Devotions

Recently I have been thinking about the great truth that no matter who you are or where you live, every life is filled with its share of troubles. Trouble can make us physically sick. It can leave us feeling hopeless. Sometimes we can ignore the trouble and other times we are overwhelmed by it. These are the moments when it becomes critically important that we lean in and trust the Lord.  I am reminded of a story from the book of 2 Chronicles about a King of Judah named Jehoshaphat. He was a good king and a mighty man of God. One day he received word that three…

The defining quality of Christians from the first century to today has always been loving one another. But how can we best live out the life of love for one another in the midst of Covid-19? By practicing the principle of thinking of others before ourselves. I have to confess that in this present crisis I struggle personally with this question on a daily basis. There is indeed a thin line between self-care and self-absorption. When does caring for myself become self-absorption? This is a difficult question to answer and one that each of us must answer for ourselves under the guidance of the Holy Spirit through introspection, prayer and Bible study. And exactly how we answer this question might look a little different for each Christian as we individually struggle to discern what God’s desire is for us to serve him in this present time.

If the grace of Jesus Christ means anything, it means that we who are betrayers can come to the cross, and have that terrible weight of our crime taken from us. If on the other hand, we’re among those who have been betrayed, there’s hope for us as well. At the cross, we can find relief from our bitterness and hurt. Forgiveness is what Jesus is all about, and he offers to us the deliverance of a forgiving heart that we might also forgive.

As Christ gave his body and blood for the world, we’re called to give ourselves. As he washed the feet of his disciples, so we’re called to outdo one another in serving and showing honor to one another. Jesus has shown us an example of what we’re to be if we’re to follow him in the world and if we’re to partake of his body and blood in this Eucharist.

The gap between my two sons is a pretty big one. They are almost exactly 3 feet and 10 years apart.  Observing them in the park the other day on our daily walk, I noticed the youngest doesn’t actually walk with us, he runs. Some of this is because he loves to get ahead of us and lead the way but mostly it is simply because he is running to just keep up. So of course it isn’t long before he is dragging behind, exhausted.  He doesn’t want to give up. The mere suggestion makes him angry. But he simply isn’t yet capable of keeping our pace. So we slow our stride. We encourage him.  We wait for…

 13 If you are trying hard to do good, no one can really hurt you. 14 But even if you suffer for doing right, you are blessed. “Don’t be afraid of what they fear; do not dread those things.”( Isaiah 8:12–13)15 But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, 16 but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed. 17 It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing…

A beautiful word out of Duke Divinity School from the Dean, L. Gregory Jones, to begin our Holy Week together.  May it bless your spirit as it blessed mine.   “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”John 1:5   In times of crisis like our current pandemic of COVID-19, it can feel like the darkness is overwhelming. Fears and anxieties rise, and inclinations toward compassion diminish. History teaches us that pandemics often lead to a preoccupation with survival that can cause us to shrink into ourselves rather than expand outward. Loneliness becomes more pervasive, and isolation from the world closes in on us. Despair…

                                                                  35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Peace! Be still!”…

In this season we are being called to do just this, to lay down life as we know it so that others might live. Maybe it is hard for you to see your part in that. Maybe what you have given up feels small compared to what others around you are doing. But remember death by a thousand paper cuts is still painful. Each small thing we lay down is an act of love and it matters.

“…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  -Ephesians 6:17b We come across the final piece of the armor of God that Paul says the Christian must be equipped with for spiritual warfare, the sword of the Spirit.  Unlike the other pieces of armor Paul mentions which are defensive in nature such as the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of preparation of the gospel of peace and the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit is offensive in nature.  It is not just armor.  It is a weapon with which to attack the enemy.  You might recall when Jesus was tempted by the devil…