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.
This isn’t a tapestry. It is not a painting. It is the most detailed image of a human cell to date obtained by radiography, nuclear magnetic resonance and cryoelectron microscopy.
Each and every human has trillions of cells that make up their bodies. What an amazing and beautiful creation from God. As I let that sink in for a moment, I read this quote in a recent book (1,000+ Habits of Happy, Successful Relationships) from Authors Marc and Angel Chernoff write, “The time you invest in creating both healthy relationships and healthy mindsets about your relationships can affect almost everything else you do in life. It’s how you can truly make a difference in the world.”
In a time when we may feel helpless or clueless about how to make a difference in our world, start here.
Their theory explains what we have all seen in some of our relationships when we practice being present, making connections, and sharing acceptance – not just in our relationships with others but also in our relationship with ourselves.
“As we all know, the world we live in does not provide the time, space, and conditions for making these types of important relational investments. Therefore, we must CHOOSE to make time for words and actions that bind us together, carry us through, and brighten our days.” (Rachel Macy Stafford)
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Prayer for Today
Creator God, Thank you for the intricate details in your creation of human beings. Help us to be open to see your handiwork in those we encounter this day and find ways to be present, make connections and share acceptance. In Christ’s Name, Amen.
One of the key words that is often used while studying to become a Stephen Minister is compassion. The word “compassion” is mentioned in the Bible at least forty-six times. The definition of compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is hurting, in pain, or has misfortune, and is accompanied by a strong desire to help the suffering. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of someone with true compassion. Not only did Jesus have compassion and heal people from physical suffering; he also showed the greatest compassion for humankind when died on the cross for our sins.
It's not always easy to show compassion, especially if we feel like the person may deserve their misfortune. The Bible verses below teach us that compassion is a true mark of Christian character. Another great example of someone showing compassion and grace is the story of the prodigal son. The verses below include the story of how a father showed compassion to his son. Go and do likewise, so that you can show the world how Jesus has changed you!
“So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” - Luke 15:20
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” - Colossians 3:12
“And the LORD said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’” - Exodus 33:19
“Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” - Isaiah 30:18
“They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.” - Isaiah 49:10
“Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.” - Isaiah 49:13
To whom will you show compassion today? How will you show compassion?
Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father, send your Spirit to help us be patient and gentle today. Help us to act with humility, compassion, and kindness towards others, as you do with us. Please guide us, so that we can guide others -- so they will see the abundance of grace and love you have for us. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
-John 20:1
Mary Magdalene is mentioned as having been the first to visit the tomb of Jesus after his crucifixion, either alone or with others. As Saturday is the Sabbath for Jews, the first day of the week is a Sunday, and also the soonest since the Crucifixion that Mary or anyone could’ve done any “work”. So we see that Mary couldn’t even wait until it was light, and instead, took off in the wee hours of that first Easter Sunday to go to the tomb. So why was she going there? In Mark 16:1, it says that Mary, along with two others, took spices to anoint the body.
So now we’ve established the who, where, when, and why of the story. Except I think there’s more to the “why”. I have always heard that Mary being the first person at the tomb was both a sign of her faith and yet another example of how God breaks expectations, in other words, breaking gender stereotypes of the time and having Mary be the first to go and also the first to see the risen Christ. But I don’t actually think Mary ran to the tomb because of her faith.
If she had faith, she would’ve believed Jesus when he said he would be risen. Instead, she was probably a complete train wreck and might have been wondering if Jesus was really who he said he was. She had either forgotten or lost faith in what Jesus had said, but having become so close to Jesus, she wanted to pay her respects and anoint his body. Perhaps she wanted a chance to say goodbye. Maybe she needed closure. Just a week earlier, Jesus had triumphantly entered Jerusalem, and she probably couldn’t believe all that had happened in just a week.
She ran to the tomb because she did not believe he had risen, and yet, despite her doubts, Jesus appeared to her first. She witnessed Jesus’ ministry, his miracles, and then his cruel death on a Roman cross, and yet, she still doubted. If she doubted and yet Jesus still came to her, then it should give us encouragement when we, who have believed on faith alone, have our own doubts. It’s okay to have doubts and uncertainties, and God is right here with us anyway.
Prayer for Today
God of Promises, you offer us truly unconditional love and limitless blessings, and yet we doubt. We turn away when we hear your voice, but you keep calling us by name. Thank you for never giving up on us. Amen.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
-John 14:16
On a recent visit to see my niece and nephews, my mother brought some small gifts, including a toy that launched little whirlybirds in the air. My niece loved retrieving the small disc each time it landed. The first time, she brought it back in her mouth. Her nana explained it was dirty outside and she was not allowed to put it in her mouth. She nodded. And came back again with it in her mouth. Nana explained the rule again. A third and fourth time, she returned with it in her mouth. Nana said, “if you keep doing this, we can’t play with this toy any more. It’s a rule.” This time, she brought it back in her hand. Nana ask, “Did you put it in your mouth?” Innocently, she replied, “Not when you were looking.”
