Lent 2014
April 6, 2014 

Read Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14 (Also may want to read John 11:1-45) 

The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ — Ezekiel 37:1-6  

In today’s scripture our stern and personally challenging prophet Ezekiel shares the vision that God has placed before him of the rebirth of Israel. The New Testament reading for today is John 11:1-45 that tells of the raising of Lazarus. Both of these stories are matters of faith where what seems beyond the grasp of humans becomes real by the grace of God. In Matthew 19, Jesus shares that a rich man entering the Kingdom of heaven might fit this definition also—might be beyond his grasp.  But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’ –Matthew 19:26 

This is a threefold message for us today: God is in our vision and our planning, God is in the realities of everyday life, and God can remold and make us like Him divine*. We need all three. If we cannot dream dreams of better futures, we will not step forth to pursue them. If we cannot feel the presence of God as we deal with life’s challenges, we become discouraged and may give up. And if we do not have the ever present redeeming work of our Savior, we may get so caught up in this world that we fail at being builders of God’s kingdom.

I drove by Putnam Heights Elementary earlier this week. Construction workers were preparing the ground for, I assume, a new building. This is part of Oklahoma City’s commitment to provide quality schools for all our children. What vision do you have for this school when the rebuilding and remodeling is done? What hope for the students? How is God reshaping you in your role as a builder in God’s kingdom? 

Prayer: God consecrate our lives to your purpose. Guide our actions. Prod us to complete our tasks. Amen. 

*Paraphrased from the hymn, Are Ye Able Said the Master

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lent 2014
April 5, 2014 

Read Scripture: Luke 24:44-53 

Then [Jesus] opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. — Luke 24:45-48  

Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words. –Francis of Assisi 

Over the past few years, how many church meetings have you attended that dealt with the decline of church attendance? Now, we talk about the decline of Christianity itself. We have all tried the latest and greatest new program or study, redesigned our worship, remodeled older buildings, or even changed locations. I wonder what would happen if we just did what Jesus did: loved God and loved our neighbors as we love ourselves. That implies moving outside our comfort zones and into a world that is largely alien to us. It may mean seeing the sacred in places and people with whom we most likely would never have associated had it not been for this call of the Messiah. 

Loving God and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves might result in new programs etc. It might mean using facilities in markedly different ways than originally intended. It might mean letting our light shine while keeping our mouths shut as St. Francis suggests above. It might mean asking the kinds of questions Jesus asked and really paying attention to the answers: “What do you want?” “What do you need?” I can think of no better place to pilot such an action than in support of educating our children. 

Love is a verb. It requires action. It does not require you to do everything. It does require you to do something and do it well with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Perhaps God knew it would be easier to love some neighbors if we did it in groups. It sometimes is easier to obey Christ’s admonition to fear not, when we have friends with us who are fearing not also. We call it the body of Christ. (Houses Divided page 119) 

Prayer: Creator of All makes us lovers of all. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lent 2014
April 4, 2014 

Read Scripture: Ezekiel 33:10-16 

And you, mortal, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not save them when they transgress; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, it shall not make them stumble when they turn from their wickedness; and the righteous shall not be able to live by their righteousness when they sin. Though I say to the righteous that they shall surely live, yet if they trust in their righteousness and commit iniquity, none of their righteous deeds shall be remembered; but in the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die’, yet if they turn from their sin and do what is lawful and right— if the wicked restore the pledge, give back what they have taken by robbery, and walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity—they shall surely live, they shall not die. None of the sins that they have committed shall be remembered against them; they have done what is lawful and right, they shall surely live. — Ezekiel 33:12-16 

It surely must be Lent. These pesky prophets just will not let well enough alone. They expect a lot from us. God expects a lot from us. As Paul would say we who are striving to do right must continue to work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling.—Philippians2:12b  

That said I want us to concentrate today on those whom we deem to be “wicked.” The word “wicked” as used by Ezekiel means a convicted criminal or an evil person. I recently saw the musical Wicked, a prologue to the Wizard of Oz that traces the growth and development of the Wicked Witch of the West, a character from that work. It seems to demonstrate that she was a product of her environment as much as she was of her inborn qualities. I think it suggests that if all of us truly loved our neighbor as much as we loved ourselves we would have few, if any, “wicked” people in the world. We would be very close to the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. 

