April 9, 2023 – Easter Sunday

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today – UMH 302

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and Heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye Heavens, and Earth reply, Alleluia!

Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened Paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail the Lord of Earth and Heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, Thou, Alleluia!

King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!


Charles Wesley

April 8, 2023

Voices for God

Psalm 98:4   
Shout to the Lord, all the earth;
break out in praise and sing for joy!

Psalm 81:1
Sing praises to God, our strength
Sing to the God of Jacob!

These are just two examples of instruction in the Bible encouraging us to “Sing” to the Lord. So, why is it that I, and many others, sing softly in church? My excuse is obvious. I was not blessed with a beautiful singing voice. I love music and l love listening to music. When I was in high school, I played the clarinet in the band and even earned the position of “First Chair” in the clarinet section. For many years I have expressed a desire to learn to play the piano, and a couple of years ago, my children gave me a keyboard and beginner piano lessons. I took lessons for about nine months before COVID hit, and have continued self-taught lessons in my “Level 2B Church Hymns” instruction booklet very slowly since then. I love the time I spend “practicing” on the keyboard. Sometimes when I’m feeling extra brave, and in the house alone, I even sing along as loudly as possible.

One disadvantage to being able to read music and hear the notes is that when the note is wrong, I hear it! Trust me, I hear it when I’m singing! As a matter of fact, when I was in the eighth grade, the music director kicked me (and three of my friends) out of the Glee Club. In her defense, I’m sure we were talking too much, but I also believe that it was a good excuse to improve the quality of the chorus! Therefore, I rest my case on why I sing softly in church.

Conversely, my sister sings just as off-key as I do (maybe even more so – if possible). She is tone deaf and doesn’t realize how off-key she is. She loves the Lord and she loves to sing. (I bet you can see where this is going…) When we were children, I constantly complained that she needed to tone down her volume in church, which, as you can imagine, only encouraged her to sing louder! I remember being quite embarrassed, so I finally gave up the cause.

 
Fast forward many years and now that I’ve (hopefully) matured a bit, nothing makes me smile more than to stand beside my sister in church and listen to her sing! Yes, she still loves the Lord and yes, she still loves to sing loudly. Hallelujah! I’m so glad that my childhood badgering had no impact on her singing. One of our favorite Easter songs is “Up from the Grave He Arose” (UMH 322), and now my greatest joy is to stand beside her on Easter morning as we sing with all our heart to the Lord:

Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day,
Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever,
With His saints to reign.
He Arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!

So, to all of those who have beautiful voices, I am in awe of you. And, to those who bravely sing off-key with joy and thanksgiving to the Lord, I am even in more awe of you!!!!!!!

Lynn Woodside – CGUMC

April 7, 2023 – Good Friday

For the Man Upstairs

At the end of each rummage sale, the challenge is to pack everything that is not sold, and stage it so that local charities can pick it up to support other missions. This past Fall, Matrix Human Services took all the unsold clothing, as they have done in the past, right after the sale on Saturday. We love to see them coming, because they bring extra help and a truck! Matrix started a new program to help people find housing, and to help them furnish their homes. Several items of furniture were marked for pick up to be used in this new program. The Matrix staff was to pick up the furniture the Monday after the sale, the same day that Goodwill picks up unsold items. The Matrix staff was unable to pick up the furniture on Monday, and asked if I could meet them the following Saturday. I agreed, and we set a time.

I must admit I was a little concerned, as I would have to figure an alternative to move several items of furniture if they didn’t show. True to their word, the Matrix representative showed up with a jeep and a van and two men. It is unclear to me how they managed to put all of the items in those two vehicles, but they did. As is the custom, we typically provide a tip to the drivers who pick up and haul away our rummage. The gentlemen, refused the tip, pointing heavenward. We do this for others and the man upstairs. Their kindness really touched me.

They taught me a valuable lesson that day. Keep the faith. There are so many who are generous of heart and spirit in this world.

And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22

Nancy Grose

April 6, 2023 – Maundy Thursday

A Gift of Life

Proverbs 11:25 “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

I used to think the Red Cross was exaggerating with its dire messages about the shortage of blood. That was before I sat with Greg at St. John’s in December, hours ticking by, waiting for the Blood Bank to locate his blood type and the antibodies they needed to add to the donated blood.

Greg has a blood disorder and has had a number of lifesaving transfusions since October. It is always a scramble to get the special combination of blood and antibodies that he needs to bring his hemoglobin to a more manageable level.

Before the pandemic, I participated in the blood drives at work – both convenient and a break from my workday, with cookies as a reward. Now, I am grateful to be able to donate at our church, which has hosted drives for a long as I can remember. Bonus: I get to visit with my church friends while I’m eating the cookies.

Many members who volunteer at the blood drives also donate while they are there. Some of the donors don’t go to our church, so the drive is an opportunity for them to get to know us. Invariably, some folks who try to donate are screened out for one reason or another.

When I sit with Greg as he gets a transfusion, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all of these generous souls – those who volunteer, those who donate, and those who try to donate. The willingness to help strangers fills me with hope when hope is often in short supply.

Thank you so, so much.

A prayer for blood donors:

May the blood that I am about to donate,
Help those who are in need,
To fight disease,
Provide nourishment,
And carry oxygen to their vital organs,
to sustain life and prevent death.

Kathy Gardner

April 5, 2023

The Resurrection of Christ

Christ the Lord is Risen Today!    Hallelujah!

Read UMH 302

The ones who didn’t like him; the ones who were afraid of him; they killed him, tortured him first.    They executed him in public, so that everyone could see what happened to people who threatened their powers, who tried to turn everything upside down, who tried to make new ways. The state didn’t execute philosophers or dreamers; the state executed threats.    His vision of a new way was definitely a threat.    The powers-that-be thought they had killed the vision when they killed the man.    It didn’t work.   

The powerful had tried to kill the vision of God, but they did not succeed.    The activity of God would not stay dead.    More and more people began to follow the way and live the vision too.    More and more people felt his presence with them.    More and more were convinced that he wasn’t dead; he was alive.    They could feel it.    Their stories were not all the same.    Some heard a voice, some saw a light, some ate bread, some saw the sunrise, some just felt it.    It didn’t matter that not all experienced exactly the thing; they all experienced Christ each in their own way.

Paul tried to explain it to them.    He showed them some seeds.    Tiny seeds are planted in the ground, and stalks of grain grow up.    What grows doesn’t look at all like what was planted.    Everything looks altogether different.    Paul taught them resurrection is about a spiritual body, not a worn-out physical one returned.    Paul encouraged people to have the “faith of Jesus.”    Some got confused and thought he said “faith in Jesus.”    Paul understood that Jesus had faith in God’s new vision for justice and mercy and grace for all people.    Paul encouraged people to have “faith like Jesus”; the “faith of Christ”–the faith that would enable them to live the vision too.

As United Methodists, we believe that Jesus took human form.    He lived as a man and died when he was crucified.    We believe that Jesus is divine.    He is the Son of God.    We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today.    We believe that Jesus is our savior.    In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins.    We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his.

Christ is alive and God’s vision lives through us.    Thanks be to God, hallelujah!

Don Crawford

April 4, 2023

Love Conquers All

Read: Luke 23:34

Last month I received a letter from my Utah grandson asking my advice. He was dismayed and disappointed that local churches he had attended, along with elderly relatives whom he loved, displayed intolerance against. all types of people that were different from them. The relatives went so far as to denounce the tolerant family members.

My advice was. from our Savior's own words, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." Their ignorance with their narrow friendships and knowledge prevents them from seeing the truth. So I told my grandson "Forgive your elderly relatives and just continue to love them."

I also said to seek out a church that reflects your values and know that God is love and love eventually conquers all. Forgiveness may come harder to those of us who aren't divine, but we have Christ's perfect example to guide us.

Prayer: Thank you for always showing us the path to follow. Thank you for enlightenment, expanding minds and hearts to respect and accept all of God's creation. Amen.

Sarah Frakes

April 3, 2023

Take Out the Trash

Read: Psalm 51 (especially verses 2 and 10)

One of the churches I served had “adopted” a stretch of highway, and two or three times a year we would get garbage bags and put on our work gloves and pick up the litter along the sides of the highway. I remember one morning as we were collecting the litter, I came to a blackberry thicket. I noticed in the middle of those thorns a paper bag. I looked at the bag, and I looked at the thorns that surrounded it and decided that it wasn’t worth the effort to get that one little piece of trash and went on my way.

Following behind me, Mr. Gerald, one of the saints of the church, saw the same paper bag and waded into the thicket of briers to retrieve the sack. Upon opening the sack, he found a $20 bill! (He, of course, put the money in the church offering plate!)

This season of Lent is, in one sense, a time for Spring cleaning; a time to check in the dark recesses of our lives to get all the trash out and leave ourselves clean for our Heavenly Father’s pleasure. Sometimes, though, during the introspection, I will discover some garbage in my life. I know it’s there, and God knows it’s there, but I tell myself that it would simply be too difficult to get rid of, of I will justify it as “only one little paper bag,” and go merrily on my way knowing the trash is there.

