ENTERING JERUSALEM ONE MORE TIME

Here's today's d365 daily devotion with my addition. For a full explanation, scroll back to March 21, 2013.

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
Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.
    Philippians 3:7-9

Devotion
We are thankful for the blessings that God has showered upon us, but we are not supposed to mistake those blessings for some kind of evaluation of our worth or value. We are valuable because we are children of God and we are loved. The “rubbish” Paul is casting aside here is any status he may have been accorded by society because of his birthright and even his honorable behavior. He wants to clear away his ego in order to make room for salvation. He wants to clear out pride to make room for faith.

Our motivations matter to God. The next time you do the right thing, consider your driving force – is it pure love for God, or is it to preserve an image of yourself as a good person? Can you let go of your status in exchange for your true nature as someone who is eternally saved?
    By Denise Nickerson-Caudéran



 
Oh, how I DO LOVE the HUMOR and IRONY of our God! Just last night I shared a beautiful ‘poster’ on facebook of a dove and the words “Faith is seeing light when all you eyes see is darkness” – which I had immediately associated with the first verse from Hebrews 11 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”  It was created by a page called ‘Positive Inspirational Quotes’. So of course, I shared it. Only to notice an hour later, when a parishioner reposted it from me, that there was one of those links below it to the full story about how Jane and John Doe made $50+ in 3 months...

Well, I was steamed at myself for not noticing and felt I had to put a disclaimer up about THAT part of the post. Here’s part of it (edited for brevity):

I abhor this so-called 'prosperity gospel' that is simply a way of letting people believe that those who have more wealth are being rewarded for having a stronger or better faith than those with less monetary wealth. That is bull-'stuff' and no more biblical than thinking people who get cancer (or leprosy) are being punished by God for their 'extra-bad' sins. Much of Jesus' ministry was to counter these false notions.

If we do something because we think it will show our great faith in God we will be disappointed. Faith is pure grace – unadorned love. Knowing that, our only motivation for any action in our lives should be a response of equally unadorned love. Nuff said.
    By Norma Prina Murphy

Conversation with God
Lord, you have blessed me with an eternal spirit through salvation. Cleanse me of attachment to my position and ambitions on earth. Open my heart to receive your most precious blessing so that I may live through your righteousness. 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. 

And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, 
 if you have faith and do not doubt, 
you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, 
but even if you say to this mountain, 
‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”      
 Matthew 21:21-22

 

“Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation.” ~ Andrew Murray

 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

  

 

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.

Stewardship 3 (October 21, 2012) Romans 12: 1-8

                  For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, 
                  so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 
                  We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 
                  ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; 
                  the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.                                       Romans 12:4-8


Have you ever heard of the '80/20 rule'? The 80/20 rule or the law of the vital few' or the Pareto Principle states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes (Bunkley, Nick (March 3, 2008), "Joseph Juran, 103, Pioneer in Quality Control, Dies", New York Times).  In basic terms, it is the natural reason why you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time, use 20% of your yard tools or cooking utensils 80% of the time .... you get the idea.

Unfortunately the 80/20 rule also plays out in businesses and organizations: usually about 20% of the people generate about 80% of the results. In a church the size of the one I serve, that means everyone on the session and board of deacons plus another handful of folks are doing most of the work. Unless Paul is right and we take it to heart.

Because Paul also tells everyone not to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think, but to know each and every one gains their meaning from life from their being connected to and part of the whole ---the whole which is the body of Christ as it is still incarnate and at work on earth right now in the world. Because we all have one piece of the puzzle of gifts needed to just begin to add up to a portion of who and what Christ is and does.

       + what are your greatest 2 or 3 spiritual gifts and how are you using them to serve God in and through your faith community?

       +  how are you using those spiritual gifts in and through your family? community? school? workplace? organizations you belong to and participate actively in?

       +  what are your greatest 2 or 3 spiritual weaknesses and who do you know that you are able to team up with to 'make up' for your deficit? What deficit does s/he have that you might be able to 'make up' for?

