Lent Is Over

Well, folks. Lent is over.

We've celebrated Easter:
The Lord is Risen!
The Lord is Risen Indeed!

That means we're no longer posting new devotions for Lent (I know, big surprise there), but we'll leave these here for a while. We pray that these devotional readings and writings from members of our congregation have been a blessing in your life, and that you have come to know us a bit better. More importantly, though, we pray that you have come to know our risen Lord, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior.
Feel free to stop by our web site (which will "soon" be undergoing a complete makeover) at www.gpumc.org as well as visiting us for Sunday worship. Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church is located at 211 Moross in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His fact to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
Amen.

April 16, 2006 - Easter Sunday

The Day of Resurrection

The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad;
the Passover of gladness,
the Passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
from earth unto the sky,
our Christ hath brought us over,
with hymns of victory.

Our hearts be pure from evil,
that we may see aright
the Lord in rays eternal
of resurrection light;
and listening to his accents,
may hear, so calm and plain,
his own "All hail!" and, hearing,
may raise the victor strain.

Now let the heavens be joyful!
Let earth the song begin!
Let the round world keep triumph,
and all that is therein!
Let all things seen and unseen
their notes in gladness blend,
for Christ the Lord hath risen,
our joy that hath no end.

The Lord is Risen!
The Lord is Risen Indeed!
Hallelujah!
Amen and Amen!

April 15, 2006

Reflections on Scripture
(from the Living Bible – Paraphrased 1971)

1 John 2:1 – “My little children, I am telling you this so that you will stay away from sing. But if you sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. His name is Jesus Christ, the one who is all that is good, and who pleases God completely.”
Where would we stand without Him?

2 John 1:5 – and now I want to urgently remind you, dear friends, of the old rule God gave us right from the beginning, that Christians should love one another.
Sure is true today, isn't it?

Jude 1:5 – My answer to them is: Remember this fact – which you know already – that the Lord saved a whole nation of people out of the land of Egypt, and killed every one of them who did not trust and obey.

Revelation 3:20 – “Look! I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears Me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him, and he with Me.”
What a wonderful thought to finish on!

Bob Kiess

April 14, 2006

You Are Here

Read Psalm 16:8-11

After a conversation with Steve Lorenz (who gets the credit for the title of this devotion), I imagined myself standing at the directory of my life (like a mall directory) looking for that dot on the map that reads “You Are Here.”

Even if I know where I want to go, I have to find out where I am first. Where I am may turn out to be a disappointment. I could discover that I am much farther away from my destination than I’d hoped – or not. I also may discover that the path I took to the “You Are Here” spot was a poor choice – maybe I missed something I really wanted to do along the way, or maybe I took too many wrong turns. It could be that somebody else’s needs or actions led me a different way. I might have discovered many amazing things along the way. No matter what my path was, or whether the decisions involved were good or bad – where am I now?

I am here.
The map tells me so.
How do I get where I want to go?
From here.

I imagine Jesus standing at a directory in the Garden of Gethsemane and finding the “You Are Here” spot. I imagine seeing his shoulders sag and his head slump. His destination couldn’t have looked very appealing. His path up to that point though certainly had been filled with amazing things. He was pretty close to his destination, but where was he then?
He was there.
The good news was he knew that he wasn’t the only one at that point on the directory. I imagine Jesus looking at that spot on the directory again and reading “You Are Here” and I am with you. We can read the same thing.

Prayer for the day: Dear God, help us to not dwell on wrong turns along life’s path. Thank you for being with us where we are. Amen.

Thought for the day: No matter where you go, there you are.

Jacki Rumpp

April 13, 2006

A Place at the Table

And when the hour came, he sat at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you I shall not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of man goes as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!" And they began to question one another, which of them it was that would do this. A dispute also arose among them, which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves. “You are those who have continued with me in my trials; and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. - Luke 22:14-30

As we look at the disciple’s confusion, we can at times see our story. Sometimes we, too, can be more concerned with our need for affirmation – especially during those times in our lives when we feel tired and spent – then we are called to be. Sometimes, we, too, can let our fears get the best of us

We do not need to be overcome by self-concern or thoughts on who is the “greatest.” Which of us is the greatest? Everyone is – especially if we measure greatness the way that Jesus does – by service and not by self-importance.

Each one of us plays an important role in the overall plan of God. Each one of us, regardless of our betrayals or short comings, is loved by God more than we will ever fully realize. In the midst of disciples who are concerned about their own human greatness – with betrayals, denials, and death just around the corner – it does not stop God’s salvation from being offered to the world.

One of the earliest charges leveled against Jesus was that he “welcomes sinners and eats with them.” He did the same at the Last Supper. He still does. Thank God, he still does.

Submitted by Rev. Bob Wright

April 12, 2006

Beyond Belief

And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:30-31 NKJV

That sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? What must I do to be saved? Just believe. Just believe - that’s pretty easy, isn’t it? It seem to me that depends on what you mean by belief.

Sure, it’s not hard to say “I believe you” to someone, but how easy is it to really do it? Belief, as it’s use in this passage, doesn’t just mean a mental assent to a series of propositions. It’s not like following an argument in a debate or a proof in math class. You may accept each step of logic, you may even accept the conclusion, but if it doesn’t mean something to you personally, there isn’t much to your belief.
You may well believe your kid’s promise to be home by midnight, but at 11:35, when Devin signs off, how easy is it to head off to bed and go right to sleep? As the Petra song says, “There’s a higher place to go, beyond belief.” That higher place is trust.

One of the greatest things about our Christian faith (remember that word, “Faith”) is that it’s not simply a philosophy of life. It’s not a competitor with stoicism, existentialism, logical positivism, or any of those other philosophical -isms. Our faith is a trust in a Person; it’s a relationship with Jesus Christ. Believing that tighter oil supplies will make the price of gasoline go higher is easy. It’s also fairly empty. Believing that Jesus Christ was born, lived, died, and rose again because He loves us is an entirely different thing.
Once you believe that, you have to believe Him; not just believe in Him, but believe and trust Him personally, and in what He has already done for us. That’s what our faith is all about, because that’s Who our faith is all about.

Prayer: Father, we thank You that we don’t have to trust in what we can do, but rather we can trust in what Your son, Jesus Christ, has already done for us, and in what the Holy Spirit continues to do in us. Amen.

Thought for the day:
But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all at the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey.

Charlie van Becelaere

April 11, 2006

The Garden Spirit

When I was growing up, our Summer table was laden with the greatest variety of homegrown vegetables and fruits. We had a country home with lots of fertile land, and my Mother spent many hours converting much of it to flower beds, vegetable gardens, fruit trees, and berry patches of every kind. Before riding my bike or going swimming, I had to put in my time planting, weeding, or picking, and I really didn't mind doing it. The food was plentiful and delicious; the flowers fragrant and beautiful; the labor well worth it.

Every Fall, with the coming of the frost, my Mother would become somewhat depressed; declaring that the garden was too large, and the work too hard. But each Spring,l as the gardening catalogs arrived, she would start planning the beds, talking cheerily of converting another bit of land into a new plot.

Growing up with a garden is knowing the full circle of life, and the promise of rebirth each Spring. My Mother is now interred in our lovely Memorial Garden – the proper resting place for one so intimate with the earth and the cycles of the growing season. In a sense, she is still gardening.

“With the kiss of the sun for pardon
And the song of the birds for mirth
One is nearer God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on Earth.”
Anonymous

Sarah Frakes

April 10, 2006

Reflections on Scripture
(from the Living Bible – Paraphrased 1971)

Titus 3:3 – Remind your people to obey the government and its officers, and always o be obedient and ready for any honest work.

Philemon 1 – From: Paul, In jail for preaching the Good News about Jesus Christ, and from Brother Timothy.
Paul never forgot to pray for his friends, no matter where he was. Not a bad habit!

Hebrews 11:1 – What is Faith? It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.

Boston Marathon, 1989 Hebrews 12:1 – Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.
Amen to verse 12!

James 1:22 – And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. So don't fool yourselves.
Amen to that statement!

1 Peter 2:17 – Show respect for everyone. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God and honor government.
Great advice for anyone!

2 Peter 2:22 – There is an old saying that “a dog comes back to what he has vomited, and a pig is washed only to come back and wallow in the mud again.” That is the way it is with those who turn again to their sin.
Ugh! don't think some people will like that.