I hope I am learning that it is, indeed, worth the effort to get the junk out of my life, and that it isn’t just a little thing, but that junk is something that can (and does) fester and poison my soul.

The reward for cleaning out the junk isn’t measured in dollars and cents, but rather as an offering to God, whose Kingdom benefits us all in miraculous ways.

Shalom,
Rev. Will Wells – CGUMC

Prayer: Father, thank you for this season of Lent. Thank you for the time to take stock of our lives and for showing us the junk that that is in our lives. Give us grace to wade in and do the difficult work of repentance and cleansing so that we can be healed, and your name be magnified! Amen

April 2, 2023 – Palm Sunday

Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart – UMH 161

Rejoice, ye pure in heart; rejoice, give thanks and sing;
your glorious banner wave on high, the cross of Christ your King.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Rejoice, give thanks and sing.


Your clear hosannas raise, and alleluias loud;
whilst answering echoes upward float, like wreaths of incense cloud.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Rejoice, give thanks and sing.


Yes, on through life's long path, still chanting as ye go;
from youth to age, by night and day, in gladness and in woe.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Rejoice, give thanks and sing.


At last the march shall end; the wearied ones shall rest;
the pilgrims find their heavenly home, Jerusalem the blest.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Rejoice, give thanks and sing.


Praise God who reigns on high, the Lord whom we adore,
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one God forevermore.

Hosanna! Hosanna! Rejoice, give thanks and sing.


Edward H Plumptre

April 1, 2023

God’s Love and Protection

Psalm 100 v. 4: For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.


Heading to a school board meeting late one winter evening, I drove down a back country road, and since it was dark I did not see a semi-truck blocking the road ahead until I was almost upon it. I swerved right and into a shallow ditch careening along until I could steer back onto the paved road. It happened so quickly; I didn’t have time to think. It was simply instinct. Relief flooded through me – I was safe. My car was safe. I continued on to the meeting murmuring “Thank you, God. Thank you, God” over and over.

A few days later, I drove by in the daylight to see where I had actually driven. Approaching, I was stunned to see large landscape boulders all along the ditch I had driven through. It seemed impossible to think I had navigated around those rocks- yet there it was as plain as could be! I thanked God effusively that night. I was safe and unharmed. The car dealership looked at my car and except for some chunks of dirt and grass stuck to the undercarriage, it, too, was fine. How often in life are there moments like this? We live our lives unaware of His merciful protection. Why does it take a crisis or perilous experience to bring us to a level of gratitude we should feel every day? As I reflected on that night, I thought about how drawn I was to God. I pray that each day I continue to be reminded of His love and protection and that I live in gratitude for this grace.


Prayer: Thank you, Lord for the blessings you have bestowed on my life. You have provided me with more than I could have ever imagined. You have surrounded me with people who look out for me. You have given me family and friends who bless me every day with kind words and actions. Most of all, your protection keeps me safe. I praise you always. Amen.

Marcia Wright

March 31, 2023

Nolan

Read: UMH #352 and #593

"Can I have one, too?"

I heard my grandson very clearly ask, at children's time, for the heart necklace.
He did not want to miss out. He was answered as Ms. Emily gently placed the jewels around his neck.
He smiled. Then, minutes later, off he hurried to Sunday school with Mrs. Martin.

Simple as that! "Can I have one, too?"

Learn from a child.

Watching Nolan reminds me to just ask, in prayer, "Can I have you, Jesus, in my heart?"
And I know by faith, the answer. Jesus is in my heart. May I always be reminded that Jesus is in my heart.

I do not want to miss out.

Prayer: In the name of Jesus, thank You for being in my heart. May I be reminded of your love and presence.


Nana Lisa

March 30, 2023

A Happy Tail

“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” Luke 15: 6-7

Two of my many passions in life are long walks and dogs. I walk pretty much all year, enjoying what nature has to offer in every season. I delight in the fresh air and sense of freedom that walking outdoors brings. As to dogs, show me the ugliest, oldest cur and I will love it (my Mother told me my first sentence when learning to talk was “There’s the bow-wow.” What does that tell you?).

One early evening in January, I was out for a stroll along Jefferson when a young man walking toward me in the opposite direction stopped me to ask if I had seen a small dog running around. The dog (a maltipoo named “Benji”) belonged to his Mom and had slipped out the front door of her home when a UPS man delivered a package. The dog was 10 years old, partially deaf, and had cataracts. I told the young man that I hadn’t seen Benji, but would keep an eye out for him. I asked for a text with a family phone number in the event I ran across Benji.

By the time I got home, the temperature had dropped significantly and it started to sleet. Picking up my cell phone, I looked for the text I had requested. My heart skipped a beat when I viewed it. Included was a photo of the missing dog – Benji is precious, with a perfect button nose, alert beautiful eyes, adorable floppy ears, and curls all over. I knew he might have trouble surviving the night outdoors because of his size, age, and health issues, and I hopped into my car to look for him. There was no way I could leave this sweet baby in the cold and rain if there was any chance of finding him.

So there I was, driving slowly with my flashers on for blocks and blocks, my windows rolled down in the pouring rain, screaming “Benji, Benji!” at the top of my lungs hoping the dog might hear me. I’m sure I was a sight. I was waiting for someone to call the police about some crazy woman driving through their neighborhood screaming out her open windows in the rain.

No luck. The next day, I drove around again in both the morning and evening adding additional area to my search. I kept in touch with Benji’s family, sorrowfully informing them of my lack of success. By this time, Benji’s picture had been posted on several lost dog sites. The son informed me that his Mom was inconsolable. I prayed every time I thought of it that day asking that Benji be found and kept safe.

The next morning, I got up a little later than usual. I started preparing for a search on foot, when I received a text that Benji had been found near my house! A follow up call with the son revealed that he had been found by his Mom, and despite age and infirmities, Benji had walked a really long way down Jefferson and was in good shape.

While thanking God for this happy outcome, I thought about the strange coincidence of Benji being found so close to where I live. Also, that he was found by his owner, despite my best efforts at finding him myself. It occurred to me that God, my owner, was reminding me of all the times He has searched for me when I have gone astray and how he always finds me. According to scripture, all of Heaven has rejoiced whenever this happens, and I am not nearly as cute as Benji!

Thought for the day: How wonderful it is that God never gives up, but searches for us whenever we are lost no matter the reason we went astray.

Joyce Reynolds     

March 29, 2023

Cheerleaders

Psalm 71:9
“Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone”

In February of 2022, Sarah Frakes asked me to head the Cheer committee that she chaired for several years. I knew that the Cheer committee sent monthly cards to shut-ins and my father was a recipient of this ministry when he was in a nursing home for many years. I recall him being delighted to receive these cards with the thoughtful, caring and encouraging message written inside. So, my response to Sarah’s question was a definite, “Yes.” Who wouldn’t want to spread joy and positive sentiments to others? In addition, it was my first opportunity to be a “cheerleader!”

I have thoroughly enjoyed the past year as head “Cheerleader,” and my supportive, caring team of Cheer committee members are the best! While I experience a great deal of joy working with the Youth and Children’s Ministry, on the Cheer committee, I’ve found another ministry near and dear to my heart. Since becoming a part of this committee it has been a pleasure to learn and grow from the interactions with these faithful committee members, some of whom are three decades older than me! Who said you can’t be on a cheer team at 90 plus years old!!

In getting to know my fellow cheer team members, I’m inspired by their caring and thoughtful concern regarding the needs of others. It’s not just about who should receive a monthly card with an encouraging message, but what can we do to offer support and lend a helping hand to seniors and medically challenged people in need. It directly relates to Rev. David’s message of learning to live and love like Jesus.

In addition to working with the wonderful members of the Cheer committee, I’ve had the great pleasure of befriending two of the Cheer committee predecessors, Jean Buhler and Sarah Frakes. If you haven’t had a chance to meet these ladies, you need to. These 
two faithful Christian women are the epitome of grace, kindness, and love. Both women have given me guidance and inspiration in this ministry and like the Cheer committee members, they have enriched my life and helped me to become a more faithful servant of God.


Prayer: Dear Lord, I am thankful for this new ministry opportunity to help others in their time of need. Please guide me in keeping my focus “other” directed so that I may live a more Christ-like life. Amen

Merri Lee Day

March 28, 2023

The Rainbow Connection

Read: Genesis 9:12-15
I was driving down a boring stretch of freeway on a gloomy day in 2005 and was thinking about my mom. She had died a few years earlier, following a long battle with cancer, and I was missing her terribly. She was not just my mom; she was my confidant and friend. My mom was also a remarkable caregiver to her friends, her family, and the cancer patients she cared for as a radiation oncology nurse. One of her patients even called her a “saint.”

