The Gospel in Storybooks: Stone Soup

    When I was serving as an intern at my home church, I spent countless hours with spiritual gift inventories spread out across my parent's living room floor and my computer on my lap. My pastor had tasked me with coming up with a way of recording what people's spiritual gifts are for him and the lay leadership committee and then making suggestions for folks as to what a good use of their gifts inside and outside of the church may be.
    The task was daunting.
    But it was also fruitful. It was fruitful not just connecting needs with gifts, but it also helped people start to realize that their spiritual gifts aren't private. What I mean by that, is for years, if folks took spiritual gift inventories or recognized what their spiritual gift was they kept it to themselves. They had the knowledge of their gift and that was enough. But gifts are meant to be use. We shouldn't be the only one to know as individuals what our gifts are. Others in the church should know as well. Because we use our gifts together to glorify God. And in order to do that we need to know what gifts others have.
    We are the body of Christ together. We need each other. We need to know each other and build each other up in our gifts. For we are better together.

“The Gospel in Story Books: Stone Soup” - Romans 12: 4-5 and Matthew 18:20 Devo

July 30th, 2017

Devotional

“The Gospel in Story Books: Stone Soup” - Romans 12: 4-5 and Matthew 18:20

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “One Body” - Romans 12:4

The body of Christ is a community. We are part of one body. However, we need to take time to deeply consider both what that means and what it does not. When we are part of one body, we admit that we need each other. We cannot claim anything to the contrary. For it is a community that allows us to be strong in our faith. It’s a community that helps us clarify our identity as Christians.

But we also need to know what community is not - community is not the place where we all look the same or agree with everyone all the time. In fact, I know no such place that exists. I confess that for a long time I actually didn’t like the word community because I had been in place that had corrupted the word to mean just that - a place where you have to think and be exactly like another person in order to be accepted. That is not the community of the church, which Paul stresses when he talks about having different people with different gifts. What is important in the community of the church is that we are all under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

What do you think of when you hear the word community?

What does the body of Christ mean to you?

Prayer: Loving God, you have gifted us with so much, including the body of Christ, the community of faith. Help us treasure this gift for what it is - diverse invidious who come together to care for one anther and to serve you in the world for the sake of your name. Use us, we pray. Amen. 

Tuesday: “Functions” - Romans 12:4

Christian community works with what it has, the very gifts and functions of the people present. I rejoice in the fact that we are all different and have different gifts. I believe God provides within our local body every person and thing we need to reach this county for Jesus Christ. I believe that in the Church Universal we have all the people and things we need to transform the world for Jesus Christ. I have often churches bemoan and say “if only”. “If only” we had more people, more resources, more money. But brothers and sisters, if we neglect this body, the body we have been gifted with, by saying that we are not yet good enough or have enough for the mission of Jesus Christ then we are not living up to the call of the Kingdom. And more will not come.

What is your spiritual gift? How do you celebrate and use this gift to serve Jesus Christ?

Prayer:  Lord, we confess that we often miss what is right in front of us. We think of what we could do if we had more or different gifts instead of celebrating the gifts that we and our brothers and sisters already possess. Help us to see our community of faith, as you do, Precious God. Help us to use what we have and who we are to bring you honor and glory. Amen. 

Wednesday: “In Christ” - Romans 12:5

Sometimes, even when we know that we have many gifts, we can forget what we are supposed to be doing with them. There are many passages where Paul speaks about spiritual gifts beyond Romans 12, and one of those passages can be found in Ephesians 4: 1-16. Paul tells the followers in Ephesus that they are to live a life worthy of their calling. Here’s the thing about calling - we all have one - we just sometimes choose to ignore it. Everyone identifies as a Christian are called to some time of servanthood and ministry by way of their baptism. Its just that the calling varies. But in this scripture passage we are told that we all have gifts - its just that the gifting and calls vary. 

Have you ever taken time to pray about why you are part of this local body of Christ? Because you aren’t here by accident. You are here, because Christ gives us every gifting we need in each local body to thrive for the Kingdom of God. To make a difference in transforming the world.

What is the purpose of the local body of Christ? 

How do we live into our gifts well together and where are our growing edges?

Prayer: Lord, at times we forget why you have given us gifts in the first place -to proclaim the Gospel Message - the Good News of Jesus Christ Help us to encourage one another in this body and in our parish to use all of our gifts, together, to make a difference in our communities and world. Amen. 

