Devotion for the First Week After Christmas

I heard a story last week about a man of some who overheard a lady remarking, "Oh, if I only had hundred dollars I would be perfectly content."

He thought about that for a few moments. If the lady only had hundred dollars she would be content. He thought to himself, "Well, I can help her out." So he walked up to her and handed her five twenty dollar bills with his best wishes. She was overwhelmed and made a show of her gratitude. She really appreciated his gift. As she walked away he heard her mumble under her breath, "Why on earth didn't I say two hundred dollars?" Have you ever said something like that? I know I have.

We need to learn to be content with what we have. Christmas can be either a time of thanking God for what we have, or Christmas can be the peak of our discontentment.

Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Devotion for the Second Week of Advent

I remember being told an old legend about a servant whose master died and left her a bag full of blessings.

The master left a message for the servant telling her that the bag would always be full as long as she remembered the four special words. Unfortunately, the servant had lost the note and forgot the four words and was almost out of blessings. Finally she went to a wise man who suggested that possibly the four magic words were, I WISH I HAD. "I wish I had this. I wish I had that."

She tried thinking of all the things she wanted, but the bag was not replenished. She then approached a person who happened to be passing her on the street. The stranger suggested, "Well maybe the four magic words are GIVE ME SOME MORE."

So the servant continued her journey and kept saying, "Give me some more. Give me some more. Give me some more." But the bag was now almost totally empty. In despair she sat down, lonely and heavy hearted.

She took a piece of bread out of her pack and began to eat it. A hungry child off of the street, alone and abandoned, approached her and asked her for the bread. It was obvious the child was in desperate need. So, without even thinking about it, the servant gave the child some bread. Before the child ate, though, she folded her little hands and said a blessing: "I thank you Lord."

All of a sudden the servant's eyes lighted up and she started dancing around in the street. She began chanting loudly: "That's it. That's it. The four special words: I THANK YOU LORD." Soon the bag was filled with blessings once again.

May we remember to say "I thank you lord" during this most holy season.

I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. Psalms 118:21

Devotion for First Week of Advent

I came across this story in a college chaplain’s blog last year. I would like to share it with you now.

Several years ago on campus, I heard a story about freshman who decided it was about time she experienced her first college date. Her roommate, who was a junior, asked whether she preferred Southern boys or Northern boys. Since she was from Wisconsin, she was unaware of such nuances in the male gender and asked her roommate, “What’s the difference?”

Her roommate answered, "Southern boys are more romantic. They will take you walking in the moonlight, point out beautiful trees and plants and whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Northern boys are more active. They like to go places and do exciting things."

The girl pondered the contrast and then asked wistfully, "Could you please find me a Southern boy from as far North as possible?"

I shared this story as an illustration that we have certain expectations when we have to make decisions in our life. We love to have the best of both worlds. We love to have our cake and eat it too. However, I think we know that when we are forced to choose which direction we will take in life, it frequently involves lots of challenges. It is rarely the best of both worlds.

We have some tough decisions to make this Christmas too as we prepare during the season of Advent.

"What do you want for Christmas?" That is a question we often hear and ask during this time of the year. But the question I want to ask is "What do you need for Christmas?"

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8

Devotion for the Second Week of November 2008

There is an old story about a botanist who was studying the Heather Bell found in the highlands of Scotland. While looking through his microscope at this beautiful flower, he was approached by a shepherd who asked what he was doing. Rather than trying to explain, the botanist invited the shepherd to peer through his microscope and observe for himself. When the shepherd saw the wonder of the flower, he exclaimed, "My God, and I have been tramping on them all my life!"

Is that the word of warning we need? Wake up! Pay attention! Look around you. You may be tramping on the heart of someone nearby. Who around you is in need of a Christian friend like you?

One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend. Proverbs 17:9

Week of October 20, 2008

As I was flipping through on of my old Peanuts cartoon books, I came across a cartoon strip where Lucy tells Charlie Brown that she's decided to begin a new hobby. Charlie Brown commends her decision, saying how important it is to accomplish something meaningful with your life. In response Lucy says, "Accomplish something? I thought all we were supposed to do was keep busy!"

