Devotional March 6 – April 20, 2019

LENTEN DEVOTIONAL MARCH 6 – APRIL 20, 2019

The Lenten Season

Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and ends with the Resurrection on Easter. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. This year Lent begins on March 6, 2019 and ends on April 20, 2019. It is meant as a time for repentance and reflection, for silence and prayer, for listening to God. The season serves as a reminder of our need to humble ourselves and call upon Jesus for forgiveness. When we participate in the devotions and traditions of Lent, we participate personally in Christ’s sacrifice, death and resurrection in a way that allows us to be involved with what He has done for us on many levels, both spiritually and physically, in a very personal and meaningful way. This will not only teach us personal strength and discipline, but will bless us as the true meaning of Lent fills our hearts and strengthens our spirits. How to Use This Guide

This guide is intended to provide families, individuals or study groups with a devotional to study each day of the Lenten season. As we progress through Lent we will study ways we “Follow Jesus for Life.” Some tell their story of coming to Christ, some describe where they have seen Christ in action, and some describe some disciplines and practices that help us in our journey with Jesus.

Each day the guide includes a passage of Scripture, a devotion, an image and a prayer. We are combining several techniques. The first, Lectio Divina, known by Church Fathers in the early days of the church, is a simple method of praying with Scripture. Visio Divina (or divine seeing) is related to the Lectio Divina prayer form, but instead of Scripture, this form of prayer uses visual elements to set your mind on prayer. It allows God to speak into your heart through the image. It is also a prayer form that has been used throughout the centuries. Each day, as you read your devotion, do the following:

1. Close your eyes, breath and clear your mind. 2. Open your eyes and read the Scripture and Devotion. Close your eyes and meditate on what you read. 3. Open your eyes and study the image in the Devotion. Close and rest your eyes a minute and meditate. 4. Open your eyes and read the prayer. 5. Close and rest your eyes while you contemplate what God is speaking to you today through the scripture, devotion, image and prayer. 6. Open your eyes and apply your thoughts throughout the day.

Some devotions are written by our friends in the Village Church. Others are excerpts from writings of theologians and authors from across the centuries. Some of the art included in the daily devotion was created by church members. The prayers were written throughout the centuries to sustain Christians in their faith walk.

March 6, 2019 Ash Wednesday

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Sons and daughters come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord. [Psalm 34:11]

Devotion: What Do You Want Me To Do, Lord? Written by Pat Grant

Jesus spends his forty days of retreat in the desert in preparation for his mission on earth. As his followers, we accept the same invitation he extends to Peter and Andrew when he says to them: “Come, follow Me.” and they do [Mark 1:16]. We can perhaps use the 40 days of Lent to help us understand what God wants us to do.

Luke says Jesus is hungry [Luke 4: 1-13]. The idea of fasting for Lent usually means you give up something you love. Satan tempts Jesus with the idea of his turning stones into bread and Jesus refuses, pointing out that we need more than bread to live; we need God’s word. That seems to suggest we might spend Lent reading the Bible to see what God wants us to do. Admittedly, that would be easier for me than giving up bread.

There’s a lot to notice here. Satan makes a mistake in offering Jesus power and a glitzy miracle — Jesus refers Satan to Scripture. But bread? There are a lot of hungry people in the world who could be fed. Jesus understands we need to eat, but it will be in his way and in God’s time. No shortcuts.

Micah 6: 8 provides a good start: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Prayer: Close your eyes and meditate on what you read. Open your eyes and meditate on what you see in the image. Read the prayer. Contemplate what God is speaking to you today through the scripture, devotion, image and prayer. Apply your thoughts throughout the day.

Lord, thou hast given us thy Word for a light to shine upon our path; grant us so to meditate on that Word, and to follow its teaching, that we may find in it the light that shines more and more until the perfect day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Jerome (347-420) was a Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, best known for his extensive writings and his translation of the Bible into Latin. Temptation in the Wilderness: Briton Riviere

March 7, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve [Matthew 20:28]

Devotion: The Determination to Serve Written by Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), author of “My Utmost for His Highest,” from which this devotion is excerpted.

Paul’s idea of service was to pour his life out to the last drop for others. And whether he received praise or blame made no difference. As long as there was one human being who did not know Jesus, Paul felt a debt of service to that person until he did come to know Him. But the chief motivation behind Paul’s service was not love for others but love for his Lord. If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another. Paul’s understanding of how Christ had dealt with him is the secret behind his determination to serve others. No matter how badly others may have treated Paul, they could never have treated him with the same degree of spite and hatred with which he, as Saul, had treated Jesus Christ. Once we realize that Jesus has served us even to the depths of our meagerness, our selfishness, and our sin, nothing we encounter from others will be able to exhaust our determination to serve others for His sake. Prayer: Close your eyes and meditate on what you read. Open your eyes and meditate on what you see in the image. Read the prayer. Contemplate what God is speaking to you today through the scripture, devotion, image and prayer. Apply your thoughts throughout the day.

We beseech You, Master, to be our helper and protector. Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly; raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly; restore the wanderers of Your people; feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners; raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted. Clement of Rome (35-101). Pope and bishop of Rome and considered to be the first Apostolic Father of the Church.

Self Portrait: Roy Nachum

March 8, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. [John 1:12]

Devotion: My Beginning Written by Betty Brown Simm

A most important day happened on a childhood Sunday, a beginning burst of faith in God. I was six years old and had been invited by my new friend, Laura, to go to the Presbyterian Church with her family. My mother and father had partied the night before so I put on my Oklahoman Sunday-go-to-meetin’ dress for this special day. Her family picked me up. “Hurry”, Laura said, “we can’t be late for church.” Before I rushed out the door I saw my mother’s elegant evening cape on a chair. She had brought it back from a fancy salon in Paris and my mama loved it. Wearing it seemed a perfect way for me to show off to Laura.

The Sunday school classes gathered in the back of the sanctuary to be part of the service to welcome new members joining the church. These adults were standing on steps in front of the pulpit. The big worship room resounded like heaven to a naïve, awakening six year old girl. Hymns thundered from the organ. Whispering people in fancy hats, gloves, and suits filled the pews. The stained glass windows glowed in welcome and I was glad to be a part of all this grown-up ceremony. The organ crescendoed and stopped. The black-robed minister stepped to the pulpit and raised his arms and proclaimed, “Welcome to all who know God, want to learn about Jesus Christ and now join our church.” At that moment, sparkling gold, blue and green stained glass rays of the sun radiated over the gathered new members. I remember at that dramatic moment, my heart hammered in my chest; my eyes opened wide at the glorious display. We had talked about Jesus in Sunday school. Is this Him coming, I wondered? Bursting with feelings, I stood on tiptoe with hands out to the minister. “I’m coming,” I answered. With that childish outburst, I ran down the middle church aisle with mother’s blue silk ruffled cape flowing behind me in Parisian splendor. A grown-up in the group took my hand and made room. The minister continued and I felt welcomed. The overwhelmed six-year-old answer “I’m coming” to a spiritual call has permeated the next 90 years of my life. Often that beginning “call” is ignored, forgotten or misunderstood. But I keep trying to answer God through the years and give thanks that He sent Jesus to hold my hand through all that learning time. Now at 96 my heart yearns to answer, my mind to listen and peace pours into my soul.

Almighty and eternal God, make our wills always subject to your will, and our hearts always ready to serve you; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Roman Breviary is the liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. Published in 1482, it became known as the Liturgy of the Hours.

In His Arms: Connie McCoy

March 9, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose [Romans 8:28]

Devotion: God Works for the Good Written by Billy Graham (1918-2018), an American Christian evangelist. There will always be secrets and motives of God that lie beyond our grasp. God knows everything; we do not. Only in Heaven will we understand God’s ways more fully. As Paul said, “Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” [1 Corinthians 13:12]. But based upon what we do know about God’s character, demonstrated supremely in the cross, we can trust that God is doing what is best for us. God says in His Word, “I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” [Jeremiah 29:11]. As Corrie ten Boom once explained, “Picture a piece of embroidery placed between you and God, with the right side up toward God. Man sees the loose, frayed ends; but God sees the pattern.” God is in control. Whatever comes into our lives, we can confidently say, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”

Alone with none but thee, my God, I journey on my way. What need I fear, when thou art near O king of night and day? More safe am I within thy hand than if a host did round me stand.

Columba (c.521 – 597) was an Irish abbot and missionary Evangelist credited with spreading Christianity to what is now Scotland. He founded the abbey on Iona.

Midnight Dream: Jean-Michel Priaux

March 10, 2019 First Sunday of Lent

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [Galatians 5:22-23]

Devotion: Blessed Written by Lynn Lilyquist

I am blessed in so many wonderful ways. One of those blessings has come to me now in that I have time to pursue interests that have always “been there” but I haven’t had time to commit to them. Now I do. I’m a retiree who spends time doing things - I garden, I do woodwork, I paint, I play golf, I read, I knit, I travel … need I go on? But in all of these activities none surpasses the activities I am called upon to demonstrate that I am a child of the Lord.

I am guided by the Holy Spirit. In Him I am filled with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness and temperance [Galatians 5:22-23]. These are the “things” that should occupy my time. Do I think of them all day every day? NO - clearly I don’t, BUT I use them as an overlay to the activities of my life. When gardening I have peace, when painting I have joy, when being with friends I have love. Need I go on?

I am blessed in so many wonderful ways but the blessing that brightens all other blessings is being filed with the Holy Spirit who pours out His love on me. Prayer: Close your eyes and meditate on what you read. Open your eyes and meditate on what you see in the image. Read the prayer. Contemplate what God is speaking to you today through the scripture, devotion, image and prayer. Apply your thoughts throughout the day.

