Devotional 12-5-13

Thankful

This season of the year with its beautiful colors and moderate temperatures stimulates the senses and is the perfect prelude to Thanksgiving which in turn helps to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  The incredible beauty of autumn heightens my awareness of the presence of God all around, and leads to reflection on the incredible ways God has blessed my life and how thankful I feel for those blessings, the essence of Thanksgiving.

  

It is not a coincidence that this time of year our church conducts its stewardship campaign.  Some groan at mention of the word stewardship and may even skip some Sundays during this time because they see it merely as the church trying to guilt them into parting with their money.  As I have grown in my faith, my perspective on giving has changed, however.  I have come to realize, thanks to the witness of fellow church members and the sermons from our pastors, that our giving doesn’t come from guilt but should be motivated by gratitude and done to glorify God through the church and its programs. Along with financial stewardship, we are also reminded to consider whether and how much we are sharing the other “riches” we possess – our time and talents – which are equally important to the life of the church.

Just as I’m glad autumn helps transition our weather from summer to winter, I’m grateful that stewardship season and Thanksgiving come before Christmas.  Appreciating just how rich we truly are in terms of blessings and gifts from God helps insulate us to some degree from those aspects of the Christmas season that are not spiritual.  Rabid consumerism forced on us way too soon, pressure to spend beyond our means, crowds, rampant rudeness and inconsideration, and the stress that comes with these things, threaten to blur our vision of the coming Christ child and replace the gratitude in our hearts with anger, frustration and even resentfulness, leaving no room for the most amazing blessing of all. This year, my prayer is that we may maintain an “attitude of gratitude,” and that we make an effort to find something to be thankful for in every situation even if we do so grudgingly with clenched teeth and fists.  I hope this will help keep our hearts open to receive and acknowledge the blessing of our Savior’s birth. 

Mary Taylor

Devotional 12-7-12

Preparing the Way

The lectionary readings for this week are about John the Baptist, from the prophet Malachi’s vision that he would one day come, to the prophetic words of his father, Zechariah, about what his son would do to prepare the way for the ministry of his cousin, Jesus.

Isn’t it fascinating how God chooses the most unlikely people to witness, prophesy, minister and act on his behalf to accomplish his plan? The Bible is full of their stories woven together to create the fabric of history. Even more surprising to me is the faith and willingness shown by those whom God picked. Many took great risks to do what God asked of them, some giving up everything they had known. Certainly Mary comes to mind as one who showed incredible faith and obedience when called to do something that sounded crazy, and John the Baptist is also a good example. A man who lived in the wilderness, wore animal skins and dined on locusts and wild honey hardly seemed the type to be God’s choice to prepare the way for the savior of the world and then to be given the honor of baptizing him. Would we believe Mary’s story or pay any attention to one such as John today? Probably not.

When reading a devotional recently I was reminded of two other unlikely people who also helped prepare the way for the savior’s arrival - Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. Theirs is a wonderful story about love, loyalty and trust, but the author of this devotional also reminded me that it is important to remember their part in the lineage of Jesus. Obed, the child born of the eventual union of Ruth and Naomi’s kinsman, Boaz, was the father of Jesse and grandfather of King David, and therefore in the direct line of Jesus. Two poor, homeless widows were used by God to prepare the way for his son.

In this season of waiting and expectation, who prepares the way for us to receive into our hearts the savior of the world? More importantly, whose heart is God calling us to help prepare to receive his son? We all need to make time to listen for God’s direction and to follow his leading. God is still using ordinary people like you and me every day to prepare hearts and minds to receive Jesus, if we will let him. We may not find a place in history for our faithful actions, but the transformation that occurs when we share the love and message of our savior is far greater than any reward we could want.

Prayer:
Thank you, God, for those you chose to help write our history as Christians. May we continue to be reminded that you can use anyone to further your work in the world. Please continue to speak to us, and help us to listen for, and faithfully follow, your leading so that we might also make a positive impact in the lives of others and in the world. Amen.

