Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face
Here, O my Lord, I see thee face to face;
here would I touch and handle things unseen;
here grasp with firmer hand eternal grace,
and all my weariness upon thee lean.
This is the hour of banquet and of song;
this is the heavenly table spread for me;
here let me feast, and feasting, still prolong
the hallowed hour of fellowship with thee.
Here would I feed upon the bread of God,
here drink with thee the royal wine of heaven;
here would I lay aside each earthly load,
here taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven.
Too soon we rise; the symbols disappear;
the feast, though not the love, is past and gone.
The bread and wine remove; but thou art here,
nearer than ever, still my shield and sun.
Feast after feast thus comes and passes by;
yet, passing, points to the glad feast above,
giving sweet foretaste of the festal joy,
the Lamb's great bridal feast of bliss and love.
Horatius Bonar
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
February 27, 2010
Non Campus Mentis
Read: UMH #156
The new History teacher had been teaching his seventh-graders about World War II, and a test question was, "What was the largest amphibious assault of all time?"
Expecting to see "the D-Day invasion" as the answer, he found instead on one paper, "Moses and the plague of frogs."
Read: UMH #156
The new History teacher had been teaching his seventh-graders about World War II, and a test question was, "What was the largest amphibious assault of all time?"
Expecting to see "the D-Day invasion" as the answer, he found instead on one paper, "Moses and the plague of frogs."
Well, those frogs really did give Pharaoh what for, so it's nice to know that someone was paying attention in Sunday School, even if he missed the regular school lesson.
It's never fun to get one wrong, but how often do you have Bible stories come to mind in “everyday” life? It's kind of nice to have those stories in our heads, isn't it?
February 26, 2010
Be Still
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Learning to “be still” has been a journey. Being busy is more my nature than being still. I like to fill my time with activities that have a purpose and make me feel productive. Over the last few years we have moved with my husband’s work.
While we were in North Carolina, my new friend, June, shared her love of the Lord and how she spends time in relationship with Him. She would read the Bible, journal about it and write out a prayer. Journaling was something that I had not done before.
We then moved to Hawaii and a new friend, Vickia, shared a book titled Adoration. The book was about Mary and Martha. My friend would say to just “be still” like Mary at the feet of Jesus. Mary showed adoration and devotion to Jesus by choosing to spend time with Him. Our faith grows as we get to know Him more.
The church we attended in Hawaii encouraged doing daily devotions. They gave out bookmarks with a Bible reading plan for three months on it. Wow! A plan to go by; that was just what I needed to get me started on my new challenge to “be still”. It was time for me to grow in my knowledge of the Bible and my faith. The Bible verse that the church quoted a lot was Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plan to give you hope and a future.” This verse is so full of hope. I started the reading plan and discovered more promises and applications for life.
We then moved to Tennessee, where I attended the Rock Solid Bible study with three new friends that are inspiring teachers. We studied a book titled, Lord I Want to Know You. Then I met a sweet neighbor, Alice. She came out one day for our walk wearing a tee shirt that said BE STILL on the front with the rest of the verse was on the back. I wanted one immediately, but it was from a 2003 Spiritual Retreat she had been on. It was as if God was reminding me again to “be still” with Him to learn His directions for my life. I have had encouraging mentors all along the way, plus the Divine Mentor. God wants us to seek Him with all our hearts. “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Prayer: Thank you God for your Word. Help me to hear You today. I want to be still so that I may hear your marching orders for my day, my week, my life. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. IJNA
Doing daily devotions, a time to “be still” with God’s Word, gives us hope and a future as we learn to trust Him more and more.
Nancy Kent
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
Learning to “be still” has been a journey. Being busy is more my nature than being still. I like to fill my time with activities that have a purpose and make me feel productive. Over the last few years we have moved with my husband’s work.
While we were in North Carolina, my new friend, June, shared her love of the Lord and how she spends time in relationship with Him. She would read the Bible, journal about it and write out a prayer. Journaling was something that I had not done before.
We then moved to Hawaii and a new friend, Vickia, shared a book titled Adoration. The book was about Mary and Martha. My friend would say to just “be still” like Mary at the feet of Jesus. Mary showed adoration and devotion to Jesus by choosing to spend time with Him. Our faith grows as we get to know Him more.
