Rachelle Gill 4/26/22 Rachelle Gill 4/26/22

Thomas

Devotions come from Parent Cue and are what JAM (Jesus and Me - Faith Formation) kids talked about April 24.

The JAM theme is Puzzled, Believe there is a bigger picture.

Find a quiet place to reflect what the Bible has to say to us this week. Deep breath, exhale saying He is Risen!

Read John 20:19-29

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

Do you find it easy or hard to admit when you don’t know something? Many of us have a hard time admitting we don’t understand.

Thomas can get a bad rap for doubting, but what was really impressive about Thomas was that he wasn’t afraid to admit he didn’t know something. Thomas didn’t know how it was possible for Jesus to come back from the dead, so instead of keeping it to himself, Thomas asked for proof.

And what did Jesus do? He showed up and patiently gave Thomas the proof he was looking for! He held out His hands, and He showed Thomas where the sword had pierced His side.

Jesus’ response to Thomas shows us that it’s okay to have questions— questions about life, questions about God. We are only human, and we have a lot of questions. But God knows everything! God knows how many stars are in the sky. God knows how many hairs are on your head. God is bigger than all your questions, and He wants you to ask them!

Prayer:

Dear God, YOU are there for us when we have doubt. YOU are our strength and our rock. YOU help us when we have doubt. Thank you for giving us the Bible so we can find some answers to life’s hard questions. Amen

Megan Torgerson 4/23/22 Megan Torgerson 4/23/22

John 20:30-31

Stop.

Get a copy of a Bible. It doesn’t matter whether it’s paper or digital. Just sit with it for a few minutes. Let your heart rest in the gift of God’s word.

Listen.

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name. – John 20:30-31

Reflect.

Attitudes about the Bible are all over the place. Some people consider the Bible just another collection of history and mythology. Others consider it fully the word of God without any errors or contradictions. Some think of it as beautiful, inspirational writing. And then there’s every opinion in between. Sometimes, it can feel hard to figure out what we’re supposed to think about the Bible.

Lutherans in the ELCA claim that the Bible is the “inspired Word of God and the authoritative source and norm of its proclamation, faith, and life.” That means a few things. First, inspired isn’t the same as inerrant. It means we know that God was at work in the creation of the Bible but that doesn’t mean that humans didn’t mess some things up along the way. Second, since it is the source and norm for our proclamation, faith, and life, it means it most directly affects how we live as people of faith. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we would see it as a definitive source for history, geography, biology, or other parts of our lives.

Some feel that this perspective diminishes scripture. But even scripture itself says that it’s just part of the whole picture. In John’s gospel, the writer notes that Jesus did much more than what was written down, but that these parts are meant to help us trust in God’s work in our lives. We can trust that God works in many ways through many means and still show respect for the Bible. We walk a careful balance: too little care and the Bible becomes meaningless; too much care and we worship the Bible, not the God of the Bible.

When we hold the Bible close to know who God is, what God has done, and where God might be leading us, we are on the way to the “life in his name” that John’s gospel promises. In this Easter season, we rejoice in the gift of scripture that shows us God’s ongoing work for life in Jesus Christ.

Pray.

God, I thank you for the gift of your holy Word. Help me to honor and respect it. Help me also to engage with it in a way that is meaningful for my faith and life. Make it continue to live in my heart and in the world you love. Amen.

Carry On.

How often do you read the Bible? Why? Could you try setting aside a little bit of time each day to read the Bible? How might this help you feel more engaged and less intimidated by it?

Megan Torgerson 4/21/22 Megan Torgerson 4/21/22

John 20:27

Stop.

Take a few deep breaths. What questions are plaguing your mind today? Bring them before God without trying to answer or rationalize them.

Listen.

Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” – John 20:27

Reflect.

