April 16, 2017 – Easter Sunday

Now the Green Blade Riseth -UMH #311

Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many years has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

In the grave they laid Him, Love whom we had slain,
Thinking that He’d never wake to life again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

Up He sprang at Easter, like the risen grain,
He that for three days in the grave had lain;
Up from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

When our hearts are saddened, grieving or in pain,
By Your touch You call us back to life again;
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

John Macleod Campbell Crum


Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

John 20 – English Standard Version (ESV)

April 15, 2017

Psalm 22:1-15
To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
    and by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are holy,
    enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted;
    they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were rescued;
    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,
    scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
    they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
    let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
    you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
On you was I cast from my birth,
    and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Be not far from me,
    for trouble is near,
    and there is none to help.

Many bulls encompass me;
    strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
    like a ravening and roaring lion.

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;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
    and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
    you lay me in the dust of death.

April 14, 2017 – Good Friday

Why Me, Lord?
Read: Ephesians 2:8-10

I think about the apostle Peter during Lent. The story of Peter’s denial of Jesus, not once but three times is heartbreaking. Peter, who played such a prominent role among the disciples, succumbed to fear and turned his back on Jesus in his time of need. I often think that I too would have buckled as Peter did. Yet Christ did not give up on Peter. Peter went on to do the very hard and dangerous work of helping to build the foundation for the Christian church. Just as Christ did not give up on Peter, he does not give up on us. He is counting on us to continue our faith journey.

The other day, I saw a performance of the Kris Kristofferson song “Why Me Lord?” by Cece Winans. This song always touches me, but her version really got to me. It occurred to me that others ask the question “Why me Lord?” as Peter most certainly did. We are constantly reminded and humbled by the amazing grace granted to us. Like Peter, and like the author of the song, we question our worthiness for such grace. But that is the thing, the grace is given, we don’t really earn it.

Why me Lord
What have I ever done
To deserve even one
Of the blessings I've known
Why me Lord
What did I ever do
That was worth love from you
And the kindness you've shown

Lord help me, Jesus
I've wasted it so
Help me, Jesus
I know what I am
Now that I know
That I've needed you so
Help me, Jesus
My soul's in your hand

Try me Lord
If you think there's a way
That I can repay
What I've taken from you
Maybe Lord
I can show someone else
What I've been through myself
On my way back to you

Lord help me, Jesus
I've wasted it so
Help me, Jesus
I know what I am
Now that I know
That I've needed you so
Help me, Jesus
My soul's in your hand
Jesus
My soul's in your hand

Nancy Grose

April 13, 2017 – Maundy Thursday

The Spaces Between the Notes
Read: 1 Samuel 3:8-11

J.D. Crowe is one of the greatest banjo players ever. He was asked what made his playing different or special, and his reply was that you can’t just play as fast as you can, with as many runs as you can fit in; you also have to pay attention to the spaces between the notes.

That’s one of the things we always have to work on in choir as we learn new music. The composers put rests in the music for a reason, and if we sing through the rests, we’re not really doing what we’re supposed to; we have to listen for the spaces between the notes.

In fact, we usually have to listen to the spaces between the notes, because either another section is singing something we’ll need to echo or complement, or the accompaniment is leading us to the next part we’re to sing.
Listening is a big part of singing.

That’s a lot like prayer too, isn’t it? Just as the rests in music tell us where to stop so we can listen to the phrases, we need to pause and listen for God’s reply as we pray. Look at so many of the Psalms where you find the word “Selah” between sections. That’s our prompt to pause in the psalm, to stop and think about what we’re reading and saying, to give a little space in our talking so we can do some listening. We can get going, telling God what we need, or thanking Him for what we have, or asking for help for others, but if we don’t leave some space to listen, we’re not really praying.
Listening is a big part of praying.

Prayer: Father, help us to remember that prayer can be a conversation, and that we need to stop from time to time and listen for Your reply. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Charlie van Becelaere

April 12, 2017

Something To Think About
Read: Matthew 25:34-40

Since my retirement, one of my volunteer activities has been serving on the Board of Directors of the Methodist Children’s Home Society. MCHS was established by S. S. Kresge in 1917, and we are celebrating our 100th anniversary in October of 2017. MCHS was begun as a home for orphans and homeless kids, but we now have expanded to foster care and adoption.

While supporting MCHS, we also have an interest in other shelters across the US who help children and homeless kids. Many of these children’s lives are affected by drugs, alcohol, and abuse.