There are many of us who are keeping very busy, but we are not accomplishing very much. We are often like that giant spider on roller skates in one of the Harry Potter movies (moving like crazy but getting nowhere fast until it just collapses on the floor). We are here, then we are there, ultimately we are all over the place, but we are not getting anywhere specific. We pursue many pleasures, but find little that brings us lasting happiness.

The greatest pleasure we can have is touching a life with God's great love. How are you going to accomplish that if your just staying too busy?

And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. (Luke 6:19)

Devotion for the Second Week of October 2008

Many years ago, a big oil well in Texas caught on fire, and the C.E.O. of the oil company could not find any crew with the courage to put it out. Advertisements were put out offering lots of money to the crew who could put out the fire. Finally, the advertisements reached the attention of a tiny volunteer fire department in Alabama. The crew in this fire department thought that they could put out the fire, so they loaded up the fire truck and went to Texas. When they got to the oil field, they did not stop at the gates. Like true heroes, they drove straight into the thick of the fire. They had that ferocious fire out in one hour.

That evening, the C.E.O. of the oil company had a huge party to honor the firemen. When he presented the fire chief with a gigantic check, he asked them what they were going to do with the money. Without hesitation, the fire chief replied, "Well, the first thing we are going to do is fix the brakes on that fire truck!"

That brings me to the passage I want to share this week. "If any want to become my followers," said Jesus, "Let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." "Here is your opportunity to be heroic," Jesus was saying to them. "Here is your call to go where few have gone before. Deny yourself, take up a cross and follow me."

"If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Mark 8:34

Devotion for the First Week of October 2008

I read an article a few days ago about a man in Ocean Springs, Mississippi whose last name is Unknown. This gentleman's last name really is “Unknown.” What's his name? Unknown. Almost sounds like an Abbott and Costello comedy routine.

His full name is Nikone Unknown. Unknown is 49-years-old and he owns a restaurant in Ocean Springs. Unknown acquired that name when he immigrated to the United States from Laos in 1979. Unknown feared revealing his real name to immigration officials, who simply listed his last name as "unknown." Unknown's wife is Ratchanee Unknown, and his son is Nick Unknown.

This world is filled with people who think they are unknown, lost, or forgotten.

But God knows each and everyone one of us. God knows our heart and mind. God knows our needs. God even knows the number of hairs on our head.

And even the hairs of your head are all counted. Matthew 10:30

Devotion for the Second Week of September

Its an old story, told by many sports commentators over the years. I do not know if it is true, but it’s a great story that Billy Martin included in his book.

Billy Martin was invited to join Mickey Mantle to do some hunting down on a friends ranch in Texas. Mantle told Martin that all he had to do was to drop by his friends house to let him know he was going to be on the ranch hunting and was always given permission to hunt. When they got there, Mickey told Billy to wait in the car while he went in and cleared things with his friend. Permission was quickly granted for them to hunt, but the owner asked Mickey to do him a favor. He had a mule in the barn who had gone blind, but he did not have the heart to put him out of his misery. He asked Mickey to shoot the mule for him. Mickey agreed. On the way back to the car a plan formed in Mantle's mind.

When Mickey got to the car, he pretended to be angry. He shouted and slammed the car door shut. Billy asked him what was wrong. Mickey replied that the owner would not let them hunt there any more. "I am so mad at that guy that I am going out to that barn and shoot one of his mules," said Mantle. He drove like a mad man to the barn. Martin protested and said, "We can't do that!" But Mickey was adamant, "Just watch me," he shouted. When they got to the barn, Mantle jumped out of the car with his rifle, ran to the barn and shot the mule and killed it.

When he got back to the car he saw that Martin had also taken his gun out and smoke was curling from its barrel, too. "What are you doing, Martin?" he yelled. Martin answered, "We'll show that Son-of-a-gun. I killed two of his cows."

One of the questions we all have to deal with from time to time is what to do with our anger. Are we aware of the negative results of our anger? Are we aware how other people respond to our anger? People do stupid things when they are angry, pretend or not, like shooting someone's cows. What are you doing about your anger?

