Proverbs 12:10 The godly care for their animals, but the
wicked are always cruel.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Monday’s Musings: Keeping it Together
Ephesians 4:2 Be
completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
I learned in seminary that part of a pastor’s role is to be
a calming presence for their congregants. In situations where emotions run high
we need to keep our cool. That's good advice.
However today as I officiated at the committal service of a beloved
member I lost it during the Marine's portion at the end. The playing of taps
and presentation of the flag to the widow was so moving. I hope people know
that as we pastors minister to others that we may be telling ourselves, “the
pastor is not supposed to cry. Be the calming presence.” But our hearts break
along with theirs.
Thank you Lord, for giving us hearts to love and serve one
another. Bless us each day. We
especially pray today for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. We
ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless,
Paige
Friday, April 26, 2013
Friday’s Musings: Three Wishes
Modified and used 1-30-20
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
Often when I walk I let my mind wander to help pass the
time. This morning I played the “What if
I was granted three wishes” mind game.
More times than not when we see this happening in books or movies, the
person makes unwise choices and the wishes backfire. Instead of wishing for fame, fortune, youth
or beauty I thought about skills I’d like to have. I’d like to be able to run 10k races well
enough to finish in the middle of the pack; to have a great memory and to be
more musically talented. The last two gifts I could use in my ministry. Still every time I fall into those imaginary
games of suddenly acquiring what others worked for years to get, I feel a
little guilty. It wouldn’t seem
fair. This morning I concluded how
thankful I am for all that God has given me.
I am rich in faith and that’s absolutely the most wonderful gift one can
have.
Thank you God that when we have a relationship with you that
we can find satisfaction in life, no matter what our position. We ask that you help each of us to be the
best that we can be. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Have a blessed weekend!
Please come to the church Sat. for our big book, music and movie
sale. Proceeds will go to fund mission
outreach.
Paige
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Thursday’s Musings: Blessed be the Pure
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed
are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
I am trying to be better about drinking water. I know adequate water consumption is vital for
good health. Along the same lines, I
want to drink water from which the impurities and chemicals found in tap water
have been removed. At home we have a
Brita pitcher that filters the water. I
have to continually refill the pitcher.
It would be nice to have a whole house filter that would make the water
coming from the taps pure.
I thought about our lives and the concept of purity and did a scripture search on the word. Our first scripture talks about our heart – basically our thoughts and attitudes. Impurities make it more difficult for us to relate to God. Sin separates us from God. The second shows that God will reveal ways to capture the purity of heart by seeking the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. James reveals our response as a church is to care for the needy and to be “in the world, but not of the world.”
I thought about our lives and the concept of purity and did a scripture search on the word. Our first scripture talks about our heart – basically our thoughts and attitudes. Impurities make it more difficult for us to relate to God. Sin separates us from God. The second shows that God will reveal ways to capture the purity of heart by seeking the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. James reveals our response as a church is to care for the needy and to be “in the world, but not of the world.”
Holy God, we ask that you touch our hearts today with your
peace and wisdom. In Jesus’ name we
pray. Amen.
Have
a beautiful day,Paige
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Wednesday’s Musings: In My Father’s House
John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were
not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Yesterday afternoon I took a nice long walk. It was good to
be out. I encountered our 104 year old
neighbor and his daughter, stopped to watch the little boys playing ball, and spoke
with a dad who was watching, too. They were so cute in their uniforms. As I walked up Wheeler Street towards home I
greeted a woman who was standing in her driveway next to the sidewalk. When I asked how she was, she immediately
started a conversation. Her response was
that she was blessed to have woken up that day. “There’s many people who don’t,”
she said. She was missing a lot of teeth and I imagine she’d had other
challenges in life. But she was claiming
that what blessings she lacked on earth, she knew were waiting for her in
heaven. “I know that in heaven there’s a
mansion waiting for me because in my Father’s house there are many mansions.” We sprinkled our conversation with quotes
from scripture. When I shared that I was
a pastor she threw her arms around me saying that God must have arranged for us
to meet. Before I left we held hands
right there by the street and I prayed for her. This happens often to me as I carry Christ
outside the church to the people of Hapeville. Early this morning we lost our
beloved member Archie Trundle. He is now
checking out his mansion. I know he left this earth believing that he was loved
here and in heaven. What the world needs now is more believers like these two.
