March 27, 2016 – Easter Sunday

And Can It Be that I Should Gain

United Methodist Hymnal #363

And can it be that I should gain

an interest in the Savior's blood!

Died he for me? who caused his pain!

For me? who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be

that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Amazing love! How can it be

that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

'Tis mystery all: th' Immortal dies!

Who can explore his strange design?

In vain the firstborn seraph tries

to sound the depths of love divine.

'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;

let angel minds inquire no more.

'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;

let angel minds inquire no more.

He left his Father's throne above

(so free, so infinite his grace!),

emptied himself of all but love,

and bled for Adam's helpless race.

'Tis mercy all, immense and free,

for O my God, it found out me!

'Tis mercy all, immense and free,

for O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

fast bound in sin and nature's night;

thine eye diffused a quickening ray;

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

my chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

No condemnation now I dread;

Jesus, and all in him, is mine;

alive in him, my living Head,

and clothed in righteousness divine,

bold I approach th' eternal throne,

and claim the crown, thro' Christ my own.

Bold I approach th' eternal throne,

and claim the crown, thro' Christ my own.

Charles Wesley

March 26, 2016

Psalm 22:1-18 (ESV)

A Psalm of David.

1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2. O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
3. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8. “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
9. Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
11. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
12. Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13. they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
14. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
15. my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
16. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—
17. I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;
18. they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

March 25, 2016 – Good Friday

Behold the Savior of Mankind

United Methodist Hymnal #293

Behold the Savior of mankind

Nailed to the shameful tree!

How vast the love that Him inclined

To bleed and die for thee!

Hark how he groans while nature shakes,

And earth's strong pillars bend!

The Temple's veil in sunder breaks,

The solid marbles rend.

'Tis done; the precious ransom's paid;

"Receive my soul!" He cries.

See where He bows His sacred head;

He bows His head and dies!

But soon He'll break death's envious chain,

And in full glory shine.

O Lamb of God, was ever pain,

Was ever love, like Thine?

Samuel Wesley

March 24, 2016 – Maundy Thursday

Jesus Loves Me

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16

Music has always been a large part of my life – especially my church life. My mother and father were both musical and many evenings were spent around the piano singing – especially hymns. Actually, I have probably learned more theology from the hymnal than from the Bible!

A hymn we learn as a child is “Jesus Loves Me” (UMH 191). I have heard many people say it is their favorite hymn but believe it is only a children's hymn. Well, it is a simple melody and a short, straightforward message. But I have never viewed it as merely a children's song to be left behind with our toys and children's books. It really contains all the theology we need to know. That Jesus (God) loves us; and that we know this because the Bible – our guidebook for all things dealing with our faith – says so. As it does in many places including the familiar verse from John.

To God, we are all children – his children. And he loves us … and walks with us … and is our friend … and lights our way our entire life.

My mother, at 75, was in Henry Ford Hospital, dying from a brain tumor. Even though she did not always recognize me and could not speak much, she would sing “Jesus Loves Me” to herself. What more comforting thought could she have had at that time – Jesus loved her … always had and always will.

Prayer: Dear God, we thank you for being our friend and our comforter and our guide … for loving us always and unconditionally. Amen.

Noelle Landin

March 23, 2016

Cell Phones for Ricardo

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Ricardo was our interpreter in Haiti during our mission in 2014. The whole team formed a special bond with Ricardo. It is hard to verbalize how important Ricardo was to the success of our first visit. It could be intimidating to work in a country where no one on your team understands the local language. Ricardo would communicate all of our needs as we went about our day. He was our link and umbilical cord to the Haitian people. We were on a ship, we knew where we were going, but we didn’t know how to steer. Ricardo was with us every working minute of the day. He took a Haitian taxi from his home in Port-au-Prince and stayed at a house near us in Petit Goave.

Ricardo formed a special friendship with Nate Starkey. Ricardo was a great big, strong man and so is Nate. They performed the heavy lifting when it was required on the job site. They were both studying to become ministers. They talked together about how they both felt called to the ministry.

At the end of 2015, as we prepared for our trip, I received a series of e-mails from Ricardo. He had received his divinity degree, but had lost his first pastoral position. He was stuck in the unemployment quicksand that defines Haiti. He had heard that people in the United States have extra cell phones. He asked if we had any old, unused cell phones. Could he have an old, unused cell phone for his wife and stepmother who lives in the countryside?

