Lenten devotional 2017

Lent

+7

The Church in Lent, as a Shared Meal

2017

Worship Guide

T AST E

&

SEE

THAT THE LORD IS GOOD

Lenten Diet unknown author

Fast from judging others; feast on the presence of God within each person.

Fast from focusing on difference; feast on the unity of all life.

Fast from apparent darkness and gloom; feast on the reality of light and enthusiasm.

Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God. Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.

Fast from facts that depress; feast on promises that inspire.

Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the brilliance of Resurrection!

Editor’s Introduction This year’s Lenten Worship Guide has taken on a new theme, as suggested and developed by Pastor Lyn Olson: “Taste and See That the Lord is Good – The Church in Lent, as a Shared Meal.” Please first read her summary, and you will note that it includes both feasting and fasting, each part of the Lenten experience.

We are including fifty four individual devotionals, starting with the one written by Senior Pastor Chris Romig, to be read on Ash Wednesday, March 1. Since the story doesn’t end on Easter, the final devotional concludes the Worship Guide on the Sunday after Easter, April 23, which is sometimes referred to as Low Sunday.

It is not possible this year to include a schedule of sermons or bible studies, but you can be assured that we will be blessed by the Sunday Lenten messages, accompanied by vocal and instrumental music directed by Dr. Glen Olsen, and supported by Wednesday evening Bible Study, from 6 to 6:45, with Pastor Chris.

This 2017 Lenten Worship Guide was a team effort, led by Pastor Lyn and her vision.

And Paige Pierce and Alan Penick worked on the layout and production.

You should know that fifty four members and friends of Venice Presbyterian Church wrote individual devotionals, as selected by Pastor Lyn, and each one provides a unique and personal perspective.

I am deeply indebted to our Co-Editors of Devotionals, Affiliate Members Blair and Chris Dowden, who used their Biblical scholarship and editorial skills to review each and every contribution. The Dowdens are Indiana snowbirds, and are the retired President and First Lady of Huntington University, a nationally ranked one hundredtwenty year old Christian liberal arts school in Huntington, Indiana.

Pray and reflect on one scripture each day, and give thanks to God in the reading of His word and the supporting devotionals in our 2017 Lenten Worship Guide.

Blessings,

Robert L. Johnson Editor

“Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8) – The Church in Lent, as a Shared Meal Meals are a powerful expression of welcome, community and friendship in every culture. Tables are places of connection, celebration, brokenness, healing and blessing.

Meals shared by the people of God reflect God’s grace and enact God’s mission with His people. In the Bible, we are reminded of God’s lavish creation – where the fruit of every tree is named and provided for our delight and sustenance. Feasts were central to the Jewish celebrations, and were opportunities to be thankful together for all God’s blessings. Jesus shared his life at table, with tax collectors, friends, enemies, and outcasts, serving up grace and truth and forbearance to all. He invited the poor and lame, the blind; He was comforted by meals at his friends’ homes; He partied at weddings. He celebrated a rich religious feast tradition with His disciples at the Passover.

And these meals are a foretaste of what’s yet to come – the promise we shall feast with joy forever in Jesus’ presence.

At the heart of what it means to be the church, then, is a shared meal. Jesus told us to remember Him not only in a pattern of words, but in a meal – the Lord’s Supper, which harkens back to the Passover meal He shared with His beloved disciples before his death. These meals – and all meals - shared with believers, create opportunities to share the gospel in a context that invites us to “take and eat, and see that the Lord is good.”

We don’t need to know how to cook to do this – we simply need to be people who eat and people who love Jesus.

Fasting is also a Lenten practice – depending upon God, “hungering and thirsting” for the Word of God, abstaining from satisfying our appetites for “food that lasts.” So this Lent, we shall reflect on passages about food, harvest, celebrations, fasting and feasting.

We shall meet people in plenty and in want, Kings and widows, tax collectors, traitors and sinners. We shall imagine ourselves gathered around Jesus’ table with His friends – and His enemies. These passages, from the Old and New Testaments, shall sustain us on our journey to the cross, as we stop along the way to “eat the word,” to pray, and to remember that Jesus is the bread of life and the cup of salvation for all who gather in His name. Even those who would betray Him. What wondrous love is this!

Lyn Olson Associate Pastor

Lenten Devotional Reading Guidelines

As we journey through Lent together, may these Lenten devotions bless you, and draw you closer to God. Here are some guidelines to enhance your spiritual experience, as you “taste and see the Lord is good.”

1.

Find a comfortable and quiet spot for the spiritual practice of devotional reading and prayer. Return each day to this special place set aside for God.

2.

Before you begin each day, pray, inviting God to be with you during this time. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your mind and heart to the readings. Sit quietly awhile and clear your mind of everything else so you can hear from God. A simple prayer such as “Christ, as a light, illumine and guide me as I read Your Word today, for I seek Your presence, Your goodness and Your truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

3.

From the Bible, read the scripture several times before you read the devotion. Allow the scripture to speak to you first. What words or phrases catch your attention? Reflect on those a few minutes.

4.

Ask questions of the scripture text. Who wrote it? Why? What was the context of the writing? You might want to read the verses/chapters before and after the scripture text, or a commentary.

5.

After you have read and reflected on the scripture yourself, read the devotion prayerfully, allowing the voice of the writer to join your own as you reflect on the scripture.

6.

Ask God, how do the scripture, my reflections and the devotion emphasize the goodness of the Lord?

7.

Conclude with a prayer of thanksgiving, such as “Lord God, thank You for Your Word, for the reflections of my sister or brother in Christ, and for Your presence with me today. I surrender to You all that hinders my walk with You, so that I might taste and see Your goodness today, and be a light to others. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

2017 Lenten Worship Guide - Schedule of Devotionals Date

Scripture

Title

Contributor

3/1 Ash Wednesday

Dan 9: 1-6, 17-19

Prayer & Fasting for forgiveness

Chris Romig, Senior Pastor Session Moderator

3/2

Gen 1: 27-31; 2:8-9

God's gift of food

Lyn Olson Associate Pastor

3/3

Gen 47: 13-27

Joseph, God and the Famine

Tom Hoffman, Missions Committee

3/4

Ex 12: 1-14

The First Passover feast

Jennifer Speer, Bible Study Leader

3/5 Sunday

Ex 16: 1-15

Food for the Wilderness

Robert Johnson, Ruling Elder, Editor, Lenten Worship Guide

3/6

Deut 16: 13-15

Feast of Tabernacles

Linda Ford, Hospitality Team

3/7

Deut 16: 9-12

Feast of Weeks

Helen Crompton, Affiliate Member

3/8

Lev 25: 1-7

Sabbath Year Feast

John Reese, Elder, Affiliate Member

3/9

Lev 25: 35-38

Jubilee for the Poor

Gerda Robinson, Welcoming Team

3/10

Deut 8: 6-10

The Fertile Land of Promise

Tom & Laura Saye, Members

3/11

Ruth 2: 11-18

The Hospitality of Boaz

Sheryl Morford, Ruling Elder, Beautification Comm. Chair

3/12 Sunday

2 Sam 12: 15-23

David Fasts and Weeps

Dick Armstrong, Elder, President of Trustees

3/13

1 Ki 3: 7-15

Solomon's Thanksgiving Feast

Ron Olson, Trustee

3/14

1 Ki 17: 1-6

Elijah Fed by Ravens

Rev. Marv Gibbs, Pastor Evangelical Church, Hong Kong

2017 Lenten Worship Guide - Schedule of Devotionals Date

Scripture

Title

Contributor

3/15

1 Ki 17: 7-16

Elijah and the Poor Widow Eat

Kate Smithson, Clinica Salvatore Mission Guatemala

3/16

Ps 23: 5-6

The Lord's Table

Stu Bischoff, Chancel Choir

3/17

Neh 7:7b-8:1,5-12

Feasting with the Word

Jack Perkins, Ruling Elder

3/18

Ps 34: 1-8

Taste and see the Lord is Good

Jim Garard, Trustee

3/19 Sunday

Isaiah 25: 1 6-9

Wedding Supper of the Lamb

Rev. Carol Gibbs, Evangelical Church, Hong Kong

3/20

Eccl 2: 18-26

Eat, Drink and be Happy

Nick Clemmer, Ruling Elder

3/21

Isaiah 55: 1-4

Spiritual Sustenance

Callie Cowan, Exec. Dir. Pregnancy Solutions

3/22

Isaiah 58: 3-9

A Righteous Fast

Dr. Eileen Reamy, Ruling Elder

3/23

Dan 1: 1-15

Daniel's Excellent Meal Plan

Harley Allen, Worship Committee

3/24

Esther 9: 18-23

Feast of Purim

Glen Olsen, Minister of Worship Arts

3/25

Zechariah 8:12-19

Israel's Bounty Restored

Cris Anderson, Equipping Coordinator

3/26 Sunday

Mt 6:25-27

Don't Worry About Food

Connie Sayers, Admin. Coordinator

3/27

Ezek 2: 9-3:3

The Sweet Taste of God's Word

Will Harwell, Member & Student at FSU

3/28

John 2: 1-11

Wedding Feast of Cana

Chris Dowden, Co-Editor of Devotionals

2017 Lenten Worship Guide - Schedule of Devotionals Date

Scripture

Title

Contributor

3/29

Mt 9: 10-13

Banquet at Levi's

Bob Hoban, Trustee

3/30

Luke 7: 36-50

Dinner with a Redeemed Sinner

Laurie Wright, Ruling Elder Clerk of Session

3/31

Mt 14: 15-21

Feeding the 5000

Kenneth Reamy, Member

4/1

Luke 11: 37-42

Eating with Unclean Hands or Heart?

Dottie Pfaff, Member

4/2 Sunday

Luke 15: 21-32

Feast for Prodigal

Burke Johnson, Assistant Pastor

4/3

John 4: 27-38

Jesus' "Food" for the Lost

Cindy Gossman, Choir

4/4

John 6: 25-35

Jesus, the Bread of Life

Kim Curran, Chief Financial Officer

4/5

Luke 10: 38-40

Jesus' Radical Hospitality

Marika Fries, Member

4/6

Mt 22: 1-10

The Kingdom is like a banquet ...

Alan Penick, Ruling Elder Executive Director of Admin.

4/7

Luke 14: 1, 7-14

Christian Hospitality

Suzanne M. Johnson, Chair Knit One Pray Too, Co-Manager Chancel Choir

4/8

Luke 19: 1-10

Jesus Eats with Zacchaeus

Carolyn Stephens, Ruling Elder

4/9 Palm Sunday

John 12: 1-8

Jesus Anointed at Dinner

Glenn Breitzig, Trustee

4/10

Mt 26: 17-25

Dining with the Enemy

Blair Dowden, Co-Editor of Devotionals

4/11

Mt 26: 26-30

Bread and Wine

Sharon Greenwald, Member

2017 Lenten Worship Guide - Schedule of Devotionals Date

Scripture

Title

Contributor

4/12

Mt 25: 37-45

Feeding the Least of These

Bob Painter, Ruling Elder

4/13 Maundy Thursday

Mt 27: 45-51

Jesus' Last Drink

Tom & Bonnie Parlette, Family Ministry Leaders

4/14 Good Friday

1 Cor 11: 17-29

Worthy Eaters

Lynne Peter, Candidate for Ministry

4/15

John 6: 35, 53-58

Jesus, the Bread of Life

Paige Pierce, Communications Coordinator

4/16 Easter

1 John 3: 16--17

Love as Christ Loves

Lyn Olson, Associate Pastor

4/17

Luke 24: 13-38

Jesus Recognized at Table

David Wagner, Financial Secretary

4/18

John 21: 1-14

Breakfast with the Risen Jesus

Donna Cleary, Member

4/19

Acts: 2 42-47

Agape Meal

Karen Norwood, Member

4/20

Rom 12: 9-13

Practice Hospitality

Fred Gossman, Elder TCM Int'l Leader

4/21

Acts 28: 7-10

Honored Guests

Sydna Zeliff, H.R. Committee

4/22

Rev 3: 20

An Invitation from Jesus

Ardith Pinner, Librarian

4/23 Sunday

Rev 22: 1-7

Eden Restored

Todd Miller, Director Comm.

Assistance Ministry

Ash Wednesday, March 1

Daniel 9:1-6, 17-19

Prayer and Fasting for Forgiveness

In studying God’s Word, Daniel calculated that Israel’s 70-year exile would soon be ending. In light of such an encouraging realization, it might seem fitting for Daniel to throw a party! But instead of partying, Daniel prays. Instead of feasting, Daniel turns to fasting. In a powerful prayer, Daniel acknowledges how God’s people have fallen away from true worship and dependence on the Lord. Daniel longs not only for national freedom; he prays passionately for Israel’s spiritual revival.

True revival—both personal and corporate—begins with confession of sin and our acknowledgement of our need for God. Throughout history, fasting has been a practice that accompanies repentance and prayer for spiritual awakening. Few practices have been more forgotten by the contemporary church. The season of Lent preserves some vestiges of penitential fasting: the feasting of Mardi Gras anticipates a season that once involved intentional fasting; many Catholics still eat only fish on Fridays (particularly during Lent); and, most notably (and to this day) lots of folks consider “giving up something” during Lent.

True fasting has many spiritual benefits. A short fast (even the intentional skipping of one meal) heightens our awareness of the need for God. A longer fast often enables clearer thinking and a transformation of soul—especially as we combine fasting with prayer and Bible study—not to mention eliminating foods that cause inflammation of our mind and body.

What’s one Lenten discipline you might consider taking on this year? As we begin this holy season, I’d encourage us to plan now to incorporate some way of fasting and praying like Daniel. In the absence of a rich meal, we can take the opportunity to focus our thoughts, feelings, and desires upon Jesus Christ. As our stomach growls and we feel the need for food, we can get in touch with our need for God. You might devote one lunch time a week to feasting on God’s Word. You could circle one or two dates on the calendar between now and Easter where you plan to consume simply broth or juice. Or, you might adjust your grocery and restaurant budget during Lent to be able to devote more money to feed the hungry. Paradoxically, through the spiritually intentional deprivation of food, we will “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Lord, we acknowledge that we have not always depended on You. May we take time, during this Lenten season, to focus on Your greatness, mercy, and love.

by Chris Romig, Senior Pastor and Session Moderator

Thursday, March 2

Genesis 1:27-31; 2:8-9

God’s Gift of Food

As I reflect on this passage about the creation, it’s early morning and I’m hungry!