The church we attended in Hawaii encouraged doing daily devotions. They gave out bookmarks with a Bible reading plan for three months on it. Wow! A plan to go by; that was just what I needed to get me started on my new challenge to “be still”. It was time for me to grow in my knowledge of the Bible and my faith. The Bible verse that the church quoted a lot was Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plan to give you hope and a future.” This verse is so full of hope. I started the reading plan and discovered more promises and applications for life.
We then moved to Tennessee, where I attended the Rock Solid Bible study with three new friends that are inspiring teachers. We studied a book titled, Lord I Want to Know You. Then I met a sweet neighbor, Alice. She came out one day for our walk wearing a tee shirt that said BE STILL on the front with the rest of the verse was on the back. I wanted one immediately, but it was from a 2003 Spiritual Retreat she had been on. It was as if God was reminding me again to “be still” with Him to learn His directions for my life. I have had encouraging mentors all along the way, plus the Divine Mentor. God wants us to seek Him with all our hearts. “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
Prayer: Thank you God for your Word. Help me to hear You today. I want to be still so that I may hear your marching orders for my day, my week, my life. Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening. IJNA
Doing daily devotions, a time to “be still” with God’s Word, gives us hope and a future as we learn to trust Him more and more.
Nancy Kent
February 25, 2010
AN ALL-CLEAN LENT
" … Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith; with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." - Hebrews 10:22
My grandmother observed the annual ritual of spring house-cleaning. Up came the rugs to be beaten outdoors, curtains washed" and stretched, windows and furniture polished, floors scrubbed, and every drawer and cupboard cleaned and straightened. My parents for many years did a similar ritual: washing walls and ceilings and curtains, cleaning rugs and carpets and upholstery, waxing furniture. I can still remember the fresh, clean aroma of a special cleaner "they purchased at Hudson’s. Before clean-burning furnaces, washers and dryers, and vacuum cleaners, spring cleaning was a necessary chore after the need for wood and coal stoves was past and warmer weather permitted more washing and drying outside. I have a 90-year-old friend who still cleans her house from top to bottom every spring! And I must admit I rather miss the feeling of satisfaction in having - at least briefly - an all clean house. As a major in Home Economics/Field Service at Albion College, I put together a sample hand-out booklet titled "AN "ALL" -CLEAN SPRING" promoting the cleaning product "ALL" for a senior project.
The Eastern Orthodox Church begins Lent on the Monday before Ash Wednesday when traditionally the faithful cleanse their souls by penance and scrub their cooking utensils clean to remove all -traces of meat and fat, which are forbidden during Lent. Before Passover many Orthodox Jews clean out all their kitchen cupboards, throwing away any forbidden foods and making sure all the dishes are clean and kosher.
"Spring-cleaning can also be psycho1ogical, a time-out to confront the emotional clutter that has accumulated in your mental closet. It's a time for introspection, a mid-course "correction for ordinary people "in ordinary stressful lives" (-Abigail Trafford, quoted in "Simple Abundance" by Susan Breathnack). Perhaps Lent should be a spring-cleaning - not of our wood and brick houses, but of our flesh and blood houses - out hearts, minds, and souls.
The psalmist writes, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalm 51:2). On our Lenten journey, let's make time to do some internal spring cleaning and then let God take over.
"If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -1 John 1:9
Noelle Landin
" … Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith; with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." - Hebrews 10:22
My grandmother observed the annual ritual of spring house-cleaning. Up came the rugs to be beaten outdoors, curtains washed" and stretched, windows and furniture polished, floors scrubbed, and every drawer and cupboard cleaned and straightened. My parents for many years did a similar ritual: washing walls and ceilings and curtains, cleaning rugs and carpets and upholstery, waxing furniture. I can still remember the fresh, clean aroma of a special cleaner "they purchased at Hudson’s. Before clean-burning furnaces, washers and dryers, and vacuum cleaners, spring cleaning was a necessary chore after the need for wood and coal stoves was past and warmer weather permitted more washing and drying outside. I have a 90-year-old friend who still cleans her house from top to bottom every spring! And I must admit I rather miss the feeling of satisfaction in having - at least briefly - an all clean house. As a major in Home Economics/Field Service at Albion College, I put together a sample hand-out booklet titled "AN "ALL" -CLEAN SPRING" promoting the cleaning product "ALL" for a senior project.