Thursday: “One of Another” - Romans 12: 5

The Kingdom of God is about being the body of Christ together, not about being a lone ranger. Community is one of those words that has been marketed to the point of its very degradation over the past few years, but it is up to those laboring for the harvest to keep the image of community alive. We can compliment one another’s strengths. 

I’ve grown up singing, but it is only since I’ve been in college that I’ve come to discover the beauty in being an alto. If we all sing the lead then we miss out on the beauty of harmonies. Harmonies compliment what is being sung in such a way that it makes it more interesting, and if done correctly, more beautiful to listen to. And if done just the right way, harmonies can be breath taking. Maybe this is what life is like, when we live out our lives fully we can make beautiful harmonies together in community by being ourselves. When one person has the words to speak powerfully to a certain group, another may have the means to communicate more clearly with a different personality. One may have the gift of prophecy while the other may be able to heal. 

How do you live into the tension about having both a private and communal faith? What does this look like for you to live out daily?

Prayer: Lord, we seem to live into a paradox of faith. We know that we need a personal relationship with you, and we also know that you call us to be part of the body of Christ. But often you can find us in between forgetting that we need both a personal and communal faith. Help us to re-discover what it looks like to live our our private faith in you in a public way with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen. 

Friday: “Gathered” - Matthew 18:20

Part of being the body of Christ is gathering together. In the Methodist tradition, small groups and Sunday School were also the places where you faced some hard questions, like “how is it with your soul”. Small groups genuinely cared about the person who gathered, so they created a safe space to hold each person accountable. It was a place to confess your sin and ask for prayer. It was a place where people were prayed both for and with. And it was a place where folks were spurred on to the fruits of the spirit. We need more places like that today - places where we can truly be the church for one another. In the Gospel of Matthew we find the oft quoted teaching of Jesus that, where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them. We need places to gather together as the body of Christ in the name of Jesus. 

Where do you gather with other believers?

What does this time together mean to you?

Prayer: God, you have given us the gift of each other. Let us not take that gift for granted. Help us to build up and encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith as we serve together and seek to know you better together. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “Time with God: Faith” -  Hebrews 11: 6, 27 and Hebrews 12: 1-2

Family Activity: Read Stone Soup together. What special gift do you have to offer God? How can we celebrate that gift together as a family?

The Gospel in Storybooks: Old Turtle

     What are some of the ways that we try to make God into our image? I think what our image of God is - what we visualize God looking like, says more about us then God. We have not seen God, so we let our imaginations run wild - and how often does that mean God ends up looking like someone from our family tree? Someone who is like us.
    Once we have God looking like us, its not to long until God starts to like the things we like and hate the things we hate. Agree with us about people - like who we like, don't like who we don't like. Not too long after that we no longer let God be God.
    And we have a problem.
    For if we have morphed God, even unknowingly, into our image and if we don't let God be God, then we are missing out on the greatness of God, some of which we know and some of which we can never fathom. We miss the majesty of the Creator. The gift of the Sustainer. The love of the Redeemer.
    What would happen if we let God be God? What would it look like to stop making God into our image but to embrace, fully, that we are made in the image of our God?

“The Gospel in Storybooks: Old Turtle” - Isaiah 40: 21-31 and Exodus 34: 6-7 Devo

July 23rd, 2017

Devotional

“The Gospel in Storybooks: Old Turtle” - Isaiah 40: 21-31 and Exodus 34: 6-7

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Have You Not Known?” -Isaiah 40: 21

One of the core beliefs of Israel that is present throughout the scriptures is the assumption that faith begins with memory. Have you ever taken a moment to consider how memory defines us? Our memories sometimes aren’t the most accurate - we may not recall an event in full detail - but it is what we remember that is important.

We, as human beings, have selective memories sometimes. We remember things how we want to remember them. And we remember the things we want to recall. And that goes on to define who we are. For example, if we are pessimistic, we may only recall the bad things, even though good things have happened in our lives as well. And if we are optimistic, we are more prone to remember things in a positive way.

In today’s scripture passage the Israelites are facing the possibility of forgetting - forgetting who their God is and who they are as a people. For many many years they have been in captivity in Babylon after being taken from Jerusalem. They have been gone so many years that the keepers of the memories have passed on. Perhaps the people of Israel still shared these memories of who they are as the chosen people of God late at night, but the truth behind the words is starting to fade. The memories seem more like distant fantasies in the face of their captivity.

