Blue Christmas

“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.”

(Psalm 57, verse 1) 

            Each Christmas season at our church, Spirit of Hope, we have a service for those who are dealing with sad and negative issues; people who may not be merry. Today we call it the Service of Light and Hope. When we started it thirty years ago we called it a Blue Christmas service because our pastor was an Elvis fan!

            This year the service will have a special meaning because of the violence here in Minnesota and in America. We will be emphasizing the sadness, anger and senselessness of Newtown and the many incidents here in Minnesota.  It will be an emotional and moving service.

            I have a fear that some individuals with personal problems will feel left out so I need to talk about them today. There will be a gay man who is not welcome at his family Christmas because of his preference, several people will be celebrating their first season after losing their spouse and dealing with the empty chair at the table, several have lost their jobs and homes due to financial issues, people with ill spouses who are fearful and the list goes on.

            Today I will make a request of all of my Good News buddies. It is to remember those around you who are sad and who need a lift from a friend. I ask that you pray for them, greet them or call them and express your love for them; let them know that God and you are with them this holiday season. 

Thought for Today: If you are having a merry Christmas, share your love with someone. If you are dealing with sadness instead of joy, please reach out so that we may share our love and be with you. To all of us let us remember that the Lord is with us.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we pray for the victims of senseless violence. We pray that somehow they can realize that through the darkness there will be light; that YOU are with them. We pray for peace through the Holy Spirit.

Faith and Forgiveness

Good News 052002 Faith and Forgiveness

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything.
 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault,
 and it will be given to him.”
(James1; 2-4)

             Faith seems to be a constant challenge to us. Yes, sometimes we need to understand where God is in our lives. We can doubt that He is with us; we challenge his input and even knowingly violate His rules and submit to temptation. Does this make us bad people?

            The answer is a resounding NO. As we look back at our lives we often see a trail of mistakes, moments or events that we would like to edit or replay. Surely we know that reliving life is not an option. But, feeling guilty or bad about these things can cause a faith crises or low self image and have a negative effect on our future. This is true at any age.

            At a bible study this week we talked about letting go of past discretions. Others forgave us long ago and somehow as adults we seem to hold on to past errors.

            When we learn to forgive others, we find it easier to accept the forgiveness we receive from God.

Thought for Today: When we are very busy, it is difficult to feel God’s presence in our lives. Today, let us all try to take time to understand and appreciate His contributions. 

Prayer for Today:     Dear Lord and Father, today we give thanks for the knowledge that we are forgiven through the grace given us through Jesus. We pray that somehow we can find a way to forgive ourselves for our own sins.

 

 

 

A Day of Infamy!

I have a need to think about World Peace today. A Good News buddy, Bill, told me a story at dinner Wednesday. It was about the many survivors of the battleship Arizona who ask to be interred with the sunken ship; to spend eternity with their fallen comrades. We all need to pray for peace on earth.

Bob

“Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
   and as I have purposed, so it will happen.”

(Isaiah 14:24) 

            Today is a famous day described as a day of Infamy. It is one of the most famous days in the history of war. There are a lot of famous battles described in our history books, David and Goliath, Troy, Gettysburg…and the list goes on. I need to wonder and ask why. Most wars since WWII  have been un-Godly nobody wins situations that do not seem to resolve anything. In fact, after the treaties are signed there has been as much tension as before and does not make a lot of sense to me.

            So where is God in all of this? What would Jesus do? How come both sides can think God is with them? These are great questions and I am not even going to try to answer them. I will refer them to Abraham Lincoln as he analyzed God’s presence in war.

            In Abraham Lincoln: A History by Nicolay and Hay, Lincoln is quoted: “The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong. God cannot be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God’s purpose is something different from the purposes of either party—and yet the human instrumentalities working just as they do, are of the best adaption to effect His purpose…God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet. …He could give final victory to either side any day. Yet the contest proceeds.”           

            Today we need to remember Pearl Harbor, a day in infamy. We also need to pray for an end to all conflicts, we need to contemplate world peace. 

Thought for Today: Contemplate world peace.

Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord and savior today we are wondering where it will al end. Throughout history the world’s people have found ways to battle. Today we pray for some understanding as to your role in all of this. We pray for understanding so that we can represent your will in search for peace.