I picked up a pile of old cell phones at my work place. Would they work in Haiti? I sent Ricardo a photo of the old phones. Would these help? He e-mailed back that they must be GSM. What is GSM? I didn’t have a clue. My brother Bill is a network engineer for a cell phone company. I called him. I explained Ricardo’s situation to him. What is a GSM phone? Were these old phones GSM phones? I was leaving in three days and I was running out of time.

My brother ordered three new phones on Amazon and had them express shipped. The speed of Amazon in the United States made up for the lack of shipping easily in Haiti. Ricardo’s family would now be able to communicate with his mother-in-law out in the country. She would be able to talk every day to Ricardo, to his wife Sofia, and to her beautiful granddaughter, Anna, in Port-au-Prince.

Praise be to God! How did God know how to link up my brother, who lives in San Francisco and doesn’t go to church, with Ricardo in Haiti? How did he link these two people together? How does God make the everyday wonders that allow us to survive and thrive? One small miracle at a time.

Tom Cobau

March 22, 2016

The Day Faith Told Me About; Part 6 – Our Florida Girl and the Goop Barrier

The two most important days in a person’s life are the day you’re born and the day you find out why. (Mark Twain)

Read: Romans 12:12-15

She can do Cher better than Cher; she can do Adele, Stevie Nicks, and Madonna better than Adele, Stevie Nicks, and Madonna. Her voice is the vocal trumpet of a hundred angels, a clarion call she uses to melt away the cares of those of us who come from parts near and far to celebrate life for a while. Singing and entertaining on her stage in the little postage stamp of paradise called Pelican Alley is our favorite place, and we call her, “our Florida girl”. For 30 years Renee and Tommy have entertained the patrons of their restaurant right here on the water in Nokomis, FL. We’ve been enjoying them, the outstanding seafood, and the free live entertainment here for at least half that time.

When someone is on a ventilator through a tracheotomy they’re fed through a PEG tube in the stomach. If someone is this way for 5 months or so, when it all comes out, they need to re-learn how to eat. I started Jeri on a single curd of cottage cheese and tiny bits of peach squares. We learned she had the palette of an infant and couldn’t handle anything with too much flavor. She always enjoyed a bland diet, not too much of anything too wild, but now she prefers things to taste like a screen door. She refers to condiments, spices, sauces, glazes, etc. as “Goop” I on the other hand live on these things.

During our time in hospitals that first year after we were in a catastrophic crash, there were times when Jeri would cry so much she would ask me to “just let her go” she wanted the horrible pain to end, but more than that, she couldn’t stand to see me so distraught with feelings of helplessness. It was during those times that I promised her I’d get her back to “our favorite place,” we were going to put her toes in the warm sand, we were going to see our Indian Shaman, (yes we even have and Indian Shaman praying for us) and we’re going to go see “Our Florida Girl”. It was thoughts of these people and places that got us through the worst of times.

As soon as Jeri was home, 6 months after the crash, her orthopedic surgeon wanted her in a pool to start exercising her legs since she couldn’t stand on them. Because of the multiple open wounds she still had, none of the rehab facilities would put her in one. So I built a full sized heated Therapy Pool and a custom Hoyer Lift to get her in and out of it in our barn. With Tommy & Renee singing in the background for support and a constant reminder of why we worked so hard, Jeri and I worked out for months in the pool, and she eventually learned to walk in it. When the CDs wore out, Renee sent us a complete set on the house.

Of course the first place we went when we got in town in Florida this year was Pelican Alley to reconnect and there was Renee to greet us. That night as we talked Renee asked how long it had been and I looked at my clock and realized two things. First, Jeri was literally inhaling the Seafood Mixed Grill; it’s a combination of Tuna and Cobia with a mango/curry glaze and pineapple ginger coconut crème-fraiche. Jeri had breached the “Goop Barrier.” Second I noticed it was January 18, at precisely 7:12 PM; 3 years to the minute since we were hit. Creeeeeppieeeee.

When we finished dinner the show was on, Jeri and I made our way to the dance floor, and we Danced. And we danced. We didn’t know it, but Renee had let some other people know we’d be there. At the end of one of our favorite songs she announced a “Living Miracle in the House.” A brief story from her and there was a standing ovation, we were overwhelmed. To a person, everyone in the place came over to greet us, and offer help with anything we needed while we were in town, and they all thanked us. They Thanked Us, for making it and coming back to celebrate life with them, and to put it in perspective. Not even I could make this stuff up.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the blessing of healing, and for people and places where we can all go and celebrate life and all your wonders.

Ron Draper; Jan. 26, 2016

March 21, 2016

Greetings

Read: Matthew 5:1-11

One day we were standing in line in a grocery store. The customer in line behind me greeted the cashier. "How are you?" she asked. The clerk answered, "I'm blessed."