Nonetheless, I was mad at her for leaving me with an empty feeling. I had always heard about people who felt connected to their deceased loved ones through dreams, signs, feelings, etc., but I had not experienced any of those things since my mom had died. So, speaking out loud, I begged my mom to give me a sign that she was still present in my life. And she did!

A brilliant and full rainbow appeared in the sky as soon as I was done speaking. I immediately felt my heart warm and my mood lift. In fact, I started to cry tears of joy.

It may have been a coincidence, but I believe there are moments of awe and wonder that cannot be explained away. I believe that God had a hand in connecting me to my mom.
Now I say “Hi Mom” whenever I see a rainbow.

Jan Versical

March 27, 2023

Stuck?

In the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray, Phil (Bill Murray) is a weather reporter forced to go to Punxsutawney on February 2nd to cover the famous groundhog, also named Phil. Phil, the weather guy, is selfish, ambitious, and conceited trying to work his way up the weather broadcasting ladder. Through a Hollywood turn of events, he becomes stuck in February 2nd. Every day the same as the day before, he is trapped in Punxsutawney, a place he doesn’t want to be and a place he cannot leave because no matter what he does today, in the morning it is Feb. 2nd all over again. Phil is STUCK! We watch Phil be selfish, doing whatever he likes, because he will neither be hurt nor suffer the consequences of his actions. This selfish fun grows old and he becomes depressed to the point he tries to kill himself but, even these attempts don't work as every morning at 6am his alarm goes off and he’s back in Feb. 2nd. How does Phil get unstuck? He turns from caring for and about himself to caring for and about others.

Have you ever felt stuck? Physically? Spiritually? or Mentally? Sometimes we get stuck in ruts of our own making, or stuck in ruts of circumstance, or stuck in ruts of habit. Stuck doing the same thing over and over again. Soon, perhaps without realizing it, we look around and discover we seem unable to do anything to get unstuck. Stuck doing the same things over and over again digging ruts deeper and deeper. We may join Phil and wonder why we’re stuck, or maybe try to be satisfied with being stuck, or wonder how we can get unstuck and move on. Phil discovered the way to be unstuck and move on to February 3rd was to care for and about others. Paul has similar words for us in Philippians chapter 2: 1-4

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Stuck? What’s the solution? Similar to Phil’s discovery, Paul encourages us to be unstuck by having the mind of Christ and by looking to the interests of others. I know it is easier said than done, but don’t forget we are not alone having to muster up our own power, God: Father, Son and Spirit are with us empowering us to move forward.
Blessings on your Lenten journey!

Pastor Pam Wells – CGUMC

March 26, 2023

A Really Hard Job

Read: 1 Corinthians 13:13

My mother smiled more than anyone I’ve ever known. She was always optimistic and positive and was skilled at getting a return smile from everyone around her. Church and faith were interwoven with this optimism and happiness. She also worked in the credit department at the Berkline Furniture Corporation for over 40 years, and her specialty was collections.

When I was a kid, I never really paid attention to what my mother did for work. But in my adult life I began to understand that my mother had spent much of her career collecting money from furniture stores and distributors who were behind on their payments. And I also realized she had been doing that for so many years because she was really good at it. This perplexed me greatly. How could one of the nicest and most genuine people I’d ever known and thrive for decades as a bill collector?

My mother had never spoken much to me about her job, and she typically kept her work life to herself. But when she was in the early stages of dementia, I had a conversation with her about her career and we finally discussed how she had thrived for so many years in collections. According to my mom, it was her ability to be so genuine, honest, and caring that made her successful. She got to know her customers personally and build real trust. She really understood them, and could empathize in a way that made them feel respected. When merchants had cash flow problems or financial issues, she had a way of making sure she was the first person they wanted to pay when money came in. She could be tough when she needed to as well, but that was not what ultimately made her successful.

My mom was a lifelong United Methodist, and I believe her unwavering faith and her grounding in the New Testament were critical in forming who she was. The teachings of Paul are extraordinarily optimistic and loving, even though the job of developing the early church was extremely difficult and filled with interactions with uncooperative, dangerous people who wanted to eradicate his cause. But over time, the teachings of faith, hope, and love kept winning the detractors over.

Craig Fowler

March 25, 2023

Walking

Read Acts 3:9 and 2 Corinthians 5:7

I walk a lot.

Walking gives me time to zone out and tune in, reflect, pray, ponder and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. It’s one of the reliable “cheering-myself-up” activities that I practice regularly. And my dog Sassy loves it too!
It’s also a great way to connect with God.

I love walking trails, paths, circular hikes and also hike-in/hike-out because things look so different coming from the other direction. Any weather is good – sometimes the worse the weather, the better the walk. It invigorates me to feel the cold air, breathe in the raindrops and it’s always heavenly to feel the sun on my face.

Most often I walk neighborhood sidewalks and it always strikes me – the way that the sidewalk looks, stretching out in front of me, and stretching out behind me. Sometimes there are four or six directions at a crossroad. And that makes me think about life.

How nice it would be, it seems to me, if life stretched out ahead of me. A clear path, easy to follow, no worries about dips or detours. But life feels like a zig-zag line, obstacles ahead, with unknown encounters. Usually not so straight and obvious.

That makes me SO GRATEFUL for faith. For God walking that curvy, bumpy path with me. I’m never alone! And when I don’t know the way, God knows. It makes me smile as I continue to explore my town, my world, my faith in my wonderful God.

If you can, take a walk today with God.

Anne Sullivan

March 24, 2023

Come Follow Me

Read: UMH 206 "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light"

It is a well-known story. Jesus, following his temptation in the wilderness and walking along the shore of the Galilean lake, called to two fishermen, brothers Simon and Andrew. "Come with me, and I will make you fish for people.” Continuing along the shore, Jesus called two more disciples, brothers James and John, also fishermen. I clearly remember, as a youngster in Sunday School, how enthusiastically we sang the children's song "I Will Make You Fishers of Men," as well as “Jesus Loves the Little Children.” The meaning of these two Sunday School songs has remained with me all my life. I think of them often, which leads me to the present day and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ here and now.

We as Christians follow in Jesus' footsteps, and pattern our lives after his. Discipleship takes specific forms according to the work each has been asked to do. This work goes on all the time and everywhere. Jesus was a teacher of God, not a teacher of the world's values. And so, his disciples are also teachers of God. One might ask, "Who are they?" I have every confidence that a teacher of God is anyone who chooses to be one – the sole qualification. Jesus did not seek only holy persons, but called ordinary folk out making a living, including a despised tax collector. Contemporary disciples come from all over the world and from every walk of life. Somehow, somewhere, they saw a light in the darkness. Further, they decided that the well-being of others was not apart from their own. The world's belief system, founded on the idea of separation (and consequent separate interests), does not honor or even acknowledge the oneness of God's creation and the fact that God is not absent from any aspect of it.

A few characteristics of God's teachers are faithfulness and trust, open-mindedness, tolerance, forgiveness, generosity, and the joy of knowing who and Whose we are. Only false beliefs about ourselves assert that we have no role to play in God's plan.

Jesus, referring to himself, said: "While I am in the world I am the light of the world" (John 9:5). And in the Sermon on the Mount he tells us: "You are the light of the world.” In Ephesians 5 we read: "Live as children of light, since light produces everything that is good and righteous and true." And from 1 Thessalonians 5: "You are all children of light, children of day. We do not belong to night or darkness." In order to see clearly we must realize that light is within us, not without. It is what makes spiritual vision possible, and this is what will guide us as we take our place among the followers of Jesus Christ. This vision will correct the perception of everything and everyone we see, looking past all illusions, which are unknown in Heaven. Let us not forget this foundational truth: "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, then we share a common life" (1 John 1). This light attracts as nothing of the world can.

So for this Lenten journey and all the days beyond, may we be blessed in all our doings. God turns to us to help save a weary and worn world. For this world indeed stands in need of grace, and awaits the blessing we bring from Him. His Voice is heard around the world as we choose to be the means to bring it. Would we not do this for Jesus' sake, and for our own? Let the light of holiness be our constant guide, and the strength of Christ will prevail in all we think and say and do. "Choose this day whom you will serve... as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).

Prayer: Dear God, Creator and Sustainer eternal, our beloved Lord Jesus, through his supreme example in times long past, revealed the way to serve you. The need seems even greater in this age. The call to serve has never ceased. We trust our ways to You, and ask Your will in everything we do. We are Your completion and your love. And so, with grateful hearts, we can but say "Amen."

Doug Dykstra

March 23, 2023

A Blessing from God

"Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other."
1 John 4:11

Lynn and I were blessed to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary last year. Thanks to our sneaky family and friends, we got to celebrate with them at a surprise anniversary party. And I thought I was just going to enjoy a barbecued rib dinner at a friend’s house.

I thank God every day for my family and my friends, including my church family. Good times or bad, high times or low, it a blessing to know they’ve “got my back.”