Therefore, the text led me to consider the gift of food planned and given to us as part of creation. The text starts out saying God created humankind in His own image. And the fullness of God is the Trinity, which includes Jesus; God who would come to us, hunger like us, break bread with us, and eat like us. God knew we would need Jesus, we would need food and fellowship to survive this life. So He created every green plant and trees with fruit (1:29): “all kinds of trees . . . pleasing to the eye and good for food” (2:9), growing from a garden He planted for us, and in which He placed us to live with Him. God saw all He had made and called it good. Paradise.

Sadly, how far we have wandered from the paradise of the naturally healthy and delightful food God planned for us as we tuck into junk food, comfort food, and engineered food: coming from factories instead of the ground, laced with chemicals, and “enhanced” by science. We have eaten much and eaten mindlessly, almost as a pastime, and certainly we have fed the food industry’s profits. And table fellowship has lost its place as we eat on the run, or at our desks, or in front of the TV. And as we eat too much, there are actually more hungry people in the world than well fed.

I believe God created not only the good food we should eat, but how we should be eating it: mindfully, gratefully, and communally. God created humankind in His image, to live and love and enjoy God’s bounty, together. How sad it is to see someone in a restaurant eating alone. How unjust it is for some of God’s creatures to be starving.

Lent is a time to be mindful of how we live. Is what we eat healthy? How much food is enough each meal? How might I feed the hungry? Who might I invite to share a meal?

As I ponder these questions, I return in prayer to that first garden and ask again for God’s blessing (1:28). Then I claim my given responsibility to work in the garden and take care of it (Genesis 2:15). And to remember I am not in the garden alone.

Lord, thank You for being so mindful of me that You have created all I would need for life: food, shelter, and companionship. And as Your image-bearer, may I always be mindful of the needs of others.

by Lyn Olson, Associate Pastor

Friday, March 3

Genesis 47:13-27

Joseph, God and the Famine

We all know the story of Joseph interpreting the Egyptian pharaoh’s dreams and predicting seven years of bumper crops and seven more years of famine and suffering.

Andrew Lloyd Webber even bought the story to the Broadway stage. The words of Joseph’s brothers from the musical describe the situation this way: “Life is slowly ebbing from us. Hope is almost gone. It’s getting very hard to see us from sideways on.”

The whole of Egypt was suffering, and as pharaoh’s number two, Joseph had to do something. Fortunately, he was up to the task, having stored up tons of grain from the seven bumper crop years. And, he had a plan. Sell the hungry people grain. And yet, the suffering continued each ensuing year until the Egyptian people had nothing. As a result of Joseph’s plan, they had given it all to Pharaoh’s government: livestock, land, and themselves. So pharaoh owned the people of Egypt. And they loved Joseph for his favor.

It seems hard to explain this text, not because it’s unclear, but because it runs counter to the grain of the teaching of our Christian culture. Joseph’s actions in this chapter don’t fit our preconceived notions very well because he sold grain to starving men. Not only did he accumulate all the money in the land, but he also gathered up all the cattle and the land, and even the people were enslaved. How could a man, who up until now had such a flawless record, be so greedy? We are taught that as Christians we cannot overlook the dire needs of those who are dying in the world since we as a nation have more than sufficient means.

There are many commentaries on this story. Many even politicize the issue. But at the end of the day, Joseph really asked no more of the Egyptians than God has required of those who will be eternally saved. The Egyptians valued their physical salvation so much that they gave their money, their material goods, and themselves to Joseph. Aren’t these the terms that God has laid down for us to have eternal life: unconditional surrender and total reliance on Jesus for our salvation?

Jesus says: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:24–26a) Lord, let this be our prayer: for food where many walk in hunger; for faith in a world where many walk in fear; for friends in a world where many walk alone; Lord we give You thanks.

by Tom Hoffman, Missions Committee

Saturday, March 4,

Exodus 12:1-14

The First Passover Feast

Everything in the Old Testament points to the New Testament and perhaps the most poignant example of Divine foreshadowing is the imagery and history of Exodus 12.

Nine plagues have pummeled Egypt and still the Israelites are slaves. The severity of the coming tenth plague will bring Egypt to its knees. Death will come to everything firstborn.

For Israel, however, the Passover Lamb will be their salvation.

Preparation: God gave specific instructions for preparing the Passover lamb. Israel’s preparations adjusted their hearts to God’s plan. They would not gain freedom through military strategies or powerful uprisings. Freedom would come through the innocence of a slain lamb. By following God’s instructions, Israel is choosing obedience and surrender to the unconventional ways of God. Every detail of Exodus 12 points to Christ, the Lamb of God. Yet we, like Israel, must surrender to the saving plan of Almighty God. We cannot come to God in our own strength or merit. God has prepared the way and we come to Him by grace through faith in Christ the Lamb. This is the unconventional plan of God. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Protection: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” (Exodus 12:13, NASB). God required the blood of the slain lamb to be put on the doorposts and lintel of each Israelite home. Every person within the bloodstained house was protected from the destruction of the tenth plague. Death would pass over because Israel was under the blood.

For Christians, our salvation is not in the blood of goats or lambs but in the precious blood of the sinless Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19) Eternal death passes over us because the blood of Christ is painted across our lives. We are not promised protection from earthly woes but we are promised eternal security because of Christ’s shed blood.

Proclamation: The Lord instructs Israel to memorialize the Passover. (Exodus 12:14) They are to celebrate it every year as a reminder of God’s salvation. They must also use the celebration to teach future generations of God’s faithfulness as well as proclaim to a lost world the greatness of Almighty God. For us, the season of Lent, the sorrow of Good Friday, and the celebration of Resurrection Sunday are reminders of God’s salvation through Christ, the Passover Lamb. May we use the milestones of our faith to teach future generations as well as proclaim to others, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29, NASB) Heavenly Father, thank You for the Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus. Thank You for the salvation we have through Him. Prepare our hearts during these days of Lent, adjusting us to Your will and Your plans. Help us to be living memorials of all You have done for us and in us.

by Jennifer Speer, Bible Study Leader

Sunday, March 5

Exodus 16:1-15

Food for the Wilderness

What a time for the Israelites. They had lived in Egypt 430 years, and, to the day, all the Lord’s people then followed Moses and left Egypt. Pursued by Pharaoh and his officers, trapped by the edge of the Red Sea, but then rushing through the driven-back waters, the Israelites arrived safely on the other side. And they witnessed the great power of the Lord as He closed the sea, swallowing up the Egyptians.

Now it was time to give God praise through singing and dancing. After so much trial and tribulation, a time of rejoicing and giving thanks.

The Israelites traveled onward, away from the Red Sea and into the Desert of Sur, toward the promised land. Living at first was not easy, with no water to drink, and no food to eat. So, once again they grumbled, as they remembered their life in Egypt, sitting around pots of meat to eat. What to do in the wilderness? Why had Moses led them there? Where was the Lord?

You’ve heard the phrase “manna from heaven.” We say it when we receive a special gift or blessing. It represents something undeserved but wonderful, coming from above, in unending supply, satiating our needs. But, harkening back to Exodus 16, we are amazed by the Lord’s goodness in giving the gift of manna to the Israelites, in spite of their constant complaints. How many times had He come to their rescue, repeatedly reminding them of His Lordship?

In verses 12 and 13, the Lord told Moses that they would eat meat in the evening and bread in the morning. Not just meatloaf and crusts of bread. And not the unleavened bread of Passover. No! The meat, as described in the NIV Bible, was quail, which was a delicacy. And the bread (16:31) “was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.”

In looking at the entire Exodus 16 chapter, one realizes that the Lord was testing the Israelites by giving them strict instructions. In testing, they soon learned that the Lord’s instructions could not be broken. And they were reminded continually that He was the Lord their God. The Lord gave them a bountiful provision, and He did it in spite of their grumbling, in order to demonstrate His love and grace. How many times have I grumbled when things have not gone my way? How many times have I recognized the Lord’s gifts in my life but then have come back asking for more? More than my fair share. And how many times have I not given thanks?

Dear Lord, Your feast is meant for me and all believers. Let me be ever mindful of Your unqualified love, and let me give thanks each and every day of my life.

by Robert L. Johnson, Ruling Elder and Lenten Worship Guide Editor

Monday, March 6

Deuteronomy 16:13-15

Feast of Tabernacles

The Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkot (sue-coat) was declared by God as a harvest festival and is the last of three major festivals of the Jewish calendar. Beginning with a Sabbath rest, it was followed by a week of celebration and ended with a day of quiet worship.

Imagine a sukkah (tabernacle) as a “booth” (NRSV) or “shelter” (NLT). Constructed of makeshift materials, this simple three-sided structure was to provide temporary covering and protection. During the festival, Israelites were to live in such booths as a reminder of the tents providing shelter in the 40-year journey to the Promised Land.

Today, God provides shelter through our Savior, Scripture, and the Holy Spirit. God planned for us to provide comfort and shelter to others by offering warmhearted conversation, wise guidance, or physical help; perhaps even including simple shared meals.

Now, let us imagine the three 75-foot candle stands lighting the Court of Women where temple offerings were given. For seven days, all worshippers celebrated in the radiance of those temple courtyard luminaries. However, on the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles, these lights were extinguished and solemn worship began. Envision how dim that courtyard would seem after the bright candlelight of celebration.

Until Messiah, there was no permanent Light. In John 8:12, Jesus spoke, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me, will never walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Thus, in the courtyard where candlelight no longer glowed, Jesus promised that He is Light; more brilliant than the three candle stands of the Feast of Tabernacles and more permanent than any celebration! Revelation 21:23 declares that in the heavenly city “the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”

Imagine what could happen if we offer shelter to others in words and deeds, and if we nurture the Light in us so it shines freely to all! Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” His Light can glow into the lives of others when they need caring assistance or a kindness extended. This Light glows more brightly when we “plug in” to a deeper devotional life, and it truly shines when we share our lives with others.

Dear God, You are my strong shelter. Help me show compassion to those around me.

Strengthen me so that I shine the strong Light of Jesus into the lives of others.

by Linda Ford, Hospitality Team

Tuesday, March 7

Deuteronomy 16:9-12

Feast of Weeks

Deuteronomy presents the time frame for three of the major festivals in the Jewish year: Passover, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Booths.

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that He will choose; at the festival of unleavened bread, at the festival of weeks and at the festival of booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed; all shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that He has given you.” (Deuteronomy 16:16-17, NSRV) th

Focusing on the Festival of Weeks, we learn that it occurred on the 50 day after Passover and required that all members of the household, as well as orphans, widows, slaves, visitors, and aliens, stop work and bring offerings of the harvest to the Tabernacle, or later, the Temple. There the priests approved the offerings and through a religious service the people expressed their thanks for God’s continual care. Unlike Passover, the Festival of Weeks was an opportunity for the Israelites to thank God for saving them from peril and starvation, and blessing them with a good harvest. In addition, the service provided the opportunity for cleansing from sin and a release of guilt. Since the festival was a joyous occasion for all, it created a bond between family, friends and community.

How can we apply the lessons from the Festival of Weeks to our present day? First, the festival reminds us that we need to take time to praise and thank God for the many blessings we receive daily and throughout our lives. Although we don’t bring the first fruits of our labor to Him, we need to offer our best in our tithes and offerings to God on a regular basis. We also need to recognize, as we gather weekly, that we are creating a bond with one another that reinforces the strength of our faith and helps to support us in our time of need.

People cut off from God lose their sense of how bad sin really is. There are those who look for God in their own way. While most religions teach that there is a way to God, we know that only through Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6), does God redeem and forgive us. He can change us on the inside and bring us into fellowship with Himself.

What a reason for thanksgiving!

Father, thank You for providing for our needs. May we never forget how generous You are as we live and dine with You each day.

by Helen Crompton, Affiliate Member

Wednesday, March 8

Leviticus 25:1-7

Sabbath Year Feast

As a part-time Market Gardener for nine months of the year, I am very much aware of the relationship between growing and conditions that produce crops. During some years, weather conditions are ideal, and the seeds that are started in our greenhouses grow consistently and produce an abundance of vegetables. In other years, a variety of factors converge to reduce the harvest significantly by late summer or the fall of the year.

The Israelites shared that relationship in a more significant way since, as former slaves in Egypt, they knew little about crop and vineyard growth and harvest, and even less about the land surrounding Mount Sinai where they had briefly settled.

So much can affect the growing season including soil, weather, insects, and animals, not to mention one’s own ambition and perseverance.

I can only begin to imagine how challenging this must have been to the Israelites as they put their trust and faith in God to sustain them.

Perhaps they felt that they were on the road to success when they were told that in the seventh year, they would not be permitted to grow their food, since God would provide for them in a greater way than they could possibly do on their own. This became known as the Sabbath Year Feast. What faith they would now need!

Throughout the book of Leviticus, God’s people were given explicit instructions through Moses on how to worship Him through sacrifice and other ritual observances, and through obeying His laws. After having been raised as slaves in Egypt, they needed instructions on how to truly worship God and obey Him. The Sabbath Year provided an opportunity to learn more about God. It was a year in which Israel was freed from the daily work of tending to crops. It allowed time for them to be taught God’s laws and precepts. What a wonderful opportunity to learn to trust and depend on God. God does provide for us in our time of need in ways we cannot comprehend, if only we put our faith and confidence in Him. Part of that faith is to honor Him always by setting aside times each week to learn about Him and worship Him. If we are committed to times of worship and reading His word, and if we are faithful to Him and to His commandments, we will receive and enjoy a bountiful and enriching life beyond measure.

O God, help us to be ever mindful of Your wonderful blessings in our lives. May we learn to put our faith and confidence in Your abiding love.

by John Reese, Elder and Affiliate Member

Thursday, March 9

Leviticus 25:35-38

Jubilee for the Poor

Both in the Old and New Testaments, God’s people are commanded to honor and serve God by helping those who are unable to support themselves. Sometimes, though, I struggle with this simple command. When I see the homeless person sitting on the curb and holding up a sign, or when I am asked to help the one who continues to make bad choices, I wonder how best to honor and serve God in helping these individuals.

Some struggle with the reason to help. I used to be in a mode where I felt I had to work myself into heaven. My helping activities were done for the wrong reasons.

Two years ago, after hearing a sermon about the Holy Spirit, I had the strong desire to ask for prayer. I was sad and scared about our grandson who had been diagnosed with depression. While I prayed with our pastor and a friend, my knees became weak and my body shook. We knew that it was the Holy Spirit. I was assured of a personal relationship with Christ and my future heavenly home. And I had a renewed desire to serve God until He calls me home.

Out of thankfulness for all God has done for me, I desire to please and obey Him. So when He commands that I help the helpless, I want to honor God by doing this. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I can discern when and how to be a help.