Why is what we remember important?

How do our memories reflect what we believe about God?

Prayer: God, we confess that sometimes we are prone to forget. We are prone to mis-remember. We don’t always recall how good you have been to us, how you have provided for us. Help us to have clear memories of your goodness and grace so we can continue to share the stories of the faith. Amen. 

Tuesday: “It is He ” - Isaiah 40: 22-23

In this passage, God cries out through the prophet for them to remember. Remember what they know. Remember what they’ve heard and what has been told to them. Remember who God is. God is preparing them for a journey back to Jerusalem to face the seemingly impossible task to rebuild the city and the temple. But it cannot be done if the people’s faith in God is not intact, if their memory has ceased to exist. 

Can you identify with the  amnesia of the Israelites? Are their times in your life when you have forgotten who God is? Forgotten who you are? Our type of amnesia today causes us to quickly forget God’s power and might when we enter into stressful situations. It is what causes us to ask ourselves if God has abandoned us during difficult times. 

  Tell of a time that you forgot something important. What was that experience like?

Prayer: Lord, you do not leave us alone to mis-remember. Instead, you continually invite us back into the story of your love. May we carry this story in our hearts, O Lord. May it define who we are in such a way that we no longer are prone to forget. Amen. 

Wednesday: “Scarcely” - Isaiah 40: 24

Israel is facing a real problem in today’s scripture passage because they are on the verge of corporately forgetting who they are. When a few people struggle the unit will not falter because others are in their lives to remind them who they are and that God is in control. But when the entire body has forgotten, when no one is there to testify to who they are as a people, an identity crisis begins to take root. Sometimes I wonder if we are in such a place as the Church of Jesus Christ today. If we no long remember who we are, what we believe, and why we believe it. Are we just as lost as the Israelites in captivity?

An old adage states that you cannot know where you are going unless you know where you came from. So many churches today are struggling to do the next popular thing or to offer the next program so they can draw people in, but this flurry of activity isn’t reflective of who they are as the people of God. It is more about entertaining then evangelism. More about profit then the Kingdom of God. We are desperately in need of someone to remind us who God is and who we are.

How does where you come from inform where you are going?

What does the church need to remember?

Prayer: Lord, part of memory is to orient us to where you are calling us to go. When we remember how God has lead us in the past we are more likely to trust God in the future. Help us, O God, to claim your past and your presence in it, as a light leading us into a new day. Amen. 

Thursday: “Who is My Equal?” - Isaiah 40: 25-26

Today’s scripture passage tells us over and over again that God is powerful and in control. That other rulers will come to pass but that God remains the same. No one compares to God. Everyone and everything else is simply a creation of God. Yet, we are running around acting as if we are God. As if we are the ones in control instead of the ones following the vision that God has laid before us. We particularly forget who is who and what is what when times are going well. When we feel powerful. But today’s scripture reminds us of our unqualified powerlessness. And we don’t like that. We want to be the powerful ones being praised. Or we may even be willing to praise God’s powerfulness when things are going our way, but that’s not who today’s scripture passage is written to. It is written for the powerless. The ones who are so weighed down upon by life that they have forgotten everything that matters. 

God is gracious enough to give us each moments when we are reminded who God is. Moments that remind us how big God is, yet how intimate our relationship is to the Holy. These moments are different for everyone, but they help us remember who God is.

How do you remember who God is and that God is in control?

Prayer: Lord, we confess that sometimes we start to think that we are in control of our own lives - that we know better than you. Forgive us, O Lord. Help us to give control of our lives back to the One whom it belong - You and You alone. You, Lord, fashioned us. You, Lord, walk beside us. You, Lord, call us. Help us to come back to You, Precious Lord. Amen. 

Friday: “He Gives Power” - Isaiah 40: 27-31

We will never fully understand who God is or how God works in the world. We will always have questions about Gods power and why God intervenes in some situations and not in others. I believe the Israelites had the same sorts of questions when they were in captivity. But like the Israelites we have a choice as to whether we will remember who God has been in the past so we can trust God now, or if we are going to try to live by our own power alone. 

