Lenten Devotional - Day 6
Lenten Devotional
Daily Devotional
Philippians 4:6-7
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Julie Burroughs
Reflection:
A lot of parenting involves learning patience. When my son was an infant and toddler, he instructed me in patience through battling sleep. I held him, rocked him, and sang to him, but if I were not completely relaxed, he sensed it, would not relax, and postpone sleep. Ihad to not only take time to hold, rock, and sing, but I had to have patience with him through the process. This patience could not be faked. He could always tell when it was not genuine.
Impatience crawls under the skin and seeps out somehow, revealing a missing inner peace no matter what the face attempts to show.
Parenthood is one of the most anxiety-ridden roles in life that comes to my mind. The worry related to it can be so oppressive. My child can be quite accident-prone. He has had a concussion from a mere slip on wet pavement in our driveway, and he once shut his thumb in a door jam, resulting in losing his thumbnail, bleeding that was difficult to stop, and a chipped bone.
So, what did I do for personal peace and genuine patience in such challenging parenting moments? I pray. I breathe deeply and clear my mind as best I can. When singing, I sing Christian music, focusing in on the words. I move my mind from other distractions and busyness and instead count my blessings. All of these are forms of prayer. Whatever forms you use, pouring out in conversation with God releases anxiety and realizes peace.
"Have no anxiety about anything" sounds like the perfect "get out of jail free" card when it comes to worry. Of course, just like you have to draw that card in a game of Monopoly, you have to take action to have no anxiety. Think about how thankful you are in a game of Monopoly to pull that "get out of jail free" card out of the deck. That is when to be thankful, at the moment of prayer.
Prayer:
Lord, Please grant me self-control to practice techniques for patience in those situations where impatience likes to creep in and steal my peace. Remind me of the blessings I have.
Thank You for always hearing and answering! Amen.
Lenten Devotional - Day 5
Lenten Devotional
Daily Devotional
Read and pray over the Scripture from John 17. Then, spend some time in prayer, using the prayer from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as your guide. How do we need to seek unity as the people of New Hope? How might we become more unified with our Christian brothers and sisters from other cultures, races, and denominations? Ask God to show you those places deep within you that are resisting unity, peace, justice, and wholeness.
John 17:20-21, I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one-as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
A Prayer from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind; in whom to dwell is to find peace and security;
toward whom to turn is to find life and life eternal, we humbly beseech Thee for all sorts and conditions of men;
that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them,
Thy saving health unto all nations.
We also pray for Thy holy Church universal;
that it may be so guided and governed by Thy Spirit,
that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit,
in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life.
Finally, we commend to Thy Fatherly goodness all those who are in any way afflicted or distressed in mind or body.
Give them patience under the suffering and power of endurance.
This we ask in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Lenten Devotional - 1 Sunday "Little Easter"
Lenten Devotional
Daily Devotional
Sunday "Little Easter"
Every Sunday in Lent is considered a "little Easter," a time to celebrate the Lord's resurrection and spend time praising God. So, in keeping with this, our Sunday devotionals will be traditional Easter hymns. Take a moment to sing these with your family or by yourself. If you like, listen to the song on your computer or phone. But be sure to spend time rejoicing and praising God for our new life in Jesus Christ.
Crown Him with Many Crowns
By Matthew Bridges, 1852
1. Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! How the heav'nly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul and sing Of Him Who died for thee, And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.
2. Crown Him the Lord of love!
Behold His hands and side-
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends His wond'ring eye
At mysteries so bright.
3. Crown Him the Lord of life!
Who triumphed o'er the grave, Who rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring, And lives that death may die.
4. Crown Him the Lord of heav'n!
One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit through Him giv'n
From yonder glorious throne, To Thee be endless praise, For Thou for us hast died;
Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days
Adored and magnified
Lenten Devotional - Day 4
Lenten Devotional
Daily Devotional
Phillippians 4:6
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Julie Burroughs
Reflection:
My Facebook timeline popped up a memory this morning describing a list of what I called
"trials" that occurred all in one day at the time. Those trials seem trivial now in the light of what the world is facing with COVID-19 and all the actions being taken to battle the pandemic. We have a lot to worry about, but let's turn that worry into prayer!
An important element to prayer is to fill it with trust in and praise for our Lord. The ability to fill our words and actions with trust and praise, especially in times of adversity, sets us apart as Christians and, by doing so, serves as witness to the world.
Prayer:
Lord, Let us never forget we are Yours and You deeply care for us. Grant me Your peace as a sign to others that You are in control no matter what.
Lenten Devotional - Day 3
Lenten Devotional
Daily Devotional
Psalm 96:1-2
Sing a new song to the LORD!
Let the whole earth sing to the LORD!
Sing to the LORD; praise his name.
Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
I Will Sing a New Song by Howard Thurman
The old song of my spirit has wearied itself out.
It has long ago been learned by my heart;
It repeats itself over and over,
bringing no added joy to my days or lift to my spirit.
I will sing a new song.
I must learn the new song for the new needs.
I must fashion new words born of all the new growth of my life - of my mind - of my spirit.