God, all powerful, most holy sublime ruler of all, you alone are good - supremely, fully, completely good, may we render to you all praise, all honor and all blessing: may we always ascribe to you alone everything that is good! Amen Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226) was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded the men’s Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Claire, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land.

Three Boys: Lynn Lilyquist

Lynn painted this watercolor of three boys she saw while travelling in South Africa.

March 11, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. [Ephesians 2:10]

Devotion: The Best Version of You Written by John Ortberg, contemporary evangelical Christian author, speaker and senior pastor of Menlo Church.

Not long ago I boarded an airport shuttle bus to get to the rental car lot. People on the bus are often grumpy from travel and in a hurry to get to their car. No one says much except the name of their rental car company. But not on this bus. The man who drove the bus was an absolute delight. He was scanning the curbside, looking for anybody who needed a ride. “You know,” he told us, “I’m always looking because sometimes people are running late. You can tell it in their eyes. I’m always looking because I never want to miss one. Hey, here’s another one...” The driver pulled over to pick up a latecomer, and he was so excited about what he was doing that we got excited. We were actually cheering him on when he was picking people up. It was like watching Jesus drive a shuttle bus. He created such a little community of joy on that bus that people wanted to ride around in the terminal a second time just to hang out with the guy. He wasn’t just our shuttle bus driver — he was our leader; he was our friend. And for a few moments, community flourished. On a shuttle bus for a rental car company — and one person moved toward the best version of himself…

Your “spiritual life” is not limited to certain devotional activities that you engage in. It is receiving power from the Spirit of God to become the person God had in mind when he created you — his handiwork.

Lord God, in your wisdom you created us; By your providence you rule us; penetrate our inmost being with your holy light, so that our way of life may always be one of faithful service to you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

From the Breviary Liturgy of the Hours, a monastic prayer practice that sanctifies each hour Creation of Adam: Michelangelo of the day with prayer.

March 12, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:6-7]

Devotion: Praying Written by Diane Armstrong

My family was "high church Episcopal" and so Lent was about giving up; fish on Fridays and often weekday Communion. I remember at 11 thinking that surely my giving up candy for Lent was not what Jesus wanted. I failed so many times with my "giving up" Lent became a guilt provoking period. Even as an adult I often would be unable to not eat or drink something. What was for me the truth of Lent was not just the fasting but Jesus praying. Several years ago I decided to offer a sacrifice of prayer.

I write down forty names of people I know and people I don't know, people I love and people I have a difficult time with, some faith-filled and some faithless. I then take these names and put them in a beautiful heart shaped bowl. Each day I draw a name and pray for that family both in my quiet time and throughout the day. About five years ago I began emailing the ones I could contact letting them know I had prayed for them. It has made a difference -- as prayer does. It changed the season of Lent for me.

O Lord, compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and plentiful in mercy, attend to the voice of our prayer. Work upon us a sign for the good. Lead us in your way that we may walk in the truth. Gladden our hearts that we may honor your holy name. For you are great and work wonders. You alone are God and among all the powers there is none like you, our Lord, who is might in mercy, gracious in strength, always ready to aid and to comfort and save those who put their trust in your holy name. And to you are due all glory, honor, and worship. Now and ever to the ages of ages. Amen. An ancient lychnapsia (lamp lighting) prayer, which was typically said by the Orthodox priest silently.

He Shall Hear My Voice: Michael Dudash

March 13, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. [1 Corinthians 12:4]

Devotion: The Band Written by Max Lucado, a contemporary Christian author, writer and preacher at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. This devotion is an excerpt from his book “A Gentle Thunder.”

Two of my teenage years were spent carrying a tuba in my high school marching band. …I learned some facts about harmony that I will pass on to you. ….I marched next to the bass drum player. What a great sound. Boom. Boom. Boom. Deep cavernous, thundering. … At the end of my flank marched the flute section. How their music soared. Whispering, lifting rising into the clouds. Ahead of me was our first chair trumpet…He could raise the spirit. He could raise the flag. He could have raised the roof on the stadium if we’d had one.

Flute and trumpets sound very different. The flute whispers. The trumpet shouts. The flute comforts. The trumpet bugles. The drum provides rhythm and cadence. The soft flute needs the brash trumpet, which needs the steady drum, which needs the soft flute. The operative word is need. They need each other. By themselves they make music. But together they make magic.

What I saw decades ago in the band, I see today in the church. We need each other. Not all of us play the same instrument. Some believers are lofty, and others are solid. Some keep the pace while others lead the band. Not all of us make the same sound. Some are soft and others are loud. And not all of us have the same ability. Some need to be on the fifty-yard line raising the flag. Others need to be in the background, playing backup. But each of us has a place.

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) was a Catholic nun and missionary in India.

Outpouring of the Holy Spirit: Veronica Dimae

March 14, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. [1 Thessalonians 5:18]

Devotion: My Faith Journey Written by Julie MacNeal

I don’t remember ever not knowing Jesus. My father taught me my first bedtime prayer. It was at the Altadena Lutheran Church where I was baptized at the age of 5 and attended Sunday School. My Aunt Edie was my teacher. She told us Bible stories, and taught us to sing “Jesus Loves Me” and “Fishers of Men.” I joined a choir for the first time. I loved lining up in my choir robe and processing into the chapel. I won pins for good attendance and for always knowing my Bible verses. After elementary school, my faith journey went in fits and starts. I still prayed, but usually only when I needed something. But the older I got, I felt an increased longing for a place to worship that felt like home. I attended various churches through high school and college, usually where I could sing in a choir. But there wasn’t the connection I wished for. Later, when I was married and the mother of three, our family moved to Rancho Santa Fe, and I felt that tugging again to be part of a church community. I had three children who also needed to know Jesus. Some friends invited us to attend the Village Church one Easter. I liked the peaceful look of it, the trees, the flowers, the shady green lawn, and the unassuming buildings. We enjoyed the dynamic young Pastor and the choir. Several months later, I made the only New Year’s Resolution I’ve ever kept. I resolved to attend the Village Church on a regular basis. God had been so patient with me, and at last I was back on the path of following Jesus. It took a while for the rest of the family to join me, but eventually they all did. The decision to seriously follow Jesus has led me to become a Deacon, a Bible Study facilitator, choir member, and a part of a warm and loving church family. I have learned to talk about my faith and to share it with others. I have learned to “praise God in all circumstances.” My husband and I feel our lives are enriched with the joy and fellowship of following Jesus. The longing has been satisfied. We are at home.

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name; through Christ our Lord. Amen

William Wilberforce (1759-1833), a British politician, philanthropist and leader of the movement to stop the slave trade.

Radiant Light: Elizabeth Wang

March 15, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. [Psalm 57:7]

Devotion: Zamar - To Make Music Written by Chris Tomlin, contemporary praise musician

I stood over Brandy, looking into her eyes, giving her chips of ice, holding her hand, doing whatever she needed. She was deep into labor with our third daughter, Violet, and as was the tradition in the Whitehead family, music filled the hospital room. In the weeks before delivery, Brandy and I made a worship playlist. We’d done the same thing when our first two daughters were born. More than anything, we wanted the songs of the church to be the first sounds our daughters’ tiny ears ever heard; we wanted to bring them into the chorus of God’s family from the beginning. The worship music we played during Brandy’s labor gave us a sort of hidden strength. This music wasn’t just for our new baby. It was for us too. The people of God singing the praises of God calmed us through the moments of anxiety, bolstering Brandy’s spirits even through the labor of childbirth. The music was a conduit of God’s grace, and we felt it in that hospital room. And this effect can be felt in the privacy of a hospital room or in the gathering of the church. Haven’t you experienced this? Consider that time you walked into church, frustrated with a friend, anxious about your finances, perhaps concerned about a new health challenge. Remember how you stood in the liminal space before the worship music began and made small talk as best you could, the things of eternity far from your mind. Recall how the chords began to fill the room, how the attention of the crowd was turned toward the praise of God. In that moment, didn’t the stuff of earth, the anxieties of life, seem to melt into the melody? As the cares rolled away, didn’t you encounter the very presence of God? Prayer: Close your eyes and meditate on what you read. Open your eyes and meditate on what you see in the image. Read the prayer. Contemplate what God is speaking to you today through the scripture, devotion, image and prayer. Apply your thoughts throughout the day.

And you have all been formed into one choir, to…sing God’s song together and praise the father with one voice through Jesus Christ, that when he hears you he may realize from what you have done so well that you are of his Son’s members. Ignatius of Antioch (35-108) was an early Christian writer and bishop of Antioch.

King David Playing the Harp Gerrit van Honthorst

March 16, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Therefore, I tell you, do not be concerned about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? [Matthew 6:25]

Devotion: The Place of Trust Written by Martin Luther (1483-1546) a German professor of theology, composer, priest, monk and leader of the Protestant Reformation.

Listen…to what serving Mammon [the god of possession] means. It means being concerned about our life and our body, about what we should eat and drink and put on. It means thinking only about this life, about how to get rich here and how to accumulate and increase our money and property, as though we were going to stay here forever. The sinful worship of Mammon does not consist in eating and drinking and wearing clothes, nor in looking for a way to make a living and working at it; for the needs of this life and of the body make food and clothing a requirement. But the sin consists in being concerned about it and making it the reliance and confidence of your heart. I am not concerned about anything that my heart does not think about, but I must have a heart for anything about which I am concerned…The man whose money is dear to him and who is on the lookout for his own advantage will not have much regard for his neighbor or the office that involves his neighbor…Christ has forbidden this greedy concern and worship of Mammon as an idolatry that makes enemies of God.

