Thursday - August 31, 2023
Rev. Dr. Neil G. Thomas
SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 5.1-3
Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
WORDS OF HOPE
Wake Up from Your Sleep
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with God and learn a life of love.
Following Jesus and becoming as “Christ-like” as we possibly can is a daily, sometime hourly practice of surrender. We are called to surrender to the ways of the world and to encounter something that is more dangerous, LOVE! Yes, as people of faith we are called to love.
The writer of the letter to the early church in Ephesus puts it this way, “Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. Jesus did not love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.”
The writer wants us to observe how Jesus lived his life. It is what Paul would call, “putting on the mind of Christ” and living, loving, caring, forgiving, like Christ. To face everyday decisions and behaviors as if we were “Christ”, not with the need or desire to get something in return but because it is the right thing to do – the right way to live.
In the 12-step traditions and principles of AA which were heavily inspired by Christianity, a fundamental practice is being of service to others with no intent to receive something in return. The spiritual principles of recovery are acceptance, hope, faith, courage, honesty, patience, humility, willingness, brotherly love, integrity, self-discipline, and service. Following these principles offers us the opportunity to love extravagantly, and not just loving and serving others, but loving and serving ourselves as well.
It is my sincere belief that if we could practice this truth much of the pain, guilt, shame, and damage that has been done to humanity, and which we absorb, could be healed and overcome – perhaps not even inflicted in the first place.
We love others because God first extravagantly loves us. It is this acceptance of God’s love that is lavishly offered to us, poured out toward us, that enables us to love ourselves. It is this God- love and our self-love that motivates us to love others and to be of service. “Love like that”, the writer says. What would our world look like if we could truly love like that? What would our own lives look like if we could love ourselves “like that?” How would this truth change the destiny of the church, our church?
Our invitation is to keep alert and to be mindful of our actions, knowing that they reflect our beliefs. As the writer of the Book of James puts it, “faith without deeds is dead.”
May we keep alert, stay woke, and be a demonstration of that kind of extravagant love in the world.
PRAYER
God, help us to learn to follow your ways and your commandment to love God, love self, and love others. Amen.
DEVOTION AUTHOR
The Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas
Senior Pastor
Pronouns: he/his/him
Need Some Inspiration? Read our Daily Devotions
SCRIPTURE 1 John 3: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts and God knows everything. WORDS OF HOPE Immediately after realizing a mistake had occurred, I wrapped myself in guilt which led straight to shame, remorse, then followed by unease. The culmination of emotions literally ran in tandem under 60 seconds where I could feel myself leaning into a big pool of self-blame! It’s easy to see how our hearts become myopic and only focus on one thing, usually it’s the one thought we need to release and move on. However, the Bible says our hearts are the seat of our emotions carrying thoughts and consciousness. It can and often does reflect our innermost feelings of joy or deep sorrow. This same amazing heart can spin on a dime and catapult us into condemnation where guilt and self-doubt take center stage to snatch us away from our inner peace. That’s when we begin to question our worthiness with thoughts of failure. Guilt and shame drop quickly like an impenetrable barrier between our peace working overtime to assure us we are beyond God’s grace let alone anyone else’s. Fortunately, while we may be short -sighted, God is still present, ready to quelch any feeling of doubt or fear of being unworthy. In the scripture, John reminds us even when we stumble Gods knowledge and all-encompassing love sees beyond any missteps and offers up the real truth, “God’s love is greater than any outside circumstances that bring conflict to our inner soul”. While our human hearts can only see the situation in front of us, Gods love is relentless, unyielding, and marked by compassion. When we find ourselves in the depths of failure, God reminds us to seek mercy, ask for grace and receive the promise of everlasting love. Once we allow God to calm our hearts, our attention to the promise of peace can be recalled and embraced. PRAYER Gracious God of mercy, forgiveness and hope, let us have the same love and grace towards ourselves and each other as you have for us. In Jesus name, Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Donna Jackson
SCRIPTURE Psalm 118.24 "This is the day our God has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." [and rejoice in the opportunities you give me today to be present with you, my Lord, in times of ministry and quiet with you.] (expanded) WORDS OF HOPE "This is the day our God has made." As you start each day, take a few minutes to focus on this special blessing which is offered to you. Life itself is a divine gift which is freely given to you. Neither you nor anyone else could open up the next 24 hours of life for your experience. In all truth, the next few hours are your most valuable asset. Without the promise of a new day, you wouldn't exist. Many people wander through day after day and fail to realize the value of those hours. The most valuable way to start each morning is to take a few minutes and center yourself by orienting your thoughts toward the blank canvas of time which lies ahead. You won't be able to control events