Loving God, thank you for life. You have given us the knowledge that when
this earthly existence is over, it is not the end of life, but rather the
beginning of new life; one in which we will see our Lord Jesus Christ face to
face. Be with those who are grieving
today, and help us to spread the Gospel so that all may be saved. Amen.
God
Bless,Paige
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Tuesday’s Musings: Heart Prayers
1 Corinthians 14:15 What am I to do? I will pray with my
spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit,
but I will sing with my mind also.
Someone posted this unattributed quote on Facebook this
morning and I liked it. “God is the best listener. You don’t need to shout nor
cry out loud because He hears even the
very silent prayer of a sincere heart.”
Another said, “When you fall in love with God, wonderful things begin to
happen.” I think these are related. In my 20’s I found myself in a life and relationship
that just wasn’t working. I grew up
believing in God, but not having the advantage of regular church and Sunday
school attendance, I didn’t know how to love God or be in a relationship with
God. The first Sunday I ventured into
church after my divorce my life began to change. The more I learned about God working in our
lives and that we could ask for that, the more wonderful things happened to
me. I do spend time in intentional
prayer each day but I also know that God listens to my heart because it is
attuned to Him. I carry my love of so
many people in my heart. My hope is that even when I’m not consciously doing
it, I am lifting them up to God for strength, guidance, health, healing and
happiness. I hope you lift me up, too.
Holy God, help us to keep our hearts attuned to you and to
the needs of others. May we be a bridge to you for those who don’t yet know you
and don’t know how to pray. We ask in
Jesus’ name. Amen.
Blessings,
Paige
Paige
Monday, April 22, 2013
Monday’s Musings: Seriously?? Yes Seriously!!
Luke 9:57-60 (NLT) The
Cost of Following Jesus As they were walking along, someone said to
Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live
in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his
head.” He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he
said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead
bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”
Last year the master shower in the parsonage started leaking
water through the basement ceiling. A contractor came, tore out the bottom, put
in a new shower pan and drain & retiled it.
They tore out the moldy ceiling & replaced it without checking if
their work had really stopped the leak. It hadn’t. Two months ago they came back, tore out the
ceiling once more. They finally
determined that water was getting behind the tile walls. As of today the project is still not
complete. The contractor shows up four hours late then leaves. His workers wait for supplies he’s supposed
to be bringing but he never comes. My patience with this irresponsible person
has now given out. We have wonderful
trustees, but they can’t make the man finish any sooner than I can. I was brought up to make commitments and then
to keep them. I could never operate like this contractor runs his business.
Yet I’ve seen the same lack of adherence to commitment in
churches. They don’t take their involvement with Christ’s church seriously. Pastors and members are responsible for the
wellbeing and ministry of the church.
These days, however we see too many people who come to church when they
don’t have anything better to do. The
schedule work on Sunday, they stay up late on Saturday night and “can’t get out
of bed,” they agree to family parties that conflict with church attendance.
I admit that sometimes people really don’t have choices. But I’ve also seen over many years that when people make Sunday worship a priority in their life, employers cooperate more with scheduling, relatives plan family events differently, and people understand that Saturday nights need to end earlier because they have a Sunday morning commitment to God. The commitment is to be loyal to Jesus Christ through the church. Jesus understood the cost of following him. There is a direct correlation between someone’s faithfulness to Christ and their church attendance. Churchgoers, your presence is a sign of a commitment and worship attendance is not just for your benefit. Your presence or absence affects the vitality of worship for everyone else, especially in smaller churches when each absence is felt. You are a priority to God. Can you let God be a priority to you?
God
Bless!I admit that sometimes people really don’t have choices. But I’ve also seen over many years that when people make Sunday worship a priority in their life, employers cooperate more with scheduling, relatives plan family events differently, and people understand that Saturday nights need to end earlier because they have a Sunday morning commitment to God. The commitment is to be loyal to Jesus Christ through the church. Jesus understood the cost of following him. There is a direct correlation between someone’s faithfulness to Christ and their church attendance. Churchgoers, your presence is a sign of a commitment and worship attendance is not just for your benefit. Your presence or absence affects the vitality of worship for everyone else, especially in smaller churches when each absence is felt. You are a priority to God. Can you let God be a priority to you?