Bob Kiess

April 8, 2006

Is God Dancing on Your Potato Chips?

Read: 2 Samuel 6:14-21

Not too long ago I had "one of those days." I was feeling pressure from a writing deadline. I had company arriving in a couple days and the toilet was clogged. I went to the bank, and the trainee teller processing my deposit had to start over three times. I swung by the supermarket to pick up a few things and the lines were serpentine. By the time I got home, I was frazzled and sweaty and in a hurry to get something on the table for dinner.

Deciding on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, I grabbed a can opener, cranked open the can, then remembered I had forgotten to buy milk at the store. Nix the soup idea. Setting the can aside, I went to plan B, which was leftover baked beans. I grabbed the Tupperware container from the fridge, popped the seal, took a look and groaned. My husband isn't a picky eater, but even HE won't eat baked beans that look like caterpillars.

Really frustrated now, I decided on a menu that promised to be as foolproof as it is nutrition-free: hot dogs and potato chips. Retrieving a brand new bag of chips from the cupboard, I grabbed the cellophane and gave a hearty pull. The bag didn't open. I tried again. Nothing happened. I took a breath, doubled my muscle, and gave the bag a hearty wrestle. With a loud pop, the cellophane suddenly gave way, ripping wide from top to bottom. Chips flew sky high. I was left holding the bag, and it was empty.

It was the final straw. I let out a blood curdling scream. "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" My husband heard my unorthodox cry for help. Within minutes he was standing at the doorway to the kitchen, where he surveyed the damage: an opened can of soup, melting groceries, moldy baked beans, and one quivering wife standing ankle deep in potato chips. My husband did the most helpful thing he could think of at the moment. He took a flying leap, landing flat-footed in the pile of chips. And then he began to stomp and dance and twirl, grinding those chips into my linoleum in the process!

I stared. I fumed. Pretty soon I was working to stifle a smile. Eventually I had to laugh. And finally I decided to join him. I, too, took a leap onto the chips. And then I danced. Now I'll be the first to admit that my husband's response wasn't the one I was looking for. But the truth is, it was exactly what I needed. I didn't need a cleanup crew as much as I needed an attitude adjustment, and the laughter from that rather funky moment provided just that.

So now I have a question for you, and it's simply this: Has God ever stomped on your chips? I know that, in my life, there have been plenty of times when I've gotten myself into frustrating situations and I've cried out for help, all the while hoping God would show up with a celestial broom and clean up the mess.

What often happens instead is that God dances on my chips, answering my prayer in a completely different manner than I had expected, but in the manner that is best for me after all. Sometimes I can see right away that God's response was the best one after all. Sometimes I have to wait weeks or months before I begin to understand how and why God answered a particular prayer the way he did. There are even some situations that, years later, I'm still trying to understand. I figure God will fill me in sooner or later, either this side of Heaven or beyond.

Do I trust Him? Even when he's answering my prayers in a way that is completely different from my expectations? Even when he's dancing and stomping instead of sweeping and mopping:? Can I embrace what He's offering? Can I let His joy adjust my attitude? Am I going to stand on the sidelines and sulk, or am I willing to learn the steps of the dance he's dancin' with my needs in mind? I'll be honest with you: Sometimes I sulk. Sometimes I dance. I'm working on doing more of the latter than the former. I guess the older I get the more I realize that He really does know what He's doing. He loves me and I can trust Him. Even when the chips are down.

Author Unknown

April 7, 2006

Love Without Measure

Freda Bright says, "Only in opera do people die of love." It's true. You really can't love somebody to death. I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death. We just can't love one another enough.

A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt nervous and apprehensive. Late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To her delight, the boss agreed to a raise.

The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festive meal. She wondered if someone from the office had tipped him off. Or … did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?

She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. He offered his congratulations and then they sat down to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: "Congratulations! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."

Following dinner, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card had fallen from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read: "Don't worry about not getting the raise! You deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."

Someone has said that the measure of love is when you love without measure. What this man feels for his spouse is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and soothes her wounds.

He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction. He may say that he loves her to death. But he doesn't. He loves her to LIFE. For his love nourishes her life like nothing else can.

Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said: "What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." And love your friends. Love them without measure.

Love them to LIFE.

P.S. OPTIMISM .... is getting married at age 90 and looking for a house near a school!

Cindy Rolka

April 6, 2006

A Sacred Thing

Read 1 Corinthians 3:16

When my oldest brother died at age 44 many years ago, I started something that has given me a lot of comfort; I had his memorial service tape recorded. I did this so I could savor the words of comfort and admiration that were said at this lovely service.

And so it was on the first anniversary of my dad’s passing, a few months ago, that I pulled out the recording of his service. Worship services go fast many times but not as fast as a memorial service for someone you love. So I was taken back when I heard for the first time the parting words of the Unitarian minister at the end of my dad’s service. She said,

“Let us be confident that a human life is full of purpose and meaning. In life and in death a human life is a sacred thing. So be it.”

Well, the sense of this benediction is nothing new. As Christians we are admonished to appreciate everyone as a child of God. But out of a different mouth and to a certain extent out of a somewhat different religious tradition, these words rang true and provide comfort to me today

So I offer these words so they may provide comfort to you, too. So be it.

Vivian Anderson

April 5, 2006

Find Faith in God's Presence

Read Luke 2:41-52

In the story of “The Boy Jesus in the Temple,” Jesus is twelve years old and he disappears for three days. His parents searched everywhere for him. When they found him, he was in the temple. His mother said, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been very worried, and we have been searching for you!” Jesus answered, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn't you know that I would be in my Father's house?” His parents did not understand. Jesus became wise, and he grew strong. God was pleased with him, and so were the people.

Jesus had faith in God. From the start he knew where he belonged, in his father's house. What is faith? It's not belief, it's much more powerful. It is when we have confidence and trust in something, there is a complete absence of doubt. It is the internal notion of knowing it's going to be okay. Faith is powerful, but can be broken. Faith is our own true connection to God. How we receive or inhabit this connection is a different story.

Ever since I was little, I was pre-programmed to have this connection, but I'm the one who has to install it and be able to read the manual. When I was growing up, I had the children's Bible, went to Logos, and had the Jesus Loves Me, This I Know song permanently implanted in my brain. But when I was little, I don't believe I truly knew what God was. It was more like a subject in school; I learned about it, but never was able to use or truly understand the information. God was like a really good dessert, you don't know what exactly is in it, all you know is that it tastes of feels good. My prayers back then probably consisted of every Christmas present that I desired. “Dear God, please bring me Barbie and Ken, and their pink dream house.” But Christianity no longer has the same meaning to me. I finally have to establish my connection with God, although some people never establish their own connection. I have to find my lifeline to God.

Confirmation has directed me in the right direction. It's like I'm playing piñata blind-folded, confirmation has turned me so I'm facing the right way, but I have to take the swing. Jesus, when he was my age, established his connection to God by growing in wisdom, stature, spiritually, and socially (Luke 2:52). We can't match exactly Jesus' faith, but I feel I can be a follower, and grow by walking in his footsteps. I could grow in wisdom by reading the Bible and learning through other people such as pastors or followers of God. I could grow in stature by becoming stronger physically. I could grow spiritually by praying, by worship, and by taking sacraments. I could grow socially by being around others, and considering the needs of others. Doing these things I feel will raise me up a step higher to God.

Bringing myself closer to God will lead me into a Christian life, the kind of life I would like to live. Christ loves and makes sacrifices for us today, how could I not want to know him or be able to feel his presence? There is no greater human need than to feel connected spiritually to our Savior. Everyone is accessible to God, even if there is even nothing left, there will still be God; I would love to fully follow and receive Him. I will find my faith in God.

During the Christmas season, God should be most thought of. It was the birth of our only human form and truly seen form of God, Jesus. People seem to be distant from Jesus. People instead of worshiping, they become wrapped up in materialistic gifts. Jesus is replaced with Santa, and the three Kings' gifts are being replaced with an Xbox. No longer do people see the Star to Bethlehem. My wish at Christmas is that presents are replaced with God's presence. And the greatest gift of all should be God's presence. We are returned to God. Establishing my faith in God will lead me to his Glory.

Cassie Rickard

April 4, 2006

You Need a List


Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

Last year there was a devotional in The Upper Room written by a woman whose best friend of many years was moving across the country. The woman who was leaving asked her friend to, "“pray for me every day when you make your bed".