My hope and prayer for us today is that we will begin to remember who we are and who God is, and not confuse the two. I pray that we will have a way to remember those powerful moments when God unmistakably was control of our lives. I hope that we cling to those moments both when times are good and times are not so good, as a reminder that God has not forgotten or forsaken us. For just as remembering is selective, so is forgetting. So may we remember who we are so we can step out in faith. Remember our communal and personal story, God’s story, so we can live into God’s love for us. For even if our hope cannot be sustained, it can be remembered and renewed.

How can we choose to remember God?

How can we remember our personal and communal story of faith?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for not leaving us alone. Thank you for forgiving us for the times we have tried to act like God. Thank you for reminding us time and time again that you do not leave us or forsake us. And thank you for the gift of scripture to remind us that we are not alone. Help us to continue to proclaim the story of faith. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “The Gospel in Storybooks: Stone Soup” - Romans 12: 4-5 and Matthew 18:20. 

Family Activity: Read Old Turtle. What do you think God is like? Draw a picture of something that reminds you of God. Why does this picture remind you of God? Hang it some place where you can remember how much God loves you when you look at it. 

The Gospel in Storybooks: Where the Wild Things Are

   Shortly after going to see The Shack at the movies, I purchased the soundtrack. There was one song I just didn't really care for, and one line of one song in particular. It was actually the theme song of the entire movie, "Keep Your Eyes on Me" by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. The line goes like this:

"Ain't it the sinner who gets all the grace sometimes?

Ain't it the saint, who picks up the pieces sometimes?

It's human to hurt the ones, hurt the ones, you love the most."

     Then I stopped and thought about those words in the context of the parable of the prodigal son. I did't like them, because they were so true. So authentic to how we can look at the world sometimes - breaking people down into categories like sinner and saint and looking at God's grace to each other with suspicion. Judging people from our own human perspectives instead of celebrating, as God does, when any one come home.
      What do you struggle with in the parable of the younger/ prodigal son found in Luke 15: 11-32? What gives you hope?

“The Gospel in Storybooks: Where the Wild Things Are” - Luke 15: 11-32 Devo

July 16th, 2017

Devotional

“The Gospel in Storybooks: Where the Wild Things Are” - Luke 15: 11-32

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “Father” - Luke 15: 11-12

How many of us when we hear the words “Our Father”, especially in the Lord’s Prayer, think first to the story Jesus tells of the prodigal son? The son who disowned his father, squandered his inheritance, and then returned thinking he would work for his father as a hired hand, only to find out that he celebrated, love, reinstated. We were once far from our Heavenly Father, separated by sin. But now we are welcomed into the Kingdom in loving arms. This is the Father we pray to. The one who loves us unconditional, with an eternal forgiveness. The one who reminds us that while we may want to stop being God’s child, disowning Him, he will never stop being our Father.

God wants us to choose to see him as a loving parents. God wants to give us what is best, but too often we start to demand what we think is best, putting ourselves in the position of being God, like the younger son, or disown God entirely? As we explore this text this week may we seek the grace of God in our lives. 

When are times that you have demanded that God give you something instead of asking God what is best?

Prayer: God, we confess that all too often we are your ungrateful children. We chastise the younger son for disowning the father in the parable by asking for his inheritance now, while failing to see that we are just like him - making demands of you and disowning you too quickly when we do not get our own way. Forgive us, gracious God. Amen. 

Tuesday: “He Began to Be in Need ” - Luke 15:13-14

This parable tells the story of a son that sinned more then we could ever imagine, but when he left that life behind, broken, to return home that he was greatly celebrated. We have such a celebration is waiting for us. We can leave behind burdens to find great joy. We can throw away that which distances and we find hope in the future, and hope in the present and the future.

But first, we need to recognize that we have a need for God. For the younger son that came when he found himself with no money, no place to call home, and working a job he never imagined himself doing. For each of us, rock bottom, or recognizing our deep need for God will be different. But when we do have that realization it can lead us to the foot of the cross, where we can admit that we cannot deal with our own sin, and we hand our lives over to Jesus Christ. 

What lead you to Jesus Christ?

What keeps leading you back to the cross to find forgiveness? Do you find confessions and repentance to be easy or difficult? Why? 

Prayer: Lord, there are so many ways that we go astray, O Lord, and you look on all our sin equally. Lead us back to the cross, Precious Savior, whenever we stray. Welcome us home. Amen. 

