On Easter Morning

We are here, Father, because you consented to come with us, and with our consent, you will accompany us when we depart from this place. We rejoice on this Easter Sunday morning that death could get no hold on the One you sent to show us the way, and we trust his promise that death holds no lasting threat when we, like him, commit our spirits to your care.

Give us, then, we pray, a faith bold enough to trust you, a hope stronger than the darkest night we can know, and a love profound enough for us to love each other as you love us all. As we celebrate today the end of Christ’s death, lead us to the abundant life his resurrection has prepared.

There are those, Father, who lately entered the deepest grief this troublous life can offer. You know them better than we, for you called their names when you gave them birth; and you grieve with them in their awful pain. Let a renewed awareness of your Holy Presence bring comfort to their sorrow, strength to their despair, and healing to their emptiness. O thou Healer of Broken Things, let our hearts be broken with theirs till joy returns, and in new joy, let us sing and dance with them in the unending love you have shared with us all.

We have seen through the Christ that love redeems those who receive it and vindicates those who give it, and as we receive such redemption from you, may we be the channels through which you offer it to others. Give love to us, Lord, and receive it from us, as we love you through our love for your people.

Let the Power of Resurrection invade your universal Church, so that we as the Body of Christ may find courage without fear, trust without reservation, the freedom which comes with Truth, and a Way that knows no turning back. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord - Amen.

Written by Joe Reeves

Tombs, Pits, and Caves

Isaiah 55:8-9

We live our lives in many seasons:  times of joy and celebration; times of hard work, successes, and failures; times of peace and growth; … and times of cave-dwelling – seasons of slogging knee-deep through the miry pits, surrounded by questions, darkness, and despair.  We don’t understand; but then, we’re not supposed to.  After all, God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours. 

I have friends who have faced some terrifically sad and daunting situations over the past few years: among them, the loss of a child, a spouse, or a parent; the break-up of a long-term marriage; serious financial decisions and difficulties; and frightening pain and life-threatening or debilitating illnesses. 

Several years ago a former minister preached a sermon on the good things that have happened in caves.  Since it was an Easter sermon, I couldn’t imagine where he was going with this idea; however, I’ve never forgotten the gist of the sermon.  He cited the stories of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead; of Daniel in the lion’s den; and of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.   He ended the sermon with the reminder that Jesus was buried in a tomb but overcame the tomb and death with His resurrection.  What magnificent images!

When circumstances make cave-dwellers of us, the Enemy laughs and rejoices because of our struggles with our faith. We have trouble trusting God and leaning on Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

If you’re in a cave or life deals you a hand that puts you there, place your focus on Jeremiah 29:11, where God tells us, ”For I know the plans I have for you,” … “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

If you’re unable to leave the “cave” by yourself, I pray that somewhere in your community of faith during this Lenten season, there is a “cave-blaster” who will show up and help you discover your way back to the Light.

Written by Glenda Self

Good Friday

“By now it was noon.  The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout.  The Temple curtain split right down the middle.  Jesus called out loudly, ‘Father, I place my life in your hands!’  Then he breathed his last.”

(Luke 23:44-46 from The Message)

My senior year at Duke Divinity School, I had the opportunity to participate in the leadership of the Holy Week services at Duke Chapel.  As our final act of worship on Maundy Thursday, we stripped the altar of all ornaments, candles, and vestments.  As the process began, I found my eyes welling with tears.  As the process continued, I wept openly.  Just as Jesus was stripped and humiliated by the soldiers, we stripped the altar of all the signs of his life to symbolize His purposeful redemptive suffering and death for us.  We extinguished the candles and removed them from the sanctuary.  We removed the offerings.  We removed the Bible.  We removed the communion vessels.  We removed the paraments.  Finally, a black shroud was placed over the cross.  There was no benediction or postlude.  We left the sanctuary in silence.

I was haunted all day Friday by the image of the black shroud covering the cross.  It was a struggle to function on that “Good” Friday as I reflected on Jesus’ suffering and death.  I thought about those first followers of Jesus and what this day must have been like for them.  

Unlike those first followers, we know that this is not the end of the story.  It is tempting to skip over the darkness of Good Friday in order to move to the light, but we need this day to stop and to remember.  In the words of the Afro-American spiritual, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Were you there when they crucified my Lord?   Oh!  Sometimes it causes me to tremble tremble tremble . . . Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” (UMH 288)

PRAYER: Gracious loving God, we know that Good Friday is necessary in order to have Easter.  We know that we have to go into the depths of brokenness in order to receive the abundant gift of Resurrection life.  But it is hard and we need your help.  Even as the shroud hangs over the cross, be with us and give us strength, comfort, and courage.  Through Christ we pray, Amen.