This past Christmas we received a letter from an East Coast shelter by the name of Covenant House. The letter written by its president, Mr. Kevin Ryan, is a follows:

Dear Friend,
Every Christmas Eve at our Covenant House shelters for homeless kids is special: but there is one I can't ever forget…. It was just after dark, and I had gathered with the kids and staff at one of the shelters.  We formed a circle to mark the night together in prayer and thanksgiving for one another, and the gift of God's love in the world. 

Two of our Faith Community volunteers were playing guitar and singing Silent Night as a prelude to our services, when a shadow appeared outside the window, and lingered. The lighting was poor and it was hard to see who was there.  The figure was hooded and hunched over.  He stood there, looking in, for more than ten minutes. 

I left our circle, walked past the manger and the Christmas tree, and went out the front door to see who was standing there.  

As I approached, I could tell it was a boy, maybe 16 or 17 years old. He had dark circles under his eyes – he looked exhausted. 

"Hi there," I said and offered a handshake. "I'm Kevin, what's your name?" 

"Jeremiah." His smile was forced, but he was trying.  

"Want to come inside, Jeremiah?" I asked.

He hesitated, not making eye contact, just gently shaking his head back and forth.  "Nah, I'm alright. I'm fine here," he said tentatively. 

"Well you don't look alright.  You look tired.  Come inside -we have some hot chocolate and Christmas cookies," I offered. But he didn't move.  In my book, something has to be really wrong to tum down cookies and hot chocolate on Christmas Eve. 

"Look, they're right there," and I pointed inside to the table with Christmas goodies.  "Come in from the dark and take a load off." 

"How much you charge?" he asked, his face filled with skepticism.  "I only have $26 on me and I need it. I have to find a place to stay and something to eat, and I need my money." 

"We don't charge anything, Jeremiah.  Come inside Covenant House with me, okay?"  I turned to walk inside, trusting he'd follow, and he did, but slowly. 

I held the door for him as we entered, and we could hear the chorus singing the refrain of Silent Night. The music stopped Jeremiah in his tracks. 

"My momma used to sing that song on Christmas." He appeared lost in the memory.
"Where is your mom, Jeremiah?" I asked. 

And he took out his wallet and unfolded a faded, creased Polaroid of a young woman with two small children and a mall Santa in front of a cardboard chimney. 

"That's me," he said, pointing to the little boy on Santa's right knee. "That's my brother Ty," he said, pointing to the other toddler, "and that's Momma." Perfect smiles all of them, even the little ones. 

"She died. She had breast cancer, 6 years ago."  He said it matter-of-factly, as if he'd said it 100 times before.  But something in the way he squinted his eyes betrayed the pain that his words did not. 

"How about Ty?" I asked. 

"We went into foster care and got split up. He lives in a group house somewhere. I haven't seen him in a while." 

"Where have you been staying?" I asked. 

But he had stopped listening to me.  Jeremiah's gaze was fixed on the circle of kids, donors and staff singing Christmas hymns.  He bowed his head and started to shake a bit.  His voice broke. 

"I got nobody mister. It's Christmas and I got nobody." His eyes had filled, and the tears were starting to spill down his cheeks.  (Tragically, there are thousands of kids like Jeremiah who "have nobody." Every year, more than 51,000 homeless kids come to our shelters.) 

I asked Jeremiah if he wanted something to eat or whether he needed to rest, but he was intent on the circle and its music. 

Then, Father Placid, our chaplain for more than 20 years, invited us into the circle by saying, "Let's gather together and make room for everyone in our circle." 

We sang, we read prayers, and offered one another a "sign of peace," a handshake to express our commitment to one another. Jeremiah took my hand and for the first time made eye contact. "I have nowhere to be right now," he said. '"Nowhere. I don't belong in the world." 

"Yes, you do, Jeremiah. Right here," I replied. "Peace son." 

"Peace," he whispered. 

After services we talked, and ate cookies and apples and turkey sandwiches (in that order, forgive me!) He started to relax a bit. We watched the kids open presents from our donors. And, Jeremiah received some unexpected gifts as well -a backpack, sneakers and a sweater. 

We sang carols, slurped hot chocolate and stayed grateful to be sharing this night inside -in the light and out of the dark of winter. 

As Jeremiah and I teased each other about who was going to win the Super Bowl, my cell phone rang.  Since it was late and the number was from our shelter in New Jersey, I was worried something was amiss.  It was. 

