Friday, October 30, 2015

Commit to follow

Ruth 1:7-17
But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.
They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”
But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.”
Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
So she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
But Ruth said,
“Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die— there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!”

Lord,
what amazing commitment Ruth has!
Naomi has nothing left to give her.
It does not make sense.
Such devotion to her mother-in-law
will not benefit her (at least not yet!).
The road before them is
long and lonely and hard.

And yet,
Ruth commits.
"Hesed" is the Hebrew word
used to describe Ruth.
The same word, Lord,
used to describe You!
"Hesed" steadfast faithfulness
without failure
without flaw
without end.

Lord,
the more I think about this story
the more I think You ARE Ruth.
And I am Naomi.
It does no good for you to commit to me.
There is no benefit to you.
There is only a hard way,
a painful way,
an empty deadly way.

And yet, there you are
in the garden praying in anguish sweating blood for me.
And yet, there you are
on the cross committed to death for me.
And yet, there you are
beyond the empty tomb committed to Resurrection life for me.

You turn to me and say,
"Child,
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people..."

That's commitment!
Lord, Thank you!
for committing to me.
Teach me that kind of commitment,
"Hesed" steadfast faithfulness.

Lord,
today I commit to follow you.
Amen.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

When Death Comes upon a House

Ruth 1:1-5
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.

Lord,
so much illness,
so much cancer,
so much war,
so much death.

Naomi knew death.
First, her husband;
then 10 years later,
BOTH of her sons.
Death has come upon her house.

Lord,
death has visited our community too:
a recent murder that still reels in my head,
a child of my church, now grown old, who is dying of cancer,
memories of so many neighbors, church members, friends
who have died.

This Sunday, All Saints' Day,
we will remember
those who have
kept the faith,
finished the race,
and have taken their seat
among the saints
who sing your praise!

We will remember,
and we pray that
we too will remain
steadfast in our commitment to you,
for you, Lord, are steadfast
in your commitment to us.
Amen.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Do we REALLY believe God will provide?

COMMIT 2015 
Stewardship Campaign 
Elizabethtown Presbyterian Church


Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
"You are a Child of God;
sealed by the Holy Spirit,
claimed by Christ,
and nothing ever
said or done
can ever
change that."

"God himself will provide..." Genesis 22:8
Do we believe that?

If so, 
what are we going to do today to say,
"Thank you!"?

The question of stewardship then is 
not, "How much does the church need to receive?", 
but rather, "How much do you need to give?"

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Go!

MARK 10:46-52
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

Lord,
once we were
lost
standing still
roadside
begging
blind
unable to see the way forward.

But you hear our cries.
You call to us
in our times of despair.

You heal us.
"Go; your faith has made you well."
But we don't want to "Go";
we want to stay and follow you.

Walk before us, Lord Jesus.
Show us the path.
It leads to a cross,
but also to an empty tomb.
It's a way that is hard,
a way that is painful,
a way filled with shadows and death.
But it is the only way,
your way that leads us home.

So lead on, O King Eternal,
we will follow you
today and everyday.
Amen.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Take Heart!

MARK 10:46-49
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." 

Jesus,
you hear my cries.
At the sound of my voice,
you stand still,
you pause,
in compassion you stop.
And you call me to your side.

"Take heart!
Take heart!
The master is calling!
Get up...
he's waiting for you."

And so you are, Lord.
Waiting,
loving,
listening to my voice,
my cry.

Hear me
as I pour out
my heart's longing...

Monday, October 19, 2015

Cry out to Jesus!

MARK 10:46-48
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

Lord,
we, like Bartimaeus,
stand beside the highways and byways
along the way of life.
Some of us have lost our way.
Some of us can't see the way forward.
Some of us are left roadside begging.
We cry out to you:
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

People around us
try to quiet us,
try to comfort us,
try to give us advice,
try to keep us from upsetting the ways things are...
But we cry all the louder:
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
perhaps with a yell! "Have mercy on me!"
perhaps with sobs, "Have mercy on me!"
perhaps in pain, "Have mercy on me!"
perhaps out of loneliness, "Have mercy on me!"
perhaps in grief, "Have mercy on me!"
perhaps numb, longing to feel something, "Have mercy on me!"

We cry out to you, Lord,
because we know you hear us;
you care for us.
So we cry,
and we pray
no just for ourselves
but for our world.
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy..."
Amen.

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Thank you, Pastor.

This post may seem self serving, but I too need to say, "Thank you!"

Lord,
thank you!
Thank you for the pastors in my life --
for Dr. Cliff McLeod who baptized me,
for Dr. Jeff Aiken whose voice boomed with passion for God,
for Rev. George Jacobs who showed the glory and struggles of ministry,
for Dr. Frank Colclough whose confidence in me as a teenager demonstrated the strength of our connectional church, 
for Dr. Ed McLeod who walked beside me as I answered your call to ministry,
for Dr. Ken Thomas who took me under his wing to mentor me in a small church,
for Dr. Richard Baxter who said "Amen" as I shared my story of calling at presbytery,
for Dr. Laura Mendenhall whose door was always open to her students,
for Dr. Bobby Wilkes who showed me what grace looks like in a pastor,
for Rev. Preston Sheally & Rev. Gary Lowe who listened over many miles in golf shoes,
for Dr. John Goodman who is a consistent listening ear,
for Rev. Evan Harrison who listens while we exercise together...

Lord, 
I had no idea the list of pastors 
in my life was so long.
I am certain I have left some out.
But for all of these and many more,
I say, "Thank you! Thank God for you!"
Amen.




