But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

-I Thessalonians 4:13

He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.

-Revelation 21:4

This Monday, I had the privilege to take several of our underclassmen to the Northview HS graduation. As I arrived back from that joyous event, I received a phone call from a friend and colleague who serves in youth ministry at a nearby church. A family had just lost their daughter over the weekend in a tragic accidental fall, days before her graduation from Johns Creek HS... could we help by hosting her funeral?

I knew immediately we probably could and that our community of faith and staff would be eager to provide the space and support. I had also already recently met the young woman's Young Life pastor because a few of us Johns Creek area youth ministry workers have been gathering in our Youth Garage for monthly breakfast to pray for our kids and community. We believe in the Church being one body of believers active in many places and we believe it's important for us to be connected.

That connection gave me hope and support in a moment when I was reeling with this awful news. And as I tried to process it and think what needed to be done, my friend Emilio said to me on the phone, "She went to sleep and woke up at the feet of Jesus." I knew that we would all be grieving this week, deeply. But I also knew there was truth in his words. That we mourn but not as those without hope. We have faith in the promise that she is walking with God, and that our God will wipe every tear. Tomorrow, and for many weeks to come, I may not know the right words. But I'll cling to that truth as we all struggle together in this loss.

Prayer for Today

Lord, we mourn. We pray in groaning too deep for words and you hear us. We weep and trust in you to dry our tears and care for your precious daughter who we miss today. Help us to lean on one another and your spirit in the difficult weeks and months ahead. Amen.

Next Monday is Memorial Day. While he did not die in battle, my wife Pam's father, Buck Mason, was a pilot who served our nation in two wars and was a POW. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Bronze Star. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Buck knew what it was to fly through God's heavens. The poem "High Flight" has been read at some significant events in the life of this nation. It captures this feeling of what it means to fly:

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling 
mirth of sun-split clouds, - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew-
And while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
                                                -John Gillespie Magee

I don't know if Buck actually "touched the face of God," but I believe that God certainly loved the face of Buck - who was a child of God.

In one of Paul's letters to Timothy, Paul says, " . . . the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Being an athlete in college and a soldier in wartime, Buck knew about "running the good race," and about "fighting the good fight" for what he believed to be right -- particularly in serving his country. His life was guided by service and duty, which made him a genuine hero. Buck embodied all that was noble in what has been called "The Greatest Generation." May we give thanks for those men and women who gave or risked their lives for others.

Prayer for Today

Eternal Father, may we remember in the coming days all of those who risk their lives to protect others. In the strong name of Christ, who gave his life for all. Amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

-Romans 15:13

Do you know anyone who just overflows with hope? They often are the encourager or see the good in a situation. I have experienced people along the journey that help point me back to the joy, peace, and hope that God provides for us through the Holy Spirit.

Many of the messages we hear or say to ourselves may be criticism or frustration. I would invite you into a space where you can look around you for evidence of a day well lived.

What does that look like for you? Some of the things that help me to see the joy, peace, and hope Paul talks about are when... I made someone smile. I hugged and wasn't the first to let go. I encouraged. I laughed. I believed. I lifted. I kneeled. I forgave. I lived. I loved.

I have been spending time this winter and spring studying Paul's letter to the Romans with our Senior Adult Bible Study. We haven't gotten to chapter 15 and some of his sending words and conclusion yet, but this passage is one that I have taken with me since my Dad passed away nearly 4 years ago. That is who he was, someone overflowing with hope.

May Paul's words today be your encouragement to experience this day as one that is well lived.

Prayer for Today

Creator God, 
Open our minds and hearts to experience the joy and peace that come from trusting in you. In Christ's Name, Amen.

"My frame was not hidden from you    when I was made in the secret place,    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;    all the days ordained for me were written in your book    before one of them came to be." 

-Psalm 139: 15-16

Have you ever thought that God's book of life, referenced here in Psalm 139 might be written in sidewalk chalk?

I must admit that I'm a fan of sidewalk chalk and the glee with which children express themselves wherever and whenever the chalk is in hand. This week was the final week of our preschool year and graffiti such as this ordains our JCPC campus.

Twenty years from now our preschoolers will be expressing themselves in much more mature and surprising ways; through professions, volunteer activities, and potentially creating families of their own.

The Psalmist's faith holds all of our activities close to God; "all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

The following tapestry hangs on the wall that connects the Welcome Center to the Great Hall.

