23rd Psalm

23^rd Psalm 

"The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside still waters..."

 (Psalms 23:1-2). 

            In the forties and fifties, many public schools in Massachusetts always started with the 23^rd Psalm, the Lord's Prayer, and the pledge of allegiance to the United States. Wow, by today's standards, that is powerful stuff. Look at this and see if we can apply it to our lives today.

            The first two lines above lead us to tranquility. Faith will take care of your wants and guide you to that inner peace you desire and to the restful place beside still waters.

 

"He refreshes and restores my life;

He leads in the paths of righteousness for His namesake."

(Psalm23:3) 

When things in your life need rebuilding, the way to get out of the dumps is to follow Him. 

"Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff to comfort me."

(Psalm 23:4) 

            In the biblical context, the rod is an instrument used for guiding, rescuing, and protecting (sheep) and the staff is an instrument of support. The Psalmist says the Lord is with you and will guide and support you. 

    Christians have beautiful tools to work with; the more we let God lead, the more we will be at peace. 

Thought for Today: Let us reflect on this New Year and all of our goals and resolutions. Read the 23rd Psalm and accept God's help to us. It will be a big help in locating those still waters we all seek. 

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, stress often builds up in our lives. It combines hurts, anger, and resentments kept hidden inside ourselves. We pray that when this occurs, we find a way to let you help and can accept the guidance, protection, and support promised through our Christian faith.

Amen

 

 

 

New Year's Task

Our Task for a New Year.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works

and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5; 16 

            Happy New Year! We say and think that and have trouble living it because there are problems (illnesses, financial issues, family stress, etc.) that do not roll over at midnight on December 31^st. “Happy New Year” is an excellent thought to have. If we are the light of the world, then we need to be happy and allow the light to shine.           

Hearing or reading the news can be depressing. There is our post-COVID world, and racial violence seems to be on the uptake, New Year’s Eve violence, and world economies seem lackluster. As Christians, we need to care and be concerned. However, we also need to pray and thank the Lord for the good news side of the coin. Our focus needs to be on the positive side; there is always more right than wrong, good than bad.           

In a recent TV sermon, Joel Osteen asked, “The Bible says we are the light of the world. Have you got your light shining out?” Focus on that with smiles and laughter, and show the warm glow and the light of the world. 

Thought for Today:  Today will be a great day. Yes, everyday things like illness, stress, cranky kids, bad weather, and too much to do will occur. There will also be great friends and family, fresh air, good food, and other positives. We need to keep our light shining so others may see it. 

Prayer for Today:  Dear God, we give thanks for the warmth and joy you give us in our hearts and our Christian love for others. We thank you for the happiness in our lives and the ability to share it.

Amen

 

Gifts

Gifts 

  "For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself with sober judgment,
In accordance with the measure of faith, God has given you.
Just as each of us has one body with many members,
And these members do not all have the same function,
so in Christ, we who are many form one body,
and each member belongs to all the others.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us."
(Romans 12:3-6)

            Christmas has passed, and we were all involved in its materialism at some level. The advertising, the gift-giving, and the holiday cards all lead us away from their meaning. It is not about the gifts that were given and received by people. 

            Earlier this year, we read about the gifts that God gave us.  Paul's letter to the Romans has a special meaning. Verse nine of Romaans twelve lists seven of God's gifts. It is essential to understand God's blessings and recognize our gifts. We need to know where we fit in God's world and how to apply His gifts. These gifts matter- They are not advertised on TV or in the newspaper. They are given to us by Him to use.

Thought for Today: As we approach the New Year, let us think about who we are and what gifts God has given us. Let us learn to use these gifts to make our lives and the lives of others better.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, self-improvement always seems to be an objective at this time of the year. Each year, I focus on "my improvement" and sometimes do not recognize the tasks you may have set forth for me. I pray that this will be the year that "my improvement" is accomplished by identifying your gifts to me and finding a way to do your work with them.

Amen 

 

Merry Christmas

 

Joy to the World 

"Joy to the World, the Lord has come" 

There are many one-liners in Christmas carols. The opening of "Joy to the World" says it all. It summarizes our Christian lives, lives of joy through the forgiveness of our faith and our Christian peers. Let us all feel the joy of the season and the love for each other, and keep our faith strong throughout the season.

 

With blessings, have a great Christmas.

 

Universal Hope

 Universal Hope 

"The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

 Day after day, they pour forth speech;night after night, they display knowledge.

 There is no speech or languagewhere their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,their words to the ends of the world."

(Psalm 19v1-4) 

The holiday season is a time of hope. We are encouraged to believe there is hope for universal understanding and world peace. The Psalmist notes that there is one clear message from the heavens, one God with one statement in all tongues to all peoples. 

We live in a troubled world with natural disasters, civil unrest, war, and COVID persists again. They capture the headlines. Indeed, people question God's role in all of this. 

We need to remember that "The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of his hands." The press and news media report on other issues. It is up to each of us to focus on the message. We can infect the world with faith, peace, and hope with our example. 

           John F. Kennedy said, "One person can make a difference, and every person must try." 

Thought for Today: OK, there will be bad news this week. We will hear it, see it, and sometimes feel it. We need to overcome it with the faith and hope of the Lord and show others our hope for future generations. 

Prayer for the Season: Dear Lord, this is the time of year when all faiths celebrate you. We honor your presence in different ways with the common thread of love and peace. We pray for the guidance to share our faith so we may sow a seed in your name.

 

Blue Christmas

 

 Blue Christmas

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you, my soul takes refuge.

I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings, until the disaster has passed.”

(Psalm 57:1)

Today our church will have a special service for people having a sad time over the Holidays. We call it a Blue Christmas Service (Thank you, Elvis). We can always find reasons to be blue over the holidays, and it is good to look at those feelings, put them in perspective, and pray to God for the support available to us. It was one worth attending whether you were sad or not.

Our friends Bob, Carl, and Dave miss their wives who passed away. There are too many to list with severe ailments and others with challenging career and financial situations. Several years ago, we met a young gentleman, John, who had visited during the summer. He was in tears during the service. He was despondent because his parents were having a problem with his sexual preference. I ask you all for prayers.

Celebrating Christmas is for all of us. Through it all, we remember those who are experiencing loss. June and I pray about aging and life in a new society with COVID and war. It is important to take refuge in the shadow of God’s wings.

Thought for Today: Let us take note of our sad feelings over the holidays. We need to recognize that they exist rather than masking them with joy. Pray about them, turn them over to God, and enjoy the celebration of Christ’s birth.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we have special holiday prayers. We pray that your presence brings trust and love to the world. We pray for people who have lost loved ones and are spending their first Christmas with an empty place at the table while giving thanks for your role in our lives and the help you give us. Thank you for being available for us each day.

Amen

Problems?

 

Problems? 

“From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honor,
and they will not be disdained.”

(Jeremiah 30 vs.19) 

            Every day is a day to rejoice. We are between our formal day of Thanksgiving and Christ’s birthday celebration. Most of us are enjoying what we call the holiday season. The message above tells us that God wants us to rejoice and to be happy. We need to pay attention to that.           

Thought for Today: We will be happy as we will work through our busy schedules, deal with holiday stress, and, in the end, let us rejoice. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we rejoice in your name and thank you for giving the Grace and spirit of your son, Jesus.

Amen