In John’s gospel, the word usually translated as “believe” could more accurately be translated as “trust”. In fact, where Jesus says “Do not doubt but believe”, we could pretty fairly translate, “Don’t not-trust, but trust.” Jesus doesn’t accuse Thomas of doubt in the way we think of doubt. He doesn’t say Thomas has demonstrated a failure of will or faithfulness. There’s just trust and not-trust. Jesus encourages Thomas to trust.

Thomas has shown that he’s both bold (see John 11:16) and honest (see John 14:5) before. His desire to experience Jesus in the flesh isn’t asking for something that the other disciples didn’t also get. Jesus does not condemn him for a lack of faith or refuse to give Thomas what he wanted. Jesus knows and loves Thomas no matter what. This isn’t about Jesus – this is about Thomas.

Too often, we act like doubt is the opposite of faith. When questions arise, when things don’t check out, or when we say we need more, we over-react by chastising the asker. “Just have faith!” we insist, like faith means you can’t ask questions or ask anything of God. In his interaction with Thomas, it might sound like Jesus is making doubt and belief into opposites. He isn’t. He’s actually saying that there’s just trust and not-trust. You can have trust and still ask questions or experience doubt. Trust simply continues to guide us through these times of questioning. Again, trust isn’t for Jesus – trust is for us.

Instead of being hard on yourself when you feel doubt, rely on trust in God. God will give you what you need and stay with you no matter what. Therefore, you have space to investigate your questions. Trust is God’s gift for you. Trust guides you through the hard times, just like it did for Thomas.

Pray.

God, I trust in you. I praise you for that gift of trust. Thank you for being with me when I wonder, question, doubt, or fear. Help me to release these things so that my relationship with you can truly flourish. Amen.

Carry On.

What’s one doubt you’ve always had about your faith but have hard time talking about? Spend some time researching that question or talking with someone about it. You don’t have to resolve the doubt; you can simply feel free to wonder about it.

Megan Torgerson 4/19/22 Megan Torgerson 4/19/22

John 20:20

Put your hand over your heart to feel it beat or on your chest to feel it rise and fall as you breathe. Spend a few minutes paying attention to this rhythm of your physical body.

Listen.

After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. – John 20:20

Reflect.

Right after the story of the resurrection, John’s gospel calls us to the disciples and their fearful gathering. They’ve gotten Mary Magdalene’s news that she has seen the resurrected Lord, but they’re still locked away in a room by themselves out of fear. Since they won’t come to him, Jesus comes to them. He appears in their midst and wishes them peace.

How does Jesus reassure them in their fear and confusion? What does he offer to give them peace? He shows them his body. He lets them look at his hands and side – possibly to confirm the wounds from his crucifixion, but maybe simply because they had seen those same hands and feet out at work during their years of ministry. He breathes the Holy Spirit into their midst from that same body that walked with them, prayed with them, and now stands before them resurrected.

It’s always fascinating to me that Jesus doesn’t come back in some newly-perfect, otherworldly body. He’s flesh and bone like everyone else, wounds and all. He may have died and returned, conquered death itself, and demonstrated God’s power over evil, but he still has an actual, physical, human body like anyone else. He returns in that same flesh that has touched lepers, shared meals, and held sacred texts. That body means something.

I keep coming back to the trust it shares: our bodies mean something. Jesus comes to us in human flesh as a baby. He shows concern for people and their physical selves through healing, feeding, and even bringing back to life. When he is resurrected, he doesn’t come back as some rarified spirit. He comes back as himself, still bearing the wounds of crucifixion, sending the disciples back out into the world even though they’re afraid. .

This is good news for us in so many ways, but especially because of how it affirms our own bodies. We don’t need to see them as anything less than the created, affirmed, blessed gift of God that it truly is. We don’t need to think of our bodies as somehow separate from or opposed to our spiritual life. Jesus came in a human body, defeated death in a human body, and ascended into heaven in a human body. If it’s good enough for Jesus, it’s good enough for you, too.

Pray.

