Daily Devotions

During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church.  Today’s writer is Suzanne Girouard.

So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor.

So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?”

But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, “Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor’s.” He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent. Luke 20:20-26

Just as in the scripture above, we are aware there are many people trying to catch us off guard, trying to trick us when they ask pointed questions regarding our  loyalty as a citizen of this country and our love and loyalty to our God.

As citizens, we are obligated to obey the laws of this country and pay our taxes. We are talking about two important facts of love and loyalty to our government and more importantly to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus died to save us from our sins and we should lead our life looking through the eyes of Jesus in everything we say and do. We should show that love to those around us known and unknown.

Jesus in the passage above says render unto God those things that are of God. As followers of Christ through him, we learned LOVE which is of God. Reflecting LOVE of him and his people, we share goodness, kindness, patience, and honesty.

At Faith, we have many opportunities to serve our brothers and sisters through services such as the Grace Bags for the Homeless, students feeding the homeless, providing food through the Souper Bowl of Caring, participating in the CCSC programs, providing school supplies for the underprivileged through Back to School, gifts for needy children through Jingle Bell Express, and working at the Emergency Service Food Pantry.

We share our church facility with programs around the city such as Cornerstone, Narcotics Anonymous, AA, ESL, Bellaire Moms of Multiples, and more.

We are servants of God with many opportunities to show our caring and kind spirit to many, which is LOVE. As we learned from Jesus “Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And second is like: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39).

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your example of sacrifice of your Son and caring for all of us. Help us to have a loving heart and spirit as learned from you. Guide and show us where we are needed and give us the strength to do these things in your name. Praying this in the name of your son Jesus Christ, Amen.

During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Kathy Patrick.

The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will search for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will search for me and you will not find me’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?” John 7:32-36

“What does he mean?” Why can we not go where Jesus goes?

I was raised in a faith tradition that emphasizes individual, personal confession of sins. Yes, we’d rather not. Yes, we flinch when we ponder what we’ve done. But, yes, if we fail to do so “we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

Each time I went to confession, something holy happened. But there’s one confession I’ll never forget.

I went to confession spewing frustration and exclaimed to Father Jacques, “So now I’m here. And I keep asking myself, ‘What would Jesus do?’” And Father Jacques laughed out loud and said, “Well, that may be the silliest question ever! Why would you ask that? Jesus was both God and a 30 year old celibate man. You’re not God. You’re a married woman with two kids. Jesus didn’t face your troubles, so the question isn’t ‘What would Jesus do?’ it’s ‘What would Jesus want you to do?’”

In that moment, I heard the answer to the question, “What does he mean?”

What Jesus meant is that he is God and we are not. What Jesus meant was that he’d made me free to face my sin, to confess it, and to move on from it, knowing I would be forgiven again, in an endless cycle of love and mercy. And having received that forgiveness, I am free to pray openly,

Let us pray: “What do you mean, Lord? What, today, would you have me do?” And then, in silence, I listen…

During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Yvonne Moody.

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. Mark 1:16-20

Have you ever stopped to think about the reality of what happened in this story? Here are these guys…ordinary hardworking guys going about their daily work. Fishermen doing labor intensive, and very unglamorous work.

How many family members were they trying to support? How long were their days? Did they even enjoy what they were doing? And then comes Jesus. He simply says “Come, follow me.” And they immediately stop what they are doing and follow him!

No arguing, no convincing, no rationalizing the risk versus return of the proposal. They just go “at once” and “without delay”. That took tremendous faith.

I sometimes wonder if I were in their shoes, would I have gotten the message? What did they see in Jesus that compelled them to follow Him without question?

It is hard to imagine putting ourselves in the position of those early disciples, but that is not what God is asking of us right now. God only asks us to believe – to have faith that with Jesus as our guide, we really can make a very simple choice to just trust that following Him will make our life better.

Does that mean that life will be easy or trouble free? Not at all. Each one of us will face obstacles in life. Some of them will seem insurmountable, but with Jesus by our side, all we really need to do is follow and He will help us to do the next right thing. One day at a time.

He will give us the courage to stand up for the marginalized, to comfort the lonely, and care for the sick. To share our faith with those we meet and to look for opportunities to serve.

I feel fortunate that I have never been asked to walk away from my family or my work to prove my faith, but I do have choices to make every day. When someone tells me of a sick relative or a difficult family situation, will I have the courage to say “I will pray for you” and then follow through and do just that? When I am asked to serve on a church committee or show up to help with an event, will I prioritize my time and be there when I am needed?

When Jesus calls will I follow?

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, You call us to listen, to trust, and then to act. Give us the courage to follow wherever you lead, and the strength to walk away from the things in life that distract us, and look toward you. Amen.