Wednesday: “ I Will Get Up and Go” - Luke 15: 15-19

In all stories there is a moment that changes things. This is that moment in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son realizes that life is not meant to be lived in this way and decides to go back home, back to the place where he left, and beg for forgiveness. He is so ashamed of his behavior that he doesn’t even plan on begging his father to take him back as a son, rather he wants to be taken in simply as a servant.

We have such moments in our lives as well. Moments where we make a decision that changes everything. In the church, we hope and pray that those who do not yet know Christ have a moment where they choose the love of Jesus. However, we cannot force such moments to happen. They are truly free choices, when people recognize and respond to the love of a Savior. 

Tell about life changing moments in your life. How did they lead you to Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you that even when things are at there worst, you still offer us your love and mercy. We pray today, O Lord, for those who haven’t made that choice yet. Let them by your love, Holy Spirit, to accept Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Thursday: “I Have Sinned” - Luke 15: 20-21

Perhaps some of the hardest words we ever have to say in life are those when we admit that we have screwed up. Admit that we have hurt someone we love. Admit that we did not make the right choice. Admit that we sinned against God.

What the younger son says to the father in these verses takes a lot of humility. We, too, need to humble ourselves before God. We model what this looks like every week when we come together and pray a prayer of confession. We need confession in our life for it cleanses our soul. 

Do you find confession before God easy or difficult? Why?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the gift of confession. We thank you that you show us time and again that when we stray into sin that we come humbly come back to you and find forgiveness, if only we earnestly repent. Help us have a repentant heart this day and always. Amen. 

Friday: “Celebrate” - Luke 15: 22-32

This is perhaps my favorite part of the Parable of the Prodigal son - the celebration. I truly believe that the Kingdom of God rejoices whenever a lost child returns from the world of sin.

However, as a church, we have much to learn about the celebration of God. Too often we can find ourselves acting like the older son -  trying to scale back or quash the celebration because we want to be recognized and celebrated. 

Let us see others with the eyes of God. Let us acknowledge how beautiful it is when a lost soul returns! Let us sing with the angels in heaven! Amen! Amen! Amen!

Who do you identify with most in the parable of the prodigal son? Why?

Do you celebrate when lost souls return to God? How?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for searching for us. Thank you for accepting us. Thank you above all for celebrating each time someone returns to you! Make us part of the celebration, Lord! Let our voices of love sing out in praise of you! Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “The Gospel in Storybooks: Old Turtle” - Isaiah 40:28 and Exodus 34: 6-7.

Family Activity: Read Where the Wild Things Are. What do you love the most about home? How does your love show you the love of Jesus?

The Gospel in Storybooks: Corduroy

     While I don't believe Jesus's saying in the Gospel of John, "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." is demanding that we all die for our friends, it does raise an interesting series of questions. First, who are our friends? Sometimes I think the word "friend" gets a bit overused in the American context. I have traveled a fair bit to other countries, and what has struck me is how most of them are very selective about who they call friend. They use other words - colleague. Someone I know. Classmate. But sometimes in American culture we count everyone and anyone we know the name of as a friend, instead of those who truly know us.
    Second, would we count the folks we go to church with as friends? In the context of this verse, as we look around the church, who would we be willing to sacrifice for? Who would we show love in action to? Who would we literally lay down our lives for? Because if the church can't be a place where we love as Jesus loved then we may be missing the point. It's not just about coming to a place where we can sit in physical proximity to one another, its about a place where we can share our hearts and lives with one another, and that takes a lot more intentionality. 

“The Gospel in Storybooks: Corduroy” - John 15: 12-17 and Eph 4: 9-10 Devo

July 9th, 2017

Devotional

“The Gospel in Storybooks: Corduroy” - John 15: 12-17 and Eph 4: 9-10

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “This is My Commandment” - John 15: 12

There’s a lot written in scripture about commandments. There are over six-hundred laws in the Old Testament. We have the Ten Commandments that speak about how are are to honor God and one another. When Jesus is asked about what the greatest commandment is he actually gives a two part answer - love God with all you are and all you have and love your neighbor as yourself.

Today Jesus again talks about commandments, saying that this is his commandment that we love one another as Jesus has loved us. It’s not often that Jesus talks specifically about his commandment, usually he refers to the commandments of God. But Christ is teaching his disciples about what is important, especially those truths that will be important after he leaves their presence and love is at the top of the list.

I think sometimes we like to see ourselves as a loving people, but that may not be how other people see us. In other words we may think that we are a loving church, but can those outside of our community of faith see our love in action? Can they say that we love like Christ? 