If you want daily prayers from me, that may not be the request you should make. But if you'’re on my prayer list, you have them.

A few years ago there was a devotional in our GPUMC Lenten Devotionals about having a prayer list and using it daily while standing in line, picking up kids, expecting a phone call, waiting for an appointment, etc.

I've always prayed, often giving thanks for our blessings and praying for family, friends and others in need. But I realized I didn'’t have a LIST. So I made one. I have it on my nightstand and in my purse. I use it when I get out of bed (not when I make the bed) and when I'’m waiting for whatever. I add to it and subtract as needs change. It is a good reminder of special prayer needs and thanks to be given.

Thought for the day;
If you need a grocery list, you need a prayer list.

Shirley Van Becelaere

April 3, 2006

Prayer is a Way of Life

And he said to them, "When I sent you out with no purse or bag or sandals, did you lack any-thing?" They said, "Nothing." He said to them, "But now, let him who has a purse take it, and likewise a bag. And let him who has no sword sell his mantle and buy one. For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, 'And he was reckoned with transgressors'; for what is written about me has its fulfillment." And they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." And he said to them, "It is enough." And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place he said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed: "Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done." And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation." - Luke 22: 35-46

“Prayer is an exercise of faith in the fullest sense of the phrase. Prayer requires a good bit of conditioning and there are no short cuts. This is hard news and hard work – especially for lumpy people like me. We wear out too quickly.” (Rev. Bill Carter, from a 2001 sermon).

Jesus prayed and the disciples slept in a grief-filled slumber.

Jesus could pray to God in his greatest hour of anguish because that was his pattern in life. There are those who do not pray through a sense of fatalism. “Why pray,” they will say, “if the only thing I am going to get is what God desires.” We tend to forget that the struggle we go through in praying is of great value – no matter what the outcome. Our relationship with God – and not the consumerism which only gives meaning to something if we get what we want – is the chief goal to why we pray.

Prayer is a way of life because it is based on a relationship with the living God. It would be different if we were believers in a “Star War’s” religion – latter day Stoics who believe that the universe ruled by an impersonal force. Then our task would be merely to adjust ourselves to whatever life placed in our path.

The whole aspect of our beliefs as Christians is based on our belief in a God of love and grace. It was out of this love that Jesus came into the world. It is the basis of salvation for us and for our world. It was his belief in such a God that Jesus could kneel in the garden on the night of his arrest and pray that the “cup might pass him by.” It was also this relationship and trust that also allowed him to say – in the midst of it all – in the silence –

“Nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be done:"

The best way to understand prayer is to start – to become involved with a dialogue and a relationship with God. For in this world which gives us – at times - eyes that are too weary – we are told by what Jesus said and practiced that prayer is essential. Our relationship with God will make all of the difference in the world – both in this world and in the next.

Submitted by Rev. Bob Wright

April 1, 2006

Comfort of Trust

Read Jude 1:20-25

“Why haven’t I been praying about this?”

Christian was lying in pain in the ER, waiting for the doctor to come help him. I was there at the foot of the bed, watching him there, in the most intense pain I think I've ever seen, and that's when it hit me: “Why haven't I been praying about this?”

It had started not long before that moment. He had come home from having lunch with his grandparents, and had to lie down – hoping the pain would go away on its own. It didn't. It got worse, and then it got worse, and then it got even worse. Finally, I asked, “Should I take you to the hospital?” When he agreed to go, I knew something was seriously wrong – after all, what 21 year-old says “yes” to the emergency room?

We hustled downstairs, past Heidi (letting her know where we were going, of course), into the car, and quickly down the road to the ER. (I'm pretty sure Christian wouldn't describe it as quick, though.)

A few forms and questions and such later took us to the bedside, waiting for the doctor to come help, and there I was, asking myself, “Why haven't I been praying about this?” I'm sure a lot of it was because it happened quickly, and I just had to react and get things going – that's not so bad. I'm sure a lot of it was because I figured I had to be in control to take care of my kid – that's not bad either. I'm also sure a lot of it was because I just count on myself to be able to handle whatever comes my way – oops, that's not the way I want to think about things. That's the thought that caught me; “Why am I counting on myself, and not on God?”

Well, I don't think I needed to be quite that hard on myself, because I think there's yet another reason in there. I'm sure a lot of it was because I am so comfortable with the idea that God is taking care of us, that I don't really worry about things the way I “should” - even when they're serious. I think it's a good thing, being able to let God handle things for me. As the Keith Green song goes, “Just keep doing your best, and pray that it's blessed, and Jesus takes care of the rest.”

But there it was again: “and pray that it's blessed.” I've written devotions about developing a life of prayer. I've led retreats and lock-ins on prayer. I've resolved over and over to work on developing my prayer life. And there I was, wondering why I hadn't been praying.

It took me back to one of the early days of my marriage. Heidi and I were sitting in our “library” back at Bob (that's the house we lived in before Cleveland), and we realized that we were having a wonderful time together, just sitting there, not talking, just being together. I think that's what I had been doing with God – just sitting there together, not talking; and that's great, but I also would really like to cultivate a more “verbal” relationship as well. Once again, I know what I have to work on – I have to work on not working on so much myself, and talking to God about all of it, not just the overwhelming stuff.

Thank you, Lord, for those quiet moments together, but I thank You more that we can sit down and talk about whatever needs discussing. Let's do this more often. Amen.

Charlie van Becelaere

March 31, 2006

Ironed Sheets

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17. Always be joyful and never stop praying.

I iron my sheets. Oh, I know no one can believe that I do this. Even Henrietta McInally once said to me (when I mentioned it), “Oh, Marianne, you don't!”

It probably goes back to the fact that my mother ironed sheets even before she had a mangle. Early memories of coming home from school to see my mother standing (ironing boards were not adjustable) ironing and listening to Ernie Harwell broadcasting Tiger games will never leave me. Ironing was a real chore then. As a child, my mother used several irons which were heated on a wood stove to iron clothes, so an electric iron was a great improvement.

Later washing machines were not automatic. Clothes were washed and put through a wringer for two rinses, then once again through a wringer and hung on a line outside during warm weather, or in a basement in cold weather.

My mother ironed at least 14 white shirts each week for my father and brother. These were dipped in starch after the last rinse and put through the wringer before they were hung up to dry. Before ironing, they were sprinkled with water, rolled in a ball, and placed in the refrigerator before ironing. Keeping up a house was a lot different too. Lots of work and hours went into cooking breakfast every day, packing lunches and preparing varied and healthful dinners. We always ate dinner together. We were blessed with a Christian home and family.

But back to ironing. There was a list which my mother kept near the ironing board. It was her prayer list, and I know she often prayed for our family, church, friends, missionaries, and other concerns. The King James Version says, “Pray without ceasing.” I think it means whenever you think about something that needs prayer – pray even when ironing.

I know there are many in this church who pray daily and often even with a prayer list. When I wasn't feeling the best, I received a phone call from a dear friend who said, “Don't call me back. I just wanted you to know I am praying for you.” How fortunate we are to have friends who never cease to pray.

Marianne Kiess

Mach 30, 2006

What a Difference a Year Makes

Read: United Methodist Hymnal #496 (Sweet Hour of Prayer)

What a difference a year makes.

Last year at this time, our family was nervously awaiting word of Ben’s convoy through Iraq to Kuwait and out of the war zone. We were fortunate that his year’s deployment ended without incident.

One thing which made that year a little more bearable was the fact that due to the wonders of modern communication, we were able to talk with him almost weekly by phone. It is amazing that in the middle of the turmoil of a war zone, we could speak with him. Hearing his voice and knowing that he was OK somehow helped us get through another week of worry.

How lucky we are that, as Christians, we also have the wonder of communication known as prayer! Anytime, anywhere we can have communion with God even if our personal lives seem at times like a “war zone”.

We thank God for the countless blessings he has given us, especially for the gift of prayer.

Sue DeWitt

March 29, 2006

My Faith

Faith is a very important aspect of my life. When I was little I don’t think I really understood why I went to church and why it means so much to so many people, but now that I’m older I see that many people turn to their faith when they are in need of help. When I was little church was just something I had to do on Sunday. It was something that took up time and made me get up early, but now I look forward to going to church and actually listening to the sermons. I try to be involved with all of our community service programs and other things we do that help other people.