Mary Taylor

Devotional 12-5-11

Oaks of Righteousness

Please read Isaiah 61:1-4

In this passage, the author relates that the spirit of the Lord is upon him, and he has been anointed to be good news and a positive presence for others, specifically the downtrodden, sorrowful, and mourning. He says they will be called “oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.” Isn’t that a wonderful image? I have observed that oak trees are tall and regal-looking with distinctive leaves. Their fruit, the acorn, is also easily recognizable. Oak wood is very strong and hard, fairly impervious to insects and fungus because of its high tannin content, and very attractive on the inside, making it prized for use in buildings, furniture, floors, boats and a host of other items.

It seems to me that these are qualities that would be good for us to strive for as Christians. Imagine if we stood out because we lead lives indicative of being “planted by the Lord“; if our “clothes” of righteousness were distinctive because they reflected our priorities and actions as being God-influenced; if the fruits of our actions were easily recognizable as evidence of a strong relationship with our creator and an openness to follow his leading; if we “display[ed] his glory.”

How beautiful to reflect strength in our living such that we stand up for what is just without concern for the consequences; that we boldly follow God, even past the boundaries of our comfort; that we model strength of character in the difficult, trying situations of life without wavering in our faith.

What a delight it would be to live as though we are impervious to the insects and diseases with which we come into contact daily--those things and people, including ourselves sometimes, which lure us into self-centeredness, apathy, laziness, idolatry, unforgiveness, and other conditions which stand in the way of living a life centered on God. What a blessing it would be if our age and experiences made us, like the oak, more and more attractive on the inside and if that were the way we all measured another’s worth rather than by physical beauty, title, possessions owned or money accumulated.

I know; I’ve just listed a lot of lofty aspirations and seemingly unattainable goals. If we take small steps, however, beginning with ordering our priorities and making efforts to put and keep Christ at the center of our lives through worship, prayer and meditation, and the study of God’s word, we just might experience a taller stature reflecting our growth toward God. We might also realize that our branches are growing outward as we reach to touch others. Pretty soon we too might be called oaks of righteousness, and when our time on this earth is finished, maybe those who observed or were affected by our growth would be inspired to do the same.

Dear God, in this Advent season may we take time to assess and reorder our priorities and to consider the legacy we will leave on this earth. May we, like the mighty oak, work to become strong, inwardly beautiful people who live to do your will. Amen.

Mary Taylor

Devotional 1-1-11

A Prayer for the New Year

"To everything, turn, turn, turn,
There is a season, turn, turn, turn,
and a time for every purpose under Heaven"

These words are from the 1960's song by the group The Byrds. I always loved the song because the music was pretty, and the lyrics were more meaningful than those in other popular songs of that time. It wasn't until many years later that I realized those meaningful words were from Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8. Today, as we cross the threshold into 2011, I would like to use these words as a prayer for the new year.

Dear God, in the coming year, help us as we tend to our spiritual gardens, pulling out and allowing to die those habits, attitudes, thoughts, and actions that are poisonous to our existence as Christians. In their place, let us plant seeds of love from which kind, grace-filled thoughts and actions will be born. (vs. 2).

I pray that, with your help, we can kill/eliminate the stereotypical thoughts and prejudices we and others harbor that are borne of ignorance and fear and that divide your children of different nations, races, religions, genders, socioeconomic status, political parties, etc. Please guide us in breaking down barriers, healing relationships and building up bonds of unity so that, as one world, we can address hunger, poverty, injustice, environmental concerns and many other important issues.

When we weep out of anger, frustration or sorrow, please help us to remember you gave us the gift of laughter to relieve our stresses and help us view our problems in a different way. When we mourn, please send us your strength and comfort to ease our sense of loss and guide our way through the grieving process so that we may one day be able to even dance and praise you with gratitude for the persons, relationships or other things we have lost (vs. 4).

In the coming year, please grant us the insight and determination to throw away the stones in our lives - the people, relationships, guilt, addictions, self-destructive tendencies - that weigh us down and prevent us from being the best we can. Please help us to refrain from embracing similar types of negative influences but instead to replace those weighty stones with smaller, lighter pebbles which allow the hope, joy, peace and self-acceptance you offer to drain into our beings, causing us to realize how beautiful and amazing you created us to be (vs. 5).

I pray that, as a church, we will seek your guidance in ministering to those in our congregation and outside the walls of our building. May we never lose sight of our mission and the vision you helped us discern for our church. Please help us to continually monitor our progress in nurturing our current members and working to bring your message of hope and love to those who need it most. Guide us in the difficult task of determining what ideas and practices from the past we should keep to lead us forward and what attitudes and mindsets we need to discard because they are unrealistic and unsuitable for our future (vs. 6).

