Love Each Other 

"Help us accept each other as Christ accepted us;
teach us as a sister, brother, each person to embrace;
Be present, Lord, among us, and bring us to believe
we are ourselves accepted and meant to love and live."
(Fred Kaan, "Help Us Accept Each Other", 1974
UMC Hymnal 560 

            In our diverse society today there are many different cultures. God is adding ingredients to America's melting pot. We are constantly challenged by a change in the brew. There are growing populations of various nationalities and religions that seem foreign to us. Yes, some of these make us uncomfortable. Must we accept and love them all?

           

Picture yourself leaving a movie tonight and walking through a parking lot. You see a group of youths of your race coming toward you. They could be a street gang or a church youth group or your friends going to the next show. At first, there is some doubt, then recognition, and then, hopefully, comfort.

           

Sometimes we are uncomfortable with who is approaching. We get nervous. When that occurs, it can be justified as a safety precaution. Often it can be a sign of subconscious or even a conscious prejudice. Yes, often our prejudices show up in this way. As Christians, we need to recognize this when it happens.

           

To get back to the question, "Must we accept and love them all?” the answer is clear. John quotes Jesus in chapter 15:17, " This is my command: Love each other". Jesus left no one off the list.

Thought for Today:  Today, look at our fears, our prejudices, and the way we view the diverse elements of our society. Let us ask if we can learn to exhibit Christian love toward these elements. We will learn that we can when we try.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, help me reach out to people. Help me understand the undesirable. There is still terror and the threat of war throughout the world. We are confused and have difficulty loving our enemies. We pray for the ability to understand and follow Jesus' command for love.
Amen

Also Ran!

  Also Ran? 

Then the LORD said to Joshua,

 “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

(Joshua 8 vs.1) 

            Being an also-ran is a way of life. We rarely finish first. Russell Sanders uttered the famous quote, “Winning isn’t everything it is the only thing.” It is not true and here are some: My friend Pat McNamara qualified in four different Olympics and did not win a medal; my brother Wayne swam for years and was a national top ten in four events but never had a national championship; Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski played years for the Red Sox and never received a world series ring, and the list goes on! None of the above is a loser and all were or are proud of their accomplishments.           

For instance, I have three triathlon trophies out of 21 races; a second, a third, and an only! There was always someone faster until the Summer of 2011 when no one else my age competed. Did I lose? Never. In each Triathlon that I did, in the last mile of the run, I would well up with tears of joy from the sheer pride in my accomplishment. The pain experienced during the run would go away, the legs would seem fresh again and the finishing sprint would feel and look great. Second, Third or twentieth did not matter; I was winning inside!          

Clint Purvis, the team chaplain for Florida State University's football team under Bobby Bowden put it like this after a tough loss to Miami, “There is a huge difference between getting beat in a game and being a loser.” Clint reminded the team of the characteristics of being a winner:

 

1.      A winner still remembers that God never forsakes His own.

2.      A winner must remember that it is always painful and costly to claim victory again.

3.      A winner will always remember the source of all his blessings.

(from Bobby Bowden’s Called to Coach, Howard Books, 2010” 

            We rarely are number one but since God is always with us, we are always winners. 

Thought for Today: Today we will have battles we do not expect. With God’s help, let us be winners no matter which way the battle turns out! 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord and Father, today we thank you for being with us at all times in every place. We thank you because when you are along we will be winners.

Amen

Pandemic Weariness

 Pandemic Weariness 

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

 as working for the Lord, not for men,

 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.

It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

 (Colossus 3:23-27, NIV) 

            All days are not created equal. There are days that we are full of boundless energy and others when we are as flat as pancakes. However, these feelings are mental, physical, and emotional states. They do not affect our hearts, just on our performance or output. Certainly, our 2020 has been one of stress and often fatigue. Pandemic Weariness is probably not in the medical journals, but it is a reality!           As a long-term weekend athlete, I try to compare this to a long race, marathon or triathlon. There is no comparison, they are voluntary and have a measured end! When a race ends, recovery begins and there are very few long-term effects. We need to pray that the same is true of COVID.           

We did not enter this race, it found us. We are in it and hopefully rounding the final corner. As we move forward into recovery we need to “…  work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,” (Colossus 3:23-27) and we will be rewarded. with a belief in yourself and the Lord. The rest will follow. 

Thought for Today: Today let us remember that “All days are not created equal”. On the day that we want to go back to bed, let us trust our hearts and move out. Let us take the leap of faith and give ourselves the chance to be a positive force in a world of Pandemic Weariness. 