I think that our world can be very troubled at times. For instance right now eleven different countries in Asia are in complete misery, so why would someone from Michigan want to help someone who lives in Sri Lanka? There are so many people all around the U.S. helping people they don’t even know. I wonder what it says to people who are the ones being helped. Most of the people over there aren’t even Christians, but what we are doing is showing them more about the Christian faith. Our faith influences the way people live and we feel like our faith calls us to do good things.

The Ten Commandments, the letters of Paul, and the example that was set by Jesus are ways that we should be living our lives and are guidelines that we should follow. If we tried to live by our faith our world would be much better.

To me God is a friend. He is there when I need him, to thank or him to pray for someone. I know I should talk to him more and that I should be thinking about him and how our relationship works more often and I think that confirmation is helping me do that. Usually talking to God is something I do in church or when I need something. I should be thanking him everyday for everything he does to make my life better.

Quinn Scillian

March 28, 2006

YET! GOD JUST WAS NOT READY FOR ME!!

Read Matthew 9:38, John 15:13,15

Yes, for the fifth time, in my ninety-one years of LIFE – GOD was not ready for me!
On the early evening of Feb. 2nd, 2005; I had gone out back to feed my birds and squirrels – (a bit later than usual). After scattering the feeds; I CHOSE to walk all the way forward on my driveway, to look up and down my block to see what was going on. And, I was my good friend and neighbor, Jim Szlec out in his front yard cleaning up after a snow we had had. -- I turned to go in the house via my front entry walk through the court yard. (I had on my new boot-brace for my poor Left foot.)

Instead of getting my right foot, flat and true, on the entry step-platform; I “kicked the front of it” with such force, that it sent me into complete unbalance, falling and crashing with my head into the face of the square stone column to the wall there --- and, as I am falling, the jagged cutting edge of the stone step's lip; split the face of my Right leg open to the bone, in areas. --- When I came to; I was laying face down in the pachysandra greenery bed. I was in agony, and COULD NOT GET UP. Finally, I was able to roll over on my back. Then, I realized my entire right pant leg was soaked in blood, and a stream of blood was trickling down the drive!! I thought: ”Dear God, let Jim still be out front!” I screamed for him. He answered, and rushed right over.

He called the Police; who were there in less than three minutes. He got a towel and wet it in cold water, and held it hard against the wounds, until the police arrived. They knew what to do until 911 got there (which, again, was very quickly). They cut my pant leg off, got me into the ambulance, calling Bon Secours; that they were rushing in with a man bleeding to death, and to have everything ready. They gave me Blood; cleaned, closed, and sewed up the wounds --- STAT. Had Jim NOT still been outside; no one would have heard me yelling; what with storm windows in; in Kitchens cooking dinner; Televisions on; etc. It was 20 with a strong freezing wind; -- I had no heavy coat on – SO, I would have gone into hypothermia, frozen to death, AND BLED TO DEATH. ---- SO, ONCE AGAIN “GOD WAS NOT READY” FOR ME ---

BECAUSE “GOD STILL HAS WORKS HE WANTS ME TO DO!!!” --- SO, I STRIVE TO PRAY TO GOD, FOR INSTRUCTIONS, ABOUT WHO, WHERE, AND HOW HE WANTS ME “TO BE OF HELP, TO SOMEONE, WHO NEEDS HELP!!” -- THEN, I “TRY TO LISTEN, WITHIN MY SOUL, FOR THOSE INSTRUCTIONS!!!” “THEN, I TRY SO HARD, TO DESERVE HIS CARING, AND COMPASSION.”

AMEN

Robert C. Callaway

March 27, 2006

Gratitude Attitude

Read Luke 17:11-19

One of the benefits of getting older is that you develop more perspective and are able to see the “big picture” in life. I have observed that those who live life with a “gratitude attitude” tend to be happier people who find blessings in everyday circumstances. These people are attuned to God’s goodness and grace and have hope for each day.

The story of the ten lepers as told in Luke illustrates some important lessons about faith and gratitude. Because lepers were ritually unclean they were required to live outside their village. If a leper thought his leprosy has gone into remission, he could go to the priest and if declared clean could return to his village. The ten lepers who saw Jesus had faith they could be healed and followed Jesus instructions to go to the priest even before their leprosy was actually healed. It is disturbing however; that only one, a Samaritan, a race despised by the Jews, returned to thank Jesus. Do we receive God’s gifts with ungrateful spirits? Do we fail to thank Him after we have asked for his favor? Do we recognize God’s blessings when they come? Are we more likely to go to God with a request than a response of praise?

You may remember the idea of a ‘gratitude journal’ Oprah Winfrey promoted a while back. It was somewhat of a commercialization of a non-commercial act but made an important point. When you consciously identify all you have to be grateful for, you realize how much you are truly blessed. As Christians do we take the next step and thank God or do we prepare new requests for more blessings? God has not demanded that we thank Him but he is pleased when we do so. When we acknowledge all we have is a gift from God, he gives us grace to grow in our faith, a positive perspective on life, and hope to face an unknown future.

Perhaps a gratitude journal would be helpful to you. Daily devotions are a great way to have a direct line to God. I try to thank God throughout the day for blessings great and small and have found when I have trouble sleeping, a mental gratitude journal soon puts me at rest. Expressing gratitude may initially require a conscious effort but with time it becomes a habit that gives us joy in developing a close personal relationship with God.

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

Pat Deck

March 25, 2006

I Believe

Read UM Hymnal #880 (Nicene Creed)

Just a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of listening to a presentation of Bach’s Mass in B minor, a choral work that sets the text of the Latin mass to music. I have sung it myself several times. When I first learned it, I borrowed a missal from a Roman Catholic friend so I could read the English translation and better understand the context and mood of the music. I was inspired when I sang it but, concentrating on making music, it was easy to forget that the text spells out what we, as Christians, believe. Not so as I recently listened to it.

Bach’s use of music to set the tone of the text is a fitting subject for a learned paper and I’m certainly not writing one of those. One section of the Mass, the Credo, literally says what Christians believe. Listening to one portion of the Credo in particular, though, caused me to reflect somberly upon the enormity of God’s gift to us, his son Jesus Christ. The text translates, “…[he] was crucified under Pontius Pilate, suffered, and was buried.” All the vocal parts end this section very quietly, in the lower parts of their vocal ranges. Surely the suffering and death of Jesus is the ultimate gift, but Bach tells us more.

Within seconds after that most somber section of the piece, my mood swung to the other side of the scale, as I realized, with joy, the victory over sin and death that God has promised us. Accompanied by the celebratory sounds of trumpets, the choir sings, “Et resurrexit tertia die secundum Scripturas…” “On the third day he rose according to the Scriptures.” Even if I didn’t know what the words meant, I still could not help but feel the joy conveyed by the music.

It’s cliché to say it, but it’s the truth; the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I listened to the beauty of the music and the power of message. Christ lived among us, died, and returned to us. To paraphrase another section of the Mass, “God, I thank you for your great glory!”

Fred Van de Putte

March 24, 2006

An Owner's Manual

Read Psalm 46

I have often heard people say that kids don’t come with an owner’s manual. It would be nice if they did. There are lots of books out there, but how can something so general help you with your child? I have a book I’m reading that somebody recognized my need for a few years before I did. I’m glad I finally pulled it out because it feels as if it is an owner’s manual for one of my kids. This seems like the exact book for her make and model – although probably not the same year. I am very glad for the book’s help.

I have also recently had a need for my car’s owner’s manual. They have found amazing hiding places for spare tires now. I was certainly glad for that book’s help (even though I did call in reinforcements). Thankfully there’s an index that is user friendly. I don’t know about you, but I don’t find a car owner’s manual light reading.

So what about life in general? There are lots of self-help books, but those don’t really guide us through life’s ups and downs. There is a song I like where a mother is sending her daughter off into the world. She reminds her, “Before you hit the highway, you better stop for gas, and there’s a 50 in the ashtray in case you run short on cash. Here’s a map and here’s a Bible, if you ever lose your way.” The Bible – I have been resisting reading it for the same reason I have resisted reading my car owner’s manual. They are both intimidating. I have come to the conclusion though that the Bible will turn out to be the best owner’s manual for my life. I have used the index (concordance) in mine to look up specific issues. I also have looked over the highlighted words, like in textbooks and manuals, for quick reference. My Bible has everything Jesus said highlighted in red. So in fact it has a striking similarity to my car’s manual. I began reading a Children’s Bible, which is written in a story format. I find myself not only enjoying it, but reading well past my intended stopping point. While the index and highlighted parts might help me with a specific need, it’s also nice to get the rest of the story – my history. I’m glad for The Book’s help. So I guess I do have an owner’s manual for my life. I need to remember to use it more often – not just for troubleshooting. Now if only car manufacturers would add stories to their manuals…

Prayer for the day: Dear God, thank you for your written word. On days when I may not be able to hear your answers, help me to remember to look for them written down. Amen.

