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.
Decades ago, Dr. Jerry Motto discovered the power of a “caring letter.” His research found that simply sending a letter expressing care to discharged patients who had previously attempted suicide reduced the rate of recurrence by half. Recently, health care providers have rediscovered this power when sending “caring” texts, postcards, and even social media memes as follow-up treatment for the severely depressed.
Twenty-one “books” in the Bible are actually letters—epistles—caringly written to first-century believers who struggled for a variety of reasons. Paul, James, and John wrote letters to explain the basics of faith and worship, and how to resolve conflict and build unity.
The apostle Peter, however, specifically wrote to believers who were being persecuted by the Roman emperor, Nero. Peter reminded them of their intrinsic value to God, describing them this way in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” This lifted their gaze to God’s great purpose for them in their world: “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Our great God Himself wrote a book filled with caring letters to us—inspired Scripture—that we might always have a record of the value He assigns us as His own. May we read His letters daily and share them with others who need the hope Jesus offers.
Prayer for Today
Loving God, thank You for the caring letters in the Bible! Amen.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
-John 3:14-17
Part of this passage may be familiar to many of you, but what about the part about the serpents? Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, and makes a reference to himself as being like the serpent that Moses lifted up. If we go back to Numbers, we see that, because Moses had led everyone on a long detour through the wilderness, “the people grew impatient and spoke against God and against Moses” (Numbers 21:5). God then sends deadly snakes, which end up killing many of the Israelites. The people realize they probably shouldn’t have spoken against God, so they ask Moses for help, and after praying for the people, Moses is instructed by God to build a snake and put it up on a pole. The people who have been bitten by these snakes are then told to look at the bronze snake on the pole and this will then save them from dying.
What is interesting is this same bronze snake appears in 2 Kings 18:4, where King Hezekiah smashes the snake into pieces because the Israelites had come to worship it as an idol. When Jesus draws a connection between himself and this bronze snake, it’s interesting that the snake enabled those who saw it to live… and then later on, the snake itself was broken into pieces. The parallels with Jesus are pretty clear, don’t you think?
I think it’s interesting how this bronze snake came to be idolized. The snake itself probably wasn’t anything special, but following God’s commands was what mattered. I think we humans have a tendency to “idolize” things and put greater emphasis on what feels important, but is actually not. After Jesus was resurrected, there was no body left behind to be venerated, even though many have claimed to have sacred relics. A small part of me wishes I could physically touch one of Jesus’ sandals and feel a connection to God, but it just doesn’t work that way. God is already here in the wilderness with us, and we need nothing more than to look to the cross to find him.
Prayer for Today
God of Grace, we often suffer because of our own actions, yet you hear our cries and save us from distress. We give thanks to you for your unfailing love. As we continue our Lenten journey, call us back to you now more than ever, and open our hearts to your wonderful deeds. Amen.
Just then some men came, carrying a paralyzed man on a bed. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus;but finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the middle of the crowd in front of Jesus. When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.”
-Luke 5:18-20
“All of us, if we live long enough will experience disability.” These were the opening words from the lecturer in Upper Anderson, Montreat a few years ago. I was there for a conference. The speaker had a disabled son and worked with disabled folks. He was a former athlete, tall, and fit for age, but especially for a man in his fifties. He was aware that those words might sound strange coming from someone who looked likely to run marathons into his 90s. But he assured us, a career of working with disabled people had taught him that the broad range of impairments we develop with age or unexpected injury or illness meant we could all experience temporary or permanent disability over a lifetime. And we should live our lives with that awareness and empathy, making our buildings and gatherings accessible for everyone.
How right he was. And haven’t we all been disabled in some way by this pandemic? Our independence has been limited by our choice or imposed on us. Suddenly, our freedoms are dependent on others or by circumstances. We can suddenly identify with the paralytic man in new ways. And that’s when we should ask ourselves some hard questions. In Jesus’ day, every town, aside from Jerusalem, was a small town. Every town he visited was full of people who knew one another intimately. We can bet the paralytic man knew and was known by the owner of the house, everyone in it, and the ones making a hole in the roof.
We know or should know, the members of our small church communities who are limited in access to our spaces and worship by disability or circumstance. This leads us to ask ourselves... are we the friends in the crowded house or the friends making a hole in the roof?
According to the story, his friends didn’t go to the house and then notice he was missing. They brought him. When the house wasn’t accessible, they made a way. They determined his need to participate was greater than theirs, a priority. They probably missed the intro! They probably missed out on the best seats. The story didn’t mention them repelling in after him to get a good seat too. Their priority was inclusion for their friend. Their own participation didn’t matter if he wasn’t included too. So how do we make worship accessible to those who need it most? Is it live streaming? Is it drive-in and outdoor options? Is it ramps, special seating, distance, appointments, assistance, large print bibles, Bluetooth hearing assistance, special parking, personal helpers, buddies, or something we haven’t learned to offer yet? Let’s ask. Let’s find out. Let’s make our friends and their participation our priority. That way, when Jesus is there among us, he will look at our included loved ones and smile at the faith of their friends.