During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Daniel Castillo.

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”

When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” Matthew 2:13-18

Often I’ve heard people say, “Hey, I had this crazy dream last night, want to hear it?” And honestly it’s tough to listen let alone trust in a dream. But Joseph trusts to the point that he leaves “by night”.

There’s an urgency to go, when I’d want to wait pray and figure out how to even get to Egypt. Here God speaks and Joseph acts quickly.

It’s also hard to avoid noticing that the parents of the children killed by Herod do not receive any message. No dreams or angels but this is how our world works. But it does make you wonder why?

Why isn’t everyone saved when people like Herod kill babies or those that shoot up schools kill children or when people like Hitler kill Jews? We do not understand it and I doubt I ever will.

I do know that when it comes to stuff like Herod killing babies we either find peace or endlessly search for why. God does not simply fix these problems in our world. Instead, God comforts those who suffer.

Let us pray: God, remind us to seek peace. Remind us that your will comes in dreams and messengers. Help us to trust you like Joseph, to go “by night” or whatever you may call us into. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church. Today’s writer is Jason Houlihan.

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7

The passage opens with a reminder: Caesar Augustus is the leader of the world, the man who had conquered all the factions of the republic, and then turned them into an empire under his sole control. Caesar decreed that all within the empire be registered.

So the parents of Jesus go to Bethlehem to register. Jesus, like David, will be born in Bethlehem (1 Samuel 17:12). Not the place of David’s influence in Jerusalem, but in the place Micah describes as “too little to be among the clans of Judah” (ESV).

God again chooses the smaller and less powerful over places of status and position.

Right before chapter 2, we hear Mary sing of God’s working through those without power. This is the key step in God’s proclamation; that He is coming to turn the world right-side-up, to bring down the powerful leaders from their thrones, and to raise up the oppressed.

He is also here to feed the hungry with the good things of Creation, to send the overstuffed rich empty away, and to remember promises made all the way back to Abraham.

Caesar may be issuing orders, but God is keeping promises.

Let us pray: Jesus, I often feel powerless. Powerless in the face of suffering, rising suicide rates, and my own ability to make a difference. Help claim my weary heart and call my mind to times of triumph. Let me remember your promises oh God like Mary. Give me the vision to hand over my powerlessness before your feet. Amen.

During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church.  Today’s writer is Don Hodde.

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.

The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’

He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31

I love bible stories like this one. There are so many lessons depending on the perspective you take.

For me, the first lesson is about justice and consequences. While being rich or poor doesn’t correlate with faith in God, it comes across here in verse 25 as if the rich man was distant from God on earth and that he had no need for God given all the good things he enjoyed in life. Lazarus maintained his faith in his God through all his turmoil in life on earth.

This story teaches there are consequences for choices we make in life including procrastination. The rich man found it easy to ignore God. Life was good! There would be time for God later.

In verse 29, Abraham’s message is clear: All have access to the teachings of Moses and the prophets. Take heed when you can! Then there is risk of obliviousness, arrogance, and the lack the willingness to learn.

In verse 31, Abraham tells the rich man if his relatives would not listen to Moses and the Prophets, then they probably wouldn’t listen to a dead beggar come back to life either!

Take time to listen and be open to different views. You might learn a life lesson. There are other interpretations and learning from this story. Our interpretations of bible stories deepen when we take time to read them more than once, and study them through life. Listening to sermons instills new thinking. Maturity changes our perspectives, what we hear, and what we learn. Simple stories written two thousand years ago can endlessly bring fresh insight and grow our faith.

Let us pray: Father in Heaven, you have provided a wealth of learning opportunity to us through your words to us in the bible, in Jesus name, Amen.

During the season of Lent our devotions have been written by members of Faith Lutheran Church.  Today’s writer is Clayton Faulkner.

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them.

A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.

But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’

So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.  Luke 15:11-24

We are all familiar with the story of the prodigal son. We’ve heard it before and know it like the back of our hand. But what if I told you that the truly shocking part of this story is not the Father’s loving embrace of the wayward son, but what happens next.

The older son becomes angry. He complains that “this son of yours” doesn’t deserve the love and attention he is receiving. Why is this so shocking?

In the culture that this story takes place, a mediator would normally have resolved a village quarrel like the one between the father and the youngest son. The mediator would have been chosen based on their relationship to both parties; they would serve as a “go-between” the two parties. The older son would have been the ideal candidate. It would have been the older son’s job to mediate between father and younger son and keep the bonds of the family intact.

However, in this parable we see that the truly prodigal son is the older one. He refuses to accept the lavish love the father bestows on his children.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus, our true Elder Brother, who reconciles us to you through faith in him. Amen.

These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me.

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?”

As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?”