It is truly amazing when you consider the way many children actually live that most of them turn out to be pretty “normal”, whatever that means. Children are very resilient and most parents that I have encountered want the very best for their children. Such parents are often open to making major changes in their own lives to assure that their children get a better shot at life than they did. Part of our challenge as people who want to foster those changes is that the only place to start is exactly where that parent or child is when we first encounter them. We must love them as Jesus would love them at that moment with no reservations. And sometimes that requires us to let go and do some changing ourselves. Sometimes we can only do that with and through the power of God’s love enabling us. 

Prayer: Parent God, enable us to love the way Jesus loves. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lent 2014
April 3, 2014 

Read Scripture: Psalm 130 

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.  

O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities. — Psalm 130:1-4, 7-8 

I do not know about you, but I have to tell you, I struggle at times about how we got in this mess regarding the education of our children. While much of my career related to public policy was in regard to children, it had little to do with education, I thought. Of course, I was wrong. A lot of poverty and a lot of child abuse and neglect have to do with education or the lack of education. I have wondered what I might have done differently had I looked more broadly at the things that impact children. I fear the majority of my sins are sins of omission. 

So people like me need to pay special attention to our scripture today. We do not have to wallow in guilt for we serve a loving and forgiving God who sent us a Redeemer who saves us from all our iniquities. Unbound by guilt and sin we have far more resources within and among us to correct the correctable, to realize new and better ways of educating, and to give hope to a whole generation who are now striving just to survive. Jesus our Redeemer called for all to have an abundant life: I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.—John 10:10. I see that as a life full of wholeness in body, mind, and spirit. The Body of Christ cannot just dedicate itself to matters of the spirit but must strive for wholeness for all. 

Prayer: Redeemer Lord, forgive us of our sins of both omission and commission and help us target our ministries toward bringing wholeness to this fragmented world. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Eastertide
April 22, 2014

Read Scripture: Colossians 3:12-17

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. — Colossians 3:12-14 

Singing and dancing marked the Israelites successful crossing of the Red Sea. Moses’ song in Exodus 15: 18 ends with these words: The Lord will reign forever and ever. So, too, we acknowledge the continuing reign of God in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Not only has the world been transformed, but we as individuals and as the followers of Christ have been called to transformation also. We are asked to take on a significant role in the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth by living as if it were already fully realized.  

The history of our world abounds in stories of the overthrowing of peoples, countries, and tribes, primarily through violence or the threat of violence. Not so the kingdom of God, it is being built on a foundation of love and its anthem rings with harmony not the dissonance of war. 

As I write this, trouble makers are stirring the pot of discord in Ukraine and millions of people are displaced from Syria as its civil war continues. It all seems so hopeless. Power hungry people have no qualms about using force to get their way. They seem oblivious to the hurting and hungry children in the streets. 

I am a basketball fan and I believe that one of the maxims of basketball may need to be applied in our world today. A team should never let the opposing team control the pace of the game. Never let them dictate the way it will be played. For if our team gives in to their strategic plan, our team most likely will be the loser. We are a war weary nation and the world knows it and there are those who are trying to take advantage of it, but that does not mean with have to play their game. 

If we are called to compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience and unite with others who would prefer this course, we could leave the violence-prone power mongers shadow boxing. For such a plan to work, all those opposed to violence must work in harmony and therein lay the challenge. If we really do not want to pay the high price of war both in lives and resources then we need to develop a really good game plan based on non-violent means and make it work. We have our military prowess ever lurking in the background, ready if needed, as a strong backup incentive. Now is the time to move our world a few steps closer to a world of wholeness, oneness, and justice for all through our love. 