The Eastern Orthodox Church begins Lent on the Monday before Ash Wednesday when traditionally the faithful cleanse their souls by penance and scrub their cooking utensils clean to remove all -traces of meat and fat, which are forbidden during Lent. Before Passover many Orthodox Jews clean out all their kitchen cupboards, throwing away any forbidden foods and making sure all the dishes are clean and kosher.
"Spring-cleaning can also be psycho1ogical, a time-out to confront the emotional clutter that has accumulated in your mental closet. It's a time for introspection, a mid-course "correction for ordinary people "in ordinary stressful lives" (-Abigail Trafford, quoted in "Simple Abundance" by Susan Breathnack). Perhaps Lent should be a spring-cleaning - not of our wood and brick houses, but of our flesh and blood houses - out hearts, minds, and souls.
The psalmist writes, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalm 51:2). On our Lenten journey, let's make time to do some internal spring cleaning and then let God take over.
"If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." -1 John 1:9
Noelle Landin
February 24, 2010
Listen!!
The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli’s direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen. One night Eli was sound asleep. It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of God where the Chest of God rested.
Then God called out, “Samuel, Samuel!” [I Samuel 3:1-4]. Samuel thought that Eli was calling him. God called four times before Samuel understood.
One day long ago, God’s Word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”
But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish -- as far away from God as he could get. [Jonah 1:1-3]
The Bible teaches that God has a plan for each of us, a task that uses our particular, special talents. But what is that task? Samuel was chosen to clean up the Temple and lead Israel. Jonah was chosen to preach God’s judgment to the people of Nineveh. The Bible teaches us to listen for God’s call.
I listened, and heard nothing.
I prayed for years and heard nothing.
Finally I heard a quiet whisper that contained the germ of an idea. Slowly that whisper grew into a loud, clear assignment.
I thanked God for answering my prayers. Then I heard God laugh and say, “I answered every day from your first prayer. The hardest part was cleaning out your ears so you could hear me.”
Dear Lord, help me to hear you speak to me. Grant me the patience to listen for your words, the quiet to hear when you speak and the faith to follow your command.
Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth thou sendest clear;
And while the wave-notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
Ready my God they will to see;
Open my ears, Illumine me, Spirit divine!
Ched Fine
The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli’s direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen. One night Eli was sound asleep. It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of God where the Chest of God rested.
Then God called out, “Samuel, Samuel!” [I Samuel 3:1-4]. Samuel thought that Eli was calling him. God called four times before Samuel understood.
One day long ago, God’s Word came to Jonah, Amittai’s son: “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They’re in a bad way and I can’t ignore it any longer.”
But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from God. He went down to the port of Joppa and found a ship headed for Tarshish. He paid the fare and went on board, joining those going to Tarshish -- as far away from God as he could get. [Jonah 1:1-3]
The Bible teaches that God has a plan for each of us, a task that uses our particular, special talents. But what is that task? Samuel was chosen to clean up the Temple and lead Israel. Jonah was chosen to preach God’s judgment to the people of Nineveh. The Bible teaches us to listen for God’s call.
I listened, and heard nothing.
I prayed for years and heard nothing.
Finally I heard a quiet whisper that contained the germ of an idea. Slowly that whisper grew into a loud, clear assignment.
I thanked God for answering my prayers. Then I heard God laugh and say, “I answered every day from your first prayer. The hardest part was cleaning out your ears so you could hear me.”
Dear Lord, help me to hear you speak to me. Grant me the patience to listen for your words, the quiet to hear when you speak and the faith to follow your command.
Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth thou sendest clear;
And while the wave-notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
Ready my God they will to see;
Open my ears, Illumine me, Spirit divine!
Ched Fine
February 23, 2010
"A little child shall lead them"
Read Isaiah 11:1-6
A few years back during the busy Advent season, I was running through the church picking up trash. In my mind I was yelling, "For goodness sake! Why is it so difficult for people to pick up after themselves? Styrofoam cups, napkins, pencils, mugs, etc were all over the building. People had left coats, and a mitten or two along with an umbrella and a hat. Someone's eyeglasses were on a table.
There is enough to do getting ready for Christmas Day besides picking up trash other than my own. I still had shopping, baking, wrapping, and cleaning to do. There was no luxury of getting it all done Christmas Eve as I was committed to sing in the choir for two services, and our children were in a third.
