shopify site analytics
Skip to main content
#
JCPC
 
Reflections

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.

Thursday, September 12 2019

O Lord, I remember your name in the night, and keep your law.

-Psalm 119:55

 

 

 

Forgetting is an easy thing to do; much harder than remembering. When events of significance happen, especially tragedies, someone always says, "Remember!" It's been said about the Alamo, Pearl Harbor, 

D-Day, and countless other dates of infamy, including September 11th, 2001. But remembering is hard to do. Our brains are hardwired to forget as much as possible most days, in order for us to be able to try to remember what we deem important.

 

In order to remember, we create holidays, memorials, stories, and movies. We write songs and teach our children, and we recall our memories annually. Because otherwise, the busyness of our lives gets in the way, and memories fade. And sometimes, the very places we live make it easy to forget that the rest of the country or world experiences life differently. It would be easy to forget in most of the U.S. that war goes on in other countries, including a war that started on September 11th. We now have children born that day who are old enough to be deployed to that war, a generation of war. And in our bubble of Johns Creek, it would be easy to forget that the diversity and relative peace we enjoy is not common to even our whole country and that there have been shootings at houses of worship and white power rallies in other cities.

 

Memory still remains a powerful tool for learning lessons and working for peace. I was reminded of that this week. Yesterday, on September 11th, as I walked through the preschool, I heard the lyrical voice of one of our teachers, a beautiful British accent, articulating the words of our pledge of allegiance with a chorus of children. I peeked in to see a beautiful display of a small child holding a tiny flag proudly and his classmates, a true representation of the diversity of our community, God's kingdom, and likely, those in the towers and planes that day. They spoke the words that they were one nation and indivisible. They will remember those words for a lifetime, as most of us do. And the country and world they inherit will depend on how we choose to remember and live as a unified people, or choose to be divided. I pray we leave them a world of hope.

 

Prayer for Today

Lord, God of all nations, help us to remember from our history that we are stronger together and stronger united for peace. Help us remember to choose peace, to seek common ground, and to love one another as you loved us first, remembering we are yours. Amen.

Posted by: AT 11:07 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Wednesday, September 11 2019

Today is 9/11. When I realized I would be writing my Reflections on this date, I was reminded of what it has come to symbolize. In the same way that July 4, 1776 means something to Americans, so does 9/11. Some have suggested that it changed us forever in a number of ways. Maybe it did. I remember being at church when it happened and finally going down to our Youth Lounge in time to watch on TV the Twin Towers fall. I was stunned at what I was seeing. Today you will probably hear some reference to that event. When I think about words from Scripture that may speak to us, Psalm 46 comes to mind. It reminds us of God's presence, even in the chaos of life. God promises that one day, it will be better than this. Until then, we wait, we hope, and we work to make this world as God created it to be.

 

God is our refuge and strength,

   an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

   and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

   the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

   God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

   he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done,

   the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease

   to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

   he burns the shields with fire.

He says, "Be still, and know that I am God;

   I will be exalted among the nations,

   I will be exalted in the earth."

The Lord Almighty is with us;

   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 

Prayer for Today

God, help us to know when to be still and trust you. Help us also to know when to work to make this world as you created it to be. Thank you for being "our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Amen.

Posted by: AT 11:04 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Tuesday, September 10 2019

One recent morning, Will found his binoculars laying on the table. They had been put away from summer travels and were found when unpacking a backpack. He immediately took the binoculars outside on our deck said he was going to do some bird watching. He heard birds, but didn't see any. So then he noticed the sun was starting to rise and directed his binoculars through the trees to get a closer look. He called me out to join him and we stopped for a few moments to enjoy the sound of birds and the view in front of us. It was so nice to have our busy morning rhythm interrupted. Our mornings are not always so calm and peaceful. Some include unexpected bugs or spiders who have made a web blocking the exit to the deck. These we often pass by quickly.

It's funny to me how sometimes interruptions in our day can bring moments of calmness and appreciation. While others we avoid like the plague. The same situation would have likely brought about a different reaction from any number of people.

I realize that these two encounters are not earth shattering in comparison to some of the challenging experiences that we face in life. They just reminded me that when we face situations that are unexpected, our response to them often shapes our faith in a significant way. So then, how do your reactions to life's interruptions or unexpected circumstances, shape your faith? Sometimes I find when life is a little bit unpredictable, I realize my need to live by faith and depend upon God's guidance.

Take some time to you consider the ways that life's interruptions shape your faith.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. -Hebrews 11:1

 

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, Help me to be more aware of your presence with me each day. Guide me as I seek to walk in faith, even when I cannot see the outcome. In Christ's Name, Amen.