Oh how much we are like my young niece, even as adults. When no one is looking, the accountability is gone. As followers of Christ, we are promised not only the accountability of our fallible faith family, but the omnipresent Holy Spirit. And in this passage we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is not categorized as a warden or guard tower, an all-seeing, all-watching eye, or hall monitor. No, Jesus indicates the Spirit is an advocate. What good news for us. God, who could be eternally watchful, playing constable, judge, and executioner, instead chooses to send us the only member of the justice system there to take our side, aid our cause, defend us, and restore us to the community.
It speaks volumes that the final words from Jesus are not that he’s headed to heaven to watch our every move, but that he’s going to prepare a place for us and send us this advocate. This is Jesus saying, “I know it’ll be so hard that you’ll need help, and I’m sending it. But I know that with this new helper, you’ll be able to walk in my way. So I’m going home to get it ready for your arrival.” This should comfort us, and should inspire us to rise to the challenge. It’s tempting to only follow Jesus when someone else is watching. But we Christians are called to live our whole lives for God, leaning on the Spirit for help. So one day when the Lord asks if we did what he taught us, we can say proudly, “Even when you weren’t looking.”
Prayer for Today
Lord, you promised your advocate would be with us to help us along the way. Help me to trust in that promise and rely on the Spirit to do good in this world, even when no one is looking. Amen.
This Sunday is Preschool Recognition Sunday. Normally we would be indoors and we would have some of our preschool families joining with us for worship, but since will not be able to do that, we will be asking Lisa Lucas, our Preschool Director, to share a few words and introduce a video that highlights the life of our preschool. With the pandemic, this has been a challenging year. Because of Lisa's leadership and the wise direction of our Preschool Board and our Session, we've been able to make it through safely and provide a quality education for our preschool children and their families. So, in the spirit of our upcoming Preschool Recognition Sunday , I want to share with you the story I heard from the perspective of young boy:
A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night his mother told him to go out to the back porch and bring her the broom. The little boy turned to his mother and said, "Mama, I don't want to go out there. It's dark." The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. "You don't have to be afraid of the dark," she explained. "Jesus is out there. He'll look after you and protect you." The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, "Are you sure he's out there?" "Yes, I'm sure. He is everywhere, and he is always ready to help you when you need him," she said. The little boy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door and cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called, "Jesus? If you're out there, would you please hand me the broom?"
Have you ever had a time when you knew in your head that Jesus was everywhere, but your heart felt otherwise? I know I have. Sometimes we all feel that way, no matter what our age, but children are often the ones to be honest about it.
I hope you will come this Sunday as we honor our Preschool in worship. I think you will be glad you did!
Prayer for Today
Thank you loving God, that you call us children of God. We thank you for all the children in our preschool, in our community, and in our world. Help us all to love and protect our children so that they may grow to be the women and men you created each one of them to be. We pray this in the strong name of your son, Jesus the Christ. Amen.
As air travel has been slowed down or halted for many of us over the past year. I was thinking about this place today. Nearly 20 years ago, I was in Iona, the tiny isle where Christianity touched Scotland for the first time. Columba, the Irish monk built an abbey church there. A nunnery came later, and then for many generations, Iona was a mission outpost for western Scotland. It was first discovered when an Irish monk hopped aboard a boat with no steering system convinced that God and providence would wash him ashore where he needed to be.
It is now a place where many tourists and pilgrims travel. I spent 3 days there with a group of Presbyterian college students reflecting, worshipping, and experiencing community in a very new way. One of the parts of my experience there that sticks with me is the silence. There were very few mechanical sounds on the island, maybe one car, sometimes a lawn mower, but that was about it. I had an opportunity to hike with our group around the island one day. We traveled to the rocky beach, where Columba first encountered this small island. I learned that many of these rocks are some of the oldest in the world. They were there long before I arrived and will be there long after I leave.
Have you experienced moments when you are reminded that each day is a gift? Knowing this, how do you want to live your life? Always busy, working on the next project, chore, or errand? Or with an attitude of unhurried trust and joy being immersed in the current moment?
This verse continues to bubble up in me through the sea of events over the past year. “God is our Refuge and Strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
As reminder of my experience on Iona, I have a picture of one of the Celtic crosses that I found on the island. Each time I stop to take a look at it, these experiences come rushing back and I attempt to reclaim the rhythm of my journey and the messages that God revealed.
Seek the Lord and His strength: Seek His face continually.
-I Chronicles 16:11
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
-I Thessalonians 5:16-18
This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
-I John 5:14
The Holy Hands in Prayer Team consists of 17 people. The prayer list is updated each Tuesday and sent via e-mail to the team. Emergency prayers are sent via text message to the team. Any prayer that we are given is held in complete confidence by each team member. Names or anonymous requests are received. A request may be anonymous, and listed anonymous. I would like to know how to follow up on the request. If someone is comfortable with the prayer request being put in the daily Reflections, I will give that information to the secretary of the church. Prior to the pandemic we met together every Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM and daily at home. Now we pray at home daily.