Paige
Friday, April 19, 2013
Friday’s Musings: Running Towards the Mayhem
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the
law of Christ.
Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Timothy 1:7 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Just this week we’ve seen numerous stories in the news of
people helping other people. I’ll be
using some of these examples in this week’s sermon. From the bombings in Boston to a historic
Methodist church burning down in Athens, to the explosions in West, Texas we’ve
seen people reaching out to help others.
One member of the United Methodist Church in West writes of spending two
hours pulling nursing home residents to safety.
The Red Cross is on the scene as will be United Methodist Disaster
Response Teams when they are needed. You
may not know this but the UMC has a huge disaster response program. Teams are
trained locally in how to respond to natural and other disasters and do much
good work in conjunction with government agencies and the Red Cross. I helped establish a response team at
Bethlehem First UMC and Joe and I went through the training program. This week, though I’ve been on among others
reaching out in other types of personal disaster: I’ve attended the funeral of
a friend’s mother, prayed with someone at the hospital before her surgery, mobilized
prayer for a church member who is critically ill and prayed with his son and
reached out to a family in my group of friends whose husband / father committed
suicide Wed. night.
Whether on a large or personal scale it is rare that someone
goes through life not touched by some type of disaster. Let us all with the courage and love given us
by the Holy Spirit engage in disaster response individually and with other
brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are saddened by the events of this week Lord. So many
people hurt and hurting. Help us to have the courage to run toward the mayhem
and to help others. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Blessings,
Paige
Paige
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Thursday’s Musings: Us in God’s Eyes
Ephesians 2:10 For we
are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God
prepared in advance for us to do.
Dove Soap executives put together an interesting experiment
that they documented on an internet commercial.
They hired a forensic artist – the type police departments use to draw
people using the verbal descriptions given them by someone. In this case they had several women describe
themselves to the artist as he drew. The subject and the artist were unable to
see one another during and after this time.
Then the women were told to get to know one another. Once again the artist drew, but this time
each woman described another of the women to him. Then the women were brought in to look at the
two pictures he had drawn of each one.
In every case the women had emphasized what they felt to be their worst
features, high forehead, round face etc.
The self-described pictures showed unattractive women. However the pictures drawn from being described
from someone else showed an attractive person.
The women were in tears as they discovered that their own self image was
less attractive than the way others saw them. The point was to help women begin
to feel better about themselves. Ephesians 2:10 says we are God’s workmanship.
Psalm 139:14 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Let’s try to think of ourselves as our Maker
sees us.
Loving Creator, we know that you love us and value our
companionship. Whenever we begin to feel
bad about ourselves, remind us that we are your creation. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Have a beautiful day,
Paige
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Wednesday’s Musings: In Praise of the Holy One USED
Modified and used 10-25-21
Paige
Psalm 103:1-5 Bless
the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits— who forgives all your
iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who
crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long
as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Having a busy week? I
know I am. At times like these I know
that I have to prioritize. Some things (laundry!) may get put off so that I can
devote time to more pressing issues.
Unfortunately, sometimes it’s really easy to put aside spending time
with God. I’m fortunate that if I do, soon I really miss that time in prayer
and bible study. While I pray several times a day for others and thank God for
the day before I sleep, I want to be more generous with my praise of God who
deserves our highest praise. If I want to be a better person, praising the one
who created me will help me understand just who I am and who I can become.
Maybe we should go back and read that beautiful praise by David one more time.
Holy God, slow us down so that we might spend more time
seeking your presence. Guide us as we make decisions today and protect us from
unnecessary busyness. In all things let us remember to give you the glory and
honor and praise. Amen.
Have
a peace filled day.Paige
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Tuesday’s Musings: I Will Fear No Evil
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your
staff, they comfort me.
What a terrible tragedy in Boston yesterday. The marathon runners might have been worried
about shin splints or exhaustion or dehydration but they didn’t start the race
thinking about being bomb victims. Evil is alive and well on planet Earth. Yet so is Jesus Christ through the power of
the Holy Spirit and the Church which is his body. Joe and I and some other
church leaders were at a World Methodist Evangelism Institute dinner last
night. The Rev. Eddie Fox gave people a
brief history of the formation of the institute. There were some at the World Methodist
Council who for whatever reason opposed the formation of this evangelism body
which would be a joint venture between the World Methodist Council and Emory
University. A delegate from Tonga stood
up to address the body. Eddie reminded
us that cannibalism was still evident in that country up into the 1800’s. The representative looked at those opposed to
the formation of The WMEI and said, “If those who came to evangelize our
grandfathers had your mindset, we would be eating you now instead of discussing
this.” Bringing Jesus Christ to people
changes lives. We never know what we
might prevent because we brought some potentially troubled soul into the fold
of the Shepherd.
