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.
As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road…saying,
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”
-Luke 19:36, 38
Palm Sunday is just around the corner! We celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem only a few days before his trial and execution, a glorious and boisterous moment before the darkest moments of Jesus’ life. In some ways, it almost feels out of place in Lent. We pause for a moment from quiet introspective reflection and sing Jesus into Jerusalem with All Glory, Laud, and Honor, complete with waving palm branches. If you didn’t know any better, you might think that Lent was over and it was back to “happy times”.
But this isn’t the end of Lent. Maundy Thursday is next week, where we remember through word and song the Last Supper, betrayal, trial, and crucifixion of the Son of Man. The worship space is stripped of paraments, cross, and candles to represent the humiliation and barrenness of the tree upon which Christ was murdered.
This is the part of the story that people often shy away from. The crucifixion is really quite gruesome. Nails through hands and feet? No thanks. Surely it was an incredibly traumatic scene to witness. This person the disciples believed to be the long-awaited Messiah was hanging on a Roman cross and put to death without just cause. In some ways, we are guilty of the same treason against God that sentenced Jesus to a painful, agonizing death.
But all is not lost! Easter comes on Sunday. We celebrate Easter because of the fact that Jesus’ death was not the final word. It wasn’t the end. Jesus conquered death and broke the power that death had over all of us. The glorious knowledge that our Cosmic Christ reigns even over death brings us hope in this life and the next.
As we head into Palm Sunday and Holy Week, do not shy away from the disturbing reality of the cross. It is not just a story about someone dying. It was humiliation, suffering, and despair, unlike what any of us will ever likely experience. We have to acknowledge the horror of the crucifixion to truly live in the joy and hope of what Easter promises. Find time in the coming week to survey the wondrous cross and imagine how you would feel if you were there when they crucified our Lord.
Prayer for Today
God of Endless Hope, we are confronted with the brutal murder of your Son, sent to save us and yet condemned to death by our own actions. In a way, Lord, it was I who betrayed you. I am responsible for malicious acts against you and my fellow brothers and sisters. Hear my repentance for all my transgressions and cleanse me so that I may live into the reality of the Easter hope to come. Amen.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
-Psalm 86:15
If I was asked about the most holy moments or those of deep faith significance, I would likely think of my confirmation, my ordination, various installation services, special Christmas Eves and Easters, and baptisms. Without deeper reflection, I would be unlikely to recall moments of everyday grace offered to me, times I withheld my anger at a loved one, or times I had the opportunity to help a stranger in need. And yet, Lent is a time for deeper reflection, and those moments are holy too.
Recently, a friend of mine watched a movie with her young daughter. The movie realistically portrayed the frustrations between a daughter, mother, and grandmother. It distressed my friend’s daughter to see that conflict. But my friend took that learning moment and explained that sometimes moms and daughters do have feelings like that and have to find healthy ways to express them and work through them together. Her daughter was thoughtful and said it was ok if they argue because, “God holds mommy back from not loving me even though she’s mad.” My friend was careful in her response, saying that being close with God helps her to realize being mad will be temporary but that the love will always be there. A moment of curiosity and concern became a holy moment of learning.
Although Lent is only a few weeks, the deeper reflection is valuable. We are able to see lessons like this and incorporate them into daily living. God can indeed help us freely love and hold back our temporary anger. A closer walk, what we seek in this holy season, helps us be people of deeper love and a more holy daily life through ordinary moments and extraordinary faith. The next time you feel anger rising within you as you argue with a loved one, perhaps you can quietly call on God to help you hold back your temporary feelings for the sake of an important relationship.
Prayer for Today
Lord, hold back my temporary emotions so that I may communicate and love well. Amen.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
- II Corinthians 5:17-21
Springtime. It is that time of year that makes us think of new beginnings. We move from cool (and this year rainy) winter to warm days full of sunshine. Life isn't perfect but stopping to think about how blessed we are to celebrate a beautiful spring day sure does help us deal with our daily lives. In every season, there is a reason to rejoice and an opportunity to do good. The challenge for each of us every day is to find something to rejoice about and some good to do—and then do both.