For those of us committed to being Disciples of Jesus Christ, Pastors are key people in our lives.  They pray with us and for us. Through their proclamation, they speak the forgiving good news of God's love in Jesus Christ to us. Through their failures, they remind us of our need to forgive. Through their strengths, they inspire us. Through their weaknesses, they show us where we need to step up and serve.

We look to pastors to provide leadership and guidance.These individuals deserve more than a 'thank you' every Sunday morning. For everything our pastors do, October has been designated Pastor Appreciation Month. This is a time for us in words and actions to express our gratitude and love for our pastors.



Friday, October 16, 2015

Humble Service, Bold Ministry!

Mark 10:41-45
When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Lord,
I spent the last week
with some of your most amazing servants.
Pastors, leaders, humble servants
from your church in Mexico.

On the first days,
I had no idea
who they really were.
So humble about their work...
So humble about the role
they play in your mission to the world...
So unassuming
treating me with the utmost dignity and respect.

It was only later in the week
that I realized
among their number was:

  • the Chairman of the Board of the ONLY Presbyterian University in Mexico! Universidad Alfa y Omega
  • the Vice President of Financial affairs from the same University
  • the Executive Secretary of the same University
  • the Director of International Studies of the same University
  • the chairman of the medical foundation
  • the director of the medical foundation
  • the General Presbyter
  • the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery
Many of these were also pastors of churches as well.

Lord,
I was amazed by 
their commitment,
their passion, 
their love for you,

their investment in spending time with us,
their leadership,
their humility,
their vision for:

  • evangelism,
  • medical mission (They are working to build a hospital!),
  • education (Alfa y Omega is ranked among the TOP universities in their area!)
Lord,
I saw in them exactly what you said:
"whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
They modeled that well!

Lord,
Thank you for their visit!
Thank you for giving me a peek 
into what you are doing in their part of the world.
Today I pray 
for my brothers and sisters 
in Tobasco, Mexico.
Strengthen them.
Provide for their needs.
Use them to challenge us to new faithfulness.
Amen.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

For the Long Run

MARK 10:35-40
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

Lord,
I join James & John asking:
Lord, I want you to do for me
whatever I ask of you.

And you say with love:
"What do you want me to do for you?"

I want...
well, I guess...
I'm not really sure what I want.

When I pray for peace,
and that doesn't seem to come.
When I pray for happiness,
that too seems to elude me.
When I pray for the church's commitment,
well, you've seen the attendance lately.

I guess what I most want
is to make a difference.
That's the drive that got me into ministry:
to make a difference.

But not just me,
What I really want
is for the congregation I serve
to impact the community
in life changing ways
for the good of the least of these.

And maybe you turn to me
like you did to James & John saying:
"You do not know what you're asking.
Are you able to drink the cup & be baptized
like I was, like they were?"

To which I can only say:
I hope so.
I'm trying; we're trying.

I hope you answer:
"Yes, you are. Yes, you will.
But you may never know the impact
the church is making in this life.
Keep on being faithful.
Remember what Friedrich Nietzsche wrote:
"The essential thing ‘in heaven and earth’ is . . .
that there should be long obedience 
in the same direction;
there thereby results,
and has always resulted
in the long run,
something which has made life worth living."

So Lord,
today I put on my marathon shoes.
The life of faith is a long run,
and you are my running partner.
So when you're ready, Lord,
let's go.
Amen.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Shocked by what I possess...

MARK 10:17-22
As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.'" He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth." Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

O Lord,
you really do set the bar high.
The life of righteousness is not a check list:
Do not murder -- check...
Do not commit adultery -- check...
Do not steal -- check...
I've done (or not done!) all of this.

You push beyond check lists;
You challenge us where we are most in need:
Our stuff.

The one thing we lack is our stuff.
O Lord, not that we don't have stuff.
But because we HAVE STUFF,
or rather our stuff HAS us.

The one thing we lack
is the willingness to let go
of our stuff --
our clothes,
our cars,
our fine furniture,
our wealth,
our 401k's, ...

Maybe the storms of late will remind us:
stuff comes and goes
but our dependence on You remains!
Help us dig out
from under the rubble of our stuff.
Help us learn to give away.
Indeed you did say,
"It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

We, who have much,
have a great opportunity to be
blessed by giving.
Help us claim the blessing that comes from giving.
Amen.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Praying in the flood

Lord,
the rain falls;
the waters rise;
the waves crash;
homes, cars, & trucks stuck on roadways
or worse washed away.

Help!
Lord, help.
Send your aide; send us.

Let us set aside
our preferences and prejudices
and provide aide to all.

Prove to us once again
the power of loving our neighbors.
And this time let us not stop.
Amen.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Let ALL God's Children Come

Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it." And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Lord,
as a leader in today's church
it is hard to imagine anyone trying
to stop children from coming to you.

And yet we do
-- we do stop
your children from coming.
With our words and our actions,
we stop:
Your children who don't speak our language,
Your children who don't sit still,
Your children who can't or won't be quiet,
Your children who have physical limitations,
Your children with mental illness,
Your children who are more liberal than we are,
Your children who are more conservative than we are,
Your children who are more charismatic than we are,
Your children who are more reserved than we are.

However,
Your blessings, Lord, are not reserved for some.
Your amazing grace is for ALL.
"Do not stop them..." you say to us,
"For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

Lord,
Help us
return to child-like faith
--a faith that welcomes all
for Christ's sake.
Amen.