Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
May 22, 2024
Romans 8:26-27

If I were to ask you what you thought the biggest Holy Days of the Christian Church are, what you include in your list? I’m guessing you would start with Christmas, celebrating the birth of our Savior. Next, I hope you would say Easter, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead after taking our sins to the cross. Would you include anything else?

I have neglected to plan and prepare for another great Holy Day of the church; Pentecost, which our church celebrated this past Sunday. I have always shared messages about the coming of the Holy Spirit to those gathered in Jerusalem for the Jewish festival of Pentecost. I’ve included songs and readings and all the usual things we do in worship on Sunday, but I have been guilty of not giving this Holy Day the attention and celebration that we expect for Christmas and Easter. Just about the time I am feeling somewhat capable in the ministry to which I have been assigned by God, I realize that there is so much more I could be doing to help folks around me understand what marvelous gift God has given to everyone who believes in Christ for salvation. In our scripture passage for today, the Apostle Paul explains how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know how to pray or what to do. Scholar T.J. Bach share this about our passage today;

“The Holy Spirit longs to reveal to you the deeper things of God. He longs to love through you. He longs to work through you. Through the blessed Holy Spirit, you may have strength for every duty, wisdom for every problem, comfort in every sorrow, joy in His overflowing service”. Now, that’s something to celebrate and share!

Happy Holy Days!

Amen!

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
May 15, 2024
Matthew 6:28-29

My son came to visit me today and while chatting about his youth ministry work and our congregational ministry, he reminded me that no one person can do everything that is needed in the church (duh!, I know that), but that most of the time people, especially young people are simply looking for someone they can warm up to. He gave me a new quote; “Warm is the new Cool”. Have you heard that? I like it. In reflecting on our conversation, I came across a meditation using Matthew 6:28-29 where Jesus is teaching his followers to not worry, but draw strength from the God. Oswald Chambers’; My Utmost for His Highest for May 18, in part reads: “The people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies of the field, perfectly simply and unaffectedly. These are the lives that mold us. If you want to be of use to God, get rightly related to Jesus Christ and He will make of use unconsciously every minute you live.”

 Now I am singing a song I learned as a child written by Gloria and William Gaither; “I will serve you, because I love you, you have given life to me. I was nothing until you found me, you have given life to me…”

Amen!

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
May 8, 2024
Isaiah 41:13, Psalm 13:6

So much trouble in the world! We need a positive focus to help us understand our part in the healing of our hurting world. I found inspiration while doing the laundry today. I can almost hear someone say; “what is inspiring about laundry”? Well, it wasn’t the laundry itself that inspired me, it was a small poster I have taped to the inside of a cabinet that I opened in my laundry room. The Poster reads: “Yes, I will sing to the Lord for He has been good to me” (Psalm 13:6). So, I decided to take a coffee break and read Psalm 13 and it helped me pray about the trouble in the world; “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?” (vs. 2). And then David goes on to say what I long to say; “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me”(vs. 6). Needing a bit more of a spiritual boost I turned to Sarah Young’s devotional Jesus Calling and read the passage for May 8. She uses Isaiah 41:13 and shares what she hears God saying; “ask Me to equip you for whatever difficulties you will encounter. The best equipping is My living Presence, My hand that never lets go of yours. Discuss everything with Me. Take a lighthearted view of trouble, seeing it as a challenge that you and I together can handle”. Praying you will be encouraged today.

Amen!

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
May 1, 2024
Hebrews 10:19-20

At least that is what I am calling this first day of the month. When I say that out loud I can’t help but picture a vessel in terrible trouble on the raging sea and a very frightened radio operator calling out for help. With that said, I have found myself on some stormy emotional and spiritual high seas, some of my own making, and some with others help creating the storms. Today, I have found myself in a very calm and peaceful place on my journey from here to eternity. I’ve been blessed to share this day with some very sweet grandchildren and was treated to a wonderful meal prepared by my sweet husband. Still, I get emails and texts about so much turmoil in the world and even close by and sense a need to return to the basics of my belief in Christ.