All of these little hands were nurtured and blessed in our JCPC preschool. They have all grown up and launched into adulthood. This tapestry serves as a reminder of the faithful parenting, teaching, and loving kindness that believed in them long before they learned to believe.

I have a request for you. The next time that you see Pris Horne, Lisa Lucas, or one of our preschool teachers, current or alumni, please thank them for their loving faithfulness. You could also send them an email to express your appreciation; preschool@jcpcusa.org.

Their names were written in God's book of life and behold what sharing their giftedness has brought forth as ordained by God!

Prayer for Today

Thank you Lord for the children who are raised here in our family of faith. Thank you for the leaders that assure that they are loved, cherished, and blessed. Amen.

Twenty minutes into a flight from New York to San Antonio, the flight plan changed as calm gave way to chaos. When one of the plane's engines failed, debris from the engine smashed through a window causing the cabin to decompress. Sadly, several passengers were injured and one person was killed. Had not a calm, capable pilot been in the cockpit-one trained as a Navy fighter pilot-things could have been tragically worse. The headline in our local paper read, "In Amazing Hands."

In Psalm 31, David revealed that he knew something about the Lord's amazing, caring hands. That's why he could confidently say, "Into your hands I commit my spirit" (v. 5). David believed that the Lord could be trusted even when life got bumpy. Because he was targeted by unfriendly forces, life was very uncomfortable for David. Though vulnerable, he was not without hope. In the midst of harassment David could breathe sighs of relief and rejoice because his faithful, loving God was his source of confidence (vv. 5-7).

Perhaps you find yourself in a season of life when things are coming at you from every direction, and it's difficult to see what's ahead. In the midst of uncertainty, confusion, and chaos one thing remains absolutely certain: those who are secure in the Lord are in amazing hands.

Prayer for Today

Father, help me to be encouraged knowing that Jesus prayed Psalm 31:5 when He was on the cross. In the midst of pain and suffering, He committed His life into Your hands.  Amen.

See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

-Matthew 10:16

A couple weeks ago now, I got to go to career day at River Trail Middle School. I was eager to share about my own job, and just as eager to encourage the kids to consider non-profit work. I was correct in guessing that many of the parents represented careers in high-skilled for-profit jobs and it might be a rare opportunity to challenge these young people to think more broadly and imaginatively about how they would not only make a living, but make the world a better place. 

Most of the students were familiar with the pressures to determine what they are good at and can make money doing. And most of them are familiar with the concept of doing "what makes you happy," so it never feels like work. I told them neither of those worldly pressures is a whole truth. When I asked how many kids in each session had mystique interests and skills, almost every hand went up. These gifted and bright young people are good at many things, what's come to be known as multi-potentialities. And when I told them that even adults with jobs they love have bad days and sometimes it's hard every day and they still love their job and life, they seemed surprised. 

As we talked about the countless hats I wear in my career as teacher, preacher, counselor, translator, social media coordinator, graphic designer, service and volunteer coordinator, travel agent, medic, and inter-faith ambassador, I encouraged them to look for jobs where they could use many of their skills and could contribute to making their community and world better, whether for profit or not. As we celebrate our graduates this Sunday, I hope you'll join me in asking good questions of them. What are they doing next? (Don't assume college and grad school and career) What passions and skills do they have or are they developing? (Not just what classes they're taking or internships they're doing or their majors.) What ways do you want to make the world better or contribute to the lives of others? (Not what job they think they can get.) Encourage them to find a faith community and make sure they know JCPC is their safe harbor as they venture out and explore. 

Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to be an encouragement and challenge to our young people. By your spirit, let me imagine with them a future of service and creativity far beyond job. Help me dream of your call on their lives and bless them as they struggle in their search and training. Amen.

This Sunday is Graduate Recognition. No doubt many of our graduates have already heard a commencement speech. A while back I read about someone who went through an experience that changed his life. It was Stephen King, the author of many scary books and creator of some scary movies. Back in 2001, he was asked to give the commencement address at Vassar College.

He began by saying this: "I have to tell you the scary truth, because that's my job. And you knew I was the scary guy when you picked me for this job, so deal with it." But he went on to talk about what happened to him after he was hit by a van at night and left by the side of the road for dead:

What will you do? Well, I'll tell you one thing you're not going to do, and that's take it with you. I'm worth I don't exactly know how many millions of dollars . . . and a couple of years ago I found out what 'you can't take it with you' means. I found out while I was lying in the ditch at the side of a country road, covered with mud and blood and with the tibia of my right leg poking out the side of my jeans like the branch of a tree taken down in a thunderstorm. I had a MasterCard in my wallet, but when you're lying in the ditch with broken glass in your hair, no one accepts MasterCard.