Be angry but do not sin. (Ephesians 4:26)

Devotion for the First Week of September 2008

Many of you know that I am a history buff, and even volunteered at some at Yorktown and Jamestown in Virginia. There are many stories about those two important places in America History, that I enjoy - but none more than the following:

During the spring of 1608 the settlers at Jamestown, Virginia discovered gold (this was less than a year after they decided on building a colony there on the shores of the James River). They almost totally abandoned all efforts at planting crops, constructing buildings, and readying themselves for winter. They had found gold and devoted themselves almost entirely to steadily digging out and washing the precious metal.

The colonists probably would not even have survived the summer and fall if the Powhatan Indians had not fed them. However, they were able to send a ship back to England with a heavy load of the metal for which they had labored all spring. Unfortunately their gold turned out to be iron pyrite, also called "fools' gold." They had given a huge amount of their time, their talent, and all their energies to "fool's gold."

The colonists could say the name "fools' gold" had special meaning for them. For not only had they been deceived by the worthless look-alike mineral, but they had foolishly abandoned everything they needed for life in a quest that would have made no sense even if their discovery had indeed been real gold. If it had not been for others, they would have died chasing material riches.

Does those sound like a parable about the way many of us spend our lives? Stocking up fool's gold and ignoring the really important matters in life like building a closer relationship with God?

He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD! (Psalms 148:14)

Devotion for the First Day of Summer 2008

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, I was the Commentary Editor for the Old Dominion University’s student newspaper, The Mace and Crown. One of our professors (I wish I could remember his name) had been in the Army stationed in West Germany during those early days of that Wall that was built by a cruel government to keep its citizens from fleeing to a better life in the free world.

I interviewed the professorfor a story about his experiences. One of the stories he told was about how one day the East Germans took truckloads of garbage and dumped the contents over the wall from the eastern sector onto the western side. Everyone in West Berlin was outraged at such a terrible deed. It was the topic of conversation on every street corner , in every shop, and in every home. People were talking about the best way to get revenge.

Then the word went out from West Berlin’s Mayor ,Willie Brandt, that every flower, every petal, every bit of green that could be gathered was to be brought to an appointed spot at the wall. Then all that beauty and fragrance was thrown over the wall to the eastern sector. And above the wall a great banner was hoisted. As the banner was unfurled, these words were revealed, “Each gives what he has.”

The East German government had thrown garbage; the West German people threw back flowers.

What will be our choice, as we give to God and our neighbor?

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
Song of Songs 2:12

Devotion for the Fourth Week of Easter 2008

Many years ago when I visited the National Cathedral while it was still being built, I heard a story about a woman who was visiting that Cathedral with a tour group with members from her community center. She was not on this trip as a pilgrim to see a great place or worship, but only came along because there was nothing else to do that week.

She had gotten separated from her group and was wandering around the area the stone masons were working. She stopped to watch one of the masons who was sitting near the wall of the Cathedral, skillfully chiseling a stone into a perfect triangular piece. Not seeing the spot where it would fit, she asked, "Where are you going to put that?" The worker pointed toward the top of the Cathedral, and said, "See that little opening up there near the top? That is where it goes. I'm shaping it down here so it will got up there."

Suddenly God had spoken through that worker. She discovered what she must do with her remaining days on earth. She needed to shape her life here for the life to come with God up there.

We need to do the same by shaping our lives now for the life to come in God's presence.

The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. (2 Timothy 4:18)

Devotion for Easter 2008

My cousin once told me a story about her daughter watching one of those movies about the life of Jesus on TV. The young girl was about 6 or 7 and she was enthraled by it. She had watched it the year before, so she was familiar with the movie.

As the movie reached the part about Jesus' crucifixion and death, the young girl had tears running down her face. She watched as Jesus was placed in the tomb, and the stone was rolled into place. As expected, since this was broadcast TV, the station went to a commercial break. As the theme music fo the movie started again the girl wiped her ace with her sleeve and started bouncing with excitement and said, “Now comes the best part.”

Isn’t that why we celebrate Easter? To celebrate the good part of the last days of Jesus' pilgrimage on earth. To give thanks for Christ's victory over sin and death. To join our voices with millions of his followers around the world singing, "Jesus Christ is risen today!"

During this season of Easter I suggest that we focus on these words from John's Gospel, "Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark." John was simply reporting the facts. And yet, there is another way these words might be interpreted. After all, the writers of the New Testament as well as Jesus himself often used the imagery of darkness and light to signify something else. Mary Magdalene came to the tomb while it was still dark. Darkness could refer to a world without Christ, a world without hope, a world of sin and death, a world where God's promises had been forgotten and God's people felt forsaken. However, darkness is not the end of the story. The dawn broke. God's Son had risen. Alleluia.