Thought for the day: Look it up! You’ll remember it better.

Jacki Rumpp

March 23, 2006

A Choice for Peace

Photographer Nick Ut received a Pulitzer Prize for a dramatic war-time picture taken in Viet Nam. You may remember seeing it. The picture shows a little girl in agony walking naked down a country road amongst other weeping children. Dark smoke hangs heavily in the sky behind the fleeing group. The child's arms are painfully outstretched and her face is contorted in an expression of terror and misery. Napalm bomb, dropped on her village, seared off the little girl's clothing and severely burned her skin.

The date is June 8, 1972. The child, Kim Phuc, was carried by Nick to a truck and transported to an area hospital. She cried over and over, "Non'g Qu'a. Non'g Qu'a," which means "Too hot! Too hot!"

Kim hovered between life and death. She required 17 different surgical operations and months of rehabilitation. Today, she lives in Canada and has become an important spokesperson on issues of peace. "Pain never disappears," Kim says. "You just learn how to deal with it."

In 1996 she was asked to say a few words at the Viet Nam War Memorial in Washington D.C. Kim talked about forgiving those people who were responsible for all the misery and suffering inflicted that tragic day. She said, "Even if I could talk face to face with the pilot who dropped the bombs, I would tell him we cannot change history but we should try to do good things for the present and for the future to promote peace." It was a message of forgiveness. She knew that her acts of reconciliation were the bricks that could pave the only true road to peace.

Kim could easily spend the rest of her life blaming others for her suffering. She could have grown up a bitter and resentful woman. Instead, she made a courageous choice - a choice for peace.

It's a choice none of us can escape.
Cindy Rolka

March 22, 2006

God is with us, especially when electricity isn’t.

Allow me to quote my favorite band, Radiohead: “Most people gaze neither into the past nor the future; they explore neither truth nor lies. They gaze at the television.” It may not be scripture, but I find that there is truth to this statement, especially when one lives in a dorm where electronic distractions (or detractions) are quite prevalent. I have yet to encounter a living soul who is without a cell phone and I am continually amazed by the number of “talkers” on my brief treks between classes - I often ponder the importance or triviality of their conversations. I also find it is hard to meet a music-lover who can part with their i-pod for more words than “hello”, a sports nut who can pry their eyes from the latest broadcast event, or a college woman who can go a week without being drawn into their favorite television program (or subjecting themselves to a bombardment of advertisements that usually accompany the event).

I wonder what life would be without all of these things. Could we survive without hearing the latest top forty songs at every waking hour of the day? Would we cease to function when the television no longer told us what to think? Wonderful it would be, when one could sit in silence and thought. Better yet, the day students could walk to class and allow the beauty of the campus to permeate their bodies. This, of course, is only wishful thinking.

On Friday, January 20, 2006, God sent down a miracle. The power went out. TV’s spontaneously combusted, instant messages were delayed, wireless connections were lost, stereo systems ceased to blare, time stood still, and the best part of it all… …students flooded the hallways. In the dim glow of the emergency lights, groups of people gathered in circles and down passageways to talk.

I found myself sitting with my friend Meredith at the time of the miracle, and when the electricity stopped coursing through our building, I invited her to a game of checkers by candle-light. We played and laughed until my room started filling with friends who had a similar urge: a good game in good company. Sean had brought a deck of cards and suggested a game in which the eight of us could participate. We all enjoyed ourselves as Katie hummed and sang familiar tunes, bringing smiles to those who sat around the too-small table. Becky joked about getting closer (with the impending drop in temperature) while Aaron discussed the vast potential of hide and seek in the apparent darkness.

When I looked around the table, I saw bright eyes, clear eyes, eyes untainted by the glare of a television screen or the luminescent glow of a computer screen. We were engaged in each other with no other distractions and the time we spent together was very memorable. Eventually, however, the flicker of candles paled in the brightness of the overhead fluores-cent lamp. The familiar thump of sub-woofers returned at full volume and the student body found its way back to its usual position on the couch.

A few of my guests took their leave, but those who remained were satisfied when the door to the outside was closed, the artificial lights were dimmed, and a new game began, by candle-light.

This situation reminded me of my congregation. When we wake up on Sundays, we all light our candles and make a light greater than that of our own. Our eyes are clear, and not distracted, as we come together in fellowship after each service. The light given off by our combined candles becomes more brilliant.

“No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the light of a lamp shines on you.”
-Luke, Chapter 11, Verses 33-36

Dear Lord,
Direct me in the path of your commands,
For there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statues
And not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
Preserve my life according to your word.
Amen.

-Psalm 119, Verses 35-37

Paul Thomas

March 21, 2006

Gifts of Time and Wisdom

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12: 1-2

When Fred Rogers of children’s television fame died in early 2003, for several weeks afterwards the news was filled with stories and remembrances of this kind and gentle man. One reported remembered that day when Fred Rogers had been invited to address the prestigious National Press Club in Washington, DC. The National Press Club was accustomed to hearing speeches from diplomats, top administration officials, and key opinion makers on the top issues of the day, and some members of the press club had privately joked that with “Mister Rogers” on the podium, they were no doubt in for a “light lunch.”

However, according to the reporter, when Fred Rogers stood up to speak, he said that he knew that the room was filled with many of the best reporters in the nation – men and women who had achieved much. Rogers then took out his pocket watch and announced that he was going to keep two minutes of silence, and he invited everybody in the room to remember people in their past – parents, teachers, coaches, friends, and others – who had made it possible for them to accomplish so much.

And then, Mr. Rogers took out his pocket watch, and stood there and said nothing. The room grew quiet as the seconds ticked away, but the reporter said that before Fred Rogers tucked away his watch, one could hear all around the room people sniffling as they were moved by memories of those who had made sacrifices on their behalf and who had given them many gifts of time and wisdom.

Likewise, if those of us who find meaning and comfort in the Christian faith that we have were to take two minutes to reflect on how our faith came to be – few of us would say that we got it from a book, and none of us would say that we thought it up on our own. Quickly or gradually, we would begin to remember people who treated us with kindness and goodness – who spoke to us and lived before us – the faith that sustains us. We heard and saw and we believed – slowly or suddenly – in a moment of stillness or in a thunderstorm of passion – we believed. The faith that we have, whether large or small – whether born of struggle or comfort – whether richly textured or barely patched together – is a part of our lives because somebody along the way had the courage and the conviction to talk about – or through their goodness in living – spoke to us about God and Jesus Christ.

From “Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian” by Thomas G. Long

Submitted by Rev. Bob Wright

March 20, 2006

Reflections on Scripture
(from the Living Bible – Paraphrased 1971)

Philippians 4:8 – and now, brothers, as I close this letter, let me say this one more thing: Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others.
Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about!

Colossians 3:16 – Remember what Christ taught, and let His words enrich your lives and make you wise; teach them out in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with thankful hearts.
Almost sounds like John 3:16, doesn't it?

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 – “Dear brothers, honor the officers of your church who work hard among you and warn you against all that is wrong. Think highly of them, and give them your wholehearted love, because they are straining to help you. And remember, no quarreling among yourselves.”
That's a tough one, isn't it?

1 Timothy 4:12 – Don't let anyone think little of you because you are young. Be their ideal: let them follow the way you teach and live; be a pattern for them in your love, your faith, and your clean thoughts.
Thank you, youth of our church, for GPUMC Youth Work Camp Motto, July 2001!

2 Timothy – Again I say, don't get involved in foolish arguments which only upset people and make them angry.
Boy – that is good advice, and it's tough to do sometimes in committee meetings.

Bob Kiess

March 18, 2006

Where is Your Faith?