Written by Stacey Watkins-Griffith

Maundy Thursday

John 13

Hospitality is one of the main themes that runs throughout the Bible.  Genuine Hospitality is a sure sign of God’s love.  This is re-iterated over and over as we are encouraged to welcome the stranger among our midst. 

But what does it mean to be truly hospitable?  True hospitality means showing the person or group you are with that they are the most important person or group that you could be with at that moment.

Hospitality is not about having the perfect guest room at the ready or having enough food on hand to feed a small army.  Hospitality has to do with making someone feel like they matter.  It is often saying, “we don’t have enough, but come anyway...we will make room for you!”

Hospitality is not necessarily something you can plan for.  It is seizing the moment and recognizing the importance of the NOW.  Many faiths around the world recognize the sacred nature of being present—Buddhists refer to this a Zen state of mind, but the concept is present in Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity as well.  Practicing presence is a vital part of connecting with God and others. 

Jesus demonstrates the art of hospitality throughout his ministry.  He is seen welcoming those whom others would dismiss, he is seen visiting the homes of individuals that others would not be caught dead with, and he is seen feeding a crowd with only two loaves and five fish.  Now, today, we read of his last supper.  The time in most of our own lives when we would be the least hospitable—staring down the tunnel of darkness and death.

Yet, here we see Jesus, once again, being present in the moment. Present with his friends (and his betrayers).  Even in this moment, he does not lose sight of the importance of Hospitality.  He serves the men and women present with him in a way that says to them... “This is exactly where I want to be.  You are the most important thing happening right now!”

We must carry this most important gift with us, and freely give it every chance we get!

Written by Keely DeBoever

Worry

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

“Bombing in Syria,” “Famine in Ethiopia,” “Earthquake in California,” “Genocide in Rwanda,” “Shooting in Missouri…”  The lead stories on network television can be so discouraging.  It’s easy to wonder “What else will go wrong?” worrying about where the next calamity will be.   Often, I feel anxious, afraid, or angry after watching the news.  It seems like there is so little good news.

But, there is “Good News.”  Jesus tells us not to worry.  If we look to him, and not the TV, we find hope, peace, safety, shelter, and love.  Reading and saying Psalm 23 out loud relieves my anxiety, fear, and anger.

Of course, we cannot ignore these tragedies.  We are called upon to help those who are less fortunate and those who are suffering or in crisis.  Yet, armed with the Good News, not only are we lifted up, but we are empowered to lift up others who are in trouble or in need.  And working together, we glorify God.

PRAYER: God, please grant me peace of mind and calm my troubled heart.  Give me strength and clarity to find my purpose and the path that you have created for me.  Help me share my struggles so that others may be lifted up and know your peace and love as well.  Amen.

Written by Mike Ribadaneyra

Surrender

Luke 22:42

As Jesus was coming near the time of the cross He knew the horrific suffering He would have to endure. Because He had laid down His divinity, (stripped Himself of all privileges and rightful dignity), so...that He became like men and was born a human being.” (Phil. 2:7), Jesus faced the coming horrors with great dread. He struggled so with this that His sweat became blood. However; Jesus stayed in prayer until the Holy Spirit strengthened Him to the point of total surrender to Father’s will.

When the word of God directs us to do something we cannot do within ourselves, such as forgive someone who has hurt us, defrauded our business, hurt, killed or maimed a loved one, we too must humble ourselves before God, with the desire for His will to be done in us. Confess it. Then we tell Him we want to forgive, but need His help, laying everything before Him, especially the ugly truth.

1 John 1:9 tells us that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Now, we must allow the Holy Spirit of Jesus that is within us, to do the work that restores us into a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. Jesus will bring us back into this relationship with our Heavenly Father as we line up our actions with His word. Then we can sing “I Surrender All,” and His purpose will be done in us.

       I Surrender All

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

ALL TO HIM I FREELY GIVE

I WILL EVER LOVE AND TRUST HIM

IN HIS PRESENCE DAILY LIVE.