As we interact with family during the coming year, dear Lord, reinforce in us the need for love, patience, a quick mind and a slow tongue (especially with our children) so that our words and actions do not hurt or tear down those we love or damage relationships. Please give us wisdom, objectivity and a forgiving spirit so that we can mend relationships that have been strained or broken. Help us remember that it is not about us, and there are times when the best we can do for someone is to be quiet and listen to what they are saying. Please give us wisdom to discern when we need to speak up and the courage to do so even when it may be unpopular (vs. 7).

Finally, God, help us to "above all, clothe (ourselves) with love," (Colossians 3:14) seeking opportunities to respond to hate and violence with a loving and peaceful presence in which others can see you (vs. 8). Amen.

Mary Taylor

Devotional 12-10-09

Luke 3:7-18

In this passage, John, the Baptist discusses salvation with the crowds who have come to be baptized. He warns them not to think that their salvation lies simply in who they are (descendents of Abraham) but tells them that in order to be the wheat that God will gather into his granary rather than the chaff he will cut down and throw into the fire, they must "bear fruits worthy of repentance." In other words, their actions and thoughts should show that they are trying to change from living a self-centered to a God-centered life.

When asked what kind of acts would demonstrate such a transformation, John instructs them to share what they have -- their clothes and their food -- with the less fortunate, to be honest in their business dealings and to deal justly with those over whom they have power.

Finally, John tells the crowds that he is not the Messiah, humbly proclaiming his unworthiness. John's role as witness for Jesus was tremendously important, however. No longer "a voice crying out in the wilderness," he was among the people, and his teaching and baptizing were preparing them to receive the Messiah and the radical concepts he would introduce.

Who or what helps prepare the way and open your heart to be receptive to the coming of Jesus in this season of Advent? Is it the commercials for what we can buy to adorn ourselves or make our lives easier or give to someone else to do the same? What about the decorations - the Santas, snowmen, nutcrackers, nativity scenes, brightly lit trees with ornaments we have collected over the years? Maybe Christmas music or parties with friends and co-workers?

While I certainly enjoy these things, and they are part of the "tradition" of Christmas, I have become aware that they don't really prepare my heart to welcome and receive Jesus.

Increasingly, I have felt a longing for something more centered on what John tried to convey to his followers. I have found that the fruits I bear that evidence my attempt, feeble as it is sometimes, to walk more closely with God, are what the Christmas season is really all about.

Holding on to self-centered notions from childhood that measure Christmas by the quality of the gifts I received prevented me from bearing any fruit at all. I have come to realize that the fruits worthy of repentance include the things I share with those I don't even know - - coats and clothing for those lacking something appropriate for the weather; food items to help in preventing hunger; time so that those unable to get out to church may see the friendly faces of our youth; money for organizations which provide vital help to our needy sisters and brothers and to animals; and most of all, love. Even if it is just a smile or kind word so that the stressed clerk in the store, the server in the restaurant, or the mail carrier feel appreciated, it is important. Maybe a hug for someone who's having a bad day or perhaps a courteous gesture such as holding a door open for that person with packages or in a wheelchair, or letting the driver of the other car have that parking space I really wanted might make a difference. These are fairly small fruits to be sure, but I hope they are like Miracle Grow and lead to more frequent and more sacrificial giving of myself and my resources so that my fruit tree looks pleasingly productive to the one for whom I have been preparing.

Mary Taylor

Devotional 12-26-08

Scripture: Luke 2: 8-20

The Old Testament contains numerous references to shepherds, the kind who tended sheep and those who "tended" people. Though there are plenty of reports of shepherds who unfaithfully carried out their duties, those who answered God's call and were exemplary leaders, guiding people in their faith and actions, represented God's love for his people. Moses was one of these shepherds, leading the Hebrew people on an extraordinarily important and difficult journey unlike any other. His faith and love for God and his people made him an excellent choice as a shepherd.

With the important roles that shepherds played at various times and places in the Old Testament, it occurred to me how fitting it was that God chose a group of shepherds tending flocks near the town of Bethlehem to be the first people to meet his son, who later described himself as the "good shepherd" but who also died as a sacrificial lamb to save his "sheep."