Holy God, we pray your comfort and healing on all those in
Boston who were harmed and for their loved ones. May those responsible be brought to justice.
Please bless our evangelism efforts as we try to bring the love and light of
Christ into the darkness of the world.
In His name we pray. Amen.
Peace,
Paige
PS.
Please be in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ from Oconee Street
UMC in Athens and their pastor Rev. Lisa Caine. The church was destroyed by
fire last night.
Paige
Monday, April 15, 2013
Monday’s Musings: The Master’s Care
Psalm 119:76 May your unfailing love be my comfort,
according to your promise to your servant.
I watched as much as I could of the Masters Tournament over
the weekend and mentioned in the services how beautiful the course is. I think, especially at this time of the year
it must be the most beautiful course in this country. While waiting for players to make their
shots, the commentators often filled the time with small talk about the
course. One, commenting on the green
said that the grass was like velvet; that it was a feat of horticulture. I know that the course does use many advanced
techniques for both the plantings and drainage. Great care is taken by those
who manage it. I’m reminded of the great
care of our Master. As the soloist sang
in yesterday’s service, “His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.” God doesn’t make life carefree. The Masters
course has sand traps, the rough, water hazards and those ever present trees. Our
prayer is for God to help us avoid them and when we miss the fairway, to help
us get back on course.
Loving God, thank you for the beauty of nature and your care
of us. We ask that you guide us through
his week. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Have a great week!
Paige
Paige
Friday, April 12, 2013
Friday’s Musings: Players and Watchers
Expanded and used 2/12/20 for Newspaper and Mailchimp/FB
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts,
but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of
service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the
same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we
can help each other.
An actor in an interview this morning was asked if he played
football as a child. He said he tried it
briefly but quickly gave it up. He
explained, “Some people are born to play the game and some people are born to
watch.” I thought about a ball game. All
the action is not on the field. Players
and coaches and trainers make the game happen, but the organization also needs
spectators and food vendors and ushers and security and cleaning staff. Each
has his or her on part in the overall experience. In God’s service we need preachers and
congregation members. We need those able
to go out and serve the community and we need those able to serve through their
prayers and financial support. Sometimes we have numerous roles, but each one
is important. When we each use our gifts
and we put the variety of gifts, together all are benefitted.
Heavenly God, thank you for the different gifts and talents
we have. Help us to each use our gifts
to your glory and for the good of others.
We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Have a blessed weekend,
Paige
Paige
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Thursday’s Devotion: Taken Hostage!
Romans 5:7 (NLT) Now,
most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone
might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
Yesterday five Gwinnett firefighters responded to a call for
a medical emergency only to be taken hostage by the heavily armed man who
called them. The hostage situation was a
long, dramatic affair. Thankfully all
the first responders will be ok although the hostage taker died when the SWAT
team took action. Someone said that it’s
sad that the first responders who usually are there to rescue people should
have this happen to them. While there is no greater love than to lay down one’s
life for one’s friends (John 15:13) we must really admire our first responders
who put their lives on the line not only for friends, or especially good
persons but for complete strangers.
Let’s pray for God’s protection upon them and remember to express our
appreciation and support whenever we can.
Father God, we pray that you will watch over those who serve
us bravely without regard to our qualifications to receive their help. Please
bless all first responders and keep them safe.
We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
Thankfully,
Paige
Paige
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Wednesday’s Musings: Faith, Hope and Charity
Acts 20:35 In all things I have shown you that by working
hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Yesterday I spent some time reviewing the church financial
statements checking to see if all income and expenses were in proper
categories. During that process I also compared income for various missions and
charities with the checks we have written out. When we have special collections
like the Homeless Offering, we like to pass that along in a timely way. I was so happy to see the generosity of our
members.
