UnClutter the Heart: Praise to God

      We are about to end one year and enter into another. Sometimes there are natural places in our lives to pause and reflect, to look with new eyes and prepare ourselves for what is to come. The end of one year is one of those times. 

      So I would encourage you this week to think back on this past year - what brought you joy? What are you proud of? What do you want to remember?

        In other words, what can you praise God for? For it is God who gives us life and God who sustains us each day.  

       We spend a lot of time in this world hearing about what is going wrong. It is right in front of our eyes in the papers and on TV. But there is still so much to praise God for. So many moments when God is amazing us, if only we open our eyes. 

       What can you praise God for at the end of this year and how can you sing your way into 2020?

Praise to God Devo: Psalm 148

Spiritual Practices - Praise the Lord

Week of December 29th, 2019

During the season of Advent, we practiced different, every day spiritual disciplines in order to live into the gifts that Christ was bringing us with the season. Even though Advent is over, we have one more week of living into these practices with this different type of devotional - one that invites us into the theme of the week through concrete spiritual practices you are invited to try, either by yourself, with a friend, or as a family. 

Scripture for the week: Psalm 148

What does the Psalmist praise God for? What do we praise God for today? How is praise part of your spiritual practice?

Spiritual Practice: Reflection

Think back to your own life over the moments of amazement - those moments that took your breath away and drew you closer to God. If you haven’t thanked God for those times, take time to do so this week. Write them down and pray over them.

Spiritual Practice: Paying Attention 

Be open and attentive to the “wow” moments around you this week. Live in such a way that doesn’t take for granite all that God is trying to give you.

Spiritual Practice: Worship

Set aside time during your day for worship - a time to praise God for all that God has done throughout the day. What amazing things is God doing amongst you and through you?

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Psalm 148

From the Sermon:

The brith of Jesus was the _____________ of something.

“PTL” - “Praise the __________.”

________ moments are connected to wonder and lead us to worship.

Some people who study language believe that “wow” is a contraction of ___________.

Reflection Questions:

What moments lead you to praise God?

How has God amazed you this week?

Prayer:

Lord, open up our hearts to praise you! Open up our mouths to proclaim your joy! Let us lean into all that you blessed us this day and then send us out to share it. Amen.

UnClutter the Heat: Love

      While this season is often called the season of love, if we are honest, we do not always seem that love shown in tangible ways. In fact, how many times have we heard the story of shoppers being tramped for a certain deal or people fighting over a specific toy? Movies have even been made with some of those storylines. And every time I hear them, I wonder how that reflects the love of Jesus.

     It doesn't.

     Fighting over toys and deals is not why God sent Love to us in Jesus Christ.

    No, Christ came to call us home. To show us what love actually means and looks like with flesh on it. Christ came to invite us into Kingdom love.

    Sometimes there are signs this time of the year that proclaim: "Come Home for Christmas". While the sign may be inviting us to come to a physical home, Christ has come to invite us to our spiritual home.

    But it isn't just about us. It's about inviting folks to come and join. To come and experience this awesome power of love in their own lives as well.

    How have you experienced the love of Jesus?

UnClutter the Heart: Love Devo

Spiritual Practices - Love

Week of December 22nd, 2019

The season of Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Christ child on Christmas and the coming again of Jesus to reign. However, Advent as a time of spiritual preparation is right in the middle of everything that is taking place in our communities, schools, and homes to prepare for Christmas as well. As a result, there may not seem like there is as much time to prepare our hearts for Christ.

During this season we are going to prepare a different type of devotional - one that invites us into the theme of the week through concrete spiritual practices you are invited to try, either by yourself, with a friend, or as a family. 

Scripture for the week: Matthew 1: 18-21, 24-25

Reflect on these scriptures. Imagine that you are Joseph. How would you feel when you hear the news that Mary is pregnant? How would you go about making the decision about what to do next? How would you react to the word of the Lord coming to you in a dream?

Spiritual Practice: Sharing Love

Patience is not something that we always have this time of the year. Sometimes we stand in long lines, and we see that people get short with holiday workers (and maybe we even get short with them ourselves). What is one thing you can do this week to share the love of Jesus with a cashier? 

Spiritual Practice: Grateful Heart

There is a connection between love and gratitude. When we are filled with gratitude it spills over in ways that bless others. What would it look like for you to take time this week to have a grateful day - one day where you focused both on being thankful to God and sharing this with other people?

Spiritual Practice: Deep Yearning 

What I appreciate most about this season of Advent is that it gives us space to intentionally check in on the health of our spirits. It gives space for self-examination and asking God to reveal new insights to us about ancient stories. Pray this week for God to reveal to you the deep yearnings of your soul, especially during this time of the year. What could God be leading you to do through this desire?

Study. Sabbath. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Matthew 1: 18-21, 24-25

From the Sermon:

We have made love into a ___________.

Jesus brought the embodiment of the ______ to love, an action.

Jesus came to show us to love, how to go about the _____ of loving.

If anyone knew what it meant to show love through action, it was _________.

