Tag Archives: Never Alone

Those Who Serve Others

Eastertide

May 3, 2022

Scripture Reading: Acts 9:36-43

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.

One of the beautiful things about Christ-followers is we never work alone. Of course, we are blest with the constant presence of the Holy Spirit, but when needed someone like Simon, the tanner is there to support the work of the Lord. Indeed, Tabitha was also just that sort of person. We are all uniquely blest with special talents and each of our contributions is necessary and important.

I have been exceedingly busy for a few weeks dealing with planned work and unplanned interruptions. I got a new printer a few weeks ago but have not had time to set it up. My old printer can still produce copies of single sheets of regular paper but that is about it. When I tried to hook up the new printer, I got a message that it did not come with a print head. That made no sense to me, but I did not have time to mess with it. I had to get 200 copies of a very important flyer printed by the next morning. I took a deep breath, calmed down, and drove to the nearby Office Depot where a wonderful young woman was my Tabitha for the day. She completed the print job in 15 minutes. I came home, got a good night’s sleep, and handed out my flyers with joy the next day.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for all the Tabithas and Simons who serve very important roles as we work as one in Christ toward the fruition of the Kingdom of God in our world today.  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.

His Eye is on the Sparrow

Eastertide

Eastertide

April 29, 2022

Scripture Reading: Revelation 5:11-14

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, singing with full voice,
‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!’

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing,
‘To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might
forever and ever!’
And the four living creatures said, ‘Amen!’ And the elders fell down and worshipped.

This is one of those mornings when I wake up with too much to do and not enough time to do it. When I do not know all the ends and outs of issues that bother me but I cannot ascertain my best response. These are the times I most need to take time with God. I often read the scripture for the day and then walk my ten minutes. I try to walk 10 minutes each hour until I have walked 10,000 steps. The scripture above was just a little too vibrant for my mood but following my routine, I read it and then walked my 10 minutes. Three steps into my exercise the song lyric, I sing because I am happy played through my mind. I then began to remember what the other words of the song were until I rolled it all the way back to Why should I feel discouraged. If you are at a point of discouragement try thinking, singing His Eye Is On the Sparrow and I know He watches me.

Why should I feel discouraged,
Why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely,
And long for heav’n and home;
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is he;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me.

Refrain:
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free;
For his eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches me*.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for your ever-present comfort and inspiration. Amen.

*First verse and refrain of His Eye Is on the Sparrow by Civilla D. Martin see at  https://hymnary.org/text/why_should_i_feel_discouraged

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.

Songs of God

Christmastide

January 3, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Isaiah 43:1-7

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth-everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

Hymns from my youth played through my thoughts as I read this scripture. No Never Alone*, Jesus Loves the Little Children** (they are precious in his sight), and In Christ there is no east or west***. The first two songs are not in the current hymnal we use at my church. Music trends change just like everything else, but music plants the theology of our future in our lives as children that may stick with us longer than anything else we are taught. I think of my brother-in-law lying in ICE with COVID for 14 days before my sister could visit him in person. I thank God for the miracles of modern medicine but more importantly, I thank the Lord for being with him for those 14 days and every day since. Pictures of the children staving in Yemen flashed before me as I consider how we are all called to love the Little Children, all the children of the world. For the last several weeks, Oklahomans have opened their homes and their hearts to Afghans fleeing from the fall of their country as God gathers God’s children from the east and the west.

In Christ there is no east or west,
in him no south or north,
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.

In Christ shall true hearts ev’rywhere
their high communion find.
His service is the golden cord
close binding humankind.

Join hands, then, people of the faith,
whate’er your race may be.
All children of the living God
are surely kin to me.

In Christ now meet both east and west,
in him meet south and north.
All Christly souls are joined as one
throughout the whole wide earth.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the songs of my youth and the love you shared with all who sang them. Let them continue to guide us in our love. Amen.

* https://childbiblesongs.com/song-30-jesus-loves-the-little-children.shtml See at **https://hymnary.org/text/ive_seen_the_lightning_flashing

***https://hymnary.org/text/in_christ_there_is_no_east_or_west_oxenh

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.