General

Focusing on the Goal

1 Peter 1:3-9

Chris R.

It was 21 years, five institutions, and a colorful variety of career paths in the making, but in 2013 I received my Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from Eureka College. Wow, did my family and I rejoice! The path, however, was not always smooth.

Higher education and the completion of a bachelor’s degree had always been my intent. The problem which existed for me was the lack of a clearly defined goal. The BA degree was a general objective, but a degree in what? How would I use that degree? What did I want to be when I grow up?

Without a plan, I faltered several times. I tried paths which I stumbled upon and paths of least resistance, but never really put thought into who I wanted to be. It was not until I looked to my family and friends for support that I was able to find the path that was right for me. With their help, I found my passion and was able to chase it with gusto. I had confidence, I had a goalI had faith.

Even though I could not always see the light at the end of the tunnel, I believed I would reach my ultimate goal.

In much the same way, we cannot always see Jesus, nor know exactly what God has planned for us. We face trials in life and have our faith tested. However, if we stay true to God, have faith in Him, and rejoice in the inheritance we have been given through Jesus, we will find salvation.

Prayer: Dear Lord, today’s world has many distractions and many opportunities to only focus on the difficulties we face instead of focusing on Your gift of salvation through Your Son, Jesus. Please grant us the ability to quiet our minds, focus on the joy of the season and rejoice in the presence of Christ in our lives. Amen

Minding What You Do

Philippians 4:8

By Deanna K.

It seems to me with this verse Paul is saying “Hey, I’m almost at the end of this letter and I don’t want to forget to tell you because this is important: Think about the right things!”

Take control of your mind, because the mind is where you take control of yourself. If you think about something, it is most likely you will do what you contemplate the most. If you think about doing wrong, the things God tells us not to do, then you will do wrong. If you think about doing right, the things God tells us to do, then you will do right.

These adjectives — true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy — are all attributes of God. They could also be used to describe his followers. If we strive to be better Christians, then we need to think about God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Asking him to take every thought captive is something that has helped me over the years. Ask him to help you. The Holy Spirit would love to help you do this. If you have asked Jesus to be your Savior, then the Holy Spirit is already inside you, wanting to help you become more and more like Christ. When we ask and then fully give over our thoughts to God, amazing things can happen. Things that only God can do — all because you have given yourself over to HIS guiding of your mind.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask that you would guide my mind this day. Help me to think about the things you want me to think, say, and do. Help me to know your will.

Rejoice!

Psalm 126

Lois F.

I will begin with the end … come to the child Jesus as an adult -come to the adult Jesus, our Christ, as a child. Hmm …. what?

Contemplate yourself in place of the captive — in exile. Just existing, away from everything you know and love, in a place, you cannot fathom. It is dark there.

Perhaps you are in a place where you are experiencing distance from God; Jesus is on a shelf in a spare room … it is just as dark there.

So come, come to the Cradle of Christmas. Come as the child in you longs for His intimacy and as the adult, for Grace that only He has to gift you.

Oh, to see through the glitter and chaos of “Happy Holidays” to the cradle of Christmas; do not be in exile but be renewed!

Prayer: Father, God Almighty, warm our hearts to overflowing with your Majesty. Renew in us your right Spirit, and may we trust in your Word that our peace and joy is in your gift of Christmas and all our days. Emmanuel!

A Spirit Filled Heart

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24

By Carolyn K.

Do you have a Spirit-filled heart? This scripture is Upart of a letter from Paul, describing how we should live in relationship with other people and how we should prepare ourselves for Christ’s second coming. The advice to “be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances” describes a Spirit filled heart which trusts God in all things and is able to even give thanks for the challenges.

This scripture has always been a challenge for me because it’s hard to be thankful in times of illness, loss, death, or disaster. During those challenges or when I’m impatient, or having an emotional response to issues about which I have deep feelings, I have to work very hard at praying and giving thanks. My prayers may end up being more expressions of anger or frustration than thanksgiving. And yet, I know that as a Christian, I do trust God and have the hope that He is in control of my life. When I am able to pray about things that are stressing me, I can feel God’s peace and His presence beside me as I face those challenges. Sometimes hindsight allows me to know that God’s purpose was for my own good, and other times I don’t know His purpose. But I choose to believe that He is guiding me. The joy in my life comes not from my own circumstances, but from what Christ has done for me and from what I can do to support others.