in much of it, and there will be moments of emotional ups and downs. But remember, it is God which offers you this new day. Give thanks for this opportunity to live through these 24 hours and remember that you are alive in God's good will. Early each morning as you think about the canvas of life before you, meet that day with joy! Often people approach the new day with anxiety or disgust about probable events or interactions with certain people. That immediately throws a cloud of fear over everything, even dulling good interactions. That attitude paints the whole day in somber or dark shadows. God, who is giving you this new day, wants you to encounter it with joy; a joy which paints your next 24 hours in vibrant colors. So, what is the basis of that joy? It is your expectation that in this new day you can be assured that God's loving presence will be manifested in your experiences! What might you discover about yourself? What might be the impact of your action for the good of others? Remember: God is totally good and does not plan that you will be hurt. Look for how God will guide and provide for you. Sometimes, we have days that seem to have little or no value, empty days. Are these times when you seem to lose the expectation of recognizing God's actions in your life? Start each morning with this affirmation: PRAYER I expect that God will be present and active in my life this day. This is the day our God has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare
SCRIPTURE 2 Kings2:15-18 When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. They said to him, “See now, we have fifty strong men among your servants; please let them go and seek your master; it may be that the spirit of the Lord has caught him up and thrown him down on some mountain or into some valley.” He responded, “No, do not send them.” But when they urged him to the point of embarrassment, he said, “Send them.” So, they sent fifty men who searched for three days but did not find him. When they came back to him (he had remained at Jericho), he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?” WORDS OF HOPE This story reminds me of many times when I was a child. Living in Texas, summer heat is a fact of life. It changes our daily activities in sometimes subtle and often profound ways. I remember one day, with the temperature in the triple digits I asked my mother if I could go outside and play. She knew I would be safe in our back yard, but admonished me, “Stay off the slide today, It’s going to be too hot to slide on.” And soon I was off to join my friends who had come over and we all began some kind of silly game in the backyard. Eventually, we hit the swing set and were swinging and laughing. One of my favorite things to do was to slide down the small slide attached to the swing set, and before long I climbed the rungs to the top. Wearing shorts and flip-flops, I jumped up and sat down on the slide and was soon sliding down the hot metal surface. By the time I reached the bottom, my legs and calves had been seared on the hot steel, and I yelled and began crying. My mother heard this and when she approached me and said, “Did I not tell you not to get on the slide?” Sometimes we are stubborn just like Elisha’s followers. We often only learn from experience, even though we have been given wise advice. PRAYER May I learn to heed the advice of those who are wiser and more experienced than myself, and if I fail to do so, may I learn the lesson with a minimum of pain. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Hardy Haberman
SCRIPTURE Romans 14:13 (NIV) Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. WORDS OF HOPE Paul’s letter to the Romans could easily be written to any Christian church today. I don’t know exactly what was taking place among the Roman church of yesteryear, but I know that today’s hyper-critical, mud-slinging culture inhabits our pews. It takes effort to look for understanding rather than blame. It takes commitment to love those who actively plot to harm us. Still, Jesus said we should love our enemies, and Paul, in this scripture is telling us how to do that. Paul said, “make up your mind,” and I believe he is on to something life changing and beneficial to us as individual Christians as well as our church as a community As individuals, we can purpose in our hearts and pray for the Holy Spirit to help us love everybody, always. That means every human on the planet, regardless of race, creed, social standing, or political belief. Everybody, always. If we find ourselves falling short of that ideal, no need to grovel, just correct. Actively change hateful thoughts to love filled prayer for the person or group you have hated. Imagine them healed of their “flaws,” then pray for God to make it so. As a community, our church can pay attention to individuals or groups we are criticizing or presenting ourselves as “better than.” We can change our language to include even individuals or groups who have harmed us, or those who may threaten our freedom. We can make up our collective minds to love everybody, always! We can actively seek out opportunities to make peace across aisles, across generations, across borders. PRAYER God of Love and Peace, I seek your help as an individual, and as a member a congregation born of Love. I ask for new eyes to see every individual on this earth as your beloved child. Help us seek justice without hating the haters. Give us patience, allowing others to grow and lead by example rather than criticism. Help us love better. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Carole Anne Sarah