The customer replied, "So am I."

What a perfectly wonderful exchange! Why didn't I think of that response? I am blessed. My whole family is blessed in so many ways.

When someone asks how I am – instead of "okay" or "good", I'll try to remember to reply, "I'm blessed," because I am!

Shirley Van Becelaere

March 20, 2016 – Palm Sunday

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

United Methodist Hymnal #278

Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang,

Through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang.

To Jesus, who had blessed them close folded to his breast,

The children sang their praises, the simplest and the best.

From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd,

The victor palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud.

The Lord of Earth and Heaven rode on in lowly state,

Nor scorned that little children should on his bidding wait.

"Hosanna in the highest!" that ancient song we sing,

For Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heaven our King.

O may we ever praise him with heart and life and voice,

And in his blissful presence eternally rejoice!

Jeanette Threlfall

March 19, 2016

Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this Place

Read UMH #328

Several years ago I was roped in to helping Sam Andrus with GPUMC’s involvement in Habitat for Humanity. Sam was very handy so helping him organize our work group and coordinating the activity and the worksites was easy - while he was the technical advisor (think of Sam like Doc Martin or Steve Makos). When Sam moved away, I was “promoted” into his role of leading the Habitat builds when it was GPUMC’s turn to lead a Saturday build. I found it really hard because I am a much better organizer than builder. Organizers are a skill Habitat needed, but they were much more effective when paired with some building skills.

Anyway, several years ago it was my Saturday to lead the work. It was a beautiful summer day. As I sat in our parking lot, waiting for our church workers to arrive, I was hoping no one would show and I would be able skip the leadership duties that day.

No one from our church showed.

Right as I was about to leave a man walked up to my car and tapped on the window. He asked “does this church have a shelter for homeless men?” He explained that he had just walked miles carrying what little he owned looking for a place to stay the night.

I spent the morning with him looking for a shelter that would accept him. A process that tested my patience. I cannot imagine how someone without a car, cell phone, and negotiating skill would have a chance. During our drive he shared his story, which really touched me. Eventually we found a place for him and I waited at the shelter in a rough area of the city until he was given a room.

I remember him very well to this day. I believe, although it was my plan to skip Habitat that day, I was called to help a man who needed the skills I really had to find shelter. It was something I could do. I only regret not doing more.

When I pull in to the parking lot for church, I often remember that morning and know – surely the Lord is in this place.

Mike Lorenz

March 18, 2016

Perfect Timing

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. -- Matthew 6:19-21

In comedy, timing is everything. And if God were a comic, he'd be outstanding. On a Saturday as we were leaving a friend's home in Indianapolis I realized my wallet was missing. Couldn't find it anywhere. As Joan drove us south to Bloomington to see Emily and Jordan, I made hasty cell phone calls to cancel six credit and debit cards. I also contemplated the hassle of getting a replacement drivers license, and AAA and Kroger cards. However, I barely thought about the cash I had lost. I wasn't sure how much I was carrying, but I had reassured Joan and our Indianapolis host that I wasn't concerned that much about the cash, compared to the vulnerability of the lost credit cards. Joan agreed.

Of course, when we unpacked at Emily and Jordan's the wallet reappeared from deep within a duffel bag pocket. I was grateful, dismissing the wasted time and effort canceling cards and inconvenience of waiting for replacements. I barely thought about the cash.

In fact, the next time I gave my recovered money a thought was in church the next morning. I picked up an envelope from the pew holder to make a small contribution to Bloomington First UMC, and opened my wallet to pull out a few bucks just as Pastor Mark opened the service with a teaser about the theme of his sermon. He said, "Most of us are richer than we think. Look at what you have versus what you really need – like the shoes in your closet or the food in your refrigerator. The gap between those two shows what you could give away and never really miss."

But I didn't have to think about the shoes in my closet, nor the contents of my 'fridge. The gap was there in my wallet and I was looking right at it. I couldn't deny it because I had said it myself less than 24-hours earlier, "I'm not worried about the lost cash." I had openly admitted that those ones and fives, and a few twenties had not been essential to my life. I had written them off. Said they weren't a big concern. But, there they were. Not lost. Not committed. And not really needed, at least by me.

As you might expect, God the Almighty Comic had been perfect in his timing. I almost laughed out loud as my wallet thinned and the envelope thickened.

Bob Rossbach

March 17, 2016

To the Glory of God

Read: Colossians 3:23-24

I have been lucky to have been allowed to serve on a number of GPUMC committees over the 32 years I have been a member.