Posted by: AT 11:03 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Monday, September 09 2019

My supervisor is a huge fan of a certain college basketball team. This year, they won the national championship, so another coworker texted him congratulations. The only problem was my boss hadn't yet had a chance to watch the final game! He was frustrated, he said, knowing the outcome beforehand. But, he admitted, at least when he watched the game he wasn't nervous when the score stayed close to the end. He knew who won!

 

We never really know what tomorrow will hold. Some days can feel mundane and tedious, while other days are filled with joy. Still other times, life can be grueling, agonizing even, for long periods of time.

 

But despite life's unpredictable ups and downs, we can still be securely grounded in God's peace. Because, like my supervisor, we know the end of the story. We know who "wins."

 

Revelation, the Bible's final book, lifts the curtain on that spectacular finale. After the final defeat of death and evil (20:10, 14), John describes a beautiful victory scene (21:1-3) where God makes His home with His people (v. 3) and wipes "every tear from their eyes" in a world with "no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (v. 4).

 

On difficult days, we can cling to this promise. No more loss or weeping. No more what-ifs or broken hearts. Instead, we'll spend eternity together with our Savior. What a glorious celebration that will be!

 

Prayer for Today

Dear God, we are thankful the hope of heaven gives us strength and that one day God will soothe every hurt, heal every wound, and wipe away every tear.  Amen.  

Posted by: AT 11:02 am   |  Permalink   |  Email
Friday, September 06 2019

Shirley settled into her recliner after a long day. She looked out the window and noticed an older couple struggling to move a section of old fence left in a yard and labeled "free." Shirley grabbed her husband, and they headed out the door to help. The four of them wrestled the fence onto a dolly and pushed it up the city street and around the corner to the couple's home-laughing all the way at the spectacle they must be. As they returned to get a second section of fence, the woman asked Shirley, "You be my friend?" "Yes, I will," she replied. Shirley later learned that her new Vietnamese friend knew little English and was lonely because her grown children had moved hours away.

 

In Leviticus, God reminded the Israelites that they knew how it felt to be strangers (19:34) and how to treat others (vv. 9-18). God had set them apart to be His own nation, and in return they were to bless their "neighbors" by loving them as themselves. Jesus, the greatest blessing from God to the nations, later restated His Father's words and extended them to us all: "Love the Lord your God . . . . Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39).

 

Through Christ's Spirit living in us, we can love God and others because He loved us first (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 John 4:19). Can we say with Shirley, "Yes, I will"?

 

Prayer for Today

Loving God, thank You for the love You've shown me. Please, Holy Spirit, love others through me so that You might be glorified. Amen.

Posted by: AT 06:51 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Thursday, September 05 2019

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

-Psalm 100:1

 

 

I grew up in a small Presbyterian church in Charlotte, NC. The youth choir was mandatory for middle and high school youth before dinner. Contrary to what recent research has revealed - that almost everyone can be taught to sing well and that the greatest barrier to this is not skill or anatomy, but being told at a young age you cannot sing - most of us young boys were told we sounded awful. Not by the leader, but by his followers - as so often is the case. Thus, it was a wretched experience, most weeks, to come and be mocked by high school girls as my voice changed from alto to tenor to bass in my middle school years. As if that weren't bad enough, we were called Joyful Noise.

 

Our phenomenal choir director was at least sensitive to our plight, having been a middle school boy at some point, I imagined. He filled our hour of torture with gifted instruction and humor. He silenced most of the snickering. And he never made us sing solos. He taught us music, and even a love for the music, if not a total assurance we young boys could make it. And he was probably my first theology teacher. He assured us repeatedly that a joyful noise was not the same as a perfect one and God desires joy. Everyone, he told us, deserved to be there and contribute.

 

That choir taught me some important lessons. I learned how to sing. I learned that people other than the leader could be influential...for good or bad. I learned that a leader, like Christ in the Church, can espouse inclusion and the giftedness of everyone, and emphasize the importance of joy over perfection and that their followers can drown that message out with derision and scorn. It has been important to me in every group I've joined or led to see that a message of that hopeful inclusion and appreciation and joy is central and practiced. I've seen that in the guitar group Mark Fallis formed and the people who have fostered that joy. And I saw it this week among the youth who gathered to play stringed instruments this Sunday night. I encourage you to make each group you join one that includes all who come and affirms their gifts. And if you want to make a joyful noise, we have places for you to do that at JCPC.

 

Prayer for Today

Lord, inspire me to joyful noise. And help me to encourage others to join and lift their gifts to you. Amen.

Posted by: AT 06:49 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Wednesday, September 04 2019

"The words are like an acorn from which an oak tree can grow." 

-Eugene Peterson

 

On the side of our house is an oak tree. It is large and has a round canopy. It looks like the picture of a perfect oak tree. When I cut the grass and it is very hot, I will take a break and stand under its shade. The branches are so thick that it almost feels dark under the tree. It is certainly much cooler than being out in the direct sunlight. If there is any breeze, it is very pleasant. It reminds me of summers when I was a kid and we spent most of our days outside. We naturally gravitated toward the shade of large trees such as this one when we needed to sit down and take a break.

