Category Archives: Daily Devotion

Called to Love

Advent

December 14, 2021

Scripture Reading: Psalm 80:1-7

Restore us, O God;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved.

O Lord God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
   and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
   our enemies laugh among themselves.

Restore us, O God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved.

I did not live through the depression or World War II, and I was too young to remember much about the Korean War. I do remember sitting under my desk at school as practice in case a nuclear bomb struck us and watching the aftermath of the assassination of President Kennedy. I lived just a few blocks from the predominately black part of town in college. I remember well the sounds of guns, Molotov cocktails, and fire truck sirens all night after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. I learned later those participants were shooting in the air and destroying trash cans and other containers in their neighborhood in frustration, anger, fear, and hopelessness. Here we are still. Does it ever end? We are a nation divided. I easily can imagine God being angry that we still do not recognize that love is always better than hate, and the love displaced on greed and power is the same as hate. What are we teaching our children? This cycle must stop with us.

Prayer: Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Forever Together

Advent

December 13, 2021

Scripture Reading: Micah 5:2-5a

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
   who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
   one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
   from ancient days.
Therefore he shall give them up until the time
   when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
   to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
   in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
   to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

Keeping a relationship with the One Supreme God is necessary to meet basic needs, live securely in the world, and be at peace. As described by Micah in the above Scripture, the manifestation of the one to come will lead all God’s people in forming such a relationship. However, problems arise throughout the history of God when people become distracted and led away from the ways of God. Our greatest temptation as we reach places of comfort and abundance is no longer to feel the need for such a relationship. It is the story of the self-made billionaire. None of us were self-made; none of us pulled ourselves up from our bootstraps. Where did the boots come from in the first place? God created all people and endowed them with skills and talents nourished along the way by a hug, an example, or a cup of water. Most of us were blest with various mentors and enablers along the way. And yes, many of us put in long hours of hard work to succeed. God created us for a purpose. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. (Luke 12:48)

We, as Christ-followers, now identify the one the prophet foretold as Jesus, who came to us as an infant, was nurtured by loving parents, and grew into the one who paved the road for us to follow toward forming a sustaining relationship with the One Supreme God. We call him by many names; one is God with Us.

Prayer: Lord of all, forgive us when we think we no longer need to be in a relationship with you. As we move closer and closer to celebrating the birth of God with Us, kindle in us the fire of your love forever. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Moral Citizens

Advent

December 12, 2021

And the crowds asked him, ‘What then should we do?’ In reply he said to them, ‘Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.’ Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what should we do?’ He said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.’ –Luke 3:10-14

I found it somewhat ironic that this Scripture with the phrase ‘Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.’ was part of the liturgy for this week. Congress is considering the Build Back Better Bill; It includes a provision that the federal government will Impose a tax penalty if drug companies increase their prices faster than inflation*. While I am a strong supporter of the separation of church and state, we have a voice in our government’s being moral, being just. What Jesus is outlining in the above Scripture is the simple act of being righteous and just in all we do.

We live in a democracy that requires all citizens’ input and a concerted effort to find common ground for the common good among the diversity of opinions in our country. The word moral as it applies to governance means considering something having the qualities of right and wrong action being governed by a sense of right**. Unfortunately, we are in danger of being overtaken by oligarchs who believe theirs is the only right way to do anything and gain their decision-making control by buying our elected officials***. Such wealth allows our representatives to venture far afield from what is right for the constituents they serve. The oligarchs do not need to invest in the whole Congress or State Legislature. They just need to control enough to divide and conquer lawmaking. In a democracy, we, the people, are the only ones who can stop it.

Prayer: Lord, guide us in being good, moral, and just in our role as citizens. Amen.

*https://www.whitehouse.gov/build-back-better/

**https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/moral

***On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, that corporations and other outside groups could spend unlimited funds on elections.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Bearing Fruit

Advent

December 11, 2021

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:7-18

John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ –Luke 3:7-9

What happens after baptism? Baptism, for many of us, was a rite of passage. Some were baptized when their parents brought them forward in church shortly after birth, and they reconfirmed that when they were older. Others viewed baptism as publicly professing faith that Jesus was the Christ and accepting him as our Savior. Some became adults before making that commitment. Those coming to John for baptism did so in the hope of the prophesied Messiah, God’s anointed one coming to make all things right. John spells out our role in complementing the Messiah when he instructs those being baptized and those of us who now follow the Christ when he led them and us to bear fruits worthy of repentance.

If setting things right is the role of the Messiah, we are the workers called to take his love and ways throughout the world. How are we doing at that? Do we rest on our laurels because we confessed faith in Jesus, the Christ? As Luke suggests, John’s audience may think they have nothing left to do because they are Abraham’s descendants. We say we are baptized believers. In developing our ways of being, have we retained Jesus’s way of loving and shaping communities of love? Or are we moving further and further away from God’s righteousness and justice as we advertise a faith of our creation?