I discovered something as I looked for scriptures on
charity. 1 Corinthians 13:13 reads in many translations, “And now these three
remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” However in the King James and other older
translations, instead of love the
word used is charity – “And now there
remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is
charity.” Charity arises from our love
of God’s people. To use charity instead
of “love” in what we often call The Love Chapter gives it a different feel. This type of love isn’t the eros fall in love
mushy kind leading to the weddings where this scripture is often read. It is an unselfish, giving to others agape
love. Now you know, too. It gives us something to ponder whenever we read that
scripture.
Holy Lord, thank you for all kinds of love. Thank you for those who have extended charity
to us and bless those to whom we extend charity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
As an added bonus – here are the lyrics of a favorite song
by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
"The Bible Tells Me So"
Words and Music by Dale Evans Rogers
Words and Music by Dale Evans Rogers
Have faith, hope and charity,
That's the way to live successfully.
How do I know, the Bible tells me so.
That's the way to live successfully.
How do I know, the Bible tells me so.
Do good to your enemies,
And the Blessed Lord you'll surely please,
How do I know, the Bible tells me so.
And the Blessed Lord you'll surely please,
How do I know, the Bible tells me so.
Don't worry 'bout tomorrow,
Just be real good today.
The Lord is right beside you,
He'll guide you all the way
Just be real good today.
The Lord is right beside you,
He'll guide you all the way
Have faith, hope and charity,
That's the way to live successfully.
How do I know, the Bible tells me so!
That's the way to live successfully.
How do I know, the Bible tells me so!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Tuesday’s Musings: Tuck Me In Lord.
Psalm 4:8 In peace I
will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
My mother, bless her heart was not maternal or
domestic. She was not the bake cookies,
tuck you in at night type of mother. She
had an artistic soul; an aspiring professional dancer whose career was ended
with a badly broken leg. I received
other gifts from her yet sometimes I wish I had experienced the night time
togetherness, a bedtime story and a goodnight kiss. Now when I go to bed at
night I have Joe there. And I like to
get still before going to sleep and thank God for the day. Sometimes I feel so close to him that it’s
almost like he’s tucking me in. The Bible says nothing can separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus. Feel alone
at night? Let God tuck you in.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your deep love for us. Be with us when we are feeling lonely and
needy. Continuously fill us with the joy of your presence. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Have
a great day and sweet dreams!Paige
Monday, April 8, 2013
Monday’s Musings: Looking for the Good News
Acts 20:24 But I do not count my life of any value to
myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from
the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God’s grace.
Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the body.
Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the body.
We had a great day at church yesterday. Yet by bedtime I was
feeling rather down. I think it was the
depressing Barbara Stanwyck movie I watched capped off by the late newscast of
fires and deaths and political squabbling and worry over my girl dog who has
growing tumors. In the afternoon Joe and
I spent time with Tommy Carraway in the rehabilitation facility. Tommy has had more than his share of bad
things happen to him. He is an inspiration
in the way he chooses to be happy even when things aren’t going well. Even with
all his health problems, Tommy is a lot better off than many whom we saw at
Crestview. A lot can go wrong in life
yet we can triumph and find happiness with a positive attitude, our faith in
the One who conquers all, and relationships with those who care about us. Tommy is proof of that! These aren’t things that we can earn or buy
yet we can have them if we put forth the effort. Jesus said in this world we would have
trouble, but take heart for he has overcome the world.
Loving God, we ask for your joy this week, even in the
middle of things we consider to be problems.
Help us to remain positive and to feel you love and grace. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Have a great week!
Paige
Paige
Friday, April 5, 2013
Friday’s Musings: Remembering God’s Love USED
Modified and Used 10-12-21
Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty
one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by
his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Isn’t that a beautiful verse? I know that we all have times
when we get tired or discouraged. We
just want to run away to the beach but we know that things must get done and it’s
up to us to do them. God won’t come in
and do all my laundry, but just thinking about how much God loves me does give
me a lift. Talk to God, telling him your problems and ask for help in getting
through each day. Happy Friday! Have a
great weekend.
Thank you God for
your constant presence with us.
Please help us today in all that we must do. Help us to find joy and rest in you. Amen.
Blessings,
Paige
Paige
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Thursday’s Musings: God as a Crutch? Amen!
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present
help in trouble.
How many of you have ever heard non-believers accuse
Christians of using religion as a crutch?
