Daily Devotion for October 28

INTRO

Today I officiate the funeral of a long time member, who moved away a couple years back. As a result, I do not know the person. But death, just the same, is difficult.

M.Scott Peck in his laudable book The Road Less Traveled the opening sentence is “Life is difficult.” How true that statement is. It also might be added that death is difficult as well.

One of the difficulties of death is that it takes away something precious to us, a loved one. This Sunday is All Saints Day, a time to honor those loved ones that have been taken away.

Our sorrow is not the result of a lack of faith, but a result of something that once was with us and no longer is.

In the midst of death, one may experience many different emotions. One such, healthy emotion, is anger. One can be angry for many reasons over many issues, none of which one would have been angry with previous to the death of a loved one. But in the midst of death, there can be anger. Sometimes that anger is directed toward God. One may shout out: “WHY!?!?” Or, perhaps one may whisper the question, “is this the best of all possible worlds?”

So, as All Saints Day approaches, let us ponder that which gives us strength to endure the agony of death. I truly believe we never get over it, we merely learn to live with it.

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER: I Corinthians 15: 54 - 57

54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55 "Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Daily Devotion for October 27

This Sunday is All Saint’s Sunday. We will be honoring our loved ones who passed away.

SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 3: 1 & 2

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die.

QUESTION: True or False: is there a time to be born and a time to die.

If so, then why is it so difficult when it is time to die?

Why does it hurt so much?

OBSERVATION: Death, in some ways, is out of human hands.

We have no choice. We shall all die. Whether we want to or not.

CHOICE: The only choice we have is what we intend to do with the time between birth and death.

SIGNIFICANT CHOICES: honor time and it’s briefness. They focus on relationships (God and others). They do not focus on acquiring. Because significant choices focus on relationships, when the time of death occurs, death becomes more difficult. It brings with it sorrow because the loss of the other hurts because of how deepness of the relationship.

QUESTION TO PONDER

Does this mean to count it (death) all joy (James 1:2) because the sorrow of death indicates that we led significant lives?

PLEASE KEEP IN YOUR PRAYERS

Denise Bispo Brown. Her son, Aaron Brown, just passed away last week. He was 25 and died from complications of diabetes.

Daily Devotion for October 26

INTRO

This Sunday is All Saint’s Sunday. At each service we will remember loved ones who have passed away. I find this service difficult but at the same time restorative.

We will begin the worship service with a scripture reading to prepare us for the Passing of the Peace.

PASSING OF THE PEACE

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 6:5

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

QUESTION: How bad is the world?

(not at all, a little, moderately, a lot, completely?)

JOHN WESLEY

John Wesley used the above verse for his sermon on Original Sin. Commenting on the above verse John Wesley said the following:

How widely different is this from the fair pictures of human nature which men have drawn in all ages! The writings of many of the ancients abound with happy descriptions of the dignity of man; whom some of them paint as having all virtue and happiness in his composition, or, at least, entirely in his power, without being beholden to any other being; yea, as self-sufficient, able to live on his own stock, and little inferior to God himself.

QUESTION: Do you agree or disagree?

What is your description of the world?

Gottfried Leibniz

The German philosopher Leibniz said in the 18th century when observing the world and the problem of evil said that this is the “best of all possible worlds.”

QUESTION: Agree or Disagree?

Voltaire (François-Marie Arouet)

The French philosopher Voltaire disagreed with Leibniz and made fun of his position in his book Candide.

Adult Sunday School (8 a.m. in the library)

In the Adult Sunday School we have been wrestling with this issue for the last three months and have a couple more months.

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

And we know that in al things God works for the good of those who love him...”

Romans 8:28

Tomorrow, Sunday is an exciting day.

We will gather for worship in the morning.

Our focus: Boundaries

In the afternoon we will have fun with Trunk or Treat

And in the evening we will once again worship: Taize

For this moment, let's play a game (I do not believe in reincarnation)

QUESTION: If you were to be an animal in your next life, what kind would you be?

SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 9:36b

like sheep without a shepherd.

QUESTION: What does it mean to be “sheep without a shepherd”?

Do we really need a shepherd?

Why do some animals live solitary lives like a mountain lion

and others live a life in collection like sheep

Do you know any mountain lions?

Do you know any sheep?

NOTE: SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD

Sheep without shepherd is like followers without a leader.

Shepherd is a common symbol in the Middle East for leader. Good leaders are like shepherds who take care of the sheep. Bad leaders exploit their followers.

As we continue in ministry it is imperative to know ourselves and what kind of leader we are. Do we take care of our sheep, or do we exploit them?

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

John 10: 4b

Daily Devotion for October 21

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 9:36a

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless,

NOTE: The ministry of Jesus was driven by compassion. His compassion was love driven (Greatest and Second Greatest Commandment).