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER,

HUMBLY AT HIS FEET I BOW

WORLDLY PLEASURES ALL FORSAKEN

TAKE ME JESUS, TAKE ME NOW 

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

MAKE ME SAVIOR WHOLLY THINE

LET ME FEEL THE HOLY SPIRIT

TRULY KNOW THAT THOU ARE MINE

ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER,

LORD I GIVE MYSELF TO THEE

FILL ME WITH THY LOVE AND POWER

LET THY BLESSING FALL ON ME

I SURRENDER ALL

I SURRENDER ALL

ALL TO THEE MY BLESSED SAVIOR

I SURRENDER ALL.

Lyrics by Judson W. Van DeVenter

Written by Karen Jones

God's grace will save you

1 Peter 2:11-25

No one lives on earth without experiencing types of hardships which cause us worry, pain, fear, loss and anguish. The Bible is full of tragic and heart wrenching stories.  Thankfully, many medical conditions can be improved because physicians can heal us and other professionals can help us with other problems.  Spiritual issues which test our faith are not as easy to address unless our Christian beliefs are steadfast and our belief in God's promises can give us hope as we deal with stressful issues.  As a Christian, I pray to God and know He understands my needs because Jesus also experienced turmoil, obstacles and pain on earth.  Sometimes I don't get what I ask for when I pray. I have to trust and believe that God has his own agenda for my life and I must always have faith in God's wisdom.

1 Peter 2:11-25 tells us that we are called to follow Jesus' example of a life of abstinence from sinful desires, a life of Godliness, a life of submission, and a life of servant-hood by living in Jesus' steps and following his example.  The verses indicate that suffering is a means to deeper communion with God. We can go to God in prayer.  The Cross of Christ gave us the hope and courage that by God's grace believers will receive the outcome of our faith.  The resurrection of Christ inspires confidence and hope for our future in heaven and our release from the problems of our world.  We need encouragement to follow the teachings of Jesus even if it means suffering.  Even though we do not see Jesus in physical form, our faith must remain strong enough so that we will love Jesus, believe in Him, rejoice in Him and receive Him. The Bible helps us to understand how our faith needs to stay strong even if you feel no one cares or can help you.  Peter's faith actually grew and became more powerful and effective after Jesus died.

There is no greater gift than knowing that God's grace will save you.  Take time to praise and thank God for this gift.  Take time to get to know God better through prayer and reading your Bible. You may be surprised at the way God will use you and help you when you nurture your faith and grow closer to God.

Written by Becky Hill

Palm Sunday

Time and time again,

He reaches out his hand,

wanting to help us understand;

That living isn’t about what we desire,
it is about Him and we should never tire from asking His guidance
and seeking His will,

for in finding His path our lives fill

with the goodness and
mercy only He can give,

under His watch we begin to live.

Time after time He chose
undesirables to lead,

over and over His people, He freed.

Yet we question, we test, we complain; even as His blessings fall
upon us like rain.

Our own eyes and desires blind us to see, that the truth in His words set us free.

All the qualities He asks us to show,

on us He constantly does bestow.

Patience, acceptance,
forgiveness and grace,

He gives to the whole human race.

Our lives are His,

created to live in His word,
we’ve listened but have we truly heard?

Follow his commandments and accept salvation from His Son,

for then and only then
will our personal battles be won.

Writte by Laura Rucker

He gathers us into his arms and carries us close to his heart

Isaiah 40

Today’s scripture is my favorite scripture passage in the entire bible. I turn to this chapter more than any other – in times of joy, when I’m seeking courage and when I am going through a deep valley, needing comfort. Particularly during this season of Lent, I find Isaiah 40 challenging as I search my soul and reflect on my relationship with God.

I draw spiritual courage and comfort from this passage for several reasons. First, Isaiah is speaking to the nation of Israel and reminding them that they will be restored after their long period of suffering and sin. Recall how disobedient and rebellious Israel was towards God; He punished them for that. In His great love and mercy, God also restores me to a right relationship with Him when I repent of my sins. Isn’t it wonderful we have a long-suffering God who patiently waits for us to return to Him? Look at verse 11; the Shepherd even gathers us into his arms and carries us close to His heart.

Second, this entire passage gives us powerful insight into the very nature, essence and power of God. Notice in verse 8: He tells us that His Word stands forever. Let that sink in for a minute. God and His Word will last through time present through all eternity.

