John 1:14
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Reflect on the gift of Jesus’ presence in your life. Take a few moments to give thanks for his love.
Listen.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14
Reflect.
In John’s gospel, Jesus is God’s word made real and tangible in human flesh. No longer would God only teach or guide. Now, God would live among us as one of us. In Jesus, we receive a revelation of God’s desire for those who believe and follow.
Martin Luther referred to the Bible as the manger that holds Christ. In other words, he understood all of scripture as that which points us to God’s love made known in the incarnate Jesus. That’s the lens through which he read the Bible: how does this reveal Christ? Since then, it’s one of the ways the Lutherans in particular approach scripture. We look for how God’s word in the Bible reveals to us God’s word in Jesus.
Tomorrow, we’ll hear our first sermon in our current series “Word Of Life”. In it, each preacher will pick their own texts and talk about what those passages mean to them. Listen for how these passages and preachers talk about how they have come to know Jesus in more powerful ways because of these Bible verses. How do those scriptures reveal Christ to them and to you? How do they challenge us to worship and serve Jesus daily? How do they continue to call us out into the world that God so loves?
It doesn’t mean that your favorite Bible passage has to be a quote from Jesus or that a gospel reading is the only valid one. It means Jesus is the Word made flesh, just as John says. Scripture helps us understand Jesus and Jesus helps us understand scripture. As you consider your favorite verse, may it help you understand Jesus’ love for you more and more.
Pray.
Jesus, you are God’s word at work in this world. Speak truth and love into my heart today. Let me live as you have called me to live and love who you send me to love. Amen.
Carry On.
Keep revisiting your favorite verse. Do you have it memorized? How would you explain to someone how it reveals Jesus to you?
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Reflect on what it means to be taught and led in faith. Spend a few moments in gratitude for God’s gift of guidance.
Listen.
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Reflect.
As we begin our new sermon series “Word Of Life” this coming Sunday, we prepare to hear from our preachers about their favorite Bible passages. We have a great opportunity to also consider what scripture means for us and our lives. This passage from 2 Timothy often gets quoted when people talk about how the Bible should be used. Often, the reader focuses on the words “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”. This leads us to think of the Bible as a roadmap for morality.
The ELCA, the denomination to which Easter belongs, does claim the Bible as our norm for faith and life. This means that the Bible does indeed inform the way God calls us to live in this world, including our personal morality. However, the passage too often gets used as a weapon against some people so that others get to maintain a sense of superiority.
That’s why I hope you also hear two other things from this passage. First, that “all scripture is inspired by God”. God informed and inspired every word of scripture. This means we must take seriously the wider picture of God’s story in the Bible and not cherry-pick a few pieces to make others feel inferior. Second, that scripture does all these things “so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work”. We are all called to engage with scripture, to ask questions of it, to learn from it, and to discuss it together. Scripture isn’t meant to build some up at the expense of others, but to give us what we need as we love and serve others. It’s not just for our personal development – it’s so all can flourish.
As you consider your favorite verses and how God speaks to you through them, I hope you’ll also consider how these verses call you to serve God and your neighbor faithfully and with compassion.
Pray.
God, your word speaks to me through scripture. Teach me, direct me, and encourage me for the sake of your gospel at work in the world. May I love and serve with compassion to your glory. Amen.
Carry On.
2 Timothy says scripture helps us be equipped for every good work. What does your favorite verse call you to do this week? What’s one thing you can do to serve God and your neighbor, in accordance with that verse?
Psalm 119:104-105
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Close your eyes and envision a path before you. Think about God walking with you. Take a few moments to find peace and rest in God’s presence with you on your faith journey today.
Listen.
Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:104-105
Reflect.
This week, we start a new sermon series at Easter. It’s called “Word Of Life” and focuses on the favorite Bible passages of the preachers. Yes, we let each preacher decide what text would be heard and preached on each week in worship! For some preachers, it’s been a favorite Biblical passage that has guided their faith and life for years. For other preaches, the text is one that has held special meaning to them more recently. Either way, they will invite us to consider what God’s word in scripture means for us today.
