FAMILY DEVOTION: All Creation Praises God

The world is waking up from its winter sleep. Daffodils are in bloom. Forsythia is glowing in vibrant yellow. Azaleas are budding and leaves have started to pop out. This week I heard the call of the white throated sparrow, visiting our area on its way to Maine and Canada for the summer. In my yard the birds are starting to build their nests. Take a walk in your yard or neighborhood and talk about all the things you can see, hear or smell that tell you that Spring has arrived.

Psalm 148 talks about creation praising God. It names parts of creation and tells them to praise God. Go outside ( or look outside) read the Psalm and make a list of all the things in nature that you are thankful for…then make that a prayer to God.

Psalm 148 (The Message)

¹Hallelujah!

Praise God from heaven,

praise him from the mountaintops;

²Praise him, all you his angels,

praise him, all you his warriors,

³Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, you morning stars;

⁴Praise him, high heaven,

praise him, heavenly rain clouds;

⁵Praise, oh let them praise the name of God—

he spoke the word, and there they were!

⁶He set them in place

from all time to eternity;

He gave his orders,

and that’s it!

⁷Praise God from earth,

you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps;

⁸Fire and hail, snow and ice,

hurricanes obeying his orders;

⁹Mountains and all hills,

apple orchards and cedar forests;

¹⁰Wild beasts and herds of cattle,

snakes, and birds in flight;

¹¹Earth’s kings and all races,

leaders and important people,

¹²Robust men and women in their prime,

and yes, graybeards and little children.

¹³Let them praise the name of God—

it’s the only Name worth praising.

His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky;

¹⁴he’s built a monument—his very own people!

Praise from all who love God!

Israel’s children, intimate friends of God.

Hallelujah!

DEVOTION: The Ascension

This week in the church calendar honors the Ascension of Jesus.

In Wikipedia we read:

The first account of the Ascension found in the Christian Bible is in the Gospel of Mark (16:14-19)—but see article on Mark 16. The description is brief: Jesus and the remaining eleven apostles are seated at a table, presumably in a room in or near Jerusalem. Jesus commands his followers to spread the Gospel (see also Great Commission) and that those who believe will be known by their invulnerability to poison, ability to heal the sick, exorcise demons, and the like. After delivering these final words, Jesus is received into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God. No description of the Ascension itself is given; Mark simply states that it happened.

The Gospel of Luke is even more brief in its description (24:50-51). Jesus led the eleven to Bethany, not far from Jerusalem. While in the act of blessing them, Jesus was carried up to Heaven.

In both Mark and Luke, the Ascension appears to take place immediately after the Resurrection of Jesus. (But see the discussion paragraphs below.)

Our Church Secretary, Stacey provided me with these quotes and thoughts for reflection and devotions this week:

Philip Yancey writes in Chapter 12 of his book, The Jesus I Never Knew: “I have concluded that the Ascension represents my greatest struggle of faith–not whether it happened, but why. It challenges me more than the problem of pain, more than the difficulty of harmonizing science and the Bible, more than belief in the Resurrection and other miracles. It seems odd to admit such a notion… yet for me what has happened since Jesus’ departure strikes at the core of my faith. Would it not have been better if the Ascension had never happened? If Jesus had stayed on earth, he could answer our questions, solve our doubts, and mediate our disputes of doctrine and policy. I find it much easier to accept the fact of God incarnating in Jesus of Nazareth than in the people who attend my local church–and in me. Yet that is what we are asked to believe; that is how we are asked to live. The New Testament declares that the future of the cosmos is being determined by the church. Jesus played his part and then left. Now it is up to us.”

So is God really gone from the world? When Jesus ascended, did he really just hand it over to his disciples? Was that really the plan? Well, the short answer to that is yes, he really did. He really did hand it over to his disciples, and to all who were to follow, including you and I. He handed it over to us, and said, “Here, it’s your ministry now. It’s your time to take over. Go and do and teach what I have taught you.

DEVOTION

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “My profession is to always find God in nature.”

This week as we celebrate Earth Day we have an opportunity to prayerfully reflect on the creation around us that leads us to God. It is a good week to spend a little time outdoors – on the porch, in the garden, at the beach, in the woods, at a park – just sitting in grateful prayer with God. This week is also an opportunity to reflect on our impact on creation. Like so many other places in our lives we are to observe whether we are contaminating or contributing to the world around us. That is true of God’ creation as well. A phrase emerging in our culture speaks of our ‘carbon footprint’. It is one place to begin our reflections. Consider looking at http://www.carbonfootprint.com/.

