Welcome to the JCPC Daily Reflections Blog. Reflections are daily devotionals authored by JCPC pastors, staff and members and provide insight, guidance and comfort to help you make it through each day. If you’d like to receive Reflections each day via email, provide your email address.
On Friday I stumbled upon an unexpected gift. There was a post on our JCPC website which contained a YouTube clip from the movie
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. If you haven't viewed it either stop reading now and go to JCPC on Facebook or go there upon completion of reading this post. The unexpected gift was an exercise that Mr. Rogers invited a friend to do with him. Here it is:
Sit quietly for a minute and think of all the people who loved you into being.
Loved into being! Think about all who have loved you into being. Certainly you think of your mother who was celebrated yesterday on Mother's Day. Who else comes to mind? When I practice this exercise I notice people I think often about and I am pleasantly surprised to think of those who reside on the edges of my memory but who spring to life when I invoke their loving kindness and acknowledge they are baked into the cake of the recipe of my being. Oh the gift of love and its power to shape our sense of being.
Reading scripture is another exercise in focusing on who loved us into being. The Hebrew word for steadfast love, hesed, is a primary attribute of God.
Psalm 136 begins this way; Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his steadfast love (hesed) endures forever. From the beginning God is good and as the psalm proceeds it is proclaimed that we are loved into being. Who by his understanding made the heavens, his steadfast love (hesed) endures forever. God's steadfast love, hesed, also saves us.
Read Psalm 136 in its entirety.
Loved into being is both the frame and the picture of the psalmist's painting of God. Hesed is used 250 times in the Old Testament so if somebody says we don't need the God of the Old Testament you can reply "Need Him; I'm here because of Him?!!" God is the one who has loved me into being!"
Prayer for Today
Remind us, O Lord, of the one's who have loved us into being and by remembering them bring us to life through your hesed. Amen.
Sitting in his wheelchair at a senior citizens home in Belize, a man joyfully listened as a group of American high school teenagers sang about Jesus. Later, as some of the teens tried to communicate with him, they discovered he couldn't talk. A stroke had robbed him of his ability to speak.
Since they couldn't carry on a conversation with the man, the teens decided to sing to him. As they began to sing, something amazing happened. The man who couldn't talk began to sing. With enthusiasm, he belted out "How Great Thou Art" right along with his new friends.
It was a remarkable moment for everyone. This man's love for God broke through the barriers and poured out in audible worship-heartfelt, joyous worship.
We all have worship barriers from time to time. Maybe it's a relationship conflict or a money problem. Or it could be a heart that's grown a bit cold in its relationship to God.
Our non-talking friend reminds us that the greatness and majesty of our almighty God can overcome any barrier. "O Lord, my God-when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made!"
Struggling in your worship? Reflect on how great our God is by reading a passage such as Psalm 96, and you too may find your obstacles and objections replaced by praise.
Prayer for Today
Our great God, I do hold You in awesome wonder. How great Thou art!
It's teacher appreciation week, an important week any year we celebrate. But this year, deep into quarantine, I believe teachers are more greatly appreciated and missed than ever before. Whether or not you have kids, you've probably imagined the increased load of time and energy spent on reworking lesson plans, curriculum, and years of refinement to create a new way of delivering vital information that will sustain their students in the following year's instruction. They do this under the same stress as the rest of us and many of them with kids of their own to teach and help at home. Those of us who have become amateur teachers of our kids, grand-kids, nieces, nephews, and neighbors for a time have found new levels of appreciation for their talents, patience, pay, and service, as well as a reminder of how grateful we are for our own former teachers.
Sheltering in place, most of us have time to revisit our streaming services and movies we missed this past year. If you haven't yet watched maybe the best one, go watch A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and perhaps Won't You Be My Neighbor? too from the year before. They're worth the rental price, even if you cannot stream them. I own both and will happily loan them. First, they recount the life of one of America's finest educators and pastors, Mr. Rogers. And more importantly, they both contain one of the most important spiritual practices he taught us. If our greatest teacher, the Rabbi we find in Christ gives us our finest rubric for prayer in the Lord's Prayer, then one of the great quiet saints of our faith, St. Fred gives us the greatest practice of Gratitude.