Look, Lord, on an empty vessel that needs to be filled. In faith I am weak - strengthen me. In love I am cold - warm me and make me fervent so that my love may go out to my neighbor. I doubt and am unable to trust you completely. Lord, strengthen my faith and trust in you. You are all the treasure I possess. I am poor, you are rich, and you came to have mercy on the poor. I am a sinner, you are goodness. From you I can receive goodness, but I can give you nothing. Therefore I shall stay with you.

Martin Luther (1483-1546) a leader of the Protestant Reformation.

Trust in God: Artist Unknown

March 17, 2019 Second Sunday of Lent

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” [Luke 8:25]

Devotion: An Anchor for the Soul Written by Myra Cullum

We were eating at a noodle shop in the Golden Triangle of Thailand. Sitting across from us was “Mama Rose,” who was our hostess as we visited the Christian Happy Home Orphanage. We had already spent several days with the children at the Happy Home in Chiang Rai, Thailand. We had seen the joy on their faces and heard the laughter in their voices. We had heard their worship songs and fervent prayers during devotional times. These orphans were touched by the love of Jesus, and it showed in how they lived. In 1981, Mama Rose had come to Thailand from Southern California following God’s lead. It was tough in the early years. She started with nothing more than a wok and a Chinese cook. She had seen God provide in miraculous ways over the years. Now, there were four Christian Happy Homes in different parts of Thailand. Many of the children who had grown up with Mama Rose had become businessmen, electricians, teachers, and pastors. One even started an orphanage to help kids like himself. Mama Rose had much to show for her faithful service to the Lord. So, our question for this humble woman, as we sat across the lunch table, was, “What did you do during the tough times, when you didn’t know where the next meal would come from?” Her quick reply was simply, “When you know you are called by God to do something, it is an anchor for your soul. So that, in the hard times, you can hold onto the fact that if He called you to do it, then He will provide.”

Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbor, where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict. Show me the course I should take. Renew in me the gift of discernment, so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go. And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course, even when the sea is rough and the waves are high, knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name we shall find comfort and peace. Basil of Caesarea (329-379), an influential bishop and theologian who supported the development of the Nicene Creed. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee: Rembrandt

March 18, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. [Romans 6:3-4]

Devotion: Baptized Into His Death Written by John Chrysostom (345-407) the archbishop of Constantinople and an early theologian of the church. This is an excerpt from his sermon titled “Dead to Sin.”

What does being baptized into his [Jesus’] death mean? It has to do with our dying as he did. We do this by our baptism, for baptism is the cross. What the cross is to Christ, baptism is to us. Christ died in the flesh; we have died to sin. Both are deaths, and both are real. But if it is real, what is our part, what must we contribute?

Do you believe that Christ was raised from the dead? Believe the same of yourself. Just as his death is yours, so also is his resurrection; if you have shared in the one, you shall share in the other. As of now the sin is done away with.

Paul sets before us a demand: to bring about a newness of life by changing of habits. For when the covetous person becomes merciful, when the harsh become subdued, a resurrection has taken place, a prelude to the final resurrection which is to come. How is it a resurrection? It is a resurrection because sin has been mortified, and righteousness has risen in its place; the old life has passed away, and new, angelic life is now being lived.

Heavenly Father, in your love you have called us to know you, led us to trust you, and bound our life with yours. Surround us with love and protect us from evil. Fill us with the Holy Spirit so we walk in the way of Christ and grow in our knowledge of your love. Author Unknown

The Baptism of Christ: Daniel Bonnell

March 19, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. [Romans 5:5]

Devotion: My Off and On Faith Journey Written by Alan Goodman

My first church was in England as a choir boy in a High Church of England Cathedral. I went to various churches across three countries that included Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal Assembly, Church of Religious Science, and finally ended up at the Village Presbyterian Church.

During a two decade period of being a caregiver for my late wife, I did not attend any church at all. After her death, I started going to Solana Beach Presbyterian Church. A major spiritual epiphany event happened to me while I was sitting in a pew that totally changed my life. I felt the Holy Spirit surge through my whole being and I openly wept as I listened to the sermon. I started to tithe for the first time in my life and got fully engaged in the church. My real Faith Journey started to really shift in high gear! Blessings started flowing in my life - both financial and life-related. A major blessing was when I met my now wife (a widow) shortly after, and we ended up getting married and moved to La Costa Glen. Because we both loved the Village Church’s traditional services and I was facilitating the Village Church LCG Bible Studies anyhow, I moved my membership to the Village Church.

I continue to be a joyful giver both financially and with my time. My Faith journey continues to grow daily! I am a totally different person than before - thanks be to God! Alleluia!

O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of Your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh; a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and to enjoy You, for Christ’s sake.

Ambrose was a bishop of Milan in the 4th century (339-397). He contributed to theology and doctrine of the early Christian Church and influenced Augustine of Hippo.

Purify My Heart: Matt Tommy

March 20, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s and Esau’s mother. [Genesis 28:5]

Devotion: When the Road is Tedious

Written by James MacDonald, a contemporary Canadian-American evangelical pastor, Bible teacher and author

Day after day, walking in the hot sun, doing what God commanded, feeling the weight of obedience, thinking God was very far away, Jacob was ready for another lesson: God is at work even when the place I find myself in is wearisome. As he fell asleep in the wilderness atmosphere, and the weariness he felt, I’m sure Jacob didn’t realize God had guided his very steps to the exact place where his grandfather had worshiped. It’s amazing. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are established by the Lord.” Jacob didn’t know it, but God was ordering his journey.

How many times in our lives do we face some tedious regularity and think to ourselves, “Well, God’s not in this.” Jacob stretched out in that field. No obvious clues God was anywhere in that boring neighborhood. And yet God was very much there. What tedium are you facing in your life and trying to figure out where God is? I talked to a man I respect this week and asked, “How’s it going at work?” He said, “You know, James, my job provides for my family and it gives me an opportunity to serve God. I don’t love my job, but I’m thankful for it.” Man, is he ever right on. Do you know God is in that place where you work? Even if it seems so regular, He’s right there!

Our Father and our God, we pray that … we all might be conscious that Thine eye is upon us. If God can see the sparrow fall, if He has the hairs of our head numbered, we know that He watches us, that He loves us, that He cares for us, and we’re told in Thy Word that He cares for us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to the cross to die that we might find forgiveness of our sins. We pray … that Thy Holy Spirit will draw all men unto the Savior, for we ask it in His Name. Amen.

Billy Graham (1918-2018) American Christian evangelist

Tomorrow: Connie McCoy

March 21, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. [Jeremiah 17:7-8]

Devotion: God Has a Plan Written by Francie Murphy

When I parted ways with a close friend and work colleague years ago, the fear of losing my business consumed me. We were a tight team with several happy clients. As I struggled to answer why this was happening to me, God knew all along. Within weeks, my friend became a Zen Buddhist priest and my husband and I began attending a local Presbyterian church. God had a plan for my life, a plan more effectively carried out if I was surrounded by fellow believers. Years later, I felt my faith journey was humming along nicely with regular church attendance on Sunday and a bi-monthly Bible study with friends. But when I was shunned by my golf partners after a spirited conversation on Christian values, I again found myself wondering what was going on. God knew that time, too. He took away my Wednesday morning tee time and guided me into the Village Church Women’s Bible Study (WBS). I could never have imagined how WBS would transform my life. I have been blessed beyond measure by the kindness and friendship of dozens of Christian women who reflect the image of God in their actions, loving one another and offering continued prayers of encouragement. And the pastor-led study of God’s word has helped to strengthen my commitment to follow Jesus every minute of every day. Now when I find myself wondering why I have been put into a difficult or uncomfortable situation, I am comforted by the knowledge that God has something great in mind for me.

The light of God surrounds you; The love of God enfolds you: The power of God protects you; The presence of God watches over you. Wherever you are, God is!

James Dillet Freeman (1912-2003) Poet and minister in the Unity Church.

Cypresses: Vincent Van Gogh

March 22, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. [Ephesians 2:4-5]

Devotion: Rich in Mercy Written by J. B. Phillips (1906-1982), an Anglican clergyman and author, best known for his contemporary translation of the New Testament. This excerpt is taken from his book “Ring of Truth: A Translator’s Testimony.” The expression “rich in mercy” struck me as a positive jewel. Just as we might say that a Texas tycoon is “rich in oil,” so Paul writes it as a matter of fact that God is “rich in mercy.” The pagan world was full of fear, and the Christian Gospel set out to replace that fear of the gods or the fates, or even life itself, with love for and trust in God. “Rich in mercy” was good news to the ancient world and is good news today.

O blessed Lord, you have commanded us to love one another. Just as we have received your undeserved blessings, may we love everyone in you and for you.

We ask your kindness for all, but especially for the friends whom your love has given to us. Love them, O fountain of love, and move them to love you with all their heart, that they may will, and speak, and do only those things which are pleasing to you.

Our prayer is cold, because our love is so feeble, but you are rich in mercy. Do not measure your goodness to them by the dullness of our devotion, but as your kindness surpasses all human affection, so let your hearing transcend our prayer. Do what is best for them, according to your will, that being Hope: George Frederic Watts ruled and protected by you always and everywhere, they may receive eternal life in the end; to you, with the Father and the Hope: George Frederic Watts Holy Spirit, be all honor and praise for ever and ever. Amen.

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), a Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and Christian theologian. He served as the archbishop of Canterbury from 1093-1109.

