Category Archives: Presbyterian Church (USA)

Christian, devotion, Prayer, Presbyterian Church (USA), Psalms, Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace Devotion for April 21, 2017

Devotional Reading: Psalm 148

Text: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise God in the heights! (v. 1)

For several years the first thing that I do when I wake up in the morning is to lay in bed for a few minutes, collect my thoughts, and think about three things that I am thankful for; three things that bring me joy or make me smile. More often than not, they are people. Sometimes it is the breakfast that I’m going to eat or the cup of coffee or tea that I’m going to drink.  At the end of the day, when I go to bed I quietly say a rote prayer I learned in my childhood and recall three things that I accomplished or made me happy. I always try to fall asleep with a “happy” thought and a smile.

Today’s “Devotional Reading” is a morning Psalm but it is appropriate at any time of day.  It is a call to “be thankful.” It is easy for us to become consumed by the worries of the day, various problems that cropped up, and dealings with difficult people.  We can lose our perspective and forget that each day is a gift, and an unmerited gift at that. We can forget that God walked beside us throughout the day, and watches over us at night.

Beginning and ending the day with a moment of thanksgiving is the least that we can do to show our appreciation and even our love for the Creator of the Ends of the Earth and the Keeper of All Time.

Lord, put into me a thankful heart. Direct your Spirit to move me to begin and end each day with the spirit of gratitude. Amen.

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Christian, devotion, Love, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Gospel of John, Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace Devotion for April 20, 2017

Devotional Reading: John 15: 12-27

Text: This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (John 15: 12)

Jesus only gave one commandment in His life: that those who would take Him seriously, who would be His followers walking in His footsteps, would Love. The distinguishing mark of His followers would not be how they talked or the clothes they wore or the jobs they held. No, they would be known by how well they loved–those in their community as well as those outside their community. It would be known by how well they loved their immediate family as well as the Least, the Last and the Lost.

A Jesus’s love is not a squishy love. It is a hard love. It is a self-sacrificing love. It is not a love that does the easy thing just “to be done with it” but digs into the roots of situations and works toward systemic change that works for the betterment of all. It sees the “big picture” as well as the small individual. It sees the “other” as a person, as a child of God created in the Divine Image.

Jesus’ love is not based on emotion or feelings. It is not given just when “we feel like it”, but even when we do not feel like it. It respects the other person. It does not take advantage or look for its own gain at the expense of another. It is self-sacrificial as well self-respecting. It does not allow another to take advantage, nor does it take advantage.

As I said, it is a hard love. It is a God love.

Lord God, let me see others today as You see them. Let me look for the best in those with whom I share this life but don’t let me be blind to their darker side. Let me see clearly and at the same time love thoroughly with a Jesus-like love. Amen.

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Christian, devotion, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Gospel of John, Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace Daily Devotion for April 19, 2017

Devotional Reading: John 15: 1-11 (from the Daily Lectionary)

Text: I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide (live) in Me and I in them, bear much fruit. Cut off from Me, you can do nothing. (v.5)

“What is your North Star?” What gives your life direction, a sense of purpose? In William Damon’s book, Path to Purpose, the author talks about the necessity of having an overarching purpose in life. This is different from a life “plan”. Plans are good but life never works out as planned. A purpose, though, is a North Star keeping us headed in the right direction. It is never too late to adopt a purpose. All we have to do is the hard work of looking our current reality squarely in the face and making the adjustments necessary to move toward our purpose.

It is easy for us to become hypnotized by shiny temporal objects and adopting them as our purpose. Fame, wealth, glory, popularity are temporary. “The Westminster Divines” spent years debating the nature of meaningful human purpose before they wrote their major theological work. One part of this work is called “The Shorter Catechism.” Its first question sets the tone for the 149 that follow. “What is the chief end (purpose) of Man (and, presumably Woman)? Answer: “To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

The only real eternal purpose in life is to “glorify God”;  to live a God glorifying life. A life that glorifies God is not based on plans that change at the whim of circumstance. It may lead to a religious vocation, but most probably not. It will, though, sensitize us to the plight of the least, the last and the lost. It will challenge us to be the best student, the best employee, the best spouse, the best citizen–especially world citizen–that we can be. Glorifying God in all of our decisions is the only thing that can give our lives real meaning–eternal meaning.

Lord, Show me how to glorify you in all that I do and say today. Let me not seek vain glory or honor or fleeting wealth. Show me how to live in such a manner that it my life should end today I can be confident that I would hear Your voice whisper, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.

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Christian, devotion, faith, Holy Spirit, Orphan, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Gospel of John, Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace for April 18, 2017

Devotional Reading: John 14: 15-31.

Text: I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.

I remember the first time that I told someone that no matter how old we are, it hurts to become an orphan. At first they looked at me queerly, but then a knowing look dawned across their face as a tear welled up in his eye. He was the oldest sibling and I had just performed the funeral service of his last parent. And although the man was in his 60s it dawned on him; for a moment he felt like a child again. I became an orphan at 53 years of age. When a person becomes an orphan they realize that there is a part of their past that is forever gone, the part that was contained only in their parents’ memory.