Think about how tough life is – for all of us. Consider all the family, societal, health, political and world problems. We all know these issues will never be resolved in our lifetime, or ever! However, if we turn to God for strength, verses 13-14 and 28-31 show us emphatic truths about the supreme omnipotence, holiness and perfection of God. Verse 14 asks who enlightened the Lord and showed him the right way. Verses 28-31 tell us of the endless strength of the Lord. By renewing my mind with this great scripture, I find God’s supernatural power to continue persevering through this life.

PRAYERS: Awesome God, thank you for giving us your perfect Word. Forgive us when we don’t draw deeply from it as we should. Thank you for providing us loving guidance and principles to live by. Please remind us to look up to you for strength, comfort and hope and to live lives that bring you glory. Amen.

Written by Kathy Austin

Bona Fide

Colossians 1:15-23

BONA FIDE

The internet says (so it must be true) that as an adjective, bona fide means “genuine or real” and as an adverb it means, “sincerely, without intention to deceive”. 

I can’t hear the term bona fide without thinking of a scene from one of my favorite movies, “O Brother, Where Art Thou”.  The scene is where Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney) confronts his daughters, The Wharvey Gals, after they sing, “In the Highways” at a political rally.  The girls tell him that “Mama’s got a new beau”, “He’s a suitor”, “Mama says he’s bona fide”.  Obviously, mama had been making the point to the girls that her new beau was the real deal, he was the genuine article, he was going to be their new daddy.  Apparently that was important to the girls.

It may be a stretch but you can compare the Wharvey girls’ message to Everett to Paul’s words to the church at Colossae (only without the deep Mississippi accent).

Verses 21-23.  You were once enemies of God through your sin, but because of what Jesus did on the cross – dying for you – you’ve been brought back to God’s side.  You don’t walk away from a gift like that.  You embrace such a gift gladly.  Mama’s got a new beau.

Verses 18-20.  He, Jesus, was supreme from the beginning; he towers over everyone; so spacious is He that there is plenty of room for everyone; all broken pieces of the universe (including us) can get fixed and made right because of His death on the cross.  He’s a suitor.

Verses 15-18.  We see Jesus, He is visible, and through Jesus we can see God who is invisible.  In Jesus we can see God’s purpose in creation.  Everything, everything, got started through Jesus.  He was there before anything came into being and everything that came into being was through Jesus.  He is the reason for the church.  He holds the church together and leads the church as a head leads the body.  He’s bona fide.

Jesus and what he means to the church – to us – is real and genuine.  His love for us is absolute and sincere.  He is worthy of our belief, our faith and our love.

BONA FIDE

Written by Jim Morgan

Carry each other's burdens

Galatians 6:2

² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

One of the best things you can do is help someone carry a burden they cannot bear alone.  Every year, my students participate in a Play Festival where they perform shows for other high school students and judges.  They then receive an oral critique and later are honored with various awards, hoping to be chosen to move up to the State Play Festival. 

Over the years, this event has undergone some significant changes.  It used to be called Play Contest.  It used to be extremely cutthroat.  It used to be a breeding ground for elitism and division.  Then the attitude changed.  The Play Contest became the Play Festival.  The focus on competition became a focus on celebration.  An attitude of division became one of connection.  The intent of the event became to lift each other up in a spirit of support.  I have pushed my students to appreciate and support the new direction.

To help build positive spirit, I stress to my students the importance of carrying each other’s burdens.  As Galatians says, I urge them to help each other with their problems and pick up their cast members who stumble in any way.  As they support each other and carry each other’s burdens, they begin to trust one another and create a positive ensemble that is stronger than any I have taught.  In the end, the positive attitude my students created carried over to other schools and helped create a sense of community.  Several of my fellow directors even commented on how positive, exciting, and encouraging my students are.

This serves as an example of how carrying each other’s burdens can help you live in the spirit of Christ.  It is also proof that if we all strive to help each other and carry one another’s burdens, we can create a community that fulfills the law of Christ.

Written by Dan Treharne

Cornerstone

Matthew 21:42

In book of the Matthew, Jesus said to the folks gathered around him…

“Have you never read in the Scriptures:  The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Jesus was actually quoting from Psalm 118: 22-23 as he addressed the religious leaders of his day. The “cornerstone” to which Jesus was referring served as the base that was used to form the foundation of a building and helped to ensure that the other stones were straight and level.

In another translation, Jesus is said to have chosen the word “capstone” which, if you know your architecture, is the center stone in the top of an arch that holds the whole thing together.