FAMILY DEVOTION: Earth Day

This week we celebrate Earth Day. On Sunday in Church the children reminded us of the importance of caring for the Earth. We talked about how one stack of newspapers 4 feet tall is the equivalent of one tree. Each time we recycle papers we are diminishing our impact on the God’s creation. This week talk about ways your family can lower its impact on the earth. Consider planting trees, talking about recycling, using less water, using less electricity, using less gas, cleaning up trash around the yard and neighborhood, notice how many toxic chemicals you use around the home. In church we mentioned how God asks humans in Genesis 2 to be tillers and keepers of the world that God created. That responsibility is passed down to us. Our teachings and example this week and in the weeks ahead will determine what we pass down to our children.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please pray for:

• Jerry Culhane - facing medical problems and possible amputation
• Alison Barker
• Bob Ritchie
• Adrienne Smith - young mother who has a long road to recovery
  

REFLECTION: Psalm 23

This week we looked at Psalm 23 in worship. Each of the lines and phrases of Psalm 23 carries layers of meaning and metaphor. One of those is the opening image of laying down in green pastures. Sheep have little or no natural defenses. They are not fast runners. They have to horns, sharp teeth or claws. So they are uncertain and cautious, skittish and timid. They will not lie down unless they feel absolutely, safe and comfortable. That means they are sufficiently fed, there is no sense of predators nearby, and they feel safe from the pecking order intimidation and behavior of the flock. Some of that fundamental instinct lies in all of us. We cannot relax and ‘let down our guard’ in any social situation until we feel safe. While our basic needs of food and shelter are rarely a concern, our sense of social safety is. We are not comfortable if we sense that there are people around us looking for an opportunity to put us down. We feel insecure if we are not sure of our ‘place in the social structure’ of the setting, whether it is a party, a night out with a group, a corporate business gathering, just another day at the job or even a church coffee hour.

For some folks that insecurity is enhanced by circumstances beyond their control from skin color, to country of origin, to accents and language, to gender, to age, to economic class, to political stance to sexual orientation to marriage status….. and the list goes on.

Take a look at the ESpire Family Devotion background on Jonah that our children and youth are studying in church school. Reflect on this in the context of our current political and cultural conversation on race and discrimination.

Our faith and our denomination emphasize an extravagant welcome that proclaims that ‘No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here.’ But bringing that teaching into our homes, our language, our behaviors, our workplaces, our church and our neighborhoods…and our town is a deeper challenge than we sometimes recognize or admit.

What makes it possible for you to ‘lie down in green pastures’?

Where is Christ inviting you to help others ‘lie down in green pastures’?

FAMILY DEVOTIONS: More Jonah

This week our young folks continued their study of Jonah. This is the opening words of Jonah:

Jonah 1:1 - 3 (NRSV) 1Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai, saying, 2“Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” 3But Jonah sets out to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid his fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

Did you catch why Jonah didn’t want to obey God? God wants Jonah to go to Nineveh. Jonah flees to Tarshish which is in the opposite direction. Nineveh is the capital of Assyria (near modern day Mosul in Iraq). Tarshish is a port is Spain or a reference to any place that “is very far away”. Ancient Israel was at war with Nineveh of Assyria and would eventually suffer defeat, deportation and captivity under Assyrian rule. They were sworn enemies of Israel. Jonah wanted nothing to do with them. He wanted nothing to do with delivering God’s word to them. He would resent it when God eventually has mercy on Nineveh.

But, one of the undercurrents of this story is prejudice and discrimination. Nineveh is the ‘Other” to Israel. They are the people who are not like them. They are a different race, a different religion, a different language, and a different culture.

This is a good chance to talk with your children about other kids in school who are ‘different’. Let the kids tell you what they mean by ‘different’. Wonder with them what it might feel like to be different. Wonder with them about the times when they feel different.

From Jonah to Jesus the Bible calls us to seek out, reach out, invite and welcome everyone, especially, those who are treated as different. In Matthew 25:34-26 Jesus talks about treating the ‘least of these’ as though they were Jesus. Part of that is the teaching to welcome those who are strangers. Jesus asks us to help those who are ‘different’ feel welcomed. Talk about ways to help kids in school or the neighborhood feel welcome, safe, invited, comfortable in games, school, playtime, etc.