One Biblical verse that gets cited whenever we consider the place of scripture in our lives is this one from Psalm 119. You’ll see that we’ve quoted verses 104 and 105; that’s not a typo. At 176 verses, this psalm is not only the longest psalm but the longest chapter in the entire Bible. The psalm is a long reflection on what it means to follow God in obedience, to look to God’s word for wisdom, and to find identity in the shape of scripture. Even if the entire psalm is too long for you to read right now, rest in the two verses cited here.
Let the words of this psalm encourage and inspire you as you consider the role of scripture in your life. What’s your relationship with the Bible? Do you feel guilty that you don’t read it enough? Worried that you don’t understand it? Concerned that it gets misused? Excited that there’s more you can experience? We all come to the Bible with a variety of concerns and hopes. No matter who you are or what you know (or don’t know), God’s word is for you.
This week, may you hear the invitation to encounter the good news of God’s love throughout scripture in a new way. May it inspire you to discover those passages that most speak to you of following God, finding identity, and growing in faith.
Pray.
Thank you, God, that your word speaks to me throughout scripture. Give me the wisdom I need to engage with the Bible. Grant me confidence to not only read it but to share what I learn. Through your Spirit, let it inspire me to keep serving you today. Amen.
Carry On.
Do you have a favorite verse, even if it’s just your favorite one this week? Look it up and put it on a sticky note somewhere you’ll see it every day. Do you think you can have it memorized by the end of the week?
Matthew 28:18-19
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Consider the word “disciple”. Take a few minutes to thank God for the opportunity to follow, learn from, and worship God.
Listen.
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” – Matthew 28:18-19
Reflect.
Because of this passage, called the Great Commission, we make sure to name God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit every time we baptize someone. Just before he ascended into heaven, Jesus gave these instructions to his followers. Therefore, two thousand years later, we continue to do what he asked, even though we don’t always understand it.
Baptism is one of the places we carefully and intentionally name the Triune God in our worship. Tomorrow, we celebrate Holy Trinity Sunday, when we recognize and rejoice in our God’s triune nature. Sometimes, it feels like we don’t have a lot to go on if we want to understand what it really means for God to be a trinity. A mention like this one in Matthew, and directly from Jesus, feels like an affirmation of what we believe. We cling to and use these passages to remind us of what we do know, especially recognizing the weight of what we don’t know.
The God we follow has shown us God’s full nature as Creator, Savior, and Spirit. Sometimes, it can be tough to be a disciple of something you don’t fully understand. When we baptize someone into this faith, it’s humbling to admit to that person – and to ourselves – that a life of faith isn’t easy or clear. But faith doesn’t always mean answers. Sometimes, faith means space to have questions. In the Trinity, we have space for questions about God’s nature as well as comfort that God will continue to be revealed in worship, sacrament, community, and God’s own word in scripture.
Pray.
God, I want to follow you. I don’t always know what that means. Sometimes, I even wonder who you are. Show yourself to me, continue to teach and guide me, and hold me close as I continue to serve you as your disciple in the world. Amen.
Carry On.
Think back on your week. What were the times you really felt like you understand where God was leading you? Take time to thank God for that. When were you feeling more confused or lost? Take time to ask God to grant you clarity.
2 Corinthians 13:13
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Greet God and welcome God’s presence with you today. Take a few minutes to simply be with God.
Listen.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. – 2 Corinthians 13:13
Reflect.
This line from 2 Corinthians may be familiar to you if you have heard traditional liturgy used in worship. We begin the section called the Kyrie with this line. “Kyrie” means “Lord”, as we sing “kyrie eleison” in that portion of worship, which translates as “Lord, have mercy”. But we begin that section with this greeting, recognizing that the Lord we call upon is revealed to us as a Trinity.
In 2 Corinthians, this line actually comes at the very end of the book. Paul chooses to end his letter to the church at Corinth with this blessing in the name of the Triune God. Because it’s one of the few places this happens in scripture, our church includes it in the liturgy we sing as we welcome the presence of God among us and ask God’s mercy as we pray and praise together.
We so often assume that God is a trinity; we don’t often reflect on what it might mean for us or our worship. In places like this one verse, we are invited to consider our relationship with our Triune God. If God is relationship, what does our relationship with God mean to us? If God has chosen to be known by us in these three ways, how do we watch for and experience this presence? While the Trinity is ultimately a mystery, how might we find joy in knowing God is other than us, mysterious and holy?
May this greeting from Paul invite you into deeper reflection and comfort today.
Pray.