God, thank you for the gift of this body you have given me. Help me to care for it, love it, value it, and use it well as you would have me do. Grant me any healing you see I need so that I can continue to serve you and my neighbor with my whole self. Amen.

Carry On.

How can you take care of your body today? Can you take 15 minutes to rest, go for a walk, or even just drink a glass of water as a way to celebrate the good body God has given you?

Megan Torgerson 4/16/22 Megan Torgerson 4/16/22

John 19:41-42

Stop.

As you breathe in, say “I am here”. As you breathe out, say “The world waits for you”. Repeat as many times as you need.

Listen.

Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. – John 19:41-42

Reflect.

Sometimes, it feels a little bit like Christians missed something on this day. We had Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday, but then there’s…Holy Saturday. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t know that this day can even be called Holy Saturday, because it doesn’t often mean anything in the cycle of Holy Week services. This the day between Jesus’ death and his resurrection. It’s the day Jesus is in the tomb. It’s the day his disciples thought everything had been for nothing. It’s the day the empire thought it had succeeded and the enemies breathed a sigh of relief.

We may not mark the day with a worship service, but there’s still a lot to consider on this day.

There is one kind of worship service that sometimes happens on this day. In some traditions and congregations, the evening of Holy Saturday leads to an Easter Vigil. The church gathers in the dark. They hear the stories of the many times throughout history that God has overcome death with life. They remember the persistence of God’s promises to love and care for the people no matter what. As midnight approaches, they begin to celebrate. There, in the middle of the night, they rejoice in being the first ones to declare that he is risen.

But even that is jumping ahead a bit. We want to get to the celebration – and who can blame us? – but there’s some waiting before that. And as we wait, we consider how this day would have felt for Jesus’ many followers. All they knew is that their beloved teacher had died. All they felt is the grief of betrayal and loss. All they could hope for is that they would not also be hunted down and killed.

Before you begin your Easter celebrations, I hope you’ll sit with this day. Because even though we don’t typically have a worship service on this day, a lot happens today. And most of it is hard. Give yourself some space to feel the weight of this day and consider what it means for you. May it make the message of Easter Sunday all the more meaningful and life-giving for you.

But not until tomorrow.

Pray.

God, I sit in the shadows today, alongside your Son’s disciples and all those who struggle under the weight of grief and death. Open my heart to compassion for all your believed children who suffer. Let the heaviness of this day move me to greater love for you and my neighbor in your Son’s name. Amen.

Carry On.

What do you need to prepare for Easter Sunday? Not meal planning or Easter baskets, but spiritual preparation. How can you set aside time and space today to reflect on the weight of Holy Saturday so that the joy of Easter Sunday can be complete?

Megan Torgerson 4/14/22 Megan Torgerson 4/14/22

John 19:30

Stop.

As you breathe in, say “You are present”. As you breathe out, say “I am ready”. Repeat as many times as you need.

Listen.

When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. – John 19:30

Reflect.

Today the church recognizes Maundy Thursday. I feel like I say this every time I talk about this day, but it’s worth repeating: Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means commandment. The command referred to is Jesus’ new commandment to his disciples that they “love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34)

In John’s gospel, which we’re reading this year, he gives this commandment in the context of a special meal with his disciples. However, that meal isn’t the institution of the Lord’s Supper. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus pivots from the Passover meal into this new celebration where he tells his disciples to eat the bread that is his body and drink the wine that is the new covenant in his blood. For this reason, we often celebrate First Communion on Maundy Thursday, which is exactly what Easter will do for our fourth graders tonight.

In John, Jesus does no such thing. Instead, he washes his disciples’ feet in an act of humble service. This is Jesus’ way of modeling what it means to love each other. He takes the lowest position, one often held by a household servant with no status, to embody the way the disciples should live out their love for each other. And so, whether in communion or humility, Jesus shows us that the commandment to love means giving of ourselves for the sake of others.