In thankfulness to God, I can wash the feet of the homeless and give them new socks and shoes.

In praise of my Savior I can serve with others to cook meals for the needy.

In desiring to follow Jesus, I can be a hospice volunteer and visit the sick and dying.

In service to Jesus, I can be part of a group who visits prisoners.

As a Stephen Minister, I know that I am in the right field to serve God. After completing a survey to find my Spiritual Gifts, l learned I scored highest in faith, mercy, shepherding and caring. It is so rewarding to help my care receivers.

It is my hope and prayer that you will find assurance of faith during this special Easter season. And that, as His Spirit directs, you will find ways to serve God through serving others. May God bless you all.

Dear Lord, thank You for providing me a way to heaven through Jesus Christ. Please show me how best to care for others as I serve You here on earth.

by Gerda Robinson, Welcoming Team

Friday, March 10

Deuteronomy 8:6-10

The Fertile Land of Promise

In Deuteronomy Chapter 8, Moses instructs the Israelites to remember the lessons learned in the wilderness, and cautions them about the perils of forgetting the Lord’s commandments while living in the abundance of the Promised Land.

Some scholars believe that the Jewish custom of prayer at the table originated from Deut 8:10: “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.” Jesus also demonstrated giving thanks before a meal (Matt 14:1921, 15:34-36, 26:26, Luke 24:30). Giving thanks to God for a plentiful meal and praising Him for sustenance helps to keep us from forgetting the bounty of the Giver. Praying before we eat with a thankful heart brings glory to God, centers our minds on His love for us, and acknowledges that all things come from Him. (Romans 11:36) Our thanks to God can at times be rushed, perfunctory, or non-existent. Those of us who live in prosperous areas of the world and have never known food scarcity may not feel much awe when presented with a table full of food. One of the challenges of abundance is that we grow blind to the magnitude of what we have been given when gifts are ever present.

Another challenge of abundance is pride. It is easy to arrogantly take credit for our possessions and what we have accomplished. When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, Moses cautioned them against forgetting the bounty of the Giver. He also cautioned them about congratulating themselves on acquiring such a plentiful land, instead of gratefully acknowledging the grace that had sustained them in the wilderness.

The hardest time to remember God’s goodness and grace is when our needs are met.

Pride causes us to take credit for our accomplishments and prosperity instead of remembering our total dependence on God. The Promised Land was a gift to the Israelites and the abundance in our lives is a gift to us.

When we initially moved to Florida, we congratulated ourselves on the careful planning that allowed us to retire early and live in such a beautiful place as Venice. Bananas, oranges, mangos and avocados hang from the trees in due season. Lakes and rivers are scattered all around with ocean waters nearby. It sounds remarkably like the Promised Land as described in Deuteronomy. The truth is we have been blessed, and the caution Moses gave the Israelites applies to us as well. All that we have and all that we have accomplished comes from God, the great Giver.

Lord, we thank You and praise You for Your bountiful provision in our lives. Help us to remember that You are the giver of all and we are totally dependent on You.

by Tom and Laura Saye, Members

Saturday, March 11

Ruth 2:11-18

The Hospitality of Boaz

“’I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to take refuge.. . .’ At mealtime Boaz said to her, ‘Come over here.

Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.’ When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. . . . Boaz gave orders to his men, ‘Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don’t embarrass her. Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.’ So, Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. . . . Her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. Her mother-in-law asked her, ‘Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.’”

One of the more powerful lessons from the Old Testament for present day women and men can be found in the story of Ruth. This is a story of a woman and a man who honored and respected each other. Ruth was a strong woman of courage, enduring hardship after the death of her husband. She was a Moabite, coming from pagan beliefs. Once she met the God of Israel through Naomi, she became a living testimony of faith and obedience. Ruth believed that God was always faithful and would provide for her and Naomi.

Boaz, a Godly man, respected Ruth for her compassion and care of Naomi. Boaz honored Ruth by allowing her to glean in his fields where she would be protected. It was Jewish law to leave some of the grain in the fields for the poor to gather. But Boaz went above and beyond God’s command. He also provided bread and wine for refreshment, and enough roasted grain to eat, with plenty left over to share with Naomi. Through the selfless acts of Ruth and Boaz, Naomi’s faith in God’s goodness was restored.

From Jesus’ teachings we learn the same truths. “For, I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.” (Mathew 25:35) We are reminded that today’s families face many struggles. There are those whose families are separated by distance, death or abandonment. Like Ruth and Boaz, we are called to protect, nurture and provide for those less fortunate and in need of our compassion and care.

Father God, as we celebrate Your gift of eternal life and our many blessings, help us to be ever mindful of those who struggle with relationships, hunger and poverty. Open our hearts to be a blessing to those who are lost. For it is in Your love and care we are blessed.

by Sheryl Morford, Ruling Elder, Beautification Committee Chair

Sunday, March 12

2 Samuel 12:15-23

David Fasts and Weeps

In reading this Scripture, I am reminded of an incident when our grandson Matthew, then 6, was visiting us one summer. He heard there was a chance that another of our grandsons, James, then a teenager and someone Matt loved, might be coming to visit when James’ mother (our daughter) visited our home. Matt was really excited that James might come and said that he knew James was coming because he had really been praying about it. Lois praised Matt for praying, but she also cautioned Matt that God does not always say “Yes.” Sometimes God says “No.” (If Matt had been older she might have also added that God sometimes has a third answer, “Not now.”)

Well the day arrived. Matt was jumping up and down waiting to see who would get out of the car. Moments later he turned and with regret but absolute acceptance said, “Grammie. God said no.” Matt totally accepted God’s decision and he had a wonderful visit with those who did get out of the car.

At the beginning of this Scripture we see David praying and fasting and begging God for the life of his child (a child conceived out of wedlock). He is clearly in deep distress. In pain and sorrow, David slept on the floor of his home for seven days. Having watched the intensity of David’s distress, his servants were afraid to tell him the child was dead.

But what does David do when he learns the child has died? David gets up from the ground, gets washed, and goes into God’s house to worship the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. David has totally accepted the fact that God’s answer is “no”.

We know from Scripture that David was dearly loved by God. We also know from Scripture that God dearly loves you and me and yet sometimes it is incredibly hard to accept our loving God’s answer to our prayers.

Whether we have begged God to heal one of our sick children, a grandchild, a spouse, or whether we have prayed for a job or other desperate situation where God has said “no”, may we, like David and even our grandson Matthew, be totally accepting that God has answered our prayer, even though it was not the answer we wanted. We need to accept that God sees the big picture. Even though we may never understand His answer this side of heaven, we need to accept that our prayers have been heard by our loving and all powerful God and He has responded. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5) Our Father, may we like David and Matthew, continue to praise the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings, even in and through our times of deep distress.

by Dick Armstrong, Ruling Elder and President, Board of Trustees

Monday, March 13

I Kings 3:7–15

Solomon’s Thanksgiving Feast

When Solomon, son of David, was a young man he began his reign as King of Israel. He was overwhelmed with thoughts of the great responsibilities that he had inherited from his father. He knew that the Israelites he would rule would need a King like his father that had a discerning heart and the wisdom to know right from wrong, to keep the peace, and correctly administer justice. Solomon also knew that God was well on His way to fulfilling His promises to Abraham and Jacob (Genesis 32:12), “I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.”

Solomon was a man of faith and like his father, was a man after God’s own heart. So when God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask for whatever you want Me to give you,” (3:5b) Solomon did not ask for long life and wealth, or death to his enemies like most Middle Eastern monarchs. Instead, he asked God only for a discerning heart to govern God’s people and to distinguish between right and wrong in order to bring justice. God was so taken with Solomon’s prayer that He promised to do whatever Solomon asked. God told him that he would be blessed with even more that he asked, and that he would have no equals during his life as long as he continued to be obedient to God and keep His decrees and commandments as his father did.

Solomon believed that God had spoken to him through this prophetic dream. In fact, he found that he now indeed possessed great wisdom and knowledge along with a discerning heart. So, in order to give God thanks, Solomon went to Jerusalem from Gibeon and stood before the Ark of the Covenant, full of gratitude, and offered up burnt offerings and peace (fellowship) offerings. The custom of the day was to have a great feast following a large sacrifice. So Solomon gave a great feast for all of his court, being sure to follow the Lord’s decree (Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles) to invite those less fortunate: the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.

Solomon presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to the Lord out of gratitude for what he had been given, and as a sign of his commitment and consecration to the Lord. A similar offering would come hundreds of years later when Jesus Christ made Himself a once-and-for-all offering for the sins of those who are unworthy, for you and for me. Jesus’ own offering only had to be made once (Hebrews 10:11) to make us righteous before God. Thanks be to God. Lord, thank You for Your sacrifice on the cross so that we might have eternal life. May we commit to following You all the days of our lives.

by Ron Olson, Trustee

Tuesday, March 14

I Kings 17:1-6

Elijah Fed by Ravens

Being fed from the hand of someone who loves you is a blessing. That’s what Elijah experienced at a time of significant need. In my mind and in my memory, there is nothing better than the taste of fresh hot bread served-up by a mom who loved me. I went to a one room school house in rural Iowa through the 7th grade. I can still remember coming home after trudging a mile through the snow on a cold crisp winter afternoon and opening the kitchen door to the savory smell of fresh baked bread. The kitchen was comfortably warm from the heat of the old wood- burning stove, a marked contrast to the cold outside. Mom used to time her work in such a way that the bread was just hot out of the oven when we kids arrived home; right on time. Melted fresh butter on that bread was a feast! Cap it off with a glass of fresh milk and you had a banquet!

The story of Elijah being fed by the ravens as he hid from Ahab and drank from the Kerith Ravine Brook only tells part of the story. In the previous chapter God was fed-up with the evil that Ahab perpetuated through his idolatrous ways. As a culmination of the battle with the priests of Baal and with the king, God told Elijah to give Ahab a message of a pending disaster. The priests were dead and now there would be no rain for 3 years.

Then He told Elijah to go hide and contrary to the disaster promised to Ahab, God gave Elijah abundant provision and protection. Morning and night as the drought-accented time wore on and Ahab’s world suffered, like clockwork, Elijah’s needs were met.

We, in a sense, are caught in both the Ahab world and the Elijah world. On the one hand, like Ahab, we are disobedient and we fail to be what God wants us to be. Yet God is merciful to us and like Elijah, we are bountifully blessed with grace and God’s provision.

We are fed from His hand of love and He is our shepherd even as we walk through a valley marked by disaster and death. We are highly favored. That favor comes not due to our own merit but simply because of the goodness of God. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8) Lord, thank You for Your abundant grace and goodness. Help us to live faithfully for You in this fallen world.

by Marv Gibbs, Pastor, Evangelical Community Church, Hong Kong

Wednesday, March 15

1 Kings 7:7-16

Elijah and the Poor Widow Eat

In this passage, the prophet Elijah learns how his own testing becomes a ministry to a poor widow and her son. We are reminded that we are not here just for ourselves. God cares for us, but also cares for others.

Elijah, the prophet, was sent by God, with the promise of necessary food and water.

When the source of water dried up, without protest or complaint, Elijah waited on the Lord, trusting His continued provision. Then, “The word of the Lord came to him: ‘Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.’” (7:8-9) God’s instructions to us may mean arising spiritually and physically. We may be asked to wake up and get involved in His will for our lives, to be available to go where He wants us, and to wait for His direction. God’s direction meant He would supply Elijah’s needs through a Gentile widow, poor and desperate herself. Not a likely prospect!

God often uses sources we would never choose, to accomplish His purposes and to do “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20 NASB) Elijah did not argue, whine, complain or run away. Instead, he went. He was fed and so were the widow and her son, through a miraculous supply of flour and oil. By remaining faithful, Elijah was able to share his knowledge of God with this Gentile woman, who would later say, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the Word of the Lord from your mouth is the truth.” (17:24) We can learn to look beyond circumstances to the Lord who provides; to never judge or measure God’s supply by what we can see; to ask God for the vision to see the opportunities for ministry; to ask God for the compassion and love to reach out to others with His power and love; and to know that our basic needs have been met in Christ. We can commit ourselves to fulfilling God’s purposes in our lives.

My husband Bruce and I have visited the Clinica Medica Salvatore in El Cortijo, Guatemala, where native missionary doctor, Erick Estrada, and his wife Cynthia serve the poor. We were humbled by their faithfulness in the face of difficulties. Prayer requests for safety, medical supplies, and food for malnourished children are all brought before God with the expectation that He will provide. When these needs are met, thanks are publicly given to God, be it in the chapel, or village school where a stove was provided, or in a clinic where a diabetic woman’s vision was saved through medical treatment. Their witness has led many of the clinic staff and villagers to know the Savior.

Father, we pray that You will touch our hearts to commit our lives to You, to listen for Your instruction, so that we may fulfill Your purpose for us, be it locally or afar.

by Kate Smithson, Clinica Salvatore Mission, Guatemala

Thursday, March 16

Psalm 23:5-6

The Lord’s Table

Theologian Don Judd, in reflecting on the 23rd Psalm, writes that it is probably the most memorized and quoted Psalm in the Bible. It may also be the most misunderstood. Many people consider this Psalm to be one of desolation or resignation, when it should be one of hope and confidence in God, especially in times of great sorrow or distress. (donjudd.org, The True Meaning of the 23rd Psalm) Many of us know the Psalm by heart, not only for its simplicity and beauty, but because it gives us comfort and assurance that God will always take care of us – always. In the verse for today, David describes his relationship with God as a “hospitable host.” Many Bible commentators and scholars have written interpretations of this passage. Two such authors explain, in common language, this important passage of Scripture.

Old Testament scholar and author, Bernhard Anderson, writes “that according to the Bedouin law of hospitality, once a traveler is received into the shepherd’s tent, and especially once his host has spread food before him, he is guaranteed immunity from all enemies who wish to overtake him. No human protection was greater than that afforded by a Bedouin Chief.” (Anderson, Bernard W. Out of the Depths, 2000, Chp. 9) So it is with God who invites us to His table (feast) for protection from evil.

This passage also reminds us that we serve a powerful and loving God. Don Judd writes “This verse is saying that it doesn’t matter what the outside world does or thinks of us, or what the devil (or our enemies) devises . . . our God is bigger and this is His promise to us who belong to Him.” (Don Judd, The True Meaning of the 23rd Psalm) God invites us to sit at His table and be filled with the Holy Spirit, without fear, knowing we are in His hands.

