For Such A Time As This 4-10-20 – John Grace
To the Good Folk of the Palmyra Church of the Brethren,
Living Cross:
See yesterday’s announcement and devotion email for instructions on how to participate in our Living Cross ritual this Sunday.
One additional request: I have already received a number to requests for flowers to be put on the cross in memory of someone, in celebration of an answered prayer, or in gratitude for a family member or friend. If you are coming to the church with your flower, and you have a few extra to share, please bring them along. Your extras will be used to bless, honor, remember, and celebrate on behalf of those who are not able to come out this year. Thank you in advance.
Stations of the Cross:
Stations of the Cross is a traditional Good Friday journey which focuses on 14 images beginning with Jesus condemnation before Pilate and ending with his entombment. Jeff has shared this link to an online journey, using Native American images, painted by artist Melanie Twelves: https://smallchurchesbigimpact.org.
Reminder:
If you know someone who does not have email, please call them and offer to read this email to them and share this devotion with them. And, check in on how they are doing.
Today’s Devotion:
I am thankful to John Grace for providing today’s devotion. Once again John shares a lived perspective that can help us all with the living of these days. He wrote this devotion today as he reflected on how Good Friday speaks to him. If you wish to respond to John directly, his email address is djgrace@comcast.net.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture - Psalm 25:4-5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Thoughts
Sometimes we wonder why life brings us adversity. Sometimes we ask why adversity seems to a part of God’s plan for the world. Could the answer be that we are being taught about ourselves or about our relationships with other people or perhaps about our relationship with God?
I think about periods of adversity in my life. When my first wife, Elaine, was diagnosed with amyloidosis, the Doctor told us she could expect to live another two years. It turned out to be a journey of seven years through the valley of the shadow of death. During those years, we learned much that we otherwise would not have known. We learned that we should and could treasure every moment that we had together. In my case, I even wound up treasuring the snoring which had never sounded good to me prior to her diagnosis.
It is Good Friday as I am writing this, a day on which Jesus suffered about as much adversity as anyone can suffer. We call it Good Friday, because much good came out of the adversity he suffered. Adversity is not always and entirely bad. The psalmist is asking God to help us to know his ways, to learn about his paths, his truth. Perhaps God will help us to learn lessons from our present adversity. Perhaps we might learn how to live a little more simply. Perhaps we might learn to conserve natural resources by driving less and using less plastic. Perhaps we might learn to take a little more time out of busy lives to appreciate what is good. Perhaps the present adversity might help us learn how we might live our lives peacefully, simply and together.
Prayer
Gracious God, help us to accept your ways, help us to learn your truth. Help us to wait patiently to find the good things you have in store for us. Amen
Living Cross:
See yesterday’s announcement and devotion email for instructions on how to participate in our Living Cross ritual this Sunday.
One additional request: I have already received a number to requests for flowers to be put on the cross in memory of someone, in celebration of an answered prayer, or in gratitude for a family member or friend. If you are coming to the church with your flower, and you have a few extra to share, please bring them along. Your extras will be used to bless, honor, remember, and celebrate on behalf of those who are not able to come out this year. Thank you in advance.
Stations of the Cross:
Stations of the Cross is a traditional Good Friday journey which focuses on 14 images beginning with Jesus condemnation before Pilate and ending with his entombment. Jeff has shared this link to an online journey, using Native American images, painted by artist Melanie Twelves: https://smallchurchesbigimpact.org.
Reminder:
If you know someone who does not have email, please call them and offer to read this email to them and share this devotion with them. And, check in on how they are doing.
Today’s Devotion:
I am thankful to John Grace for providing today’s devotion. Once again John shares a lived perspective that can help us all with the living of these days. He wrote this devotion today as he reflected on how Good Friday speaks to him. If you wish to respond to John directly, his email address is djgrace@comcast.net.
Shalom,
Dennis
Scripture - Psalm 25:4-5 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
Thoughts
Sometimes we wonder why life brings us adversity. Sometimes we ask why adversity seems to a part of God’s plan for the world. Could the answer be that we are being taught about ourselves or about our relationships with other people or perhaps about our relationship with God?
I think about periods of adversity in my life. When my first wife, Elaine, was diagnosed with amyloidosis, the Doctor told us she could expect to live another two years. It turned out to be a journey of seven years through the valley of the shadow of death. During those years, we learned much that we otherwise would not have known. We learned that we should and could treasure every moment that we had together. In my case, I even wound up treasuring the snoring which had never sounded good to me prior to her diagnosis.
It is Good Friday as I am writing this, a day on which Jesus suffered about as much adversity as anyone can suffer. We call it Good Friday, because much good came out of the adversity he suffered. Adversity is not always and entirely bad. The psalmist is asking God to help us to know his ways, to learn about his paths, his truth. Perhaps God will help us to learn lessons from our present adversity. Perhaps we might learn how to live a little more simply. Perhaps we might learn to conserve natural resources by driving less and using less plastic. Perhaps we might learn to take a little more time out of busy lives to appreciate what is good. Perhaps the present adversity might help us learn how we might live our lives peacefully, simply and together.
Prayer
Gracious God, help us to accept your ways, help us to learn your truth. Help us to wait patiently to find the good things you have in store for us. Amen
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