Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

-Psalm 119:18

Jupiter has fascinated us for hundreds of years, observable by the naked eye and later by telescope. It is massive and beautiful, one of many parts of the heavens that declare God's majesty. And since those days of the first telescopes, we have been fascinated by that red spot, a swirling and beautiful centuries old storm. And yet, as a matter of distance and limited perspective, its wonder has never been fully known to us. But recently, we had the chance to draw closer, and much was revealed. 

If you think of Jupiter as a swirling gaseous ball of reds and yellows, you're not alone. And yet, perhaps the most beautiful part of this heavenly body was hidden from our sight... till the Juno spacecraft from NASA soared above Jupiter and took pictures of its fiercely blue coral-like swirls at the northern pole (images above). If the known clouds of Jupiter are its mesmerizing fire, its newly discovered pole is the equally captivating cascading waterfall. We drew closer and our eyes have been opened by our new perspective and proximity to new wonder and beauty and a fuller picture of what Jupiter is. 

There are many scriptures that tell us that when we draw close to God, God draws close to us, and that when we draw close to God's Word, God is revealed. If the scriptures we love are a burning fire of singular beauty and depth for us, imagine what it would be like to soar back over them and see a new perspective of rushing water and greater depth in that discovery. We often read God's word in worship. But when did you last draw closer, change perspective, seek to see more, and come away with fuller understanding? If you're a youth, a young adult, or an adult of any age, when did you last attend Bible Study or draw closer? The school year just started. We'd love to help you draw closer and explore. 

Prayer for Today

Lord, make me an explorer. Send me to new places in your word with fresh perspective and closer proximity. Amen. 

Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Psalms 96:1, NIV

I am really looking forward to our next "Fifth Sunday" worship service which is a Hymn Festival. We have asked our church family to suggest hymns we might sing in worship this Sunday. I have been working with our music staff to build the whole service around hymns. Almost every part of our worship service will be based on a familiar hymn - so plan to sing a lot!

We will also share the stories of a few select hymns which give background to the life circumstances surrounding their creation. The stories are moving and inspirational.

In preparing for this service, I came across this explanation as to why hymns are so important to worship:

The purpose of hymns is to enable as many Christians as possible to identify with their faith experiences, to enjoy the spiritual insights, to experience the sustaining reality of God's love which belonged to the hymn writers and which are expressed in the words and music of their great hymns (James Sydnor)

There is great value in hymn singing. When we sing hymns, Christians can . . .

-          Express their feelings and their ideas

-          Tell others what they believe

-          Experience closer fellowship

-          Be instructed in the fundamentals of their faith

-          Be sustained in daily life

Hymns are more than just singing a good tune - they nurture us as we worship God. Please plan to be there this Sunday and invite someone to join you! 

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.

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.

One spring after a particularly dreary winter during which she helped a family member through a long illness, Emma found encouragement each time she walked past a cherry tree near her home in Cambridge, England. Bursting out at the top of the pink blossoms grew blossoms of white. A clever gardener had grafted into the tree a branch of white flowers. When Emma passed the unusual tree, she thought of Jesus's words about being the Vine and His followers the branches (John 15:1-8).

By calling Himself the Vine, Jesus was speaking of an image familiar to the Israelites in the Old Testament, for there the vine symbolized God's people (Psalm 80:8-9; Hosea 10:1). Jesus extended this symbolism to Himself, saying He was the Vine and that His followers were grafted into Him as branches. And as they remained in Him, receiving His nourishment and strength, they would bear fruit (John 15:5).

As Emma supported her family member, she needed the reminder that she was connected to Jesus. Seeing the white flowers among the pink ones gave her a visual prompt of the truth that as she remained in the Vine, she gained nourishment through Him.

When we who believe in Jesus embrace the idea of being as close to Him as a branch is to a vine, our faith is strengthened and enriched.

Prayer for Today

Jesus, thank You for helping me to remain in You. May I find the peace, hope, and strength I need today. Amen.

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

-Philippians 4:11-12

My niece is easily the cutest ever. This isn't an opinion. It's a fact. I'm her uncle. I would know. She's two. She's the source of endless amusement... perhaps more for me and my wife than my sister and her husband. I get frequent texts with her latest antics captured on video. This week, I got an adorable video from the Goodwill. My niece was in a shopping cart. She was clutching an enormous rubber ducky around the neck, a duck nearly as big as her. She was pleading with every fiber of her little body over and over, "I wannnnnnnnnt it."

Her mother and I found this hysterical - though we disagreed on the necessity of buying this duck. However, as funny as we both found this childish attachment and begging, I couldn't help but think that it's not unique to toddlers. I work primarily with teenagers. But it doesn't stop with them. Adults? We want absurd things too. I sat in front of a woman at a middle school volleyball game last night who could not stop berating the referee or the young girls, and at one point, me for turning to look at her in bewilderment. Based on her comments, she expects her daughter to make the Olympic team one day. Based on my observations, this is an unrealistic goal. But then I found myself driving home and debating buying a late-night burger or shake, something I did not need, but I did want.

How often do we cling to our own rubber duckies? Giant, absurd, impractical, unnecessary, only-a-good-idea-in-the-moment wants that we can't let go of... pleading with our heavenly parent to say yes and clutter up our life with our wants? Simply being realistic isn't the solution. We are all too good at rationalizing for that. It's been said there are two ways to get what you want... acquire more... or want less. Mr. Rogers says that appreciation, gratitude is a holy act. This week, and this weekend, take a moment to ask yourself if what you want most is what you need, and then if what you have is wonderful... and when is the last time you gave thanks for those things, those people? I believe God tells us to give thanks because grateful hearts want less. And maybe your uncle will buy you a rubber duck for Christmas anyway.