Read Luke 8:22-25

"They went to him and woke him up, shouting, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, "Where is your faith?" --Luke 8:24-25

It is hard for me to believe that my tenth wedding anniversary will be this year! I remember, as though yesterday, our beautiful little wedding (right outside in the church garden with only a handful of friends and family), and the celebration we had a few months later in Pennsylvania for my large extended family and friends. I was the only one in my immediate family born in Michigan; the rest were from the Allegheny mountain region of Pennsylvania. It was always my dream to have my wedding celebration in the tiny country church next to my Grandmother's old farmhouse, in Fallen Timber, Pennsylvania, which is part way up the side of a mountain. The area is gorgeous, and I used to spend summers there as a child. The day of the family celebration was wonderful, and the wedding ceremony, conducted by a country preacher, Rev. Warful, very moving. He asked my husband, Kelly and I, if we had a particular piece of scripture that we wanted to use in the service. We decided on the story of Jesus calming the sea, as sailing has been a big part of both of our lives, and we absolutely love the water. In his sermon, Rev. Warful pointed out that the only answer that we can give to Jesus' question in the gospel passage we had chosen is, "Our faith is in you, Master!".

As many of my church friends know, our marriage has been eventful, to say the least, from practically the first day. Major surgery for both of us, a triple by-pass for Kelly, multiple hospitalizations, lost jobs, Kelly's heart attack and three strokes, many, many EMS runs to save Kelly's life, a major car accident and other problems of a more personal nature have been a major part of our life together over the past decade. Yet today, our marriage, and our faith, is stronger than ever. We have come to learn that the only security and constant in our somewhat tumultuous lives is the Lord, and we have learned to place our problems in his hands. With Jesus' help, our marriage has survived and our love for each other grown immensely. I've often thought about what Rev. Warful told us when we stood before him as newlyweds, ten years ago. He was so right!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for the gift of faith, and teach us to place our daily concerns in your merciful and protective hands. Amen.

Thought for the Day: The Lord is always with us, including in times of great trouble.

Prayer Focus: Those struggling with marital problems.

Joyce Reynolds

March 17, 2006

Luck

I must be an excellent judge of character.
Look who I picked for a wife.

I must be very lucky.
I have two children, both healthy, both very bright.

They both have to be excellent judges of character.
Look who they picked for spouses.

We all are lucky, our kids for their children, and Shirley and I for those grandchildren, all healthy, all very bright.

We are all lucky to be part of a church family that really cares about each other.

In a country where so much is taken for granted, where almost anything is available, where you suddenly realize at Christmas, birthdays, etc. there is nothing you really need, almost nothing you really want (that you don’t already have), it is easy to forget the important things.

God has been really good to me and my family.

Jack Van Becelaere

Thought for the day;
Any day is a lucky day when God is watching over you.

March 16, 2006

Lost Dog

There's a well-worn joke that I've always liked about a notice that was posted in a local newspaper. It read:"Lost Dog. Please help us find our pet. Mixed breed. Blind in one eye. Deaf. Missing several teeth. Has only half a tail. Suffers from mange. Answers to "Lucky.""

It's funny, of course, but you know something? That dog was lucky; he was lucky because someone loved him, and so badly wanted him returned that they paid for a classified ad in the newspaper. You would think that this was a dog that only a mother could love, and you would be wrong.

I think we're a little like that dog. We're mixed in that we are each a bundle of contradictions. Our inner selves fight it out all the time as we try to weigh the things we want to do against the things we need to do. Most of us are blind in one eye in that we often see only what we wish to see -- about ourselves, about others, about the events around us. We can be completely deaf in the same way. Our teeth and our tail make plain that we have been through some battles in our day, battles in which life has scarred us with its indignities small and large. And the bright, shiny outlook with which we wish we could greet each day has gotten a little mangy from life's setbacks.

And yet, someone loves us. God loves us anyway, and keeps putting out the call for us to make it back home in time for supper. We tear up the yard, howl at the moon, and get into too many scraps with the other dogs, but still there waits for us a good meal, a warm blanket, and a soothing hand.

We should answer to "Lucky."

Amen.

Devin Scillian

March 15, 2006

Glad to Return the Favor

To most of my friends, I used to joke, "I'm spoiled, but without the bad attitude,” whenever my parents got me something really nice and or did something really nice for me.

My parents are very generous, not just to me and my sister, but to everyone; and not just with money, but with their time, bodies, and hearts. So one weekend night, as thoughts were flying through my head while I attempted to go to sleep, one final thought swept through my brain as I pulled my covers over me, "Spoiled without the 'tude is called lucky. Lucky is what I am." Now don't get me wrong, I've always known I've been lucky for so many things in my life, for my life; however, it is one thing to impress upon yourself and others just how lucky you are, it is entirely another to impress it upon those who are responsible for making you that way.

Lucky is certainly the word for it.

So very, very lucky. Lucky that my parents are so caring for everyone and each other. Lucky that they love me and my sister. Lucky because they are my parents. Lucky that I notice this all. I'm lucky because I am grateful. And all I have to do to return the favor is be happy (and give my mother grandkids someday... :) )

So to all the parents and grandparents who make us lucky, to all the people who love and make people feel lucky, thank you; some of us may not have had our bed-time epiphanies giving us the strength or words to say it, but we know we are lucky for having you in our lives and we're glad to return the favor.

May luck be with you all,
Emily Stowell

March 14, 2006

Never Forget

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the sepulcher. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has risen, as he said. Come; see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. Lo, I have told you." So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." - Matthew 28:1-10

Once, when he was traveling by car in the south of England, William Willimon discovered that his car was in the process of breaking down. As he waited for the arrival of the mechanic, he wandered into the cemetery of a nearby village. He writes:

“Over in the corner of the cemetery there was a beautiful, low, brick wall enclosing fifty graves. The grass had nearly choked the plot. A large granite slab, set in the wall, bore the words, ‘We shall never forget your sacrifice.

“Here were fifty graves of young men from New Zealand – ages 17 – 25. There was no explanation as to why these men were buried in that small village cemetery so far from home. I found the town museum and inquired there. The attendant there said, “Strange that you should ask, I have no idea. If you give me a few days I could no doubt find out.” As I was not going to be there for a few days, I asked several other people who I met walking around the village. No one knew.

“‘We shall never forget your sacrifice.

“Was the impressive inscription a lie? No one could remember.”

I wonder if, as they made their way to the tomb, the women were speaking of Jesus, trying to recall for each other the way he phrased things, the sound of his voice, a certain look in his eye. I wonder if they recall how he ate and the way he greeted his friends. I wonder if, for them, as for so many of us, they found that Jesus’ memory was already starting to slip though their fingers. Sometimes we forget – not because we are faithless – but because our lives become so full of the demands and expectations of living that we forget the love and grace of the Author of Life. There is more to this world than we know.

In the midst of a Good Friday world, I would ask you to remember your Easter faith. It is a day when we, formally, declare our belief in the Resurrection and the Living Lord! Today we remember and share in a common belief and hope in Jesus rising from the tomb. The Easter faith – the Risen Christ – means that death does not and did not and shall not have the final word for us! Easter faith means new life! Easter is the miracle of our faith!

Today I hope that you will pledge yourself to struggle to live out of your Easter faith. I hope that you will remember and continue to struggle to move beyond the explanations of Easter to the experience of the Living Lord.

Let us remember. Let us celebrate. “The Lord is risen. The Lord is risen, indeed!”

Submitted by Rev. Bob Wright

March 13, 2006

Reflections on Scripture
(from the Living Bible – Paraphrased 1971)

Matthew 10:39 - “If you cling to your life, you will lose it, but if you give it up for Me, you will save it.”
Life is like a game of tennis ... you can't win without serving well!

Mark 6:38 - “How much food do we have?” He asked. “Go and find out.” They came back to report that there were five loaves of bread and two fish.
Sure fed a lot of people.

John 4:6 – Jesus was tired from the long walk in the hot sun, and sat wearily beside the well.
Do you know why? Was it just because it was hot and there was water?

Romans 14:8-9 – Living or dying, we follow the Lord. Either way we are His. Christ died and rose again for this very purpose, so that He can be our Lord, both while we live and when we die.
A retired Air Force Colonel was on our 1967 staff at YMCA Camp. He shared this verse on one of the canoe trips in our devotional time together.

1 Corinthians 9:24 – In a race, everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize, so run your race to win.
We all can't always win, but we can give our best.

2 Corinthians 9:7 – Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don't force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes.
Wonder what the Finance Committee thinks of this verse?

Galatians 5:14 – For the whole law can be summed up in this one command:
“Love others as you love yourself.”
Wow!

