Tuesday - December 24, 2024

SCRIPTURE Romans 15.14-21 I, myself, am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So, from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” WORDS OF HOPE We’ve all gotten those emails or seen a social media post where we have read some meaning or attitude into them that may not have been intended by the writer. It is sometimes hard to translate words delivered to us in a two-dimensional inanimate form into words that are being spoken from the heart and soul of a feeling human being. Sometimes when I read the words of the apostle Paul, I interpret them as being somewhat boastful …”Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again…, He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God.” Why does he think I need to be reminded? And doesn’t each of us who claims to be a Christian have the duty to proclaim the gospel of God? I often wonder how I would respond if I encountered Paul on the street today. And how would he interact with me and other people he’d meet? My trigger response to the above passage comes from my error in reading first century words from a twenty-first century mindset. Today there are all kinds of people out there proclaiming that they have been given THE priestly duty of proclaiming the Gospel and wanting us to believe them to be speaking and doing the work of Jesus while, in reality, only glorifying themselves—not God. Such behavior elicits an immediate negative reaction in me. I have to step back and remind myself that Paul was not like those today that treat their faith as a superficial accessory. He truly believed that everything he was doing was in the service of God. Paul was a successful evangelist, spreading Christianity to the Gentiles and building churches throughout the Roman Empire. He went about his mission with a rare kind of humility. Paul was genuine. Though he lived nearly two centuries ago, Paul’s words and actions are still relevant and serve as an example for us now. As an apostle, Paul was dedicated entirely to a life of service and hard work. In everything he did, Paul strived to reflect his faith through acts of humility and love. This is what we each need to do as well. We too have a duty to proclaim the gospel of Christ throughout our daily lives. When we read the words of Paul in their New Testament, it is important for us to think about the time and place in which they were written. What was their meaning and intent to the original audience? Then, we can think about what their meaning and application are to our daily life. PRAYER Gracious God, help me to see and appreciate your servants who have come before me. May I learn from them to be a faithful example of your peace, hope, joy and love. Amen DEVOTION AUTHOR Kris Baker Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE  Ephesians 1:5 He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. WORDS OF HOPE Did you celebrate Nation Adoption Day Nov 21, 2025? I was lucky enough to get to celebrate in the most amazing way! There were 22 family members & three firefighters and one lucky baby and a very nice Judge in Tarrant County Court. My granddaughter and her husband have been doing foster parenting for the last couple of years. They had one baby girl for over a year, but her parents did the required things to qualify to regain custody. They also did a rescue foster for another little girl. And then came the call of a "Baby Moses" baby! A tiny baby was left at a fire department! There is no penalty for someone surrendering a child to a fire department! They will secure necessary medical help and alert the necessary authorities to find a new home for the child. Our baby was so tiny she needed immediate treatment at a Neo Natal ICU where she was treated until she was stable! My granddaughter and her husband were spending time bonding with her during her time there! And when her weight reached the magic numbers, they took her with them to their loving home! And everything was done to make her their child. Tarrant County had Disney Princesses and Bluey and even Glinda and Elphaba in attendance for us and other families receiving adoption on this wonderful day. God has been in the process all this time. My granddaughter and her husband were confident that God had a child for them and tried to follow God and trust in God's timing even when the answer to their prayer had been "not now!" They will go back to Foster Parenting children in a few months and see where else God leads them. And I am blessed to be Great Grandmommy to this bundle of joy! God has blessed our whole family. Being Foster Parents is a wonderful, but challenging calling. I adopted my son. I was a Foster Parent two times to young boys when my own daughters were very young. And I was also involved in care of children when I managed two different Boys' Ranches many years ago! I have many friends who are blessed to be adopted. God creates families in many ways. I am thankful for all of them. PRAYER God of all creation, I thank you for Foster Parents, Adoption Parents and the gift of being a parent, a grandmommy and a great grandmommy. I am thankful to you for being my heavenly Parent! DEVOTION AUTHOR Jan Nunn CoH Volunteer