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Count your blessings, see what God has done.
Springtime brings us our biggest hope when we celebrate Easter. We remember Jesus' death on the cross on Good Friday, then we celebrate His victory over death on Easter. We not only serve a God who creates amazing beauty, but we serve a God who loves us so very much that he sent his son to die on a cross for us and defeat death by rising again. A beautiful spring day reflects the love the Father has for us. The troubles of the world will fade away, but the love of God and his victory will last forever.
Prayer for Today
Father, soften our hearts in places we've lost hope and help us persevere, trusting that signs of springtime and new blessings will appear. Amen.
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
-John 13:34-35
This Sunday is Palm Sunday. The following Sunday will be Easter. If you only came to church on Sundays and didn’t read scripture, were new to it, or had never been introduced to the story of Holy Week, you could be forgiven for having the impression that this was the best week of Jesus’ life, rather than the hardest. After all, the story you’d hear on Sunday typically is about his triumphant entry into Jerusalem and a parade full of people welcoming him. And the next week… the story of resurrection and joy. At least once in my years of leading and teaching confirmation class, I’ve had a child who knew the Christmas story and at least some of the Easter one, but not of the crucifixion, let alone his agony, betrayal, arrest, torture, and death.
Some churches choose to split Palm Sunday or emphasize the crucifixion by marking a “Passion Sunday” - an emphasis on his passion or suffering. Still others move Palm Sunday a week earlier to focus on the events of Holy/Maundy Thursday and Good Friday on the Sunday prior to Easter. Our church, and most I have served, mark those Holy Week moments with a service on Thursday. Maundy comes from the Latin word Mandatum - mandate or command. We know that word from two years of quarantine. It comes from the single command Jesus gives his disciples as he washes their feet before the Last Supper… love one another.
This Holy Week, two weeks away yet, we will once again host a Maundy Thursday service. It’s a beautiful way to mark the most important weekend in the life and ministry of God’s only son and orient ourselves for the conclusion of Lent and Easter. If you can attend in person, please do. It can be a deeply meaningful part of your faith journey this Lent. It will be live-streamed and recorded. Join us for worship. Deepen your understanding, see more clearly, and follow more nearly.
Prayer for Today
Lord, help me to follow your command to love as you first loved us. Amen.
What if our clothes were more functional, having the ability to clean themselves after we dropped ketchup or mustard or spilled a drink on them? Well, according to the BBC, engineers in China have developed a special “coating which causes cotton to clean itself of stains and odors when exposed to ultraviolet lights.” Can you imagine the implications of having self-cleaning clothes?
A self-cleaning coating might work for stained clothes, but only God can clean a stained soul. In ancient Judah, God was angry with His people because they had “turned their backs on” Him, given themselves to corruption and evil, and were worshiping false gods (Isaiah 1:2–4). But to make matters worse, they tried to clean themselves by offering sacrifices, burning incense, saying many prayers, and gathering together in solemn assemblies. Yet their hypocritical and sinful hearts remained (vv. 12–13). The remedy was for them to come to their senses and with a repentant heart bring the stains on their souls to a holy and loving God. His grace would cleanse them and make them spiritually “white as snow” (v. 18).
When we sin, there’s no self-cleaning solution. With a humble and repentant heart, we must acknowledge our sins and place them under the cleansing light of God’s holiness. We must turn from them and return to Him. And He, the only One who cleans the stains of the soul, will offer us complete forgiveness and renewed fellowship.
Prayer for Today
Father, forgive me for ignoring or trying to get rid of my own sin. I know only You can clean the stains of my soul. I acknowledge and repent of my self-sufficiency and turn to You. Amen.
any of you know that one of my favorite verses from the Bible is Ephesians 2:10 where Saint Paul tells us why we are here and why God made us!