The purpose of Advent is to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ child and to let go of those barriers that prevent us from fully giving our lives to Him. Joy comes as we seek to be open to His voice, especially as we celebrate His birth and begin a new year committed to Him.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the Spirit which fills our hearts with your love and guides us on our life journeys. Help us to keep our eyes focused on you, praying continually and giving thanks for your presence as we reach out to others and as we encounter the challenges in our own lives. Amen

Rebuilding the Kingdom

Isaiah 61: 1-4; 8-11

By Bill Wright

The beautiful words of Isaiah should perhaps be applied first to their own time: here he announces to Israel God’s promise of a chance to rebuild and shine before other nations after a devastating exile. The time of rebuilding, however, was mired in disappointments. As elsewhere in Isaiah, so exalted is his vision of God’s righteousness and promises that the message, like a skipping stone whipped with excessive vigor, careens off its own time and leaps into the future. So we are right to imagine these words splashing down in Jesus’ time-Jesus himself (in Luke’s account) cites verse 1-2 (without the day of vengeance) in his inaugural synagogue lesson-and skipping on to address our own mourning and longing.

What intrigues me here is the shifting of the pronoun “I” from the prophet, then to God (vs. 8), and back in vs. 10 to one rejoicing “with my whole being” in God, adorned with righteousness (or “justice”), surprisingly, as both a bridegroom and bride are “decked” (sounds Christmas-y!). Though unusual, the images work well to evoke the marriage of identities in Jesus-the condescension of the divine, the exaltation of the human.

Miraculous as that sounds, as if it would defy all lines of secure expectations, the conclusion in verse 11 sees righteousness among the nations arising completely naturally.

After all, the world is (still) God’s creation. Advent invites us to recall that, despite frozen and barren appearances, there is no reason that the world cannot be the garden of God’s justice.

Prayer: Come, expected Savior, whet our taste for a justice among the nations beyond imagining, and at the same time restore our faith in possibilities by which we and the earth may be your habitat. Amen.

Listening to God

Psalm 85: 8-13

Mary Lou C.

Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. (Psalm 85: 11)
I can relate to this verse. At the young age of 20, I married a farmer. I can admit now, I was pretty nalve about the lifestyle change ahead of me. The number one thing I have learned is that farming is a whole lot of hard work. I have grown to love and appreciate our lifestyle. There is such a pride in farming. When a person is raised in the city or suburbs, they don’t really understand what it is to be self-sufficient. You mean you can live off the land? The first 11 years of our marriage, we lived in a big old farmhouse outside of Deer Creek. Kevin would cut wood, and we would heat the house with a wood-burning furnace. This was my introduction to being self-sufficient, and the house smelled like hickory. My farmer husband is a steward of the land and tends to his herd of cattle daily. To me, this exemplifies faithfulness. I now understand sustainability and the gift that it is.

As humans, it is our nature to be judgmental, although we know it is wrong. We are told over and over that our judgment day will come. God is the only one who sits on the throne. As Christians, we need to hold onto our faith. It is a great source of strength. Believe that the Lord wants to bless you, and you will be amazed at his glory and promises to those who believe. The world would be a much better place if we could realize we are all part of God’s family.

Prayer: Lord, please give us eyes to see you, and ears to hear you. Help us to be bold in our faith and believe that you want what is best for us. Amen

Doers of the Word

James 1:22-25

By Richard T.

The letter of James is short and powerful. James boldly declares, “faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” In today’s reading, James says we must be “doers of the word.” Many people struggle with their faith and just barely make it from day to day, finding it difficult to include God in any part of their lives.

Sometimes I think that by remaining strong in faith, we are doers of the word; and if we faithfully attend church and tithe, we are doers of the word. A good way to be a doer of the word is by finding a ministry to focus on. Churches have ministries to participate in, or you can find your own. I know that after prayer and meditation, God has opened up avenues for me to take, even in small ways.

For example, one evening when I was driving to a music performance– I’m a musician– I asked God to use me in any way he needed. Later, as I was loading my equipment into the building, a man came out of the shadows and asked if I had any money I could give him. He said he would help me carry my equipment in return. I asked him why he needed the money. He said he drove up from the south to look for work, but some time during the day his truck broke down and now he needed money to purchase a train ticket home. I knew immediately that this was answered prayer, so I helped by purchasing his ticket.