It occurred to me that in the same way we celebrated our marriage, amid loving family and friends, we got to share our 50th anniversary amid loving family and friends. We reminisced and got to share a very nice PowerPoint presentation (gotta love shag carpets, harvest gold, and avocado green, right?) prepared by, you guessed it, family and friends. (Where did they dig up those old pictures?)

Friends and families are blessing from God, and I am more than grateful for those in my life.

Fred Van de Putte

March 22, 2023

God Will Help You

The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
 He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
 He rescues those whose spirits are crushed. - Psalm 34: 17-18

When I was 24 years old, my 21-year-old brother died in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition. His death was the most horrific and indescribable thing I can imagine, and the grief I felt was all-consuming and overwhelming. He was my best friend, and I didn’t think I could go on without him.

I was broken-hearted, and indeed my spirit was crushed. I was struggling to make sense of it, but over time I began to understand that Chip’s passing meant that I needed to live my life to the fullest, and live a life that he would be proud of.

I asked God for help, and as time passed he strengthened me to take up the mantle and help others and not waste a minute of time I’m given.

Even though it may seem like God sometimes isn’t listening, if you live a life full of meaning and compassion and righteousness, God will rescue your spirit and help you make it through.

David Switzer

March 21, 2023

“I Can Still Have Hope”

2 Corinthians: 5-7 — For we walk by faith, not by sight.

In October, one of the “boys” who grew up across the street from us suffered a massive stroke. Andrew is 33 years old with no history of health problems until this very unexpected event. His parents, Kathy and Jim, upended their lives here in Grosse Pointe to be with him in Washington, DC, and support him through the early part of his recovery.

Kathy and Jim are a faith-filled couple who have long been an exemplary model of what it means to “live and love like Jesus.” Their frequent postings on Caring Bridge have shared Andrew’s journey with friends, family, and neighbors. Each message has become like a small devotion for me. Kathy, who is a registered nurse, does most of the writing, and she presents a pretty straight-forward assessment of Andrew’s challenges and progress.

While she is honest about the struggles and the long and difficult journey that remains, she is not wallowing in the uncertainty that they are facing. There’s been no “woe is me, my life is so hard.” Instead, each message has been filled with gratitude and optimism, even joy. She has shared the joy of Andrew’s first steps on a treadmill, discovering new ways to communicate, walking through a park on a sunny day, meeting other individuals with aphasia and learning how they have adapted to this new life.

As Kathy said so eloquently in one of her postings: Even though my questions may not have answers, I can still have hope.

In the midst of the most significant crisis in their lives, this family is finding happiness. They are focusing on small bits of improvement and embracing this opportunity to spend time with each other and to support a loved one through an exceptionally difficult time. They are reminding me that life is short and that we must savor every moment that we have with those we love.


Prayer: Gracious Lord, help me to approach each day with optimism and hope. Help me to remember that, even during my darkest days, I can find happiness and joy.

Joan Richardson

March 20, 2023

Nellie

Read: UMH 474

Have you ever walked with a senior dog? If you have, you know it takes a lot of patience, love, gentleness and a good sense of humor. The same things you need to walk a puppy but in very different ways. With a senior dog you slow down and enjoy the surroundings with them, take in the fragrance of the air and feel the breeze on your face. It’s like they are now teaching you. Remember the old saying “stop and smell the roses?” Well, they do, along with the clump of grass, the tree trunk, the rock, the leaf, the stick—the list goes on and on (some things I don’t even want to know what it was or where it came from). It’s their social media fix. The who-was-here-and-what-they-did, a fragrance left behind to tell a story or guide them to something special. Maybe it’s a memory of something long ago: "remember the time I ran across this field after that squirrel! Boy, did I give him the chase of a lifetime! Dog, to run like that again. woof.”
 
They wobble and weave and you have to gently help them, becoming a bumper pad, sometimes you’re not fast enough and they topple over, so you give them a hug, tell them it’s OK before helping them back on four paws. We all stumble and fall at times. They will look at you with gratitude for being there when they needed you and wag that tail as if smiling (thanks Mom). You know life is good when the tail wags so fast that it spins in circles; you know that happiness when someone comes home you are so excited to see, or when you smell dinner and know it’s got a little extra hunk of goodness just for you. Woof woof. The simple things, a rub behind the ears, a good belly scratch or nice nap in the sunshine knowing that someone who loves you is close by even if you don’t see them.

Hmm, I have learned a lot from walking with Nellie and Sadie, or should I say our Heavenly Father has taught me a lot through them.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for walking with me, teaching me to trust that You will be there to be my bumper pad when I stumble and to pick me up when I fall. Through this season of Lent guide me on the path that You choose for me as I surrender to Your lead. Amen

Julie Battle – CGUMC

 

March 19, 2023

The Power of Friends

"Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relatives house when disaster strikes you – better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away." Proverbs 27:10

When I lost my mother suddenly in January, I was thrown into a season of grief I was not prepared for, as we humans never are. Feeling alone and in a fog, as our Pastor David Eardley so perfectly put this stage of grief, I turned to my nearby friends and church community.

My mother, a well loved teacher in Troy, Michigan, and a friend and confidant to so many during her 84 years on Earth, gave me the gift of how to make friends, and keep them. And the Girl Scout song I learned from my mother, "make new friends and keep the old, one is silver and the other gold," continues to play in my head to this day. And because there is no greater teacher on the power of friendship than our Lord and Savior, I went to scripture for further knowledge and comfort.

I have been absorbed for several years in the "crowd funded" series The Chosen, watching the three seasons several times and listening to podcasts and YouTube commentaries on this worldwide ministry.

Jesus, of course, showed us the power of friendship with his 12 disciples and thousands of followers during his life on Earth. In further thinking about what the Bible teaches us about empathy and compassion, one of the earliest lessons we are taught in Sunday school is Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Luke 6:31. Another one that came to mind is "Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing," Thessalonians 5:11.

I see these simple passages lived out at Grosse Pointe Methodist Church in the weekly prayer list, during Sunday services, and through our outreach ministries.

As my children and my family are not "nearby," I am so very grateful for my family of friends who have been there for me and my husband Mark, and for my new church community that offered caring and generous support when we needed it most, and still do. But most of all I am thankful for Jesus – the absolute best friend any of us could have. And I am also beyond thankful that our friend on Earth is also our Lord and Savior forever and ever!

Amy Sanford

March 18, 2023

Shining Lights

Read: Matthew 5:14-16

When I was a young kid, we lived on a court – a street that actually was a circle, but with two exits. It meant that there was little traffic on our street other than locals coming and going, and that we could ride our bikes and play pretty much unsupervised until the streetlights came on. Yes, I was a bit of a free-range child.

Anyway, I remember one evening, as I rushed home in the newly-streetlit gloom, seeing a cat under a car – looking at me with bright, glowing eyes. That was pretty darned freaky – beams of light coming out of a creature’s eyes!

Well, Dad explained to me that cats had AA batteries in their tails, and that's how their eyes glowed so brightly in the dark. As evidence, he showed me batteries from the kitchen drawer.

It couldn't have been clearer, or more obviously true.
(I wonder if I have ever explained that to Christian.
I'll have to ask.)

I told you that to tell you this. No, we don’t have AA batteries stuffed in our thumbs or wherever; instead, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. His presence lets us reflect the Light of God, lets us shine, so we can be the Light of the World.

Now it’s up to us to be the Light in a dark, sullen, and frightened world. To shine God’s Light so each person we meet can see where we’re going, who we are … Whose we are. And maybe they’ll want that light too. Just remember to tell them Who gave it to you!

Charlie van Becelaere

March 17, 2023

2 Pastors, a Blown Fuse, and a Christmas Cold Snap – Part 3 of 3

Read: 2 Timothy 1:5-7

Our area of Florida was experiencing a record cold spell: the outdoor temperatures were sinking to below freezing – Very Rare in our area. We came home from church Christmas Eve, and as we settled in for a long winter’s night, we noticed the house felt unusually chilly. That’s when I found the thermostat had a blank screen. Uh Oh!! Being an Old HVAC and mechanical/electrical guy I spent many a Christmas Eve working on the furnace for someone in similar circumstance. Often it was a single mother, scared she could hardly afford simple gifts for the kids let alone an expensive repair bill. I’ll confess now, those moms got a whole lot of free furnace parts and extra things taken care of off the record as my gift to a stranger on Christmas Eve, which for many people in my business was the perfect time to inflate a bill. There is, however, something about the look in a frightened person’s eyes when you tell them, “it’s no charge tonight” that is worth more than any other form of payment to me.

This night however, I didn’t have a “Ron” to call. Then I remembered I am Ron; I’m the guy I’d call anyway. So, still in my Christmas go-to-church clothes about midnight, I went out to our heat pump in the dark cold night, and after a half hour of remembering how these things work, I found a tiny blown fuse hidden way back in a pile of wires that resembled technicolor spaghetti. By now it was 12:30 AM Christmas Day and I was driving from one 24-hour gas station to another looking for a fuse that would fit my needs. Station #4 had a package of 3. Knowing fuses usually blow for a reason, I put it in and upon starting the heat, it immediately blew my replacement fuse. I went to bed with lots of extra blankets.

