August 17, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith 
Text: John 10: 2-4

This represents #4 of 12 “meditations” inspired by a sermon series I am sharing from God’s word with help from Max Lucado’s book Just Like Jesus. Today’s text brings us to Jesus, who is talking with his followers and giving them a true to life example of what it means to follow him. In this text, Jesus is comparing people to sheep. There are many occasions in the Bible where people are referred to as sheep, and with good reason. I haven’t spent much time around actual sheep, but I have learned that we have several things in common with them:

• We are easily distracted and lose our way, so we need a shepherd to guide us.
• We need somebody to feed us.
• We usually recognize the voices of those we trust.

In our text for today, Jesus is telling his followers to “Listen Up”! [my translation of John 10:2-4]: “The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice”.

So, here’s the question for today. Do you recognize the voice of the Lord? In other words, are you able to recognize when you are being led by God’s truth or a stranger’s direction?

When I use the word stranger, I want you to consider even those you know who may be giving you very “strange” advice. The best way to know the voice of God, is to become very familiar with what he says in his word, the Bible. Max Lucado puts it this way; “Spend much time reading about the listening life of Jesus and a distinct pattern emerges. He spent regular time with God, praying and listening...the gospel of Luke tells us, ‘Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (Luke 5:16). Let me ask the obvious. If Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless savior of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn’t we be wise to do the same?” You should know that Jesus was the “Word made flesh”, “God incarnate”, meaning, Jesus embodied the word of God. We can connect with the word of God because of Christ’s life, death and resurrection on our behalf. So, do you recognize the voice of the Lord for your life and living today?

Here is a practical tool that I find very helpful; Schedule 15-30 minutes a day for just you and the Lord, reading his word, meditating on his word and making notes so as to put into a very personal prayer what his word is telling you. This is called a “discipline”, don’t panic, it won’t hurt, it just takes a commitment. You make time for everything and everybody else, why not “take time to be holy and speak oft with thy Lord” (From the hymn “Take time to be Holy” written by William Longstaff, 1882- United Methodist Hymnal #395).

AMEN!

August 11, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith
Text: Matthew 8:1-4

(The Message). Jesus came down the mountain with the cheers of the crowd ringing in his ears. Then a leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, ‘Master, if you want to, you can heal my body.’
Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, "I want to. Now, be clean."

Then and there, all signs of the leprosy were gone.

Jesus said, "Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed body to the priest, along with the appropriate expressions of thanks to God. Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."

The context of these verses put us in a time and place where the disease of leprosy was not uncommon, and the social consequences of this disease made the leper an outcast. Not even family could be around them. They would be considered untouchable. Max Lucado writes; “In scripture the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast; infected by a condition he did not seek, rejected by those he knew, avoided by people he did not know, condemned to a future he could not bear. And in the memory of each outcast must have been a day he was forced to face the truth: Life would never be the same.”

When I was young, the phrase “What Would Jesus Do” became popular, It was inspired by a book written in the late 1940’s or early 50’s by a man named Charles Sheldon; In His Steps. If you have never read this marvelous story, I highly recommend it to you. It makes for great evening family reading, and gives everyone something to consider when thinking about living the Christian life. So, what did Jesus do in the scripture for today? Answer – He healed the Leper. But how? Did Jesus touch him, like he did in other healing accounts in the bible? Here is Max’s answer; “ The touch did not heal the disease…the infection was banished by a word from Jesus. The loneliness, however, was treated by a touch from Jesus…Can we offer the same? Many of you already do. Some of you have the master touch of the Physician himself. You use your hands to pray over the sick and minister to the weak.

If you haven’t been touching them personally, your hands are writing letters, dialing phones, baking goodies. You have learned the power of a touch” (page 36 Just Like Jesus). My husband and I read an article this morning from the Upper Room devotional for today’s date and in it the author, Shelly Graf, addresses this very idea of being willing or unwilling to share the Masters touch; “It can be uncomfortable, and we may feel tempted to withdraw in fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. But when we are willing simply to be present, we join God who is already at work. We leave the situation more connected to God and more connected to one another from our shared experience” There is someone who feels “untouchable” near all of us. Don’t be afraid “The Lord your God is with you”.

AMEN

August 4, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith 
“Dealing with ‘Stuckititis’”, or Blooming where you are planted.
John 13:1-5.

In chapter 2 of his book Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado examines what it means to many people to be “stuck in a relationship”. He refers to their condition as a case of “Stuckititis” and these are the symptoms; “Attacks of stuckititis are limited to people who breathe and typically occur somewhere between birth and death. Stuckititis manifests itself in irritability, short fuses, and a mountain range of molehills. The common symptom of stuckititis victims is the repetition of questions beginning with WHO, WHAT, and WHY. Who is this person? What was I thinking? Why didn’t I listen to my mother?” (page 15) (Ok, I think you can see where I am going with this introduction, but just in case it is a bit vague, read on.)