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. Psalm 42:4-11

Duane Brown plays left tackle for the Houston Texans. He is a very good player, an All Pro player, and the cornerstone of the Texans’ offense. Yesterday, in the last game of the regular season, with his team on the verge of winning their conference, he suffered an injury that will end his season. What a terrible disappointment for him and for his team.

I thought about Duane this morning. What it would be like to be in his position. The Texans have never been really good in the years he has been playing here. He was here when the Texans were the worst team in the league. He has already realized that making the playoffs, let alone moving forward in the playoffs, is not a given. It isn’t automatic. Many players, even great players, never get there in their entire career. Now Duane is going to be watching from the sidelines, looking forward to surgery, and a summer of painful rehab.

Welcome to the first work week of our new year! I trust that we all come into this year with high expectations and lofty goals. No doubt lots of great things will happen in 2016 but there will also be deep disappointments. There always are. The two takeaways from Psalm 42 that might be helpful to us as we move into this year.

First, like we all tend to do, the psalmist asks God, “Why have you forgotten me?” We can certainly understand how the bitter pain of disappointment can give rise to the thought that God has forgotten us. That is how it feels. But that isn’t the reality. This one is pretty simple: God doesn’t forget stuff. God has a great memory – for everything except our sin. The Bible says that what God forgives, God forgets. But beyond that, God remembers everything. Especially the people God loves. Which includes us, even if that is hard to trust when we are disappointed by ourselves or by the circumstances of our lives.

And second, the psalm ends with the reminder to “hope in God.” Those are good words any time of year, in any situation. Through all the chances and changes of life, hope in God. Through crushing disappointment and momentary celebration, trust in God. Trust in God. Trust in God.

Let us pray: Lord, you are our Rock and our Redeemer. You know the hairs of our heads. You see where we cannot see; you see us when it seems we cannot see you. Birth hope is us as we begin this new year. May we, in all things, trust in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:1, 36-42

It isn’t unusual for Kelley to ask me, when I get home from worship on Sundays, if anyone had anything to say about my sermon. I seldom have anything to report. It isn’t that people don’t make comments on the way out the door, or down the hallway, or even in the parking lot sometimes, but I’m just not able to hear them well. It is too fresh. I’m still too tender. I feel too vulnerable.

Preaching isn’t easy. When you add the fact that public speaking is one of the most terrifying things to do for most people…to the reality that you are speaking week after week to mostly the same crowd of people…who have heard all of your best stuff before…yeah, preaching isn’t easy.

Yet I still pray for that wonderful home run of a sermon every time I have the privilege to give it my best. It is too much to expect the Holy Spirit to bring about the kind of reaction that Peter saw, 3000 new believers in a day, but that isn’t what I need in order to be encouraged as a preacher. I just want to know that God used my words in at least one person’s ears to do the gospel to them. Just one person – to know that forgiveness is not just a word game. To know that they aren’t alone, that God hasn’t abandoned them in these dark days.

I read these words from Acts and I realize that, no matter what else happens in the humble gatherings we know as Sunday morning worship, the miracle still continues. For wherever we gather, we devote our selves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers, knowing and trusting that God isn’t through with us yet.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, you know us. You know how impressed we are by numbers, by the spectacular. And how prone we are to get discouraged, to forget how your Spirit does all the heavy lifting. Encourage us today to keep on keeping on, to make room in our lives for you to have a word with us. And do bless those called to bring that Word each time your people gather for worship. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

At that very time there were some present who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” Luke 13:1-9

Back in the day when my knees worked and I could still look down and see my feet, I was a basketball player. One of the first fundamentals we were taught was the “ready position”. Knees shoulder width apart, slightly bent, eyes looking straight out, one arm up, and one arm down. We did drills to drill that position into our muscle memory.

The benefits of the ready position came especially on defense. We could quickly move in any direction, anticipating the next step, and beating our opponent to the spot they wanted to go.

I’m thinking about the “ready position” today as I read Jesus’ call to repentance. To be a person of faith is to be ready for anything and everything that life might toss our way. As we have all heard before, it isn’t what happens to us that matters as much as what we do with what happens to us.

Repentance can be explained and understood in many ways but the fundamental sense of repentance is simple. How does this definition work for you? I admitted that I couldn’t and didn’t. I came to see that God could and would. I decided to let God do God’s part as I take responsibility for mine.

And in the meantime, as I live in and out of repentance on a daily basis, I can trust that God is not only patient with me but also provides me all I need to do all I can and need to do.

So maybe the next time we find ourselves knee deep in the crap of life we can take comfort from seeing it as the fertilizer intended to help us grow.

Let us pray: Gracious Lord, make us ready for anything. Feed us, strengthen us, be patient with us, as we do the best we can for you and our neighbor each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.