge of activity will be blessings which cannot be contained.  
3. “Then I will rebuke the devourer for you” – Many feel that there was also a physical drought during Malachi’s day in addition to the spiritual drought. The caterpillars and locusts which devoured crops were under God’s mighty hand. So are the devourers in your life.
4. “so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground” – It has been my experience things just last longer for those who put God first with their finances. The cars last longer. The appliances last longer. The HVAC seems to keep working.
5. “nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts. – Back to farming, you will no longer be a barren land. You will live a fruitful and joyful life. While God may directly bless your finances, He may choose to bless other areas of your life such as your family, health, career or spiritual condition of those you love.
6. “All the nations will call you blessed” – Wikipedia states there are 195 countries in the world today. Google Analytics says the leadership content from this site has been read in 198 countries since the beginning of the year. Literally, every nation in the world has benefited from this site’s content.  
7. “for you shall be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts. – A revival of generosity and the love of people will be an attractive quality for all who know you.

I tested God in the area of tithing and He delivered on all seven of these promises. He honored my faithfulness, but more importantly, He honored His everlasting Word.

This article originally appeared here.

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Devious Diversions – Vast Wasteland

Key Bible Verse: So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.  – Ephesians 5:15-16

Bonus Reading:  Matthew 5:29-30

Movies, TV, and music so dominate the lives of many, including Christians, that they have no time to think about anything spiritual.

Add net-surfing, computer games, sports, and other hobbies, and we have a society drowning in entertainment!

Our souls are so constantly submerged in a sea of pleasure-seeking that we rarely break the surface to study the Scriptures, worship God, and serve others.

Satan wants you to waste your time.  Too often our pursuit of pleasure preoccupies the mind, consumes the energies of the body, and drains the checkbook.  So we fulfill Paul’s forecast of the last days (2 Timothy 3:4), when people “love pleasure rather than God.”  That’s why you must set strict limits on the amount of time and money you spend on entertainment.

The application of the surgical language in today’s Bonus Reading to your entertainment choices is clear: If something you watch, read, or listen to influences you toward evil in your heart or actions, stay away from it.

If you find yourself consumed with a particular hobby, get it out of your life until such a time that you can enjoy it in moderation and propriety.

—Dave Swavely in Who Are You to Judge?

My Response: To be a faithful disciple, I need to eliminate or cut back on …

Thought to Apply: I hate television. I hate it as much as peanuts. But I can’t stop eating peanuts.—Orson Welles

Adapted from Who Are You to Judge? (P & R Publishing, 2005)

Prayer for the Week: Lord, transform my life by renewing my mind in accordance with Your good and perfect will.