March 23, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. [Matthew 6:24]

Devotion: Reflections on Clare of Assisi Written by Richard Foster, contemporary Christian theologian, author, and founder of Renovare, an organization dedicated to teachings on spiritual formation.

I have always been intrigued by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, though I have never been tempted toward a monastic community life myself – Carolynn, my wife, would never hear of it! Why, I wondered, these particular three vows? Why not some others? Or why not vows to deal with other areas of life? Why poverty, chastity and obedience?

Then one day (I well remember the day) it dawned on me that these vows were designed to respond to the three great ethical issues of human life: money, sex and power. These are the crucial themes all of us struggle with throughout our lives. Nor are these just individual matters; they are issues with profound social implications. The social dimension to money is business; for sex it is marriage; for power it is government.

These vowed communities then were attempting to give an answer to the question of how we might live in right relationship toward these most important of issues: money, sex and power. Now, we may feel that their answer was inadequate in certain respects, or at least that it was an answer that few of us can follow, but we must admire their courage to take on the three great issues of life.

Most of us will never live as Clare lived. We could not do so even if we wanted to. And yet, we too must give an answer to how we will live in relationship to these three great issues of life. My own answer, in brief, is this: in response to the issue of money we learn to live in simplicity; in response to the issue of sex we learn to live in fidelity; in response to the issue of power we learn to live in service.

I come, O Lord, unto Your sanctuary to see the life and food of my soul. As I hope in You, O Lord, inspire me with that confidence which brings me to Your holy mountain. Permit me, Divine Jesus, to come closer to You, that my whole soul may do homage to the greatness of Your majesty; that my heart, with its tenderest affections, may acknowledge Thine infinite love; that my memory may dwell on the admirable mysteries here renewed every day, and that the sacrifice of my whole being may accompany Thine.

Clare of Assisi (1194-1253) was the founder of the Poor Clares, St. Francis Meets Chastity, Poverty and a community dedicated to poverty, simplicity and service. Obedience: Unknown artist

March 24, 2019 Third Sunday of Lent

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [Matthew 28:19]

Devotion: A Japanese Missionary Written by Nanci Hoffman

Daddy would be 104 this year. He was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1905 and went to a mission school before college in Japan. He came to the U.S. as a silk importer when silk was a popular fabric for dresses. Daddy never really mastered English, always talking with an accent, and some funny grammar that made us giggle surreptitiously at times. The missionaries in his mission school were Methodist and when he was on the faculty of Yale, he joined the First Methodist Church on the Green. He made sure we always attended Sunday school and church every week. He was an usher when we were still young and in the church nursery, but then, when we were old enough to attend church, he would always sit with us. He loved to belt out the hymns, even though he was so out of tune, which accented his Japanese English even more…(more giggles!!) One of his favorite hymns was This is My Father’s World, and to my listening ears, “all nature sings and round me rings, the music of the spheres.” I think this song was one that the missionaries had him sing as a young boy. Along with In Christ, There Is No East or West. I think he was praising God for his two home countries.

He made sure we were always involved in church activities, driving me to my MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship and later Connecticut Council of churches meetings. Because of my wonderful Daddy, I have been led to follow Jesus for Life. I thank these missionaries who, over 100 years ago in Tokyo, led my Daddy to follow Jesus for Life. And, I thank my Daddy for introducing me to my Heavenly Father.

May God the Father bless us; may Christ take care of us; the Holy Ghost enlighten us all the days of our life. The Lord be our defender and keeper of body and soul, both now and forever, to the ages of ages.

Ethelwold of Winchester (c904-984) was Bishop of Winchester and a leader of the 10th century monastic reform movement in Anglo-Saxon England.

Christ in the Suburbs: George Roualt

March 25, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me [John 10:14]

Devotion: Intimacy of God Written by F. Horatius Bonar (1808-1889, a minister and member of the Free Church of Scotland best known for his songs and poems.

Intimacy with God is the very essence of religion, and the foundation of discipleship. It is in intercourse with Father, Son and Spirit that the most real parts of our lives are lived; and all parts that are not lived in fellowship with Him, “in whom we live, and move, and have our being,” are unreal, untrue, unsuccessful and unsatisfying. The understanding of doctrine is one thing, and intimacy with God is another. They ought always to go together; but they are often seen asunder; and when there is the former without the latter, there is a hard, proud, hollow religion. Get your teaching from God; take your doctrine from His lips; learn truth upon your knees. Beware of opinions and speculations: they become idols, and nourish pride of intellect; they furnish no food to the soul; they make you sapless and heartless; they are like winter frost-work on your windowpane, shutting out the warm sun. Let God be your companion, your bosom-friend, your instructor, your counselor.

God be in my head and in my understanding. God be in my eyes and in my looking. God be in my mouth and in my speaking. God be in my heart and in my thinking. God be at my end and at my departing.

The “Sarum Primer” (1500s) was a book of prayers and Christian worship resources collected at the Salisbury Cathedral.

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary: Jan Vermeer van Delft

March 26, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [Mark 8:34]

Devotion: The Procession at San Pedro Martier Written by Peggy Stackle

Several years ago, while in seminary, I went to Mexico during Holy Week as part of a class. We visited many catholic churches, which were all very somber places, beautifully appointed, candle-lit and quiet. We met with a community of believers that re-enacted the procession down the Via Dolorosa every year and our group was invited to participate. Individual members of the community each carried a full-size cross for short distances. There was one woman, dressed in her Sunday best, gray hair tied neatly back, who insisted on carrying the cross and refused any help. She only carried it for a short distance but it was her sacrifice for her Savior. Our group of 13 was invited to carry the cross together. We lifted that heavy cross and carried it high. I don’t know how that woman carried it by herself even for a short distance. It was an astonishing experience. By the end of Holy Week I was ready for the glorious story of the Resurrection. It was with great anticipation that we went to a Lutheran church to worship on the Easter morning that we were leaving Mexico to return to the US. The tradition at my home church was that Easter is a glorious time. The choir sang its most magnificent anthems and a brass quartet announced the Resurrection, sometimes there was an orchestra and the chancel filled with a magnificent display of Easter lilies. The glorious celebration always ended singing Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Hallelujah! As we entered this church, however, I noticed one lily over in the corner of the chancel and the pastor opened saying: “Happy Easter.” That was it. His sermon wasn’t a passionate retelling of the Easter story, we didn’t sing favorite hymns, and there was no urging for us to stand and greet each other with “Christ is risen!” “He is risen indeed!”

I was confused. When did the Resurrection quit being a big deal? I asked one of the group leaders and their reply was that because this culture is largely oppressed they focus on the suffering. They can’t identify with the Resurrection so they don’t celebrate it. This is a sad state of affairs. This is the day that we celebrate the joy of our faith and they miss it. I was frustrated for an entire year until the next Easter came around. I made sure I was in my home church with the choir, and the brass ensemble and the orchestra and the lilies and the passionate retelling of the Resurrection story. And we sang Christ the Lord is Risen Today. That is my delight. Christ is risen; He is risen indeed. The story of the Resurrection is our hope, our peace. Let us never forget that God is love and out of love God created us and continues His caring for us. God delights in us. Let us take our delight in God!

Your Son Jesus fulfilled the prophets’ words and entered the city of Jerusalem, where he was lifted high upon the cross, that the whole world might be drawn to him. By his suffering and death he defeated the power of death becoming the source of eternal life. The tree of defeat became the tree of victory; where life was lost, life has been restored.

PC-USA Book of Common Worship

Way to Calvary: Andrea di Bartolo

March 27, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. [Deuteronomy 6:5]

Devotion: God Claims All Written by C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) who was a British writer, academic, and lay theologian. The devotion is an excerpt from his work “The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses.”

For it is not so much of our time and so much of our attention that God demands; it is not even all our time and all our attention; it is ourselves. For each of us the Baptist’s words are true: “He must increase and I decrease.” He will be infinitely merciful to our repeated failures; I know no promise that He will accept a deliberate compromise. For He has, in the last resort, nothing to give us but Himself; and He can give that only insofar as our self-affirming will retires and makes room for Him in our souls. Let us make up our minds to it; there will be nothing “of our own” left over to live on, no “ordinary” life. I do not mean that each of us will necessarily be called to be a martyr or even an ascetic. That’s as may be. For some (nobody knows which) the Christian life will include much leisure, many occupations we naturally like. But these will be received from God’s hands. In a perfect Christian they would be as much part of his “religion,” his “service,” as his hardest duties, and his feasts would be as Christian as his fasts. What cannot be admitted—what must exist only as an undefeated but daily resisted enemy—is the idea of something that is “our own,” some area in which we are to be “out of school,” on which God has no claim. For He claims all, because He is love and must bless. He cannot bless us unless He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There’s no bargaining with Him. Prayer: Close your eyes and meditate on what you read. Open your eyes and meditate on what you see in the image. Read the prayer. Contemplate what God is speaking to you today through the scripture, devotion, image and prayer. Apply your thoughts throughout the day.

God to glorify. Jesus to imitate. Salvation to work out with fear and trembling. A body to use rightly. Sins to repent. Virtues to acquire. Hell to avoid. Heaven to gain. Eternity to hold in mind. Time to profit by. Neighbors to serve. The world to enjoy. Creation to use rightly. Slights to endure patiently. Kindness to offer willingly. Justice to strive for. Temptations to overcome. Death perhaps to suffer. In all things, God's love to sustain you.