Lord, thank You for inviting us to Your table to feast on Your amazing love that endures forever.

by Stuart C. Bischoff, Elder and Chancel Choir

Friday, March 17

Nehemiah 7:7b-8:1, 5-12

Feasting with the Word

In modern speech, you hear the phrase, “Planning the Party,” sometimes meaning to prepare plans for your death and funeral.

More likely, though, and more positively, the phrase means simply to get ready for throwing a party for friends over dinner at your own home one upcoming evening. What to prepare? How to plan? And of immediate importance, whom to invite?

For the massive celebration Nehemiah was to be involved in, honoring the rebirth of the Holy City, the guest list was just about everyone. We can read it in the text. It was an everybody - welcome shindig and for the greatest of causes in those ancient days.

For you or me, we need to set limits. Our table can’t handle the whole town. So how to choose? This person doesn’t get along with that one, better not invite both. How about so-and-so? She’d love to meet you-know-who? And we owe an invite to those folks down the street who've invited us so many times, don’t you think?

We invite to reciprocate, invite to make matches, invite to honor this birthday or that new arrival. We may simply invite to our gathering cheering voices for the Big Game broadcast coming on right after dinner. Or to celebrate the bringing together of too rarely seen visitors including far flung family.

The point to be made here is whatever the superficial reason for the party, the party should always, at its foundation, serve to bring us together so that, together, we may worship the One who is Father of us all. Some invitees already see things that way. Some don’t but exposure to it won’t hurt. Some anti-religion zealots may almost be offended to have “God thrown in their faces.” So be it.

The occasion may still have a social purpose but, underlying, there should always be worship. We needn't advertise it as such but in our hearts we need to make it so.

Dear God, let all the parties we throw be filled with the love of You. Let us feel it, inspire it, and abundantly share it.

by Jack Perkins, Ruling Elder

Saturday, March 18

Psalm 34:1-8

Taste and See the Lord is Good

Psalm 34 is a poem of David expressing his love and faith in God. Stylistically, it is an interesting psalm, written in the form of an acrostic poem with each verse beginning with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The Psalm was written at a time of great distress for David as recorded in 1 Samuel 21:10-15. David was fleeing from Saul and went anonymously to Achish (a.k.a. Abimelech), the King of Gath. David’s identify was soon discovered and to protect himself, he pretended to be insane and acted like a madman. He soon escaped to Adullam.

David instructs us to lift up and praise the Lord in all circumstances and at all times.

Using a rich tapestry of words in verses 1–3, he calls on us to extol, praise, glorify, exalt, rejoice, and boast in the Lord. Verses 4–7 describe the Lord’s response to David’s cry for help. He saves him from his troubles and delivers him from fear. And verse 8 describes how we, like David, can experience the Lord’s goodness. David implores seekers and long-time believers to partake, to taste of the Lord. By tasting, we will discover that the Lord is truly good.

What David describes in verse 8 is an invitation that is open to all. He calls on us to discover God’s grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, righteousness, and majesty. David’s use of the word “taste” is intentional because taste is very personal and requires action on our part. To know the Lord’s goodness, we need to take the first step to “taste” and if we do, we will discover God’s goodness and riches “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” (Ephesians 3: 20a) David undoubtedly chose the word “taste” to emphasize that our relationship with the Lord is personal in nature and requires us to respond to His invitation to “taste and see.”

Even as David escapes the influence of Achish, he shares with us his deep faith confidence in God. He instructs us to praise the Lord always, glorify His name, depend on Him for deliverance from our fears. Those who “taste” the Lord experience His goodness. They will be blessed and none will be denied His love grace.

and and will and

Taste and see that the Lord is good. There are many ways to express your faith, to praise Him, to extol His name, and to seek Him when you are troubled. When you call on the Lord and seek Him, you will experience His love, grace and goodness. The Lord is good.

Lord, may we come to You, seeking to know You and experience Your goodness in our lives.

by Jim Garard, Trustee

Sunday, March 19

Isaiah 25:1, 6-9

Wedding Supper of the Lamb

We recently attended our first wedding since coming to Hong Kong. As at every wedding, there was so much joy. The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, and the guests were obviously there to celebrate! You could feel happiness in the air, it was everywhere!

Then after the ceremony, there was an amazing variety of delicious and beautifully prepared food. It was hard to stay away from the buffet table! I know we all came in love and support for the bride and groom, but the abundance they provided for us as their guests made the day special!

Celebrations in our lives are not complete without an abundance of our favorite foods.

These foods are part of what comes to mind when we remember past birthdays, Thanksgivings, Christmases and Easters. So it is with our text for today. The wonder of this special celebration prophesied in Isaiah 25 is that God Himself will prepare it for all peoples. When His kingdom comes, death will be defeated and life eternal will be celebrated with a feast, the wedding supper of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. (Revelation 19:9) Everyone who has put their hope in Him is invited and the very best foods and beverages will be served. But most important of all, our Holy, magnificent Lord God will personally prepare the feast. It is a celebration of the culmination of His plans for the world and for His people.

These verses offer hope for believers. Not only is God one who “works wonders," He also executes plans which “were formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” (25:1, NASB) In addition, in verses 6-9 we learn that the changes we have longed for will take place.

Death will be swallowed up forever, all tears will be dried and all the nations will understand who God is. What a cause for celebration!

Our gracious Lord, as we reflect on Your promises for those who love You, we are in awe of Your plans for Your kingdom. Thank You for caring for Your sheep now and forever.

We look forward to the day when all tears will be wiped from our faces and we will enjoy the feast You have prepared for all peoples. As we approach the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday, we are thankful He conquered death and sin, so we might have eternal life. Help us live this day remembering we have eternal hope in Him, no matter what our circumstances.

by Carol Gibbs, Evangelical Community Church, Hong Kong

Monday, March 20

Ecclesiastes 2:18–26

Eat, Drink and be Happy

“A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work.

This too, I see, is from the Hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner He gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 2:24-26) Many Biblical scholars ascribe the Book of Ecclesiastes to King Solomon, perhaps the wisest man that has ever lived. In this passage, he seems to be frustrated over the reality that all we strive for and attain will one day benefit our survivors. Those beneficiaries never worked for the fruits of our labor, may not make wise use of what they receive, yet have control over the use of their inheritance from us. He calls our labor and our striving after the fruits of our labor “meaningless.”

Our striving and labor is indeed meaningless unless we put the “work of our hands” in the proper perspective. Solomon comes to this sensible conclusion for his dilemma: “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil.

This too, I see, is from the Hand of God.” (2:24a) He realizes, as we must, how futile it would be to live a meaningless life of toil and frustration devoid of a relationship with our Lord. Our focus should turn instead to the enjoyment of our lives; finding satisfaction in the everyday pursuits and nourishing ourselves with food and drink because it comes from the Hand of God. Most importantly, Solomon shares an essential truth: we must seek fulfillment in God, not material possessions, for without Him, there can be no sense of purpose for the daily grind. God has given each of us certain skills and knowledge. Only as we fulfill God’s master plan for our lives can we enjoy the sense of well-being He intends for us.

God Himself must be our food and drink. What a gift!

Lord, thank You for providing us with meaningful labor. Help us to enjoy the good things that our daily labor provides, knowing that they are from Your Hand. May we continually find our true satisfaction in living for You.

by Nick Clemmer, Ruling Elder

Tuesday, March 21

Isaiah 55:1-4

Spiritual Sustenance

God had a message of challenge and invitation for the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah. If they continued to rebel against God, He would punish and exile them. But in time, if they called on God, He would deliver them. What’s more, He would bless them with an everlasting covenant, pointing to the Messiah, Jesus.

His invitation to the Israelites is also an invitation for us today: Come!

The Holy One beckons us away from our busyness, away from our striving, to come.

The premise of an invitation is a desire for fellowship. An invitation to a dinner party is a request for time spent together. An invitation to a birthday party is a desire to celebrate together. We give and receive invitations to spend time with those we love, those with whom we want to commune.

And here we read that God, the Almighty, desires that same fellowship with us.

He calls the thirsty to come find satisfaction in Him. He calls the poor to find sufficiency in Him. God calls us to listen and give ear. He longs for us to draw away from the cacophony of life’s demands, and come to Him expectantly. He admonishes our fruitless striving, our desires for things that will never truly satisfy. In place of that, He calls us to Himself. Why? So that we might truly live.

During this Lenten season, may we all find time to attend to God’s beckoning. To respond to His expectant invitation. To listen to Him, to delight in Him, and to be satisfied in Him. To experience His love toward us.

Not only will this response bring rest to our souls, it will empower us to be God’s witnesses to the world around us, a world that is desperately craving satisfaction that can come only from our Heavenly Father. May His invitation to us inspire an invitation to those around us. An invitation to come.

Dear Lord, thank You for Your gracious invitation to come to You. Thank You for Your life-giving sustenance. Thank You that, in You, our souls can be truly satisfied. Thank You for life everlasting.

by Callie Cowan, Pregnancy Solutions Executive Director

Wednesday, March 22

Isaiah 58:3-9A

Righteous Fast

Fasting has been much used in all ages and among all nations in times of mourning, sorrow, and affliction. It has been accompanied by cries and hopes for mercy, forgiveness or healing.

In Isaiah’s time, fasting had become a religious symbol, a ritualistic pause, a display of false humility with ashes only a token of mourning for unanswered desires.

Isaiah asks the people of God why they bother to fast? It makes no difference in their lives. They live as usual: unjust, unkind, serving their own interests, self-indulgent, and denying the needs of others around them. About their self-focused ritual, Isaiah offers these terrifying words: “You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high.” (58:4b).

Isaiah offers a list of acceptable behaviors, of displays, that indicate hearts devoted to God: loose the chains of injustice; untie all “yokes” of bondage; set free those who have been crushed; share your food with the hungry; provide shelter for the homeless; clothe the naked; do not turn away from the needs of your own flesh and blood; do not pervert justice; and finally, refrain from malicious talk and pointing fingers.

American culture, 2017, is described as self-indulgent, ego-centered, and “selfie” celebrated. Religion is often just a ritualistic pause in busy lives and its symbols largely useless. In our day, as in the day of Isaiah, agonizing cries and human need fill the world.

Homeless and hungry people dwell in our own city. Anger, incivility, unkindness, injustice, blaming and instability add to the burdens of daily life. Malice and fingerpointing are common.

God’s call then, as now, is to love Him above all and to display that love by caring for one another. If we will do that, hear the promises of God from Isaiah 58:10-12; “Then will your light break forth like the dawn and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. . . .

Then you will call and the Lord will answer. You will cry for help and the Lord will say, ‘Here am I.’” Dear God, Your call is to re-align ourselves with Your purposes and will. You ask us to follow You into the world where You continue to work by Your Holy Spirit. Hear our longing to serve You and our prayers for healing in the world, our land, our city, and our families.

by Dr. Eileen Reamy, Ruling Elder

Thursday, March 23

Daniel 1:1-15

Daniel’s Excellent Meal Plan

Choices! Choices! Choices! Today’s restaurant menus often overwhelm me. There are pages and pages of choices—beverages, appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes, chef’s specials and desserts. I find myself so overwhelmed that often I send the server away so I can have time to decipher the menu and make my choices.

Although time is a luxury I have when ordering, that was not the case for Daniel.

Consider the plight Daniel faced when he appeared at the court of King Nebuchadnezzar.

The King was determined to train exceptional young Jewish men in the language, literature, religion and philosophy of pagan Babylonia. This was an effort at total indoctrination, working to make Daniel and the other young Jewish men leave behind their Hebrew God and culture. Undoubtedly, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to teach them to look to him for everything so that he could use these outstanding young men in his plan to subjugate the Jews.

Nebuchadnezzar’s three-year plan of indoctrination included eating the King’s food and drinking his wine to ensure that these young men maintained their strength.

Unfortunately, for Jewish men that desired to serve the Lord, they could not eat the King’s food because it was ceremonially unclean according to Jewish law and had been used in pagan worship When the King’s chief official offered the food to Daniel and his two friends, Daniel needed no time to decipher the menu. His choice was immediate as he declined to eat the King’s food and drink his wine. Instead, he placed a special order of his own choosing and what a choice he made. Daniel simply ordered vegetables and water. This was not an easy choice for Daniel. He faced the possibility of severe punishment and perhaps even a sentence of death for his disobedience. His menu choices stemmed from his desire to obey God and serve Him and not the King. Although tempted, he refused to partake of the King’s meat and imbibe in the King’s wine.

Poole’s Commentary on the Bible notes: “Satan uses a similar strategy against believers today trying to indoctrinate us into a world system leading us to feed on what the world offers.” Although Satan’s menu is filled with tempting delights, we must strive to behave as Daniel did and place a special order that allows us to obey God, resist temptation, and hold fast to what we know is right.

Dear Lord, help us to choose to be obedient by resisting temptation and holding fast to what we know is right. Allow us to remember: sin tastes sweet on the tongue but sours in the belly.

by Harley Allen, Worship Committee

Friday, March 24

Esther 9:18-23

Feast of Purim

A great feast came out of a desperate time in Jewish history. It truly is a gripping story: how a young, reluctant woman changed the fate of her people.

While we do not know much about Esther, the Scriptures record that she became Queen of the Persian Empire while King Xerxes reigned (486-465 BCE). Esther found great favor with the King. Mordecai, her stepfather, also was exalted for discovering an assassination plot against the King. (Esther 2:21-23) Mordecai, while favored by the King, did not find favor with Haman, a nobleman who had been elevated by the King to a position higher than any other in the Persian Empire.

(Esther 3: 1-4) Mordecai refused to honor and bow down to Haman (Esther 3:5) which enraged him. Plotting revenge, Haman decided to look for a way to destroy Mordecai and all of the Jews throughout the kingdom of Xerxes: the first recorded attempt at genocide in history. (Esther 3:6b) The Feast of Purim, on the fourteenth or fifteenth day of the twelfth month (Adar) in Old Testament times (during February or March in modern times) is a day of joy and feasting and giving presents, to remind the Israelites of their national deliverance from Haman’s plot. (NIV Study Bible, p. 176-77, 1985) Mordecai’s challenge to Esther to approach Xerxes to stop Haman’s evil plot is a challenge to us all: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14) For such a time as this . . . In the worst recorded genocide in history around the middle of the twentieth century, how many remained silent? God may be calling you and me for “such a time as this.” We may need the courage to stand up to oppression, deceit, even outright evil in our midst. We may have been placed in a position where the time has come to make that stand. Esther took a stand more than two millennia in the past; we can as well.

God is with us, and, when evil is destroyed because of standing up to it, there is a great feast on the other side.