Currently I am on the Finance committee, just off Outreach and also a continuing choir member.

The interesting thing is that in the past, and with the three mentioned above, there is a striking similarity in approach......the rationale by the members and leaders is truly not for self glory, but for the Glory of God. We are fortunate to have parishioners with high powered occupations, but their involvement is altruistic. Benchmarks are for quality, caring, and effectiveness, not personal aggrandizement (at least not evident in a public way).

I especially want to single out the leaders in the three activities mentioned above.

Dr. Beth Blunden has chaired Outreach for a number of years and Steve Sicklesteel has chaired Finance for about the same time. In each case, they both have led their committees of great people to excellence. Cleopatra Greenwell has successfully led the choir for over 30 years.

In Outreach, Beth has tirelessly worked to ensure that GPUMC reaches the Methodist designation called a Spotlight Church, which requires annual multiple goals to be obtained by GPUMC actions across local, regional, national, and international Methodist arenas. Of course, the committee members are vital to getting is all accomplished, but the organization and follow through of her leadership keeps it all on successfully on track.

Steve has GPUMC's monetary situation in the best position it has ever been, in spite of the Great Recession starting in 2008. His calm ability utilizing the best aspects of the committee members is a key element in his leadership. Three benchmarks especially reflect the success. One is meeting our Apportionment responsibilities, the second is reduction of the mortgage and the third is accurate financial reports. GPUMC is annually thanked by the Conference for our faithful payment of our financial duty to the Methodist system. Secondly, there is a chance that we will be able to pay off the mortgage within 2016 with a good final extra effort. The third aspect is that GPUMC's financial reporting system is accurate and carefully handled tirelessly by volunteer Laurie Stowell. The communication between her and the Committee is close, on time, and complete. Without strong finances GPUMC activities would suffer.

Cleopatra's (Patty) approach as a long standing member of GPUMC's staff is also similar to the above. Her ability to utilize the best aspects of the choir members is a key element in her leadership. Over the years the approach has changed due to the dynamic nature of choirs and music in today's world, but her commitment to excellence is unwavering. But note, the excellence commitment is repeatedly brought up by Patty to be for the Glory of God ... in fact, she mentions this fairly often (and expresses it from deep in her heart).

Sorry to single out these specific people, but let it be known that the other GPUMC arenas are similar in their success in the Glory of God. These are just the ones I have recently personally witnessed and am pleased to be of part of.

Dave DeWitt

March 16, 2016

Living Water – a Reflection for Haiti

Read: John 4:10-15

Two weeks ago, our group of ten volunteers from the Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church was working side by side with Haitians in Petit-Goâve, Haiti. Petit-Goâve is only 73 km west of Port-au-Prince via the national highway, Route Nationale 2, but it takes roughly 2 hours. Travel takes so long because the road is what can only be described as organized chaos.

The Route Nationale 2 is only two lanes wide, with one lane going east and one lane going west. Passing is a dangerous, white-knuckle inducing process, whereby your car/truck/motorcycle/tap-tap has to accelerate to near top speed to maneuver around the car/truck/motorcycle/tap-tap in front of you, all while navigating turns and avoiding oncoming traffic.

Because of a general lack of access to clean water, this precious resource had to be shipped from Port-au-Prince via truck to the house where we were staying. Upon arrival, the water is poured into a large cistern on the roof of the home. This is a significant departure from the norm in my current American life where water arrives to my home with no tangible way to quantify just how much is available.

Because of the scarcity of water, our showers had to be relatively brief. The typical routine consists of turning the shower handle and rinsing briefly – there is no awaiting the warm water to materialize, because there is no warm water. Rather, the water temperature closely approximates the ambient temperature of the environment. Once the body is wet, the water is turned off, a lather is made and then comes the second and final rinse - viola! You are clean, or as clean as you can be in Haiti.

During our trip, our team worked tirelessly. We worked shoulder to shoulder with our Haitian teammates to build a school, the Harry Brakeman College, which educates elementary and middle school aged children. The classrooms that we worked on meant that more students could be educated and have a brighter future. It was gratifying, uplifting work, but we were also filthy by the end of the day.

The cement that we threw at the ceiling by the trowel full would inevitably splatter onto our bodies. The buckets of water that we used to mix the cement would splash onto our legs. The limestone that we sifted would coat our clothes and hair. We also sweat under the hot sun and the sunscreen we used would eventually cake onto our arms, necks, and foreheads.