“Someone stole the kids' Christmas presents," our New Jersey shelter director told me. "They broke in through the back windows and took it all." 

God forgive me, but my first reaction was rage.  Who steals from homeless kids on Christmas Eve?  Where could we find new presents for kids after midnight?  How much was it going to cost to fix the broken windows? 

It took me a moment to calm down, and Jeremiah noticed how upset I was.  I explained the situation to him and made sure he was in the capable care of our shelter team before telling him that I needed to speak with our Covenant House New Jersey team and the police. 

"Here," Jeremiah said. "Take this." 

He had opened his wallet and taken out the $26, handing it to me.  "They need it more than I do." 

My friends sometimes call me Cryin' Ryan for a reason.  At that moment I was undone by the giant generosity of this sweet, broke kid who emptied his pockets to bring Christmas to other homeless kids he'd never met. 

And you know what really makes this story so special? There are hundreds of other boys and girls in our shelter tonight who are every bit as good ... every bit as innocent and every bit as deserving of our love and support as Jeremiah.

Kevin closes the letter with an appeal for help in running their shelters and allowing children to have the love and dignity they deserve.

Something to think about.
Doug Ross, Sr.

April 11, 2017

Why Me Why – Part 5

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

I’m not rightly sure how to conclude. So much more to say, but nothing seems adequate.

I think the hurt of loss is a sign of how much who or what we’ve lost meant to us; it’s the price we pay for having our loved ones. The price is so high because it’s worth it. Our friends and family are worth it. The hurt of struggling on and recovering if you’re given the chance is worth it. After you’ve been dead a time or two as Jeri was, or close to it as I’ve been, it’s really hard to have a bad day.

We’ve all lost loved ones before, but it never gets any easier. At this time, I’ll invite you to remember your lost loved ones. We carry memories of them and remember the way things were. Memories like this become firmly ensconced in a place of honor deep within the hallowed reaches of our souls. These memories flow in our veins for the rest of our days, until we slip the surly bonds of earth, and travel death’s uncharted paths, each one of us in our own time. With the upcoming Easter, it’s up to each of us to remember that when that time comes, we’ll rejoice and be reunited with our loved ones and those memories will once again become reality, in a place far greater than this.

I think it right and proper that I finish with the word of the Lord.

Some years ago, pastor Bob Wright introduced me to the 139th Psalm.

The Psalm begins with verses about how the Lord knows each of us, who we are, and what we think. He knows us as we’re created, how as unique individuals we’re knitted together by our Creator one by one, each of us with a specific purpose. The Psalm segues to verses referring to our ultimate destiny and the return of our bodies to the ash and dust of the earth and our living soul meeting and residing in the house of the Lord. In the middle of the Psalm though, verses 9 and 10 refer to the Lord’s presence with us; regardless of where we go, or whatever we do, we are not alone. It has the added benefit of paying homage to those of us who prefer to go to sea.

If I take the wings of the morning,
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there thy hand shall lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me fast.

Ron Draper

April 10, 2017

Our Daily Bread
“Give us this day our daily bread.” - Matthew 6:11 (NRSV)

Each Sunday it is uplifting to me when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Just imagine being with Jesus and being taught the Lord’s Prayer. The verse “Give us this day our daily bread,” has a dual meaning for me. Why “daily” bread? One meaning of this request is that God will sustain us physically with our daily needs. In one form or another, bread is a recurring symbol of life in the Bible because it was a staple food of ancient times. Another meaning, that the disciples would have understood, was that the daily bread was a reference to manna, the bread from heaven for God’s people wandering and worshiping in the wilderness for 40 years. Manna came down from heaven each day for six days in a row but not on the seventh. A double portion was to be gathered on the sixth day for a daily portion to be used on the seventh day, the Sabbath.

In John 6:51, Jesus refers to Himself, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh."

By praying and receiving my “Daily Bread,” I am given not only physical needs but the very blessings of being in Christ whose Bread sustains my soul.

Trusting in God to supply my physical and spiritual needs one day at a time,
Denver Higley

April 09, 2017 – Palm Sunday

Mantos y Palmas – UMH #279
Mantos y palmas esparciendo va
el pueblo alegre de Jerusalén.
Allá a lo lejos se vislumbra ya
en un pollino al Salvador Jesús.

Estribillo:
Mientras mil voces resuenan por doquier;
Hosanna al que viene en el nombre de Dios.
Con un aliento de gran exclamación
prorrumpen con voz triunfal:
"¡Hosanna! ¡Hosanna al Rey!"
"¡Hosanna! ¡Hosanna al Rey!"