Augustine of Hippo (354-430), an early Christian theologian and philosopher. He was the bishop of Hippo Regius (modern day Annaba, Algeria) and is viewed as one of the most important church fathers in Western Christianity. Starburst: Connie McCoy

March 28, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [Philippians 4:6]

Devotion: Early Morning Prayers Written by Myra Cullum

My mother-in-law, Ruth Cullum, taught me the importance of early morning prayers. When she was a new mother, she realized that if she did not wake up before the rest of the family, then she would never have quiet time to be with the Lord. She was not an early riser, but she wanted to spend time with Jesus. So, she asked him, “Lord, if you want me to spend time with You, You are going to have to wake me up.” He did - at 4 AM every morning after that! She used that time to read her Bible, study a devotional, sing a hymn, and pray. She had a bulletin board with pictures of family and friends and missionaries around the world. They were prayed for each day. She used that time to ask God for ways to effectively share the Gospel. One morning, he gave her an idea for the Willy Word Worm, a colorful, fuzzy, little caterpillar that loves God’s Word. His colors tell the Gospel story from his golden head that reminds us of heaven to his black body that tells of our sin, and his red middle that reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice to the white part that shows we can be washed clean. Finally, his green tail that teaches us to grow every day by reading our Bible, praying, and telling others about Jesus. I still use Willy Word Worm to teach children about Jesus. Ruth’s early morning prayers are still touching lives today.

O holy Counselor, sweetest consolation of the sorrowful, gracious Spirit come down now with your mighty power into the depths of our hearts. Gladden there with your brightness every dark retreat, and enrich all with the dew of your abundant comfort. Kindle our hearts with holy favor, that the incense of our prayers and praises may ever go up to you, our God; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), a Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher and Christian theologian. He served as the archbishop of Canterbury from 1093-1109. Pray Without Ceasing: Frederic Lord Leighton

March 29, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. [Proverbs 3:5-6]

Devotion: Not by Sight Written by David Jeremiah, contemporary Christian author and a radio and TV evangelist.

At the beginning of flight training, a student flies with an instructor by his side, over familiar terrain, and in perfect weather. All his decisions are based on sight. But at the end, when a student pilot receives his “instrument rating,” he has learned to fly by himself, over unfamiliar terrain, and in total darkness. He has learned to trust not his sight but his instruments—compass, altimeter, air speed, and radar. He has learned to “fly blind.”

Just as a flight instructor’s ultimate goal is to see a student get his instrument rating, so the father in Proverbs had the same goal for his son.

What is the spiritual equivalent of an instrument rating? It is trusting in the Lord, not in one’s own understanding. Every parent, teacher, and leader knows his protégés will one day encounter darkness, storms, and unfamiliar terrain in life. The key to their graduation and promotion is learning to live by faith, not by sight [2 Corinthians 5:7]. “Flying blind” in life doesn’t mean closing your eyes; it means keeping them on the Lord. Prayer: Close your eyes and meditate on what you read. Open your eyes and meditate on what you see in the image. Read the prayer. Contemplate what God is speaking to you today through the scripture, devotion, image and prayer. Apply your thoughts throughout the day.

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Keep Trusting God: Chuck Hartman Thomas Merton (1915-1968) was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion.

March 30, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the LORD will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. [Psalm 22:26]

Devotion: He Was Hungry Written by Jane Allison Austin

I was coming home late from work one wintry night, driving along the coast, when I noticed a dark, hooded figure sitting at a round picnic table on the sand. As I drove past, I was thinking about how cold that person must be, when I realized I had some hot soup with me. With a little trepidation, I drove around the block, pulled up next to the table, and got out of the car with my soup. As I approached, I anxiously called out, “Would you like some soup?”

With a stillness I will never forget, the figure turned, looked up at me, and said, “How did you know I was hungry?” I got chills. The words were Jesus’s, “For I was hungry, and you fed me.”

I nervously babbled something about the kind of soup it was and that I hoped he would like it. He didn’t say another word. I got back in the car and wept all the way home, the kind of tears that only come from an encounter with the Holy.

My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he has blessed me lavishly and makes me ready to respond. He shatters my little world and lets me be poor before him. He takes from me all my plans and gives me more than I can hope for or ask. He gives me opportunities and the ability to become free and to burst through my boundaries. He gives the strength to be doing, to build on him alone greater One in my life. It is in my being servant that it becomes possible. For God's kingdom to break through here and now. Access to Grace: Robin Stephenson The Magnificat (based on Luke 1:46-55)

March 31, 2019 Fourth Sunday of Lent

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” [Isaiah 6:8]

Devotion: Every Vocation Dipped in Honey Written by Francis De Sales (1567-1622) Jesuit-trained nobleman, Bishop of Geneva, and author. This devotion is an excerpt from his book “Introduction to the Devout Life.”

Devotion must be exercised in different ways by the gentleman, the worker, the servant, the prince, the widow, the young girl, and the married woman. Not only is this true, but the practice of devotion must also be adapted to the strength, activities and duties of each particular person.

True devotion does us no harm whatsoever, but instead perfects all things. When it goes contrary to one’s lawful vocation, it is undoubtedly false. “The bee,” Aristotle says, “extracts honey out of flowers without hurting them” and leaves them as whole and fresh as he finds them. True devotion does better still. It not only does no injury to one’s vocation or occupation, but on the contrary adorns and beautifies it. All kinds of precious stones take on greater luster when dipped into honey, each according to its color. So also every vocation becomes more agreeable when united with devotion. Care of one’s family is rendered more peaceable, love of husband and wife more sincere, service of one’s prince more faithful, and every type of employment more pleasant and agreeable.

Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you; I am ready for all, accept all. Let only your will be done in me and in all your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father. Amen.

Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) was a French priest martyred in Algeria, where he Here I am Lord: Connie Townsend served among the Tuareg in the Sahara.

April 1, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? [James 2:14]

Devotion: Rules for Daily Life Written by William Law (1686-1761), an English Anglican priest. This excerpt is from “A serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life”, a book that influenced the English Evangelical Revival.

The command to have faith which governs the ordinary actions of our lives is to be found in almost every verse of Scripture. Our blessed savior and his Apostles were very intent on giving us teachings that relate to daily life. They teach us: to renounce the world and be different in our attitudes and ways of life; to renounce all its goods, to fear none of its evils, to reject its joys, and have no value for its happiness; to be as newborn babes who are born into a new state of things; to live as pilgrims in spiritual watching, in holy fear, and heavenly aspiring after another life; to take up our cross daily, to deny ourselves, to profess the blessedness of mourning, to see the blessedness of poverty of spirit; to forsake the pride and vanity of riches, to take no thought for the morrow, to live in the profoundest state of humility, to rejoice in worldly sufferings; to reject the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life; to bear injuries, to forgive and bless our enemies, and to love all people as God loves them; to give up our whole hearts and affections to God, and to strive to enter through the straight gate into a life of eternal glory….

…If self-denial is a condition for salvation, all who desire to be saved must make self-denial a part of everyday life. If humility is a Christian duty, then the everyday life of a Christian must show forth humility. If we are called to care for the sick, the naked and the imprisoned, these expressions of love must be a constant effort in our lives. If we are to love our enemies, our daily life must demonstrate that love. If we are called to be thankful, to be wise, to be holy, they must show forth in our lives. If we are to be new people in Christ, then we must show our newness to the world. If we are to follow Christ, it must be in the way we spend each day.

O Lord, make your people always grow in love toward you, their Father in heaven, and train them to do holy works. Pour your gifts on them, that they may walk before you and be pleasing in your sight; for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

The Roman Breviary is the liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. Published in 1482, it became known as the Liturgy of the Hours.

Magnificat: Sieger Koder

April 2, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. [Proverbs 2:6-8]

Devotion: Leave the Crowds Behind Written by Thomas a Kempis (1379-1471, a member of the Brethren of the Common Life in Holland and devoted to education and care of the poor. The following is an excerpt from his book “The Imitation of Christ.”

Seneca, the old pagan philosopher and playwright, had it right so many centuries ago. When he went out with the intelligentsia or hung about with the entertainment crowd, he returned home utterly talked out and terribly hoarse, or so he said in one of his letters. Quite often we have the same experience when we horse around with our friends and associates for hours, even days, on end. What’s the remedy for a talkathon? It’s easier to cut out the conversation altogether than it is to cut it down. What’s the wisdom? It’s easier to stay at home alone than to stroll the rialto with a bodyguard. What’s certain? The person who wants to arrive at interiority and spirituality has to leave the crowd behind and spend some time with Jesus.

Nobody’s comfortable in public unless he’s spent a good deal of time in the quiet of his home. Nobody speaks with assurance who hasn’t learned to hold his tongue. Nobody’s a success as a general who hasn’t already survived as a soldier. Nobody respects decrees who hasn’t already obeyed writs.

I stand and listen. In the silence of my heart I can hear his will, when I listen despairing people flock to me. They expect that I can see the answers, they ask my advice, they say I am wise. I answer that nothing can deceive me, if I stand alone and silently listen. For I am but a servant who is guided by his king, when I listen. Sometimes in a lowly cell in the presence of my God I stand and listen.

Columba (AD 521-597), an Irish abbot and missionary who spread Christianity through Scotland. He founded the Abbey of Iona, which was a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries.

Hearing God: Jennifer Jones

April 3, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:14]

Devotion: Growing in Christ Written by Miles Stanford (1914-1999), Christian author best known for his classic collection on spirituality.

Spiritual renewal is a gradual process. All growth is progressive, and the finer the organism, the longer the process. And it is from day to day. .. There are great days, days of decisive battles, days of crisis in spiritual history, days of triumph in Christian service, days of the right hand of God upon us. But there are also idle days, days apparently useless, when even prayer and holy service seem a burden. Are we, in any sense, renewed in these days? Yes, for any experience which makes us more aware of our need of God must contribute to spiritual progress, unless we deny the Lord who bought us.