Mr. Rogers, time and again, would begin by introducing his exercise, "We'll just take a minute and think about all the people who loved us into being." As he speaks the words in the bustles of a small diner, people slow, and as he looks at his watch, everyone in the room stops to reflect. He did this many times in his life and he was rarely surrounded by dry eyes. I'd encourage you to do that this week. Right now. Pause for a minute. But give yourselves an extra 30 seconds to call to mind the teachers of your kids and our kids at JCPC, from preschool to high school. Was their job harder this year? Did they get to say goodbye? Did your family thank them? Did you build bridges for closure. Many teachers are broken-hearted not to get final goodbyes from students they have labored to love into being. You have a few weeks. Seek out ways to give teachers a thanks for the hardest year yet. Mr. Rogers would be proud of you.
Lord, make me mindful of people who have loved me into being. I give thanks for their contributions to who I am becoming. Thank you for sending us not only your son, but a teacher. You knew that's exactly what we needed. Amen.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; . . .
- How Firm a Foundation,
lyrics by John Rippons
In the weeks we have been doing Online Worship, I have found great comfort in the lyrics of many of the hymns we have sung. I especially have been drawn to what some would call "the great old hymns of the church" -- the ones I grew up singing as a child. In these chaotic times, I know I am looking for places of comfort that transcend the transient confusion many of us are presently experiencing. When I watch our online service on Sunday morning and try to worship along with everyone else in their homes, it is often the music -- particularly the hymns, that speak to me deeply.
Maybe it's because they remind me of what I experienced in a more peaceful time growing up. It may not have actually been less chaotic, at least for me -- perhaps I was just unaware of it. However, I think it is more than just simple nostalgia that I am experiencing. When I pay attention to the lyrics of many of these "great old hymns of the church," the words speak what I need to hear. While I am aware there are certainly "older" hymns than these, and that there are some newer hymns that I would call "great" -- there is something about these hymns with lyrics that have stood the test of time. It is special to sing songs that previous pilgrims of faith -- both saints and sinners -- have sung for many years before I was ever born.
The book of Hebrews talks about how "we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses." (Hebrews 12:1, NIV) As Christians, we believe these are our sisters and brothers in the faith who have lived and died, and who now dwell in the very presence of God. In some way, I think they join us in worship every Sunday -- whether we are in the sanctuary or worshipping online. This Sunday, I invite you once again to join us online for worship, and when it comes to singing the hymns -- make a joyful noise to the Lord!
Prayer for Today
God of grace, we thank you for the gift of music and the words which give expression to our deepest thoughts and feelings. Thank you for your "firm foundation" upon which our faith rests. May our lives sing of your love and grace this day by how we live. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
As we continue to experience new changes to our situation and look ahead to this summer, I am trying to figure out how to navigate this new territory. Since March 14, I had settled into the shelter in place and we had started to figure out what plan would work for us as a family. Each day brings new questions and not always new answers.
I took some time to reflect today using one of the Bible stories included in the Unraveled devotional resource from A Sanctified Art. Matthew 14:22-33 is a familiar story with Peter when he sinks into the water. Lisle Gwynn Garrity shares this reflection with her artwork.
"What I find in Peter's response is not a challenge or a profession of doubt, but a willingness to step into the swell, like a trust fall into the unknown. Perhaps in seasons when our sense of certainty and security unravels, our desperation is more likely to convert into courage. Is there something about unraveling that makes us a bit less risk-averse, a bit more willing to try what we wouldn't have dared when everything felt predictable and sure?"
Then she offers some helpful questions for us to consider:
What has unraveled and/or is unraveling in this story? Why do you think Peter asks Jesus to order him to walk on water in Matthew 14:28? What is he hoping to accomplish? Do you find yourself acting similarly when you are filled with doubt? During seasons of uncertainty, how do you release anxiety and practice trust?