Upon entering the Great Hall I saw a gold envelope, the kind we use for special offerings, lying under the manager with baby Jesus on the piano. There it was again, trash! Picking up the envelope I noticed a child had colored a rainbow on one side, and on the other were two beautiful flowers planted in a garden complete with sun and clouds. By the flowers, the words "I love you Jesus" were printed in pen. Below in the grass were the words, "From: Faith, To: Jesus.” I had discovered a letter inside. There was a red heart that covered the whole page and inside the heart was a picture of baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. I knew it was Jesus as it was labeled. There was another salutation that stated: "To: Jesus, From: Faith, I love you Jesus.”
What a wonderful gift had been left under the manger for the baby Jesus. This child named Faith had created a beautiful portrait of how she envisioned the baby Jesus and sent it to Him. By finding the envelope and reading the message Faith had reminded me of the greatest gift God had given us, His Son. The letter made me pause and reconsider all that I was doing for Advent and why. Faith had led me to renew my faith.
Lynn Van de Putte
Read Isaiah 11:1-6
A few years back during the busy Advent season, I was running through the church picking up trash. In my mind I was yelling, "For goodness sake! Why is it so difficult for people to pick up after themselves? Styrofoam cups, napkins, pencils, mugs, etc were all over the building. People had left coats, and a mitten or two along with an umbrella and a hat. Someone's eyeglasses were on a table.
There is enough to do getting ready for Christmas Day besides picking up trash other than my own. I still had shopping, baking, wrapping, and cleaning to do. There was no luxury of getting it all done Christmas Eve as I was committed to sing in the choir for two services, and our children were in a third.
Upon entering the Great Hall I saw a gold envelope, the kind we use for special offerings, lying under the manager with baby Jesus on the piano. There it was again, trash! Picking up the envelope I noticed a child had colored a rainbow on one side, and on the other were two beautiful flowers planted in a garden complete with sun and clouds. By the flowers, the words "I love you Jesus" were printed in pen. Below in the grass were the words, "From: Faith, To: Jesus.” I had discovered a letter inside. There was a red heart that covered the whole page and inside the heart was a picture of baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. I knew it was Jesus as it was labeled. There was another salutation that stated: "To: Jesus, From: Faith, I love you Jesus.”
What a wonderful gift had been left under the manger for the baby Jesus. This child named Faith had created a beautiful portrait of how she envisioned the baby Jesus and sent it to Him. By finding the envelope and reading the message Faith had reminded me of the greatest gift God had given us, His Son. The letter made me pause and reconsider all that I was doing for Advent and why. Faith had led me to renew my faith.
Lynn Van de Putte
February 22, 2010
The Reason for the Season
Read: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 15:1-11
Even with all the commercialism of Christmas – it starts right after Halloween, or maybe even before – still we see and hear sometimes, "Jesus is the Reason for the Season".
Now the Season is Lent, and Jesus is the reason for this season. He was born for us - lived for us - and died for us!
As we go through this holy season of Lent, we can't imagine such sacrifice. God sacrificed his Son for us. Jesus gave His life for us. We are blessed beyond belief.
Jesus is the reason for the season.
Shirley Van Becelaere
Read: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 15:1-11
Even with all the commercialism of Christmas – it starts right after Halloween, or maybe even before – still we see and hear sometimes, "Jesus is the Reason for the Season".
Now the Season is Lent, and Jesus is the reason for this season. He was born for us - lived for us - and died for us!
As we go through this holy season of Lent, we can't imagine such sacrifice. God sacrificed his Son for us. Jesus gave His life for us. We are blessed beyond belief.
Jesus is the reason for the season.
Shirley Van Becelaere
February 21, 2010
Take Time to Be Holy
Take time to be holy,
speak oft with thy Lord;
abide in him always,
and feed on his word.
Make friends of God's children,
help those who are weak,
forgetting in nothing
his blessing to seek.
Take time to be holy,
the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret
with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus,
like him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct
his likeness shall see.
Take time to be holy,
let him be thy guide,
and run not before him,
whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow,
still follow the Lord,
and, looking to Jesus,
still trust in his word.
Take time to be holy,
be calm in thy soul,
each thought and each motive
beneath his control.
Thus led by his spirit
to fountains of love,
thou soon shalt be fitted
for service above.
William D. Longstaff
Take time to be holy,
speak oft with thy Lord;
abide in him always,
and feed on his word.
Make friends of God's children,
help those who are weak,
forgetting in nothing
his blessing to seek.