Our evening ritual consisted of taking a cold, short, invigorating shower. After his shower, one of our group members said, "Never has so little water done so much good". This one remark stayed with me. Something so simple as showering and leaving the water running throughout the duration of the process is a luxury in countries like Haiti.

The offhand comment also made me think of our group as the water. We, the ten of us, went to Haiti with very little in terms of physical supplies - we had boots, gloves, sunblock, bug spray, some clothing to donate, and a bag of medications. But we also brought so many intangibles - God's love, full hearts, a willingness to work.

With so little, we were able to provide full-time employment for our Haitian colleagues at the work site, medical care for close to 150 Haitians in Petit-Goâve who had no or limited access, a physical space for children to learn, to achieve their dreams of an education.

We also gave away our own clothes and some donated clothes, our own work boots and gloves, we built close relationships with the people we worked with and the families that we met and stayed with. Never has so little water done so much good.

To our congregation at the Grosse Pointe United Methodist Church – a heartfelt thank you for your unending generosity and support in this mission and others like it. You are truly the Living Water.

Paul Thomas

March 15, 2016

The Day Faith Told Me About; Part 5 Wrapping for Christ

The two most important days in a person’s life are the day you’re born and the day you find out why. (Mark Twain)

Read: Matthew 2:10-11

We’ve had a lot of help along the way in the last few years, not the least of which is from the membership at GPUMC. We’ve also had several dozen attendant care girls come to help for a while. Our favorite is Michelle. She’s closer to our age than most, and has been within 2 classes of becoming a registered nurse so she’s got a pretty good head on her shoulders. She laughs easily and doesn’t let our particular ways get to her. Jeri and I are both very detail oriented and OCD is our favorite understatement. Michelle, however, not so much. Good enough is usually a little better than good enough, which usually leads to some more of the aforementioned laughter, when most of the girls would just get mad and leave.

One day Michelle was helping Jeri wrap some Christmas gifts. Jeri was trying to explain how to wrap them so there were no wrinkles in the pretty wrapping paper and so the seams and tape wouldn’t show and how to put on a ribbon etc. Michelle usually just puts them in a pretty store bought gift bag and calls it good.

Then that little angel I’ve written about started speaking through Jeri. She started explaining to Michelle how she thinks of the person she’s wrapping this gift for while she’s wrapping it, and how she hopes they’ll respond when seeing it after removing the wrapping. She thinks of how she came to choose this gift for the person and how she envisions their using it. It’s a form of prayer for the person receiving the gift, not unlike tying a knot in a prayer quilt. It’s like any other simple labor task, and it all depends on what you put into it that determines what others will get out of it. She was no longer explaining the mechanical process of wrapping, Jeri was delivering a short sermon on the love instilled in a gift, and so the care it deserves during its final preparation. I was reminded of the old “wax on, wax off” in the Karate Kid movie. Michelle still didn’t quite get it, preferring to drop it in a bag and get to the next thing. With one last unmarked gift box to go, I asked Michelle to take particular care to wrap this one exactly the way she would like to receive a gift and see how well she could do. That one worked out pretty well, and that was a good thing because without knowing it, Michelle was wrapping the gift we had gotten for her, I had her wrap her own gift.

At the end of her last shift before Christmas, we exchanged gifts with her and also with Jeri’s nurse and her driver. Michelle laughed out loud for a while when she saw the one I handed to her. We all enjoyed a good start to Christmas and the story of the wrapping lesson gave us all something important to ponder as we celebrate the coming of our Messiah with the gift of giving.

Prayer: May we all remember those who have given to us, and we pray for our continued gifts to all who need.

Ron Draper; Christmas Day, 2015

March 14, 2016

Called to Encourage-A Cheerleader in Christ

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews10: 22-25, Philemon 4:7

And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus. Romans 15:5 GNV

A word of encouragement can be such a blessing when we are going through a difficult experience. This is especially true when there is no one to support you or serve as your advocate. Someone said: "Encouragement is like oxygen to the human spirit. Don't forget you're carrying someone else's air. Encourage them; help them breathe." We are usually so focused on our own air line, we don't think about someone else's. Yet the Bible admonishes us to be encouragers; if we follow Christ's example we won't step on someone else's air line.

So how can we be encouragers or cheerleaders in Christ?

• Acknowledge the hard work people have done, praise them.

• Offer your support when someone needs a helping hand or a boost, don't make them beg for help or leave them to struggle on their own.

• Honor people for their work-it could be a pat on the back, a party, a certificate or a public declaration of thanks.

• Don't criticize them if the job isn't perfect, focus on what was done right and help them in the future with things that can be done better.