But Jospeh ended up showing ________.

Divine Love comes to remind us that God is _________.

Reflection Questions:

What blocks us from loving our neighbors in the world?

How has mistrust came to take root in our hearts to the point where it is choking out love?

What does it look like to share Divine Love?

How are the love of Jesus changed your life?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to show us what it means to love. Thank you for coming and breaking the chains of hatred and division that can pull us apart. Remind us, this season and beyond, what it looks like to show and share your love with the world around us. We pray this in your holy name. Amen. 

UnClutter the Heart: Joy

    Life is full of contradictions. For example - some of the people who I know that exude the most joy in this world are also the same people who have suffered so very much. Loss of spouses and children. Health issues. Yet, joy abounds.

     Joy abounds because it is not based on circumstances or needing everything to be perfect. Instead, joy comes from something much deeper - drawing near to the heart of God.

    Joy doesn't always comes with having the biggest smile. Instead, joy comes across in a heart that wants to share what God is doing. Praising God, even in the midst of the storm.

    Now does that mean that we always feel joyful? No. There are still days of heartache and grief. Nor does joy mean that everything in our lives lines up and goes smoothly. Instead, joy can be that quiet assurance that God's with you.

   What does joy mean to you?

Spiritual Practices - Joy

Week of December 15th, 2019

The season of Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Christ child on Christmas and the coming again of Jesus to reign. However, Advent as a time of spiritual preparation is right in the middle of everything that is taking place in our communities, schools, and homes to prepare for Christmas as well. As a result, there may not seem like there is as much time to prepare our hearts for Christ.

During this season we are going to prepare a different type of devotional - one that invites us into the theme of the week through concrete spiritual practices you are invited to try, either by yourself, with a friend, or as a family. 

Scripture for the week: Luke 1: 46-53

Reflect on these scriptures. Imagine that you are Mary. What are you trying to get across with this song? How do you imagine her saying this to others around her?

Spiritual Practice: Praying in Line

Part of the Holiday season means lines. Lines in the grocery store. Lines buying Christmas presents. Even lines of traffic that gets congested. This can often lead to an unjoyful spirit - one that gets easily frustrated. Instead, take time and pray for those in front of and behind us in line, wherever we may find ourselves. 

Spiritual Practice: Thank You

Start a list of all of the things that you want to say thank you to God for. Keep a notebook close by to jot some things down throughout the day. Take time in the evening to talk with someone else about what surprised you the most on the list. 

Spiritual Practice: Delight in God

Sometimes when we get busy during this season, our time with God can slip away. Take time this week in delighting to spend time with God. What brings you joy during your time

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Luke 1: 46-53

From the Sermon:

Sometimes we get so caught up in what we_______ we ought to be doing that we don’t let that song sing out of our spirits about what brings us _____.

What did Elizabeth’s child do in the womb at Mary’s greeting? ___________ for joy.

Mary starts out, before anything else, saying that her soul ________ the Lord and she _______ in God, her savior. 

As we try to fit in as much holiday fun and cheer as we can, it is often at the ______ of joy being pushed out.

There is room for joy for us all this season, ______________ we may be feeling.

Reflection Questions:

What comes to your mind when you think of joy?

What makes your heart sing?

How do we live as people who delight in God?

Prayer:

Lord, prepare us to be people who carry around your joy in our hearts. Use that joy to touch people in the world, O Lord, all for the sake of your name this season and beyond. Amen. 

UnCluttering the Heart: Peace

   We have so many ways that we can confuse what Jesus means by peace, especially the peace we talk about during the season of Advent.

    Sometimes we think it's about trying to make every moment of the holiday season perfect. As if every present wrapped just right and every cookie decorated with the most detail will make everything else going on in our lives stop. But this isn't the peace of God. The abiding peace that Christ left us. Instead, it's just a fake veneer that will quickly crumble and leave us disillusioned.

    Other times we think that peace means that we will no longer have struggles and suffering. Instead of working for perfection, we think that peace brings perfection. But that's not what the prophets Isaiah or Zechariah were talking about either.

   Instead, the peace of God comes right here and now in knowing that we are submitting to the call of God in our lives. And in the future it means that peace will reign in a way that totally changes the world. If we are honest, we aren't at the second part of that statement yet. But as we submit ourselves here and now, we pray for it. We hope for it. We work for it.

   We make space for it. For the peace of God.

UnCluttering the Heart: Peace Devo

Spiritual Practices - Peace

Week of December 8th, 2019

The season of Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Christ child on Christmas and the coming again of Jesus to reign. However, Advent as a time of spiritual preparation is right in the middle of everything that is taking place in our communities, schools, and homes to prepare for Christmas as well. As a result, there may not seem like there is as much time to prepare our hearts for Christ.

During this season we are going to prepare a different type of devotional - one that invites us into the theme of the week through concrete spiritual practices you are invited to try, either by yourself, with a friend, or as a family. 

Scripture for the week: Isaiah 11: 1-2,6 and Luke 1: 78-79

Reflect on these scriptures. What images come to your mind with Isaiah 11? 