FAMILY DEVOTIONS: Taking Faith Home

NEW! This week we in church we introduced a new option for our family devotions. This TAKING FAITH HOME material from The Youth and Family Institute follows the Lectionary Readings that we use as our Scripture each week. It’s another way for the whole family to reflect together on the theme from the previous Sunday’s worship. For a copy, please e-mail the church office.

TAKING FAITH HOME FROM CHURCH SCHOOL. This month the church school rotation is focusing on the story of Jonah. Take a moment to recall together (and write down everything you know about the story of Jonah) The story of Jonah is a short book in the Hebrew Scripture. Read it. Then compare what you have read with what you have written.

During the coming weeks we will look at aspects of the Jonah story. Below is some background material on Jonah from a version of the Bible translated and written by Eugene Peterson. See if you can identify some themes in Jonah that you could talk together about or draw pictures about.

Introduction to JONAH from THE MESSAGE by Eugene Peterson
Everybody knows about Jonah. People who have never read the Bible know enough about Jonah to laugh at a joke about him and the “whale.” Jonah has entered our folklore. There is a playful aspect to his story, a kind of slapstick clumsiness about Jonah as he bumbles his way along, trying, but always unsuccessfully, to avoid God.

But the playfulness is not frivolous. This is deadly serious. While we are smiling or laughing at Jonah, we drop the guard with which we are trying to keep God at a comfortable distance, and suddenly we find ourselves caught in the purposes and commands of God. Stories are the most prominent biblical way of helping us see ourselves in “the God story,” which always gets around to the story of God making and saving us. Stories, in contrast to abstract statements of truth, tease us into becoming participants in what is being said. We find ourselves involved in the action. We may start out as spectators or critics, but if the story is good (and the biblical stories are very good!), we find ourselves no longer just listening to but inhabiting the story.

One reason that the Jonah story is so enduringly important for nurturing the life of faith in us is that Jonah is not a hero too high and mighty for us to identify with—he doesn’t do anything great. Instead of being held up as an ideal to admire, we find Jonah as a companion in our ineptness. Here is someone on our level. Even when Jonah does it right (like preaching, finally, in Nineveh) he does it wrong (by getting angry at God). But the whole time, God is working within and around Jonah’s very ineptness and accomplishing his purposes in him. Most of us need a biblical friend or two like Jonah.

Devotion

This week I am spending a couple days in Vermont in conversation around a new book out by Martha Reese Grace. The book is called “Unbinding the Gospel”. It is one of the best books I have found on forming, exploring, sharing and helping others with our faith in Jesus Christ. Here is an excerpt from the end of a chapter entitled Real Life (page 68). It is the closing exercise for the section. It’s good for reflection. ~ Rev. Don

“Will you try something new in your spiritual life this week for your “homework”? Let’s try to scramble your patterns! Change something in your way of interacting with God. Do you talk to God a lot” Try sitting for ten minutes a day, thinking of Christ and listening.

Do you spend you prayer time mainly praying for others? Try something different. Sit quietly and ask the Spirit to show you anything you’re using to block God in your life, or an old hurt buried in you that God could heal. Do you journal? If not, try it.

You could pray the Jesus prayer. This is an Eastern Orthodox prayer that is repeated over and over to still our spirits and to open our souls to Christ. Get a bead necklace, a set of Eastern Orthodox prayer beads, a rosary, a string of pearls, or a string of Mardi Gras beads! Sit quietly, holding the beads. Hold one bead and say the Jesus Prayer once, breathing slowly in and out as you think the words, “Lord Jesus Chris, have mercy on me.” [Or “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner”]. Move to the next bead and think the prayer again, slowly, I time with your breathing. Pray the prayer with your beads for 5 or 10 or 15 minutes each day for a week.

Have you been reading one Bible translation for the last 30 years? Change it. Get a copy of Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase The Message. Better yet, get a recorded version and listen in the car or while you do the dishes. If you listen to Christian rock on the radio, get a CD of African-American spirituals. The point is, ask God to scramble your circuitry and show you something new.

At the end of the week, discuss (or write) what God has shown you.”

PRAYER REQUEST

Please pray for Kirsten McNeely, a four-year old who was recently diagnosed with leukemia.