How Does Jesus Speak to You?
By Letha Essinger For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes may not die but have eternal life. John 3:16 (Good News Bible) I can't remember when my love of music wasn't there. My older sisters always sang harmony while doing dishes. In our one room school in Kansas, music was a bright spot every day. I could memorize anything set to music! In that same one room school we had Sunday school, and learned “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!” I could hardly wait for Sunday! What a wonderful experience! As an adult, singing in church and in church choirs has blessed my soul. How much I miss singing in church during this COVID shut-down! So I will be singing to myself all the beloved hymns of Lent and Easter. One that I particularly love speaks of Jesus love for each of us. It's one of the hymns that bring me peace. Sometimes I sing it in my mind as I'm going to sleep, or when I'm undergoing a medical procedure. O How He Loves You and Me O how He loves you and me! O how he loves you and me! He gave his life, what more can he give? O how he loves you; O how he loves me; O how he loves you and me! Jesus to Calv'ry did go; His love for sinners to show. What he did there brought hope from despair. O how he loves you; O how he loves me; O how he loves you and me! Take a deep breath, breathing in God's Spirit and calm, let the breath out slowly, releasing all that distracts you. Read or sing the words of the song in an attitude of Thanksgiving. Thank you, Holy Lord, for your wonderful gifts of love and grace and eternal life. Amen
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A Trip to the Dump
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Colossians 3:8 I do enjoy a trip to the landfill or “the dump,” as we used to call it. As a youngster, I saw those trips as great adventures! I never knew what I would find or whom I would see. Some folks turn up their noses when you mention a landfill, but not me. However, something about a landfill never changes: a certain odor is part of the experience. Now don’t get me wrong – the folks who operate our local landfill do a great job, but it still has that certain smell. The smell is not as bad as it was in the old days, but it is still there. That is just the price you pay for having garbage around – even for a little while. It is the same way with moral garbage. It stinks. The longer you keep it around, the more it stinks. Garbage such as “anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language” piles up in our hearts and pollutes the whole environment around us. That kind of garbage not only smells bad, it injures families, neighborhoods, offices, churches and communities. How do we get rid of moral garbage? Some can be recycled, but that takes special handling. Some should be buried, and some should be destroyed, but the best approach is to haul it off to someone who knows how to deal with it. As a Christian, I believe that Jesus knows best how to handle the moral garbage of my life – and yours. However, that doesn’t happen automatically. We don’t just “get better.” It starts with seeing garbage for what it is, and then deciding to get rid of it. How about a trip to dump? Dear Jesus, take the garbage of my life and haul it away. Recycle my experiences – even the bad ones – and use them to teach me to be a better disciple. Amen. The Sacrifice
By Kay Haley And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice of God. Ephesians 5:2 (NIV) April 8, 2011, I was building two large stage props for a passion play to be performed at our church for Good Friday. To construct the props, I was forming wire mesh into the shape of a life size figure of Jesus, to hang on a tall cross in the church yard. As I was finishing up and was amazed of how lifelike he was, I realized my hand was bleeding. I had cut it on the rough edges of the wire. I wasn’t in pain but I felt at that moment I needed to sit down, not because I was bleeding but because I was profoundly shocked at the realization of the sacrifice that was made for me. It was as if time had stopped. I remember repeating this verse several times throughout the following days of working on this project: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (KJV) Each year during the time of Lent, 40 days before Easter, I recall this emotional time in my life. Today when I think about the Lenten season I give thanks for this season to focus my walk with Jesus and where I am going with Him this year. It’s a time to look at all the opportunities to grow, to learn, to pray, to sacrifice my “cluttered life” for a more meaningful God centered life. Lent is our opportunity to contemplate what our Lord really did for us on the cross. The cross is where we can place our faith, our salvation, and our hope fully in God’s hands. Loving God, Help me to open my heart and let everything I do come from you. Help me to be aware and thankful for the many ways you reach out to me to help me each day. Lead me think beyond my own wants and fill me with the desire to do your will, Amen. From Jim's Cluttered Desks
March 2, 2022 Today is Ash Wednesday. This is the day of the Christian calendar where we set aside some specific time to sit still for awhile. Many churches have worship gatherings. Some Christian traditions include placing ashes on each worshippers forehead reminding u “for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) For some of us a discussion about our mortality (that we each will die) is not welcome. For others it can become a fearful expectation that dominates their life. Ash Wednesday helps balance those two extremes. It helps us admit to ourselves that there will be a day when that part of us that lives forever will leave these “wonderfully and fearfully made” bodies of ours. It also helps us prepare for this. advanced directives, wills, bequests, funeral arrangements are important and thoughtful. But then there is being prepared spiritually. “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many.” (Hebrews 9:27) Ash Wednesday offers an opportunity to prayerfully evaluate the “state of our souls.” On what and who are we depending as we live here and when we cross over? Knowing we should fill out an Advanced Directive, compose a will, or plan our funeral service doesn't get it done. Knowing you should make a decision to follow Jesus doesn't get it done either. Knowing and doing are two different things. Use this Ash Wednesday as a day to decide to follow Jesus; believing that he is the Son of the Living God, naming him as your Lord and Savior, letting his teaching and example become your guide, and become (or continue to be) part of a group of people who have decided the same thing. May your 2022 Ash Wednesday be a blessed time. Be not afraid, Pastor Jim Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control, that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed his own blood for my sake. It is well with my soul. -Horatio G. Spafford Introduction: Please read first!
