Something that sounded like firecrackers roused Joanne from sleep. Glass shattered. Wishing she didn’t live alone, she got up to see what was going on. The dark streets were empty and the house seemed to be okay—then she saw the broken mirror.

Investigators found a bullet only a half-inch from the gas line. If it had struck the line, she probably wouldn’t have made it out alive. Later they discovered it was a stray bullet from nearby apartments, but Joanne was afraid to be at home. She prayed for peace, and once the glass was cleaned up, her heart calmed.

Psalm 121 is a reminder for us to look to God in times of trouble. Here, we see that we can have peace and calm because our “help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (v. 2). The God who created the universe helps and watches over us (v. 3)—even while we sleep—but He Himself never sleeps (v. 4). He watches over us day and night (v. 6), “both now and forevermore” (v. 8).

No matter what kind of situations we find ourselves in, God sees. And He’s waiting for us to turn to Him. When we do, our circumstances may not always change, but He’s promised His peace in the midst of it all.

Prayer for Today

Loving God, thank You for Your peace. Please continue to calm my heart in the areas of my life that feel chaotic. Amen.

Be complete, therefore, as your heavenly Father is complete.

-Matthew 5:48

One of the things I love most about our friends, the Trautweins and everyone at Will to Live, is that they put a heavy emphasis on saying, “I love you.” It’s something we do a lot in our family. We even have other ways we say it. My wife and I do three quick hand squeezes, for each other and for the boys. And I often do the classic I Love You sign language gesture.  To which, our oldest boys reply with a peace sign... aka... I love you TOO. And now, our toddler is learning.

This week, as our toddler watched cartoons from his crib, he giggled and clapped in delight. He shouted his version of affection, “I YOU!” (Love is a tricky word for an 18-month old) I made the sign with my hand.  And for the first time, he attempted, using two hands, to form one hand into the same symbol, trying to emulate me. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t complete. But he was trying. And one day, he will get there.

In our passage, the Greek word is téleioi. It’s often translated as “perfect,” and in other places in the New Testament, as “mature.” But it can be argued a better translation here is “complete.” When we do as Christ did, when we love as Christ loved, we are doing what we can to be more perfect, more complete. We are closer to Christ when we do as Christ did, even when it doesn’t quite look the same, even as we exercise those muscles in unpracticed or unskilled ways, learning to say or show, “I love you.” We can get discouraged when our childlike attempts don’t look much like Christ. But when we are brave and curious and try something new to show God our love, we can trust God is smiling and saying, “I love you too.” 

Prayer for Today

Lord, I love you. Help me to try my best to love others like you showed us. Amen.

At this past Monday evening's session meeting, Chris Irwin, one of our elders, shared an inspiring devotional. She alluded to a question we often ask in the face of tragedy: why doesn't God do something about this? It's a fair question to ask, especially when we become aware of events in places like Afghanistan and Haiti. Why doesn't God do something about this?

I believe that God does have the power to do something about evil and suffering in our world. In fact, the whole story of the Bible is about how God responds to the sin and the brokenness in the world with love. God sends Jesus to give his life for the world God loves in order to usher in God's Kingdom -- God's way of doing things to make it all right. I believe that the Kingdom of God began on the cross and is continuing to work its way out throughout history. But we are not there yet. Obviously, there is still evil and suffering -- so, why doesn't God do something about this?

As Chris Irwin shared with us on Monday evening, one of the primary ways God does something about the sin and suffering in our world is through us. God calls us to do something about this. And while no one can do everything, everyone can do something. When it comes to Afghanistan, I was reading the cover story in Christianity Today magazine which told of all of the Christian workers who are not leaving that country and who are there simply to serve and care for those in need. You can read more about it here: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/september/afghanistan-aid-humanitarian-civil-society-hospitality.html

When it comes to Haiti, our own Presbyterian Church USA is working with others to provide help. Here is another link that you can follow, not only to know how we as Presbyterians are doing something about it, but how we can make financial gifts that go directly to help those in Haiti: https://pcusa.activehosted.com/index.php?action=social&chash=46b2644cbdf489fac0e2d192212d206d.3103&s=e6163040725508c0a98ce3dd45605850

So, pray for those who are suffering, do what you can to make a difference, and give out of the financial resources with which God has blessed you. Be a part of what God is doing in our world today.