It takes time to get to know ourselves; it takes time and eternity to get to know our infinite Lord Jesus Christ. Today is the day to put our hand to the plow, and irrevocably set our heart on His goal for us – that we “may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made comfortable unto his death.” [Philippians 3:10].

Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, Let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, Joy. O Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; To be understood, as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned. and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Francis of Assisi (c1181-1226) was an Italian Catholic friar, deacon and preacher. He founded The Sower: Vincent Van Gogh the men’s Order of Friars Minor, the women’s Order of Saint Claire, the Third Order of Saint Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land.

April 4, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Matthew 7:1-2]

Devotion: A Fasting on Criticalness Written by Catherine Marshall (1914-1983), Scottish author of “A Man Called Peter.”

One morning last week God gave me an assignment: for one day I was to go on a “fast” from criticism. I was not to criticize anybody about anything. Into my mind crowded all the usual objections. “But then what happens to value judgments? You, Yourself, Lord, spoke of “righteous judgement.” …

For the first half of the day, I simply felt a void, almost as if I had been wiped out as a person. At lunch with my family, several topics came up (school prayer, abortion, the ERA amendment) about which I had definite opinions. I listened to the others and kept silent. Barbed comments on the tip of my tongue about certain world leaders were suppressed. In our talkative family no one seemed to notice. Bemused, I noticed my comments were not missed. The federal government, the judicial system and the institutional church could apparently get along fine without my penetrating observations. But still I didn’t see what this fast on criticism was accomplishing – until mid-afternoon.

For several years I had been praying for a talented young man whose life had gotten sidetracked. Perhaps my prayers for him had been too negative. That afternoon, a specific, positive vision for this life was dropped into my mind with God’s unmistakable hallmark on it – joy. Ideas began to flow in a way I had not experienced in years. Now it was apparent what the Lord wanted me to see. My critical nature had not corrected a single one of the multitudinous things I found fault with. What it had done was to stifle my own creativity – in prayer, in relationships, perhaps even in writing – ideas that He wanted to give me. Convicted of the true destructiveness of a critical mind-set, on my knees I am praying to see other people and life situations through a more positive lens.

Lord, deprive me not of your heavenly joys. Lord, deliver me from eternal torments. If I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me. Lord, deliver me from all ignorance, forgetfulness, cowardice and stony insensibility. Deliver me from every temptation and enlighten my heart which evil desires have darkened. Lord, I being human have sinned, but You being the generous God, have mercy on me. Lord, send Your grace to my help, that I may glorify Your holy Name. Lord Jesus Christ, write me Your servant in the Book of Life, and grant me a good end. Lord, sprinkle into my heart the dew of Your grace. Lord of heaven and earth remember me in Your Kingdom. Amen.

John Chrysostom (AD 347-407), archbishop of Constantinople and an early theologian of the church.

Rooted and Grounded: Sara Joseph

April 5, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. [Matthew 28:20]

Devotion: Our “Smart” God Written by Deirdre Smith

I bought myself one of those clever motion detector light bulbs not too long ago and it appears to have a life of its own. Sometimes, when the light is activated, it won’t go off the way it is supposed to after a given amount of time. The bulb illuminates endlessly, with no apparent automatic timer functioning. Other times, it works like a charm and I marvel at this newest “smart” bulb in my life. I have observed and perhaps foolishly convinced myself however, that if the light won’t go off and I turn it off and back on again it restores the mechanism like a reboot on a computer. The inner “timer,” if anything, is reset.

I have discovered that in my walk with Jesus I too, need daily resets to keep me close to Him and functioning up to par. I can create revival opportunities by placing my Bible on a comfortable chair that will beckon me to read, setting a timer for prayer in the same way I would set one for other things, participating in a Bible study, or going to church and worshiping with the church body. A moving hymn from the choir and the “Amen!” that follows in word or thought is one of my favorite resets, as is a warm hug or an encouraging word from a cherished friend. A long (and needed!) prayer from our pastors restores me, as well as a cherished blessing at the end of a service.

I called the maker of those smart bulbs and got a technical explanation for their behavior. Turns out they are really sensitive. Using microwaves that travel four to seven feet through floors, ceilings and walls, motion is caught as far as 17-19 feet away. Every time the bulb senses movement, another ten minutes of illumination begins. In the same way, God expertly senses us and responds to our presence. J.I. Packer, in his book, Knowing God, describes how God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), and omnipresent, that is, He is everywhere at once. He is our “smart” God! And he will persistently call out to us and invite us to be illuminated with His peace and love. He is our unconditionally loving Father and tenacious friend. The most obvious refining opportunity in my walk is acknowledging I am imperfect. I am a sinner. Yet, God sent His son Jesus to die for me so that I might be forgiven. In the confession of sin I restore my relationship with Jesus and my relationship with others. I am a new creation in Christ! Amen. Reset.

As I walk with you throughout my days, Lord Jesus, may you continually grant me transformative moments and recharge me to walk the walk, and talk the talk, and may Your Word be a lamp unto my feet.

Deirdre Smith

Resurrection: Oliver Pfaff

April 6, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare. [Psalm 40:4-5]

Devotion: A Listening Ear Written by Paul Tournier (1898-1986) who was a Swiss Christian doctor and counselor.

Modern people lack silence. They no longer lead their own lives; they are dragged along by events. It is a race against the clock. I think that what so many people come to see me for is to find a quiet, peaceful person who knows how to listen and who isn’t thinking all the time about what he has to do next. If your life is chock-full already, there won’t be room for anything else. Even God can’t get anything else in. So it becomes essential to cut something out. I’m putting it as simply as I can…

For me, silence is all about waiting. I wait for God to stimulate my thoughts sufficiently to renew me, to make me creative instead of being what St. Paul calls a tinkling cymbal. It’s the cornerstone of my life. It is an attempt at seeing people and their problems from God’s point of view, insofar as that is possible.

Grant me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know, to love what I ought to love, to praise what delights Thee most, to value what is precious in Thy sight, to hate what is offensive to Thee.

Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes, nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men; but to discern with a true judgement between things visible and spiritual, and above all things always to inquire what is the good pleasure of Thy will.

Thomas A Kempis (1380-1471) was the author of “The Imitation of Christ”, one of the most popular Listening: Danielle Mack and best known Christian books on devotion.

April 7, 2019 Fifth Sunday of Lent

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. [Titus 3:3-8]

Devotion: Gently Begin a Time of Prayer Written by Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), a prominent Spanish mystic, Carmelite nun, author and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer. The following is an excerpt from her work “Interior Castle.”

Let us, therefore, place our trust in God and not in ourselves, relying heavily on his mercy and not fighting the battle alone. When you feel the beginnings of temptation, do not fight back with strenuous efforts, but rather, gently begin a time of prayer and recollection. At first it will be difficult, but after a while you will be able to do it easily, and for long periods of time. Do not think you must stop doing your work in order to pray. The Lord will turn all of our work time into profit as long as we continue in a spirit of prayer. There is no remedy for temptations that we face except to start at the beginning, and the beginning is prayer. The only way to lose is to turn back.

O Son of Righteousness and the Light Eternal, you give gladness to all things! Shine on us both now and forever that we may walk always in the light of your presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Collect (short general prayer used in Christian liturgy) from the 6th Century

The Prayer: Artur Markowicz

April 8, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. [2 Corinthians 6:6]

Devotion: It’s About Love Written by Vickie Stone

When thinking about what Following Jesus for Life means, I believe it means contributing to the world, to somehow make the world a better place for our having been here. Uh-oh. That seems huge. How do we do that? Humans are notorious – and I'm no exception – for sometimes making things harder than they need to be. Yet, we only have to look at Jesus' examples to see how He lived and why He died (for us!) to understand, that quite simply, it's about LOVE.

How do we pass along this love in our everyday lives? I see parents doing it every day for years, patiently raising and nurturing compassionate, loving, respectful children who will grow up to add value to our world in the future. For me, raising service puppies to give to someone is how I help make the world a better place. It's one way I give love. When that 8-week old retriever puppy is placed in my arms I fall hard. The puppy wiggles and wags enthusiastically smothering my face with kisses. Whether it's my first puppy or my seventh my heart just melts. I know what's coming, the lessons – hers for commands and mine for patience, the socializing, our bonding, and finally saying good-bye. For 18 months my furry little companion will faithfully trot alongside me - all in preparation for someone, somewhere waiting to receive this special gift. When this person receives their assistance dog, their life is transformed! How they live daily and perhaps even how they view the world is impacted for the better from this canine partnership. Sound familiar? The parallel is actually remarkable. Our making the decision to follow Jesus (living a life of love) transforms us and can impact not only how we live our daily lives but indeed our very view of this world. Was raising assistance puppies a calling for me? Possibly. I always say I get far more back to my heart than what I give away. Perhaps in some way it is an example of how Jesus uses me to share His love and be a light in this world. Honestly I think the dogs naturally show us the best model for reflecting God to others; as they are ever Faithful, Loyal, Forgiving, Loving, Helpful, and Always Present. This Lenten season, ask Jesus how He can use you to add more love to His world.

Grant me, O God, thy merciful protection; and in protection give me strength, I pray; and in my strength, O grant me wise discretion; and in discretion, make me ever just; and with my justice, may I mingle love; and with my love, O God, the love of thee; and with the love of thee, the love of all. Welsh prayer Healing Touch: Trish Biddle

April 9, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” [Matthew 4:1-3]

Devotion: The Temptation of Christ Excerpted from Martin Luther’s (1483-1546) Sermon on “The Fast and the Temptation of Christ.” Luther was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, monk and leader of the Protestant Reformation.