God, you are my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. I worship you. I praise you. I rejoice in your love in my life. Reveal yourself to me more and more so that I can joyfully share you with all people. Amen.
Carry On.
If God’s identity is one of relationship, then God must value relationships. Think of one relationship you truly appreciate. Send a note to that person to tell them what they mean to you.
Genesis 1:1-2
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Reflect on God’s presence in your life since it’s very beginning. Rest in this peace for a few moments.
Listen.
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. – Genesis 1:1-2
Reflect.
This coming Sunday, the church celebrates Holy Trinity Sunday. On this day, we recognize and rejoice that God has been made known to us as three-in-one and one-in-three. However, this isn’t something that scripture helps us understand very well. While we can point to different places where God is known to us as Savior or Spirit, for instance, it’s hard to find a time where we see all three.
One typical reading for Holy Trinity Sunday is this passage from Genesis 1. We often point to creation as one of the key acts of God made known as the Father, who some will call Creator. If each person of the Trinity has a key act, the key act of the Father is creation.
However, the word translated here as “wind” to describe what sweeps over the surface of the water gives us a picture of God’s triune nature. The word in Hebrew also means “breath” or “spirit”. This reminds us that God never works in isolation. In other words, God the Father isn’t responsible solely for creation, or God the Son for salvation, or God the Spirit for sanctification. God as Trinity works together in all these ways even as we know God more specifically in one role or another at different times.
Confusing? Absolutely. Believers have spent their whole lives trying to sort out the mystery of the Trinity. Still, we rejoice that God’s power can be known to us in many ways.
Pray.
I thank you, God, that you were at work in creation and continue to work today. Through the power of your Spirit, create new and powerful things in me and my church today. Amen.
Carry On.
Think of or visit one place in creation that feels most holy to you. What does it mean to you that God has made this place? How do you know more about God because of this place?
Philippians 2:4-5
Stop.
Our devotions this week provide a different opportunity to reflect on God’s word and action in our lives. You’ll need a timer, a quiet spot, and about ten minutes for devotions each day this week. Have everything ready, take a deep breath, and hear a passage from tomorrow’s worship text.
Listen.
Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus – Philippians 2:4-5
Reflect.
In the faith practice known as Examen, we are invited to reflect on God’s word and our lives to better listen to God’s action in our lives and discern where God may be leading us. We’ve been using a version of this practice all week to engage with the upcoming Biblical reading in a different way. Set your timer for two minutes to reflect and pray about each of the following questions:
Philippians invites us to have the same mind in us that was in Jesus. How have you felt a closeness with Jesus and his will for you this week?
Paul urged the church in Philippi to look to the interests of others. Where have you been able to do that this week? Spend some time thanking God for these opportunities to serve.
In spite of Christ’s presence with us, we can sometimes find it hard to truly consider others’ needs and put them first. Consider your week. Where might there have been missed opportunities? Ask God’s forgiveness for these times.
Christ has promised to be with us and always guide us. Think back through your day. Was there a time when you most felt his presence? Consider that moment and bring it before God.
Every day is a new day to follow our Savior’s call and love all people in his name. Think about the week ahead. How will listen for Jesus as you look to the interests of others?
Pray.
Jesus, my Savior, guide me as I serve all people in your name. Grant me humility and mercy. Challenge me to greater compassion and kindness. Let me be an agent of your love in the world. Amen.
Carry On.
How might you use Examen moving forward? How can you incorporate reflection and discernment into your days and weeks in a way that feels authentic and centering?
Philippians 2:3
Stop.
This week, our devotions will be based on a practice known as Examen. You’ll need a timer, a quiet spot, and about ten minutes for devotions each day this week. Get what you need, take a deep breath, and prepare to hear from our upcoming preaching text.
Listen.
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. – Philippians 2:3
Reflect.
In the practice known as Examen, we are invited to reflect on God’s word and our lives to better listen to God’s action in our lives and discern where God may be leading us. For many Christians, this daily practice invites reflection, devotion, and connection to God’s will. We will try it for our devotions this week as a way to learn about another style of faith practice that can be very meaningful. Set a timer for two minutes to reflect and pray about each of the following questions, one at a time:
Paul encourages the church in Philippi to look first to the needs of others when deciding how to act. Where have you been cared for by others this week?