Jesus was referring to himself as the cornerstone…the foundation on which he was going to build a new church.

Unfortunately, we, like the religious leaders in Jesus day often reject that which is supremely important in lieu of that which satisfies our own selfish desires.

However, Jesus is still in business of building new things…new churches, new attitudes, and new lives. We must simply be willing to place Jesus as the cornerstone of all that we are. In doing so, we receive a firm foundation upon which the other stones in our lives may be set straight and level.

“Cornerstone” 

Based on the recording from
the Hillsong album “Cornerstone”

Arr. by Joel Mott ©2011 Hillsong Publishing

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust in Jesus’ name.

Christ alone. Cornerstone. Weak made strong in the Savior’s love.

Through the storm, He is Lord. Lord of all!

Written by Danny Buckner

The Day of the Lord

1 Thessalonians 5:18

The day of the Lord:  Nobody knows when the day of the Lord will come.  Therefore, we should live every day the best we can. 

When I was first asked to write a devotion, I had no idea what verse to pick.  I asked one of my best friends what her favorite verse was.  She told me 1 Thessalonians 5:18.  So I looked it up and I could see why she likes it so much.

This verse is like a blue print on how you should live each and every day of your life.  It tells you that you should acknowledge the people who work hard among you and those who care for you.  We all know we are supposed to do this, but how many of us actually do this?  I know I don’t. It also suggests we help people in need.  I try to help everyone who needs it.  However, the majority of the time I can’t.  Either I can’t relate or I just don’t know how.  That is why everyone needs to help.  Everyone is different so we can all help with different problems. 

Another way of saying this is each morning we need to put on faith and love as a breastplate and hope and salvation as a helmet.  Morning, noon and night guard your heart, thoughts, and actions.

Written by Gavin Goforth

In Awe of Christ's Power

Matthew 14:22-36

Matthew 14: 22-36 provides insight into the events leading up to Jesus, and even Peter, walking on water.  Jesus had told his disciples to go ahead of him in the boat while he went off by himself to pray.  The scripture reading begins with a since of urgency.  It is believed that the urgency was due to Jesus being tired and his need to be alone in prayer.  His tiredness can be attributed to his feeding the 5,000 with “five loaves of bread and the two fish.  His need to be alone in prayer was that Jesus had just learned of the death of his cousin John the Baptist. When Jesus heard about the death of John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.  Interrupted by crowds he gave selfishly of his time to speak and to feed the gathered crowd.  After the 5,000 were fed, Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him while he dismissed the crowds.  He did this because he wanted to withdraw again to a deserted place by himself for needed prayer.

As the disciples were traveling across the lake, a strong wind came up and they were frightened.  Their strength was no match for the powerful wind and water.  Early in the morning, the visibility was poor. When the disciples saw a dim shape of someone coming toward them, they explained the unusual phenomenon by exclaiming, “It’s a ghost!”  Whoever it was who could walk on the water had to have supernatural capabilities, for he was more powerful than the choppy water and wind.  Jesus heard the fear in their terrified screams.  Then they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water.  He identified himself and said, “Be encouraged!”  Peter had the idea of walking on the water toward Jesus.  He asked permission, “Lord, if it’s you; order me to come to you.”  Jesus said, “Come.”  Peter set out with faith but then became distracted by the strong wind.  Fear overtook him, and he began to sink.  He called out to the one he trusted, “Lord, rescue me.”  Jesus grabbed Peter before he was lost in the choppy waters.  He did not calm the storm until he and Peter had reached the boat.  The disciples did not try to explain away the miraculous events they had just witnessed.  They openly confessed their faith in Jesus and exclaimed, “You must be God’s son!”

Remember: ‘Human need requires holy action!!’  God’s gift of a Savior was indeed a holy action, given in response to our human need for salvation.  We pray with faith.  We trust God with our lives, yet I think we still have a feeling of AWE when we experience the very real presence of the almighty God.

PRAYER: Be encouraged! It's me! Don't be afraid!  Without fear anymore, gather up that core part of your resolve, as you see even the scariest things in the world coming toward you.  Find courage, and let it pour through you at this moment.  As disciples, God needs for you to be courageous, even in the face of disease, loss, conflict or pain.  Set aside the fear, because as you look squarely at the difficult thing, for JESUS is right beside you, walking on the waves.  We pray in Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

Written by Alan Hughes