Posts from May 2020 (Page 3)
Daily Devotions: May 7, 2020
May 7, 2020 1 Peter 2:1-5 … “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” vs. 5 There have been some who have railed against the closing of churches in this time of quarantine, claiming that it is an aggressive act by an oppressive government. Others have laughed at the notion that any agency could have the power to close the church,…
Daily Devotions: May 6, 2020
May 6, 2020 Psalm 31:15-16 … “My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.” vs. 15 One of the great truths of human existence is that we are not in control. While that may seem self-evident to those who are wise, it still comes as a shock to many. In our youth we are regularly told wonderful lies by those who love us, aphorisms like “You can do anything,” or an old…
Daily Devotions: May 5, 2020
May 5, 2020 Psalm 31:1-5 … “Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.” vs. 2 Many of us have been fervent in our prayers over the last months, offering up petitions for ourselves and our families, praying both for protection and for healing. It’s a natural response to the rapid spread of disease and aligns with what the Psalmist was feeling. But there’s been an added…
Daily Devotions: May 4, 2020
May 4, 2020 Acts 7:55-60 … “But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him…” vss. 57-58a The crowd didn’t care what Stephen had to say, they only wanted to kill him–and so they did; and made Stephen famous as our faith’s first martyr. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the last! There is within certain segments of humanity a deep aversion to kindness…
Daily Devotions: May 3, 2020
May 3, 2020 John 10:6-10 … “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” vs. 9 For the people of Israel, the Shema prayer “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” was the core of their faith and was to be recited every morning and evening. Many put a parchment containing this verse from Deuteronomy 6:1 in a little cylinder called a mezuzah…
2020_Spiritual Practices for Times of Crisis
Spiritual Practices for Times of Crisis Grief, pain, isolation, fear, worry, and loss can upend our normal spiritual rhythms of life and our faith life as a whole. As Christians, what do we do? Do we grit our teeth, fake it ‘til we make it, and carry on regardless? Aren’t we supposed to be “thankful in all circumstances” and happy all the time? Should we just turn away from God until we feel better? These are all valid questions and…
Daily Devotions: May 2, 2020
May 2, 2020 John 10:1-5 … “When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” vs. 4 We don’t particularly like to think of ourselves as sheep. We would prefer to believe that we are well-informed, intelligent individuals, who are perfectly capable of making up our own minds about matters of consequence. But in truth, we’re really sheep, and mostly dependent on the leadership of others…
Daily Devotions: May 1, 2020
May 1, 2020 1 Peter 2:22-25 … “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” vs. 24 In recent years there are many who have become uncomfortable with the traditional atonement theories. In particular, they don’t like the notion that Jesus took our punishment upon himself by dying on the cross, that somehow his death was the payment required for…