What does it mean to have our feet guided into the way of peace?  What does this mean for us today?

Spiritual Practice: Peace Jars

Many of us have special traditions that we engage in during the season of Advent. What if we picked up a new tradition or two? Find two mason jars. In one jar put in slips of paper of the ways that you can share peace this December. It can be anything you think of. Draw one slip of paper out a day and do it as a family.

Have a second jar to hold slips of paper that represent ways that you saw peace during the month of December. 

Spiritual Practice: Light

Take time this week to light an advent candle in the evening. See this as an invitation to reflect on the day. Was your day easy or hard? How did you share peace in difficult situations? What does it mean to be a child of the Prince of Peace?

Spiritual Practice: Unclutter

What is one thing that you can not do this holiday season? Is there a way to not do it as a sacred practice and in its place take time to pray for the peace of Christ in the world?

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Isaiah 11: 1-2, 6

Luke 1: 78-79

From the Sermon:

Come and fill our hearts with your __________.

When we light the candle of peace this week we are saying that we ________ God’s peace will come.

We cannot make peace come by _______ more.

Isaiah 11 is speaking of a peace that we believe will come. A peace that we believe only _________ can bring. 

Zechariah says that people’s _________ will be guided towards peace.

Reflection Questions:

What does the peace of God look like?

How do we confuse perfection and peace?

What can you do in order to be a person of peace?

Prayer:

Lord, we confess that all too often we look at the brokenness of our world, the lack of peace, and we get overwhelmed to the point of inaction. We don’t know what to do, so we don’t do anything. But Lord, you reminded us this week that people’s feet will bring peace. Use our feet, our hands, our voices, O Lord, this Advent season to be people of peace, but not just any peace. Your peace. Amen. 

UnClutter the Heart: Hope

     Hope: An Advent Poem

Emily said that "hope is a thing with feathers"

But we proclaim that hope came long ago in a stable

And that he is coming again to reign. 

But that doesn't make hoping - the verb - an easier.

Some days, hope is hard.

When it seems like the world is crumbling around us

When the bills mount up and the car won't start

When we are sick or the kids or sick 

Hope is hard to come by.

But that's the thing of Advent is it not?

Hope isn't something we just come by.

It's not something that we stumble upon.

It's something that we need to choose.

Choose even when it's hard.

Choose even when it doesn't make sense. 

We are the people who choose hope.

The hope the world needs.

The hope we need.

So this Advent season, we slow down

And intentionally 

Choose hope.

Again, and again, and again.

Until Jesus comes again. 

UnClutter the Heart; Hope - Spiritual Practices

Spiritual Practices - Hope

Week of December 1st, 2019

The season of Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Christ child on Christmas and the coming again of Jesus to reign. However, Advent as a time of spiritual preparation is right in the middle of everything that is taking place in our communities, schools, and homes to prepare for Christmas as well. As a result, there may not seem like there is as much time to prepare our hearts for Christ.

During this season we are going to prepare a different type of devotional - one that invites us into the theme of the week through concrete spiritual practices you are invited to try, either by yourself, with a friend, or as a family. 

Scripture for the week: Jeremiah 33: 14-16 and Matthew 3: 1-13

Reflect on these scriptures. Are they written during an easy or difficult time in Israel’s history?

What does it mean to prepare the way for the Lord? What does this mean for us today?

Spiritual Practice: Stopping

This week in the sermon we were encouraged to STOP every time we see a stop sign or stop light, PRAY that God helps us to find our hope in him alone and then TRUST in God’s faithfulness.

Adaption for more than one person in your car: STOP at the stop sign or stop light, ask everyone in the car where they have seen God’s faithfulness today and then as you move again PRAY out loud to lean to TRUST God more. 

Spiritual Practice: Light

Take time this week to light an advent candle in the evening. See this as an invitation to reflect on the day. Was your day easy or hard? What did it teach you about finding your hope in Christ in all circumstances?

Spiritual Practice: Unclutter

Often the season is filled with a lot of hustle and bustle - places to be and things to do. What if you saw your to-do list as an opportunity to share the hope of Christ in the world? As you interact with folks, perhaps ask how you can pray for them during this holiday season. If you feel so led you can pray for them right then and there or later during your prayer time. 

Sabbath. Study. Serve.

Sabbath, Study, Serve 

Taking the Sermon Into Our Week 

Scripture of the Week: Jeremiah 33: 14-16

        Matthew 3: 1-3

From the Sermon:

As Christians we make this bold proclamation that we have a hope in _________.

During Advent we look forward to the coming of the ___________ on Christmas Eve, but also the coming of Jesus again as the ________.

 Our _______ has come. And he’s coming again.

Reflection Questions:

What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘hope’?

How would you prepare for the coming of Christ if you knew he would be at your home on Christmas Day?

How do we choose hope?

Prayer:

Lord God, remind us during the chaotic nature of this season to slow down. To look into our hearts and make room for hope. To make room, Precious Lord, for you. Be our hope and our light, we pray.