I am going to take time this week to look for ways that I can be more creative, open and step into the swell.
We have been focusing on prayer during our weekly Solace Zoom meetings this week. A common experience we shared about prayer is that many of us, me included, tend to find ourselves repeating what we pray for when we offer personal prayers. Examples of other well written prayers help to stretch our theological imaginations and see what is hidden right before our very eyes.
Recently, Allison Shearouse shared with us a marvelous prayer resource entitled Pandemic Prayerbook which is edited by Darcy Wiley. We prayed this first prayer in the Pandemic Prayerbook and our eyes were opened and our prayers deepened. Below is that prayer and I hope you will pray it today.
AS I WASH MY HANDS: A Prayer for Faith & Sanity
As I wash my hands, 20 seconds,
I think of the raw, over-sanitized skin
of hospital staff.
Circling soap over knuckles and palms,
I think of the gloved hands
of grocery clerks and restaurant workers.
Cleansing under fingernails and past the wrists,
I think of the aged hands of my grandmothers
in nursing homes that I hope are free of germs.
As I wash my hands, faucet flowing,
I think of the clear air above halted cities,
the clear waters of Venice canals,
how the world looks when we are quiet and grounded,
how sand and mud and toxins settle when we shelter in place.
As I wash my hands,
interlacing my fingers in a prayer,
I think of the work that is paused
or the work that is increased.
Lather, water, clarity,
now your work is more visible
in the world and in me.
You desire clean hearts,
right spirits.
Wash us with water
and your Word.
Present us to yourself a radiant Church,
A model of holy sanity,
as we wash our hands.
Written by Darcy Wiley
Prayer for Today
Join us this Wednesday at noon for our Solace Zoom meeting.
This Sunday's message is called "Finding Peace in a Pandemic." In thinking about peace, I remembered an old preacher story in which a child was at the dinner table with his family. Mom and dad were talking about "peace on earth" when the child decided to dump the peas from his dinner plate on the floor and proudly announce to his parents, "peas on earth!" Now I know it's a pretty silly story, but in searching for it online I came across a children's pop-up book called Peas on Earth. Predictably, it is about two peas discussing what peace or peas on earth might look like. Dogs and cats get along. It even ends with the line, "give peas a chance!"
While that story is geared for children, it does touch on the Biblical word for peace which is shalom. When it comes to "peace" as shalom, it suggests that peace is more than just not bickering on a personal level or going to war on a much larger level. God's peace on earth is about humankind working to get along in the way that God intended in the first place. That's why we talk about "peace-making." It's not just something we feel on the inside, but something we do on the outside.
A while back someone suggested that every time we gather in worship, we should close the service holding hands and singing "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." While I like the message expressed in that popular song, I have to admit that in our time of social distancing, envisioning us standing in worship and holding hands makes me pause. I wonder if we will all ever feel comfortable doing that again. Who knows? But I hope that happens again in the not-too-distant future.
Until the time that we can gather again and worship together, whether or not we hold hands, I hope you will join us online this Sunday as we hear about the good news of God's peace. We might even learn about how we can each make some peace. That's something that we need and our world needs more of now!
Prayer for Today
God of peace, let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me - today. In strong name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we pray. Amen.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters
-Colossians 3:23
This week, I got to be a part of one of the best projects yet at JCPC. It was intergenerational, it was fun, it was quick, and it served those in need. It started with someone we don't know posting a video on social media - how to make no-sew face masks for healthcare workers. Previously, the youth and I had no way to help make masks - no sewing machines or materials. But I knew the Knit Wits had material and love our youth. In less than a day, they gathered materials, pre-cut squares, and dropped it all off at church for me. My household assembled kits with the material, glue, bags, instructions, and patterns. And between myself, a college student, and youth parent, we delivered them.