In the midst of a global pandemic, the United Methodist Churches of Fruitland and Payette, Idaho endured hardships never before experienced. Our congregations were not allowed to meet in person for thirteen months. Although the churches joined forces to provide recorded worship services each week, worship just was not the same as were used to, and the fellowship we craved was beyond our reach. Despite the strictures we faced, the congregations remained strong, generous and united. God's charitable people continued to support their congregations financially, and they found ways to reach out to others both in church and in the community. Out of their loving hearts, church members and friends provided thousands of dollars in the form of grocery gift cards to needy families in our neighborhoods. As the 2021 Lenten Season approached, we wanted to come together in another way. We decided to promote the idea of providing daily devotions written for and by our church people. The outpouring of support was nearly as inspiring as the devotions people wrote from their hearts. For the 40-plus days of 2022 Lenten Season, audible recordings of these devotions, along with the printed text will be posted once again on a daily basis for you to enjoy, meditate on, and be blessed. Now, start the recording and enjoy the first posting: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Doing Lent By Roxie Tolbert "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!" Matthew 20:18-19 Our daughter-in-law, Wendy, got a phone call, a few weeks before Easter, from our granddaughter Trisha, who was away at college. Trisha was very upset and told her mother that she had just found out that she wasn't doing Lent correctly. She said that she had just learned that she was supposed to give up meat for Lent and instead she had been giving up her favorite daily fancy coffee drink from Starbucks. Trisha was attending St. Mary's College, a private Catholic college, and part of the requirement was attending worship services. Apparently it was suggested in the service that it was appropriate to fast from meat. Wendy explained to Trisha that, as she didn't care one way or the other if she ate meat, it would not be a sacrifice for her; so to give up her precious coffee drink was, of course, the right way to fast during Lent for her. I've had several interesting conversations around doing Lent—everything from being told that, as a Methodist, I can't do Lent because it's only for Catholics (and, no, this bit of wisdom did not come from someone who was actually Catholic) to friends asking me if I do Lent, how I do Lent and if they should do Lent the way I do. My first reaction when someone asked about doing Lent instead of observing Lent was that Lent is a Christian season, not an activity. After giving it a little more thought, I realized that I couldn't be more incorrect. Lent is something you do. Lent is our time of spiritual preparation before Easter. Preparation, any kind of preparation, requires activity. Some suggested activities are fasting, spiritual discipline, repentance, moderation, and self-denial. Lent is the time when we make an extra effort to draw closer to God – to really think about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a time to reflect on the sacrifice that was made for us—the gift that was given to us. The suggested activities provide both time and constant reminders for us during Lent—something to keep us centered during this special time. So, how do we do Lent? We do it in the way that is the most meaningful to each of us. We do it in the way that brings us closer to our amazing God who loves us so much that he gave his Son to us and for us. However you do lent, do Lent. Lord, we seek to come closer to you through our Lenten disciplines. May they be a gateway between You and each of us. Amen From Pastor Jim's Cluttered Desks..
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is yet to come. Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 24:4-6) In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine I encourage you to pray over the situation, especially for the people of Ukraine who are now suffering the devastation of war. It is hard to find words to shape our prayers so I offer this poem that fits the tune Finlandia (“This Is My Song”). Perhaps it will help you, as it has me, to have the words to bring before the Triune God during this crisis. We pray for peace, O God of love and justice, as once again, we face a time of war. The meek and humble try — amid the crisis -- to love and build, to nurture and restore. May leaders hear the truth the prophets teach us -- that gifts of peace are well worth struggling for. We pray for peace, O Christ who calmed the waters -- who stilled the storm, who stilled disciples’ fear. You spoke with love and with amazing power; be with us now when trouble is so near. May leaders see the miracle you offer -- that words and deeds can calm the nations here. We pray for peace, O Spirit here among us; your love emboldens, judges, and restrains. Take any hate and acts of impulse from us; make leaders wise, amid competing claims. May we seek peace, O God of love and justice; may love and mercy be our highest aims. Carolyn Jean Sibelius Additionally, we will be impacted by this war. May our words and attitudes reflect our commitment to follow Jesus. Be not afraid, Pastor Jim |
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