• Pray for those who have difficult tasks to do; ask God to give them the wisdom and help they need.

• Give someone a smile, high five or applause.

In the word encourage is the word 'courage'. Think of the power Christ has given you to build up someone's courage and empower them to do great things. Ask yourself how can I give hope, confidence, help or support to someone? Am I acting in a way that would discourage or raise needless obstacles to a project or person working on making a positive change? Am I offering realistic encouragement? The benefits of encouragement go far beyond helping the person to whom the encouragement is directed. It makes you feel good and it can make a difference in the quality of life for those impacted by the actions of the person you are encouraging. It will also likely give you a group of cheerleaders to support you.

Praise God he has given us opportunities to complete his good and perfect work in us. Praise Him for those He has sent to encourage us and seek to know those opportunities when we can be encouragers or cheerleaders in Christ.

Prayer: Thank you Father for our community of faith who support and encourage us. Make us sensitive to the needs of those around us and guide us to be encouragers in your name.

Pat Deck

March 13, 2016

God of Love and God of Power

United Methodist Hymnal #578

God of love and God of power,

Grant us in this burning hour

Grace to ask these gifts of thee,

Daring hearts and spirits free.

Refrain:

God of love and God of power,

Thou hast called us for this hour.

We are not the first to be

Banished by our fears from thee;

Give us courage, let us hear

Heaven's trumpets ringing clear.

(Refrain)

All our lives belong to thee,

Thou our final loyalty;

Slaves are we whene'er we share

That devotion anywhere.

(Refrain)

God of love and God of power,

Make us worthy of this hour;

Offering lives if it's thy will,

Keeping free our spirits still.

(Refrain)

Gerald H. Kennedy

March 12, 2016

Water from a Deep Well

Read: Nehemiah 8:1-8

Our last book of devotions is my favorite book of all time. I read it each morning without reading ahead.

That was the biggest challenge!

Thanks to Charlie for putting it together. Of course we're proud of him. Thanks to all of you who wrote devotions.

If you didn't contribute this year, start thinking now about writing one for next year. Write one and give it to Charlie. Who knows, there could be a prize for being first. (Ron Draper probably is the flat out winner.) Look who's talking – I'm usually last. But start thinking and start writing.

I'm reading "Living Water from a Deep Well" again.

Shirley Van Becelaere

March 11, 2016

Bread

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Each morning I finish my daily devotions by saying the Lord's Prayer, but when I come to the above petition I do hesitate and feel I should include the word “thank-you” for providing our daily bread. When we go into the supermarket, what a choice of breads is there. I prefer to go to our local market hall where I can buy my favourite “Spelt & Honey loaf” - spelt flour is one of the oldest flours in use and is mentioned in the Old Testament.

But I am also very conscious of the millions of people in the world for whom this petition is heartfelt and desperate. Just as it was in Jesus's day – if the harvest failed or was poor in yield – there could be long periods when families would go hungry.

In January a three-part series was shown on television entitled “Victorian Bakers.” Four modern professional bakers began their journey in 1837 when they used a centuries-old method of bread-making, doing everything by hand, sweat dripping off their faces and arms into the dough! Then delivering the finished products door to door. In the 1840's the rocketing price of wheat meant making barley bread to feed the poor (John 6:9) and “crammings” which were known as Victorian chicken feed – these looked and apparently tasted disgusting. The Industrial Revolution in the 1870's brought the bakers into an urban bakery, but because manual labour was cheap, kneading was still done by hand or by using their feet. Adulterants were also added to the flour to improve the appearance and taste of the bread, much to the horror of the modern bakers. By the 1900's they had a new workplace and shop on the High Street which boasted huge steam ovens and an electric dough mixer enabling them to produce a wide range of pastries, cakes, and bread. This is only a brief résumé of three very interesting and informative programmes which only reminded me of how vital a part bread has played in our lives, and throughout Scripture we are also aware of this.

Let us not forget Jesus's words when He was tempted in the wilderness, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

“He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, gave it to them saying, 'This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.'”

Thought for the day:

Be gentle

when you touch bread,

Let it not lie

uncared for – unwanted.

So often bread

is taken for granted.

There is much beauty

in bread.

Beauty of sun and soil,

beauty of patient toil.

Winds and rains have caressed it;

Christ often blessed it.

Be gentle

when you touch bread.