What does humility mean to you? Ask God to show you events from this week that reveal both a meaningful expression of humility or times when you’ve let pride lead your actions.
For many of us, it is a great challenge to set aside our self-interest and listen for the needs of others. What events or conversations from this past week reveal your need for forgiveness? Take time to bring these to God and hear a word of peace.
Consider just one of these events, whether it was a place of contentment or growth. Come in prayer to God and listen for what God offers you in return.
Paul tells the Philippians that this humility is expected of us because of the humility Christ showed. How can you ask for your Savior’s grace as you seek to follow and obey him this week?
Pray.
God of power and honor, you call us not to glory for our own sake, but to humility in obedience to your Son. Call us to such powerful love that we might care for others with the depth of compassion shown to us in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen
Carry On.
Many websites have information on the Examen and ways you can use it in your life. Spend a few minutes reading a little about it. How might you use it as one of your regular faith practices?
Philippians 2:1-2
Stop.
We will revisit a different devotional practice this week. You’ll need a timer, a quiet spot, and about ten minutes for devotions each day this week. Get what you need, take a deep breath, and prepare to hear from our upcoming preaching text.
Listen.
If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. – Philippians 2:1-2
Reflect.
We usually use this devotional space to learn more about a text and find a way to connect it to our faith lives this week. This week, we’ll reflect on the text loosely using a process called Examen. This style of meditative, listening prayer invites you to reflect on the day and discern God’s leading through the events. For each devotion this week, you will get five questions to reflect on based on the verses you’ve read. Set your timer for two minutes to reflect on and pray about each question. Allow yourself to hear what God might be saying, even if all you hear is an invitation to be quiet and still:
Paul says “If then there is any encouragement in Christ.” The Greek indicates that he means to say, “If there is any encouragement in Christ – and there is.” Where have you experienced encouragement in faith this week?
What moments of consolation and compassion did you experience this week? Spend time thanking God for them.
Consider a relationship this week where you felt that you were not in full accord and of one mind with another person How does it feel to bring that to God today?
Thinking about your day, what’s one need, event, or question that you want to bring to God in prayer?
How will the promise of love, compassion, and sympathy with others in the name of Jesus Christ carry you into the rest of your week?
Pray.
God, I bring before you all my hopes and disappointments. I hear your voice leading me through both encouragement and discord. Make me an instrument of your love and consolation, today and always. Amen.
Carry On.
How might this process change the way you consider your day? How will it affect your awareness?
Hebrews 12:1-3
thanks to Parent Cue!
this month’s theme is BOUNCE BACK God gives us strength we need to get back up again. God is strong and faithful.
Stop: Clear out a space in your room or head to an empty hallway. Make sure nothing is on the floor or in your way. Begin jogging slowly, and as you move, read Hebrews 12:1-3 out loud. When you’re done, sit down and read it again.
Read Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls or lose heart.
Did you find it easier to focus on what you were reading when you were jogging, or when you were sitting still? There’s no right or wrong answer—we’re all wired differently. But the point is, it’s important to make choices that can help you focus on Jesus and what He did for you. That will help you keep going!
Jesus paved the way for us. Even when we’re tired and mess up—we know we can get back up and keep going because we’re loved and forgiven no matter what. Following Jesus can be like running an obstacle course. The goal is to obey God, to love God and to love other people. You’ll mess up along the way. You’ll break the rules. You’ll say and do things that aren’t loving. But you can’t let your mess ups stop you from trying again. Remember, Jesus has already paid the price for all of our sins, all our mess ups, when He died on the cross. He did that for you, because that’s how much He loves you.
Prayer: God, help us keep focusing on Jesus. He is risen! He is risen indeed, alleluia! Amen.
Philippians 4:19
thanks to Parent Cue!
this month’s theme is BOUNCE BACK God gives us strength we need to get back up again. God is strong and faithful.
Stop: Put your hands together like you are praying, push your hands together. Keep pushing as you read the Bible verse.
Listen: Philippians 4:19 “ My God will meet all your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches. These riches come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus.
Reflect: Read the list of needs below. Match up each need on the left to one way that need can be met on the right.
Tired a friend
Hungry a hug
Cold a comfy bed
Sad food
Lonely a warm blanket
God promises to meet all of our needs. And God always keeps promises. When you put your faith in Jesus, you have access to all of those same riches. When it’s hard to keep going, when you want to quit, when it seems like no one else is making the wise choice, remember that God will give you what you need. So remember, you can keep going because of what Jesus did for you.