They are really clueless and I feel so sorry for them. Not too long ago we received a phone call in
the evening from our son, Robert. He had
hurt his foot badly while running in Stone Mtn. Park. Because he had walked into the park from his
nearby home a park ranger drove him home.
He crawled around his house and called us to bring him some
crutches. He was injured and couldn’t
walk without them. He’s much better now
but there was no shame in him needing that extra help. We are all injured in some way. Whether we admit it or not, we all need some
type of help negotiating life in this challenging world. There is no shame in turning to the Creator
of the universe for that help. God helps
us get on our feet and stay on our feet.
When we need extra help, God is there.
Crutch? Whatever! I’m so glad to
have God to call upon.
Holy God, I love you so much. Thank you for being my
constant help. Life without you would be so very difficult. All glory and
praise to you. Amen.
Blessings,
Paige
Paige
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Wednesday’s Musings: Roadside Crosses
Updated and used 7-17-19
Paige
Luke 22:19 (NLT) He
took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and
gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do
this to remember me.”
I’ve seen them and I know you’ve all seen them, those small crosses
by the side of the road; crosses that mark the sudden and tragic death of a
loved one. They’re often adorned with flowers; some even have stuffed animals
beside them. People place them there maybe, so that their mother or father or
husband or wife or child won’t be forgotten. I find myself sometimes slowing
down as I pass them. I may not have known the person but they remind me to
drive safely.
Jesus asked the disciples to remember him. We do that in church in many ways including Holy
Communion. On Good Friday at the end of
the service we had the opportunity to place flowers at the base of the
cross. My challenge to those worshippers
was to remember Jesus whenever they saw those roadside crosses. Maybe slow down a bit and say a prayer. God gave his beloved Son to us. His son died a sudden and tragic death,
too. Sunday we celebrated the fact that
the grave could not hold the divine. The
flowers at the base of the cross had been woven together with Easter lilies,
replacing the somber swag as we celebrated the Risen Christ.
Holy God, how you must have suffered to see your beloved Son
die on the cross. Help us to remember Him
and all that Jesus did so that we might live in relationship with you. We ask
in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Have
a blessed day!Paige
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Tuesday’s Musings: Spring Tonic
Revelation 4:11“Worthy
are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you
created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you…
James 4:8 Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you…
I remember my mother telling me that when she was growing,
up once a year she would be given a spring tonic. Most likely it involved cod
liver oil. This was supposed to clean
out her system – sort of like spring cleaning for the body. Thank goodness she
didn’t carry on that tradition. I’m in
the generation that thinks a once a year blow out meal at the Varsity will
accomplish the same thing in a much more tasty way.
Easter Sunday once again brought people to church who do not
worship regularly the rest of the year.
On one hand I was delighted to have them, for the sake of the church but
also for their sake. Worship is always
more energetic when the sanctuary and chapel are filled. And while I was sad that so many people miss
out on the beauty of worship most of the year, I was hopeful that in some way
they left touched and energized and knowing that they are loved by God and the
Risen Christ.
Holy God, we pray for our church that you will bring people
into our doors every Sunday who need to draw closer to you. Help us as we invite people and share with
them that all are welcome to worship with us. Break down the barriers
that keep people from making weekly worship a part of their life. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Monday’s Musings – Why are We Weeping?
John 20:11-15 Mary
stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into
the tomb. She saw two angels dressed in
white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the
foot. The angels asked her, “Woman, why
are you crying?” She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know
where they’ve put him.” As soon as she
had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t
know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her,
“Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
Usually when a phrase is repeated in scripture it means we
should pay special attention to it.
Notice both the angels and Jesus ask Mary, “Why are you crying?” She is crying because she doesn’t yet
understand the truth about the resurrection of Christ. How her mood must have
changed when Jesus called her by name and she recognized him. My heart really breaks for all those in the
world who don’t know about Jesus; how God sent his son to reconcile a sinful
world to God; how death could not hold him and how he is the victor where we
could not succeed on our own. O how I
love Jesus, the song goes. O how I wish
everyone knew about that love. Can we
share?
Holy God, thank you for Jesus. Thank you that we know about the resurrection
and our salvation. Help us to share the
Good News with others this week. In His
name we pray. Amen.
Have
a Great Week!Paige
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