We were set to have a house full of company Christmas Day, and a cold house in Florida just wouldn’t do. I also learned the old trick of leaving the oven door open and putting a fan near it doesn’t work anymore. Modern ovens know the door is open and they shut themselves off. Arrrrghhh!!

All night as I tried to sleep, I was trying to remember everything I knew about the complicated wiring of a heat pump. It’s been 20+ years since I worked on one. Morning came, I went back, started reading the schematic wiring diagram and realized that even with my reading glasses, my tired eyes couldn’t see the fine print or follow the tiny lines indicating the wires.

That’s when I remembered the two Pastors. One told me sometimes the gift is a surprise that happens to be just what we need. The other sent me a magnifying glass. Well, see Part 1, specifically the Witness Committee sent the magnifier, but at that point I wasn’t sweating the details. Long story short, with my new flexible magnifier I found the only component that could cause the symptoms I was having and blow the fuse. It was Christmas Day so there’d be nowhere I could buy this component which can only be gotten at an HVAC distributor. Then I remembered that I’m still Ron Draper, and me being me, just happened to have a 30amp, 24VAC coil, 2 Pole electric Contactor sitting brand new in a box in the top of my toolbox. It was one of only a few spare parts I brought to Florida from our previous life and it was an exact replacement part. 20 minutes later the part was installed, the heat pump running and with my dignity still intact, we had a Christmas party and a feast for the ages.

Of course, the feeling of relief and accomplishment put me in a mood to write it all down for Charlie. Somewhere there’s a point to it all, if you find it, let me know. Or as my mom used to say all the time, “The Lord Provides Ron!, the Lord Provides😊”

Ron Draper

March 16, 2023

Perfect Timing

“Wait for the Lord be strong, and let your heart take courage, Wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14

I must admit not only am I a worrier, I am short on patience. Since being hit by the criminal in a police chase in 1990 when my husband ended up with a broken back and no longer could work, I always expect the worst.

In 2014 my son went from a simple sore throat to sepsis and his whole body shut down. His lungs and kidneys failed, both legs clotted, and his sugar went from normal to 1800+. All the doctors but one said to pull the plug. Our family doctor handed his care over to that one, a surgeon. His lungs and kidneys came back after five months in intensive care, and his sugar went back to normal. Those five months took most of my patience. I made decisions about his coma, blood transfusions, having all his teeth pulled before any amputations, etc. He was awake before they took his leg, most of the other foot, and did skin grafts. He has since become a diabetic after an infection.

Needless to say dealing with a handicapped son who went from being an independent person living alone to depending on his mom a lot does not make him happy. He already had AD/HD, seizures, behavior problems, and a hearing loss; but he had been able to always help my husband and me with household repairs. He still tries to do as much as he can from his wheelchair. During this same time my husband passed away after simple hernia surgery. My dealing with a handicapped person with multiple medical problems is not always easy. All the doctor appointments, wound changes, and his behavior try what little patience I have. I pray for patience regularly but I also need to remember my son is God's true miracle. I was at the point where I was ready to write his obituary – and I still have him here.

When I pray for patience, health, love, finances, etc. I always think God should answer me right away. And sometimes He answers so quickly, it amazes me. My irregular heartbeat is gone after years, my Crohn's disease is in remission, and my kidney numbers are improving. Being on the Church prayer list has helped, plus having a close and dear friend, Glenn DeLodder, who makes me laugh regularly!

I think we all want God to be like the Post Office and deliver overnight, but some miracles take time. I've come to realize that things don't happen on our time. They happen in GPT – God's Perfect Timing. Keep trusting, praying, hoping and believing!

Nancy M. Kramer (Virtual Worshiper)

March 15, 2023

Contemplating the Real

Read: Philippians 2:1-11

There are times when I just don't know whether can really believe what I'm told or what I read. Many of us have been trained to trust only what we can experience with our senses and verify by an independent and unbiased source. And even then we rather train ourselves to be skeptical – even when sufficient evidence should cause our keeping an open mind. Yet in recent years we have been barraged with claims of "fake news" and the like.

Watching "The Chosen" series on the Angel app has caused me to think about things in a rather different (for me) perspective. The show does not claim to be presenting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather, the story of Jesus of Nazareth. And thus, when the Gospel account does not give all the details, especially the ones which we sometimes wished it had included, the writers of the show have created what seem to be reasonable interpolations of how it might have been.

And so I have also started to think, if there had been newspapers and mass media during the time of Jesus' physical presence on Earth, how might these media have covered the stories. I mean, really, water being turned into wine at a wedding? The blind and lame being cured without surgery? Lepers cured without medical treatments? And the big ones: The DEAD being raised to life?! Medically impossible! Certainly improbable. "Fake" news? How would CNN or Fox carry such stories?

But Lent really is a time to contemplate the REAL and the Certain – not just to reflect on what some "bearded, hippy-type, guru, itinerant teacher" might have done. The thought of the hour is: Jesus died AND ROSE from the DEAD! He, being God, emptied Himself in Love and humility to become the perfect and forever atoning sacrifice for ALL of our sins. What are we going to do about it? What if it really happened? What must change if it IS true? think we would have to see EVERYTHING differently! Amen.

David Smith

March 14, 2023

Saying Yes

Read: Exodus 35:30-35

The most important things my parents ever gave me are the space to try, and the space to create.

As kids, we’d want to paint our bedrooms crazy colors once a year. They’d hand us a brush and roller, and let us. When we’d envision something cool we wanted to build, my dad would help us drum up supplies, encourage, and help. When we grew to ask for power tools, he’d teach us and show us the safe way. We got a lot of support and hardly a no. As an adult, my dad’s workshop is still one of my favorite places to be.

As a parent of curious and creative children, I am often reminded of the freedom my parents gave, and I think of it with appreciation and a smile. There is so much power in saying “Yes” to our children; in allowing them the space to try, the space to do, and the space to create.
May we be reminded of the childlike curiosity God has poured into each and every one of us. May we nurture it in ourselves and in our children. May we have the patience to say “Yes” more.

Yes to playing in the mud, and made up science experiments, yes to experimenting with the hammer and wood, and yes to crazy paint colors.

I am thankful to my parents for all the yeses. and for their God-given patience with six curious and creative children. I am who I am because I could create, and because I still do.

Emily Bianchi

March 13, 2023

A Lettuce Lenten Lesson

Read: Joel 2:12-16

I confess. We do that at Lent. It’s more powerful to do it publicly: Sometimes I buy bagged salad. It goes bad approximately twelve minutes after I put it in the veggie drawer, but sometimes I buy it because I don’t want to wash the romaine and I can’t believe it will spoil that fast again. It does. Every. Time.

The other day I had an experience with bagged salad that I had never had before. I cut the end off of the bag, reached in and dropped a handful in my bowl (going to be my lunch). Huh. Carrots and red cabbage—only. I reached in and plopped a second handful in the bowl. Well. Still only carrots and red cabbage.

I looked into the bag—yes, the trend held true... nothing but more red cabbage and shredded carrots. Somehow, when this bag was filled and sealed, the lettuce got left out! I checked the label: American Salad. Not American Red Cabbage and Carrots.

“All right, then,” I thought, “I like carrots. I like red cabbage.” So I doused the bowl with Blush salad dressing and sat down. Two minutes later I had had all of both vegetables that I wanted until next Lenten season. Very crunchy, but kind of too... solid. No texture, no relief from chewiness.

I got to thinking this morning that that bag of “salad” reminds me of the gift of Lent. I always pick something to give up, something to sacrifice. I am not one of those folks who feels okay about adding something spiritual rather than fasting as well. Whether I fast from food, or “accidentally” waking Bill up from his nap, or Face Book on Sundays, giving up something that is truly hard to go forty days without is a part – for me – of the penitence of the Lenten season. I like John Wesley’s approach to weekly fasting, in which he added prayer time to the time he normally spent eating. I may add prayer time or meditation, but I will not skip making my own sacrifice in honor of Jesus’ for me.

Going without desserts or social media or whatever I choose from which to abstain makes me acutely aware of how attached I am to something “outside” of myself (other than God). I recognize clearly that that habit or device or comfort food has far too much power over my well-being. Eating carrots and cabbage was probably more nutritious than eating a bagged salad with lettuce, because the lettuce is generally iceberg that is over 90% water with almost no nutritional value. But eating a “salad” with just two ingredients made me genuinely aware of how used to the normal texture of a lettuce salad I was.