Take time to be holy,
the world rushes on;
spend much time in secret
with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus,
like him thou shalt be;
thy friends in thy conduct
his likeness shall see.
Take time to be holy,
let him be thy guide,
and run not before him,
whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow,
still follow the Lord,
and, looking to Jesus,
still trust in his word.
Take time to be holy,
be calm in thy soul,
each thought and each motive
beneath his control.
Thus led by his spirit
to fountains of love,
thou soon shalt be fitted
for service above.
William D. Longstaff
February 20, 2010
Rejecting Rejection
Read: Luke 18:1-8
Dear [Interviewer's Name]:
Thank you for your letter of the 13th.
After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me employment with your firm. This year I have had been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.
Despite your firm's outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet with my needs at this time. Therefore, I will initiate employment with your firm immediately following graduation. I look forward to seeing you then.
Best of luck in rejecting future candidates.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
.
Read: Luke 18:1-8
Dear [Interviewer's Name]:
Thank you for your letter of the 13th.
After careful consideration, I regret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer me employment with your firm. This year I have had been particularly fortunate in receiving an unusually large number of rejection letters. With such a varied and promising field of candidates, it is impossible for me to accept all refusals.
Despite your firm's outstanding qualifications and previous experience in rejecting applicants, I find that your rejection does not meet with my needs at this time. Therefore, I will initiate employment with your firm immediately following graduation. I look forward to seeing you then.
Best of luck in rejecting future candidates.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
.
What might happen if we were really persistent in prayer? in study? in praise? in worship? in generosity? inconceivable? I hope not!
P.S. - if you try this method, please let me know how it works.
February 17-19, 2010 - Ash Wednesday - Friday
This story is a wonderful way to start our Lenten journey, and it’s well worth reading a few times, so let’s start with three times, shall we? btw - if anyone knows who wrote this, we'd love to know and to give credit here.
Daniel’s Gloves
I sat with two friends in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.
As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, 'I will work for food.' My heart sank.
I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.
We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call for some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.
Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: 'Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square.'
Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.
I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.
'Looking for the pastor?' I asked.
'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.'
'Have you eaten today?'
'Oh, I ate something early this morning.'
'Would you like to have lunch with me?'
'Do you have some work I could do for you?'
'No work,' I replied 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'
'Sure,' he replied with a smile.
As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?'
' St. Louis '
'Where you from?'
'Oh, all over; mostly Florida ..'
'How long you been walking?'
'Fourteen years,' came the reply.
I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.'
Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences.. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment.. A concert, he thought.
He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God
'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'
'Ever think of stopping?' I asked.
'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.'
I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?'
'What?'
'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?'
'Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me.'
My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused He turned to me and said, 'Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you.. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.'
I felt as if we were on holy ground. 'Could you use another Bible?' I asked.
He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite.. 'I've read through it 14 times,' he said.
'I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see' I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.
'Where are you headed from here?' I asked.
'Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.'
'Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?'
'No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next.'
He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.
'Would you sign my autograph book?' he asked.. 'I like to keep messages from folks I meet.'
I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, 'I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.'
'Thanks, man,' he said. 'I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you.'
'I know,' I said, 'I love you, too.' 'The Lord is good!'
'Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?' I asked.
A long time,' he replied
And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed.. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, 'See you in the New Jerusalem.'
'I'll be there!' was my reply.
He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, 'When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'
'You bet,' I shouted back, 'God bless.'
'God bless.' And that was the last I saw of him.
Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them.... a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.
Then I remembered his words: 'If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'
Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office.. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. 'See you in the New Jerusalem,' he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will...
'I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.'
Author Unknown, submitted by Carolyn Franklin
Daniel’s Gloves
I sat with two friends in the picture window of a quaint restaurant just off the corner of the town-square. The food and the company were both especially good that day.
As we talked, my attention was drawn outside, across the street. There, walking into town, was a man who appeared to be carrying all his worldly goods on his back. He was carrying, a well-worn sign that read, 'I will work for food.' My heart sank.
I brought him to the attention of my friends and noticed that others around us had stopped eating to focus on him. Heads moved in a mixture of sadness and disbelief.
We continued with our meal, but his image lingered in my mind. We finished our meal and went our separate ways. I had errands to do and quickly set out to accomplish them. I glanced toward the town square, looking somewhat halfheartedly for the strange visitor. I was fearful, knowing that seeing him again would call for some response. I drove through town and saw nothing of him. I made some purchases at a store and got back in my car.