SCRIPTURE Acts 13:16-25 So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak: Fellow Israelites and others who fear God, listen.  WORDS OF HOPE He self-describes as an “unattractive little man with a nasally, professorial voice.” He is an unassuming introvert who prefers time behind the cover a book or watching great old movies. He is proficient at playing the tuba, having once been a member of the University of Michigan Marching Band. Even with his name, he prefers the unassuming moniker of ‘Bob’ rather than ‘Robert.’ When you go to hear him preach, however, you are met with a giant. In his Presbyterian robe and stole, he settles into his pulpit and one cannot help but be enraptured by his ability to drop you into the narrative. He is a brilliant homiletician, opening the passages of scripture to the listener in such a way as everyone in the room can understand. After 30+ years in that same pulpit, Bob continues to open scripture and reveal a Savior who, like him, is unassuming, brilliant, graceful, and loving. When he steps up to the podium, he starts with a short explanation of the Scripture he is about to read. Then, as he is about to begin, he stops and looks lovingly at the assembled congregation. Purposefully and intently, he pauses, then says: “Listen.” Wherever your mind was before that moment, your focus is immediately drawn towards this unpretentious man with the nasally voice. Your inner monologue about your shopping list, your uncomfortable shoes, the noisy child two pews over, and the strangers in the back pew ceases. With the word “Listen” spoken intently and resolutely, you turn your attention to the scripture about to be read and the homily about to be shared. When Paul begins his sermon in Pisidian Antioch, he gestures to the assembled Israelites and Gentiles and summons them to himself with one word: Listen. And listen they did, hearing Paul recount God’s sovereign action in Israel’s history, in the wilderness and in the period of Judges and Kings. Paul invites his listeners to remember the story they belong to—a story shaped not by their achievements, but by God’s faithful initiative. Eventually, Paul’s words lead to God’s ultimate act of faithfulness: the sending of Jesus, the promised Savior. He stood before them and reminded them that the starting point of faith is simply this: “Listen.” Before God calls us to act, God calls us to pay attention to what He has already done. Amid a culture that pressures us to perform and a smartphone-driven world where our attention is always drifting, Pastor Bob, the Apostle Paul, and the still small voice of God calls us into a posture of humility and receptivity. How can we tune in when the voice beckons us with the word ‘Listen’? PRAYER Lord, quiet the noise within and around us so we may LISTEN and truly hear the story of Your faithfulness. Teach us to listen with humble and open hearts, ready to receive the grace You so gently speak. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Thomas Riggs

SCRIPTURE Proverbs 22.1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. WORDS OF HOPE Greed is an inglorious miseducation which teaches us that the difference between less and more is our happiness. The assertion is that those with less are poor and that those with more are rich. Ironically, the acquisition of wealth is thought to lead one to happiness; however, endeavoring for wealth which cannot be enjoyed after one’s years are spent acquiring it is a bitter venture only realized by the time it is too late to get the time back. This is poverty: spending your whole life trying to get rich and gaining nothing but regrets and the desire for more time in the end. Our true wealth is the time we have to spend with the ones we love. We have time to discover the beauty of this world, to build relationships, and to leave this world better than we found it. None of these things require money to attain more than the requirement of our time. Happiness is inexpensive but time is priceless. Yet, for every one person who finds satisfaction there are nine hundred and ninety-nine who want more. This is blindness: there is enough food in the world to feed everyone, but people are dying of hunger. There are people who live modest lives. They may wear the same clothes every day and only eat what they can grow but are smiling from within out of an abundance of wealth that few understand. It is long overdue that humanity asked the honest question...why? Why do we need so much? We have the resources needed to meet the physical needs of every living person on Earth but lack the vision to make it happen. Jesus once warned us that it profits us nothing if in the end, we gain the world but lose our souls. PRAYER God our provider, Teach us not only to desire what we have, but also, to share what we have with others. Keep us from the path of confusion, and from trying to monopolize wealth and happiness. Grant this world the true riches of Your love. Let Your companionship be treasured far more than jewels. Help us, to not only see our own needs, but also, the needs of our neighbors. Bless You, for You provide all that we need and more than we desire. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Jonathon McClellan Order of St. Francis and St. Clare

SCRIPTURE James 5. 1-6 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. WORDS OF HOPE We hear a lot of discussion these days about enormous wealth verses the plight of the poor. The writer of the Book of James does not hold back in his condemnation of the lifestyle practiced by the worst of the selfish rich in his community. People who follow a faith- based lifestyle, rich or poor, are taught to do good, be honest and caring toward others without a thought of being given credit. Some people do a lot of good but always want to be recognized for their deeds. For example, they may give a sizable donation to build a homeless shelter, but they want their name attached to the project. They need to be recognized for their philanthropy. I am reminded of this gospel story: Jesus was sitting with his disciples in the Jerusalem Temple while people were passing by and placing money into the offering chest. Many rich people placed in large sums of money and their coins made lots of noise. Then a poor widow passed by and deposited two tiny copper coins, worth less than a penny today. In Mark12.41, Jesus commended the widow's generosity and told his disciples: "This poor widow has put in more than those who are rich. For they contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on." Her gift to the offering didn't make noise as it fell into the treasury chest. Her offering came from a quiet and humble heart which acknowledged the goodness of God who was the foundation and source of her livelihood. Likewise, when we pray giving thanks for the love that we share with one another, we should also give praise for God's love. For God's goodness and love is the source of the Christian's expression of goodness to others. The goodness that we express is only a reflection of the pure goodness of God. PRAYER Gracious God, as I reflect on how I want to begin each new day of life with you and others, may I be more faithful and consistent in my life's witness to your redeeming love and care. Open my eyes to the opportunities which you will provide whereby I can help others find you as a rich source of comfort and guidance for their life. Amen. DEVOTION AUTHOR Donald (Luke) Day Order of St. Francis and St. Clare