Lord, may we be Your instruments to confront evil in our world. Help us to be ever mindful that You have called us for “such a time as this.”

by Glen Olsen, Minister of Worship Arts

Saturday, March 25

Zechariah 8:12-19

Israel’s Bounty Restored

“The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people.” (Zechariah 8:12) Through the prophet Zechariah, God encouraged the discouraged people who had returned to Jerusalem from Babylonia to complete the rebuilding of the temple. Because of the glorious future that awaited them, God promised to deliver and bless Jerusalem and Judah and to provide gardens and fields abundant with fruits and vegetables.

Thinking of the abundant produce reminds me of growing up in the hot summer months of northern California. I can remember my dad using a rototiller to prepare a small plot of land in our backyard for a summer garden. My brother and I would take turns using a rake to run up and down the rows to prepare the ground to plant the seeds. We planted corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables. Over the summer, we watched the corn stalks grow and the tomato plants bloom with bright little flowers. It seemed forever before we received the rewards of our bounty. When the fruits and vegetables came to fruition, we had plenty to share.

This Scripture contrasts the unhappy past with the hopeful present. The past for Judah was filled with poverty, violence, and Divine condemnation; consequences of rebellious behavior. But after repenting and returning to Him, God committed to dealing differently with His people. He promised to restore Judah's fortunes. Abundant agricultural produce would mark this generation (8:12) and God would work on their behalf. (8:15) God confirmed this hopeful present: “As you have been an object of cursing . . . you will be a blessing.” (8:13) When God restores, He blesses. His people, in turn, are to bless those around them. God requires justice and hates injustice. God’s commandments to speak the truth to each other and render true and sound judgment would truly be a blessing to all. Zechariah notes that because of God’s blessings, the fasting done in the past to show sorrow and repentance would change to happy festival days, celebrating God’s restoration of His people. God's people keep His commandments because they wish to please Him and because they desire to reflect His character.

Dear Lord, how grateful I am for Your words and promises of Israel’s bounty restored.

Let me taste Your mercy and then help me to live a life in Your service.

by Cris Anderson, Equipping Coordinator

Sunday, March 26

Matthew 6:25-27

Don’t Worry About Food

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:27-27, NASB) With mortgages, credit card bills, and fixed incomes, it can be easy to become anxious about our finances. But even for the most foundational of needs such as food and clothing, Jesus tells us not to worry. If we are not to worry about the most basic of our needs, should we worry at all? The Bible teaches us that we are to keep our focus on God and His truth. His truth will set us free from earthly desires and wants. We should focus on God and His Word which is the food we need to nourish our souls.

Jesus describes Himself as the “Bread of Life.” (John 6:48) “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” (John 6:50, NASB) Are we, as Jesus followers, capable of putting such trust in the Lord that we focus more on Him than on our earthly needs and wants?

These verses don’t relieve us from working to provide for our own physical well-being or from being financially responsible. But instead of worrying, we should feed our minds and hearts with food for eternal life. And we should give everything to the Lord in prayer. Paul reminds us: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known before God.” (Philippians 4:6, NASB) This should be our focus and the use of our energy as we submit ourselves to God’s will and plan.

We are not to worry, for worry does nothing for us and can shorten our lives. Worry uses up energy that could otherwise be utilized for God’s creative purposes. Worry denies faith. Worry diminishes hope. Worry deflates life and happiness. So let us eat of the real food of life and live without worry by trusting in the grace and hope of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

God, please help us to be grateful for and trust in Your provision and the sufficiency of Your provision, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. Help us to submit to Your will that we may be the hands and feet of that provision for ourselves and others.

by Connie Sayers, Administrative Coordinator

Monday, March 27

Ezekiel 2:9–3:3

The Sweet Taste of God’s Word

These verses seem quite odd to the contemporary reader. The fact that Ezekiel is commanded to eat the word is quite frankly strange. The idea of literally eating God’s Word is an interesting concept to think about. Of course, we do not actually eat the Word of God; we read it. This concept will be discussed later, but first it is important to understand what this verse is trying to tell us.

Verse 10 of Chapter 2 describes the scroll that Ezekiel is commanded to eat as being filled with words on both the front and the back. In the time of Ezekiel, scrolls only had words on one side. Words on both sides, then, suggests that this scroll was saturated with words. We can liken these words to the nutrients that our body needs to survive and say that these words are what our soul needs to survive.

This passage also tells us that these words were “of lament and mourning and woe.”(2:10b) Ezekiel was first commanded to preach words of doom and gloom. His messages were not popular because the people He preached to did not want to give up their wrong lifestyle. It’s like hearing a nutritionist say that we need to eat healthy, but we do not want to because the food and drink that we consume are too good to give up.

God then commands Ezekiel to eat the scroll. Ezekiel describes the taste of the words, saying they “tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.” (3:3b) There is a major contrast between the fact that the words that he ate were words of sadness and hopelessness, but the taste was sweet. God’s Word is always good for us, no matter if it is a message of doom and gloom, or joy and gladness.

How then should we apply the concept of “eating the Word” to us as contemporary believers? We need nutrients such as proteins, healthy fats, carbohydrates, etc. for our bodies to survive. The spiritual side of us also needs nutrients. These nutrients come in the form of God’s Word. For us to grow spiritually and in our faith, reading the Word of God is very important. It teaches us about God and how to daily follow Christ. Even the words that remind us of our sin help us to grow in our faith and teach us how we should live for Him. Paul reminds us that “All Scripture is . . . useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16) Lord, let us look to You and Your word to provide us with the nutrients for our faith. Let us feed our souls so that we can be strong in our faith, and replace our sinful habits with ones that please You, Lord. Let us recognize that all Your words are good for us, even the ones that may go against what we enjoy. You bless us with nutrients for both our body and soul every day, and for that we are so thankful.

by Will Harwell, Florida State University Student

Tuesday, March 28

John 2:1-11

Wedding Feast at Cana

Jesus’ first miracle was the turning of water into wine at a marriage celebration. Many find, in this wonderful recounting, themes that guide us in our understanding of who Jesus is and His purpose on earth. Let’s look at four of them.

First, Jesus took an active part in the wedding celebration. Christ cares deeply about the things we care about; our marriages and our families. Marriage is an institution ordained by God. Sometimes in our glamorization of weddings and marriages we forget that they are unions made up of two imperfect people with imperfect parents and imperfect children in an imperfect world. All marriages have struggles and problems. Yet Jesus chose to attend and bless this wedding. A couple committed to following Christ and staying the course with each other will be blessed through the years with a constancy of caring, and the joy and fellowship of walking through life together. Jesus wants to celebrate and bless our marriages.

Second, marriage is the symbol for Christ and His church. Jesus is the bridegroom and the church is His bride. (Ephesians 5:32) In Jewish tradition, the bride and groom are first betrothed, with the groom paying a price for his bride. The betrothal is a binding agreement, with gifts given to celebrate the coming wedding. Over weeks or even months, the bride and her family look for the coming of the bridegroom. Finally, in a procession with his friends, the bridegroom comes for his waiting bride. The marriage is blessed, the bridegroom brings his bride back to his home, and with friends and family, the celebration really begins, sometimes lasting a week. Today, we, the church, are waiting for our Bridegroom Jesus to come for us.

We look forward to celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb, where we will be united with Him for eternity. Our Bridegroom has redeemed us, paying the price so that we can be with Him forever.

Third, Jesus changed the water, used for cleansing, into wine. In the Old Testament, washing with water was necessary for nearly every religious and physical function. And the blood of the animal sacrifice was used to atone for the individual and corporate sins of the community.

These cleansing processes had to be repeated continually. But Jesus showed us that His shed blood would redeem and cleanse us once for all time. He would explain this later when He took the Passover wine and said “This is my blood, God’s new covenant poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:28, MSG) By changing water into wine, Jesus pointed to His cleansing of us through the sacrificial act of shedding His blood on the cross.

Fourth, when Jesus changed the water into wine, He did not make it ordinary, He made it the very best. Christ said, “My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:10, TLB) Jesus gives us a blessed life now, and we can look forward to an incredible life with Him for eternity.

Life may not always be wonderful. But those who are truly walking with the Savior can say, “I never could have made it without Him. He gave His strength, power and help for every day. In everything, I am learning to thank Him. And I am receiving His grace and His peace.”

Jesus, thank You for blessing my home and family. Thank You, dear Bridegroom, for redeeming and cleansing me. Thank You for the abundant life You give now and for eternity.

by Chris Dowden, Co-Editor of Devotionals

Wednesday, March 29

Matthew 9:10–13

Banquet at Levi’s

In the various and changing practices of Lent throughout church history, it was always a time of preparation for the remembrance of the crucifixion and celebration of the resurrection. Tradition held that it was both a penitent and a joyful period for new believers to prepare for baptism into the faith.

As we look to Scriptures in Matthew Chapter 9, we see the story of Jesus dining at Matthew’s house. Matthew (a.k.a. Levi), the writer of this Gospel, was one of Jesus’ disciples. Remember too, Matthew was a tax collector. While we may joke about folks working for the IRS today, we know they are “just doing their job.” In Matthew’s day, tax collectors were notorious for being thieves, skimming off the top and raising rates to line their own wallets. Being a Jew collecting taxes for the Roman authorities was somewhat equivalent to being a known member of the mafia. Matthew was hated.

And guess what? Jesus called Matthew to be a disciple and went to his house for dinner.

And got him to invite his friends. It’s no wonder the Pharisees were shocked and appalled. If it were our child, we’d say, “I don’t want you hanging around those people.”

What is crazy about Jesus’ upside-down-Kingdom-of-God agenda is that He didn’t come to get on the insider track with the religious leaders or to climb the political ladder of the government. He came to serve. He came to be last. He came to heal. He came to save.

He came to love outcasts and criminals, hookers and lepers, liars and haters. People like you and me.

Yes, we forget, we are the tax collectors and sinners, even the Pharisees in this story.

We carry hatred and judgement in our hearts for those who are different, who are less than. We are selfish, putting our own needs before even those we say we love. We snap at our friends and family. We avoid those who make us uncomfortable. We hoard our resources. We stay silent when we see injustice.

We forget we need a savior. Desperately. And yet, Jesus makes the first move. We don’t have to pretty ourselves up for Jesus. He meets us and comes to eat with us, just like Matthew, just the way we are. And asks us to bring our friends.

To prepare our hearts during Lent, all we need to do is to be with Jesus. He does the rest.

Let us be penitent, receiving forgiveness for our sinfulness. And let us be joyful! We have been offered such grace and love.

Lord, please change my heart by the presence of Jesus. And may I invite my friends and loved ones to come along to experience Your abundant love and grace.

by Bob Hoban, Trustee

Thursday, March 30

Luke 7:36-50

Dinner with a Redeemed Sinner

Uninvited, a woman came to a dinner that a Pharisee was giving for Jesus. Her motives were gratitude and adoration. A former prostitute, the woman had become a Christ follower. Knowing her sins were forgiven, and desiring to live a new life, she came to Jesus. As He reclined at the table, she knelt before Him, her tears of joy running onto His feet. In humble worship, she wiped His feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. The Pharisee only saw a prostitute, with her head shamefully uncovered. Jesus saw a woman redeemed, a woman with a thankful heart, and a woman who desired to humbly serve her Lord. Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.

Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:48, 50) These Bible verses give hope to those of us who have doubted the mercy of God. God has a message for those of us who think our sins cannot be forgiven. God sees our hearts and knows our deep sorrow for our sins. This is a story of hope and salvation; a story of judgment and redemption; a story of great love.

It has always given me comfort to know that no matter what the world says, God knows my heart. He loves me. This is truth. God hates the sin, but loves the sinner and is compassionate, merciful and loving to those who ask for forgiveness.

Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian church prayed that “you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19, MSG) Christ’s words to the woman also remind me to be kind and merciful to others, as God has been kind and merciful to me. Only God knows my heart and only God knows the hearts of others.

Dear Jesus, thank You for giving me Your Word whenever this world is too much for me to understand. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me for my sins. I know that I am loved with an everlasting love. Please help me to share this truth with others so that they may also feel Your amazing grace and love.

by Laurie Wright, Ruling Elder, Clerk of Session

Friday, March 31

Matthew 14:15-21

Feeding the 5000

“They [the disciples] replied ‘we have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.’ And He [Jesus] said, ‘Bring them here to Me.’” (14:17-18, NRSV) This story of the miraculous multiplication of loaves and fishes is primarily and explicitly about feeding the hungry according to Jesus’ command. Also, it is about an ongoing attempt by Jesus to train and educate His disciples as community leaders in the Kingdom of God that Jesus has announced in His teaching.

Jesus’ command and admonishment to the disciples was a response to their plea that because of (or in spite of) the late hour, the crowd should purchase their own food in the nearby villages. However, the instruction and the example of Jesus was to feed the hungry crowd by the disciples, giving what they had to Jesus and allowing it to be blessed, multiplied, and shared.

The celebratory warmth and kindness of the open table is a major theme through Jesus’ ministry as recorded in the Gospels. In this story, it follows another primary and constant theme of Jesus: free and open healing.

In this story, the inclusion of the last phrase “besides women and children” recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, was unusual in the thinking of Jesus’ day and instructs us that His provision was inclusive of all.

This story is enlightening and relevant to our present horrors of war, homelessness, violence, sexual predation, and starvation. Jesus’ call is not to be limited to our having feelings of compassion or sympathy of human need, but to an actual addressing of the needs around us. His call to us, as He instructed the disciples of His day, is clear: “You give them something to eat.” This story assures us that if we will offer what we have, God will bless and multiply our offerings to be sufficient for the needs of those around us.

Gracious and eternal God, immanent and transcendent, we pray for Christian stewardship, distributive justice, and peace. And we pray that we, as Your followers, will lead the way in our own community.

by Kenneth J. Reamy, Member

Saturday, April 1

Luke 11:37-42

Eating with Unclean Hands or Heart?

Often the most complex of Christian life lessons are presented in abstract symbolic messages. I find such to be the case in Luke 11:37-42. At an early age, I did not understand this passage in the same way that I do now. As maturing Christians that continue to take in God’s Word, we are challenged to grow in our understanding and application of Scripture to our daily lives.

In the story told in Luke 11, Jesus had a lesson for the Pharisees and for us as well. Invited for a meal in the home of a Pharisee, Jesus did not wash His hands before He was served, deliberately neglecting a pharisaical tradition. The Pharisees and teachers of the law were consumed with keeping outward laws and traditions, but Jesus was concerned about their hearts. The custom of washing their hands and dishes prior to eating did not satisfy their souls’ needs and obligations to have clean hearts. While their hands and outsides of the dishes may have appeared clean, Jesus said the Pharisees’ insides were full of greed and wickedness. (11:39) Jesus spoke to His dinner host saying, “Didn’t the One who made the outside also make the inside? Turn both your pockets and your hearts inside out and give generously to the poor; then your lives will be clean, not just your dishes and your hands.” (11:40-41, MSG) In saying this, Jesus illustrated that human goodness must be extended to those less fortunate with both integrity and generosity, not with religiosity and legalistic behavior.