Prayer for Today

Lord, help me to see the wonderful things I already have, to focus on the good things I have and only what I need. And help me to want what you long to give me. Amen.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

- Mark 1:35, NIV

There is a rhythm to life. There is the normal day/night rhythm -- though some research suggests the presence of light 24/7 has thrown that off. There are weekly rhythms, monthly rhythms, and even the rhythms based on our Earth making an orbit around the Sun. Life has rhythm. Not following the natural rhythm of life can cause some tension.

Our spiritual lives also have a rhythm. The verse above from the first chapter of Mark's gospel gives us a glimpse into the spiritual rhythms of the life of Jesus. He gets up before dawn to go away by himself and pray. I wonder if that was his daily rhythm? It is mine - most of the time. I get up early, usually when our dogs awaken me, and I begin my day on our screen porch with my coffee. I read scripture and other Christian writings, pray, reflect, and journal. That's my daily spiritual rhythm.

My weekly spiritual rhythm is focused on Sunday worship. However, my Sabbath day of rest is Friday, because Sunday is a work day for me. Over the course of the year, I will take some time off for renewal during vacation or continuing education. About every seven years I take a sabbatical - a few months to renew my spiritual batteries.

This weekend about twenty of us are heading to the mountains of north Georgia for our annual Men's Retreat. (The JCPC Women's Retreat is not that far off, either.) This is a time for us to get away and find renewal. Not only do we have time to experience God's creation, we will also be inspired by a guest speaker. Some unstructured fellowship and Sunday worship are also part of the weekend. Please pray for our group as we seek to draw closer to God and to each other. I encourage you will find your own rhythms of spiritual renewal.

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, Jesus spent time way from the busyness of life in your presence. May we make our time with you a priority so we can enjoy your presence. We pray this in the strong name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

When you think of community, what are the first couple of images that pop into your mind?

You might think of your neighborhood or your co-workers or your church. I believe that being in community is something that God calls us to do. We cannot meet life alone. It's easy to shut others out, but when times are difficult, we need support from our communities. When it's time to celebrate, we need someone to join in the festivities. Whether we like it or not, we have been called to be in community with one another.

Hebrews 10: 24-25 reminds us: let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

We are never truly alone with God, but having someone's physical presence that you can see, touch, and hear is a gift. We are lucky enough to have people placed in our lives that are embarking on this journey we call life together. In life we face challenges and experience celebrations. We face mistakes and experience victories. We face tragedy and experience joy.

In a world with so many ways to connect, many times we can feel disconnected. Electronic media connections can fill our days and we may be longing for a face to face encounter with someone who cares for us.

Don't isolate yourself from developing relationships. Don't run away from community. Consider each of the communities that you are a part of and dive right into them. Find ways to be present each day. You are a member of the Christian family here at JCPC. What are some ways that you can connect with that community today and this week?

Prayer for Today

Gracious God, you gather us together in our faith journey
Trusting in you, we join one another as a community
A community of faith on a journey
A journey to grow ever deeper in our faith
Along the way, remind us of your Love
Of your sacrifice for us
Of your ever mindful presence
Guide us as we go out and share your love with all those in our community.
In Christ's Name, Amen.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 

-Matthew 13:44

What a peculiar parable Jesus tells us to illustrate God's activity in our lives. It may not seem so peculiar at first glance because most of us have harbored a fantasy of finding buried treasure. Perhaps it would be treasure buried in the ground, submerged underwater, or perhaps a painting bought at a flea market that turns out to be a classic. Found treasure captures our imaginations and it's meant to do so in this parable.

In Jesus' time, treasure was a common metaphor for the reward for moral behavior. If you practiced sacrificial love and gave of yourself unselfishly there would be a reward; a treasure awaiting you. I think most of us can relate to this belief that there will be a pay-out for good behavior. We wonder what the treasure will be as our reward.

What makes this parable peculiar is that the treasure is the first thing found when Jesus illustrates the kingdom of God in this parable. The treasure has a quality to it that is both surprising and baffling. Rather than a reward at the end, the treasure is found at the beginning of the story and then buried again. What can this possibly mean for us?

This coming Sunday, I'm going to be preaching on this peculiar parable through a sermon entitled, "Amends and Amens." The sermon will be the most personal sermon I have preached in 33 years as it's related to a phone call I received in August that was a follow up to one of the most tragic experiences in my family's life which happened 20 years ago. This phone call has allowed me to understand Jesus' parable in such a manner that I believe I was able to get Jesus' teaching on a most personal level. I trust when you hear this sermon, you will too.

Prayer for Today

Open our eyes to the treasure of your kingdom, O Most High, so that in the tragedies of life we can experience your grace in down-to-earth experiences offered to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In Surprised by Joy, C. S. Lewis confessed he came to Christianity at the age of thirty-three, "kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape." Despite Lewis's own personal resistance, his shortcomings, and the obstacles he faced, the Lord transformed him into a courageous and creative defender of the faith. Lewis proclaimed God's truth and love through writing powerful essays and novels that are still being read, studied, and shared more than fifty-five years after his death. His life reflected his belief that a person is "never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream."

As we make plans and follow dreams, God can purify our motives and empower us to devote whatever we do to Him (Proverbs 16:1-3). From the most ordinary tasks to the greatest challenges, we can live for the glory of our almighty Maker, who "works out everything to its proper end" (v. 4). Every action, every word, and every thought can become an expression of heartfelt worship, a sacrificial gift to honor our Lord, as He watches over us (v. 7).

God can't be limited by our limitations, our reservations, or our tendencies to settle or dream small. As we choose to live for Him-dedicated to and dependent on Him-He will bring about His plans for us. Whatever we do can be done with Him, for Him, and only because of Him.

Prayer for Today

God, thank You for reminding us that no jobs are too small and no dreams are too big in Your great kingdom.  Amen.