What does loving like Christ loved look like to you?

Prayer: God, at times it is hard for us to wrap our minds around the love of Jesus Christ. We like to talk about his love, and we know it in our heads, but sometimes its hard for us to wrap our hearts around and even harder for us to show to others. Help us to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world, sharing his love with all we meet. Amen. 

Tuesday: “You are my Friends ” - John 15: 13-14

It is not unusual to find the words of John 15:13 written on military grave sites, especially those who died in action, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” But these words of Jesus can also be a stumbling block as we come up with a very short list of those who we would actually give up our lives for.

We have to remember that Jesus is using these words to teach his disciples. At this point he knows that he is going to die, but they don’t understand. Later on, they will claim that they will stick by Jesus’s side only to (mostly) flee. But Jesus also knew that some of them would lay down their very lives for the Gospel Message. Peter would be martyred. Andrew, Thomas, Philip, Matthew, Bartholomew, James, Simon, Matthias, and John were also killed by various means for the Gospel Message. 

We may not be able to say right here and now what we would be willing to give our lives for. The disciples certainly would have said that they would give their lives for Jesus, but their actions at the cross didn’t show it. However, later on they were able to live into their faith in this way.

Who are you willing to die for? Why?

What do you think changed for the disciples from the time of the cross to giving their lives for the Gospel?

Prayer: Lord, we aren’t so sure that we would be willing to die for others. In fact, we aren’t so sure we would be willing to die for you at times. Show us, O Lord, what sacrifice looks like in our daily lives and strengthen us to boldly live into our faith for you. Amen. 

Wednesday: “ Not Servants” - John 15: 15

In Greco-Roman society the word friend was used a lot, but it didn’t hold the same meaning as it does today. Remember in the trial of Jesus where the crowds cry out about being a friend of Caesar? They weren’t saying that they were literal friends of Caesar; in fact, he probably didn’t even know their names. Friendship was seen as a relationship where one party gave to another party - more like servanthood then that of reciprocity. 

Yet, Jesus turned that understanding of friendship around with this passage of scripture. He was essentially saying that he did not consider them servants, or the type of servants that the world would use the word ‘friend’ for. Instead, they were true friends. Friends who know what Jesus is doing and why he is doing it. Friends who have a choice as to whether they want to work for the Kingdom of God and be affiliated with his Messiahship.

We, too, have choices. We have the choice if we accept the love of Christ in our lives. We have a choice about how we show that love we have for Jesus in the world. We have a choice another whether we are really about the work of the Kingdom of God or the work of the world. Jesus does not force us into relationship with him, but rather issues and invitation, and waits for our response. 

How did you come to  know the love of the Savior?

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we think that we are forced to be in a relationship with you. We begrudge what you ask of us. We act as if our faith is more of a burden then a blessing. Forgive us, Lord. Help us understand the choice that you have given us and help us to share the story of that loving invitation with others. Amen. 

Thursday: “I Chose You” - John 15: 16

Sometimes we get so caught up in the choices that Christ gives us, specifically the choice to say ‘yes’ to faith in him, that we forget that he chose us first. We did not seek out Christ, brothers and sisters. Christ sought us out. Christ died for us. And Christ did all of that while we are still sinners.

We cannot make other people choose the love of Jesus in their lives. We cannot make people say ‘yes’ to Christ, as much as we may want to. But we can control how we share that love with the world. We can make the choice to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God and make the story of how God changed our lives known. 

What does bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God look like in your life?

Prayer: Lord, we thank you that you choose us, even when we were far from you. We thank you that you invite us to be part of your Kingdom sized mission of grace and mercy. We thank you that you equip us to bear fruit in your name. Use us in a mighty way, we pray. Amen. 

Friday: “Love One Another” - John 15:17

Have you ever noticed that its easier to love people that you like more than those you don’t care for? And that even sometimes loving people that we like is hard. But Jesus is telling us that once we consider ourselves friends of Christ, once we join in to be part of the mission of God, loving other people is not optional. We don’t get to pick and choose who we like enough to share the love of Christ with, because God loves the whole world. God send Christ so the whole world would have the choice to accept the gift of salvation or not. It is not up to us to decide who is worthy of hearing that message that we share in Christ’s name. May we love one another. Not just those who we like. Not just those who are already part of our churches. Not just those we know. But all people for the sake of the mission of Jesus. 