Pray: Loving God, thank you for walking beside me. You meet every need I have. I am a Child of God! Amen.
Resilience
thanks to Parent Cue!
this month’s theme is BOUNCE BACK God gives us strength we need to get back up again. God is strong and faithful.
Stop: Put your hands together like you are praying, push your hands together. Keep pushing as you read the Bible verses.
Listen: 1 Peter 1:8-9 “Even though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You are filled with a glorious joy that can’t be put into words. You are receiving the salvation of you souls. This salvation is the final result of your faith.”
Reflect: List a few things you know about Jesus.
Jesus, God’s one and only Son, died on the cross for our sin, was buried and rose again on the third day. Before He left Earth to return to heaven, He told His followers to “make disciples,” to tell others about what He had done. Jesus loves you. He died and rose again for you. And though you cannot see Him, you can choose to trust in what He has done for you. Maybe you already have. Maybe you still have some questions.
Either way, the biggest reason we have resilience to get back up even when we face hard things is because of Jesus. You can keep going because of what Jesus did for you.
Prayer: God, thank you for giving us Jesus so we may have the resilience to get back up when something gets us down. Amen.
Acts 17:31
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Reflect on the people who have been most meaningful to your faith life. Take some time to thank God for them.
Listen.
…[God] has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead. – Acts 17:31
Reflect.
It’s very likely you can think back to some important people in your faith life. Family members, friends, camp counselors, Sunday School teachers, pastors, leaders, and so much more – our faith truly comes to us from a variety of people. Sometimes, people become so influential to our faith that we can’t think about faith without hearing their voices.
We give thanks for these people of faith and their voices of influence. But because we’re human, we must be careful to keep the main thing the main thing. That is to say: the good news of God in Jesus Christ is the center of our faith, not any other person, place, or thing.
In the story we’ve been reading all week and that we’ll hear in worship tomorrow, Paul preaches to the Athenians in the midst of their many idols and statues. There’s no denying that the people have lots of competing demands and voices in their faith. Paul wants to help cut through all that. He declares to them that God has raised Jesus from the dead, and in that act, God has shown us that this is all that matters. All we do is in service to this truth.
It's easy to make an idol out of something. An idol is simply something that isn’t God that we’ve turned into a god. We usually think of things like money, power, careers, fame, or beauty as idols. But we can even make other people into idols. We can so idealize who they are and what they do that we miss who they point us to. Our teachers and leaders show us our Savior but are not our saviors.
We give thanks to God for all those who have pointed us to this truth. We pray that we might also have the boldness and humility to direct others to Christ without making ourselves into idols.
Pray.
God, you know all those in my life who have helped me trust and worship you. Bless them with your love and grace. Give me what I need to direct others to you in my words and actions, now and always. Amen.
Carry On.
What do you think are the most important qualities of a Christian leader? How can you live that out this week?
Acts 17:24-25
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Reflect on the church buildings that have been meaningful for your faith. Take some time to thank God for these holy places.
Listen.
The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. – Acts 17:24-25
Reflect.
There’s a balance we must find in our relationship with church buildings. On the one hand, they are an essential component of our worship, service, and learning in community. We cannot fulfill our mission without buildings. On the other hand, we too often treat buildings like they’re the mission themselves. We forget that the church is people, not buildings.
In his speech to the Athenians, Paul reminds the people that we can’t build gods or places for gods to reside. It’s impossible to create a place for a god when you believe that our God created all life itself. In fact, Paul contends that it’s not even possible for us to serve God, because God needs nothing.
So why do we have buildings? Why do we do anything? Because what we do is not only for God. We live and serve and learn for the sake of our neighbors as well. We need a place that calls us together, equips us, and sends us out so others can hear the good news, be loved and cared for in Christ’s name, and be gathered together as a beloved community. A building doesn’t make you a church, but a building is an important place for a church to worship, learn, gather, and share.
We thank God that God has given us a mission to love and serve. We dedicate ourselves to caring well for the resources God has given us to share and live the gospel. We remember that God doesn’t need anything from us, but God does call us to good work for the sake of the world. We trust the God who made the world and everything in it.
Pray.