There’s obviously no sin involved in eating carrots or cabbage of which I am aware: the experience just reminded me that Lent is like that bag. For forty days I am present to missing something—something I enjoy—and my presence to that voluntary sacrifice fulfills the purpose of Lent. It helps me prepare for Easter: it helps me look at the enormity of Christ’s sacrifice beside the de minimis stature of my own; it helps me see the significance of voluntarily giving something up that matters; it helps me feel I am actually doing something for the God I love.

And you know, year upon year, the spiritual nourishment of Lenten sacrifice never goes bad.

Leigh Pettus – CGUMC

March 12, 2023

Rooted Together

Read: James 2:1-13

A few days after GPUMC hosted Shelter Week, I found myself leafing through a book celebrating the lives and music of Peter, Paul and Mary. I was surprised to read about one particular chapter in their distinguished history. It had to do with an advocacy project they took on to mark their first 25 years together: homelessness.

The folksingers met with advocates for the homeless. They visited homeless shelters and listened to the stories of their residents. Then they shared what they had learned in interviews with New York radio stations.

As the trio wrote in the book: “Our intent was to add our voices to the efforts of many others who sought to help correct the public’s misconceptions about homelessness, to help reframe the dialogue and policies regarding the homeless population, and to lobby for increased funding to ease the suffering of this much-maligned and misunderstood population.”

Artists don’t typically address such tough topics. In my mind, those who do stand out. Singer-songwriter Tom Russell is another one of those who has. These lines from his song “Somebody’s Husband, Somebody’s Son” remind us that all of our lives are rooted together:

“So out on your journey down the highways of life
Cherish your mother, crave the love of your wife
And forget not the outcast and the homeless were once
Somebody's husband, somebody's son.”

Dave Versical

March 11, 2023

Loneliness

Read: Matthew 25:34-40

I spent about 50 years as a local government administrator in both small villages and medium-sized cities. No matter the community size, I always had residents who would drop by the office to see me with a problem. The problem was not really what they were telling me about an abandoned car, the neighbor with tall grass, smoke from the neighbor’s grill or noisy vehicles that were always speeding. The real problem was that they were lonely and needed someone to visit with. I remember Mr. Raut. He had retired from GM, his children had spread across the country, his wife had died, and his dog had died. On top of it, the neighbors that he knew had moved away or died. I heard about them all. When he died, I met his family and a son said, “I bet he drove you nuts.” I replied, “No, he was simply lonely.”

Nearly half of all Americans report feeling lonely, a figure that has steadily increased since the 1980s. One survey of community challenges found loneliness was in the top three on every list. Those who would come to my office were seldom poor; many had good pensions; one was a financial institution president who sold it for millions.

To believers everywhere, the three most powerful behavioral words Jesus spoke were “Come, follow me” (Luke 18:22; see also Matthew 16:24; Mark 1:17; Luke 9:23). Jesus reached out and asked individuals to be disciples. We must do the same. There is much work to be done, call upon acquaintances, friends, and even strangers to help. Seldom will one be turned down. The list is long:

•    help provide, prepare, and/or serve meals in our kitchens
•    provide tutoring
•    facilitate activities programs
•    office coverage
•    landscaping
•    building maintenance and repairs
•    work with technology
•    create PowerPoint presentations
•    meet to knit/crochet/stitch prayer shawls, quilts, socks, etc.       
•    celebrate people with special needs
•    program and worship set up
•    provide transportation
•    construct handicapped ramps
•    assist with Cass programs
•    assist with Methodist Children’s Home programs
•    assist with food pantry

As we join hands in doing things together and for a purpose, loneliness will fade away.

Don Crawford

March 10, 2023

2 Pastors, a Blown Fuse, and a Christmas Cold Snap – Part 2 of 3

Read: Matthew 2:7-12

A sudden death in the family of our daughter-in-law changed our Christmas plans. Instead of hosting the crowd, we drove up the coast to Virginia and had the whole family at #1Son’s house. Upon our return Dec. 23, we found my lifelong BFF out of town. We’ve hosted him and his wife on Christmas Eve for many years since they have no other family. Soooooo, finally after way too many years, we were able to attend a Christmas Eve church service.

We attended a splendid service at a church we’ve been eyeballing for some time. We were very pleased to find it’s got a pipe organ, smaller than ours of course and no Doug, but a talented organist. They also have a guy they call the Cantor. He’s up in the balcony playing a trumpet and these enormous bongo-like drum things as well as some other instruments to accompany the organ. The whole thing pipes through a theater sized sound system that makes the music service come alive as though one were sitting in a symphony orchestra hall.

The Pastor delivered a very nice sermon. He centered it on how so many of the Jews in those days reacted negatively to the birth Jesus and rejected Him being described as the Messiah. Many people were not accepting Him as the Savior. “Certainly, this peasant baby isn’t the gift from the Lord they’ve been waiting for,” was a common belief. Then the Pastor told a story about how we sometimes get a gift, and the gift isn’t what we wanted or were hoping for, but in God’s plan the gift is exactly what we need. Jesus was such a gift back then, and He continues to be for many of us today.
 
Ron Draper

March 9, 2023

Never Say Never

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Most of us are familiar with this saying, and also with “never say never.” Recently we got a reminder in our own life. Our daughter, Katie, was changing jobs and would begin to work from home. Since Laura is now 8 and Jack 6, they thought this might be a good time to get a dog.

Katie did a lot of research and found a rescue pup about 9 months old. He was crate trained and also knew some basic commands. This sounded like a perfect fit. What they didn’t know was that he was a very timid dog.

They live in a very busy neighborhood with loads of kids coming and going all the time – chaos ensued. Their family came to our house with the pup (whom Laura had named Sprout because his hair stuck up all over the place) the beginning of November to say goodbye to Ben as he left for his year-long mobilization in El Paso, Texas.

It was evident that this adoption was not working – Katie was upset, the dog was upset, but she would have felt terrible if he had to be put back “in the system.” He was such a nice little dog and just needed quiet and some confidence.

Long story short: Dave and I had a talk and told her to leave him with us, and we’d see what we could do. Our dog, Jax, (somewhat reluctantly) approved. The funny thing is, we always said we’d never have 2 dogs, and the next dog we got would definitely not be a terrier. Well, we are now a 2 dog family with a terrier mix.

The good thing is that Scout (had to change his name since Dave couldn’t remember Sprout easily) did not have to go back to a shelter, Katie and her family can still see him and we have an affectionate new member of the family. Even though we try, we cannot predict the course of events, it seems better to leave it in God’s hands – He always makes the best choice.

Sue DeWitt

March 8, 2023

It’s a Win

Read: Jeremiah 31:13

Christine Caine received a cancer diagnosis and said to her doctor, “Well, one of three things will happen: God will cure me, medical treatment will cure me, or I will die and God will take me Home (and I’ll be cured). Either way, it’s a win.”

Her words struck me because of their simple truth. It’s replacing fear with faith and trust in God’s plan. I thought of these courageous words so many times as my husband, Bill, battled pancreatic cancer. They brought comfort and reassurance in a time of immense worry and despair.

While a terminal illness often pulls us closer to God, it isn’t a faith walk we choose as followers of Christ. What does resonate is the glaring truth that becomes so clear when everything else that matters is stripped away. God loves us and will be with us no matter what we face. Our challenge is to trust and give our desire for control to Him. As Christine Caine said, “Either way, it’s a win.”

Prayer: Gracious God, we trust in your wisdom and ask for your love and comfort to surround us in times of challenge. Give us peace, and in knowing you may we find a true path to salvation.
Amen

Marcia Wright

March 7, 2023

Sharing the Good News

Today's devotion refers to Acts 20, Verse 24, where Paul is saying good-bye to the Ephesian Elders on his route to Jerusalem.... "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."

Many years ago I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. While I never believed it was going to take my life (I had two young boys to raise), I still fought it with everything I had! That started with an aggressive medical team and experimental treatment plan. This included standard plus additional chemo, surgery, and radiation, and in that order. While I was nervous to defer the lumpectomy until after the chemo, my doctor stated that it's really the only way to know if the cancer is responding to the chemical treatment. That makes sense... They also shortened the time between my chemo rounds, which has since become standard practice. Another smart approach. But I didn't stop with a great medical team and strategy. I am of the generation where as a child, when you heard that someone had cancer, you expected them to die from it. Although I knew there had been major medical advancements, those concerns can still poison your mind if you let your guard down.

So, I didn't hide my medical situation, but rather told everyone in my circle. When anyone asked if there was anything they could do to help me I said, "Yes! Please pray for my healing, and spread the word! My goal is to have the largest prayer group ever." And they did. My friends, co-workers, siblings, parents and extended family all granted my request. I assure you there were people praying for me whom I never did nor ever will meet in person. In particular, however, I had a co-worker who was also the pastor of a local church. We had several conversations and he kept me on their prayer list during my entire battle.