For ten years of my long career, I had the privilege to work daily as director of a residential agency that served homeless women and children. We focused on teaching the women the life and job skills needed to change their lives from dependency to self-sufficiency.

We spent an equal amount of time developing their personalities and self-esteem. One goal of our work was to make the women aware of how to find God, to satisfy their souls’ needs and have clean hearts. It was especially gratifying to see their spirituality, and qualities of kindness and love become integral to their personalities. Their individual awakenings were like beautiful sunrises. I believe the lessons they taught me are among the most valuable I have ever witnessed.

Dear Lord, please open my heart’s eyes to see and understand. Often I am so quick to judge others, yet miss the pride, greed and filth of my own soul. Teach me to have a generous spirit and a clean heart yielded completely to You.

by Dottie Pfaff, Member

Sunday, April 2

Luke 15:21-32

Feast for a Prodigal

When the Prodigal left home to “live the good life,” he never dreamed that the day would come when he would go back to his father’s house and look forward to sitting around the table he had been so anxious to leave.

When he did return, he was humbled to the core. Hungry, dirty, broken, he pleaded for mercy from his father and much to his surprise his father welcomed him with open arms.

That emotional greeting must truly have been beyond imagination.

The response from the older brother was not the same. Angry, he refused to be a part of the welcome home for his brother. He was looking for a pity party! If he had known the truth, he may well have wished to have left with his portion of the inheritance just as his brother did.

Where do we find ourselves in the story? There are times we find ourselves being the brat who wants our own way and other times we’re the older brother who stayed home and “followed the rules.” Thank goodness our Heavenly Father is the judge!

Throughout our lives God has blessed us time and time again, times when we have run away, times when we have not. Yet we are always in need of the mercy of our Heavenly Father. As the brothers needed the father in this passage, so too we need the mercy of our Heavenly Father as He has provided for us the Great Banquet through the death and resurrection of His Son. Blessed beyond understanding, that mercy of God is far beyond us. We were lost and have been found. Live the life that we have been called to live, and strive for the day when those strivings cease and we find ourselves seated at the table of our Heavenly Father.

Lord, we recognize that we constantly fall short of Your desires for our lives. Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace that is “new every morning.”

by Burke Johnson, Assistant Pastor

Monday, April 3

John 4:27-38

Jesus’ “Food” for the Lost

Last summer, my husband and I had the privilege of serving as short-term workers (STWs) at Haus Edelweiss in Austria, TCM (Training Christians for Ministry) International Institute’s main campus. TCM provides higher-level Christian education for people from approximately 44 countries throughout Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. We’ve served as short-term workers many times, and it’s always a joy to meet Christian brothers and sisters from many parts of the world. My assignment for this 12-day session was food services. With the leadership of the full-time chef and a long-term worker, I and five other STWs prepared three meals a day for approximately 90 people on campus. One of the privileges of serving at Haus Edelweiss is hosting a table at lunch or dinner. Everyone on campus eats together, family-style, at tables of six or eight. One chair is designated for a STW who serves as the host for that meal. He or she makes sure the food is passed, offers extras, serves dessert and coffee or tea, and makes sure the table is cleaned afterwards. What better place than around the meal table to get to know brothers and sisters in Christ from around the world? It’s a perfect opportunity to learn how God is working through His people in other countries. We share delicious food, smiles, and often laughter at our attempts to learn to say something in another’s language. We also share our common love for our Lord Jesus Christ. As we enjoy meals together, we literally and figuratively, “taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8) The students we meet at Haus Edelweiss are learning more effective ways to reach their countries and cultures for Christ. They are following Jesus’ example in John 4:34: “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” They are striving to become better equipped to reach lost people in their home countries, fields which are truly “ripe for harvest.” (4: 35) When I learn about the difficulties many of these men and women are facing, including persecution of Christians in Muslimdominated countries, I am humbled by their dedication to spreading the message of Christ with boldness. I am challenged to ask myself, “Is my witness for Christ evident?

Am I taking advantage of every opportunity to share the love of Jesus with everyone I meet? Is my food really ‘to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work?’”

Dear Lord, You are the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Thank You for the countless daily reminders of Your goodness to me. Please help me to share Your love with people in need. Please protect Your people all over the world as they serve You. Grant us boldness and strength to spread the good news of Christ in a hurting world. We praise You, Lord, and give You all the glory!

by Cindy Gossman, Chancel Choir

Tuesday, April 4

John 6:25-35

Jesus, The Bread of Life

There are multiple verses in the Bible that point out the many miracles of Jesus and His mission to instill belief in Himself as the Son of God. When Jesus fed the 5,000 with five barley loaves and two small fish, it wasn’t just about fulfilling their need for food, but was also an opportunity to demonstrate His Lordship. Unfortunately, as His followers ate and were filled, relieving hunger was their main focus.

Jesus said to them: “I tell you the truth, you are looking for Me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” (6:7) They still did not see the signs before them which pointed to His deity. They continued to question Jesus, asking Him: “What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” (6:30) Jesus replied: “I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.” (6:32) “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.” (6:35) Jesus declares that He is the Bread of Life. And He invites us to take and eat, to follow Him, not for selfish motives which only satisfy our physical hunger, but for life sustaining motives that will completely satisfy our souls.

Today, via television, computers, iPads, iPhones, etc., we can see what is happening around the world in minutes. The stories of sadness and devastation often discourage people from having faith in an Almighty God who reigns over all things and is preeminent over the affairs of men. This is when we, God’s children, must reach out to those in need and help make a difference. We must have faith in God, even when we are unable to see the miracles that are happening every day. Faith can move mountains, so always remember the story of “Jesus, the Bread of Life” and daily feast on this life giving bread.

Jesus invites us to eat of the Bread of Life which does not spoil but “endures to eternal life.” (6:27) “But don’t be concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you.” (6:27a, NLT) Only by believing in Jesus as the Son of God can we have salvation and life eternal.

Lord, may we seek You daily in faith, knowing You are the Son of the Living God. Thank You for providing spiritual bread that does not perish but “endures to everlasting life.”

by Kim Curran, Chief Financial Officer

Wednesday, April 5

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus’ Radical Hospitality

“As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me.’” (Luke 10:38-40) I can’t pretend that Martha’s complaint doesn’t resonate with me. I have been in a similar situation many times, and as a hostess, I enjoy extending special treatment to my guests. But Jesus said that what Mary chose was better and it would not be taken away from her. (10:42) How did Mary spend her time? She sat at the feet of Jesus listening to His every word. I believe that was a life-changing experience for her. She didn’t think that she was wasting time. She knew that His visit was an event that would change the course of her life forever.

Reading God’s revelations in the Bible is my daily goal. But with a long to-do list, I am tempted to move on and make the most of my time. Like Martha, I am consumed with busyness. Unless I schedule a special time to be alone with God, minutes give way to hours, hours to days, and days to months. In truth, all time belongs to Him and none of us can add a second to our lives.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” There is a time to praise and a time to seek forgiveness, a time to listen and a time to act, a time to seek guidance and a time to allow Him to reveal His will in our lives. Whenever I am in the midst of a crisis and feeling weak, I realize with regret that I have strayed too far from the Source of Strength.

We offer God our talents and treasure. Our good works and tithes show our compassion for others in His name. But our greatest response to His redeeming love is to nurture a loving relationship with Him. Jesus offers us radical hospitality. He is here for us in the present tense. He advocates for us. He is abundantly generous and He is overflowing with love. He pours His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The choice is ours. Will we choose to make our hearts Christ’s home?

Lord, the daily demands on our time can seem overwhelming, but You long to instruct us and hear our prayers. Teach us to have a praying and listening heart, that we may know the peace and joy You have promised to all who place their trust in You.

by Marika Fries, Member

Thursday, April 6

Matthew 22:1-10

The Kingdom is like a Banquet

Jesus tells the story of the wedding banquet during the last week of His life on earth.

This is the end of His ministry; Palm Sunday is history and the cross is looming on the horizon. Time is running out for the leaders of the Jews who say they are believers in God and follow the law, but continue to refuse to accept Jesus, the Son God has sent us.

I suggest that we ponder this Scripture realizing that the time may be running out for us and our friends as well. If we continue to fail to accept God’s invitation to share His Kingdom, He will move His attention to others just like the King in this parable sent His servants into the streets and invited everyone after His initial invitees continually failed to respond.

Look at the other parables Jesus told this last week. (Matthew 20 and 21) In the story of the vineyard workers, Jesus is telling us we can receive His Kingdom no matter if we come to Him early or later in life. And in comparing Himself to the “capstone that the builders rejected,” He openly welcomes Gentiles as well as Jews into God’s family.

The parable of the wedding banquet is one of invitation and rejection. Jesus invites us to know Him personally and completely. Our task is to accept His free gift of grace and salvation, and then to demonstrate that commitment through our actions. (see “parable of the two sons,” Matthew 21:28-32) Unfortunately, some will reject Him and not experience the joy of the Christian life and the hope of eternal life with Him. As we approach this last week of Lent, I hope this is the year that the membership of our church will share their faith with urgency to those that have not accepted Jesus, while demonstrating their faith with their actions and language.

My commitment is to begin this effort with those friends I am concerned I will lose in the near future, and that have demonstrated a willingness to listen. I will make time, will set the date and time, and will tell them about the joy I have found in knowing Christ and knowing I have a future with Him in His house. I pray for His guidance and support as I overcome my constant procrastination. Please pray for me in this personal challenge.

Lord, help us to boldly proclaim our faith in You and our commitment to live for You. May we share the Gospel story with those who do not know You.

by Alan Penick, Ruling Elder and Executive Director of Administration

Friday, April 7

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Christian Hospitality

“One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, He was being carefully watched.” (14:1) Sabbath was a day for worship, with other activities forbidden. Jesus asked if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. When the Pharisees and experts in the law remained silent, He healed a man. He then asked if they would save a son or an ox if either fell in a well on the Sabbath, but again they said nothing.

Jesus then saw how the guests picked the places of honor at the table. He told a parable, warning them not to take the best seats because a more distinguished guest might arrive later and the host would have to ask them to give way, causing humiliation. Instead, they should take the lowest places, so that the host could invite them to move up, giving them honor.

Then Jesus went further, saying that the Pharisee’s rich guests would indeed invite him back, in repayment for the meal. But invite the poor and those who are physically impaired and repayment would only happen at the resurrection of the righteous.

From this we learn that the Pharisees observed the Sabbath in such a way that nothing else but worship was acceptable on that day. Today we recognize that other activities, such as treating the sick and helping those in distress, are not just permitted. They are required.

The Pharisee’s guests tried to sit nearest the leader, in order to be recognized as important. But today, at most dinner parties, hosts leave it up to their guests to sit wherever they choose, where comfort and conviviality have replaced rank and status.

But how often have we included a person who might otherwise not enjoy the hospitality and nourishment of a home cooked meal? Have we followed the Lord’s admonition to go out into the streets and alleys (14:21) to invite in those we don’t know? Food for thought, as we enjoy the bountiful blessings of life, while being surrounded by those in Sarasota County who survive in Wal-Mart’s parking lot or under bridges or in the woods.

“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if His love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care . . . agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front. . . . Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. . . . Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” (Philippians 2:1-3, MSG) Dear Lord, help us to keep the Sabbath the way Jesus intended. And guide us so that we may be bold in hospitality, ever mindful of those less fortunate than ourselves.

by Suzanne M. Johnson, Chair of Knit One, Pray Too, Co-Manager of Chancel Choir

Saturday, April 8

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus Eats with Zacchaeus

The name Zacchaeus conjures up memories of the song I learned as a child in Bible School. “Zacchaeus was a wee little man; a wee little man was he; he climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see . . .”

Zacchaeus, besides being short, was a chief tax collector. Tax collectors were unpopular because they made themselves rich by overcharging their fellow citizens. When Jesus said to come down from the tree and that He wanted to go to Zacchaeus’ home, Zacchaeus obeyed. The people grumbled that Jesus was associating with a sinner.

If Jesus said to me, “Come down out of the tree, I’m coming to your house to stay;” my first thought would be, “Is the guest room presentable, is the bathroom clean, is there food in the refrigerator and pantry to make a decent meal?” I know we need not be concerned when we are nudged to come down out of our tree and step out of our comfort zone, but those thoughts race through our minds. Jesus wants us to feast on Him and His Word, and not worry about the physical arrangements.

When he came down, met Jesus and invited Him in, Zacchaeus realized he must make things right. He demonstrated this inward change by offering to give half his possessions to the poor and said he would pay back, with interest, money to anyone he had cheated.

Zacchaeus showed his faith by his changed behavior. When Jesus is the center of our lives, we are changed too.

I was raised in a home where generous hospitality was practiced. Often my mother wouldn’t know in advance that company was coming but she always managed to put on a feast for drop-in guests. She was also known for her wonderful cinnamon rolls, and my friends, after all these many years, still remember dropping by on Saturday afternoons to feast on them. I don’t remember that she was concerned about how the house looked. She was more interested in following the Biblical teaching of hospitality and preparing food for her guests to enjoy.

We can feast not only on food, but on Jesus’ love and His Word. We do this by inviting Him into our hearts and responding to His guidance. His presence in our lives frees us from judgmentalism, fear, gossip, anger, worry, idolatry and self-concern.

Like Zacchaeus, we need to “come down out of the tree,” when opportunities arise. We can share a feast with those around us not only of food, but of His Word, and the Good News. We can “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Dear Jesus, may we feast on You and humbly serve You all the days of our lives.

by Carolyn Stephens, Ruling Elder

Palm Sunday, April 9

John 12:1–8

Jesus Anointed at Dinner

Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with a pint of nard which was a fragrant ointment imported from the mountains of India, thus it was very expensive and worth a year’s wages.

Perfumes were used for times of celebration but also for burial. Mary’s anointing Jesus with perfume foreshadowed His death, which was to take place in one week.

At least two people were displeased with Mary’s act of devotion and humility: Martha who was extremely busy in the kitchen preparing and serving the meal for her guests and undoubtedly could have used Mary’s help; and Judas who most certainly could have used the value of the perfume in a manner much more beneficial to him. Jesus’ reply to this situation was: “It was intended, that she should save this perfume for the day of My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.” (12:8) Well, today we have both: He is among us and the poor are among us. As we serve Him, we must do so in a manner which shows devotion toward Him. You see, both Martha and Mary were serving the Lord but Martha was buried in the work of serving the meal whereas Mary was showing her love and devotion without regard to the consequences.