QUESTION: Each of us are driven by something within us. As we define who we are we become more aware of what is driving us in our decision making process. The more we grow spiritually, the more we too are driven by compassion and love. It is crucial as we continue in ministry to know ourselves (define who we are and who we are not).

QUESTION TO PONDER

When you see the crowds, what do you see?

Daily Devotion for October 19

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 9:35 - 38

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

NOTE: Jesus had compassion on them. He considered them sheep without a shepherd .

QUESTION: Do you ever feel like a "sheep without a shepherd"?

What does that mean to feel like a "sheep without a shepherd"?

I don't know much about sheep or being a shepherd.

OBSERVATION

Later, Jesus will send out the apostles to search for those sheep without a shepherd. These folks will be considered lost until THE SHEPHERD finds them.

THIS SUNDAY

we shall sing in the first service, "Amazing Grace." Those familiar lines, "I once was lost, but now am found" are powerful words. that song brings me great joy because it reminds me how "I once was lost, but now am found." How I once was a sheep without a shepherd.

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and loses one, what do you do?

Luke 15: 4a

OCTOBER 14, 2009

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:24

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

QUESTION: What is the most important thing in your life?

As important this question is, i sometimes wonder if i refrain from putting to much serious energy into answering it. Sure, I can answer it with the proper answer, but what really is the real answer? If i am going to be authentic about my life, do i trust that I know what is the most important thing in my life? How would i even determine the answer? How would i know if i am deceiving myself?

Perhaps an indicator of the most important thing in my life is to ask those who observe my life. Maybe they know what is the most important thing in my life through observing my actions. do my actions proclaim what is truly important to me? Can one look at you and they know what is the most important thing in my life?

What in particular about my actions indicate the important thing in my life? Is through an observation of how I devote my resources to the most important thing in life? Is it how i choose to spend most of my time? Do i spend any time reflecting on the most important? Or, what do i spend most of my time reflecting on?

Wouldn't it be a bummer to live one's life thinking that the most important thing in one's life is one particular thing and then discovering at the end of one's life, that one was not truly devoted to it after all?

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:21

October 12, 2009

This Sunday our focus is: Developing Good Boundaries

If our boundaries are not good, then our identity is vulnerable to vultures. People will tend to define who we are; instead of us defining who we are. When others define us and we abide by their definition; then the problem may arise that we will be over extended. When we are over extended it leads to too many irons in the fire which can lead to burnout.

Burnout sometimes is the result of our own choices. Choices that are the result of being defined by others and not our self. When burnout hits, we are no use to ourselves and others. With the continuation of burnout we may feel like a corpse, dead to the world. When this happens, the vultures come.

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

They wander about for food like vultures.

Job 15:23

THOUGHT TO PONDER

You know you are having a bad day, when the bird singing outside your window is a vulture.

Daily Devotion for October 7

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

This is the first of three parables that respond to the criticism of the clergy of Jesus’ day.

The culture demanded that children obey and honor their parents, especially when they still live at home.

IMPLICATION: The clergy are called to obey their parent (Heavenly Father) especially when they still live at home (the creation belongs to God).

SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 21:28 - 31

A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered; I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go.

Which of the two did the will of his father?

They said, "The first."

Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you."

NOTE

Pretend obedience versus Delayed Obedience

QUESTION: Which do you prefer in your child? Friend? Spouse?

NOTE:

The repentant son does the will of the father, and the unrepentant son does not do the will of the father and remains fruitless/unproductive (i.e. all talk and no action).

CHALLENGE

In Jesus’ day, the clergy where the ones that were the unrepentant son, all talk and no action; whereas the people who were repentant (prostitutes and sinners included) where the ones that were in the will of the father

QUESTION: Which one are we?

Daily Devotion for October 4

This Sunday, October 11, we continue our sermon series on: Changes That Heal.

The focus: Boundaries.,

SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 21:28 - 31

A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered; I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, 'I go, sir'; but he did not go.

Which of the two did the will of his father?

They said, "The first."

Jesus said to them, 'Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you."

NOTE

I have no idea why one son said, "no", and did go; and the other son said, "yes" and did not go.

OBSERVATION

However, in life; there are those who do say yes and do not go and others who say 'no' and do go. Sometimes, there are people who say "no" and do go; change their mind out of guilt; whereas others who say "yes" change their mind because they are over committed.

Do you know anyone like this?

QUESTION

Why does this happen?

This Sunday we will look at BOUNDARIES.

Boundaries begin with identity issues. Who am in this relationship?

LAST WEEKS

We look at BONDING and how we are called to "bond" in our relationships.

THIS WEEK

Boundaries is where to draw the line in the "bonding" experience. Without good boundaries, we may fall in to the problem where people control us and our time and then we become over extended and risk burn out and losing our way on the journey of life.

SCRIPTURE TO PONDER

"...choose this day whom you will serve..." Joshua 24:15b