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
The verses immediately prior to verse 10 tell us that we are saved by God’s grace not our works, but verse 10 tells us what God wants us to do - To Do Good Works!
JCPC is organized in a way to accomplish good works. The educational team and ministry teams see to it that we are provided with the sacraments and instructed in God’s word. The stewardship team with its tech and property and finance sections see to it that we have facilities to teach and worship and stage our good works. The outreach team identifies community needs and directs our gifts to those most in need. Our caring and connecting teams look after the physical and spiritual needs of both member and nonmember. “Non nobis solum” (Not for us Alone) is our operational guide. Each month, the session and staff review our progress as we strive to carry out God’s instruction to build his kingdom on earth. We need your gifts, but even more we need your participation in these efforts. Follow your interests and choose a team to join or find a small group.
Whether you wish to provide food for families during crisis or recovery, paint walls for habitat, teach adult or youth Sunday school classes, or just enjoy the camaraderie and Christian fellowship obtained from a small book group, Bible study group, or adult dinner group, there is a place for you.
Last week in the Session meeting the Session….
Approved a new term of call for Rev. Brian Daoust. There will be congregational meeting the Sunday after Easter at 12:00 Noon in the Great Hall for congregational approval of these changes.
Continued to review active member rolls and asks that you please update your information for our new directory if you have not already done so.
Approved the Communion dates for the remainder of 2022.
Noted that February contributions were positive over expenses which lowered our short fall from January.
Commended Rev. Daoust for his assistance since the retirements of Rev. Kuhlhorst and Rev. Norsworthy.
Decided to hold both Easter Sunday Services in the Great Hall.
April brings the end of Lent and our celebration of Easter. For Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, April will also bring a conclusion to our first major hurdle toward finding a new pastor. We will welcome our interim pastor, Rev. Steven Barnes on Palm Sunday. With the arrival of Rev. Barnes, we as a congregation will then turn our attention to discerning our role in building God’s kingdom. The creation of a pastor nominating committee will follow, and it will seek to align our congregation’s desires with the skills and calling of a new permanent pastor. Good works build God’s kingdom here on earth. Thank you for your participation.
Prayer for Today
Heavenly Father,
Let our works be good works to glorify your kingdom on earth. Amen.
25 Years ago, my oldest son gave me a picture book written by Robert Munsch entitled
“Love You Forever.” The story begins showing a picture of a mother holding her tiny baby – her precious son. Through the pages the mother rocks her baby, and sings.
“I’ll love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”
FYI: I cried when I received the book, and truthfully, I get teary eyed every time I read it.
The boy is 9, then a teen, and then a grown man throughout she continues to sing. “I’ll love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”
The mother is very old, and a precious picture shows the son holding and lovingly cradling His dear mother. She will soon die. The son sings: I love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my Mommy you’ll be.”
The grown and grieving son returns to his home and goes into the nursery where his new baby daughter is sleeping, He picks his baby up and rocks her as he sings. “I’ll love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”
Notice that there is a juxtaposition between “love you forever” and “like you always”. There is a difference; Always is time limited for all occasions, and Forever means constantly, enduring for an endless amount of time.
Even a deep love for another person can occasionally become weary. It doesn’t mean we stop loving, it means we are frustrated with the other person’s ability to meet our expectations. Like is infused with a measure of judgement and impatience —translation “you are annoying and plucking my last nerve.”
When my children were teens, I used to tell them “I love you but right now I don’t like you. Go to bed and we’ll start over tomorrow.” (In retrospect it was kinda harsh!)
Returning to the book - both mother and son pledge to love and like. What that means is; “I’ll try, I won’t give up, and you will always have a special place in my life and heart. No doubt - - admirable intentions. Newsflash: loving others is WORK!
In Hebrew, endure means perpetually, without a beginning or an end. God’s love endures forever, and faith allows us to believe, whole heartedly that God loves us. God’s Spirit resides in our heart encouraging us to have a higher more perfect love.