It has been said that you are never truly an adult until your last parent dies; when you become an orphan. I think that this is true because it is only then that you realize that you are now “on the front lines of life.” You may have been independent for years, even decades, but while your parents are alive there seems to be an imaginary buffer between you and life’s final chapter. Even if they are frail and you are now taking care of them, they are still there…that buffer. With their passing life suddenly takes on a more serious air.

Jesus told His disciples that he would not leave them orphaned. He would not leave them alone. They would not be by themselves, left alone in a world that neither understood the lessons that Jesus taught nor those who followed His teachings. He promised them Another, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit. Even though He would no longer be with them in the way that He was, He would still be with them. They needed to simply listen to the promptings of the Spirit in the community of faith. He was talking about more than a memory. He was talking about a real Presence, touched and tasted in the sacraments and felt in the blessed community of faith.

My mom and dad have been gathered to their ancestors, in the quaint words of the Old Testament, for several years now. They joined the Cloud of Witnesses of the Letter to the Hebrews, the Church Triumphant. But they are still with me. I catch glimpses of them in the mirror sometimes. I hear their voices in my head; “Slow and steady,” “Don’t worry about sleep, just rest with your eyes closed.”

We have been blessed by those who influenced and guided us. We have been more than blessed by the One who promised not to leave us orphaned.

Lord, I offer prayers of thanksgiving for all of those, known and unknown, remembered and unremembered who have touched my life with love. I offer my greatest prayers of thanksgiving, though, for the One who promised not to leave me orphaned. In His name, Amen. 

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Christian, devotion, Easter, faith, Lenten Devotion, Presbyterian Church (USA), Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace for Easter, 2017

Devotional Reading: Luke 24: 13-35. Morning Psalm 93; Evening Psalm 136.

Text: Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him, and He vanished from their sight. (v. 31)

The walk to Emmaus. It is often an Easter evening text and one that I don’t get to preach on since the churches that I have served do not have an Easter evening service. But the story calls to my heart. It is remembered every time Presbyterian followers of Jesus celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.

Jesus “vanished from their sight” but not from their lives. He is always with us. He also goes before us. Some theologians call this prevenient grace or the grace the precedes. It is this grace that leads us as we live a life of faith. Christ always precedes us, always arrives before us and is always waiting for us. There is a comfort in that knowledge.

Gone from our sight but not from our lives. He showed us Life and Death and Life again.

Lord, thank you for Your grace that opens our eyes; your grace that precedes us in life. Thank you for walking before us and with us. May my life glorify you, Amen.

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Christian, devotion, Hebrews, Letter to the, Lenten Devotion, Presbyterian Church (USA), Sabbath, Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace for the 40th Day of Lent, 2017

Devotional Reading: Hebrews 4: 1-16* . Morning Psalm 43; Evening Psalm 31.

Text: So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labors as God did from His. Let us therefore make every effort to enter into that rest, … (vss. 9,10,11a)

While coming home from an out of town meeting I made a quick stop at a McDonalds for a hamburger and a soft drink. A couple about my age was in line ahead of me. They called over to their 20-something son to see if he wanted something to eat or drink. Engrossed in a video game on his I Pad, he didn’t raise his dead as he shook his head.

The couple got their food and sat down across from their son. Waiting for my order I looked over at them and saw that despite various attempts at conversation, their son never took his eyes off of the I Pad nor did his thumbs ever quit moving. The young man seemed to be addicted to his electronic device.** Now I don’t know the family or their situation but their image got me to thinking about the Sabbath.

The letter to the Hebrews encouraged that community to keep a sabbath. We have been created to both work and rest, play and rest. The most durable muscle in a healthy person is their heart. It has been estimated that the heart beats, on average, 42,048,000 times a year and 3,363,840,000 times in a life time. The only way that it can do this is by having a balance between work and rest.

On this 40th day of Lent, take time to consider whether you have a balanced life. All work and no play not only makes Johnny a dull boy but it destroys family and social life.

Lord, motivate me to keep a sabbath and send people into my life who will hold be accountable. Remind me that only by living a balanced life can I truly glorify you. Amen.

*The Common Lectionary does not assign a Gospel text for the Saturday before Easter.

**It is easy for us to become addicted to our electronic devices. Like Pavlov’s dogs we respond to the ding of an incoming email or tweet or… Consider taking an internet or electronic device sabbath for half a day, or even a whole day. 

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Christian, devotion, faith, Good Friday, Lenten Devotion, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Gospel of John, Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace for the 39th Day of Lent, Good Friday, Evening, 2017

Devotional Reading (evening): John 19:38-42. Psalm 105.

Text: Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. (John 19: 39)

The evening devotional reading is a story about a “secret” disciple, Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, the one who came to Jesus at night. Together they came to claim the body of Jesus for burial. What struck me most was not the “secret” disciple–there are many secret disciples in totalitarian countries around the world. Rather, I was struck by Nicodemus, or more accurately, his extravagant generosity. He acted like the woman who bathed Jesus feet with fragrant oil valued at more than a year’s salary and Zacchaeus who not only made restitution but gave away half of his wealth to those in need.