Maybe you have a ministry. If not, prayerfully consider a direction to take. Expect doors to be opened.

Prayer: Loving God, thank you for answered prayers. Help us to be strong enough in our faith that we can be doers of your word. Amen

The Power of Prayer

Luke 1 :47-55  (New International Version)

By Joan Herron

Is it my imagination, or are my daily prayers significantly longer than they used to be? Remember our childhood prayers? “God Bless Mommy and Daddy … ” The older we get, the more we realize just how much prayer is needed in our world. Our families, our friends, our church, our wider community– there is so much need in the world today that we could be on our knees 24/7 and still feel helpless. On a personal levelabuse, addiction, divorce, loneliness … on a community and world level-hunger, war, neglect…where do we start?

Then, the reassurances of scripture such as this passage come to help us. The Mighty One has done great things for me! Along with the problems of the world come the joys: love, loyalty, faith, family, fellowship and the knowledge that God is with us always. There is no anguish for the sins around us unless we also know how to love and to feel compassion. This Advent season is the perfect time to thank God for being able to feel that compassion and love.

Prayer: Dear God, we thank You for all You have done for us. We know that it is only because we can feel love and compassion so strongly that we are able to lament the heartache that can touch our neighbors. Help us to embrace this compassion and all it means, along with the responsibilities of being a caring people. The anticipation of Jesus’ birth fills us with excitement and joy, and the opportunity to care for those around us. Amen.

Seeking Justice

Isaiah 1:16-17

By Jessica B.

I admit it: I like a sermon that includes a little scolding. For me, the most powerful thing about a spiritual path is its call for radical personal change-for fundamental transformation in our way of seeing, our way of being, our attachments and our clouded lives, preoccupied as we are with our own petty selves. I need to be reminded, again and again, of what lies beyond my own small concerns. What I want from religion is transcendence and transformation, and I can’t transcend if I’m cross about the laundry. Sometimes I need to hear sharp words.

But the call in Isaiah’s vision is uncomfortably sharp. Cease to do evil! Seek justice! These are not gentle words. To rescue the oppressed and defend the orphan demands resources that I tell myself I don’t have, resources that I don’t want to give up. Self-interest is strong, and that is what this passage commands us to renounce. Well, in context, it actually commands us to renounce offerings and incense, but the lesson still applies: It is not enough to profess devotion. We must live out God’s Kingdom on this earth.

Prayer: Heavenly Creator and source of universal love, lead us to seek out the oppressed and to recognize our responsibility to others. Teach us to do good, fill us with a desire for justice that annihilates self-interest, and help us to live our lives with compassion for all living creatures.

The God of All Creation

Luke 19:38-40 (Good News Version)

By Don Z.

Jesus answered, “If they keep quiet, I tell you, the stones themselves will shout.”

This account of Jesus’ response to complaints that his followers were “disturbing the peace” with shouts of adoration and praise has stood out for me since I first heard it read when I was very young. Jesus’ reply to the complaints was short and to the point. If these followers were silent, the very stones would cry out. Truth must be heard!

Since the days of my youth, these words of truth have rung in my ears. This has happened when I was quiet, when the truth of Jesus’ life and teachings were desperate to be heard. I haven’t ever heard the stones cry out in praise of Jesus and his Way, but I have noticed many times when all nature sings loudly-like when polar bears and seals, bald eagles and other species of life on this earth are crying out, “HELP”!!!

Yet, generation after generation turn deaf ears to the plight of all kinds of life on this planet, as they are sacrificed to money-hungry vultures who prey upon defenseless ones. From rain forests to glaciers, from baby seals to elephants, even the great whales of the deep. Greedy humans prey upon any creature, resource, and anything of value to selfish profiteers, so often under the guise of free enterprise; the abuse and misuse of life and resources continues. Jesus was born “Prince of Peace,” for ALL OF CREATION!!!

Prayer: Loving and dependable God, we bow in your presence, our hearts near bursting with your love. As we walk through these days of Advent, help us, we pray, to gain perspective on life and faith and rediscover the Spirit of the living Christ in us and in all creation. Amen