That’s sort of the theme of this meditation today; getting back to the basics of life and faith. I found a wonderful hymn that is the inspiration for today’s devotional from The One Year Book of Hymns – 365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns; “Blessed Assurance” written by Fanny Crosby over 100 years ago. Many of you reading this meditation are familiar with who Fanny Crosby was and know that though completely blind, she was a prolific hymn writer whose songs have inspired untold numbers of faith seekers. The scripture from the devotional shares this insight for those of us longing to get back to the basics; “We can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place”. Praise the Lord! No matter what is going on inside of me or around me, I can go directly to God and lay it all down, knowing He has provided the “new and life-giving way”, Jesus. When I remember that I can sing with gusto; “this is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long”.

You can too!

Amen!

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
April 24, 2024
Psalm 28:1-2, 6-7

Most days I seem to go along singing a song and finding more and more blessings to count. Other days I find myself struggling to help people who call on me to assist them in some very troubling situations. It might be a financial crisis, a rough living situation, a bad health report, and even news of the passing of a loved one. Even though I know that nothing can happen that God can’t see us through, and even though I have seen miracles and acts of mercy that are most assuredly God’s handiwork, I still sometimes feel helpless to help.

Just about the time I was going to post my new saying for this year which is; “Every day I’m gonna find a way to say Hallelujah anyway”, I heard a song by Amy Grant that turned me around. The title of the song is Better than a Hallelujah and the refrain goes something like this; “We pour out our misery, God just hears a melody, Beautiful the mess we are, honest prayers of a breaking heart Are better than a hallelujah”.

In the verses of the song, Amy sings about different people in different situations crying out to God and at the end of each line she sings that it’s “better than a hallelujah sometimes” (emphasis, mine). There’s the key for me “sometimes”. I think David’s Psalm 28 reflects this too; “To you I call, o Lord my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit. Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place”. Then, after pouring out his heart, he is comforted and finds direction; “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.”

If you find yourself dealing with “one of those days” that things feel very dark and, like a friend said the other day, “I haven’t seen beautiful in a long time”, don’t give up. Do as Amy Grant suggests: Pour out your misery and know that God hears your desperate cry and is more than ready to guide you through. Admitting that you are hurting is not weakness to God, it is a melody of dependence on Him.

Amen!

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
April 17, 2024
Habakkuk 2:4

I have gotten into a habit of writing interesting quotes and scripture passages down on little 3X5 cards and placing them around the house. Every now and then I pick up something off a table, my desk or even the kitchen counter and out pops a card. That happened to me the other evening while sprucing up the kitchen. Here’s what I read on the card; “Make sure your servants towel is bigger than your ego”, and “Ego is the anesthetic that deadens the pain of stupidity” (ouch). When I turned the card over, I had written a quote from the prophet Habakkuk; “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright - but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness”.

How can we make sure we are not arrogant, or puffed up? One way that saved me the other day was to stop and ask myself if I was Edging God Out? In other words; was what I was about to say or do moving past my asking for God’s direction first and just going with what I wanted at the time? Recently, I have found myself in situations where my way of doing things was challenged and I initially wanted to say; “I’ve had more experience at this than you have, so just deal with it”. Thank the Lord that I took a breath and felt the Holy Spirit tell me to “zip it” and simply listen to the suggestions being made. Funny, how I can learn something new, if I am willing to listen.

Our passage for today’s meditation comes from a conversation between the prophet Habakkuk and God. It seems the prophet was growing impatient with God concerning the disciplining of the leaders of Judah who were oppressing the poor. The conversation starts out in chapter 1 verses 2 and following, here is an excerpt; “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you ‘Violence’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?”

Can’t you feel the desperation of the prophet as you read those words? I feel it often when I catch a news story about yet another person with power and authority abusing and neglecting those entrusted to them. I feel it when someone calls me on the phone and just keeps repeating the word; “I just don’t get it, I just don’t get it, why doesn’t someone stop the killing?” I feel it when someone says “If God is good all the time, why does it hurt so much?”

Maybe you are getting a bit impatient with God. Trust me, you are in good company, even the disciples felt that way and they were in the presence or God incarnate. Don’t allow yourself to feel less faithful if you question God. The point is, stay in the conversation with God. Listen and let the Holy Spirit get you through one second, then one minute, then one step at a time.

