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 spent some time in the book of Romans a couple of years ago with our Senior Adult Bible Study, given the experiences of the past year, I find Paul’s sending words and conclusion to have deeper meaning now. 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. I continue to hear his voice with encouragement and hope guiding me.

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.

But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food, So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this

responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.

Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen ...... -Acts 6: 1-5

The Stephen Ministry program was started to help Pastors with the care of their congregations. The name came from Stephen who was one of seven men picked by the disciples to help them care for people so they could spend more time in prayer and teaching the word. As Mac said last week, we go through rigorous training to learn how to really listen and be supportive. In non-pandemic years, we also have continuing education programs in conjunction with Johns Creek United Methodist Church. These consist of specialists from the community sharing with us what is available to help with issues our care receivers might have. We also have a reciprocal agreement with the Methodist church to provide Stephen Ministers to each others members should a person prefer to talk to someone who is not a member of their own church.  

As a member of the first class of Stephen Ministers trained in this church I have had the privilege of walking alongside many members during their healing process. Doing this, plus meetings with other Stephen Ministers has enriched my life in many ways. If you think you would like to have someone meet, listen, or pray with you please contact one of the Stephen Ministry leaders, Rebecca Eldridge or David Lee. They would also be happy to talk to you if you think you might like to explore becoming a Stephen Minister.  

Prayer for Today

Dear Father, thank you for always being present to listen to our prayers. We also thank you for providing caring people who can listen and pray with us and help us in our time of need. In your precious name we pray. Amen.

This Sunday is Mother's Day, and this is your official notice, just in case you missed every commercial and advertisement reminding you to celebrate mom! For many of us, celebrating our mothers is a natural response to acknowledge the love and care we received (and continue to receive) as children, no matter how grown up we are now. Many of us are delighted to quote the familiar commandment:

Honor your father and your mother, that you may have a long life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. -Exodus 20:12

And the proverb goes a bit further:

Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Buy the truth and do not sell it -- wisdom, instruction and insight as well. The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. May your father and mother rejoice; may she who gave you birth be joyful!

-Proverbs 23:22-25

But what about those of us who have strained relationships (or no relationship) with our mothers, for any number of reasons? What are we supposed to do with this holiday? May I suggest we consider how lovingly God cares for us by mothering us in other ways? May I suggest we take another look at who God brings into our lives to share their wisdom, guidance, and friendship?

I was blessed to have my mother in my life until I was 32 years old. She passed away from complications of diabetes when she was 73. A few years before her passing, when Ken and I were dating, I met Joyce Chinnock, my future mother-in-law. After raising two sons and being the only female in a house of men, she quickly befriended me as a prospective wife for her son. As we got to know each other and our conversations deepened, I realized she would not be the stereotypical mother-in-law, and we would always enjoy each other's company, and we did until she passed away in December of 2018.

I realize that Joyce entered my life at the time I needed her most. Her wisdom, guidance, friendship, and mothering was a gift for which I will always be grateful.

Who has God brought into your life? Who has been like a mother to you? Maybe this Mother's Day is the time to give thanks to God and say thanks to them!

Prayer for Today

Mothering God, you know all of our needs and lovingly guide us. Open our eyes to your bountiful gifts, and we respond with praise. In your son's holy name we pray. Amen.

He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside.

-Job 5:10

Last night, it was pouring rain, and as May evenings go in Georgia, it was cool and pleasant. Our youngest, being a toddler, one born in quarantine especially, has not experienced much rain, so I brought him out in the garage and held him under the roofline. We stretched our hands out into the falling rain and he giggled with glee as water splashed on his arm from the sky. Then he licked his hand and squealed in pure joy. In his experience, water comes from baths and from kisses. He delights in both.

Then he looked at me and I said that the rain comes down from God and that God loves him. I know he doesn’t really fully comprehend, but the words made him smile and he began to put his hand to his mouth and make clicking noises and extend his arm back to the rain, his version of blowing kisses. The rain was bringing him joy, and he was returning love and appreciation, which was the perfect response. And inspiring.