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, we pray for those suffering in Afghanistan and Haiti. Bring order where there is chaos, shelter where those are homeless, safety where lives are threatened, and use us to make a difference as followers of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

I was listening to a conversation with some faith leaders recently and they talked about re-entry and transitions with the new school year. They said that each of us is asking three important questions as we navigate through big and small decisions and seasons of our lives.

1.      Who Am I?

2.      Where Do I Fit?

3.      What Difference Can I Make?

These questions connect with some of the ongoing topics we consider throughout our life: identity, belonging and purpose.

Take a moment to consider a time when you recently asked one of these. Each of these questions can gain new meaning based on how they integrate into the fabric of your life. What would it look like if these were the three questions in your daily life? How might it impact your interactions with others?

I would invite you this week to use one of them more often. Be open to how God may be using you in these situations to share God’s love in a new way.

Join us this Sunday as we gather for fellowship in the Great Hall starting at 10:15 a.m. for our Education Ministry Fair and connect with our church family. This is a time of year when we can share stories, connect with each other and make commitments to grow in our faith through this ministry at JCPC. At 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship, we will commission all of those who have made the commitment to teach and lead this year through our small groups and classes. Take some time to not only to make new commitments and promises, but to renew our covenant with God.

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. -John 15:9-11

Prayer for Today

God, you have called us to live in ways that at times seem difficult and even impossible to do. Remind me each day that as I live in the way you have instructed, I am moving closer and closer to you. Make my joy complete, O God. Amen.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

-Ephesians 6:14-18

Prayer is a communication to God...Prayer is done by those who trust the power of word and thought. Jesus taught people to say the Lord's Prayer. Prayer can be spoken, silent (no talking), or in a song. It can be used to praise God or to ask for something, including help and forgiveness. Consistent prayer releases the power of God's blessing on your life and circumstances. Prayer is an opportunity to understand the Heart of God and develop a deeper relationship with Him.

“Once a man was asked, “What did you gain by regularly praying to God?” The man replied, “Nothing...but let me tell you what I lost: anger, ego, greed, depression, insecurity, and fear.” Sometimes the answer to our prayers is not gaining, but losing, which ultimately is the gain!

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. -I Thessalonians 5:16-18

Prayer for Today

Dear Lord, Thank you for fresh grace and days full of promise. Lead us in your ways and fill our hearts with Your love and joy. Guide every decision, response, effort, and conversation we have for Your glory. Amen.

Edward Mote was born in 1797 to parents who were pub owners and reportedly hostile to religion. As a boy, he was apprenticed to a cabinetmaker and later became a skilled cabinetmaker in his own right, with a successful business of his own. When he was 15, he found faith, listening to the preaching of John Hyatt at the Tottenham Court Road Chapel in London. Even though Mote's business took much of his time, he always found time to worship God. He loved to write hymns, and one day on the way to work, he wrote down a verse, followed by three more verses by the end of the day.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand:
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

Did you know that the writer of this now familiar hymn was a master carpenter (and later, at age 55, became a Baptist preacher)? Now maybe that one line makes more sense: I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. He's saying even the most sturdy creation of man can't be trusted to support us, but we can lean on Christ, the solid rock! Look at the next two verses:

When darkness seems to hide his face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand:
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, his covenant, his blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand:
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

Now we're singing about high and stormy gales... and whelming floods... you've heard of ships destroyed by hurricanes... and homes destroyed by floods... these are vivid metaphors for the storms of life we will all weather. Who is our solid rock? Who can we cling to? Who will save us? Christ Jesus, the Son of God! Now, since we are hearing more about the book of Revelation this Sunday, we had to include the final verse:

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found,
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand:
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.

All this to say, he was with us at our beginning, through good and bad, through every high and stormy gale, and he will be with us at the end to present us faultless before the throne of God. ALL other ground is sinking sand.

I pray that you will think of these things in a new light as you sing this hymn in worship with us this Sunday, wherever you may be!

Prayer for Today

Holy God, draw us near to you. Help us to pray. Help us to worship. Help us to love. Help us to act. In Jesus' saving name we pray. Amen.