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord we give you thanks for your ongoing presence in our lives. We are physically and mentally weary from 2020 and COVID. We pray that you recharge our spirits and we thank you for always being with us.

Amen

 

 

God’s Help Wanted (Seven Gifts) 

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.

 If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;

 if it is encouraging, let him encourage;

if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously;

 if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;

if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
    (Romans 12; 6 & 7, NIV)

                 Paul’s message to the Romans lists seven specific gifts. Each of us has been blessed with some of them and can use them in our every day lives. We are bombarded with opportunities. God's "HELP WANTED," asks us to use our gifts to do His work. We are therefore facing two challenges. One is to recognize the gifts given to us. The other is sharing these gifts in our daily lives.                   

 It is the sharing of these gifts in a loving Christian way that brings us peace.

Thought for Today: Today let us focus on our gifts. Let us understand them and how to use them to help ourselves and others.

Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, again we pray for an end to the pandemic, peace and justice in a troubled world. We are trying to understand what everything means and our piece in it all. We feel too small to help. We pray that we may recognize our gifts and use them to help the world.

 

 Friendships 

"Husbands, love your wives,
just as Christ loved the church
and gave himself to her."
(Ephesians 5:25, NIV) 

            In his book Bread for the Table, Henri Nouwen stated, “Strange as it may sound, the table is the place where we want to become food for one another. Every breakfast, lunch, or dinner can become a time of growing communion with one another.”

 

Intimacy is not only a marriage or "significant other" issue. In my business world, several of us have met the evening before sales meetings for a prayer dinner. Yes, we skipped the welcome happy hour and free buffet to be together. There is a closeness that exists within that group.        

 Another business associate shared with me that his small company starts each week with a prayer breakfast. You can feel something special when dealing with those guys, even when you do not know exactly why.

     Within a relationship, husband-wife, parent-child, good friends or in other instances, intimacy makes a partnership. Closeness and intimacy create trust and confidence between friends and family!

Thought for Today: We all like to feel comfortable and intimacy within a group creates a warmth that we all love. However, we are often guarded with our feelings when in groups. We are conservative and hold back. This week let us think more about letting our inner selves be seen by others. Let us share our Christian love and create more intimacy with our friends and associates.

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, we seem to be living in a world with hate and revenge commonplace. Young mothers as human bombs, nations terrorizing other nations and in business, there are too many lose-lose negotiations. We of faith are searching for your will in all of this. Today we pray that we can understand and contribute to friendships and worldwide Godly solutions.
Amen

MLK Birthday!

 

MLK Birthday

“It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me,

But it can keep him from lynching me,

And I think that’s pretty important.”

Martin Luther King               

                This quote is neither biblical or spiritual but very true and real. It does not make a great philosophical statement, there is not a spiritual or social justice meaning; it is a simple truth. Living and having the right to pursue freedom always needs to be protected.

             Other quotes by MLK have a deeper meaning, spiritually and are more often used. Below are the ones that seem to be popular in the media: 

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.

"Strength To Love," Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

A favorite is:

 

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

And as Christians, we need to demonstrate that we have the faith to take the first step. 

Thought for Today: One word; acceptance!                                                                                                            

 Prayer for Today: Dear Lord, today we do not pray for forgiveness of the past discrimination and separatist social acts of our forefathers. We need to accept them and move forward. Today we pray for the guidance and will to contribute to peace and acceptance through Jesus's love.

Serenity!

 

Serenity Prayer

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courageto change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."

    As we go into the New Year, peace and tranquility always seem to be part of our NewYear’s goals. Last year we did too much. One more committee at church, the kids need a

coach, how can we get everyone to every game, lesson class, etc? Oh, the boss wants us

50 hours a week too!!

    It takes faith and courage to let go and let God play a role in our lives.

"I... will have sufficient courage so that now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body..."Philippians (1:20). 

At work and in our daily lives, we often fail to take the risk of allowing God to take control. How often we do not accept the spiritual help available. We will handle it all. Where is our humility when we try to do it all?

"... humbly accept the word planted in you,

which can save you." James (2:1).

 

    We tend to forget the basic rules taught to us by our faith. When we are taking control, adding stress to ourselves, do we ask for the help available?

“If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God...and it will be given to you." (James 1:5)

 

    We are told to keep God at the forefront in our search for this inner peace."And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."Philippians 4:7)

 

    The serenity prayer is simple. We all know that simple is good Let us start the “NewYear” with this thought in mind.

Thought for Today: Let us focus on peace and tranquility in our lives; with our families, neighbors, and coworkers.

Prayer for Today:  Let's use the serenity prayer, this week and for the year,especially when overstressed.