Much of our lives seem to be spent working with, living with, even worshipping with people who have a tendency to make us, to put it politely, uncomfortable. There are several responses to choose from when dealing with folks we feel “stuck with”; we can “flee, fight, or forgive”. In his 3 years of active ministry; preaching, teaching, encouraging, and healing, Jesus chose to share this time with 12 unlikely disciples, guys that would try his patience time and time again. The bible tells us that even up until the very last day they had with Jesus on earth, these fellas were arguing over who would be number one.

Max asks the question; “How was Jesus able to love his disciples? The answer is found in the thirteenth chapter of John”: 13 1-2 Just before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew that the time had come to leave this world to go to the Father. Having loved his dear companions, he continued to love them right to the end. It was suppertime. The Devil by now had Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, firmly in his grip, all set for the betrayal. 3-5 Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So, he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron.” (John 13:1-5 MSG)

During the Passover meal, it would have been common to have a basin, pitcher of water and towel at the ready for the servant to use, but no servant was there to wash the disciples feel. Any one of them could have chosen to take up the task, or they could have helped each other, but they didn’t. Who did? The King of the universe, the one whose hands “shaped the stars, now washed away filth. Fingers that formed mountains now cleaned toes. And the one before whom all nations will one day kneel now kneels before his disciples…more than removing dirt, Jesus is removing doubt” (pg. 18)

So, here’s my thought for this week. If you find yourself having difficulty “blooming where you are planted”, take a moment to stop, breathe deeply and consider how Jesus loved the difficult ones, you guessed it, that includes you and I. Ask him to guide you this week and through his sweet Holy Spirit to help you love the one’s you are stuck with.

AMEN.

July 29, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith
Genesis 1:27

One of my greatest blessings is spending one-on-one time with our grandchildren. It doesn’t happen often enough, but when it does, I am always amazed how smart and witty these young ones are. The wisdom and boldness they demonstrate just thrills my heart, and depending on what new and daring tricks they pull off sometimes makes my heart race with fear and trepidation.

While studying for a new Bible study I am endeavoring to lead, I came upon a very familiar passage of Old Testament Scripture that reminds me that every time I look in the face of these beautiful grandchildren I am looking at the image of God. I am also reminded that every person I come in contact with is equally the image of God. Now, bear with me for a few more sentences if you find yourself questioning my theology. Let’s start by looking at the text I’m referring to; “So God created human beings in his own image, In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” (NLT)

It seems that from the beginning God’s plan for humankind was to be like him. Not coequal with him, but in his truest image, which is best reflected in the life of Jesus Christ. I can hear an old hymn running through my mind; “Oh to be like thee, Oh to be like thee, blessed redeemer, pure as thou art! Come in thy sweetness, come in thy fullness; Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart”.

So, the challenge to me in continuing to develop my theology, is to see myself and others as the image of God. But what about when I blow it? Am I reflecting the image of God then? From my perspective, the image is always there, I just make it difficult to see it.

To quote Max Lucado: “God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus”.

That was the plan from the beginning and God “ain’t finished with us yet”. Don’t give up on yourself or others, pray, seek God’s will and way and day by day you will be more and more like Jesus.

AMEN!

July 22, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith
John 10:14

Jesus says that he knows his sheep as in John 10:14; “I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep and my sheep know me”.

This “Knowing” is more than a simple identification that there are sheep present, but he knows each sheep individually and as Psalm 95:7 says; “we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care”.

This is a great comfort to me, and I pray it is for you as well, especially when you face difficult decisions or situations as you navigate this day. I read a short article in the recent Christian Living in the Mature years magazine written by Michelle J. Morris that made me stop and think about the reality of scripture in my life, especially when I don’t want to read it; “If one more person suggests to me that I should pray the Psalms, I may punch them in the face…That [sentiment] was probably as good a proof as any that I really needed to be praying the Psalms.

"I was in one of those dark nights of the soul when I felt deeply disconnected from God…if I am honest I didn’t want to talk to God. Really, what could God say to me anyway that would make me feel better?” Michelle goes on to share that there are just sometimes we can’t find the words to pray and so why not pray God’s word? I can relate to her frustration, especially when people expect me to be a 24/7 Bible Scholar and Prayer Warrior.

How about you? Are you walking through “the valley of the shadow” as in Psalm 23? Hold on, help is on the way. Try praying through a Psalm today, or at least part of one and if you find yourself among the shepherd psalms, remember, you can never stray so far that He can’t find you, and you can always trust that He cares for you even when you can’t feel it in the current moment.

Recently I sang a little lullaby to a hurting friend who requested a song. It comes from a hymn written by William Gaither in 1974 and is one I sang to my babies, and now to their babies ; “Gentle Shepherd, come and lead us, for we need you to help us find our way. Gentle shepherd, come and feed us, for we need your strength from day to day. There’s no other we can turn to who can help us face another day; Gentle shepherd come and lead us, for we need you to help us find our way”.