For Stephen King, that was a life-changing revelation - that when we face the end of our lives and what it all means, how much money or credit we have, really means nothing. We might have gained the whole world - but real life, which nurtures our souls, is more than that.

Jesus sums it up this way: "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" (Mark 8:36, NIV) It is more than "what's in your wallet" that counts in life!

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, reveal to us what is really important in life. Help us to use that revelation to guide how we live our lives today - serving others and You. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.  

-Psalm 90:1-2, 4, 12

How often in your daily conversations do you use the words time or busy? When you use them, what are the phrases they are included in? Take a moment to write down a phrase that you often use that includes either the word time or busy.

Do you think that our culture talks about time in a way that encourages us to be more frantic? Are there terms we need to let go of so we can think about time in a more gracious way?

May is often a month that seems more "busy" than even the holiday season in December. A lot of things are wrapping up in terms of the school year and all that goes along with it. I would invite you re read these words again at the end of the day. Each day is a gift from God and when we close a school year, we may realize how quickly it has gone or how we may have rushed through some of these days.

For a brief moment, I pray that they can bring some calmness, peace and pause to your day.

Prayer for Today

Creator God, you are the Maker of everything that exists, the Author of the world and of all living things. You are the Creator of both space and time. Because you give us the gift of time we have the opportunity to think and to act, to plan and to pray, to give and to receive, to create and to relate, to work and to rest, to strive and to play, to love and to worship. In Christ's Name, Amen.

I'm still in awe having listened to Debra Roberts present the keynote address at the 2019 UGA Commencement Service. I must confess I was mesmerized at her downhome wisdom that she wove into an inspirational tapestry for all in attendance. I want to share a couple of her insights that left me affirmatively nodding my head as a father and a pastor.

Debra told how her daughter received many high school graduation cards from well-wishers several years ago. Most were Hallmark inscriptions to do your best and that you will have a bright future. However, one came from a family friend, Miss Emily, who inscribed her own message at the bottom of the card. "Remember that there will be failures." As a mother, Debra was taken aback from the note that seemed like it was a downer. However, when she shared the card with her husband, Al Roker, they both agreed it was one of the best pieces of advice they had seen in years. As Debra prepared her commencement speech, her daughter told her mother, "Don't forget to share Miss Emily's card with them!"

As I like to say, "In growing up school we all attend the class of hard knocks." We need faith most when we are confronted by our failures; yet it is often the perseverance through our failures which defines our lives. Hope is in things unseen; yet believed, especially in the tough times.

The second insight I'd like to share comes from an interview Debra had with a researcher, whom she didn't name, on how we find ourselves. The researcher stated that we don't find ourselves through looking inside; rather we only truly discover who we are and who we are meant to be when we learn to reach out to others through compassion. Imagine that! We are most human when we are acting humanely.

I suspect this then guides us to put this truth into play in our own lives. Could it be that it is the compassion of others who reached out to us in our trials that helps us to become who we are and who we are called to be? Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Prayer for Today

God of compassion and calling; lead us by faith into our future with compassion, hope, and love. Help us to rise up when we fall and to offer a hand up when one is needed. Amen.

Following her husband's death, Betsy has spent most days in her flat, watching television and boiling tea for one. She's not alone in her loneliness. More than nine million Brits (15 percent of the population) say they often or always feel lonely, and Great Britain has appointed a minister of loneliness to find out why and how to help.

Some causes of loneliness are well known: We move too often to put down roots. We believe we can take care of ourselves, and we don't have a reason to reach out. We're separated by technology-each of us immersed in our own flickering screens.

I feel the dark edge of loneliness, and you may too. This is one reason we need fellow believers. Hebrews concludes its deep discussion of Jesus' sacrifice by encouraging us to meet together continually (10:25). We belong to the family of God, so we're to love "one another as brothers and sisters" and "show hospitality to strangers" (13:1-2). If we each made an effort, everyone would feel cared for.

Lonely people may not return our kindness, but this is no reason to give up. Jesus has promised to never leave nor forsake us (13:5), and we can use His friendship to fuel our love for others. Are you lonely? What ways can you find to serve the family of God? The friends you make in Jesus last forever, through this life and beyond.

Prayer for Today

Dear God, show us who needs our friendship.  How might we serve someone in our church or neighborhood this week?

We know the family of God is intended to be the answer to loneliness.  Amen.