Prayer for Today
Lord, make my eyes open to those among us who most need a place in the inner circle. Make us so eager to include them that we make holes in the barriers between them and full inclusion. Help us all to set the needs of others before our own eagerness to be seated at your feet and willing to be a little late to get them in the door first. Amen.
Back when the telegraph was the fastest means of long-distance communication, there was a story, perhaps apocryphal, about a young man who applied for a job as a Morse code operator. Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, noisy office. In the background a telegraph clacked away. A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.
The young man completed his form and sat down with seven other waiting applicants. After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally, the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. Why had this man been so bold? They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet. They took more than a little satisfaction in assuming the young man who went into the office would be reprimanded for his presumption and summarily disqualified for the job.
Within a few minutes the young man emerged from the inner office escorted by the interviewer, who announced to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has been filled by this young man.” The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and then one spoke up, “Wait a minute -- I don't understand. He was the last one to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair.”
The employer responded, “All the time you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. So, the job is his.” (As told in Leadership)
This Sunday’s message is simple but profound: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” My hope is that we will listen for that good news and share it with the world!
Prayer for Today
Gracious God, help us to pay attention to what is truly important. May we hear the good news of your love for all and share it with the world. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ, the Savior of the world. Amen.
I have often heard the phrase, “God is as near as your every breath.” What does that mean for you? How often do you notice your breathing throughout the day? When it’s so quiet, that it’s the only sound you hear… or when it’s more pronounced like when you are exercising (on purpose or when you are trying to hurry). I would invite you today to be more aware of your every breath, and when you do remember that God is near to you. Below are some breath prayers.
They are prayers that help you focus on your breathing while you pray. Take these prayers with you as you continue your day, remembering God’s spirit abides in each of us.
The Spirit of God made me what I am, the breath of God Almighty gave me life!
-Job 33:4
Prayer for Today
Speak Lord, for your servant hears…
-1 Samuel 3:9 & 10
Try it this way:
Ask God a question. Then breathe in your longing for God’s guidance… Breathe out stress and hurry.
The Lord is my Shepherd… I shall not want
-Psalm 23:1
Try it this way: Breathe in to entrust yourself to Jesus… Breathe out to let go of wanting _______.
“The Lord is my high tower . . . . We left the camp singing.”
On September 7, 1943, Etty Hillesum wrote those words on a postcard and threw it from a train. Those were the final recorded words we would hear from her. On November 30, 1943, she was murdered at Auschwitz. Later, Hillesum’s diaries of her experiences in a concentration camp were translated and published. They chronicled her perspectives on the horrors of Nazi occupation along with the beauty of God’s world. Her diaries have been translated into sixty-seven languages—a gift to all who would read and believe the good as well as the bad.
The apostle John didn’t sidestep the harsh realities of Jesus’ life on earth; he wrote of both the good Jesus did and the challenges He faced. The final words from his gospel give insight into the purpose behind the book that bears his name. Jesus performed “many other signs . . . which are not recorded” (20:30) by John. But these, he says, were “written that you may believe” (v. 31). John’s “diary” ends on the note of triumph: “Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.” The gift of those gospel words allows us the opportunity to believe and “have life in his name.”
The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) are diary accounts of God’s love for us. They’re words to read and believe and share, for they lead us to life. They lead us to Christ.
Prayer for Today
Gracious God, thank You for the gift of the Scriptures, written down by faithful hands so that I might believe and have life. Amen.
Many of you probably recognize these words as the opening text of the hymn How Great Thou Art. Did you know that this hymn was originally written in Swedish, then translated into German, and then translated into Russian before it was finally translated into English, with many different versions evolving all along the way?
It all began with Carl Boberg, a Swedish poet who gave the following account of what inspired him to write it. He explained what happened as he and some friends were returning home from an afternoon church service.
It was that time of year when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere. It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon there was thunder and lightning. We had to hurry to shelter. But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared. When I came home I opened my window toward the sea. There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of “When eternity’s clock calls my saved soul to its Sabbath rest”. That evening, I write the song, “O Store Gud”. [O Great God]
The poem was originally written with nine verses. (Nine!! Could you imagine if we asked you all to sing NINE verses of anything??) It was later described as a paraphrase of Psalm 8 and was used in the underground church in Sweden in the late 1800s when the Baptists and Mission Friends were persecuted. After many translations and revisions by several different people, British Methodist missionary Stuart Hine was moved to write new verses (first in Russian) that became part of the 1949 version that we are more familiar with today. This Sunday, we’ll be singing one of those verses:
And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Then there was George Beverly Shea and the Billy Graham crusades... then there was Elvis! Mahalia Jackson... Carrie Underwood? Who hasn’t sung a version of this song? There have been over 1700 documented recordings of How Great Thou Art. We are putting together an undocumented recording for online worship this Sunday. We would love for you to join together with us this Sunday (online or in the parking lot!) to sing praises to our great God!