– Anonymous

Dorothy Williams

The Avenue Church

Newton Abbot, England

March 10, 2016

I Thought You Must

Read: Psalm 19

On the way to work today I was looking at a huge bank of clouds along the horizon. That made it look as if I were approaching a mountain range. It was pretty much the opposite experience to one I had in Fairbanks, Alaska, where we suddenly realized that the clouds we were seeing on the horizon were actually snow-covered mountains. I like it when my perception gets turned around all of a sudden like that.

My best friend works for a veterinarian, and she tells me some great stories of what goes on at that clinic, and that clouds and mountains experience reminded me of one of them. I'm probably going to get most of the details wrong, but the details that actually matter are the ones I know I've remembered correctly.

One day a client was dropping off his cat for boarding as he prepared to leave on a short vacation. They were chatting about where he was going (Alaska!) and how beautiful it is there, especially in the summer when there's light and you can see the sights.

While talking about the beauty of nature, this client said, “I don't know if you believe in God; I do, and I really think you must too, just from the way you are with all of us and the animals.” She said she did, of course, and they talked on, wondering how anyone could look at something like Denali (or even Mt. McKinley) and think that beauty just kind of happened.

They talked about how Earth seemed to be the only planet we've found that has anything like beautiful landscapes. The others are either giant balls of gas or have rocky, forbidding vistas that invite with their differences, but not with anything like beauty.

They finally decided that God must have made Earth the way it is so we could have a taste of the beauty and joy that await us in Heaven with Him.

That's a really nice thought – that God made the Earth for our (and His!) enjoyment, and I don't doubt for a minute that that is true. However the most important thing I got from that story, and what she wasn't actually telling me, is that by her life she was letting people know that she belongs to Jesus, and that He shapes her life and her living. There was no big cross around her neck (nor on her collar), no band on her wrist, no T-shirt, nothing like that. Instead there is a life living out her faith for all to encounter and experience. Awesome.

 

Prayer: Father, thank You for making the Earth as a place where we can enjoy the beauty of Your creation. We ask that all we meet might see that beauty in nature, but more importantly in us, as Your light shines from us through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus's name. Amen

Charlie van Becelaere

March 9, 2016

Do You Have Gifts for Haiti?

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

Shortly before we left Haiti, we had a last team meeting. As with most team meetings we started with a Bible reading. The leader read the scripture above and I contemplated how we would staff our next team.

We were likely losing our two pastors. Other key members of the team would probably move on. How could we communicate the skills needed in Haiti? How could we inspire the members of the congregation to recognize the skills they had to help others?

I made a list of the skills I thought helped most during our mission.

A desire to serve others

Deep compassion for the poor

Deep compassion for children

Love and understanding of the sick

Communication skills

A love of language, familiarity with French

Medical skills

Being friendly

Being outgoing

An eagerness for new experiences

An eagerness to grow personally and spiritually

Strong organizational skills

Strong communication skills

Ability to promote our mission

An ability to connect with young people

A willingness to assist at a construction site

Leadership skills

If you have any of these skills, please consider helping our mission in the future.

Tom Cobau

March 8, 2016

The Day Faith Told Me About; Part 4 Christmas Cookies at Thanksgiving

The two most important days in a person’s life are the day you’re born and the day you find out why. (Mark Twain)

Read: James 1:12-17

I’m not sure what it was, blind faith, pure faith, denial, disbelief, the morphine drip, pure love overpowering all else, my upbringing in this church, or maybe it was as they thought; I was just plain nuts. Jeri and I had after all just survived being run into by a 3,000 lb steel object racing in head on at over 75 mph; the driver of which was passed out with his foot on the gas.

For many years Jeri would get together with her nieces, her sister-in-law Lotti, Auntie Marge, Josie-Bell, and of course her mom and they would all make their Christmas Cookies at our house around Thanksgiving. Flour and sugar and ingredients would fly everywhere, the dough for each type and batch had to be adjusted until “just right”; all under the supervision of the senior cookie makers Mom, Marge and Josie. The years passed and so did the elders; it was up to Jeri to supervise.

As I lay with a morphine drip to counter the pain of a broken hip, arm, and foot, and being black and blue all over, it took several days for the various teams of doctors to explain to me all the things that had been damaged on my wife, the most precious thing in my life. At first it was the multiple compound fractures of both femurs and the missing bone fragments, and then it was the multiple fractures of the pelvis. Then came the news of the crushed foot, the ankle that was destroyed, the broken hand, and the multiple fractures of both arms. Of course the most frightening was the multiple and open fractures of her head and face. One doctor told me her head x-ray looked like the inside of a Rice Krispie, too many fractures to even count. Of course the 2 spinal fractures, the crushed sternum and 14 broken ribs didn’t help and neither did the news that the ribs punctured her lungs and cut her liver and the never ending internal bleeding whose source was a mystery was cause for more alarm.