SCRIPTURE Hebrews 12:1-2 Let us run with perseverance the race that lies before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith WORDS OF HOPE On my daily early-morning walk, I found Jesus (okay, it’s not what you think, but I’ve always wanted to write a sentence just like that). As I was making my way across the Doubletree Ranch Trail lake bridge over a small portion of Lake Lewisville, I spotted Jesus. He was a very small rubber figurine, less than 1” tall, of a very white-skinned, long brown haired, bearded Jesus wearing a white robe and a colorful sash. I wanted to pick him up and take him home with me, but I already have two of these figurines. So, I picked him up from the sidewalk and put him on the bridge’s railing, looking out over the lake. These early morning, one-hour hikes give me a lot of time to think, which may or may not be helpful or productive. But the little Jesus figurine turned my thoughts towards how each one of us see Jesus. For many, the Jesus we find in the Gospels is a Jewish, Middle Eastern teacher who identifies with the poor and marginalized, welcomes outsiders, challenges religious hypocrisy, warns repeatedly about wealth, rejects retaliation, teaches forgiveness, and commands people to love their neighbors—and even their enemies. A far cry from my little rubber figurine with the perfect beard. For some, however, a narrower, agenda-driven understanding of Jesus has emerged—one that has been used to justify political power, exclusion, and Christian nationalism. Much of what is presented as “biblical Christianity” bears surprisingly little resemblance to the teachings of Jesus. In his book, Separation of Church and Hate by John Fugelsang, John writes a funny, thoughtful, and thorough argument that the most effective response to Christianity being weaponized for nationalism, prejudice, wealth, and political power, is not necessarily to abandon the Bible, but to reclaim it by putting Jesus—and his teachings about love, mercy, justice, nonviolence, and care for the marginalized—back at its center. The writer of Hebrews captures this idea perfectly in Hebrews 12 when he says “looking to Jesus”. Christianity can become distracted by politics, power, doctrine, culture wars, or institutional preservation. From denominationalism to nationalism to who gets to sit in what pew on any given Sunday, we find ourselves looking to justify our own selfishness. However, discipleship continually calls us to turn our attention back to Jesus and his teachings about love, mercy, justice, nonviolence, and care for the marginalized. Maybe that little Jesus on the bridge was a reminder for me—and perhaps for all of us. In a world where we are constantly tempted to remake Jesus in our own image, discipleship asks us instead to keep “looking to Jesus.” When we do, we may rediscover the Christ who calls us away from power and exclusion and toward love, mercy, justice, and radical welcome. Perhaps the challenge of faith is not simply to find Jesus, but to keep finding our way back to him. PRAYER Jesus, turn our eyes toward you when we are distracted by power, fear, and division. Help us follow your way of love, mercy, justice, and welcome. May our lives reflect not the Jesus we create in our own image, but the Jesus we meet in the Gospels. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs
SCRIPTURE Exodus 14:1-8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.’ I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds of Pharaoh and his officials were changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done, letting Israel leave our service?” So, he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him; he took six hundred elite chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out boldly. WORDS OF HOPE Today is the 25 th anniversary of the attacks on New York, the Pentagon, and what would have been an attack on the capital that ended in the field in Pennsylvania. In response to that event, this day was unofficially declared Remember Freedom Day. And while we remember those lost a quarter of a century ago; it is a good time to stop and remember freedom. We find today that there are many places in the world where freedom either never existed or has been lost. We stand in Hope today that we will not lose the freedom that we have enjoyed here. But it is incumbent upon us to recall that 250 years ago, freedom was not a guarantee. And not just for the politically dominant white males of the time, but for hundreds of thousands of slaves who were held in all 13 of the original colonies. Freedom for those in bondage at that time was a long time coming. Indeed, it took too long; and still is not manifest in so many ways. The passage above gives us an insight into how long humankind has struggled with the concept of freedom. There seems to be a belief that many people hold that freedom for some must involve the loss of freedom for others. They see freedom as a limited commodity that must be held onto before some of it is lost. It seems that there have always been those who feel they must enhance their own freedom through the control and servitude of others. Pharaoh realizes that he has lost control of the Israelites. He wants that control back. We see the same thing today. There are those who feel that allowing people who do not worship or love or celebrate the same way they do somehow or another reduces their personal freedom. And so, they feel the only way to maintain their own freedom is to restrict the freedom of others. And it is unfortunate that those who believe that way cannot seem to understand that this is not the case. This is especially the case with those who feel like they have found ultimate truth. It is only when we realize that each individual, singly or corporately must be allowed to seek and find truth in their own way that we will truly have freedom. We need to understand that “our” freedom is not restricted by “their” freedom. PRAYER God of love, free us from our narrow-mindedness that causes us not to be free and not to enjoy the freedom that we have. Free us from our narrow-mindedness that keeps us in bondage to the belief that our freedom rests on the restrictions of the freedom of others. DEVOTION AUTHOR Weber Baker Order of Saint Francis and Saint Clare