AMEN

July 15, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith
1 John 5:3-4

This past Sunday I wrapped up the Epistle of 1 John. In the “wrapping”, I discovered a challenge that I want to pass along to you; define for yourself what you perceive Faith to be, then use that same definition and examine how this applies to your faith in God, or absence of it. I’ve often used the acronym F.A.I.T.H. to help define my understanding of faith in God.

F=Forsaking
A=All
I=I
T=Trust
H=Him (God)

But, how would I define the simple word itself apart from a particular religious expression? I can have faith in the people I trust, I can have faith in those who govern over me (shaky as that may be), I can have faith in lot’s of things, but what makes faith, faith? My Websters New Collegiate Dictionary tells me, in part, that faith is “allegiance to duty or person…Loyalty…fidelity to one’s promises…firm belief in something for which there is no proof [that one stings a bit]…complete confidence…belief etc…”

It seems the more I ponder my faith, the more I consider the visible witness of my faith (or lack thereof). For example: I have faith that God, who created me and everyone and everything around me, will see me through this life and has provided a promise for eternal life with him in Christ Jesus. So, why am I so prone to worry, or to be anxious or frustrated and on a really bad day, to feel alone? How about you? Have you ever been with someone you perceived to be of great faith at a time when their life is unravelling? What was your experience? Were you surprised at their response to the situation? How do you typically respond, or perhaps a more realistic word would be react?

1 John 5:3-4 tells us; “This is love for God; to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith”. Another great passage for defining faith in God is Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”. I think that helps me deal with Webster’s idea that faith is “a belief in something for which there is no proof”. And yet, I look all around me and see a marvelous and ordered creation that I can’t help but believe was created by a loving, providing God. I listen and hear birds sing beautiful songs, I hear my grandchildren say they love me and my heart sings.

So, to wrap up this rambling, I want to simply encourage you to take some time this week and consider what faith means to you, and how you might grow in your faith so as to be an encouragement to someone else. Meltdowns are allowed, but keep in mind, there is someone who can help you mold it back together, maybe, just maybe, the you that comes out of it will be even more bold and beautiful!

AMEN!

July 7, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith

When I think of nobleness, I think of those few brave and daring folk who put themselves out there for a cause they deemed worthy. I think of the great names of history, the founding fathers of our nation (okay, they had some sketchy moments too). I think of the devoted missionaries who put their lives out there to help many who don’t seem to want their help. I think of the many medical and emergency personnel, Police, Firefighters, Social Workers, and so many volunteers for the sake of community health. I think of the military personnel who were willing to leave their families and comforts to fight and provide support for efforts to keep America and other countries safe. I don’t think of myself, a simple, small town wife, grandmother and preacher. And yet, I see in Scripture, a call to nobleness for all who would follow Christ.

You see, (as my drill instructor in basic training said time and time again; “if it were easy, everyone would do it”), the call of God to follow his way is a call to nobleness, but take heart, God provides the strength to be noble. The key is your focus. The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:8; “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

We just celebrated our Independence Day this past Sunday, and as such, I tried to remind you that our Independence from any tyranny is rooted in our dependence upon the God who formed us all in his image. So, think about this; Do you see yourself as a noble person, willing to sacrifice and suffer for the kingdom of God? – check your answer, and don’t sell yourself short. God is still calling and working in and through each of his children to grow as individuals and as communities of faith to bring his “Kingdom Come on Earth as it is in Heaven”.

Sing along as we close this meditation: “America! America! May God thy gold refine till all success be nobleness and every gain divine”.

Amen!

June 30, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith
Psalm 33

God is Dependable! I believe that with all my heart. I believe that not only because I have been taught that over the years by faithful Sunday School teachers and Preachers, but I believe it because I have experienced God’s faithfulness even when I have been unfaithful to Him. I believe it because I have seen miracles of lives transformed, healing in relationships restored. I believe it because I have witnessed what life holds for those who have no hope in Christ, the greatest gift of God, and I have grieved over the anger, anxiety and separation that lack of God’s grace caused.

This Sunday is Independence Day remembered, and as such, many will celebrate the “4th of July” with gatherings and fireworks. I am reminded that the United States of America began as a sketchy endeavor and experiment in forming a truly free and democratic nation. That “God Bless America” comes at a great price for all who really want to live in the blessing of God, and the price many have paid for the hope of a free nation. (Many are still hoping to be free).

Psalm 33 begins the way I love to start any time of worship; “Sing joyfully to the Lord…” and then goes on to share why we should sing joyfully. Verses 12-14; “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—“ If you are able to gather with family and friends to celebrate this weekend; our “Independence”, I ask that you take some time with those same family and friends to remember the God who formed us all and longs for us to follow in His choosing; to love Him with all we have and to love others the way he does. It will cost you something of your time and comfort, but I am convinced that God is dependable and He will bless you in ways you cannot imagine.

Let me close with a familiar prayer:

“America! America! God shed his grace on thee, and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.”

AMEN!