The shepherds in Luke's account of Jesus' birth demonstrated qualities which we should seek to emulate. Despite their fear upon being visited first by one angel and then by many in an unbelievable display of God's glory, they exhibited faith in the words of God spoken by those angels, trust in God to lead them where he intended them to go, and action by not only going, but "with haste" to seek the newborn child. Their faith, trust and action were rewarded by finding Jesus and his parents just where and how they had been told. Meeting this ordinary-seeming family was clearly an overwhelmingly extraordinary experience for them. There was no doubt these people were a part of something life-changing, world-changing.

What was the shepherds' response to this unforgettable experience? Gratitude, joy, and action. They praised God unashamedly and in fact became the first evangelists, bringing the good news of Jesus to all who would listen. The shepherds' story teaches us that God calls all of us to listen, trust and to bear witness to the presence of him in our lives and in the world. While we don't always see it or believe it, he has uniquely equipped each of us to play a role, be it large or small, in his ministry here on earth-- to help shepherd others, if you will. What better time to earnestly begin listening for how and where God would have us be shepherds than now in response to our experiencing yet again the wonder of our savior’s birth. "Go tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born." Amen.

Mary Taylor

Devotional 12-23-07

Where you lead me

Scripture: Matthew 1: 18-25; Luke 1: 26-38

“Where you lead me, I will follow. Where you lead me, I’ll give my life away.”

These words from a favorite song of mine speak of faith, a subject I have been thinking a lot about lately. What does it mean to be faithful, to step out in faith? The more I think about it, the more questions I have.

In Hebrews, Chapter 11, Verse 1, faith is defined for us as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Another favorite song describes God as “everything I cannot see...everything I cannot say...you are everything impossible” and tells us that we will find freedom by surrendering. The idea of surrendering myself completely to God’s will makes me nervous. I think some people can do it more easily than others. The writer of Hebrews lists several Biblical giants of faith, including Noah and Abraham who followed God’s lead in very life-changing ways and, as a result, did amazing things, though what they achieved was neither easy nor quick. There are others of us who probably need to take it a step at a time. Jonah comes to mind.

Joseph and Mary, two ordinary people who are the subjects of the scripture passages listed above, took extraordinary leaps of faith when they surrendered their wills, their hopes and dreams to be God’s servants based only on a dream and a visit from an angel. Granted, these unusual events made it very clear to the two of them what God wanted and that He is amazing and in control, but to give up everything you know for an uncertain future and to be responsible for bearing and raising God’s own son? That is surrender, submission, faith beyond what I could imagine, and, of course, it literally changed EVERYTHING.

Most of us will never be called to build an ark, begin a family when our lives are nearly over, part the sea, walk on water, feed large numbers of people with meager resources, or give up our lives to save our brothers and sisters. We are, however, asked by God to step out in faith in many other ways. Look at those in our church who follow God’s leading to teach, preach, work on committees, sing or play music, cook, clean, make others feel welcome or work behind the scenes to keep our church going. They are marvelous examples of faithful and faith-filled people.

I can’t end this without mentioning the profound faith that led a new family into our church who have blessed us richly. Last spring, Bob and Jenny Matthews left behind successful careers, friends and the only life their sons, Nathan and Alex, had ever known to move to Huntington. Let me explain that they were not going to a foreign land - - Bob has family here and spent part of his life in this area. Nonetheless, based on God’s leading, they sold their home and moved here from Virginia not really knowing what was in store for them. They will tell you that God was there at every turn preparing the way, smoothing their paths. Since they returned to this area less than one year ago, Bob and Jenny have joined the church, gone on Emmaus walks, Jenny now sings with the Common Grounds praise team, and she was one of three who preached the sermon on Laity Sunday. Her next venture will be to lead an 11-week religious study in our church despite having had no real teaching experience. She and Bob have a keen sense of God’s will for them and have taken significant steps out of their comfort zones in obedience and service to Him. They and many others in our church are marvelous examples for me, and I hope that, with God’s help, I too will be more comfortable stepping out to do what He asks.

Prayer: Dearest Lord, help us to trust you and believe in you so deeply that we, without reservation, put our hand in yours and agree to follow where you lead. Amen.

Mary Taylor