At every age, stage, and even when we rage God’s love does not waiver. It is forever...ONLY God is capable of having an enduring forever love, because God is love - it is His very essence.
Intellectually we know that God loves us, but as humans we crave evidence of God’s love. We want to feel, that God loves us. We want to feel He is holding, caring, and protecting us. Unfortunately, feelings are fleeting, but faith gives us footing. What we really want is to have firm footing.
Confidence in God’s love will grow when I sit silently and meditate on His Word. Gradually the need to “feel” will be transformed into an unshakeable sustaining faith.
Faith assures me that God will love and sustain me throughout my entire life. He carries and sustains me always and forever.
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
-Isaiah 46:4
God promises to love me forever and always and it fills my soul with hope. I am inspired to more perfectly love and like others always...
Prayer for Today
Father God, help me embrace your promise that you will love me forever. Empower me to be a vessel of your love that I may serve others in genuine and meaningful ways. Through faith I believe you will love me forever. Hear the cry of my heart – I want to love you forever. Amen.
25 Years ago, my oldest son gave me a picture book written by Robert Munsch entitled
“Love You Forever.” The story begins showing a picture of a mother holding her tiny baby – her precious son. Through the pages the mother rocks her baby, and sings.
“I’ll love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”
FYI: I cried when I received the book, and truthfully, I get teary eyed every time I read it.
The boy is 9, then a teen, and then a grown man throughout she continues to sing. “I’ll love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”
The mother is very old, and a precious picture shows the son holding and lovingly cradling His dear mother. She will soon die. The son sings: I love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my Mommy you’ll be.”
The grown and grieving son returns to his home and goes into the nursery where his new baby daughter is sleeping, He picks his baby up and rocks her as he sings. “I’ll love you forever; I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”
Notice that there is a juxtaposition between “love you forever” and “like you always”. There is a difference; Always is time limited for all occasions, and Forever means constantly, enduring for an endless amount of time.
Even a deep love for another person can occasionally become weary. It doesn’t mean we stop loving, it means we are frustrated with the other person’s ability to meet our expectations. Like is infused with a measure of judgement and impatience —translation “you are annoying and plucking my last nerve.”
When my children were teens, I used to tell them “I love you but right now I don’t like you. Go to bed and we’ll start over tomorrow.” (In retrospect it was kinda harsh!)
Returning to the book - both mother and son pledge to love and like. What that means is; “I’ll try, I won’t give up, and you will always have a special place in my life and heart. No doubt - - admirable intentions. Newsflash: loving others is WORK!
In Hebrew, endure means perpetually, without a beginning or an end. God’s love endures forever, and faith allows us to believe, whole heartedly that God loves us. God’s Spirit resides in our heart encouraging us to have a higher more perfect love.
At every age, stage, and even when we rage God’s love does not waiver. It is forever...ONLY God is capable of having an enduring forever love, because God is love - it is His very essence.
Intellectually we know that God loves us, but as humans we crave evidence of God’s love. We want to feel, that God loves us. We want to feel He is holding, caring, and protecting us. Unfortunately, feelings are fleeting, but faith gives us footing. What we really want is to have firm footing.
Confidence in God’s love will grow when I sit silently and meditate on His Word. Gradually the need to “feel” will be transformed into an unshakeable sustaining faith.
Faith assures me that God will love and sustain me throughout my entire life. He carries and sustains me always and forever.
“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
-Isaiah 46:4
God promises to love me forever and always and it fills my soul with hope. I am inspired to more perfectly love and like others always...