When the Holy Hands in Prayer Team prays, these scriptures are some of the 790 Bible verses that tell us to pray, pray in worship, or praise prayers. We invite the Holy Spirit to be present with us as we pray and guide us as we pray. We seek His Word. We offer prayers of Praise and Adoration. We confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. We lift up prayers for each of the needs of our congregation. Finally, we thank the Lord for listening and responding. Prayer is the most powerful tool that God has given us to live in our world. Yet many times we don’t use this tool. We have witnessed many answers to prayer since we started this team seven years ago. Some of these have been miracles. We definitely have an awesome God.
If any of you are in need of prayer or have someone else that needs prayer, please contact me to put you on our prayer list. If you have an emergency, you can call or text me.
Prayer for Today
Gracious Lord: thank You for all Your abundant mercies and blessings. Forgive us for not taking the time to spend with You as we should. Thank You for loving us in spite of our many sins. We thank You for forgiveness. In the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
George Whitefield (1714–1770) was one of the most gifted and effective preachers in history, leading thousands to faith in Jesus. But his life wasn’t without controversy. His practice of preaching outdoors (to accommodate large crowds) was sometimes criticized by those who questioned his motives and felt he should speak only within the four walls of a church building. Whitefield’s epitaph sheds light on his response to others’ harsh words: “I am content to wait till the Day of Judgment for the clearing up of my character; and after I am dead, I desire no other epitaph than this, ‘Here lies George Whitefield—what sort of a man he was, the great day will discover.’ ”
In the Old Testament, when David faced harsh criticism from others, he too entrusted himself to God. When Saul falsely accused David of leading a rebellion and he was forced to hide from Saul’s approaching army in a cave, David described being “in the midst of lions,” among “men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords” (Psalm 57:4). But even in that difficult place, he turned to God and found comfort in Him: “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (v. 10).
When others misunderstand or reject us, God is our “refuge” (v. 1). May He be forever praised for His unfailing and merciful love!
Prayer for Today
Abba Father, I praise You that I can be accepted by You forever because of Your Son. I take refuge in Your perfect love today. Amen.
Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
-Luke 10:36-37
"You say you love the poor. Name them."
Peruvian Priest
My dear friend Joel and I were in youth ministry in the small town some years ago now. He went on to be active in freeing kids from child trafficking. He shared this quote with me and it was a constant reminder to not just serve the poor, but become a brother to them and make their struggle my own, their reality a part of mine. I came across the quote again this week and thought of how much I miss my friends from the shelter at First Pres. I miss Freddie who checked on me like a dad, asking how my boys were. I miss Marilyn who would ask me for ties and bow ties for her grandsons when they had graduations. I miss Rainbow who used to give my oldest son complicated breakfast orders of fancy foods and garnishes, even though the food was the same each Sunday morning.
This challenged me. I’m confident that the decisions of our partner organizations to operate differently in Covid has been wise. I’m confident our decisions as staff, session, and the parents and kids in the youth group to be cautious have been wise. I’m also confident that as we are vaccinated and protocols are implemented, we need to return to the work that needs doing to serve and become brothers and sisters to the least of these, to learn their names and stories. The work may look different now, but we are called to it. We must be wise and safe, respecting the health of those we serve, who often will be the last to receive medical attention and vaccines, but also as quick to give help as we can.
When you receive your vaccination, I know you’ll make a mental list of things you can do, people you can see, and ways you can return to “normal life.” I hope you’ll think of this moment and name the people you can serve. And if you don’t know them by first name yet, come see me, come join me, and I’ll introduce you. I’ve introduced many of our youth. This year, whether it’s back to normal or a new normal for you, seek to serve. We have a lot of work to do.
Prayer for Today
Lord, make me a neighbor, make me a brother or sister, and make me compassionate to the least of these. Amen.
This past Easter Sunday was a glorious day at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church! I hope you were able to attend our In-person worship service under a tent on our ballfield, attend our Drive-In service, or watch it Online. I know some of you did more than one -- and maybe someone attended all three! I hope you will let me know if you did.
Gathering for worship in-person on our ballfield reminded me how much I miss worshiping with others. Like all of us, I look forward to the near future when we can gather again together indoors and safely worship God. As we have shared, our plans are to add an 11:00 AM indoors worship service with masks and social distancing beginning May 2nd in our Great Hall, provided the present downward trends in Covid cases continues. Our “Signup Genius” will work the same way it did for Easter Sunday to reserve seats for those indoor services. We will also continue both our Drive-In and Online services for now.
This Sunday we begin a new sermon series based on the book of 1 John. Last Sunday we read the Easter story from the gospel of John. But this Sunday we began this brief epistle written by John. Because one of the main themes of this epistle is love, I'm calling the series “1 John - a love letter.” If the gospel of John tells the whole story of the life of Christ from beginning to end, 1 John distills the teachings of the gospel message to its basic fundamentals. One Bible scholar even suggested that beginning reading 1 John would give a new believer an excellent foundation in the faith, from which he or she could progress to reading other parts of the Bible.
Martin Luther said this about 1 John: “This is an outstanding epistle. It can buoy up afflicted hearts.” In stormy times such as these, my guess is that all of us could use having our “afflicted hearts” buoyed up! I hope you will plan to join us this Sunday!
Prayer for Today
Loving God, may the good news of Easter continue to lift our hearts today and every day. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus, the risen Christ. Amen.