God, you have given us places and people that support us in our faith lives. Make us faithful to you in how we sustain these buildings and relationships. Help us to worship you alone, not the tools you give us. Call us together and send us out in your Son’s name. Amen.
Carry On.
What’s the most beautiful church building you’ve ever been in? Why? What does it say about faith and Christian community?
Acts 17:23
Stop.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Let your mind rest in the mystery of God. Be in awe of God’s presence and otherness.
Listen.
For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, ‘To an unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. – Acts 17:23
Reflect.
In our lesson this coming Sunday, we’ll hear about the apostle Paul in Athens. In this story, Paul finds himself among many idols in the city. He’s been teaching in the synagogue and among the philosophers of the city. In this part of the story, he simply begins to speak about what he knows of God.
One of the most interesting things to me about this story is how he centers his teaching on this altar to an unknown god. He doesn’t condemn the Athenians for their many idols. He doesn’t laugh at them for trying to worship what they can’t know. He doesn’t set himself up as a superior. He takes their experience and lets it stand. He witnesses into their reality.
That reality is ours as well. We worship an unknown God, even if we know far more about this God that the Athenians arguably did. Our God is mysterious and acts mysteriously. We can’t always know what is going on. Sometimes, that feels disorienting and frightening. Maybe that’s why the Athenians had so many idols for so many other gods – they were willing to try anything to make meaning of a life that sometimes feels so upside-down.
We don’t need any god other than the one God, the “Lord of heaven and earth” that Paul describes. We know that we can trust our Creator even when we can’t understand everything about this loving, active, not-fully-known God. We can rest in God’s mystery, just as we can find peace in difficult seasons of life, because we know we don’t have to understand everything about God to trust in God’s work in our lives.
Pray.
God, I know I don’t know everything about you and how you work. Sometimes it leaves me looking for other things to feel certain about. Let me trust in you fully, even when I don’t understand. Amen.
Carry On.
What are some things you put too much trust in, especially when you’re left feeling uncertain or afraid? How can you remind yourself to bring your fears and anxieties to God?
Acts 16:16–19
Stop.
Take three deep breaths. When you got out of bed this morning, did you feel like you had a choice about how you would spend your day? Why or why not?
Listen.
Acts 16:16–19 (NRSV)
16 One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. 17 While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” 18 She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.
Reflect.
This weekend we are looking at a very complex story from Acts 16:16-34. In this devo I want to focus on one character: The slave-girl.
Let that title soak in for a minute. Slave-girl.
When she woke up in the mornings, she didn’t get to choose what she wanted to do. She was possessed by two things. First, she has a spirit of divination. That means there was a spiritual force at work in her that allowed her to see things about people that others couldn’t see. Sounds like a cool super-power, but not if it controls you. Second, her abilities turned her into a commodity that people with power felt entitled to exploit.
Every day she was forced to do what her owners said, and what the spirit of divination said, so that her owners could profit from the manipulation and exploitation of her body.
The disturbing part of this story is that we don’t get to know what happens to this girl when she is set free from the spirit. She was still owned by her masters, but now she was worthless. Did they kill her? Did she escape? I hope that she was able to make it to Lydia’s house (read about Lydia in the preceding paragraph of chapter 16.)
Millions of children in our world, today, are treated like her. Let that sink in. How can we free them?
Pray.
Gracious God, we pray for all the nameless children in our world. Show them that they are your beloved children. Help us know how to help them find their way to love and life.
Carry On.
I realize this was a downer devo. May you move into your day in two ways: First, give thanks to God if you have the freedom to decide your own day. Second, open your eyes and see if you notice anyone like this girl within your own sphere. Pray for them and ask for wisdom.
John 20:19–23
Stop.
When do you like to eat? Is it better to eat with people, or all alone? If you are like me, you don’t mind eating alone, but it is usually more fun when you eat with people you love.
Listen.
John 20:19–23 (NRSV)
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.”
Reflect.
I’ve been reading and listening to Diana Butler-Bass a lot lately. She has written and spoken a great deal about what happened in the upper room on Easter Sunday in John 20. It is not apparent in the text above, but it is important to remember that Jesus returned to the room where the disciples were gathered. It is most likely the room where they shared the last supper together on Thursday night before he was arrested.
This image is my illustration of how Diana explains what happened on Easter.