This is also true in the reading we’ll hear in worship today. As we continue through the story of Christ’s passion, we hear his last words from the cross. He declares “it is finished”. Finally, he fully embodies the truth of God’s love for us. He gives fully of himself so that we can fully belong to God. The commandment to love one another, as modeled by Jesus, shows us that we focus not on our own lives and desires, but on the needs of others and the love of God.

Whether in humble service, in receiving the sacrament of communion, or in devotion to God’s call, we answer our Savior’s commandment to live in love now and always.

Pray.

Jesus, you grant us the gift of your presence in wine and bread. In washing your disciples’ feet, you show us true service. At the cross, you fully embody God’s love for us. Make these truths real in our hearts tonight as we remember this day and all it means for us. Amen.

Carry On.

Come to Maundy Thursday worship, whether in person or online. Make sure you pray for the young people receiving their first communion today. And finally, be intentional about your love for others in service, compassion, and patience.

Megan Torgerson 4/12/22 Megan Torgerson 4/12/22

John 19:25b

Stop.

As you breathe in, say “I will listen”. As you breathe out, say “God is here”. Repeat as many times as you need.

Listen.

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. – John 19:25b

Reflect.

This is Holy Week. From Palm Sunday to Easter, the Christian church sees intense emotions playing out through the profound events of the last days of Jesus’ life. From his celebrated entry into Jerusalem to the conspiring against him, from a meal with his disciples to his arrest after nightfall, from his sham trial to his disciples’ denial, and from his unjust conviction to his humiliating death, it feels like the events of this week just keep getting more painful. Easter Sunday is the holiest of Christian holidays, but to get there, we walk through enormous hurt.

It can be tempting to skip past all the hard stuff. It’s very easy to go from shouting hosanna on Palm Sunday to he is risen on Easter Sunday and never have to shout crucify him in the middle. We can easily fool ourselves into thinking that Christian life is about an upbeat message, feeling good about ourselves, and accepting good vibes only. But that’s not the reality of Holy Week. This week, we have to face the lies, pain, and anger that so often define the human experience. It’s right there in the gospel story.

But this week isn’t about pushing on a bruise, causing more pain, wallowing in guilt. It’s a reminder. You don’t get to Easter Sunday without every step that came first. The promise of new life in Christ means nothing if you don’t name what Jesus faced to get there. We must name our sins to rejoice in our forgiveness. We must recognize the power of death to celebrate the victory of life. We must admit that we chase after happiness and success as if they are our gods in order to proclaim Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, as the full promise of the one true God.

So don’t look away. Come to worship on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Read the whole passion account in any gospel – or even in all of them. Take time to hear the whole story. Let it reveal the truth about life, death, and our Savior to your heart.

Pray.

God, this week truly is holy. Make these days full of your Spirit’s revelation. Help me to truly hear the fullness of what you did for me in your Son. Bring me to his cross, and please, bring me also to his empty tomb. Amen.

Carry On.

How will you remind yourself that it’s Holy Week? Is there something you can do for each of the remaining days this week to keep you centered in the story? Could you read a portion of the Biblical story every day, add some prayer time each morning, or take on a daily service project?

Megan Torgerson 4/9/22 Megan Torgerson 4/9/22

John 19:16-17 - Betray

Stop.

Take a few slow, deep breaths. Center your mind on the word betray. Let yourself reflect on what it means for your life this week.

Listen.

Then [Pilate] handed [Jesus] over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. – John 19:16-17

Reflect.

Tomorrow, we celebrate Palm Sunday. Many of us remember Palm Sunday as the day we yell hosanna, wave palm branches, and sing songs of joy and praise. However, many churches and traditions also recognize this day as Passion Sunday. The word “passion” is from a Latin root meaning to endure or suffer; it’s the same one that gives us the word patience. And so, Passion Sunday encompasses the story of Palm Sunday and carries through to Good Friday. It is the whole passion story – the entire narrative of Jesus’ betrayal, trial, and death – during this one day of worship. In that act, we feel the full weight of the crowd’s shift from joyful “hosanna!” to bitter “crucify him!”.