Prayer: God grant us the mercy to find our partners in seeking a world of peace not war and bring us together in harmony. 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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lent 2014
April 2, 2014 

Read Scripture: Colossians 1:9-14 

For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. — Colossians 1:9-12 

During this season of prayer for Putnam Heights Elementary School, the mission team is asking each participant to prayerfully consider what he or she can do in an ongoing way to be a part of this ministry. We will need tutors and organizers; perhaps surrogate classroom parents; people to upgrade the landscape; and financial support. But there is probably nothing we can provide that is more important than our continuing prayer support. If you had been a member of the church as Colossae, how do you think you would have felt when the words of our scripture today were read to you? This is a powerful prayer. 

My mother died at the age of 98, almost 99, and for the last eighteen months of her life she was confined to bed or a wheelchair because her hip had broken and it was determined that her bones were too fragile for her to put any weight on them. While she remained sharp (she could still calculate double 12 domino scores in her head) her short term memory was limited. Yet she remained a dedicated Christian and prayed regularly. She particularly enjoyed prayers of thanks for the elementary school children who came each week and did crafts with the patients where she lived. Her ministry never ended nor should ours.  

We need to pray for each child, parents and teacher; other staff members; school administrators; and government officials whose decisions impact education. They may never know we are praying for them, but our prayers will make a difference for them even if the primary difference is through our caring and services. We might borrow some of Paul’s prayer for a start: May [the students at PHE] be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may [they] be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled [them] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 

Prayer: Here our prayer, O Lord, Here our prayer, O Lord, incline thy ear to us and grant us they peace. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lent 2014
April 1, 2014 

Read Scripture: Psalm 146 

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry. — Psalm 146:5-7 

The word translated in our scripture today as “Happy” is the Hebrew world esher derived from ashar. It may also be translated as “blessed” meaning “made holy or consecrated” when used as an adjective. When used as a noun it refers to those who live with God. Now that is a most sacred arrangement. Do we lean on God? Is our hope centered in the Lord who created heaven and earth and all that in is them? Do we trust that God does keep faith with us forever? If we buy into these promises then we must surely realize that God is executing justice for the oppressed and providing food for the hungry. God also, I believe, envisions us as being God’s partners in bringing about justice for the oppressed and feeding the hungry. 

Make no mistake, a ministry invested in quality education for all is a ministry of justice. Food for the mind most often undergirds food for the body. As I write this the federal government is debating the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage. Projections are that as many as 900,000 people will be lifted out of poverty as a result of the proposed wage increase. While I believe that figure to be true, many of those people will not see an increase in available resources because they will incur a loss of food stamps resulting in modest or no increase in spending power. Increasing the minimum wage is a good first step and I do support it. But the real challenge going forward is raising the income levels of all people to a living wage that is well above the minimum wage. One of the most important ways of transitioning people into living wage jobs is to provide them the necessary training to acquire higher paying jobs. 

With the aging of our population the need for health care providers at all levels is being challenged right now.  Many of these jobs pay good salaries and benefits. An 18 month or two year course of study could be the avenue for many to become licensed practical nurses or registered nurses. Before a student can even consider taking advantage of such training, they must have a very good basic understanding of math and science, and that starts in elementary school. 

Prayer: Lord, are you calling me to be a math or science tutor? Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lent 2014
March 31, 2014

 Read Scripture: John 9:1-41

 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. — John 9:1b-7 

I coordinated long-range planning for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services for many years. Thus, I routinely met with the executives in this multi-service agency encouraging them to be more goal oriented and to measure their progress. At one of these retreats the leader of the division with responsibilities for working with persons with developmentally disabilities kept insisting on a goal of placing 100% of persons with developmental disabilities in gainful employment—a totally unrealistic goal in my mind. I sparred with him, for probably too long, trying to get him to set something attainable. I finally said, “You know you will never be able to place every developmentally disabled person in a job, don’t you.” At which point the person in charge of rehabilitation services for the blind and disabled simply said, “They used to say that about the blind.”  This man, had a master’s degree, was an acknowledged national leader in the field of rehabilitation, and was blind.