Deep within me, the Spirit of God kept speaking to me: 'Don't go back to the office until you've at least driven once more around the square.'
Then with some hesitancy, I headed back into town. As I turned the square's third corner, I saw him. He was standing on the steps of the store front church, going through his sack.
I stopped and looked; feeling both compelled to speak to him, yet wanting to drive on. The empty parking space on the corner seemed to be a sign from God: an invitation to park. I pulled in, got out and approached the town's newest visitor.
'Looking for the pastor?' I asked.
'Not really,' he replied, 'just resting.'
'Have you eaten today?'
'Oh, I ate something early this morning.'
'Would you like to have lunch with me?'
'Do you have some work I could do for you?'
'No work,' I replied 'I commute here to work from the city, but I would like to take you to lunch.'
'Sure,' he replied with a smile.
As he began to gather his things, I asked some surface questions. Where you headed?'
' St. Louis '
'Where you from?'
'Oh, all over; mostly Florida ..'
'How long you been walking?'
'Fourteen years,' came the reply.
I knew I had met someone unusual. We sat across from each other in the same restaurant I had left earlier. His face was weathered slightly beyond his 38 years. His eyes were dark yet clear, and he spoke with an eloquence and articulation that was startling. He removed his jacket to reveal a bright red T-shirt that said, 'Jesus is The Never Ending Story.'
Then Daniel's story began to unfold. He had seen rough times early in life. He'd made some wrong choices and reaped the consequences.. Fourteen years earlier, while backpacking across the country, he had stopped on the beach in Daytona. He tried to hire on with some men who were putting up a large tent and some equipment.. A concert, he thought.
He was hired, but the tent would not house a concert but revival services, and in those services he saw life more clearly. He gave his life over to God
'Nothing's been the same since,' he said, 'I felt the Lord telling me to keep walking, and so I did, some 14 years now.'
'Ever think of stopping?' I asked.
'Oh, once in a while, when it seems to get the best of me But God has given me this calling. I give out Bibles That's what's in my sack. I work to buy food and Bibles, and I give them out when His Spirit leads.'
I sat amazed. My homeless friend was not homeless. He was on a mission and lived this way by choice. The question burned inside for a moment and then I asked: 'What's it like?'
'What?'
'To walk into a town carrying all your things on your back and to show your sign?'
'Oh, it was humiliating at first. People would stare and make comments. Once someone tossed a piece of half-eaten bread and made a gesture that certainly didn't make me feel welcome. But then it became humbling to realize that God was using me to touch lives and change people's concepts of other folks like me.'
My concept was changing, too. We finished our dessert and gathered his things. Just outside the door, he paused He turned to me and said, 'Come Ye blessed of my Father and inherit the kingdom I've prepared for you.. For when I was hungry you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me drink, a stranger and you took me in.'
I felt as if we were on holy ground. 'Could you use another Bible?' I asked.
He said he preferred a certain translation. It traveled well and was not too heavy. It was also his personal favorite.. 'I've read through it 14 times,' he said.
'I'm not sure we've got one of those, but let's stop by our church and see' I was able to find my new friend a Bible that would do well, and he seemed very grateful.
'Where are you headed from here?' I asked.
'Well, I found this little map on the back of this amusement park coupon.'
'Are you hoping to hire on there for awhile?'
'No, I just figure I should go there. I figure someone under that star right there needs a Bible, so that's where I'm going next.'
He smiled, and the warmth of his spirit radiated the sincerity of his mission. I drove him back to the town-square where we'd met two hours earlier, and as we drove, it started raining. We parked and unloaded his things.
'Would you sign my autograph book?' he asked.. 'I like to keep messages from folks I meet.'
I wrote in his little book that his commitment to his calling had touched my life. I encouraged him to stay strong. And I left him with a verse of scripture from Jeremiah, 'I know the plans I have for you, declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you a future and a hope.'
'Thanks, man,' he said. 'I know we just met and we're really just strangers, but I love you.'
'I know,' I said, 'I love you, too.' 'The Lord is good!'
'Yes, He is. How long has it been since someone hugged you?' I asked.
A long time,' he replied
And so on the busy street corner in the drizzling rain, my new friend and I embraced, and I felt deep inside that I had been changed.. He put his things on his back, smiled his winning smile and said, 'See you in the New Jerusalem.'