The entire story of Jesus’ last days feel even more painful when you hear them in this way. You see Jesus’ followers and the crowds surrounding him go from faithfulness and hope to anger and despair. The weight of betrayal by nearly all those around Jesus seems almost impossible to bear. And as the crowds completely change their shouts, we come to realize we would have found ourselves among their numbers.

That is to say: we may praise Jesus, but in the same breath, we are just as likely to betray him.

Lutheran theology makes space for this with the concept of being simultaneously sinner and saint. On the one hand, we are saints redeemed by God, perfectly able and willing to praise our Savior. But on the other hand, we are sinners constantly denying our God in our words and actions through what we have done and left undone. It is true every day of our lives and brought directly to our attention in the story of Christ’s passion.

May the reminder of our ongoing betrayal of our God keep us humble, especially as we approach Holy Week. But may the reminder of Christ’s willingness to die for us anyway keep us centered in God’s holy, unending love for each of us.

Pray.

Jesus, I am sorry for the many ways I let you down. In so many ways I think, act, and speak as if I have no idea who you are and what you’ve done for me. Turn my heart to you and send me your grace. Amen.

Carry On.

You’ve put the words glory and praise in front of you this week. What does it feel like to put the word betrayal in front of you? How can you reflect on your week through the light of betrayal? How might it prepare you for Holy Week?

Megan Torgerson 4/7/22 Megan Torgerson 4/7/22

John 12:23 - Glory

Stop.

Take a few slow, deep breaths. Center your mind on the word glory. Let yourself reflect on what it means for your life this week.

Listen.

Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” – John 12:23

Reflect.

We tend to equate glory with praise and prestige. Glory means being noticed, being beautiful, being adored. But when Jesus notes in this reading that his time has come “to be glorified”, we know he doesn’t mean what we expect. Even though he has just been praised by crowds in the streets, hailed as a king, and celebrated for his power over death in raising Lazarus, his hour to be glorified will come later. It comes when he is crucified.

Jesus knows that his glory isn’t connected to what people say about him. His glory reflects the power and love of God made manifest in him. Glory isn’t about him at all; glory is about God who continues to be at work in the world. And God has chosen to be at work in the humiliation and suffering of the cross.

What does this mean for us? When we say we give glory to God, what does that look like in our lives? It’s easy to think that glorifying God somehow means convincing others that we’re praising and serving God enough or in the right way. But for Jesus, glorifying God means reflecting God’s light into the world through compassion and sacrifice. Glorifying God means making less of me and more of God.

This can be a challenge in an individualistic culture. We’re so used to having to convince others of our own importance and worth. But for Christians, glory comes from and to God alone. Harder still, we must remember that the glory of God comes not in domination and supremacy but in sacrifice and humility. In this, we glorify our Savior.

Pray.

Jesus, I give you glory, but not through my own power. I glorify you in my trust in and dependence on your grace at work in my life. Let your glory shine through me as I invite others into a relationship with you. Amen.

Carry On.

Get a post-it note or notecard and write glory on it. Stick it someplace you’ll see it this week. Use it as a reminder to pause and consider how you are reflecting God’s glory in your life today.

Megan Torgerson 4/5/22 Megan Torgerson 4/5/22

John 12:12-13

Stop.

Take a few slow, deep breaths. Center your mind on the word praise. Let yourself reflect on what it means for your life this week.

Listen.

The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” – John 12:12-13

Reflect.

The church celebrates Palm Sunday this week. Many of us remember the day because it incorporates the waving of palm branches like the crowds who greet Jesus in this reading. If you grew up in the church, you probably looked forward to this Sunday all year when you were a kid. It’s as close to a parade as we get in worship. You also get to take home a memorable souvenir in the form of a palm branch of leaf, an exotic thing if you grew up in a colder climate.