 

It takes a long time to grow an oak tree like the one in my yard. The words by Eugene Peterson above remind us that such magnificent trees began small - with an acorn. I find those words encouraging and daunting at the same time. When I am in the early stages of a new ministry or program, "acorn thinking" helps me to imagine what this acorn could grow to be - like a large oak tree. On the other hand, I realize that real growth takes time. This applies to humans, churches, and about everything else. Often I am impatient. I want maturity - and I want it now! But that is not the way it works. Maybe this is where faith can enter in. We can trust God to bring the growth over time where it is needed. So, we do not need to worry or be anxious. We can simply trust God with the outcomes of our lives, our work - even the whole world. So may God bless the good acorns you are planting here now, to become oak trees in the years to come!

 

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, show us where we need to plant and nurture acorns today that will grow into oak trees tomorrow. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Posted by: AT 06:48 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Tuesday, September 03 2019

As many along the east coast have been preparing for hurricane Dorian, I am getting updates from many family members and friends. When natural disasters like this hit, we are filled with questions.

 

I would invite you to take a moment today to listen for God. The words of Psalm 46 often come to mind in times like these.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Be still and know that I am God.  -Psalm 46

 

After reading this scripture, I would invite you to find an image from this week's storm that serves as a reminder to you of the message of Psalm 46. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Take time to lift up in prayer those in the Bahamas that have already been affected by the storm and those that will experience effects over the next couple of days.

 

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, you are our comfort and strength in times of sudden disaster, crisis, or chaos. Surround us now with your grace and peace through storm or earthquake, fire or flood. By your Spirit, lift up those who have fallen, sustain those who work to rescue or rebuild, and fill us with the hope of your new creation; through Jesus Christ, our rock and redeemer. Amen.

Posted by: AT 06:47 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Monday, September 02 2019

One of the patterns of life which consumes much of our waking hours is work, our labor. Our work has the ability to either be a blessing or a curse. In the Bible, work has both a blessing and a curse quality as found in Genesis 3. What makes work a blessing is when if fulfills the higher goals in life.

 

Today is Labor Day, so I imagine you are in the mood for a bit of a light-hearted reflection. Here is a tale about the importance of setting meaningful goals in life.

 

A farmer had a dog who used to sit by the roadside waiting for vehicles to come around. As soon as one came he would run down the road, barking and trying to overtake it. One day a neighbor asked the farmer "Do you think your dog is ever going to catch a car?" The farmer replied, "That is not what bothers me. What bothers me is what he would do if he ever caught one." Many people in life behave like that dog who is pursuing meaningless goals.

 

 

Well, I hope you aren't chasing cars today, but rather are enjoying a more relaxed holiday. When your work resembles the pursuit of meaningless goals, take time to perform an inventory of what in life is important to you. Many times in our jobs it might seem like we are chasing cars, so reflect on the higher purpose of your labor. There you will find your blessing.

 

Prayer for Today

Bless us, O Lord, with the higher calling of labor. May our work be meaningful, may our tasks be productive and may our efforts find favor in your will. Amen.

Posted by: AT 06:45 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
Friday, August 30 2019

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving ...

-Psalm 95:1-2a, NIV

 

A while back, I was given a box with some notes from some members of the church I was serving at the time, thanking me for serving as their pastor. Since then, I have added to that box when someone passes along a particularly kind thought. When things are difficult, it is amazing how remembering the simple expression of gratitude can enhance our lives. It is really what life is all about - showing the spirit of gratitude through how we live and give. 

 

Thomas Merton put it this way:

 

To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything [God] has given us - and [God] has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of [God's] love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from [God]. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference. (Thomas Merton quoted in Words of Gratitude by Robert A. Emmons and Joanna Hill)

 

Today, I want to give you a homework assignment. I want to invite you to take the time to sit down for a few minutes and write a "thank you" note to God expressing your gratitude for what God has given you in life. It doesn't have to follow any form. It doesn't have to be fancy - just your own words to God. You don't have to show it to anyone -- though you can, if you like. But take the time to put down in your own words why you are grateful to God. If you do that, I believe it will add some meaning and perspective to your life. It will help you find what it is we are all looking for in life.

 

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, we thank you for all that makes life good, and for all that makes our individual lives good. Thank you for the gift of a new day - to experience the unexpected joys of simply being alive. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

Posted by: AT 06:45 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Add to favorites
Latest Posts

Activities & Events
Online Giving
Request Info

10950 Bell Rd, Johns Creek, GA 30097
Church: 770-813-9009 
Preschool: 770-476-1166