This happened when I lived in Indiana, just before moving back to Michigan. After my treatment protocol was finished and I was back to better health, I heard from this man. He asked me if, when I was in town for a follow-up visit, I'd be willing to come to his church to give a testimonial. The thought of this really made me uncomfortable. I didn't know any of those people and was frightened to do it. Finally, he persuaded me that they'd been faithfully praying for me and it would mean a lot to them to see me in good health. So I agreed and we set up a plan. When I arrived, I immediately noticed that my skin and hair color did not resemble nearly anyone else in the room. While providing a very insightful memory to reflect upon later, at the time it only served to add to my discomfort and nervousness. However, I stayed and when called upon, stood and gave a testimonial of the grace of God's healing and the power of prayer. I thanked them graciously for being the active participants in my journey to become a 'survivor'. After a powerful service where their guest pastor made me cry (another good devotional topic), they invited me to join them for a luncheon. After lunch, I returned home that day feeling very good about sharing my story, but mostly about the love and generosity of the congregants of that church.

About a month later, this friend & pastor contacted me and told me that one of their members had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She'd discussed the situation with him and told him she wasn't frightened because of my testimony. He thanked me again for sharing the details of my journey, but I know I got more out of it than they. Sharing the good news of God's glory has double-sided benefits! What can you share today?

Debbie Smith
19 year Survivor!
 

March 6, 2023

How’s Your Corner?

Matthew 5:14-16 reads:“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven.”

As I was working on the sermon for Feb. 5th, I got an ear-worm. You know, that song or piece of a song that seems stuck in your head? I’d try to sing it out, but it would come right back, I tried to sing something else to replace it, but before I knew it, I’d be humming and singing it again! So, I’m going to share it with you!
the chorus goes:

“Brighten the corner where you are!
Brighten the corner where you are!
Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar;
Brighten the corner where you are!”

This song was written by Ina Ogdon. Ina was a talented speaker who was invited to go on the Chautauqua Circuit and speak for Christ. She was thrilled by this invitation and so excited to go. However, when it was time for her to leave, her father was seriously injured in an automobile accident and she felt it necessary to care for him instead of going on the speaking circuit. In her crushing disappointment, she found herself full of rage and resentment toward God, whom she blamed for her circumstances. Gradually, she decided she would be happy in her current circumstances and try to brighten the corner where she was. In 1913, she penned this poem reflecting her attitude.

What a good thought for us! We choose our attitude and choose how to shape our corner of the world. We can reflect an Eeyore attitude of gloom in our corner, or we can reflect the light of Christ and brighten our corner. How’s your corner?

Maybe I should keep this ear-worm, in case you want to join me, here are the verses:

Do not wait until some deed of greatness you may do,
Do not wait to shed your light afar,
To the many duties ever near you now be true,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Here for all your talent you may surely find a need,
Here reflect the Bright and Morning Star;
Even from your humble hand the Bread of Life may feed,
Brighten the corner where you are.

Pastor Pam Wells – CGUMC

March 5, 2023

Beautiful Melodies
 
Read Psalm 96:1-3
 
I have been playing the euphonium for nearly 30 years. I especially enjoy playing at church during Praise Band rehearsals Wednesday evenings, and during Service on Sunday mornings. It is almost like praying with my fingers. But every couple weeks or so, no matter how much I tune them, the notes begin to sound tired and flat. Then I must do one of my least favorite tasks: adjust the tuning slide. I slowly unwind and continuously pull in and push out the slide until the instrument is properly tuned. It’s a lot of trouble, but even the plainest melody rings with beauty.

I have discovered that sometimes God works in me the same way. When my life has gotten out of tune, God sits me down and starts adjusting my slide. God unwinds my attitudes and goals that have a selfish sharp sound and gently leads me to repentance. Next, God adjusts the slide, tuning the instrument until the grace notes of Jesus Christ can be heard again in my heart. When the Great Musician sits down to play the beautiful melodies of life in me again — oh, what joy!
 
Prayer: Father God, forgive us when our decisions do not follow your will. Tune our hearts to sing the songs of heaven today. Amen.
 
Prayer Focus: Musicians
 
Thought for the day:
Today I will sing a new song to the Lord

Ben DeWitt

March 4, 2023

Lean Toward the Light

John 8:12 — When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”
 

I’m not a terrific gardener, but I do delight in having an array of plants in my sunroom, soaking up the rays and making my home feel cozier.

I am especially intrigued by the way my houseplants follow the light. Whenever I move a pot to a new location or just turn it around a bit, the plant always adjusts and stretches out in the direction of the light. The plants embrace the light and, when they do so, they continue to grow.

Those plants are a metaphor for our need, our desire to embrace the light. Just as those plants need the light to grow, we need light to grow. We need to reach toward the light that is Jesus Christ and allow ourselves to bathe in the warmth of his love.

Prayer: Gracious Lord, please help me to lean into the light and to follow the light wherever it leads me.

Joan Richardson

March 3, 2023

2 Pastors, a Blown Fuse, and a Christmas Cold Snap – Part 1 of 3

Read: Ephesians 2:17-22

Not long before Christmas we received a very nice Christmas card from the Eardley family. I asked the Lovely & Gracious JeriLynn which family member it was that found us, since I didn’t recognize the name. We puzzled over it a minute, then I recognized the return address as the Parsonage. Having solved the mystery, we were both very happy to have been included in the inaugural Christmas card mailing for our new Pastor and family. We displayed it in a place of honor and enjoyed reading the message.

About the same time, we received another Christmas card from the Witness Committee at the Church. This one included 2 little flexible pieces of clear plastic with concentric circles on them. They were magnifying glasses. Last time I had a magnifying glass it was a round piece of glass with a metal handle and we used them to start little fires of pine needles and to fry ants on the sidewalk in the sunlight. (Kids nowadays have no clue to the fun we had with simple things.)

Hmmmm, a rather peculiar thing to include with a Christmas card I thought, and so I put them back in their card next to the Pastor’s card for safe keeping and hopefully remember them if I ever need one. Over the next few days, however, my memory had me putting them in the Pastor’s card. This is all rather boring and insignificant but keep it in mind when you read the much anticipated, ever-exiting, forthcoming, Part 2. (coming March 10)

Ron Draper

March 2, 2023

COVID19 Got Us!

Read: Mark 6:30-32, Ecclesiastes 10:10

Well, it finally happened after almost three years…. Sue and I got COVID19 on Friday January 7th. Where did it come from? Perhaps that crowded New Year’s Eve party or the political meeting in Westland the previous Tuesday, but who knows!?

Yup, we were totally vaccinated and boosted, so our symptoms were typical: congestion, coughing, tired, achy, and running nose. When we took the home COVID19 test, I think my results could best be described as announcing the overwhelmingly Positive by a loudly playing Michigan Marching Band. Sue, on the other hand, showed a negative response, but she still had the symptoms.

Saturday morning I awoke around 3:00am feeling like a truck had run into me, but Advil helped and I fell back to sleep. Luckily, we had gotten our Kroger order placed into the car trunk on the prior Thursday, so food was not an issue.

Like a lot of people, we felt lousy for most of the week, and by the next Friday I was feeling better and Saturday too. So, never having too much experience with serious illness, I got a call from Doc James Martin about downhill skiing for half a day at Mt Holly on Sunday (beautiful day and great conditions), then my pickleball group on Monday afternoon and then on Tuesday 20 lengths at the LA Fitness pool.

Guess what! Yup, on Wednesday I started feeling the symptoms returning. So my nurse daughter Katrina and my dear wife Susan, both conferred the same advice, I over-did the expectation of recovery.

So, for the rest of the week I RESTED, read some books (even a couple of non-fiction ones too), petted our two dogs (see Sue’s devotion on 3/9 on our recent #2 dog acquisition) and took the time to chill.

Ya know what, also during this time I reflected on life, illness, and what the remainder of my Retirement should look like (I retired in March of 2020, but that is another related story).

Ya know, I think the Lord was talking to me and used COVID19 as his methodology. Consequently I will be trying something I have dabbled in throughout my adult life, but never to the extent that this will entail. I have already made some important inroads and will find out where they and the Lord lead me.

Prayer: Lord, help me navigate through the next opportunity I will be pursuing, and may it accomplish the greater good that I hope it achieves. Amen.

Dave DeWitt

March 1, 2023

Big Storm vs. Little Boat

Read: Luke 8:22-25

On a recent jaunt up Lakeshore Drive, I looked out on a stormy Lake Saint Clair to see a single boat on the water. There were two people in the boat, probably fishing, as I can only imagine that to be the only semi-reasonable activity to engage in on the water during a snow storm. I thought, "Not me!"

My thoughts took me to the story of Jesus, also in a boat, with His disciples. They, too, were experiencing a storm, and Jesus' fearful followers woke Him, asking how He could sleep when they were about to drown. Jesus asks them "Where is your faith?" (Luke 8: 25). He could have said so many other things, such as "Didn't we just learn this from the Centurion?" but His reply to his devoted ones is simple.

And the question remains for us today. May we consider this story as a gentle reminder that when we are in unsure, perhaps even dangerous times in our lives, to remember our faith in God. He is faithful and will always come through.