As we read through the gospel of John this spring, you might notice that we backtrack to get to this story, known as the Triumphal Entry in recognition of the crowds hailing Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem by calling him a king. In John’s telling of the story, this event happens just after Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Verses 17 and 18 even say that it’s because of this miracle that the crowds kept following him and praising him. However, because John includes several chapters of Jesus’ words to his disciples before his betrayal, there’s a little more space between this story and the passion narrative than there is in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

But one thing is the same in each version of the story: praise. It is this remarkable moment when it seems that all people finally see Jesus for who and what he is. He comes to save, to protect, to come in the name of his Father who sent him, to redeem all people. The crowds celebrate and praise him for the king he truly is.

It’s possible that one of the most memorable things about Palm Sunday is that unbridled invitation to praise Jesus. Too often we get stuck in wondering how to get things right in our faith. In the act of praise, there is only an invitation to joy. Praise doesn’t deny the existence of struggle and suffering. Praise connects us to the One who goes with us in the depths of our pain – even to the cross. May you remember the joy of praise this week and turn your heart to that jubilant act today.

Pray.

Hosanna! I praise you, Jesus! I give thanks for all you have done for me, for your gift of life, and for the opportunity to love and serve you now and always. Amen.

Carry On.

Get a post-it note or notecard and write praise on it. Stick it someplace you’ll see it this week. Use it as a reminder to pause and give praise to Jesus, even if it’s just saying a quick hosanna!

Hans Vigesaa 4/2/22 Hans Vigesaa 4/2/22

Psalm 17:1-7 REFUGE

To begin this days devotion, I invite you open your Bible to Psalm 17, grab a highlighter, crayons or colored pencils, something and read this Psalm. Then take your writing utensil(s) and highlight every word or phrase that elicits an image or a memory to you. Do this work slowly. In fact, some do this exercise by rereading the passage every time they stop to highlight a word, thus reading the text multiple times.

This week’s devotions are based around the words of Psalm 17:1-7(NIV)

1 Hear me, LORD, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips.

2 Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.

3 Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.

4 Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded.

5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.

6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

7 Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

In a short reflection of this Psalm we can point to a few different things. First we notice the psalmist, we assume David, and God have an active relationship. They engage each other frequently. The psalmist writes about his faithfulness to God. There is an invitation for God to look at the psalmist’s heart, to visit and test him proving his faithfulness. The Psalmist then asks that God act on behalf of the psalmist. Second, the psalmist trusts that as he prays to God, God will listen and answer him. The psalmist is bringing his deepest concerns and worries to God, trusting that God is and will respond. Finally the Psalmist acknowledges God’s steadfast love.

Today I am drawn to the phrase in verse 7, “O savior of those who seek refuge.” It doesn’t feel like we can go a week without hearing, seeing, reading about people seeking refuge from someone. And that’s the word I want to zero in on – “REFUGE”. This might be a harder word to find or think of an image for. And to the end, I invite you to just sit with that word for a while, maybe even go about your day, your business as usual, as you think about what image might represent “REFUGE” to you. Once you gather that image take a picture of it, spend some time reflecting and then look through these questions.

1. Another word for refuge is protection, how are those words similar and different?

2. Do you have a story or memory of needing to seek refuge? Describe the people or things that you found that offered refuge?

3. Are there physical spaces where you find refuge? How do they offer refuge? If you have more than one, do they share similar traits?

4. Do you have a space or place that you go to find spiritual refuge? Describe that space and what it allows or invites you to do?

If you can, share your image on Easter Connect.

“GOD thank you for listening, seeing and protecting us. Help us to do the same to all of your people. AMEN”

Hans Vigesaa 3/31/22 Hans Vigesaa 3/31/22

Psalm 17:1-7 SEE

Go for a walk. Print this page or bring your phone so that you have access to this devo but go for a walk. As you walk, focus on what you see around you. Now bring that focus to you, the noises you are making in your steps, the brushing of your clothes, etc. Now bring that focus to your slowed down breathing, and breathe.