What does love mean to you? How do you share this love with other people?

Prayer: Lord, thank you for inviting us to be part of something that is bigger then ourselves and who we like or don’t like. Thank you for entrusting us to share your love with all whom we meet. Equip us for the task ahead. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “The Gospel in Storybooks: Where the Wild Things Are” - Luke 15: 11-32

Family Activity: Read Corduroy Find something that looks old, like Corduroy the bear did before his new button, and make it look new again. How does the love of Jesus change us? How can we share that love with other people?

The Gospel in Storybooks: A Porcupine Named Fluffy

    If we start looking at the beginning of chapter 17 of Genesis, God gets a new name. God, of course, is known by many names, but here God say that he is God Almighty (El Shaddai). Another way to put this is God of the highest mountain and lowest valley.
     When we enter into covenant with God, we may or may not get a name change based off of our particular tradition. But we are changed. The problem is that once we enter into the covenant, sometimes we think that this change means that we will never have struggles or hardships, which is not Biblical. Instead, when we are in covenant with God we can proclaim that God is for us, whether we are on top of the mountain or in the valley, and that God can use us for the sake of the Kingdom in either place, and in any place in between.
      Perhaps one of the greatest changes that comes with covenant isn't a name change, though this is important, but rather a change in perspective. When we believe and accept that we are loved by God, we start to see the world around us and the people we interact with differently, as we seek to share that love with others.

“The Gospel in Storybooks: A Porcupine Named Fluffy” - Genesis 17: 5-15 and John 15:16 Devo

July 2nd, 2017

Devotional

“The Gospel in Storybooks: A Porcupine Named Fluffy” - Genesis 17: 5-15 and John 15:16

Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com

Monday: “You Shall No Longer Be” - Genesis 17: 5-6

Who am I? Woman. Daughter. Lover of God. LOVED by God. Pastor. Complex. Learner. Ambitious. Anxious. Bold. Scared. Timid. Caring. Dependable. Dependent. Loving. WORTHY. Insecure. Innovative. Intelligent. Happy. Fearful. Helpless. Maternal. Self-aware. Sarcastic. Wounded. Thoughtful. Spiritual. Uncertain. 

These are just a few of the words to describe who I am. Incomplete, yes, but they give some idea of the shape of my soul, my emotions, my being. But notice that most of those words, most of the things that define me are not things that people can tell just by looking at me.

When God saw Abram and Sari, he saw not only who they are, as broken and beautiful as that was, but also who they would become. When God sees us, it is not just as we see ourselves, as complex as that may be, but as who we are as children of God and who we will become. 

What words would you use to describe yourself?

What words do you think God would use to describe you? Who do you think God sees you becoming?

Prayer: God, we thank you that you see us, like Abram and Sari so long ago, both as who we are and who you are helping us to become. We pray, O Lord, that by your love and grace we can be used in a mighty way for your Kingdom. Amen. 

Tuesday: “You Shall be Abraham” - Genesis 17: 5-8

Name tags can be deceptive. Sometimes by using name tags, we’re pretending to know people whom we really don't know. Our name is something unique to us and cannot be severed from our personal stories. Our first name holds the story of our life - with its trials, ambitions, and wonderful moments. Our sir name tells an even longer story of our heritage and family. Our nicknames tell of those private and sometimes embarrassing, but always intimate moments. But to wear a name tag skips right over all of that. It allows us to approach someone on a surface level without any intention to get to know them, to hear their story.

For example: When I was at the installation ceremony for a friend of the family who was becoming a District Superintendent, we all had to wear name tags. After a while I forget that I had it on. Until it came to the end of the service for communion and a time of meet and greet. At the alter rail the pastor serving the elements leaned over and addressed me by name. I freaked out and couldn't figure out how this person knew me, until I remembered the tag. 

God does not rely on name tags. In fact, God sometimes does not even rely on our given name. God re-named Abram, making him Abraham. And Sari was re-named Sarah. God does not rely on name tags because God can see into our hearts.

What does God see in your heart? 

What name does God call you?

Prayer: Lord, you do not leave us where we are. We thank you that sometimes you change our name and other times you change how we see ourselves. We thank you that you see in our hearts and change those pieces that draw us away from you. O Lord, thank you, we pray!