As believers, we may remember to thank God for answered prayers, for miracles, for close calls, for huge blessings, and all the big things. But what about all the little ones? When was the last time you drove past a farm and thanked God for the produce that grows? When did you last hear a child playing and thank God for laughter? When did you last hold your arm out to the rain and feel it kiss your skin and thank God for the rejuvenation it brings the earth? Tonight, cloudy or clear, rainy or starry, step outside for a moment, stretch out your arms in the night air, and reflect on a dozen little things for which you are thankful in that moment. And if you’re inspired to blow a kiss to the heavens, I hope you will.

Prayer for Today

Lord, may my words and gratitude for your creation be as kisses blown to you. Amen.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; The Lord will raise them up.

- James 5:15a, NIV

I would like to share with you a prayer request on my behalf. Some of you know that I've had some issues with my back that began to get worse last fall. If you’ve been here for the Drive-in Worship Service, you know that I had to sit down during the sermon because of the pain. I was able to receive two sets of injections in my back that relieved some of the pain and allowed me to stand again, but this did not solve the underlying issue which will require surgery. So, I have scheduled that for June 11. I'm asking for your prayers -- that my “sick” back will be made “well.”

After my surgery it will take six weeks for my back to heal. So, I am also asking for your prayers for our church staff and others who will be stepping up while I'm gone. Brian will be preaching the majority of the services along with two guest preachers. Brian will also be holding things down on the pastoral side and leading the staff in my absence.

Between now and then we are transitioning our Online Worship Service to one that will be posted on the Internet live as it is happening, but it can also be viewed later at any time. If there's anything you think we need to discuss or talk about prior to June 11, feel free to contact me so we can talk about it. 

Friends, I believe in the power of prayer, so I ask for your prayers for me and for our church during this time.

P.S. – If anyone has any acoustic guitars not being used, our Brazilian church has an outreach ministry teaching young people to play the guitar, but some of the kids don’t have guitars. If you have a playable guitar that you wish to donate for a good cause, please contact me or Brian and we will pass it along. Thanks!

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, you provide healing in our lives in so many different ways. Hear our prayers for healing in our lives and those we care about. We thank you for those who have dedicated their lives to the healing arts. Work through them in this world that you created and loved. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus – the Risen Christ. Amen. 

God, it seems you’ve been our home forever; long before the mountains were born, Long before you brought earth itself to birth, from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God. Patience! You’ve got all the time in the world—whether a thousand years or a day, it’s all the same to you. Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! -Psalm 90:1-2, 4, 12

Take a moment to consider the ways that you mark time or milestones.

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?

As you navigate this week, I would invite you re read these words in Psalm 90 again at the beginning and 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 this prayer from Psalm 90 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.

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.

-Galatians 6:10

I have been asked several times what the purpose of Stephen Ministry is. Our church each Sunday makes available to anyone in the congregation access to a Stephen Minister after each service, to listen to any concerns of a person who is troubled by anything. 

While this is one service that we provide, it is just the tip of the iceberg. Stephen Ministry was created to assist our lay staff with trained people, who can minister care to those who have troubles or issues in their lives. This can be almost anything that they are dealing with, whether it is the loss of a loved one, a divorce, loss of job, health issues, end of life, anything that creates an emotional challenge to deal with.

Stephen Ministers go thru a rigorous training process; eight months, every week training for at least 2 hours. Homework and preparation add more time. We study different situations that we may be exposed to and go thru role play, to hone our skills in assisting those that need help with that particular situation.  We listen, ask questions, and try to help a person to help themselves.  Our relationship with our Care Receivers is also private; we do not share who we are providing care to and our discussions are kept private, even amongst our fellow Stephen Ministers.

We also are trained to understand what we do NOT do, but where resources are that fill those gaps. 

As Christians, giving help to others is perhaps one of our greatest opportunities to live our lives the way the Lord would want us to; and for me, one of the greatest rewards. With that said, we hope that you now have a better understanding of our purpose and are prepared to help with challenges you may face, when that may occur. 

You may reach out to either our ministry team, Rebecca Eldridge or David Lee, to discuss your situation.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.

-Psalm 130:5

When was the last time you had to wait a really long time for something? I moved into my new apartment 2 weeks ago and started out my new life here by waiting on the internet. It was supposed to be set up a few days after moving, but due to reduced staffing from the pandemic, they couldn’t get to my building right away, and I was told it could be one to two months until they could set it up. I couldn’t believe such a thing was possible in 2021, but this kind of thing happens frequently in Japan when dealing with technology.

