For Such A Time As This 043020 – Joy Derck
To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,
May Worship/Sermon Series:
We are developing a worship and sermon series for May that will hopefully remind, challenge and encourage us as we continue this journey through a COVID-19 world. I will be preaching on the topics: We’ve Been Here Before, Be Church, Returns on Our Investments, We Will Adapt, and The Best Is Yet to Come. We are drawing on the rich musical resources and talents of our congregation, and will be lead each Sunday by faithful and gifted worship leaders. Pastor Bill will be leading our sharing and prayer times. Please join us each week as we gather in spirit through our virtual worship services, posted each Sunday morning.
Joys and Concerns
If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text or email it to me. If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with me that week by Friday morning.
Prayers:
Thank You:
To all who call others to check in on them and share our emails and devotions.
Today’s Devotion:
I am thankful to Joy Derck for providing today’s devotion. Joy shares with us an important lesson her mother taught and continues to teach her. If you wish to respond to Joy directly, her email address is jderck@ymail.com.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture – Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Thoughts:
This verse from Hebrews is my 91-year-old mother's favorite verse. She called me the other day and was telling me about the things for which she is thankful.
I asked, "Mom, how do you stay so positive?"
Her reply: "You can't have good staying power if you don't think about the good things. You have to keep your eyes on Jesus."
Now my mother's life has not been easy, (although she would say she's been blessed.) She lost her baby brother in a tragic accident, her mother to ovarian cancer, and her son to suicide. She's experienced many additional trials, as we all have, and she will tell you the way she persevered: "I had to keep my eyes on Jesus."
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus...who for the joy set before him endured the cross."
Sometimes I think Protestants are missing something that Catholics with their crucifixes seem to better understand - the suffering Christ. We often rush from the triumphal entry to the resurrection, (although we Anabaptists do have our love feasts,) without stopping to absorb the agony of Jesus on the cross.
How could identifying with the suffering of Jesus help you when you are suffering?
What does it mean to you to fix your eyes on Jesus?
What is your current cross?
What joy was set before Jesus that helped him to endure the cross?
What joy are you anticipating that could help you get through your trials today?
Prayer Song:
Be still, my soul! The Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain
Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
by Katharine von Schlegel
May Worship/Sermon Series:
We are developing a worship and sermon series for May that will hopefully remind, challenge and encourage us as we continue this journey through a COVID-19 world. I will be preaching on the topics: We’ve Been Here Before, Be Church, Returns on Our Investments, We Will Adapt, and The Best Is Yet to Come. We are drawing on the rich musical resources and talents of our congregation, and will be lead each Sunday by faithful and gifted worship leaders. Pastor Bill will be leading our sharing and prayer times. Please join us each week as we gather in spirit through our virtual worship services, posted each Sunday morning.
Joys and Concerns
If you have a joy or concern you would like us to share and pray about, please call, text or email it to me. If you would like it included in our Sunday Worship sharing and prayer time, please share it with me that week by Friday morning.
Prayers:
- for John Hughes as he recovers following a recent hospitalization.
- for Jill Speicher who has been hospitalized for treatment of colitis.
Thank You:
To all who call others to check in on them and share our emails and devotions.
Today’s Devotion:
I am thankful to Joy Derck for providing today’s devotion. Joy shares with us an important lesson her mother taught and continues to teach her. If you wish to respond to Joy directly, her email address is jderck@ymail.com.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture – Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Thoughts:
This verse from Hebrews is my 91-year-old mother's favorite verse. She called me the other day and was telling me about the things for which she is thankful.
I asked, "Mom, how do you stay so positive?"
Her reply: "You can't have good staying power if you don't think about the good things. You have to keep your eyes on Jesus."
Now my mother's life has not been easy, (although she would say she's been blessed.) She lost her baby brother in a tragic accident, her mother to ovarian cancer, and her son to suicide. She's experienced many additional trials, as we all have, and she will tell you the way she persevered: "I had to keep my eyes on Jesus."
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus...who for the joy set before him endured the cross."
Sometimes I think Protestants are missing something that Catholics with their crucifixes seem to better understand - the suffering Christ. We often rush from the triumphal entry to the resurrection, (although we Anabaptists do have our love feasts,) without stopping to absorb the agony of Jesus on the cross.
How could identifying with the suffering of Jesus help you when you are suffering?
What does it mean to you to fix your eyes on Jesus?
What is your current cross?
What joy was set before Jesus that helped him to endure the cross?
What joy are you anticipating that could help you get through your trials today?
Prayer Song:
Be still, my soul! The Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain
Be still, my soul! thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
by Katharine von Schlegel
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