Como en la entrada de Jerusalén,
todos cantamos a Jesús el Rey,
al Cristo vivo que nos llama hoy
para seguirle con amor y fe.

Mientras mil voces resuenan por doquier;
Hosanna al que viene en el nombre de Dios.
Con un aliento de gran exclamación
prorrumpen con voz triunfal:
"¡Hosanna! ¡Hosanna al Rey!"
"¡Hosanna! ¡Hosanna al Rey!"

Filled with excitement, all the happy throng
spread cloaks and branches on the city streets.
There in the distance they begin to see,
there on a donkey, comes the Savior, Christ.

Refrain:
From every corner a thousand voices sing
praise to the One who comes in the name of God.
Our acclamation breaks forth in shouts of praise,
our triumphant song of joy:
"Hosanna, hosanna to Christ!
Hosanna, hosanna to Christ!"

As in that entrance to Jerusalem,
hosannas we will sing to Jesus Christ,
To our Redeemer who still calls today,
asks us to follow with our love and faith.

From every corner a thousand voices sing
praise to the One who comes in the name of God.
Our acclamation breaks forth in shouts of praise,
our triumphant song of joy:
"Hosanna, hosanna to Christ!
Hosanna, hosanna to Christ!"

Rubén Ruiz Ávila, English translation by Gertrude C. Suppe

April 08, 2017

Psalm 98

Oh sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
before the Lord, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity.

April 07, 2017

Ripples in Life
Read: Matthew 12

One day I sat under a shady tree, gazing at a serene pond, when a dry, light leaf floated onto the water, causing ripples to radiate outward.

I was surprised that something so light could make a difference to the water’s surface. Then it came to me; maybe, in a small way, an eighty-plus year-old woman could still make some ripples in life.

A call, a smile, a hug, a note, a meal, a donation. There are so many ways to send out love and kindness to others.

I later thought about the special message I was given, when I watched the leaf fall from the tree. It was time for me to get busy.
God works in mysterious ways.

Sarah Frakes

April 06, 2017

Being Hands and Feet
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.” - 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

I Love GPUMC. Last night I attended a Safe Sanctuary Training class at our church. There were over 20 people there: some the parents of "youth" but most not. Most of the attendees had raised their families, some long ago. One was a 20-ish year old single woman member of our Church.

How wonderful is it that all these people feel so strongly about making GPUMC a safe place for youth to learn and grow and have fun. GPUMC members have always been like this. I remember the Maleitzkes, Evans, Kienles, and Carolyn Barth just to name a few of the adults who were table parents when my children were in LOGOS.

GPUMC has had challenges over the years like many churches, but one thing it has not struggled with is supporting and serving each other. We are great at being the hands and feet of Christ and putting our faith into action for each other and the ministries we support.

Prayer: Lord thank you for GPUMC and all it wonderful members, they are a blessing.

Cathy Lorenz

April 05, 2017

A Handy Tool … A Blessing Tool
Read: Matthew 22:34-40

Are you looking for a practical tool to help you in your daily ministry? There is an easy answer to this question, though one that could be overlooked: the Church Directory! As of this writing, a new edition was recently printed, and a copy is available to every family at GPUMC. Be sure to secure your copy and keep it readily available.

It is said that charity begins at home. For most of us, our parents instill in us from an early age sacred values of love, kindness, and respect for others. Spiritual lessons are of inestimable worth, and carry us through all the phases of Earthly life. They are intended to be applied in ever-widening circles, beginning with our daily associates.

Though each person in the global human family belongs to the family of God, this is not recognized by everyone. Some persons may not feel part of any family at all. A logical next step for applying Godly care beyond the immediate home environment is that of the church family. GPUMC encompasses people of all age groups, from infants to those nearing and surpassing the century mark. Families vary in description and in size. May different careers and occupations are represented. Physical and emotional needs vary widely. However, we all are on essentially the same journey, for our true need is identical for each of us – a return to a right relationship with our Creator and Sustainer. Consequentially, being in such a relationship with God puts us in a right relationship with each other, for God is not absent from any part of Creation. Only with a denial of God’s omnipresence could the concept of separation be accorded any value. The vision given by the Holy Spirit reveals the real world – one not of our own making – in which separation is a meaningless concept.

Ministry takes innumerable forms, and should be applied equally to those we consider “close” and to those we feel are not. All are of equal value to the Creator – if God be perfect.