Ephesians 6:1-2 – Children, obey your parents; this is the right thing to do, because God has placed them in authority over you.
This is the first of God's Ten Commandments that ends with a promise.
Sometimes this is a tough one, Dad & Mom.

Bob Kiess

March 11, 2006

On Being Picture-Perfect

I am watching a mother who is carrying a large diaper bag and a very small camera. She is arguing with her two-year-old son over why he should not be walking on the sidewalk. He is not wearing shoes. “You will burn your feet,” his mother says. He doesn’t appear to care. “Let’s put your shoes on so you don’t hurt your feet.” The boy continues walking, running, stopping, bending over. He touches the grass, looks at the sky, wanders over to a bench, walks back on the sidewalk. The mother’s one-sided argument continues. The boy continues walking, paying no attention to his mother although I am paying full attention now. I have heard it’s pointless to try to reason with a two-year-old so there’s a story in here somewhere.

Not only does the mother want him to put on his shoes, she wants him to wear a hat. “It’s your birthday,” she says, “and I want to take a picture because you’re two years old now. Please wear this hat. PLEASE.”
It is an ugly hat, and here is the problem: his mother has turned the entire picture-taking process into a contest. I see this clearly from my point of view beneath a tree, pretzel in hand. I see this clearly from my point of view of being alone in the park, responsible today for my own self only, walking wherever I please with my shoes on or off and from never having had to argue with a two-year old!

The father shows up. Birthday boy’s parents gear into bribe mode to get their picture, when his picture would be so much better. He is small and blond with a round baby face. This is a sunny day, clouds high in the sky. He wants to run. He wants to roll in the grass and put his hands in the dirt.

His parents put him on a bench and push the hat on his head. They promise him pizza. They promise him ice cream. They make him sit for the photos, one, two, three. The boy squeals in that “let me go” way children have. The mother frowns; she adjusts the birthday hat. I laugh at the fact it’s a crown. And then I ponder the way in which birthday boy’s mother is not alone in the world: so many of us fight to take the pictures we want instead of the pictures that are happening right in front of us. Point well-taken on living life joyfully, just the way it comes.

Jenneth Wright

March 10, 2006

Answers to Prayer

Norman Neaves shares this about prayer as it relates to life’s journey:

• If what you pray for is not right…. and you are not right…. and the time is not right….
  God will answer your prayer by saying “No.”
• If what you pray for is right…. and you are right…. but the time is not right….
  God will answer your prayer by saying “Slow.”
• If what you pray for is right…. and the time is right…. but you are not right….
  God will answer your prayer by saying “Grow.”
• And if what you pray for is right…. and the time is right…. and you are right….
  God will answer your prayer by saying “Go.”

March 9, 2006

God's Word

Read Isaiah 55:8-11

My maiden name is Reed. My grandmother, Mary Hankins Reed, went West in a covered wagon. Two of my aunts from Nebraska traced the Hankins family back to Virginia, enabling them to join the DAR. Nobody seemed interested in following the trail of the Reed genealogy until the advent of the computer; when a cousin, a Statistics Professor, traced the family to Cornwall and Wales.

To celebrate our fiftieth wedding anniversary, Bob and I decided to visit Cornwall and Wales. Bert Prisk's family came from Cornwall (his relatives were miners, mine were farmers), and he gave us reliable information on the old city of Truro. We visited Truro, St. Ives, Penzance, and Newport, Wales. There were many Reeds in the telephone books, and there were several business establishment in all the towns with the name of Reed.

In St. Ives, we visited a delightful bookstore with books about Cornwall and its history. Among these books was a religious history of Cornwall. John Wesley (1703 – 1791) traveled many exhausting miles throughout Cornwall preaching the Word of God. Today, after two hundred years, there are Methodist Halls of Worship in many villages and hamlets. One book stated that Wesley probably changed the lives of the Cornish more than any other preacher. He continually spoke of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. In 1789, Wesley at the age of 86 preached his last sermon to hundreds of Cornish people. He knew his message would be perpetuated, because he was God's servant, preaching God's Word.

This message was brought to America where it spread throughout the country in Methodist churches. In the 1930's, my parents, who attended no church, chanced upon a service in the Van Dyke Methodist Church. This same message changed their lives, and I was fortunate to be raised in a Christian family. It was a thrill to see some of the area where John Wesley traveled and to know God's word does not return to Him without doing everything He sent it to do.1 God's word does not return to Him
void.2

Marianne Kiess

1 – The Learning Bible
2 – The King James Version

March 8, 2006

LOGOS (The Word)

Read John 1:1

In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
(John 1:1 - King James Version)

We get to come to LOGOS on Wednesday and be together for Recreation, Bible Time, Worship Skills and Family Time.

The most important part of LOGOS is recreation because we get to know each other better by playing games together. We get to have snacks together and we get to have fun and be nice to each other.

The most important part of LOGOS is Bible Time because we get to learn stuff about the Bible we didn’t know. We have really nice teachers and we play fun games and draw pictures.

The most important part of LOGOS is Worship Skills because we get to do music together. We get to make cards and things for people so they know we are thinking about them. We get to learn about our church and about the windows and make our own stained glass cross.

The most important part of LOGOS is Family Time because we get to know each other better when we eat together and we get to know our table parents. We get to have great desserts and play fun games together.

Prayer. Dear God bless all the people who help with LOGOS and make it fun for us. And bless all of the children of God.

Blake Prentice, Reed Prentice, Jack Bracci, Robbie Bracci, TJ Stevenson, Alex Blunden, Michael Hensley, Bethany Hensley, Will Lorenz, Carter Harrison, Coleman Harrison, Christa Sicklesteel, Katie Sicklesteel, Ashley Boulier (The kids of Logos)

March 7, 2006

An Attitude of Gratitude
Read: Luke 17:11-19

“An attitude of gratitude” - this catchy little phrase you've probably heard from time to time. It sprints to my mind often. I've found it to be most helpful, and believe that if it were practiced widely in our world, would change it for the better.

It is quite easy to take one's blessings for granted, especially those that are a part of daily life. A lengthy list of things (largely material) for which to be thankful could readily be drawn up by any of us. Some things we have “earned,” such as those we purchase with income derived from our jobs. Others come to us as “gifts,” given by family members and friends. We are fed, clothed, sheltered, and provided for by them, bringing us comfort, security, ease, and enjoyment.

There is also much that nourishes our minds and spirits, often coming to us freely, and without charge. As I write this, I am looking out the window into the garden covered with freshly-fallen snow, its features beautifully “painted” by nature in pure white, and where each contrasting season offers its own beauty. I think of the countless times I've listened to a piece of great music, happened upon a beautiful landscape or building, driven down a pleasant tree-lined street or country road, enjoyed a sunny summer afternoon by the lake or the smile of a passing stranger, appreciated the warmth and companionship of family and friends, etc, etc.

At the close of each day, I try to remember to enumerate those things and experiences for which I am grateful, and express my gratitude to God, the source of all that is good and beneficent. Do you remember the words of the old song - “Count your many blessings, name them one by one?” How much better I feel in doing so!

As I see it, there are three simple steps we can take to increase the awareness of our many and varied blessings:

1. Acknowledge God as the one and only source of all that is good
2. Be Grateful in your heart (my dictionary defines grateful as “warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received
3. Offer Thanks (thanksgiving is defined as “an act of giving thanks, grateful acknowledgment of benefits or favors”)

The importance of this last step needs to be emphasized. Being grateful within always precedes the act of expressing thanks. Steps 2 and 3 are not the same. Gratefulness is an attitude of mind, and thanksgiving is the resultant action, one following the other. If we do not express our thanks in a meaningful, tangible way, its beneficent power is limited. Though God is the source of all good, we must remember that in this world, the wonder of His love and caring is expressed through specific channels, and we must be grateful for and thankful to them. We must remember, too, that because of the oneness and unity of all creation, any gift we offer to another is really the gift we are offering to ourselves. (Conversely, a blessing denied another is a blessing unavailable to ourselves. Thanksgiving blesses all, for “truly, it is as blessed to give as to receive.”

Love, joy, peace, harmony, abundance, life itself, all have their source in our Creator-Sustainer God. How many things can you find in your life for which to be thankful? Even a few moments of sincere reflection will bring so very much into your awareness, lift your spirits, and encourage you to anticipate God's numerous blessings to come!