    

The ability to get children to play an Easter song on tone chimes so that it is actually recognizable with only a handful of short rehearsals --- now that's a gift!

These may have grown up the railings of the manse front porch, but I did not 'grow' them! God and a custodian named Sandy did that all by themselves (and good thing , too -- I have a deadly thumb!)

but some have a true gift

 

Anyone who has ever done a major renovation knows that most of us muddle along to do it,

 

 

 

To do these jobs well requires both
 a calling and the gifts to be a crew 
together to help people in distress or  trouble

 

 

At Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New Mexico (see what I see on the mesa?)

"HEART AND ROOTS" by Sarah Caldwell of Morgantown, WV, a budding young artist and granddaughter of a late parishioner (used by permission)

Self-portrait at district pastor's picnic lunch after a rainfall

     

STEWARDSHIP WEEK 2 : (Sept. 30, 2012) 2 Cor 8: 1-7

            We want you to know, brothers and sisters, about the grace of God that has been granted to 
            the churches of Macedonia; ²for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy 
            and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.³For, as I 
            can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, ⁴
               begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints— 2 Cor. 8:1-4


I zeroed right in on v.3 last week to help bring home the fact that there is a difference between 'tithes' and 'offerings'. That what we pledge and give intentionally, regularly, and proportionally to our income is our tithe, and it is what we give 'according to our means' (biblical tithing ranges from 4-20%; we have adopted 10% because it is the most common and has nice symbolism!). This is what we give to pay the expenses of the church and its tithe (benevolence) on to the broader layers of the national church. 

It i the giving that is 'even beyond our means' that is the sacrificial giving, that digs into the money we had earmarked for .... something quite different. This is what we put into the special offerings, the sacrificial giving that is 'above and beyond'. 

        +do you practice the spiritual discipline of tithing? why or why not?

        +what was the last thing you 'gave up' getting in order to give to an 'extra commitment opportunity'? how did it make you feel?

Giving an intentional and regular amount in proportion to my income for the basic expenses, maintenance, and benevolence of the church is my TITHE .... 'OTHER' giving is extra commitment giving, sacrificial offerings, 'BEYOND my means' giving

Next Sunday we come to the Lord's Table with Christians all around the world. We will receive and dedicate our Peacemaking Offering --- an 'OTHER' kind of offering More examples: Feed the Flock Ministry, Gifts and Memorials, Deacons Fund/ Enchanted Tree, buying a Lily in honor of N., the Organ Fund, and so on.(photo of 2012 PCUSA Peacemaking Offering worship materials).

 

Ord 21B (Aug. 26, 2012) Ephesians 6:10-20 

            Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 
            Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand 
            against the wiles of the devil....... As shoes for your feet

            put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel 
            of peace.......Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer 
            and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere
            in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that      
           when I speak,a message may be given to me to make known with 
           boldness the mystery of the gospel,.. Eph. 6:10-11, 15, 18-19   

What struck me immediately about this passage is the 'offensive militaristic' imagery of the battle armor and weapons vs. the 'defensive posture' called for by the writer, making use of the actual defensive weapons named: truth, righteousness, proclamation of the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Spirit, the word of God. THAT is the 'whole armor' of God we are to wear. And with that armor we will be as successful --or more so!-- than Michael Oher at defending his quarterback's blind side.

Which of these necessary Christian defensive points do you have a strong, firm grasp on? And which do you have not so much of? Doesn't this give us an automatic 'to do' list, to be working on those traits which we are a bit 'thin' on so as to build them up, to 'thicken' their ability to act as armor. 

              +How do you discern which are the 'weak links' in  your chain mail?   
              +And once you've determined that, how do you set about fortifying those links?
              +In other words, what is the foundation of all our knowledge and action? 

TRUTH

Short-lived Vice-Moderator Tara Spuhler McCabe, Moderator Neal Pressa, and current Vice Moderator Tom Trinidad, all Teaching Elders,  answer questions and also hear some offer their own stories, at least one speaking the truth of her congregation publicly for the first time, at a Town Hall meeting. 