Prayer for Today
Father God, help me embrace your promise that you will love me forever. Empower me to be a vessel of your love that I may serve others in genuine and meaningful ways. Through faith I believe you will love me forever. Hear the cry of my heart – I want to love you forever. Amen.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
-Matthew 16:18
March Madness is an annual wild ride in college sports. NCAA college basketball, both men’s and women’s, are exciting for so many reasons, but especially because anything can happen. Teams are ranked in four regions from 1 to 16. A casual fan could well-expect very few high-ranked teams to be upset by teams who rarely even make the cut for the tournament. For example, few people would ever pick a 15seed (2nd lowest) to beat a 2 see (2nd highest) in the first round of this tournament. In fact, only 3% of people who filled out a bracket predicted the upset of St. Peter’s over Kentucky this weekend, whereas almost a third (30%) of folks had the Kentucky Wildcats to reach a coveted Final Four game. It’s only the 10th time in history that a 15 seed beat their competitor in the first round since the championship began in 1938.
Why is that so shocking? It has happened 9 other times, after all. However, even casual sports fans or non-sports fans can see on paper what a surprise this was. A quick comparison reveals some obvious differences… UK’s $18.3 million basketball budget to St. Peter’s $1.6 million, a home gym capacity of 20,545 to 3,200, a school enrollment of 31,536 to 3,009, and a recruitment class that included 3 five-star, 5 four-star, and 2 three-star recruits to St. Peter’s roster with zero! And yet, St. Peter’s Peacocks, who practice and play in the Run Baby Run Arena (real name), defeated the Wildcats handily. Everyone loves a David and Goliath story, especially watching one unfold in the arena, rather than living it. And historically, Christians have not fared well in arenas and coliseums, even if Medlock Bridge has more than a few full coliseums each Sunday.
It would be understandable for us as Christians in a modern context to not choose our team to go the distance in facing the challenges of a modern world, especially at our small gatherings and churches that meet in chapels, our Great Halls, or our homes online, just as it would have been for the Early Church or the followers of Jesus in the dark hours between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Those followers of the way were much less than 3% of Israel, let alone the Roman world. And yet, God chose a handful of men and women, led by a guy named Peter to establish the Church of Jesus Christ, shattering all expectations of what a ragtag group of never-heard-ofs could do. Few churches our size can boast even St. Peter’s budget, and yet we can do extraordinary things no one expects. From Habitat houses to food pantries, blood drives, foster families, mission trips, scouting and service groups, addiction recovery, and community engagement, we can do mighty and surprising things no one expects. We are up to that challenge every season. Let’s go, team.
Prayer for Today
Lord, make me ready to do extraordinary things no one expects. Make me one who serves and loves in mighty ways. Amen.
hen Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews.For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
-Esther 4:13-14
This past weekend, the youth group headed to Beech Mountain for the annual ski trip. We last were able to go right before quarantine. Even with a wind chill of -15°, we had an incredible weekend. The highlight is our tradition of a Sunday morning worship service and communion. The outgoing and incoming youth elder help to serve the elements and the youth elder who has served the previous year charges the new elder with their duties. This year, Joseph prepared words to charge Niko, both of whom preached on Youth Sunday.
Joseph spoke about how he’d observed the gifts and character of our new elder and that he was absolutely the right choice to lead in this role. And then he charged him to now do the work, to step up and use those gifts to serve our church and all those in need. Esther received a similar charge from Mordecai. He called on her to use her position and voice because the Lord had prepared and placed her for this moment to save her people from death. What a great reminder for all of us. Even as we return to greater and greater freedom as we emerge from the pandemic, as we search for a pastor, as we plan mission trips and VBS and reach out to our members and visitors, as we encourage new worshiping communities and serve the Johns Creek community, we are being prepared and placed.
Lent is a great season for reflection. Like Esther, we take a look inward at the gifts God has given us and outward to see in what place God has placed us to serve people. We have what we need. Now we must do the work. This year, as you’re asked to serve our mission partners, join us. Tomorrow, when go build with Habitat, this summer on mission trips and with VBS, in the search for a new pastor and educator, when volunteers are needed to teach and supervise children in the nursery, we are prepared for such times. And now we are called to step up and do the work.
Prayer for Today
Lord, make me a doer of your word and not a hearer only. You have prepared me for such a time as this. Help me to hear your call and step up. Amen.
