ENTERING JERUSALEM ONE MORE TIME

The Lord be with you!

For the next week and a half I am going to repost each day's 'Journey to the Cross' devotions (otherwise known as www.d365.org). The reason for posting them here and not just a link? I will be adding some comments to the devotions portion each day (and maybe a photo or two!). 

The theme for the rest of this week is: God Rains Blessings

I pray you are uplifted, as I am, by these brief but 'right on' and connected to real life daily devotions.
 

Presence of God
It's very easy to complain. It's easy to imagine that our sufferings,  our struggles, are unlike any that others have experienced.

It's harder to see, especially in the tough times, that God's blessings are still around, that God remains faithful.

Look now to see what blessings God has in store for you today, especially if you are finding that hard to do.

Word of God
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”
    John 12:1-8

Devotion
Each day, we have the chance to pay attention, to be fully present. This dinner was a very special event for the people together there. Lazarus, Jesus’ friend, had the distinct honor of being raised from the dead. I’m sure he was happy to be alive, to have dinner with the Lord. Mary marked the sacred moment with a gift of expensive perfumed oil for Jesus’ feet.

Judas was counting pennies with what seemed like a valid point; but we are reminded of God’s all-seeing knowledge. Judas was really worried about what he might steal. Jesus was concerned for his friends who would soon have to let him go. In any situation, there is always more going on than meets the eye. Leaving God’s work to God, we can be authentic and attentive without the whole story. Today, can you make those you are with feel blessed by being present?
    Denise Nickerson-Caudéran

This really calls for a large dose of trust — that there IS a bigger picture that we can’t see AND that it is in God’s hands. What I hear Denise saying is that we have just so much time and energy each day; will we spend it worrying about all the little things that don’t seem to make perfect sense or have a logical, scientific answer? For when God is at work (and we don’t get in the way!) that’s when really great things happen! AND it is only when we focus on our one task at hand — and the person(s) placed in our path at that moment that we fulfill our calling at that time, and the Kingdom of heaven becomes real. That can’t happen when we are dwelling in the past, nor living only in visions and dreams of the future. The Kingdom of heaven is real on earth only when we are fully present (that connection of being authentically present to others), even just for a moment. And that leaves all who are involved in the experience feeling a deep joy and a kind of peace that is beyond explanation. Feeling blessed!
    Norma Prina Murphy

Conversation with God

When I give my attention, time, and gifts to others, I am blessed with connection. Let me connect to you and to my family and friends, following your example. God, make me fully present. Amen.

Benediction
God's blessings are raining down.
Walk with your face lifted up;
Lift your hands also to receive
The gift of God's presence,
The embrace of the One who is near. 

 

How better to be fully present to another than to pray together?

  

.... and pray for one another, ....      James 5:16

] 

 

These photos were taken at the First Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania during the 220th General Assembly of the PC(USA) held in our city last summer (July, 2012). These 2 plus myself were working a 4-hour prayer team session in the sanctuary and had prayed through pages (20+!) of prayer requests turned in at worship the day before.  Kay and David prayed, knowing I would be taking some pictures just as David and I had also prayed, knowing Kay would be shooting us. It is hard to find a situation when you feel comfortable about photographing people actually in prayer, not just posing.