Prayer for Today
Mighty God, we are unable to completely understand how great you are, but we can look upon the worlds your hands have made, and we can read and hear about the death and resurrection of your only son, and through your word, we can catch a tiny glimpse of your unmeasurable love for us and for the world. Help us to share that love with everyone we meet. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
-John 4:19-24
This past Sunday was Youth Sunday. After all my years in ministry, it remains for me the most inspiring event each year. This year was no exception. In fact, this year was exceptional. I was struck by the fact that in the entire process of preparing for this Sunday, adding recording days, no dress rehearsal practices, and leading it live outside in a parking lot, the youth never blinked. They never complained, never wavered, never indicated they’d rather be indoors or not be recorded for online. They simply stepped up and said yes and led with confidence and joy.
I realized that like many others, I’ve been imagining and hoping for a return to normalcy more than adapting to life as it is and perhaps could be. I’ve spent more time thinking about how much I want to lead worship indoors, to stop setting up and taking down equipment every week, how I want to hug people and get coffee and lunch and sit around tables with youth for Bible study and go on retreats and mission trips and local service than I have spent imagining new ways to live in quarantine and post-pandemic. Tradition and memory are wonderful tools of our tradition, but imagination and dreams are also gifts in and of our faith that help us survive the present and thrive in the future. Our youth reminded me of that this Sunday. They didn’t speak only of the service they had done in the past. They charged us to do what we can to serve now, and gave us specific suggestions how and where.
Our former Moderator of the PC(USA) reminded us at a presbytery meeting recently that our ancestors wandered the desert for 40 years with their church as a tent on the move. And in this passage, Jesus reminds us that God and our worship of God is not a singular place. It’s on the move, wherever it needs to be, lest we become distracted from worship or distanced from one another in relationship because of our allegiance to one single place or space. I’m grateful for those Biblical reminders, and for our youth who keep teaching me new things. Whether we find ourselves in a building, a tent, a parking lot, or online, may we remember their lesson well and worship in spirit and in truth.
Prayer for Today
Lord, as Jesus wandered, make me a wanderer. As my ancestors carried the Temple with them, make me a tent-bearer. As the early Church worshipped on mountains and in houses, make me eager to worship wherever I am in spirit and in truth. Amen.
These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.
– Psalm 42:4, NIV
In the past week, many of us have been remembering that the pandemic lockdown began about this time last year. A whole year! Sometimes it seems much longer, but other times it all feels like a blur. When it comes to remembering, one form it takes is nostalgia. I found out that the term “nostalgia” was coined din 1688 by a Swiss physician, Johannes Hofer, to describe what the Swiss mercenaries felt in their longing for home while they were away fighting. Symptoms included deep sadness, bouts of weeping, fainting, and stomach pain, among others.
Today, nostalgia is often portrayed in a negative light as longing for a time past that will never return. It is also seen as frivolous at best and a waste of time at worst. But a piece in The Wall Street Journal suggests that this may be wrong: “Reflecting nostalgically on the past is a common and healthy experience that helps people find the inspiration and confidence needed to move forward in life, particularly during difficult times.” The author adds, “Nostalgia isn’t a form of escapism. It is a source of inspiration. It pushes people forward, not backward.”
The passage above from the Psalms tells of remembering what is was like for the Psalmist to go to “the house of God” to worship with others. Like all of you, I look forward to when that will take place. Our Session has created a Health Task Force of members of our church with medical backgrounds to recommend to the Session when the trends indicate we can return to indoor worship with an appropriate degree of safety. As of this date, the overall trends have been looking better. I am praying that those trends will continue -- with all of us who can getting vaccines, wearing masks, and staying socially-distanced until we can gather together again for indoor worship at JCPC. Until then, thank you for your prayers, your patience, and for working together to get through this!
Prayer for Today
Gracious God, help us to remember your love for us and the times we were able to worship you in our Sanctuary. Let us never take that for granted, and may we join together soon to worship you again safely with others indoors. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
As I was reading the devotion for our Lent family resource this week, I was reminded of this passage where God speaks to a small group of disciples who witness the transfiguration.
Mark 9:7
“Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: ‘This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.’”
How often do you practice active listening... the kind of listening where you focus intently on what the other person is saying and you set aside your thoughts and just listen?
This is hard to do. I have been led through group brainstorming and collaboration in this method as well as through one on one relationship building. It is a deeply meaningful way to connect and process in a group. When I take the time to translate it to my day to day conversations, I don’t always get it right.
Jesus had actually taken many opportunities with the disciples to begin to share more about who he was and his mission in the world, but the disciples were still having trouble listening or understanding. On top of that mountain God spoke clearly about who Jesus was and what we should do in response... Listen to him.
I would invite you to take a moment to listen today. Breathe deep and listen. What is God sharing with you?
Prayer for Today
Gracious God, Thank you for all of the ways you speak to us through your Word, through others and in the stirrings of our hearts. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