The humble ministry of service, as Jesus demonstrated in his life and teachings, is a hallmark of one who bears the name of Christ. Let each member of the GPUMC family be considered as one of our own. In Heaven this is true. And our function here is to bring, as best we can, a reflection of Heaven to Earth. A caring visit by phone or in person, a greeting card or note to express concern or gratitude (or just to say “Hello”), a thoughtful gift of food or service to one in need … these are but a few examples. The inspiration and direction from God’s Voice will lead us appropriately. And all the contact information we need is contained within that Church Directory!

GPUMC is an official Welcoming Congregation. Let us pause to consider what this means for us, not only corporately, but personally. Any child of God should be welcome in the house of the Lord anywhere, if the Church be true to its mission. Each Sunday morning we give God an hour or so of our undivided attention. Through spoken word, music, and silent prayer we speak to Him and, more importantly, allow God to speak to us. Thus inspired, the Fellowship Hour that follows begins the process of bringing God’s love and grace to others, taking our rightful places as His trusted servants in the world. Le us not forget that God offers His thanks and the Holy Spirit joins our efforts on behalf of all those who walk the path with us, the path that leads to the ascendance of God to His rightful place in our minds and hearts.

Sincerely,
Doug Dykstra

April 04, 2017

Why Me Why – Part 4

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

I heard this story so long ago, I don’t remember where or even from whom, but it stuck with me and I think it appropriate now.

The doctor specialized in pediatric heart conditions. He was good, very good. He was the kind of person so single-mindedly focused on his vocation that he rarely concentrated on anything else. Outside his practice, he had few friends, he was so focused he didn’t have time for trivial conversations, certainly not a spouse, this man was an island. He was a man of science. He had the kind of confidence in himself that a surgeon needs. He knew he could cut to cure, and he knew the science would work. He was so good, he didn’t have any need or time for God, his work would do the trick, and for the most part it did. Every now and again though, something would happen that he couldn’t explain with his science alone. As they used to say at GM, “warrants further study.”

One day a case came along where a little boy was not responding to treatment. Despite his best efforts, the boy continued to get worse, all the things that had cured the same ailment in the past wouldn’t work for this one. Through the weeks of failed attempts the boy always assured the doctor not to worry, “You do your job, and I’ll do mine.”

After the boy’s funeral, the doctor in desperation went to the nearest church, walked up to the altar and cried to God for an answer. The Lord answered with a question, “Where have you been?” He replied, “I’ve been down here saving people, children, babies! I’ve been doing your job!!” God asked another question, “Do you really think you did it all by yourself?”

“Of course, I did! I’ve studied my whole life, I’ve practiced for years, I’ve worked day and night without food or rest until my job was done!”

“All that is as I wanted it to be, I made all of you with a purpose.”

“Of all the rotten people in this world, why did you have to take an innocent child?!?”

“Because his job was done so it was time for him to be with me.”

“He was just a kid! What job could he have possibly done?!?”

The Lord said, “You see, I sent the boy to bring You to Me. His job is done, and now yours is about to begin...”

Please join me in praying that in time all of our jobs will be revealed, and for those in need to find some comfort.

Ron Draper

April 03, 2017

Teamwork

We all know there is no I in TEAM, but there is in ROWING. Think of competitive eight oar rowing. The is an I in EIGHT. In eights there are 4 oars on each side. Because of team work (and the cadence of the coxswain) all eight blades operate as though they were fastened together. The rowers sit on sliding seats with their feet secured, which makes such a long stroke possible. It is the coxswain's job to determine the rate of rowing or strokes per minute. The coxswain KNOWS his team and can determine the level of energy it can deliver and asks from them as much as his team can handle.

Comparing rowing to life – someone is giving us all we can handle; acting as our coxswain. As Christians we know it is Jesus. His instructions are to work together, as in:

The parable of the good Samaritan.

Matthew 5:44 – Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, and in 6:14 – If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

Mark 3:24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

Luke 6:37 Judge not and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive and you will be forgiven.

While these quotes are not exactly acting together as rowers, they do show it is important to act as part of the group of mankind and remember from where our direction comes.

Jack Van Becelaere

April 02, 2017

Just A Closer Walk With Thee – TFWS #2158

I am weak but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Refrain:
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

When my feeble life is o'er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

 Anonymous

April 01, 2017

Psalm 16
A Miktam of David.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    I have no good apart from you.”

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
    in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
    their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
    or take their names on my lips.

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.