I must prepare for new melodies that have never been mine before, that all that is within me may lift my voice unto God.
Therefore, I shall rejoice with each new day and delight my spirit in each fresh unfolding.
I will sing, this day, a new song unto the Lord.
Lord, bless this day. Let me rejoice and sing a new song. Let your spirit come within me and let me do something about it. Amen.
Lenten Devotional - DAY 2
Lenten Devotional
BY PASTOR VICKI HARRISON
Luke 17:20-21
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst."
Reflection: It was on a family road trip this past summer that I found myself with my three young adult children in a thrift store in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We had been driving through the Midwest, working our way to Michigan. After a morning of bicycling, we were all tired. My husband, Richard, headed back to the Airbnb and we decided to check out some shops.
The thrift store was run by an organization that provides resources to chronically mentally ill individuals.
It was in the basement of an older downtown building and we were the only customers. We weren't there long before one of the employees fell off his stool and hit his head on the concrete floor. It appeared the man lost consciousness, at least briefly, and the other workers were understandably upset.
I asked my oldest son, an EMT at the time, to see if he could help. Daniel went over to the man, identified himself, and asked some basic questions. He called 911 and continued to keep the man still and the others calm.
While waiting for the ambulance, I felt led to pray for the man. He was still on the floor with Daniel and another man sitting close by him. I walked over and asked if I could pray for the man who fell. I explained 1am a pastor and I believe in the power of prayer. The man's friend, also a worker at the store, said he didn't know female pastors existed. I laughed and assured him we are real, adding a bit of levity. They both agreed to a prayer. While it felt rushed and awkward, both men seemed more at peace.
The ambulance arrived and it seemed like the right time for us to leave. We had made our way out of the building when I hear a man calling out, "Wait!" turned and the man's friend was running toward us.
"Will you pray for me too?" he asked, breathing heavily after running to catch us. "I used to have faith a long time ago but a lot has happened in my life. I need prayer that I can believe again."
"Of course," I said, "Let's pray right now." Then, standing on the sidewalk in downtown Milwaukee, I took his hands and we prayed. I don't remember exactly what I said, the words weren't really mine after all.
When I finished, the man was crying. The presence of the Spirit was strong, almost palpable. We hugged briefly and he headed back to the store. The moment was over.
But it wasn't really over, was it? When the Kingdom of God comes near to us, whether we are in worship or on a sidewalk in Milwaukee, it isn't over at all. When we encounter the presence of the Living God, we always are transformed in some way. For me, it was additional confirmation to listen to the Spirit's promptings. For my children, it demonstrated how God can and will use us in the most unusual of places. For the two men, my prayer continues to be that seeds were planted, pointing them one step closer to faith in Jesus. There was a purpose for our visit that day and I trust that the Holy Spirit will now send another faithful person to sow, another to water, and another to harvest. Come, Holy Spirit.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I cry out to you for only Your Voice and Your Direction. You have told me You are doing a new thing. You brought me to Mt. Precipice and reminded me again of Your Word. Give me eyes to see, ears to hear, wisdom to discern, and boldness to step out in Your Strength. In the Name Above All Names, I humbly offer my prayer, Amen.
Lenten Devotional Day 1 - Ash Wednesday
Lenten Devotional for Ash Wednesday
ASH WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL
BY PASTOR VICKI HARRISON
Scripture Reading:
Psalm 103:13-17,
The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him…
Reflection:
When Daniel was in high school, he really struggled to wake up in the morning. I did everything I could to get him up, from playing loud music to pouring water on his head (desperate times call for desperate measures!) I was really worried he would go off to college and never wake up for classes. In a last-ditch effort, I bought what Amazon declared was the loudest alarm clock available. It was called the Sonic Boom. One of the reviews said it was like the Russian army invading your bedroom in the morning. The first morning it went off, the whole house shook and Richard and I sat up immediately in our bed on the other side of the house. No living thing could sleep with the Sonic Boom to wake them from their slumber.
Today is Ash Wednesday. Many of you have asked what the purpose of Ash Wednesday is for us as Methodists. I like to think of Ash Wednesday as an alarm clock for our tired, routine lives. After a global pandemic, internet church services, and loss of connection, we have been coasting spiritually. We need a spiritual Sonic Boom to wake us from our deep slumber and remind us how short these lives really are! Are we using our one and only live in a way that brings glory to God? Are we right with God? Are we putting value in things with eternal value? What changes do we need to make to reorient our lives toward God and away from the things of this world? For what do we need to repent?
Ash Wednesday reminds us how fragile and temporary our lives in this world truly are. As we place the ashes on each forehead in the sign of the cross, we say, “From dust you have come and to dust you will return.” All of us will return to dust. But God and God’s love are eternal. I don’t know about you, but I need that reminder.
Prayer:
Lord, Thank you for loving me. Wake me up from my spiritual sleepiness so that I can be fully focused on you. During this season of Lent, help me to be fully aware of your presence in my life. I want to be closer to you! I’m sorry for how I have messed up over and over again. Forgive me, Lord. I know this life is short. May I use my days to glorify you and you alone. In the name of Jesus, Amen.