Wednesday: “ Covenant” - Genesis 17: 9-15

A rainbow. Blood brothers. Pinky swears. Marriage certificates. What do all of these things have in common? They are a sign of a covenant. Now it may seem odd to compare pinky swearing to being married, but at their heart they show a binding agreement to either do or not do something. With marriage their are lots of things that are covenant, to be with each other in sickness and in health, to forsake all others, and to be with one another until death, to name a few. With the Biblical covenant of the rainbow, God made one promise to never again destroy the whole earth. 

Biblically, covenants were a form of law. When God made a promise, God did not go back on it. Perhaps the most famous Biblical covenant was between God and Abraham, when God promised that Abraham’s decedents would number the stars. That he would be a great nation who would be blessed and they would have a land to dwell in. In order to symbolize the importance of this promise and to seal it God asked for the sign of circumcision. Covenants often were accompanied by a sign to remind people whenever they saw or experienced it of God’s faithfulness. Following the destruction of the earth in the time of Noah, it was a rainbow. Every time the people saw it in the sky they were to remember God’s promise that the whole earth would never be destroyed again. For the people of Israel under the leadership of Moses it was the Sabbath, a time of rest that they never received as slaves in Egypt. A time to wholly commune with God.

For Christians, we look to the cross to be reminded of the blood of the new covenant - the covenant where Christ offered his very life so that we could be reunited with God. We also remember the covenant God made with us through Jesus, every time we celebrate holy communion and recite the words from the gospel of Matthew, that he shed the blood of the new covenant on our behalf.

What do you think of when you see the cross?

How do you remember the new covenant that we have with Christ?

Prayer: Lord, sometimes we stray from your blessing and covenant. We forget the promise we make to follow you. But, O Lord, you keep drawing us back. Thank you, Lord, for the sign of the cross and the reminder we receive at Holy Communion. Continue to remind us of the importance of your life, death, and resurrection we pray. Amen. 

Thursday: “Which You Shall Keep” - Genesis 17: 9-15

By showing the outward signs of new names and following the rules of circumcision, now Abraham and Sarah were essentially promising to follow God, wherever God may lead. 

My friends and family will tell you that I strongly dislike broken promises. In our present culture,, we seem to make promises left and right that we have no intention of fulfilling. Or we make promises that we try to keep for a short period of time and then give up when it becomes hard. But if there is any place that the words “I promise”, or “I vow”, or “I covenant to” should matter it should be the Church. For God has made an unbreakable covenant with us through Jesus Christ, who we strive to both worship and emulate. Promises matter because they speak to where our heart is. They show the binding truths that we believe are crucial between ourselves, God, and others.

What do you think Abraham’s promise said about where his heart was at?

What promises do we make to the Lord? How do they reflect our hearts?

Prayer: Lord, we come before you today and confess that sometimes we do not live up to the promises we make to you. Sometimes we go astray. Sometimes we let our hearts become clouded by other things. Allow us to renew our covenantal promises with you, this day, O Lord. Set our hearts aright. Amen.

Friday: “I Chose You” - John 15:16

We live in a society where we desire everything to be easy, including getting to know people. But there is a process, that begins with asking people their name and inches forward into more intimate areas. It's a long process. There is a difference between recognizing someone's name and knowing them - knowing their heart.

Maybe the problem isn’t just that we want to have a shallow feeling of connection with others. Maybe the problem is much deeper and we don’t really want to take time to know ourselves. It’s hard work. It’s going to involve sifting through the past and remembering both the good and the bad. And it means doing the even harder work of separating the fiction of how other people have defined you from the truth of what God sees when he looks at you. I challenge you to take time to actually ask God what he likes about you, what he sees when he looks at you.

In today’s scripture we hear that we are loved and chosen by God. That we have a task and a responsibility that flows from God’s trust in us to bear fruit in the name of God. God can trust you because God knows you. God knows more than your name, God knows ever piece of who you are. 

Do you believe that you are loved and chosen by God? Why or why not?

Prayer: Lord, help us to see ourselves as you see us, chosen, loved, and trusted. Open up the ears of our hearts so we hear you calling our names. Send us forth, for the sake of your Kingdom, we pray. Amen. 

Saturday: Preparing for the Word

You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “The Gospel in Storybooks: Corduroy” - Eph 4: 9-10 and John 15: 12-15

Family Activity: Read A Porcupine Named Fluffy. Why doesn’t Fluffy like his name? How do you think God sees the things that we may not like about ourselves?