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

-Proverbs 16:9

I grew up absolutely loving Calvin & Hobbs. There was a kindred mischievous spirit in the boxes I found in my paper each week. I enjoyed it almost as much as my mother, who clearly agreed we shared some similarities. This one panel reminded me this week how often we rush to do things and disregard how God factors in. We can type words, comments, or texts with lightning speed, never pausing or considering the impact on those we love or should love. We can spend money with a simple click. We can endanger lives with our distraction or selfishness on the interstate or our neighborhood.

We all know that living intentionally, living slower, allows us to make better decisions, but the pace of our world and technology is like a little stuffed tiger of our own making, echoing our own voices and urging us, “hurry, mom is yelling.” And there we are, perched atop a ladder, trying to be a little careful, but knowing we aren’t making our best decisions. So what slows us down? Most of us have some habits from our families of origin, refrains and mantras they passed, and scriptures and songs we have internalized. I still cross bridges in bad weather and hear my mother say, “bridges ice before roads!” These are words her own father said to her. I still slow down before bridges in cold weather.

A major part of discipleship is slowing down. Sometimes, it’s to consider the wisdom of people and God’s word which we trust. And sometimes, we have to find new ways to slow ourselves. For a time, people wore WWJD bracelets to daily remind themselves. Some folks have a rosary on the rear view or bobble head Jesus on the dash to remind them to drive more lovingly. A fish stitched on your wallet, a cross sticker on your monitor, a picture of the people you love on your phone Lock Screen so you are reminded who and whose you are as you click through this world. This week, slow down a little. Before you dive off a ladder, egged on by your own imagination, slow down, listen for the one who loves you and is calling your name. That voice will lead you to the life we are called to live together.

Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to hear you calling when I am wandering from your ways. Slow my steps, my fingers, my tongue, and my pace of life. Amen.

Recently, I was listening to a sermon online. The text he chose was from one of Paul's letters. He summarized Paul's words to that early church saying, “Keep on doing what you are doing.” The preacher went on to describe the way in which our world is created by God in such a way that many things repeat themselves, and that we are dependent on that. The sun rises each day. Gravity doesn't suddenly disappear, and we all float away into space. He went on to say that God looks at all of creation and says, “Do it again.”

Our two dogs, Gladney and C. J., like it when we scratch them behind the ears or on the back, or pretty much anywhere else. If we stop, they take their noses and put them under our hands in order to get us to “do it again.” This desire to “do it again” is something God seems to have built into the fabric of creation.

This past Sunday as I was leading worship, I was listening to the words of liturgy. They were words that are very familiar to me, having heard them again and again over my more than 36 years as a pastor. And yet I found myself hearing them and seeing them printed on the page of the worship bulletin in a new way. I noticed my hands holding the bulletin and the red stole I was wearing next to these familiar and ancient words. And at that moment it all seemed very, very good and filled with deep meaning. And I realized there was something really important about worship that we “do it again” every Sunday.

There is something about doing the same thing again which reminds me of God's faithfulness and all that God does again and again to sustain our lives. So, whatever it is God has given you to do in this life, do it again -- but pay attention to how God might be at work in all of that.

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, thank you for creating the world and allowing us to experience it new every day, again and again. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Have you ever planted bulbs? I have planted them on several occasions during my adult life and waited patiently throughout the winter. Once spring began to arrive, I watered them regularly and impatiently waited to see the first hint of green sprout through the soil. When I finally did, I wanted to see growth overnight and have the beautiful daffodils to enjoy. As you probably know, it did not happen overnight or even over the course of a week.

These daffodil bulbs are a reminder to me that growth does not happen overnight in our lives either. As adults in our community of faith, we serve in roles as teachers, leaders, parents, and friends to the children and youth in our midst. God calls us to help plant the seeds and continue to nurture them. The nurturing process takes time and sometimes we are not the ones who get to see them bloom.

As we begin a new school year, I am reminded of what a privilege it is to be called to water and nurture the children and youth in our church family. We walk with them at a very important part of their journey. There are lots of ways that our church family participates in the nurture of our children and youth. If you are sensing a call to work with them at JCPC in a more specific way this year, please contact me to talk about it. All of us can take a few moments this week to lift up our children, youth, teachers and school staff in prayer.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. 

-Ephesians 3:16-18

Prayer for Today

Creator God,

May our vision each day of the world around us remind us that you so loved the world that you sent Jesus, your Son, to be one of us. In all that we observe, open our eyes so that we may really see and grow in wonder and appreciation. In Christ’s Name, Amen.