Through all this time I never doubted, not even for a second, my every thought was that my wife would recover and we would come to thank the Lord in His house here in GPUMC. I may have become numb to it all, I just prayed, out loud, to myself, all the while I was awake, in my sleep, all I did was pray. When the trauma team had to bear the news of more complications I would reassure them that they were not to be too concerned, “just do your best, she’ll be fine soon enough” I’d say. Then as each piece of news came in I would reassure them that they were getting all worked up over nothing, “give it time, she’ll be fine” I’d say. I learned a year later that the trauma and ER doctors had gotten some people in as bad a condition as Jeri into the ICU but had never until now seen anyone this bad leave the ICU alive.

So as I would reassure them not to worry because she’s pure Italian on one side and 100% Irish on the other and that “in 6 months or so She’ll be in here telling You what she will and won’t do," they’d walk out mumbling things like, “he’s in denial," “he didn’t understand a word we said," or “I sure hope he’s right."

One day about 10 days after the crash when I came to see her, as she still lay motionless in an induced coma, there was a young pretty blonde resident doctor who had just experienced her first ischemic stroke victim, unfortunately it was Jeri. The young doctor was all aflutter to tell me about it. She couldn’t wait to show me the CAT scans and all the dark parts of the brain that were gone now and that little light colored part there, that’s the part that may still be OK. This was all new and very exciting for her.

In 1980 Don Henley wrote a song entitled “Dirty Laundry” about the evening news anchors, and in it he mentions the “bubble headed bleach blonde who comes on at 5; she can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye.” All I could see was Don Henley’s fictitious character in this young doctor. I’d had enough. From somewhere within, “nutty Ron” came out. I wheeled around in my wheelchair and wagging my finger and flailing my arms, I explained in no uncertain terms that “I’m Not a Doctor! I can’t read a CAT scan! For all I know you’ve got the contrast set wrong and this is all OK! But I do know this, Come Thanksgiving she’s gonna be baking Christmas Cookies!!! You hear Me?!?, Christmas Cookies at Thanksgiving!!!” As someone quickly grabbed the handles of my wheelchair and wheeled me down the hall to my room, all they heard was me hollering “Christmas Cookies at Thanksgiving!!!” That’s when they sent in “the Shrink." I had a rallying call, and a new goal. They quickly determined I was nuts. I quickly determined to prove myself right; at any cost.

Ten months later, at home preparing for the first of several revision surgeries, we were planning another long stay in hospitals. With Thanksgiving only a week away, a few girls and I put the ingredients in the bowl in Jeri’s lap as she called them out while seated in her wheelchair. With ½ of one eye, the other blind, with only one hand, she mixed as best as she could. We made Christmas Cookies at Thanksgiving, put them in several Christmas Cookie tins and included cards with thanks and love, and delivered them to as many of the trauma team and ICU team as we could find. Jeri stood from her wheelchair to hand each one out to someone who saved her life. With no recollection of it, Jeri was meeting these people for the first time. To a person, they were all shocked, amazed, some cried, all were Very Happy and had wondered for months, “what ever happened to that girl with the nutty husband.” “Nutty Ron” went back where he belongs.

Blind faith, pure love, being a little nuts, having the incontrovertible belief that what one is praying for will come to pass; whatever it was, or is, I’ll continue to believe in miracles, and the Power of Prayer. Thanks to all of you for yours.

Prayer: May we always have the Faith to believe our Prayers.

Ron Draper; Christmas Day 2015

March 7, 2016

Unfinished

Read: Jeremiah 18:1-6

The general consensus is that we are all "a work in progress". We are compared to the work on a potters wheel. That comparison makes me think – as long as we are moving – we are not a finished product. If we are still moving around, it must be we have more to do. If so – what is to be completed?

In my case I thought I may have done enough, or even more than enough, because of our two kids, Charlie and Jacki. Both are doing wonderful things in their lives and in their churches. It's been a few years since they came to be – so evidently that's not enough! Looking forward – what else is in store for me?

In the near death experiences I have read, there is a remarkable similarity – regardless of age, religious affiliation or geographical location. The experiences include unimaginable colors and music and greater love than any have ever experienced. When they are told their time has not come and they must "go back" it's generally met with disappointment. They are told they have things to do and there are people who need them.

For those of us who have not had this experience, in a way we have the same message – you are still here so you have not completed God's plan for you!

Jack Van Becelaere