 Management by objective, notwithstanding, when we are in the trenches, at the scene of an accident with injury, rescuing tornado victims, fleeing from war, or working in an intercity grade school, we must have the mindset that we can and are making a difference. While we may not indeed be able to save all for whom we are striving that mindset will help save more than we normally could. When God has got our backs, we can expect miracles.

 Prayer: Hope of the World please have my back as I work the work you have called me to do. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lent 2014
March 30, 2014

 Read Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord.’ But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’ — 1 Samuel 16:6-7 

Lon Kruger is a highly respected basketball coach with an amazing record at several different schools. He became the coach at the University of Oklahoma in 2011 when the team needed help to realize its full potential. I have enjoyed watching him coach since that time. Lon Kruger has the gift of seeing the heart of each of his players, and I think he absolutely loves to see them blossom and grow and succeed. Strategy is important. Putting the right people on the court at the right time against specific opponents matters. Conditioning and fitness are crucial. But actualizing the full potential of a student player is what makes winning teams and also results in students who transition into adults ready to take on whatever might come their way and make the world a better place for it. This gift is what God gave to Samuel in our story today.  

Michelangelo demonstrated this same gift when he looked at a discarded huge, flawed block of marble and envisioned the classic statue of David, who became the King of Israel and the ancestor of Jesus. This David, King David, in life had much in common with the damaged stone from which Michelangelo carved. He was far from perfect, but God did not give up on him. 

Some teachers are blest with the gift of seeing the hearts of each of their students. Others can acquire it through practicing the discipline of trying to see the potential in every child in their classroom and then searching for ways to make that potential have a positive impact on the child’s learning experience. Actually, everyone who crosses the path of a child (adults too) should hone in on his or her potential. In so doing you will be influencing not only the future of the child but also our world. 

Prayer: God of Insight, help me to see the heart of every person in my span of influence and show me how to help them blossom and grow. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lent 2014
March 29, 2014

 Read Scripture: John 1:1-9 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it….The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. — John 1:1-5, 9 

It is a good to remember why we are here in the first place. Why we take these few moments each day to remember to pull ourselves together toward the wholeness God desires for each of us and all of us. In these few short verses, the book of John takes us all the way back to creation assuring us that we are of God, the very source of life. In the midst of these dark days of Lent when all seems lost, we are reminded that God created light in the world and gave us the gift of enlightenment through his Son Jesus Christ.  

There is nothing more precious than being present at that moment when a child gains understanding. Years ago I was sharing a cup of coffee with a friend as her kindergarten aged son lay on his stomach across the living room carpet with a big green pencil gripped tightly in his hand. His whole body was invested in perfecting whatever it was he was writing. Suddenly he laid the pencil to the side and pounding his fists into the carpet, crying out, “I got it, I got it, I got it.” He popped up and turned in one swift move handing his mother the masterpiece about which she was equally thrilled. I got to see it, too. He had written his full name and address with the “n’s” all pointing in the right direction.  

Every child has the right to experience the joy of enlightenment. As people of God’s life and light we have a responsibility to assure that every child has avenues to grow and learn in spirit and in truth, that they have green or purple or orange pencils and plenty of paper on which to write or perhaps a digital tablet, and that they have someone to appreciate their efforts. 

Prayer: God of Enlightenment, make us conduits of your light for all the children of the world. Amen.

The identities of students, families, or staff in stories that are shared in the devotions have been altered to protect their privacy. Any similarities between these stories and the experience of others are coincidental. No stories about students, families of students, or staff from Putnam Heights Elementary School are included in any of these devotions.

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 American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.