But how temptation takes place and how it is overcome, is all very beautifully pictured in Christ [Temptation in the Wilderness]. First, that he is led up into the wilderness, that is, he is left solitary and alone by God, angels and men, by all creatures. What kind of a temptation would it be, if we were not forsaken and stood not alone? It is, however, painful when we do not feel anything that presents its back to us; as, for example, that I should support myself and have not a nickel, not a thread, not a twig, and I experience no help from others, and no advice is offered. That means to be led into the desert and to be left alone. There I am in the true school, and I learn what I am, how weak my faith is, how great and rare true faith is, and how deeply unbelief is entrenched in the hearts of all men. But whoever has his purse, cellar, and fields full, is not yet led into the desert, neither is he left alone; therefore, he is not conscious of temptation.

May the Strength of God pilot us. May the Power of God preserve us. May the Wisdom of God instruct us. May the Hand of God protect us. May the Way of God direct us. May the Shield of God defend us. May the Host of God guard us against the snares of the evil ones. Against temptations of the world, May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us! May Christ be in us, Christ be over all! May Thy Salvation, Lord, always be ours, this day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.

St. Patrick (385-461) was a Christian To Be With God: Simon Dewey missionary and bishop who served in Ireland.

April 10, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. [Revelation 22:1]

Devotion: A Full Flowing River Written by A.W. Tozer (1897-1963) an American Christian pastor, author, magazine editor and spiritual mentor.

But for all our fears we are not alone. Our trouble is that we think of ourselves as being alone. Let us correct the error by thinking of ourselves as standing by the bank of a full flowing river; then let us think of that river as being none else but God Himself. We glance to our left and see the river coming full out of our past; we look to the right and see it flowing on into our future. But we see also that it is flowing through our present. And in our today it is the same as it was in our yesterday, not less than, nor different from, but the very same river, one unbroken continuum, undiminished, active and strong as it moves sovereignly on into our tomorrow.

Wherever faith has been original, wherever it has proved itself to be real, it has invariably had upon it a sense of the present God. The Holy Scriptures possess in marked degree this feeling of actual encounter with a real Person. The men and women of the Bible talked with God. They spoke to Him and heard Him speak in words they could understand. With Him they held person- to-person converse, and a sense of shining reality is upon their words and deeds.

Let nothing disturb you Let nothing make you afraid. All things are passing. God alone never changes. Patience gains all things. If you have God you will want for nothing. God alone suffices.

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), a Spanish Carmelite nun, reformer, theologian and author.

Serenity: Connie McCoy

April 11, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. [Hebrews 5:7-10]

Devotion: The Practices of Jesus as a Model for Living Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013) an American Christian philosopher and writer known for his work on Christian spiritual formation. This devotion is an excerpt from his book “The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives.”

The pervasive practices of our Lord form the core of those very activities that through the centuries have stood as disciplines for the spiritual life. It would seem only logical to emulate his daily actions since he was a great master of the spiritual life. So isn’t it reasonable then to see in those disciplines the specific factors leading to the easy yoke, the light burden, and the abundance of life and power? Without suggesting any mechanical formula for success” in the spiritual life – for such things are always out of place – we want to answer that question with an unmistakable yes. Even of Jesus it is true that “he learned obedience through the things which he suffered,” as Hebrews 5:8 states. Obedience, even for him, was something to be learned. Certainly we cannot responsibly hope to do his deeds without adopting his form of life. And we cannot adopt his form of life without engaging in his disciplines – maybe even more than he did and surely adding others demanded by our more troubled condition.

How often have I lived through these weeks without paying much attention to penance, fasting, and prayer? How often have I missed the spiritual fruits of the season without even being aware of it? But how can I ever really celebrate Easter without observing Lent? How can I rejoice fully in your Resurrection when I have avoided participating in your death? Yes, Lord, I have to die—with you, through you, and in you—and thus become ready to recognize you when you appear to me in your Resurrection. There is so much in me that needs to die: false attachments, greed and anger, impatience and stinginess…. I see clearly now how little I have died with you, really gone your way and been faithful to it. O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones. Let me find you again. Amen.

Henri Jozef Nouwen (1932-1996) was a Dutch priest, professor, The Kingdom Comes: Nikhil Halder writer and theologian. This prayer is from “A Cry for Mercy: Prayers from the Genesee.”

April 12, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and blast of the ram’s horn – shout for joy before the Lord, the King. [Psalm 98:4-6]

Devotion: Music for the Soul Written by Wendy McClave Elliott

Following Jesus for Life. Sounds simple enough – make the decision and go for it. But somehow, life itself gets in the way – all of the “to-dos” and daily demands on our time, energy, and attention blur our focus. The world we live in has a busy-ness that steals from all of our relationships, especially the one that we as believers hold most dear: Our first love, our heart connection with Jesus. Though I am a retiree, allegedly living in “the leisure years,” I find myself too often caught up in the hustle and bustle of this world-gone-frenetic. But my favorite way to daily keep Jesus at the center of my life is music – especially the old Praise songs of the 1970’s and ‘80’s. Worshipful songs of scripture and prayer that were so meaningful and important to me during a difficult season, they continue to bring a sense of peace and intimacy with the Lord. Many of those songs I first learned from my older sister, who has long been my spiritual mentor – she truly models following Jesus in every aspect of her life. Today as I watch her tenderly caring for her beloved bridegroom of 63+ years, while he struggles with the ravages of Alzheimer’s, I am humbled by her devotion – to the Lord, and to her husband. But their greatest blessing is their daily worship time – listening to and singing the old hymns and Praise songs together. It is the heart connection that busy-ness and even Alzheimer’s cannot steal, as they Follow Jesus for Life.

Grant, O Lord Jesus, that the ears which have heard the voice of your songs may be closed to the voice of dispute; that the eyes which have seen your great love may also behold your blessed hope; that the tongues which have sung your praise may speak the truth in love; that the feet which have walked in your courts may walk in the region of light; and, that the bodies which have received your living body may be restored in newness of life. Glory to you for your inexpressible gift. Amen

A prayer of the Syro-Malabar church, which traces its origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the first century. Psalm 98: Ain Vares

April 13, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. [Colossians 2:6-7]

Devotion: Receptivity and Response Written by E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973), one of the best known missionaries and religious writers in the first half of the 20th century. He who devoted his life to the subject of conversion. The following is an excerpt from his work “Conversation.”

Conversion is a gift and an achievement. It is the act of a moment and the work of a lifetime. You cannot attain salvation by disciplines—it is the gift of God. Buy you cannot retain it without disciplines. If you try to attain salvation by disciplines, you will be trying to discipline an unsurrendered self. You will be sitting on a lid. The result will be tenseness instead of trust. “You will wrestle instead of nestle.” While salvation cannot be attained by discipline around an unsurrendered self, nevertheless when the self is surrendered to Christ and a new center formed, then you can discipline your life around that new center – Christ. Discipline is the fruit of conversion, not the root.

“Rooted” means we take from God as the roots take from the soil; “built up” means we build up as one builds a house, a character and life by disciplined effort. So we take and try; we obtain and attain. We trust as if the whole thing depended on God and work as if the whole thing depended on us. The alternate beats of the Christian heart are receptivity and response – receptivity from God and response in work from us.

Make me a tree, Lord. Sturdy. Deep rooted. Useful.

Support to those in need, shelter to those who are weary, fruit for those who hunger.

Make me a tree, Lord. Sturdy. Deep rooted. Useful.

John Birch, from the United Kingdom, has written several books of prayers and studies Celtic prayer.

Rooted: Mindi Oaten

April 14, 2019 Sixth Sunday of Lent

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. [Psalm 130:3-4]

Devotion: Comfort the Many Lonely Written by Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), a Catholic nun and missionary who served most of her life in India. The following is excerpted from her book “A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve.”

A wealthy man said to me, “I have a big house in Holland. Do you want me to give it up?” I said, “No. But what I want you to do is to go back and see: Do you want to live in that house?” “Yes,” he said. “And I also have a big car; do you want me to give that up instead?” I said, “No. But what I want you to do is to go back and see some of the many lonely people who live in Holland. Then every now and then I want you to bring a few of them at a time and entertain them. Bring them in that big car of yours and let them enjoy a few hours in your beautiful house. Then your big house will become a center of love, full of light, full of joy, full of life.” He smiled and said that he would be happy to bring the people to his home, but that he wanted to give up something in his life. So I suggested, “When you go to the shop to buy a new suit or clothes, or when someone goes to buy for you, instead of buying the best that would cost $55, buy one for $50 and use that extra money to buy something for someone else or, better still, for the poor.” When I finished saying this, he really looked amazed. “Oh, is that the way, Mother? I never thought of it.” When he finally left, he looked so happy and full of joy at the thought of helping our sisters, and he was already planning to send things to the sisters in Tanzania.

O Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ your Son our God, give us that love which can never cease, that will kindle our lamps but not extinguish them, that they may burn in us and enlighten others.

O Christ, our dearest Savior, kindle our lamps, that they may evermore shine in your temple, that they may receive unquenchable light from you that will enlighten our darkness, and lessen the darkness of the world. Lord Jesus, we pray, give your light to our lamps, that in its light the most holy place may be revealed to us in which you dwell as the Eternal Priest, that we may always see you, desire you, look on you in love, and long after you; for your sake. Amen.