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb while it was still dark and saw that the stone had ben removed from the tomb. (John 20:1)

Lenten Bloggers Prayer

Our Father
who lives above and beyond the dimension of the internet

Give us this day a life worth blogging,
The access to words and images that express our journey with passion and integrity,
And a secure connection to publish your daily mercies.
Your Kingdom come into new spaces today,
As we make known your mysteries,
Posting by posting,
Blog by blog.

Give this day,
The same ability to those less privileged,
Whose lives speak louder than ours,
Whose sacrifice is greater,
Whose stories will last longer.

Forgive us our sins,
For blog-rolling strangers and pretending they are friends,
For counting unique visitors but not noticing unique people,
For delighting in the thousands of hits but ignoring the ONE who returns,
For luring viewers but sending them away empty handed,
For updating daily but repenting weekly.

As we forgive those who trespass on our sites to appropriate our thoughts without reference,
Our images without approval,
Our ideas without linking back to us.

Lead us not into the temptation to sell out our congregation,
To see people as links and not as lives,
To make our blogs look better than our actual story.

But deliver us from the evil of pimping ourselves instead of pointing to you,
From turning our guests into consumers of someone else's products,
From infatuation over the toys of technology,
From idolatry over technology
From fame before our time has come.

For Yours is the power to guide the destinies behind the web logs,
To bring hurting people into the sanctuaries of our sites,
To give us the stickiness to follow you, no matter who is watching or reading.
Yours is the glory that makes people second look our sites and our lives,
Yours is the heavy ambiance,

For ever and ever,
Amen

This prayer was written by Andrew Jones and found at http://tallskinnykiwi.blogspot.com/2003_03_01_tallskinnykiwi_archive.html#200004297

Devotion for Lent

I came across a story about a grandfather asking his twin granddaughters what they wanted for their birthdays. "Give us a world," they responded. It took him a few minutes, but he soon realized that what they were asking for was a globe. So happily, granddad went shopping for a nice large globe that would spin and would be an attractive addition to their room. Expectantly, he waited their pleasure on their birthday as they opened their gift from him. Somehow when the present was opened, however, he sensed they were disappointed.

"What is the matter?" he asked. "I thought this is what you wanted." "Well, yes," said one of them. “But we were kind of hoping for a lighted world," added the other. Immediately Grandpa understood that what they wanted was a globe with a light inside.

"I can fix that," he said. "Let me take it back and exchange it for a lighted one." Unfortunately the store where he bought the globe did not sell lighted ones. So he got his money back and set out to find a lighted world rather than a darkened one. He visited several stores and finally, he located a globe with a light in it, bought it and presented it to his granddaughters, who were delighted.

When the Grandfather was telling a friend about all of this, he was asked if he had learned anything from this experience. He said, "Oh, yes. I learned one thing. I learned that a lighted world costs more.”

Yes, a lighted world does cost more. It cost God His Son. If we are serious about letting our light shine in today's world, it will cost us something as well.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (I Peter 2:9)

Devotion for the Second Week of Epiphany

Recently a friend of mine told me a joke that I would like to share with you.

A few years ago a sailor who had been in a shipwreck in the early 1990's was discovered to be living on a island in the South Pacific by the crew of a large oceangoing yacht. The crew had come ashore to make sure that the island was safe for the yacht’s passengers to play on for the day. They almost as amazed at the resources the island had given this man as they were that he was still alive.

The crew of the small boat that had come out to the island radioed back to the yacht to let them know about the man. The Captain answered and said that he would be right out there in the other small boat with some important items for the survivor. After the Captain’s small boat landed, he could be seen carrying a canvas tote bag toward the man who had been living on this island for over 10 years. As the bag was handed to the man, he notice that it was full of newspapers.

"With my compliments," said the Captain. "Read those before you decide if you really want to be rescued.?

Yes, some times our world seems to be bad and hard place to live. God does not promise to prevent us from experiencing the bad things or the rough parts of life. God does promise, however, to help us endure life's hardships, so that we can find true happiness in Christ.

Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:10)