Advent is the time to evaluate our commitment to Christ’s ways to determine if we are bearing fruits worth repentance. What changes must we make to come into alignment with God’s righteousness and justice? What steps will we take to implement those changes?

Prayer: Lord, as we move closer and closer to your coming as God with Us let us also grow closer to your justice. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

The Habit of Loving

Advent

Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:3-11

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

In all things, always start with love and see where it leads you. We often think of habits as bad things. Developing good habits will help you live longer and be more competent. However, I am not sure that I ever thought of love as a habit to cultivate. I believe that is what Paul is describing above.

To make love the driving force in our lives, we must understand love. The word “love” used in this Scripture is translated from the Greek agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. In the NT, 26 (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers). Other words describing love are benevolence, goodwill, esteem. God’s love is given with no strings attached unconditionally.

How do we love unconditionally? How do we love without letting the influences of the world define how we see and deal with others? I just saw on the news a report of a black family living in a lovely home in a good neighborhood, having the home’s value appraised. They thought the appraisal was far too low and wondered if their race impacted the estimate. So they removed any pictures or other indicators that the home might be owned by African Americans and had a white friend acting the part of the owner greet the next appraiser and show them around the house. The second appraisal was $500,000 more than the first appraisal.

When we interact with others, do we first see the image of God by which they were created, or do we cast the world’s judgment on them? If that is the case, we need to develop the habit of looking for the image of God in each person we meet.

Finally, we must apply this same system to loving ourselves. Our problems of not loving like God result from our inability to love ourselves as a child of God.

Prayer: Lord, enable us to follow your instruction to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/26.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Father Forgive Us

Advent

December 10, 2021

Scripture Reading:
Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As I write, the second man in an Oklahoma prison to be executed in the last month is being fastened onto a gurney with legs bound and arms outstretched in a cross-like manner. Oklahoma stopped executions in 2015 because the drugs being used were deemed to cause unnecessary suffering. Our current Governor and Attorney General disagreed with that decision and reinstated executions using the same drugs. The first man executed experienced over two dozen convulsions and vomited twice before dying. The second man scheduled for execution had his sentence changed to life in prison without parole because there are serious questions regarding whether he committed the crime for which he was found guilty. The third man on the list is being killed today. There are 30 more people on death row, but a hearing has been set in February in federal court to determine whether the drugs being used cause unnecessary suffering. I do not believe that the death penalty is ever appropriate. The hearing in February will not end the death penalty; it will only change the method used to kill the people.

The Scripture quoted above is one of my favorites, and in theory, I attest to its validity, but today in real life, where the death penalty is real, I am finding it hard to rejoice in the Lord always. I then remember that much of Philippians was written by Paul while he was in prison when he, too, could have been executed. Later, he probably was beheaded for spreading the love of Jesus Christ. The man being executed today said he was at peace and will be the first person executed in Oklahoma to have his spiritual advisor in the room with him, praying for him while touching him in the process. He indeed has chosen to rejoice in the Lord always. So, I rejoice with his ability to rejoice while I pledge even more to advocate for the end of the death penalty and remember the words of Jesus from the cross, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do, Luke 23:34.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for our failure to love all your children. Guide us to restore the wholeness of all who have committed crimes.  Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

The Way of Love

Advent

December 8, 2021

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely God is my salvation;
   I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength and my might;
   he has become my salvation.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say on that day:
Give thanks to the Lord,
   call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations;
   proclaim that his name is exalted.

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
   let this be known in all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
   for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

The song Where is Love from the movie Oliver played in my head has I read this Scripture. The singer is a little boy who runs away from an orphanage in search of something better, in search of his mother. All alone and afraid in the darkness he sings:

Where is love?
Does it fall from skies above?
Is it underneath the willow tree
That I’ve been dreaming of?
Where is she
Who I close my eyes to see?
Will I ever know the sweet hello
That’s meant for only me*?

Surely my brain, or perhaps my heart, thought that Isaiah’s Scripture above answered Oliver’s questions. Recently, I have been thinking that we have pushed God to the back of the pantry as we sit alone in the dark, hopeless and helpless. We are neither. We serve a mighty God who loves us deeply and thoroughly and wants the very best for all God’s children.   Jesus, the Christ, came to show us the way, the truth, and the life*. Part of our problem is that we get distracted by life’s complications and have difficulty accepting that the solutions are straightforward as the love God expects of us. We are like toddlers fighting sleep when sleep is what they need.  We readily respond to challenges with strong emotions such as hate, anger, bigotry, and others when love is the required response. We cannot love like Jesus until we clear the clutter of what stands in our way of doing what is right, what is just.

Prayer: Lord, clear the clutter of selfishness and self-righteousness that limits our ability to love ourselves and others as you love. Amen.