Jesus once said that you can tell about a person’s faith by the fruit that it produces. I think that one of the fruits of the spirit is Generosity. I believe that once a person has been touched by Jesus, truly touched by Jesus, they become extravagantly generous. They become extravagantly generous because they realize that Life is not about them, but about God. They understand that their call to be stewards of everything God entrusted to their care. They realized that they are responsible to God for the assets of God’s Kingdom–the whole of creation including its creatures and especially God’s children.

A part of the Good News is that we are freed to be who God knows we truly are. We are free to be God glorifying stewards.

Lord, open my eyes, heart and mind to see the true abundance of your merciful grace rather than the fearful scarcity that the world wants me to see. Let me have a Nicodemus. Amen.

 

 

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devotion, faith, Good Friday, Lenten Devotion, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Gospel of John, Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace for the 39th Day of Lent, Good Friday Morning, 2017

Devotional Readings for the Day: John 13: 36-38.  Morning Psalm 22

Texts: “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times. (John 13:38).

(There are two devotional readings for today; one for the morning and one for the end of the day. They will be treated in separate Glimpses of Grace.)

One morning, when I was in grade school, my mother came into my room to wake me up for school.  Blurry-eyed, I slowly rolled over and said, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak!” Where that came from I do not know. My family often took “church sabbaticals”, largely due to work schedules. And, I was definitely not a religious kid; sports were my religion. Nor was I good at memorizing scripture verses. So where the words came from I have no idea!

The morning devotional reading is a part of the exchange between Jesus and Peter. Peter had just pledged his unwavering loyalty to Jesus, but Jesus knew better. He knew who Peter. He knew Peter better than Peter knew himself.

We say that we love Jesus and that our faith is solid, unshakable. Yet, often we, too, falter when following Jesus gets in the way of our safety, security or wealth. Our spirit may be willing but our flesh is indeed weak. Jesus knows this. God knows this. The Psalmist acknowledged this: “God knows we are weak and remembers that we are made of dust”. (Psalm 103: 14)

As we walk in Jesus discipleship we will stumble and fall. We will deny His Lordship of our lives in a variety of subtle and not so subtle ways. But here is the good news: we are forgiven. God picks us up, brushes us off and sets us on the path of discipleship again and again and again. And each time we will do better until we are finally molded into a reflection of Christ.

Lord, I want to be true but I am weak. Teach me. Strengthen me in my weak places. Give me courage. Amen.

 

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Christian, devotion, Lenten Devotion, Presbyterian Church (USA), The Gospel of John, Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace for the 38th Day of Lent, Maundy Thursday, 2017

Devotional Reading John 17: 1-26. Morning Psalm 27; Evening Psalm 126.

Text: I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. … As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (vss. 15 and 18, Jesus “Great Priestly Prayer)

I have problems with “labeling” people and things. Not labels on packaging but labels that segregate–Christian music, for example. If “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1), then I believe that all music is glorifying in that it is used by God to teach us something. Sometimes we label certain teachings as “Christian” when in reality they simply re-enforce our prejudices and stifle curiosity.

In His prayer “High Priestly Prayer” Jesus reminded His disciples that they were not to withdraw from the world but be deep in the mix of it.  His followers are to be involved in every aspect of family, business and community life. How else can they be light in the midst of darkness? We are harbingers of God’s Kingdom, proclaimers of God’s eternal unconditional love. We are the living “the Body of Christ” touching society’s “lepers”, talking to the “Samaritan woman at the well”, and forgiving as freely as God has forgiven us. We are both proclaimers of the Good News and its very embodiment.

The High Priestly Prayer is a prayer for us. It is a prayer reminding us that Jesus sends us into the world, and that we must be embedded in the world. After all we are salt. We are light. We are followers of Jesus.

Lord, send me where You will. I submit myself to Your leading, trusting in Your  Providential care. I will do my best in glorifying Your Name. Amen.

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Christian, devotion, Lenten Devotion, Presbyterian Church (USA), Uncategorized

Glimpses of Grace for the 37th Day of Lent, Wednesday, 2017

Devotional Reading: John 12: 27-36. Morning Psalm 5; Evening Psalm 27.

Text: Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say–“Father, save me from this hour?” No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.” (Jesus, John 12; 27)

I have found that doing the “right” thing is seldom an easy thing to do. I find comfort in Jesus’ internal debate as He wrestled with what lay before Him. He concluded that he could do no other for to do so would be to avoid purpose for which He came.

The lesson reminded me of a story that occurred centuries earlier as an Old Testament figure named Esther faced a dangerous and life changing decision. Would she keep silent or speak up? Would she reveal who she was or let evil win? Her cousin Mordecai challenged her and wondered if “for a time such as this she had been born”. Her decision changed the fate of a people. Jesus decision changed the fate of the world.

We probably won’t face such a life and death with the decision in our lives. But we will find that doing the right thing is not easy because it means that we must be willing to lose something. But we also know that in John’s gospel at least, Jesus made the ultimate “right” decision. And that changes everything.

Lord, give us the clarity of vision and the courage of conviction to make the “right” decision in our daily events. Amen.

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