Amen!

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
April 10, 2024
2 Corinthians 12:9 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I have been blessed to be asked to officiate a wedding of a sweet young couple from my church. In preparation for their marriage, I found a wonderful marriage counseling guide in a book entitled Six Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs To Make by Paul David Tripp. In chapter 16 I found a wonderful quote for all relationships, and I hope you will find it encouraging and challenging at the same time; “This side of heaven, we will never graduate from the school of Grace”. That is something I need to repeat to myself every day. Isn’t it easy to allow our emotions and our pride to move first instead of going to our wonderful God of grace and mercy? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us; “Rejoice in the Lord always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”. Pretty tall order I think, but, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I know life will be much more peaceful and I can be a brighter light for the Kingdom if I will endeavor to follow this instruction. The Apostle Paul, again, writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God told him; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. It’s all about grace, God’s grace. Grace, He extends to us so we can do the same for others. It’s an everyday challenge. Dr. Tripp puts it this way; “Every day the fallen world, in all it’s brokenness, presses in on us and makes life more difficult and complicated than it was originally designed to be. Every day we are called to fight what is wrong and give ourselves to what is right. Every day we are called to humbly examine ourselves and to commit ourselves to change. Every day there is some issue for which we need the insight of biblical wisdom. Every day we must surrender what we want to the better agenda of what God has commanded. Every day we are called to love each other in ways that are practical and specific. Every day we are called to love when the other person doesn’t deserve it. Every day we need to look for ways to communicate encouragement, appreciation, and respect…”.

So, when you find yourself today and everyday struggling to learn and apply God’s grace, perhaps a song could help you along, it helps me; “Grace, grace, God’s grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin” (Grace Greater than our Sin; “Sing To The Lord” 1993 hymnal pg 84).

Amen!

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
April 3, 2024
Acts 1:1-11

After Jesus’ resurrection, he appeared to many in his physical body for a period of 40 days. (Interesting how the number 40 is so significant and connectional; 40 days and nights Noah and his family float in the boat, 40 years Moses leads the people through the wilderness, 40 days for Jesus to deal with temptation, and now after his resurrection, for 40 days Jesus makes several appearances to his disciples. As Dr. Henry Halley writes; “to banish forever from their minds any doubt as to His continued existence as a living person. What a wonderful experience in those 40 days, to have thus seen, talked with, eaten with, and felt with their hands, Jesus in His actual crucified and glorified body, as He appeared and disappeared, through closed doors out of nowhere and back into the nowhere, all climaxed, as, with the blessing of His uplifted hands, He rose, gradually, up and up, and disappeared in the clouds”(Halley’s Bible Handbook 1965 edition, pg. 560).

Verses 10-11, of our text in the book of Acts, tells us that the disciples were staring up into the sky where they, saw with their own eyes, Jesus ascending into the clouds. It was there and then that two men dressed in white suddenly stood beside them. This must have been shocking, to say the least, that while the disciples were gazing into the cloud where Jesus disappears, so much like a child watching their Daddy drive away for a long trip, two guys show up. I wonder if these were the same two guys that met the women at the empty tomb in Luke 24:4; “While they were wondering about this [who would roll the stone away], suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood beside them”.

I don’t know about you, but I am not fond of being surprised, though I do love a good game of hide and seek. I can just imagine, how jumpy the disciples, men and women, would be at such times like they were experiencing. At the empty tomb, mourning the loss of one they loved so much and had hoped would free them for the corrupt government they lived under. On hill, after a glorious 40 days of sporadic visits with Jesus, and now, Surprise! Two guys stand with them and tell them they will see him again, but when? Isn’t that what people are asking still? When will Jesus return? Maybe we missed it, maybe we’ve neglected Him so much He decided not to return? Let me reassure you, just at the two guys did for the disciples; “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven”. The apostle John writes; “Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, sys the Lord God, who is, and who was and who is to come, The Almighty’”(Revelation 1:7-8).

So, what should we do while we wait? Love Him more and more every day, and look for ways to love others into the Kingdom of God. We just might surprise the world.

Amen!