On Sunday night, we gathered on Zoom. Both the MS and HS youth logged on, made masks together, and sent them back via church. Start to finish, almost every age group was represented in our project. It was then I heard from another college student that he's returned home to turn his 3D printer into a one-man operation, churning out hundreds of PPE face masks for local use and NY. I told the kids and our college students that they really are my heroes. They all shrugged and had a similar reaction. They were happy to help. Who else was gonna do it?
In one of my favorite action movies, the fourth installment of the Die Hard series, the cop hero of the movie is driving his sidekick to put a stop to the bad guys' plot. This kid calls him a hero and he says he's not one. He says there's just no one else there to do the work, so he's doing it. And the kid, whose life he's saved a dozen times says, "that's what makes you that guy, huh?" Each of our youth and college students is that guy or that gal this week. They saw the need and put their shoulder to the task, no questions asked, all enthusiasm. Grateful to our Knit Wits, parents, and youth. This week, they supported the heroes on our front lines - medical workers. Thanks for your hard work. You are loved.
Prayer for Today
Lord, when there's no one else to do the work, send me. I'm ready. Help me to see the work and to say yes. Amen.
Yesterday I attended my first "Zoom" funeral. The service was for Rena Richardson, a member of another church I had served. Rena was a sweetheart and she exemplified all that was good about being "a southern lady." As a part of the service, friends had been asked to share memories which the pastor presiding over the service read. The pastor then shared some comforting words -- honoring Rena's life and proclaiming the hope we have in Jesus Christ. Now, I know Rena was not perfect, none of us are, but it was not hard for her pastor to say good things about Rena's life.
A few years ago, I was asked by Rob Lawrence, one of our church members, to preside over the funeral service for his mother. She had lived in a town in the mountains of north Georgia, right next to the Tennessee state line. It was to be a graveside service at a beautiful cemetery outside of town where many members of her family had been buried. I arrived about an hour before the service and stopped in town. Across from where I parked my car was a gift shop. It had a wide range of items, but what caught my eye was a display of small signs - the kind you might hang from a doorknob or place on a bookshelf. One sign which had a green and tan background with black stenciled letters said this: "Live your life so that the preacher won't have to lie at your funeral."
Now as far I can remember I have never had to lie at a funeral about the life of the person who has died. On a few rare occasions I chose to leave out some things that were true, but I have not had to lie. Actually, one of the blessings of being a pastor and walking with a family who has lost a loved one is hearing stories about the life of the person who has died. It is a real privilege to listen and share those remembrances with others later at the service. So, may we all "practice righteousness" and live our lives in ways that honor God!
Prayer for Today
Thank you, God, for the gift of life. Thank you for those whose lives have meant so much to each one of us. Bless those of us who mourn when we lose a loved one. Help us to remember the hope we have in Christ and, as Paul reminds us, that nothing can separate us from your love in Christ Jesus - not even death! Amen.
In any other year, this time of year from spring break to the end of May tends to be filled with special events each week. Maybe it's tests at school, school celebrations, preparing gifts for Moms, wrapping up a sports season, or preparing for graduation. That is not this year and for that I experience both sorrow and peace.
For me change is hard to acclimate to, but I am taking time to acknowledge all of the emotions and hardships these changes bring to my family and so many of you. Two years ago around this time, we were celebrating the arrival of my nephew, Mark. New life brings a sense of peace and gratitude to many.
I remember this familiar passage from Psalm 139: You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! -Psalm 139:13-14
As we move a little slower into a different season, we may be overwhelmed by all the changes that we are acclimating to and need a moment to stop and appreciate the intricate work that happens when God creates a human being. Each finger and toe, mouth and nose are so small and precious when we are born. All of our organs that work together to help us to take each breath, are a real gift. I would invite you to look around at those people that are most precious to you and thank God for the blessing of their life. What a wonderfully complex gift it is for us to experience life here on earth!
God knit you together in your mother's womb, each and every intricate detail. Take a moment to find a way to express your gratitude for this amazing gift of life.
Prayer for Today
Gracious God, Thank you for making us so wonderfully complex. Guide us as we seek to appreciate the gift of life you have blessed us with here on earth. May we glorify you each step on our journey. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