When you serve the Lord, do so in a manner in which you are showing love toward Him and His people. Be not concerned with yourself and your ambitions but work endlessly to help those of His people that need His hand. This will not only bring peace to you but it will show those you help that He is among us.

Lord, help us to be like Mary by passionately and unselfishly serving You. May we be Your hands and feet to those that need our help.

by Glenn Breitzig, Trustee

Monday, April 10

Matthew 26:17-25

Dining with the Enemy

It was the last week of Jesus’ life on earth, a week of both triumph and tragedy. The week began with a celebration as crowds enthusiastically welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem, waving palm branches and hailing Him as King. It ended with His crucifixion and death, ultimately leading to His resurrection. Our passage takes place on Thursday night of this last week when Jesus gathers His disciples together to celebrate the traditional Passover meal. Jews celebrated the Passover as a remembrance of God’s redemption in sparing their firstborn sons by passing over their homes while taking the lives of the Egyptians’ firstborn sons and animals. (Exodus 12) What began as a joyous celebration to remember God’s redemption and deliverance from the hands of Pharaoh turned into a more somber feast as Jesus revealed that one of the disciples would betray Him. In spite of Jesus’ teaching and Old Testament prophecy, Scripture records that the disciples were surprised and perplexed when Jesus announced that one of their own would betray Him. (John 13:22-30) Each disciple, in turn, proclaimed his innocence, until Jesus revealed Judas as the betrayer.

Dining together with family and friends is something that is a normal part of our lives.

Jesus frequently enjoyed meals with the disciples, but this time was different. What was an occasion to provide physical sustenance for His disciples and to remember God’s deliverance of the Jews, turned into an act that would lead to the life giving sacrifice of the Lamb of God and deliverance for all mankind.

The Passover meal was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ work on the cross. The sacrifice of a perfect lamb to atone for sins is replaced by Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Under the old covenant, one could only approach God through a priest and through the sacrificing of an unblemished lamb. With Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, a new covenant is established, enabling all to freely and boldly approach God. Jesus’ sacrifice paid the penalty once and for all time for our sins. No longer do we need to sacrifice animals to approach God. All that is required of us is to accept God’s sacrifice for our sins and believe in Him as Lord and Savior.

Many of us are dining at the table with Jesus. We, like Judas, consider ourselves a friend and part of the family. We go to church and participate in the things of the Lord. Yet, we all need to ask the question: “Is it I Lord?” Are we the ones betraying Him through our actions, thoughts and commitments? Have we accepted His sacrifice on the Cross for our sins and do we daily live for Him? Lord, thank You for sacrificing Your only Son, the spotless Lamb of God, to redeem us from our sins. May we freely accept this gift and commit to living lives that are pleasing to You.

by G. Blair Dowden, Co-Editor of Devotionals

Tuesday, April 11

Matthew 26:26-30

Bread and Wine

In this beautiful Scripture, our Lord Jesus, knowing His appointed time was near (26:18) planned for His final Passover meal with His disciples. Very shortly, once for all and for all time, Jesus would be the Passover Lamb.

Jesus took some bread and gave thanks. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.” And He took the cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.” (26:26-28, NLT) Jesus once told the parable of a great banquet. The banquet was prepared, the guests invited, and the servant sent out to tell the guests, “It’s ready, come now.” Now, at this last Passover meal, Jesus could look ahead to the cross. The preparation for the salvation of all mankind was nearly accomplished. Soon He would invite all, “Come, for everything is now ready.” (Luke 14:17) When we take part in communion, the Lord’s Table, we are partaking of the banquet He has prepared. We eat the bread and drink the wine, remembering Christ’s broken body on the cross, and His shed blood. We “do this in remembrance” of Jesus, recalling His sacrifice and gift of salvation. (Luke 22:19) Taking part in the Lord’s Supper in community is a sacred time of fellowship to which God calls us all, each holding in common: faith, adoration of the Holy Trinity, and remembering our Lord Jesus’ sacrificial death. Our hearts beat in rhythm with fellow believers as we come with a mutual desire to accept this Divine invitation to observe and partake of the Lord’s Table. May we prepare to come with reverence, selfexamination, prayer and thanksgiving for God’s gift of love, hope and peace.

“Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them,” states A.W. Tozer. May we be faithful to come to the Lord’s table with a hunger and thirst to remember Jesus’ broken body and shed blood, confirm our faith, and confess our sins. In our busy lives, may we never forget Jesus’ sacrifice.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving the world so much that You gave your One and only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. Precious Lord Jesus, You gave Your life for us. Thank You for including us at Your Table now and in the Great Banquet to come.

by Sharon Greenwald, Member

Wednesday, April 12

Matthew 25:37-45

Feeding the Least of These

Every month they come, twice a month, actually. They are tired, hungry and nervous.

They come on hot days. They come on cold days. They come on rainy days. They just keep coming. Some are “regulars.” Some are newcomers. Some can’t read. Some have graduate degrees. Some are dirty. Some have dressed up in their best clothes. Some know us by name. Some we know by name. But they all come each time for the same reason: to get food. And, we come each time for the same reason: to give food. No questions asked. There are over a hundred people each time. Some are laughing. Some cry. Most say, “Thank you.” It doesn’t matter.

It’s called the Veggie Sprout Truck from the All-Saints Food Bank, in affiliation with Community Assistance Ministry at the Trinity Presbyterian Church. It’s one of the unsung missions at VPC, and I am glad to be a part of it.

Jesus taught that in helping others, we are serving the Lord. His words are recorded on Matthew 25:37–45: “I was hungry and you fed Me, I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink, I was homeless, and you gave Me room, I was shivering, and you gave Me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to Me.” (MSG) How often we see struggling people, wherever, and we think to ourselves that these folks could probably use some help. But we don’t help. We ignore. Are we afraid? Judgmental?

Condescending? For some personal reason, we just keep cocooned in our own world; doing our own thing. We know it isn’t right. It’s comfortable.

Whether it’s the Veggie Sprouts Truck, the Family Promise Program, or the Immigrant Farmer Food Line in Immokalee, our church gives us safe, convenient ways “To know Christ, and to make Christ known.” We can share. We can serve up grace and God’s blessings to “the least of these.”

Jesus teaches that by failing to help others, we fail to serve Him. “When did we ever see You hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help? Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was Me – you failed to do it to Me.” (Matthew 25:44– 45, MSG) Lord, please help me see people through Your eyes and bless others by showing Your love.

Help me to notice the needs around me, and not ignore You.

by Bob Painter, Ruling Elder

Maundy Thursday, April 13

Matthew 27:45-51

Jesus’ Last Drink

Jesus' last drink is highly symbolic. Shortly after taking His last cup of wine with His disciples at the last supper, Jesus moves to the Garden of Gethsemane to plead with God that the cup of agony be removed. He knew, for our sakes, that it could not.

When the Roman soldiers were preparing Jesus for crucifixion, they mocked Him by offering Him wine mixed with gall to drink. This sour wine vinegar mixed with water was a pain-killing narcotic. Jesus refused to drink it.

On the cross, Jesus cries out to God. An unknown bystander, thinking He was thirsty, dips a sponge in sour wine and holds it up to Jesus on a reed for Him to drink. The scene is foreshadowed in Psalm 69:21 (NLT): "They give Me poison for food; they offer Me sour wine for my thirst.” Another scriptural prophesy is being fulfilled.

Jesus’ cry, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani,” again quotes from a Psalm of David: "My God, my God, why have You abandoned Me?” (Psalm 22:1a, NLT) This is not Jesus complaining to God. Rather, it is a recognition that Jesus' sacrificial work on our behalf was now at hand. Jesus had always been in complete accord with the Father. Even though it was God's will that His only begotten Son would have to be separated from Him in order for Jesus to fully pay the required price for our sins, the reality of that separation, the trip to Hell, was now beginning.

The tearing of the temple curtain, keeping the Jews from entering the Holy of Holies which was the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence, symbolized that all people could know Jesus Christ and He could inhabit the hearts of His people. Those who accept Him as personal Savior are now able to freely enter the “holy of holies.” The new Temple has been prepared. You and I are invited to enter.

Our Heavenly Father, when we consider the price You paid to open the way for us to be reunited with You, we tremble at the majesty of Your character and the glory Jesus earned by His suffering on our behalf. Create in us a clean body fit to be Your dwelling place. Create in us a clean tongue so that we can speak only the words You give us to speak. Create in us a clean mind cleared of the refuse we have left in it. Create in us a clean heart and renew a righteous spirit within us.

by Tom and Bonnie Parlette, Family Ministry Leaders

Good Friday, April 14

1 Corinthians 11:17-29

Worthy Eaters

The early church was full of divisions. There certainly were divisions in the Corinthian church, especially when the faithful gathered for the Lord’s Supper. Paul’s concern was that these gatherings had become nothing more than “potluck dinners” in which some went hungry while others ate and drank in excess. Often these gatherings were in the homes of the wealthy. It appears that the rich were arriving early to get the best places inside where they could recline while eating. Those who came later had to stay outside and received only the scraps. The poor were humiliated, while the wealthy overindulged. Division indeed!

Paul was deeply concerned that the communal meal had turned into a perversion of the sacred meal. It could not be called the Lord’s supper. Paul reminded the followers of Jesus’ words. “This is My body which is for you, do this in remembrance of Me. . . . This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this . . . in remembrance of Me.” (11:24-25) The act of sharing the broken bread and the cup was to be done while remembering Jesus, repenting of sin, and thanking Him for His atoning death and gift of redemption. It was not in the satisfying of physical hunger. Participants weren’t to arrive famished. Early arrivers were to wait so all could share in the meal together. No one was to be humiliated by the little he could bring. Everyone was to enjoy true Christian fellowship.

Paul also reminded the believers that Jesus shared the sacred meal with all His disciples.

They certainly were unworthy, yet Jesus invited them to sit at the table, even the one who was to betray Him. The Lord’s Supper is open to all followers, for all are worthy through repentance of sin and belief in God’s reconciliation through Jesus Christ. “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (11:26) Taking part in the Lord’s Supper shows faith in God’s new covenant, which gives us life with Him eternally.

Jesus invites all to partake in His sacred meal, even us, as unworthy as we are. Only by the amazing grace of God are we made worthy as believers in Christ. Only by God’s love are we worthy to sit at the table with the One who gave His life for us. We can fellowship and feast in His grace now, as we look forward to the great feast in eternity. Thanks be to God. O God of love, God of grace, we know that we are not worthy, yet You invite us to sit and eat at Your table. Thank You for saving us from eternal death, and giving us eternal life, through the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

by Lynne Peter, Candidate for Ministry

Saturday, April 15

John 6:35, 53-58

Jesus, the Bread of Life

Bread. The word itself can have so many meanings. In many cultures, bread is a metaphor for necessities. For example, a “bread-winner” is a household’s main economic contributor and has little to do with actual bread-provision. This is also seen in the phrase, “putting bread on the table.” The Midwest is known as the “breadbasket” denoting an agriculturally productive area. “Bethlehem” in Hebrew means House of Bread, which is fitting considering it is our Savior’s birthplace. All around the globe, bread is recognized as life-giving and life-sustaining.

Bread, although it can be all those things, only has a shelf life of about two weeks.

In this passage, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” This is a phenomenal statement! First, He is saying He is essential for life. He is contrasting what He brings as our Messiah with the physical bread that we desire and that sustains us. Jesus is the spiritual bread that we need.

Second, the life Jesus is referring to is not physical life, but eternal life. Unlike the material bread of earth, Jesus has no shelf life. His spiritual nourishment is eternal. In the second portion of this passage, Jesus reminds us, “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. . . . so he who eats Me, he also will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.” (6:55-58, NASB) When you are hungry, you eat. When you are thirsty, you drink. It’s human nature. These things are necessary for survival. The work of the Holy Spirit is to make the heart hungry.

Eating is a response to hunger. Our hearts ache with hunger when they are empty of a relationship with God. Just as the growling stomach says, “I’m starving,” so the Father draws us by making us hungry for Him. The hungry heart desires God’s true nourishment. When we hunger and thirst for God’s goodness, He will bless and satisfy us and we will be made righteous in His eyes. (see Matthew 5:6) If you want eternal life with God, “hunger” and “eating” is necessary.

Eating is also personal, not a group event. You can all go out to dinner, but the food must go in your mouth for it to do its job. People can help you, but you cannot eat by proxy. Just as you must eat the bread of earth to sustain your growth, you must also eat the spiritual bread yourself. Church and Christian fellowship can help, but your own spiritual eating is necessary.

Eating is in response to hunger. Eating is personal and eating is transformational. If you don’t eat physically, you will die. If you eat, the food you take in transforms you. That’s what Christ does. He is the bread of life that transforms you into who you are ordained to be.

Dear Lord, help me to eat and drink You. May I meditate on You and Your redemption, and daily feast on Your Word. Nourished by You, please guide me to live for You now and always.

by Paige Pierce, Communications Coordinator

Easter Sunday, April 16

1 John 3:16-18

Love as Christ Loves

“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 John 3:16-18, NLT) On this Easter Sunday Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, as we move beyond the cross to new life! Hallelujah! In I John 3:1, John says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us . . .” The love the Father lavished on us was that He raised Jesus from the dead, so we could receive the promise of eternal life! It’s much more joyous to celebrate this lavish new life in Him than to languish in the sin and death we have just passed through with Him, isn’t it?

John takes us to the cross when He defines how we are to live. Underscoring a primary theme in the Gospel of John, this text summarizes our new lifestyle with the command that we believers are to love each other. And He tells us how. Christian love imitates the crucified Christ, whose unconditional love for us should lead to our unconditional love for each other.

But sometimes, well often, this can be difficult. We Christians can be snarky, and selfish, and so needy! Love someone to the point of death? What does that mean, really? Many Christians have given their lives for the cause of others: soldiers, ship captains, missionaries. We could all name someone. But for most of us, we aren’t facing death as “the loving” option.

But we could. Because loving the way Jesus loves is sacrificing self in every situation: our opinions, our convictions, our status, our wealth, our reputation, our identity, our comfort, and yes, maybe our life. In the most literal sense, loving each other the way Christ loves us is the most radical form of hospitality; we would be willing to invest in and give up everything for the sake of another believer. Self-sacrifice is actually a mindset that should affect words and actions in every Christian relationship, in every encounter we have with our fellow believers.