A Collect (short general prayer used in Christian liturgy) from the 6th Century. Heavenly Help: Ron DiCianni

April 15, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion.

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him [Psalm 37:23]

Devotion: How Do You Live? Written by Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), a member of the Brethren of the Common Life in Holland and devoted to education and care of the poor. He is best known for his book “The Imitation of Christ.”

If men used as much care in uprooting vices and implementing virtues as they do in discussing problems, there would not be so much evil and scandal in the world, or such laxity in religious organizations. On the Day of Judgment, surely, we shall not be asked what we have read but what we have done; not how well we have spoken but how well we have lived. Tell me, where now are all the masters and teachers whom you knew so well in life and who were famous for their learning?...During life they seemed to be something; now they are seldom remembered…If only their lives had kept pace with their learning, then their study and reading would have been worthwhile. How many there are who perish because of vain worldly knowledge and too little care for serving God. They became vain in their own conceits because they chose to be great rather than humble. He is truly great who has great charity. He is truly great who is little in his own eyes and makes nothing of the highest honor. He is truly wise who looks upon all earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ. He who does God’s will and renounces his own is truly very learned.

As we go: take Jesus in our hearts to offer His love to the loveless; take God in our minds to speak the name of peace to the restless; take the Holy Spirit into our lives to live in Her power, for the sake of all our human family. Amen

Welsh Prayer

Allegory Knowledge versus Orthodox Religion: Auguste Hervieu

April 16, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]

Devotion: My Grandfather’s Best Advice Written by Will Graham, grandson of Billy Graham. The following is excerpted from his book “Redeemed.”

“Pray. Pray. Pray,” my grandfather said to me, sitting in front of the fireplace in the log home that he and my grandmother built from the ground up in the 1950s. He added, “Study. Study. Study.” He whispered, “Looking back, I wish I had done so much more of both.” I had come to visit him for advice and guidance. I had just been called away from my church to serve with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and I knew this wouldn’t be an easy task. After first seeking my heavenly Father through prayer, it made sense to next consult the man who had drawn the blueprint — who had traveled farther and spoken to more people than any other evangelist in human history — my grandfather. I’ll admit that I was expecting a different kind of advice: key verses to use in sermons, hand gestures to drive home a point, or tips on how to invite people to come forward to make a decision for Christ. Instead, my grandfather’s response left me pondering. After all, nearly every time I visited him he was doing one of two things — praying or reading God’s Word. He constantly devoted his time to prayer and study. How could it be that he felt inadequate in these areas? Perhaps sensing my question, my grandfather explained. “I wish I knew the Bible as well as your grandmother. She knows it better than anyone I have ever met,” he quietly continued. “And we could have done so much more if we had taken fewer speaking engagements and spent more time on our knees in earnest prayer.” And that was it. That was the advice I had sought, and it is guidance that I have carried with me ever since as I’ve traveled the globe and proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not a day goes by when I don’t hear my grandfather whisper those words. Make prayer and studying the Bible a priority in your life today. Further, it is wise to be careful about doing “too much.” We can get so busy that our efforts being to crowd out our relationship with God. Even if what we are doing is noble and productive, we can’t let it get in the way of what is most important in the scope of eternity. Prayer: Close your eyes and meditate on what you read. Open your eyes and meditate on what you see in the image. Read the prayer. Contemplate what God is speaking to you today through the scripture, devotion, image and prayer. Apply your thoughts throughout the day.

The things that we pray for, good Lord, give us your grace to work for.

Thomas More (1478-1535) was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist.

Christ in Gethsemane: Warner Sallman

April 17, 2019

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything. [Deuteronomy 2:7]

Devotion: Lifelong Journey Written by Michael Dyer

The Bible is full of stories about transformational experiences: Abraham’s journey to the Promised Land, Moses and the burning bush, Saul/Paul on the Damascus Road. Present day experiences, often described as “born again” moments abound. Most of us have a friend, colleague, or certainly an acquaintance who experienced such a defining, intense personal encounter with God’s presence. How I envy them! My personal faith journey began much more modestly. One Sunday morning at age twelve, I answered an altar call to join the small Cumberland Presbyterian church in Nashville that my family attended. I didn’t receive a specific command from God, simply the feeling that responding to the Pastor’s invitation was the right thing to do at that moment. Candidly, other than some adolescent embarrassment after the event, I really didn’t feel different – certainly not transformed. I do know that my action initiated, in a small way, a lifelong journey with Jesus; compete with twists, turns, disappointments, and joy. Upon reflection, perhaps it wasn’t such a small step after all. Dramatic or subtle, may your journey begin with a step or gesture you feel led to make, however insignificant it may seem at the time. God works in mysterious ways.

Circle me, Lord. Keep protection near and danger afar. Circle me, Lord. Keep hope within. Keep doubt without. Circle me, Lord. Keep light near and darkness afar. Circle me, Lord. Keep peace within. Keep evil out.

David Adam from a submission to the World Prayers website

By the Grace of God: Unknown

April 18, 2019 Maundy Thursday

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. [John 13:14-15]

Devotion: Serving God: You’re Not Done Excerpted from “Devotions from the Mountains” published by Thomas Nelson.

Did you know that dead trees are essential to forest ecosystems? In fact, when timber is harvested, logging contracts often require that a certain number of dead trees are left standing on each acre of land. Why? Those snags provide habitat for all kinds of wildlife. Birds, squirrels, honeybees, raccoons, skunks, foxes, opossums, and even black bears may live in them. Although no longer flourishing as they once did, those trees still nurture life. Sometimes, we may feel that our usefulness to God has run its course. Perhaps we’ve weathered some upheaval such as a move or a job change. For whatever reason, we find ourselves unable to serve as we did in the past, in ways that are meaningful to us. However, God is not limited by our abilities. He has often worked through people in surprising ways. For example, when there was a terrible drought in Israel, God didn’t send Elijah to a wealthy family with a well-stocked pantry. He sent him to a widow who was down to her last meal for herself and her son, and He provided for all three of them until the drought ended. God decreased the size of Gideon’s army twice before He sent him to fight the Midianites, saying, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against Me, my own strength has saved me” [Judges 7:2]. Sometimes God uses the strengths He has given us. Other times, He uses our weaknesses, so that His power shines through. When we yield to God all that we are, there’s no telling what He might do with us.

Christ has no body on Earth but yours. No hands but yours. No feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion for the world is to look out. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good, and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now.

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582. Prominent Spanish mystic, Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, author and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer.

Washing of Feet: Sieger Koder

April 19, 2019 Good Friday

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! [Romans 5:8-10]

Devotion: We Are Beggars Written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), a German pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident. This excerpt is from his book “God is on the Cross.”

We stand before Good Friday and Easter, the days of the mighty deeds of God in history, the deeds in which the judgment in those hours in which Jesus Christ the Lord hung on the cross, grace in that hour in which death was swallowed up in victory. Human beings did nothing here; God did it all alone. He traveled the path to human beings in unending love. When the old Luther died, they found on his writing table a slip of paper on which in his last hours he had written these words: We are beggars in the Spirit. And that’s the way it will remain, as long as there are human beings. But he who is King in the Spirit, the Lord of all life and all grace, lets us know that our hope and our life stand or fall with the grace of God. His is the deed; his is the way. His is the grace; his is the Spirit. And his is our service and our life. His is the honor above all creation. The word of the justifying grace of God never departs from its position as the final word; it never yields itself simply as a result that has been achieved…The word remains irreversibly the last; for otherwise it would be reduced to the quality of what is calculable, a merchandise, and would thereby be robbed of its divine character. Grace would be venal and cheap. It would not be a gift.

Merciful, eternal God, you did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all to bear our sins on the cross. Give our hearts such faith that we may never be frightened or despair; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Martin Luther (1483-1546). German professor of theology, composer, priest, monk and seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation.

Gol’gotha: Margot Wallace

April 20, 2019 Holy Saturday

Scripture: Close your eyes, breathe, and clear your mind. Read the Scripture and Devotion. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. [1 John 4:18]

Devotion: Surrendering Fear Written by Celeste Bailey

I always pondered Jesus’ words when he said in the Gospel of Luke: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” It clearly states that in order to follow Him, I must completely surrender to Him. For me, surrendering to God is the ultimate gift I can offer Him. This is what He desires of me as His disciple. We all go through many trials which, ultimately, lead us to a closer and more intimate relationship with God. Two years ago, I had to face my battle with fear. In November 2016, I underwent a breast procedure. A week later, my surgeon informed me that I had early breast cancer. I was stunned by the revelation since I did not have any family history of any type of cancer. Visceral fear shook me to the core. Why did this happen? How am I going to deal with this? Prayers were not enough. I then called my dear friend and spiritual mentor, who herself struggled three times with breast cancer, and asked her for advice. Without hesitation she recited 1 John 4:18. She explained to me that if I dwelt in God’s perfect love, my fear would abate. She encouraged me to meditate and memorize the verse so that every time fear grips me, I would recite it and be reminded of God’s love. The more I thought about this verse, the more I realized that fear is a consequence of my disobedience and lack of surrendering to God! He has filled me with His presence and fear no longer has a foothold in my life.

Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life, rather look to them with full hope that as they arise God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cared for you today will take care of you then and everyday. God will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace and put aside anxieties, thoughts and imaginations.

Francis de Sales (1567-1622) French Bishop of Geneva, noted for his deep faith and gentle approach to the Holy Saturday: Artist Unknown religious divisions in his land from the Reformation.

Box 704, 6225 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

Office: 858.756.2441 • FAX: 858.756.3746 villagechurch.org