RIGHTEOUSNESS    

The last of the early morning worship services, on Wednesday we again celebrated Communion in the Ecumenical service.

  
PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF PEACE

Preacher at the Ecumenical Worship Service Wednesday morning.....he did preach the gospel of peace!

Shoes of a person who is not just ready and waiting to preach the gospel of peace, but who does it day in and day out in every aspect of her life.

FAITH

A simple wall banner painted on plain brown wrapping paper -- like paper grocery bags -- in the interactive Prayer Room at GA.

SALVATION

The communion table in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh.We prayed through 9 pages of typed prayer requests turned in on Sunday morning, mostly by folks visiting for the General Assembly. At one point the sunlight shifted through the clerestory windows and bathed it beautiful stone with a luminous quality.  

SPIRIT (WORD OF GOD)

Peace doves beckon you to enter the interactive Prayer Room.

Fireworks from our hotel room on the Fourth of July -- no gentle dove here, pure raucous Wild Goose  (and most definitely on the loose!)

A bit before sunset: pure illumination.

PRAYER

If the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace are beautiful, how much more lovely are the hands of those who pray for peace?

Ordinary 19B (August 12, 2012) Ephesians 4:25-5:2
     My apologies for being 'AWOL' the last 2 Sundays -- I was on vacation!

                 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,  
                 27and do not make room for the devil....29 Let no evil talk come out 
                 of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is 
                 need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And 
                 do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked 
                 with a seal for the day of redemption.         Ephesians 4:26-27, 29-30

Paul (or one of his students) gives us a pretty fair blueprint of how to live the Christian life in this passage, ending with the call to be imitators of God and live in love as did Christ. And it's not anything new or ridiculous, like if he told us to purify our hearts by holding our breath for 5 minutes, or to eat and sleep with pigs as penance for lying to your neighbor!

No, we are simply instructed to tell the truth, told it's alright to get angry (just not to let it fester so as to create an opening for the evil one), stop stealing, no more evil talk, only speak what is edifying and grace-filled (and take care not to cause the Holy Spirit of God any grief!), Don't be bitter, wrathful, don't even think about malice or slander.  No, just be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving of one another. Simple things, right?  

HAH!

     + is there any real hope that a family can exist with little or no 
       gossiping, back-biting, complaining? what about a company?
       a church?
    + can we ever hope to see a positive political campaign again?
    + why are we humans so good at remembering when it comes to
       having been wronged ..... and find it just about impossible to
       truly forgive?

The book that started a whole series of events into motion....

One little psalter and we have both the basis of copyright law that still stands today AND (to my knowledge) the cause of the very first HYMNAL WAR!!!      (A.D. 6th Century)

Watchtower on the wall built to separate the Catholic neighborhood of Boggtown from Protestant Derry. It was here that Columba (Colm Cille) was serving when he  self-imposed  banishment from his beloved Ireland as penance for the lives of those who died in battle over 'his' psalter.

Empty police barracks in Belfast once used for British troops

The River Coe flowing down a few kilometers to what was, in 1692, the highland community of Glencoe, of the clan MacDonald. A surprise attack in the night by lowland soldiers enjoying the clan's hospitality forced the men to attempt escape up along the river. In 'The Massacre of Glencoe' as it is still called, 38 men were murdered, and 40 women and children were left to die of exposure when their homes were burned in the mid-February winter..

 

A colleague touches the marker of paving stones laid out in a W over a G next to a parked car in St. Andrew's, Scotland. At that place George Wishart was burnt at the stake as one of the first Protestant martyrs in Scotland.

The infamous Field of Flodden, where the fairest of Scotland's future were all killed in 1513.

  

Seen in the first half hour after we landed in Dublin, Ireland. Perhaps one day we will listen  just a bit better to Paul or Jesus or at least God! and put a stop to senseless killing -- and just learn to 'get along'.