Prayer: Dear God, help us remember our faith in tough times, and to trust You always. Amen.

Rev. Leslie A. Rutland-Tipton

February 28, 2023

Sometimes the Simplest Are the Best

Read: Luke 2:1-20

Our family has had some pretty amazing Christmases: great food, too many gifts and parties, domestic and foreign travel. This last Christmas we walked the Freedom Walk in Boston and visited the Mt Washington Hotel, New Hampshire’s version of our Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.

One Christmas we went to the Aspen United Methodist Church for Christmas Eve.

Last year we had to cancel all our reservations for Christmas week in Vermont when my son-in-law got COVID on Christmas Eve while we were watching the Pope say mass from Rome. There was no church that evening since the religious leaders in Cleveland said Christmas Eve services were unsafe.

That said, probably one of my most memorable Christmas Eves was December 24, 2020. Fifteen of us, bundled in our warmest, stood in the Memorial Garden while Charlie van Becelaere read the Christmas story from Luke.

Fifteen minutes and a little frostbite later, we were on our way home. I had made brisket and had my Jewish friend and her husband came for dinner. Even without the brisket, it was a Christmas to remember.

Sometimes the simplest events are the best. ‘Tis a gift to be simple.

Vivian Anderson

February 27, 2023

Gold Confetti

Read: Philippians 1:9-11

It’s everywhere!! Just like God’s love

At my second hotel in Dallas, I happened to notice a little gold shimmer on the floor in my room. After investigating, I discovered it was a piece of gold confetti. The same stuff we shot off in the choir loft when the children brought the Christmas message. I had the same shoes with me that I had worn that day in church. BUT- I had worn those shoes half a dozen times (at least) since that day. There was no confetti on the outside of them anywhere, but I did discover a couple more pieces inside one shoe. So – I sent a picture and text to Pam and said, “Look what I found in my hotel room” To which she replied, “It’s everywhere!! just like God’s love”

Well, it turns out confetti multiplies – just like God’s love!

I found 3 more pieces in the hallway. I do not walk around in my stocking feet in hotel hallways… so how did it find its way out of my room? (Remember I had examined my shoes and found it only on the inside.) I left the pieces in the hallway for a few days – probably because it made me smile every time I walked to my room. (In defense of the housekeeping staff, I had to use three different vacuums at church to clean it up.) The day before I checked out, I picked up the pieces and put them in the outer pocket of my suitcase, and zipped it up. My confetti pieces and I flew off to Puerto Rico.

The day before I was supposed to leave Puerto Rico, as I was starting to pack back up, something shiny caught my attention. About 20 feet from where my suitcase was parked, there on the floor was a shiny round piece of gold confetti. Trust me, I checked those shoes again. There were still pieces of confetti stuck inside them. How all those pieces got where they did may not be unexplainable, but it is a little mysterious…How God’s love follows us around no matter where we go, what we do, or how we act – that is a lot mysterious! But I’m glad it does!

Dear God, thank you for the little mysteries that remind us that we can’t get away from your love. Help us to always be aware of that, and grateful for it! Amen.

Jacki Rumpp – CGUMC

February 26, 2023

Hang in There

Read: Psalm 40

When you're "bearly" getting by.
and you have a beastly day.
when life is hard to bear
and it rubs you the wrong way …

Just turn your eyes to Heaven
and pause to say a prayer
that God will lift you up
and help you HANG IN THERE!!

Glenn DeLodder

February 25, 2023

Fasting for Lent

“Blow the horn in Zion; demand a fast; request a special assembly. Gather the people; prepare a holy meeting; assemble the elders; gather the children, even the nursing infants.” - Joel 2:15-16a

Do you fast for Lent? Is there something you’ve given up for the Lent season (the whole season, including Sundays)? Over the years I’ve given up different things, such as soda pop, fried fast food (which kept Subway on the list as an option), and fasting for one day a week during Lent. Each were a challenge, especially at the beginning. Giving up something that you like takes a bit of focus, right? There were moments when I think I was thinking about what I had given up, more than thinking about the space it was creating in my life. When you fast for a day, that means your meal time is open to doing other things, such as not thinking about what other people may be eating for their meals. This particular Lent fast opened me to thinking about adding something during Lent, such as prayer time, scripture reading, or serving. It opened the door of using the Book of Common Prayer’s daily office for personal devotions. It also opened the door to reading the Psalms every day. When COVID came, I committed to reading the Psalms every month (5 chapters a day). That particular Lent discipline continued for the next twelve months as I read the book of Psalms monthly from a different translation. Doing so gave me a deeper appreciation for the Psalms and how they speak to our daily lives. It was also a place where God met me time and time again. His words breathed life and hope into me on more than one occasion. It was a journey that I treasured and one that has led me back to the Psalms for more reflection and prayer.

What have you given up for Lent to give God some space to fill? What have you added to make your Lent journey one where you open your mind, heart, and life to God and God’s way?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us make space in our lives for you. As we do so, please fill those gaps with your presence, so that we may hear your voice and feel you near. Amen.

Rev. David Eardley

February 24, 2023

Living Life Without Regrets

2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret but worldly sorrow brings death. (NIV)
Colossians 1: 9-10 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (NIV)

Have you said or done something you wish you could take back? Sometimes it is not something we’ve said or done that we regret, but something we have not done or wished we had done. We regret missed opportunities or failings. Regrets come in many shapes and sizes. In the above scripture reference, Paul talks about Godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. With Godly sorrow we have sadness at offending God. We repent and try to become a morally better person. Worldly sorrow on the other hand revolves around the pain that sin causes oneself, rather than God. It fears the consequences of punishment, but does not aim to improve moral well-being.

Even our Biblical heroes had regrets. Paul, a great persecutor of the early Christians, approved of the stoning of Stephen to death. David, a man after God’s heart, was a murderer and adulterer. Peter denied Christ three times and yet Jesus asked him three times to ‘feed my sheep.’ Each of these Biblical heroes turned their regrets into repentance and lived a life of purpose that brought honor and glory to God.

To get beyond regret we need to seek a ‘God intervention’ to lead us to change. God desires to restore us. He has given us the Holy Spirit to intercede for us.
Some keys that help me deal with regrets include the following:
•    knowing what God wants from me by studying his holy word.
•    following God’s laws which teach us how to live happily, peacefully, and abundantly.
•    following the example of Christ.
•    seeking the positive and being the positive.
•    living a life of purpose.
•    asking if what I do will please God and bring him honor and glory.

We cannot undo the past, but, with God’s help, we can live well despite regrets, because God in his grace and mercy forgives us and leads us to be a better person.

Prayer: Guide me to live a life without regrets. Thank you for your mercy and grace when I fail.

Prayer Focus: For those struggling with regret.

Pat Deck

February 23, 2023

Fruit Happens

Read: John 15:1-11

Sometimes I catch myself working really hard to do what I “know” God wants me to do. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not the way it really works – fruit comes from the vine, not just from the branch.

The fruit comes when we let Him produce it in our lives – through our living – not when we try to make it happen ourselves.

As the song goes:
I know that my ability
Is not Your main concern
It's my availability
And willingness to learn
    - Bob Hartman

Right – it’s not my ability, it’s my availability. I have to let Christ live and work in me and through me; then I’ll find that Fruit Happens:
Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control (as another song goes!).

Lord, may we all bear much fruit in our lives to Your glory and the healing of the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Charlie van Becelaere

February 22, 2023 - Ash Wednesday

Marked by Love

“So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” –2 Corinthians 5:20 NRSV Bible

Welcome to the pilgrimage of the Lenten season. This may be your first time to take this journey, or this may be a cherished tradition within your faith story. Either way, we each find ourselves on a new path, even if the story is familiar. Why a new path?... because a year has passed since we last followed Jesus to Jerusalem and his betrayal, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. In that year we have changed, our lives have changed, the world has changed. Thus, the newness may not have been our choice, but here we are… at the beginning of Lent. Take heart, pilgrims, because we are never left alone. During this season, along the Lenten journey, we will walk with each other through worship and through this devotional. The stories of our friends will inspire us, drive us deeper into faithful reflection, draw us closer to one another and to our ever faithful God, who guides us in this holy season. Ah yes, pilgrims, it is Jesus whom we follow throughout Lent. His story, his love, his way, all experienced through the part of his body known as GPUMC. I am grateful to everyone who is giving me this opportunity to share Lent with them and their faith. You will encourage my and everyone’s faith and devotion to Jesus. Thank you for this gift. It is profound, and it is sacred.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, on this first day of Lent, and every day that follows, be our guide. Challenge us and comfort us, as we follow Jesus to Jerusalem. Use these devotionals to open your way to us in new ways. Bless these stories as we read them, reflect upon them, and remember them. Help us to meet Jesus each day, and help us to be signs of Jesus for the world around us. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.

Rev. David Eardley