Jesus set the table on Thursday and taught his disciples to love one another and what that love looked like in action (John 13-17). At Jesus’ table all are welcome and the oppressive power structures of the Roman Empire are challenged.
On Friday the Roman Empire said, “NO!” to Jesus’ table and crushed him. Jesus didn’t fight back. Instead, he stood in solidarity with all who have been crucified by corrupt power structures.
On Saturday the disciples waited in huddled, hushed apprehension.
On Sunday Jesus rose from the dead, met Mary in the garden (read Eden and new creation) and then returned…where? He went back to the table. There he breathed the Holy Spirit on the disciples, just like God breathed into the Adamah (dirt) in Genesis 2 and formed Adam (humanity).
Resurrection people—Easter people—are people of the table where all are welcome.
Pray.
God of abundant life, bless our tables. May those who have power to set tables make them open for all. May those who have nothing be welcomed and fed.
Carry On.
If you are a person who doesn’t have to worry about putting food on your table, perhaps consider how you might open your table to someone who can’t.
Acts 9:8–9
Stop.
Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and imagine sitting in darkness. How does it make you feel?
Listen.
Acts 9:8–9 (NRSV)
8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Reflect.
In her book Learning to Walk in the Dark, Barbara Brown Taylor says,
“I always wondered why it took "three days" for significant things to happen in the Bible--Jonah spent three days in the belly of the whale, Jesus spent three days in the tomb, Paul spent three days blind in Damascus--and now I know. From earliest times, people learned that was how long they had to wait in the dark before the sliver of the new moon appeared in the sky. For three days every month they practiced resurrection.”
I fact-checked this and discovered that the moon is dark between 1.5-3.5 days during every lunar cycle. The moon goes completely dark for three days. In the ancient world they believed the moon was a divine being, so they witnessed the death, disappearance, and rebirth of the divine on a regular basis.
Darkness and Light. Life, Death, New Life. These are the cycles of creation. God is not absent in the darkness, but is present in a special way, inviting us to stillness and waiting.
What are you waiting for right now?
Pray.
God of creation, comfort us in the dark times. May we feel your embrace, as still and silent as it may seem.
Carry On.
Sometimes we cannot move because we are in the darkness. The thing to do is to wait patiently for dawn. Today, may you have hope of new light, no matter how dark it feels right now.
Hebrews 11:1
Find a quiet place to reflect what the Bible has to say to us this week. Deep breath, exhale saying He is Risen!
Read Hebrews 11:1
Faith trusting in what you can’t see because of what you can see. It’s believing deep down that God keeps His promises and that His word is true. The rest of Hebrews 11 talks about Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, David, and the prophets who had faith. These men had questions for God. And yet they trusted Him, even before God sent His only Son into the world.
Seeing is Believing?
In the list below, cross out the things you CAN see and circle the things you CAN’T.
You can’t see the wind but you can certainly feel it on your face to know that it’s real. You believe in things you can’t see every day.
We can have hope because we put our faith or trust in God, even when we can’t see with our own eyes. God has been faithful to us in the past and will be faithful in the future. Whatever happens, remember God is bigger than your questions or doubts.
Prayer: Dear God, Please help me remember that whenever I have doubts or questions I can talk to you in prayer. We have HOPE because you are in my life. Help me to trust you with everything I have….. to grow in faith and carry on the work of Jesus Christ! Amen
Hebrews 4:14-16
Find a quiet place to reflect what the Bible has to say to us this week. Deep breath, exhale saying He is Risen!
Read Hebrews 4:14-16
Jesus is God’s Son. He is perfect as God is perfect. Jesus was born as a baby and grew up just like you. He faced many of the same things you face like schoolwork, chores, and dealing with siblings. He felt sadness and hunger and temptation just like you. But he never, not even once, did something wrong.
Because Jesus experienced these things personally, He is able to sympathize with us and help us. Because of what He did for us on the cross, we have access to a holy God. When hard things happen, things we don’t understand, we can always ask questions. Because of Jesus, we can go directly to God and find help when we need it.
The next time something happens that doesn’t make sense, stop and pray. Remember, Jesus knows exactly how this life feels to us. That means He is completely qualified to help.
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus! We know that he is alive in each of us. Help us to spread the Good News “He is Risen indeed, Alleluia! Amen.