 

Young at Heart

Folks, yearend business and holiday activities can make for a stressful season. I am posting this today to encourage you to place your spirituality first for part of each day. Take a break and let the Lord bless you.

"Be happy, young person, while you are young,

and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.

Follow the ways of your heart..."

(Ecclesiastes 11:9)  

            Throughout our lifetime, June and I have met people that seem at peace, people that have never quite joined the "rat race" of life, people that had something that we were looking for. The interesting fact was that they crossed all socioeconomic boundaries. The common thread always seemed to be their faith. They always believed that things would work out.

            The strong message here is that the things that bring peace, serenity and happiness to our lives are found in our spiritual growth and it will be found in yours.  

Thought for Today: Today let us avoid the rat race by praying for serenity and doing what we need to obtain peace. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord we give you thanks for the opportunities you have placed before us. Today we pray for serenity and peace in our lives and the opportunity to help the cause of peace in our community.

Amen

 

Christmas Time

Folks, for the first time in my life my part time job at Office Depot has me mixing with the retail holiday spirit. The below was posted by facebook friend Danny Rossetti of Saugus Mass. I wanted to share it with you also.

 



Pride and Humility

“Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud,

but humility comes before honor.”

(Proverbs 18:12) 

            My mom used to use some interesting terms and expressions when describing humanity. One of her favorites was “fool hardy” when someone did something out of line. Another was that “It is better to be silent and be thought a fool that to speak out and remove all doubt.” Somehow, when we are proud in the context of today’s text, we are not paying attention. When we kid ourselves with false pride, it helps us grow to have an appreciation for the realities of life.

            We are often overconfident. It seems that the younger we are the more likely we are to suffer from “cockiness”. Somehow that is God’s way of teaching us. We constantly have to monitor our pride and confidence. The elders of society have knowledge and experience but are not always correct. Technology and society are changing faster than fifty years ago. Therefore many of the rules of life have changed.

In our spiritual lives, the rules have not and will not change. We need to take inventory on our pride and be real. The ethics, love and traditions taught to us by Christ will endure regardless of technology changes and cash flows. We need to hold up our values to serve the Lord in an ever changing world. 

Thought for Today: Every day is the first day of the rest of our lives. The mistakes and experiences of our past are nothing more than learning experiences and enable us to move forward with confidence. Today let us focus on being humble and dealing with the realities of our individual worlds.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, today we give thanks for the lessons we have learned and the great loves that we have. Through all that Jesus taught us and what we learned from the past, thank you for putting it before us.

Amen

 

Thanksgiving 2012

"As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so live in him, rooted and built up in
him and established in the faith,
just as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving".
(Colossians 2:6-7) 

            “Abounding in Thanksgiving” is a great idea; one that we need to think about daily. Every day when we awaken, when there is food on the tables, when we leave for work are all thankful events. One day each year we call Thanksgiving, every day we need to be thankful.

            I like the way H. Norman Wright put it in his book With all My Strength: "Thanksgiving is not to be limited to only the times when we are aware of blessings. Let us give thanks even when we have a problem to solve, when there are difficulties to be met.  At these times, we give thanks to God for unconditional love and goodness, for unlimited wisdom and abundance. When we give thanks continually, we are rejuvenated- spirit, mind and body."

            This year for a bible study exercise, Pastor Jim asked us to write down something we were Thankful for every day in November. I will share three with you because they range from simple to huge.

First was a really big deal, June and I sat at our first ever book signing of my book. The comments from the people reduced us to tears.

Another day it was 50 degrees when my friend and I took our morning walk. We saw woodpeckers, cardinals and a bald eagle and were thankful.

Today I am thankful that I am writing this to you, my Good News buddies; you are a blessing.

Blessings to you all. 

Thought for Today: Let us focus on giving thanks to God for the love we have for each other and the support we both give and receive.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, this week we give you thanks for our friends, our families and our troubles. Yes, we give you thanks for our financial crises, our family stress and the ripples in our personal seas of tranquility. Trough our troubles we learn to pray and appreciate the many blessings that seem greater when compared with the ripples of life. We give you thanks for our lives, your love and your Grace.
Amen