*First verse of Where is Love by Lionel Bart see at https://genius.com/Oliver-musical-cast-recording-where-is-love-lyrics

**See John 14:6

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Together as One

Advent

December 7, 2021

Scripture Reading: Malachi 3:1-4

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

I never noticed before that Malachi indicates that the Lord’s messenger is being sent to make ready the clergy, in this instance the descendants of Levi, for their role in preparing for the arrival of the Lord. Being clergy in a divide-and-conquer world is as challenging now as when the Sadducees and the Pharisees tangled with the ruling Roman government. Then, all involved were more concerned about their power and prestige than with the needs of their congregants or constituents. Sound familiar?

Recently, the “Fear Not” Scripture related to Gabriel’s meeting with Mary was considered in Sunday School, and participants were invited to share their fears. One woman stated that she feared that our government was on the precipice of failure. I, too, have felt that fear. The sad part is we are so divided that people on both sides feel that fear.

Good clergy walk a tightrope trying to lead their parishioners to a common ground by reaching for the higher ground of Jesus’s teachings on how we are to live and love. All followers of Christ need to support good examples and instructions and work together to find the actions on which all can come together. Paul brought people together, for one thing, by collecting donations for others who were suffering in a drought*. That is where Jesus also started, caring for the poor. Their working together led to the Jerusalem Council that opened the doors to gentiles being welcomed without first becoming Jews..

Prayer: Lord, bring us together one act of love at a time. Amen.

*See Acts 15 and Galatians 2

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

God Is

Advent

December 6, 2021

Scripture Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20

Sing aloud, O daughter Zion;
   shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
   O daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away the judgements against you,
   he has turned away your enemies.
The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
   you shall fear disaster no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Do not fear, O Zion;
   do not let your hands grow weak.
The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
   a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
   he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
   as on a day of festival.
I will remove disaster from you,
   so that you will not bear reproach for it.
I will deal with all your oppressors
   at that time.
And I will save the lame
   and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
   and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home,
   at the time when I gather you;
for I will make you renowned and praised
   among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
   before your eyes, says the Lord.

I needed this scripture this morning; you may too. I recommend that you not only read it but inhale it into your soul. As you read it consider what you are doing as a disciple of Christ to hasten the Kingdom of God in fulness across the whole earth.     

Prayer: God of Grace and Love, thank you for freeing us from despair guide us to live within the light of your love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

A New Thing

Advent

December 5, 2021

Scripture Reading: Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
‘The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord,
   make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
   and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
   and the rough ways made smooth;
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Wilderness: érēmos – properly, an uncultivated, unpopulated place; a desolate (deserted) area; (figuratively) a barren, solitary place that also provides needed quiet (freedom from disturbance).

In Scripture, a “desert” (2048 /érēmos) is ironically also where God richly grants His presence and provision for those seeking Him. The limitless Lord shows Himself strong in the “limiting” (difficult) scenes of life*.

My parents retired from the farm and moved to a bungalow in a nearby town with a nice small backyard. Except when he served in the army, my Dad had never lived in town. Furthermore, his parent’s farms and our farm were located on the Great Plains, flat land with a few rolling hills and native trees near streams.  My Dad suffered from location claustrophobia if that is possible. So he began to search for a place with more space, and he found it. In February, I did not consider what I might find when I followed the directions to the new location and gasped in shock when I turned into the driveway and saw an in-town wilderness. The home had been vacant for some time. It set at the edge of town a dirt row separated it from a creek that flowed behind. The place was two acres of overgrown brush and weeds. The house still had the furniture and other belongings of the previous owner, and its most recent occupants were varments. I thanked God they were still living in the bungalow and prayed that they would realize the calamity of this decision. My Mom was an avid gardener, and my Dad had worked as a carpenter before serving in the army and then buying the farm.

I did not see this wilderness again until the end of March. I turned into a curving, well-graveled driveway lined on one side by rows of daffodils and irises. Their bulbs had been there all along. Mom just gently discovered them and nurtured them.  Rose bushes surrounded the garage door. Cuttings from the boxwood bushes that originated in Tennessee before the Civil War were taken to Arkansas, and then to Oklahoma were planted on either side of the front steps. The lawn was mowed neatly; the back yard was now a well-laid planned vegetable garden. There were also two paper shell pecan trees and one native pecan. The house was repaired where necessary and spotlessly clean.

Our world feels like a wilderness now For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on Earth, good will to men**. But God is with us and will guide us to do a new thing in us*** if we are willing to invest our lives in the work of loving and nurturing one another.

Prayer:
Lord, renew us again as we await the coming of the Christ child and the fulfillment of this promise
I am about to do a new thing;
   now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
   and rivers in the desert***. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/2048.htm
**From sixth verse of Christmas Bells by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,  See at https://poets.org/poem/christmas-bells
***See Isaiah 43:19

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.