Dear God,
We express sincere gratitude to You, our Creator, for our very existence and our thanks to all living things that offer us the opportunity to remember You. Your tender care sustains us all our earthly days, and Your unending love surrounds us in the eternal home You have prepared for us. Help us to live our lives in joyous service to You as a tangible expression of our thankfulness. Amen.

Doug Dykstra

March 6, 2006

Time for Extravagant Love

A young mother of a two-year-old looks down at the gentle rounding of her stomach as she enters the fourth month of her second pregnancy and secretly wonders if it’s possible for her to love another child as much as she does her first. A doting grandmother, having fallen head over heels in love with her first grandchild, also harbors a fear that she’ll be all out of love by the time another grandchild is born.

What both of these women fail to realize is that love isn’t something we dredge up from the inner sanctums of our own souls. God is love. He is the ever flowing, everlasting source of love. Not only does He increase our capacity to love whenever He sends someone new into our lives, He makes it possible for us to love extravagantly, with a love that exceeds all boundaries.

Couldn’t our world use more extravagant love right now? We have an entertainment industry that often suggests love is synonymous with sexual activity. We see daily reports about pockets of violence where it seems the darkness of hate has overpowered the light of God’s love, if only temporarily. We have children and teenagers shuttling from one foster home to another, wondering why they’re the ones forced to look for love in all the wrong places.

To love extravagantly we have to be willing to love the unlovable—to reach outside our own comfort zones. And we have to be willing to love even if it means we’re risking being hurt later. My mother very reluctantly moved into an assisted living facility three years ago. Certain she had already made all the friends she needed in her life, she kept to herself at first. But then she met Marge. The two became fast friends and loyal bridge partners. Marge died this week. “I will
miss her so much,” my mom told me. “I really loved her.”

It’s never too late to risk loving again, and love is always worth any pain it brings. When we dare to love by calling on the power we have through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we can send extravagant love into the world. May that be our focus this Valentine’s Day.

Nancy Parker Brummett
(a freelance writer who lives in Colorado Springs, CO)

March 4, 2006

Lenten Devotion
Thus the Israelites were subdued at that time, and the people of Judah prevailed, because they relied on the Lord, the God of their ancestors. - 2 Chronicles 13:18

Recently, I encountered an article that spoke of Christianity as nothing more than a crutch. It went on to say that “the only reason people claim to trust Jesus is that they are wimpy weaklings….” I thought about that statement a long time, and as I did so, my thoughts wandered off into my front hall closet where the crutches that I had been dependent on for many months now rested from their labor.

I had been thinking about giving them to the rummage sale or throwing them away be-cause of the discomfort they brought to mind—not only my sore and swollen ankle, but the general discomfort that came from relying on them. When I slouched instead of standing up straight when using them, it caused pain in my neck and back. If I rested my crutches in my arm pits, as many people do, they chafed and bruised the tender flesh there. I remembered how difficult it was to carry items from place to place when I was on crutches. Bags held in my hands would slap against the side of the crutch—throwing me off balance; and although my backpack equally distributed the things I was carrying, when full it placed quite a bit more weight on my good ankle. Using crutches left me with little energy to do other things and they were a constant reminder that I was dependent on them (and on others) to do what I had always been able to do by myself.

Then I remembered that I would not have had as much freedom of movement without them. Even though the wheel chair left my lap free to carry necessary items, it was cumbersome and required the same amount of energy to operate. It didn’t fit into small places and I needed help loading it in and out of the van in order to go anywhere outside of the church or my home. I was resigned to admit that even though I had not enjoyed relying on my crutches, I had needed them. They brought about healing. They freed me from bondage to my injury. They taught me how to be a gracious receiver.

Once again, my thoughts returned to the statement I had read. I realized that we do trust in Jesus because we know that we are “wimpy weaklings.” We can not do it all on our own and we need help in and with our lives. Understanding that there is more to life than we know about, we become aware that we are not the center of the universe.
We rely on God, because we know that God is “the be all and end all.”
We believe in Christ because through Christ comes healing. Christ frees us from the bondage of our self-centered ways, a.k.a. sin and death. Christ gives us freedom to live life abundantly—free of guilt, free of fear, free of disease regardless of the form that it takes. Christ challenges us to stand on our faith and walk with him—passionately, filled with joy, hope, and love.
And when we stumble or are thrown off balance by the challenges of this world, the Holy Spirit intercedes—teaching us how to be gracious receivers when blessings come our way.

I think I will keep those crutches for a while longer. Now that I have thought it through, they no longer remind me of my discomfort. Once I took my focus off of myself and began to think about God, I began to see those crutches in a new light. Today, they remind me that God is always there to catch me when I fall, to hold me up when I am weak, to heal me when I am broken, and to help me get back on my feet, so that I can continue to walk in faith.

Rev. Pam Beedle-Gee

March 3, 2006

God asks no more of you than you can accomplish ...

Read Exodus 4:10-17
“Moses said, ‘O Lord, please send someone else.’” Exodus 4:13

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted an old friend in the audience, and walked down the aisle to greet her.

Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose, and eventually explored his way through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE.”
When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.

In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, “Don't quit. Keep playing.” Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played – only the classic, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

Perhaps that's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't always graceful, flowing music. However, with the hand of the Master, our life's work can truly be beautiful.

The next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You may hear the voice of the Master whispering in your ear, “Don't quit. Keep playing.”

May you feel His arms around you, and know that His hands are there, helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Remember, God doesn't seem to call the equipped; rather, He equips the “called.”
[Author unknown]

Dear God,
I thank you for all your wonderful blessings. During those times when I forget, and I feel over-whelmed by the tasks before me, help me to remember that you are never more than a prayer away. Your arms will be around me, helping turn my feeble attempts into true masterpieces. Amen.

Karen Bromley

March 2, 2006

Meditation for Lent

There is silence in Heaven (Revelation 8:1) while God listens to all of our prayers; prayers of praise or despair, prayers of request or thanks, prayers of anger or serenity, prayers of joy or sadness. Not one word is lost. Our prayers are heard, the world comes into perspective, we acquire hope.

We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all – all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help. Hebrews 4:15-16

Then God answers, and your life is turned around. There is no room for control, calcula-tions, or conditions. You are forced to give up your ego and respond to God in faith. This my be against all intuition and training, but you must eventually submit yourself to God.

Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God's Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident. God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. 2 Corinthians 1:20-21

However, you need to prepare before all of this happens. Like a backpacker who spends days selecting clothing, packing food, waterproofing tents, checking the first aid kit, and studying maps. At last you are at the trail head. Up to this point, everything is under your control. Then, nothing is under your control as you meet uncertainties like weather changes, wild animals, your own endurance. You have lived by sight and experience. Now you must rely on faith. And when God answers your prayers and petitions, you must be prepared to hear His answer and follow it.

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. Hebrews 11:1-2

Ched Fine

March 1, 2006 - Ash Wednesday

Groundwork

“so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Hav-ing gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” - Romans 12:5-8 ESV

I like to sing. I have an OK voice, not great but not bad. I can’t read music, which can be a problem, so I sing soprano, even though I can’t always hit the high notes. But I like to sing and I can hear the melody (especially with Heidi standing behind me) so I sing soprano in our church choir.

When my family first joined GPUMC I really enjoyed listening to the choir. I often thought about joining but I was intimidated by the quality of the group, and my weak gifts held me back. So for several years I just listened and sang along from the pew. Then finally one Thursday night I decided to go to a rehearsal, I figured I could sit in the back and see how it went. The reception was so warm and everyone was so helpful that I came the next week. Within a few weeks I felt like I fit right in, and now I am blessed to sing my heart out to the Lord.

Being involved in choir had brought me closer to our church family too. As a matter of fact every committee I’ve been on and every job I’ve been recruited for (no matter how reluctantly) has blessed my life. GPUMC is a wonderful church full of wonderful people with a strong faith to share – many of whom I wouldn’t know if I hadn’t stepped outside of my comfort zone.

Lent is traditionally thought of as a time of preparation. The thesaurus lists “groundwork” as a synonym for “preparation”. This Lent, lay the groundwork for making a closer connection to our church; take on a challenge, join a committee, or sign up for a Bible study class. The experience of being with your Christian brothers and sisters will bring you closer to God.

Prayer: Lord let my heart be touched by someone today and let me touch someone.

Cathy Lorenz