I was miserable from day one, but luckily, it turns out they were able to get everything set up quicker than expected and I am now online! But this process of waiting made me think about a few things.

What does it mean to wait on God? Are we supposed to just sit in our internet-less room, listening to the digital ticking of the clock on the wall? I think waiting for God is less of a passive action like waiting for the light to turn green and more of an active one.

We wait for God’s purposes to be revealed and His promises to be fulfilled in both our own lives and the lives of those around us. But we do this through action: serving, helping, caring, feeding. God’s plan is made known to us through our acts of Christian love towards others. We may be “waiting,” but we aren’t sitting idly by, letting the world pass us by.

The other part to “waiting on God” is the reciprocal action God takes: He patiently waits for us. Our lives are filled with periods of aimless wandering, just like sheep, but just as any Good Shepherd, God is always there waiting for our return to the flock. This is all the more reason for us to wait on God and live in hope.

Prayer for Today

Patient God, thank you for waiting for us when we stray. Open our souls to wait on you and live in the hope that your love offers. Help us in turn to show love towards one another and put aside our differences so that we may welcome you into our midst as the body of Christ. Amen.

Look, the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged.

-Deuteronomy 1:21

(And ~364 more places)

Our youngest turned 1 in February. He’s been walking for months, but he’s still getting the hang of it. He often runs much faster than he has the control or balance to do, and his brakes are not terribly reliable. As such, he falls. A lot. When he does, he immediately turns to look at us. With small tumbles, if we respond in worry, fear, or panic, he bursts into tears. If we respond with a smile or giggle or support, he laughs and gets back up and tries again. I’ve learned two things from him. He trusts us more than even his own pain and experience, turning to us first. And secondly, his faith in us is the bedrock of his resilience.

What do we do when we fall? What do we do when we experience challenges, difficulties, pain, or loss? Do we look to God? And do we then trust God for our resilience? “Fear not,” appears in scripture 365 times. You could read it somewhere new every day of the year. It’s often a greeting from God or God’s messengers. Few messages are repeated to God’s people so often as those encouraging words from our creator. God is telling us to trust, to have courage, to hang in there, to have faith. When we fall, we can look immediately to God. If it’s a bad fall, God has promised to send us aid. Our family, our friends, our family of faith, and our advocate, the Holy Spirit can be trusted.

It is all too easy for us to trust our own pain and experience when we fall. We can panic, get upset, demand our own way, or be wounded. But we have been taught to trust in the Lord. In times of trouble, that can sound hollow or cliche'. But when we watch a child show us that kind of trust, we can be reminded that it’s all that simple and all that hard. So when we face calamities like pandemics, unemployment, or loss of a loved one, we can remember the trust of a child and have something for which to strive. May we all look up when we fall and learn to trust what we know to be true.

Prayer for Today

Lord, make me quick to look to you when I fall. Help me trust in you when I do. Amen.

I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.

-Psalm 122:1, KJV

This familiar Bible verse expresses well what I'm feeling as we prepare to add an Indoor Worship Service at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church this Sunday, May 2. The picture above of our Great Hall will remind you of one of the places we gather for worship. In the past year, we have gathered Online, in the parking lots for our Drive-in worship services, and even under a large tent on our ballfield on Easter Sunday. This Sunday we will gather at 11:00 a.m. in our Great Hall. We still need to add the white worship paraments, the brass cross, the candle sticks, and the Bible. In addition, we need to set up the keyboards to lead our music as we worship God.

But there will still be something else that is missing in this picture. Maybe I should rephrase that as someone else who has been missing for more than a year. That would be people -- members of our church family and guests who come to worship beside us. Those of us who attended the outdoor Easter service under the tent had a taste of what it was like to worship in-person with others – as opposed to in-car or on-couch. As the Psalm above reminds us, it can make us “glad” when we gather with sisters and brothers in Christ to worship God!

We will continue our Online and Drive-in Worship Services. As we have shared with the church family, our Session has decided we must wear masks and be socially distanced in order to hold this service indoors. This follows the recommendations of our Health Team and CDC guidelines. We also need you to make reservations because we have limited seating for about 100 persons. You can sign up on our church website where you will also find our worship protocols. I hope to see you this Sunday!

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, this pandemic has kept us apart in so many ways. Let us join together this Sunday and worship you in whatever way we think is best. Remind us again that worship is the most important thing we do! We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ . Amen.