'I'll be there!' was my reply.
He began his journey again. He headed away with his sign dangling from his bedroll and pack of Bibles. He stopped, turned and said, 'When you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'
'You bet,' I shouted back, 'God bless.'
'God bless.' And that was the last I saw of him.
Late that evening as I left my office, the wind blew strong. The cold front had settled hard upon the town. I bundled up and hurried to my car. As I sat back and reached for the emergency brake, I saw them.... a pair of well-worn brown work gloves neatly laid over the length of the handle. I picked them up and thought of my friend and wondered if his hands would stay warm that night without them.
Then I remembered his words: 'If you see something that makes you think of me, will you pray for me?'
Today his gloves lie on my desk in my office.. They help me to see the world and its people in a new way, and they help me remember those two hours with my unique friend and to pray for his ministry. 'See you in the New Jerusalem,' he said. Yes, Daniel, I know I will...
'I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.'
Author Unknown, submitted by Carolyn Franklin
Introduction - 2010
At last, a Lent that doesn’t start early in the year, that doesn’t sneak up on us before we have a chance to finish, or at least to start writing those devotions we’ve been storing up since last Easter.
What’s that? I seem to be dreaming, don’t I? Well at least there were plenty of books available on that last Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Oh, wait ....
Sadly, the calendar simply didn’t cooperate with me this year, and there wasn’t quite the creative “outreach” [you may prefer to think of it as “begging” or “badgering”] of previous years. No endless harangues, no threats of “this page left blank courtesy of,” nor even purple Lenten Stockings hung in the hallway with care.
This translated into not very many submissions for this year’s book during the normal collection phase.
After eleven of these books, is it time to take a year off? Are we burned out from all this writing? Should we just do a book of classics?
Wait a minute. That’s what we did last year - a few new ones and a bunch of favourites from the past. How many times can people read about my coffee addiction, after all?
So, nothing was published - at least not on time - and yet, the devotions continued to trickle in, and we decided that we couldn’t miss out on some of these moments of sharing. So, a quick drag through the hymnal, a search through old emails, and - voila! - we have an all-new Lenten Devotion book.
I thank all of you who helped, cajoled, threatened, and wrote for this excellent effort.
Just as in the past eleven years, it seems only appropriate to repeat the introduction from our congregation's first book of devotions of more than thirty years ago:
Keeping a true Lent requires us to be vigilant in many ways: in prayer, study, worship, sacrifice, giving, meditation, and fellowship.
One or all may take precedence, depending upon our daily commitments. From these devotions, lovingly prepared, may you find a well spring of faith to renew and sustain you, so that the Glorious Triumph that is Easter will remain with you always.
The Lenten Committee
Again, we can but say, “Amen.”
Charlie van Becelaere, Editor
What’s that? I seem to be dreaming, don’t I? Well at least there were plenty of books available on that last Sunday before Ash Wednesday. Oh, wait ....
Sadly, the calendar simply didn’t cooperate with me this year, and there wasn’t quite the creative “outreach” [you may prefer to think of it as “begging” or “badgering”] of previous years. No endless harangues, no threats of “this page left blank courtesy of
This translated into not very many submissions for this year’s book during the normal collection phase.
After eleven of these books, is it time to take a year off? Are we burned out from all this writing? Should we just do a book of classics?
Wait a minute. That’s what we did last year - a few new ones and a bunch of favourites from the past. How many times can people read about my coffee addiction, after all?
So, nothing was published - at least not on time - and yet, the devotions continued to trickle in, and we decided that we couldn’t miss out on some of these moments of sharing. So, a quick drag through the hymnal, a search through old emails, and - voila! - we have an all-new Lenten Devotion book.
I thank all of you who helped, cajoled, threatened, and wrote for this excellent effort.
Just as in the past eleven years, it seems only appropriate to repeat the introduction from our congregation's first book of devotions of more than thirty years ago:
Keeping a true Lent requires us to be vigilant in many ways: in prayer, study, worship, sacrifice, giving, meditation, and fellowship.
One or all may take precedence, depending upon our daily commitments. From these devotions, lovingly prepared, may you find a well spring of faith to renew and sustain you, so that the Glorious Triumph that is Easter will remain with you always.
The Lenten Committee
Again, we can but say, “Amen.”
Charlie van Becelaere, Editor
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