The principle of self-denial, not just a Lenten thing, is the guiding principle for the Christian community as we represent Christ on earth. We can meet every need of our sisters and brothers, if we stop counting the cost and just give unconditionally. The world is watching how we love each other. And if ever the world needed a Savior, it is now.

Lord, help me imitate Christ sacrificially, and love my sisters and brothers in such a way that the world can see there is no greater love than Christian love.

by Lyn Olson, Associate Pastor

Monday, April 17

Luke 24:13–38

Jesus Recognized at the Table

“While they [the disciples] were talking about what had happened, Jesus stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’” (Luke 24:36, GWT) When Jesus appeared, they had been acting in an unworthy manner by fleeing from Him at His betrayal, and deserting Him at His trial. When Jesus appeared, they were unprepared, and unbelieving, doubting His promise, and refusing the testimony of His messengers. Jesus appeared when they greatly needed His presence, for they were like sheep without a shepherd.

What He said was, “Peace be with you.” It was a benediction because He wished them peace. It was a declaration because they could now be at peace with God. He inspired them with peace. It was an absolution, because He blotted out all offences which might have spoiled their peace.

His appearing banished their doubts. Even Thomas had to shake off his obstinate unbelief. Jesus revealed and sealed His love upon their hearts by showing them His hands and His feet. He refreshed their memories: “This is what I told you while I was still with you.” (24:44a) And He opened their understanding: “And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself.” (24:27) “Then He opened their minds so that they could understand the Scriptures.” (24:45) He showed them their position: “Ye are witnesses of these things.”

(24:48) And He filled them with joy.

There are depths in the ocean, I am told, where no storm ever stirs. They are beyond the reach of all storms, which sweep and agitate the surface of the sea. And there are heights in the blue sky above which no cloud ever ascends, where no storm ever rages, where all is perpetual sunshine, and nothing exists to disturb the deep serene. Each of these symbolizes the soul which Jesus visits, to whom He speaks peace, whose fear He dispels, and whose lamp of hope He trims.

When we are in the midst of a storm in life, all we need to do is look up and get a fresh glimpse of Jesus; “look full in His wonderful face, and the things of this earth will grow strangely dim.” (“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” Helen Howarth Lemmel, 1950) We sense His presence because He is here. Hallelujah!

Lord, thank You for Your presence in our lives, and for the peace that only You can bring.

May we share that peace and joy with others.

by David Wagner, Financial Secretary

Tuesday, April 18

John 21:1-14

Breakfast with the Risen Christ

“Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, ‘Friends, haven’t you any fish?’ ‘No,’ they answered.

He said, ‘Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.’ When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’” (John 21:4-7) Peter needs no further invitation. He jumps into the water and makes his way toward Jesus. The others follow in the boat, dragging the net full of fish. When they land, they see a fire of burning coals with fish on it and some bread. The risen Jesus has been waiting to welcome them. There is no need to ask who their host is. The meal has been prepared. Jesus simply invites them: “Come and have breakfast.”

This is not the first time Peter had fished in the Sea of Galilee and caught nothing. Jesus had preached from the fisherman’s boat to crowds gathered on the shore. “When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’” (Luke 5:4) The nets became so full, they began to break. Two boats were so full, they began to sink. The fishermen were “astonished” at the catch. That day they pulled their boats ashore. That day they left everything. And followed Jesus.

As I read John’s gospel, I sense the invitation to join the risen Jesus for a seaside breakfast. Although Jesus expects me to bring something to the table, He is prepared to meet my need for nourishment before I even see Him waiting. I hear Him calling to me.

As I draw close, through meditation on His Word and in prayer, I see Him. I am in awe.

As I come to know Jesus I learn of His provision: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19, NKJV) Jesus offers fish and bread. He offers spiritual sustenance to feed my soul, to give support, help, strength, and endurance. His provision keeps me alive, eternally.

Alive! “These miracles have been written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and so that you will have life by believing on Him.” (John 20:31, GWT) Heavenly Father, You are “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine . .

To [You] be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

by Donna Cleary, Member

Wednesday, April 19

Acts 2:42-47

Agape Meal

“All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity [sincere hearts], all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-47, NLT) This Agape feast, this Love Feast, this extreme sharing is a strange concept for 21st century American Christians. We ask ourselves, why? Why were these early followers of the Way so ready to show sacrificial love? And for us today, how? How do we do this in our lives?

I think the answer is twofold: Pentecost and Grace. These young converts who only a short time before had been cowering behind barred doors were now openly sharing not only food and fellowship, but the Good News! Why? Pentecost! The Holy Spirit was poured out on these first century believers, and they were transformed by the realization of God’s unimaginable grace. People who comprehend the extraordinary grace of God extended to them through Christ, freely extend extraordinary grace to others. And this grace shown to the hungry, the poor, and the destitute, set the early Christians apart from the pagan culture surrounding them, a culture which viewed the needy as having no value, as unworthy of help. These early followers of Christ didn’t just give to the needy in an institutional sort of way, they shared their meals with them; they sat beside them; they listened to them; they loved them, as equals.

In the small town where we spend our summers, there is a man who practices this Agape Meal type of generosity. Charlie -- a recovering alcoholic, a man devastated by the death of his teenage daughter, a man who met Christ at one of the lowest points of his life, a man who has experienced the richness of God’s grace -- opens his pizza restaurant every Christmas Day to anyone in the community who wants to come for free pizza. No judgement, no class distinction, everyone welcome. Free pizza, free live Christmas music, free fellowship, free grace. Agape love. May it be so in our lives.

God, today as I journey through this hurting, messy, needy world, open my eyes to someone to whom I can extend Your amazing grace.

by Karen Norwood, Member

Thursday, April 20

Romans 12:9-13

Practice Hospitality

In this passage, the Apostle Paul instructs believers to sincerely love one another, to “be devoted to one another in brotherly love,” (12:10a) and to demonstrate it with practical actions. Verses 11 and 12 give specifics on how we Christ-followers should live out our faith. Verse 13 is key: “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

Hospitality can take many forms. Certainly, opening your home to others is a wonderful way to show God’s love for people. God has provided many opportunities for my wife and me to host various events in our home with friends, neighbors, out-of-town guests, and new acquaintances. But hospitality is not limited only to having neighbors over for a meal or running a “bed-and- breakfast!” Being hospitable may be something as simple as showing you care by providing a friendly smile or a listening ear for someone who is hurting, providing food for a needy family, or taking a meal to a shut-in. True Christian hospitality may also mean something more involved, such as discipling others in their walk of faith, mentoring a younger person, or even providing financial help. The point is to get involved in another person’s life and share the love of Jesus.

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gave us His commandment to practice the ultimate form of hospitality: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” We Christ-followers need to introduce others to Jesus’ saving grace, and to teach them to become His disciples. What better way to show hospitality to others?

We recently had the opportunity to demonstrate hospitality by hosting in our home a Training Christians for Ministry International Institute (TCMI) disciple-maker. Jakob, from Tallinn, Estonia, is a 27-year-old preacher who graduates in May 2017 with a Master of Arts in practical ministry. He is a vibrant pastor who started a church six years ago with a few friends and now leads worship with 300 people (average age 21) at two campuses. During this time, 126 people have been baptized and Jakob continues to share the gospel with millennials. God is doing exciting things in Tallinn through Jakob’s ministry. There are many TCMI students in 44 countries on three continents who have similar stories of exciting ministries. These men and women often risk life and health for Christ. But whatever our situation, all of us in the Body of Christ must share our lives and resources to spread the gospel to “the ends of the earth.”

Lord, may we always give freely of our time and hearts to spread Your Gospel and help all to come to a saving grace through Jesus our Lord.

by Fred Gossman, Chancel Choir

Friday, April 21

Acts 28:7-10

Honored Guests

Paul, the ship’s crew, the guards and his fellow prisoners were weary, cold, wet, and starving. They had barely survived a fourteen-day tumultuous storm, then they were shipwrecked and washed ashore on the island of Malta. The “islanders showed unusual kindness” (28:2) in welcoming them with a warm fire, most likely knowing they were giving aid to prisoners. Revered because he had escaped the effects of a poisonous viper, Paul was invited to the home of Publius, the island official, whose father was sick. There began Paul’s ministry for Christ to the people of Malta.

When invited to someone’s home, we like to show thanks with a hostess gift. After being welcomed by the inhabitants of Malta, Paul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was able to give the gift of healing. While we may be unable to minister through miracles, we can show our appreciation for God’s grace, through the giving of thoughtful deeds to others.

Growing up in a home that had “open doors,” we had many family and guests around most of the time. I believe this was the result of both sets of grandparents making their homes in North Dakota. To survive out on the plains, people needed to be very dependent on one another. My paternal grandmother actually staked a claim, homesteaded and improved her own land, all while teaching school. She was a very devout person and passed her compassion on to our family.

When Bill and I purchased Christmas Farm Inn, in the mountains of New Hampshire, we tried to open our doors to everyone. Many times, we had troubled, tired and grieving individuals as guests. I believe that the delicious food and good times handed out by us and our staff helped to heal some of those weary travelers. One winter a family came to our door late at night in a blinding snowstorm and could not make it up the mountain to their rental. We took them in and gave them refuge until the road was plowed in the morning. Another time, during peak fall foliage season, when all lodging establishments were full, we set up cots We loved being able to welcome weary travelers, as Paul was welcomed in his time of distress. We all, as followers of Jesus, must do the best we are able without expecting a reward. We can only pray that we will remember to be available to those who are in need.

Dear God, we thank You for Your Word that teaches us to be compassionate Christian followers of Jesus. We pray for discernment and obedience to Your call.

by Sydna Zeliff, H. R. Committee

Saturday, April 22

Revelation 3:20

An Invitation from Jesus

“Now pay attention, I am standing at the door and knocking. If any of you hear My voice and open the door, then I will come in to visit with you and share a meal at your table and you will be with Me.” (Revelation 3:20, VOICE) “If Jesus came to my house and knocked upon the door, I’m sure I’d be more happy than I’ve ever been before.” Thus begins a child’s storybook written by Joan Gale Thomas. It was first printed and published in England in 1951. It quickly came to mind as I selected the above Scripture. Further thoughts drifted to the painting, “Christ at Heart’s Door”

by Warner Sallman, which was printed in one of my childhood Bibles.

What an incredible invitation this is, to have Jesus standing at our door and requesting entrance in our homes, our hearts. Have you ever looked closely at this painting and others like it? There is no latch on the outside. Jesus cannot enter unless we invite Him in. Will we?

The little boy in the story, “If Jesus Came into My House,” didn’t have any trouble with that. He was overjoyed: “I’d run downstairs to meet Him, the door I’d open wide, and I would say to Jesus, oh, won’t You come inside?”

Would we as adults have the same childlike excitement at the possibility of Jesus coming to our homes, or would we worry about recognizing Him, what to say, the state of the house, or a meal not yet prepared? The little boy did not. “Then I would put the kettle on to make a cup of tea, and we would be as happy and as friendly as could be.”

In the third chapter of Revelation, we read that God was very dissatisfied with the church in Laodicea. They considered themselves right with God because they were rich, accomplished, and content. Wrong! Jesus Christ, through a letter recorded by the apostle John, told them they were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. He implored them: “Be earnest and repent.” (3:19b) Possessions and achievements are worth nothing when we compare them to the love of God and Christ, His son.

Thus, the invitation is given. Christ is knocking on our hearts’ doors and desires to enter our lives. Listen to the Lord, open your hearts, and let Christ in with enthusiasm and joy.

Lord, thank You that You never give up on us. May we open the doors to our hearts and invite You in. And may we share Your love with others.

by Ardith Pinner, Librarian

Sunday, April 23

Revelation 22:1-7

Eden Restored

In Revelation Chapters 21 and 22, John gives us a glimpse of the New Jerusalem, foretelling what we will experience in heaven. There will be no more death and no more pain; everything will be made new. It will be a place, described by John, as the restored Garden of Eden. The tree of life will bear abundant fruit and its leaves will provide healing for the nations. There will be no more night because the Lord will be the light.

And the redeemed of the Lord will behold and worship His majesty and glory, and will reign with Him “forever and ever.”

Today we see ourselves and the world around us as through cloudy mirrors with only partial knowledge and understanding. But when Christ comes and we are ushered into our heavenly home, we shall see clearly and know fully all He is and has for us. (1 Corinthians 13:12) While those who know Christ as Lord and Savior greatly anticipate the New Jerusalem, we are still living our lives in a fallen world. How then should we live today as followers of Christ? C. S. Lewis writes: “God can’t give us peace and happiness apart from Himself because there is no such thing.”

God’s Word instructs us how to live in a fallen world: “So let us now be wise as serpents and harmless as doves, redeeming our time as the days are evil, and resting in Him; pressing on towards the goal of the prize of His upward call . . . until that Day when there is no lack once again!” (paraphrased from Matthew 10:16; Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:2-6; Philippians 3) Scripture further instructs us through these words: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18, KJV) As “faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see,” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV) today “we walk by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7, KJV) C. S. Lewis gives this comparison: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

Today we often feast on delicious morsels . . . many of us even consuming so-called “superfoods” routinely. But even better than these is the Word of God to nourish our very spirit! The very Bread of Life and Living Water is available to us right now. Because of our own limitations, none of these compares to the feast we shall ultimately enjoy with our Lord in eternity.

Lord, we thank You for preparing a place for us to live with You eternally. Until we see You face-to-face, may we live our lives on earth to glorify You and bless others.

by Todd Miller, Director, Community Assistance Ministry

Venice Presbyterian Church, 2017 Session Teaching Elders

Ruling Elders

Chris Romig, Moderator Lyn Olson

Bob Allen Dick Armstrong Nick Clemmer Dick Edmunds Bob Johnson Sheryl Morford Bob Painter Alan Penick Jack Perkins Eileen Reamy Carolyn Stephens Laurie Wright, Clerk

Staff Senior Pastor Chris Romig, Head of Staff Lyn Olson, Associate Pastor Burke Johnson, Assistant Pastor Chris O’Brien, Executive Director of Administration Kim Curran, Chief Financial Officer David Wagner, Financial Secretary Glen Olsen, Minister of Worship Arts Paige Pierce, Communications Nick Clemmer, Facilities Supervisor Bill Vesely, Facilities Cris Anderson, Equipping Coordinator Marlene Hammond, MY VPC Coordinator Conrad Knepp , Youth Leader Connie Sayers, Office Administrator

Prayer for

2017

how wide and long and high and deep

is the love of christ For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you be filled to the measure of the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.

-Ephesians 3:14-21

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