Daily Devotions

Greetings to new and old friends,

For the past few months I have been wrestling with my own sense of spiritual centeredness. It seems that life keeps bringing new surprises around every corner and some of them startle me. Turning 55 in October hit me like a ton of bricks. So that got me to praying about God’s will for my life, particularly around God’s will for showing up each day to write devotions.

I actually got so far as to open a new document on September 27^th to start writing again. That, literally, is as far as I got. I typed one line: Week of September 27 – October 2, 2015. After that, nothing.

But then last week happened. A week bookended with two Saturday funerals. The first, a father who left behind three young adult children and then, this past weekend, a woman who left behind her 20 year old son. Neither were members of Faith Lutheran Church but, when I am invited into such situations, the mission and members of Faith Lutheran go with me. We remembered both names in our All Saints list this past Sunday.

All week, on top of everything else, I kept thinking “there is something missing.” What was missing was my willingness to show up at a keyboard each day. Seeking the Spirit and listening to the Word and then sharing whatever came out of that with others. But I wasn’t willing. I wasn’t even really willing to be willing.

At the funeral this past Sunday a woman approached me. She told me she missed reading the daily devotions I used to write. I do hear that from time to time but her particular timing really struck me. Yesterday morning before church I told a friend that I was thinking about writing again. He said that would be a great idea.

Then I got home from church, checked my email, and received a notice that my domain names “revkerry.com” and “revkerry.org” are up for renewal. Last night I told that story at our 6TEN recovery service – the theme was the 11^th Step – “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understand God, praying only for knowledge of his will and the power to carry it out.” I told those gathered that it looks like it is time to start writing devotions again.

Then early this morning I got a text from a friend with a question about a troubling Bible passage. Later this morning I got another text from another friend asking if I was still writing devotions.

OK God. I get the message. For better or worse, I’m willing to be willing. I’m willing to ask for God’s help. To adjust my daily routines. To re-enter that discipline. To trust that God provides and that helping others with their daily devotions even as I help myself will be a good thing. The daily devotions will begin again tomorrow morning.

If you think this is a good thing, then I need your help. Send me ideas – questions you have about faith/life, Bible passages that defy your understanding, suggestions for weekly themes.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, take the wheel lest I ride right into the ditch. For so many years, you richly provided spiritual food to be shared and re-shared. May your Spirit continue to lead us into new understandings, new insights, and new life giving behaviors as we pass on the blessings of your love in our daily lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Pastor Junfeng Tan.

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” Mark 15:33-39

Darkness covered the land and it was noon. Did the disciples know they had abandoned the Lord of the Universe? Did Judas know that his betrayal of the Master was the most despicable act? Did Peter know that his triple denial of Jesus was the most shameful thing he had ever done? They did not because they were acting in total darkness.

Did the Jewish religious authorities and Roman governor Pontius Pilate know that they sentenced the true Messiah to death, that their verdict on Jesus was a perversion of justice? They did not because they were acting in total darkness.

Did those Roman soldiers know that they mocked, tortured and crucified the Son of God? They did not because they were acting in the darkness.

How could they truly know the nature of their actions when Jesus himself appeared to be forsaken and abandoned by God? When Jesus himself seemed to be a total failure, a Messianic pretender? It was only after the death of Jesus that the Roman centurion confessed the truth: “Truly this man was God’s Son.”

Yes, Jesus had to die in order to fulfill the Messianic mission that the Father assigned to him. It is a mystery that no human mind can penetrate. Let all be silent when we consider the words of Isaiah, “He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

Let us pray, My God, my God, where was I when they crucified my Lord? Where was I when they nailed him to the Cross? Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, to tremble. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Pastor Kerry Nelson.

While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” Mark 14:22-25

Jesus stands at the center of the Christian faith, at a table, where a meal is spread, to which all people are invited. At this table we are fully engaged – our hearts filled with gratitude and the free flow of our emotions, our souls at peace in the presence of God, our minds freed for clear thinking and wisdom, and our bodies nourished with all the good things that sustain us.

This image – to be at one with God and one another – is what the Hebrews called “shalom” and what Christians know as the peace of God that passes understanding.

This sense of connectedness to God is freely available to everyone, everywhere, all the time. We catch a glimpse of it every time we gather in a room with other broken people, bearing witness through our presence and our words that we do trust that God is, in fact, our healer. Jesus, our Healer, gathers us in the same room, around a table, to do His healing work in our lives. To give us this day our daily bread. To give us a foretaste of the feast to come.

I have come to really love our annual tradition of providing Lenten devotions. As I have read each devotion, and shared them with others on the Internet, I see the faces of each writer. I know these people. It is so rewarding to me to see how the faith is landing in their lives and their willingness to give voice to the love of God within them.

Now we come to this day, as the whole Christian church gathers around the table. Thank you for sharing the faith with us through this Lenten season.

Let us pray: Jesus, our Healer, thank you for inviting us and including us around your table of grace. May our lives be flooded with the healing power of your love, that we might carry that message into the lives of all we meet through our witness and service. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Peggy Porter.

They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.”

He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him.

He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.” Mark 14:32-42

Jesus takes his disciples Peter, James and John to the Garden of Gethsemane where He needed to pray because His soul was very sorrowful.  He instructs them to “watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mark 14:38).  The disciples fell asleep, three times, while Jesus went off a ways to pray to His Abba Father in Heaven that this cup of suffering (the cross which looms ahead) would pass from Him but He also prays “yet not what I will, but what You will.”  After this last prayer the betrayer and soldiers were there to take Jesus away.

Today, we see the sinful men who cannot stay awake but who fell asleep in the midst of Jesus’ great suffering.  The flesh indeed is weak!  The only one who is completely faithful in His love and service to God and mankind is JESUS!

He does not shrink away from His call to suffer for the sin of the world.  He is and will be faithful to the end.  Thanks be to God that this cup of suffering is not removed from Him and given to us instead to drink.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, I thank You for suffering the punishment of sin for me.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Terri Schlather .

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Peter said to him, “Even though all become deserters, I will not.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And all of them said the same. Mark 14:26-31

How many times have I said, “I would never!” in my life? A lot. Peter was certain he would never deny Jesus. He had no idea what was to come that day, but regardless, he was firm in his belief that he would stand by Jesus.

In my twenties I’d have said, “I would never” in response to someone who gave up on their faith, walking away from the church. In the next decade of life, much like Peter, my actions betrayed my earlier conviction.

Everyday something happens that I didn’t expect. The “I would never” gets thrown to the side, much like it did for Peter and the other disciples when things didn’t go the way they expected.

God doesn’t do things on our time, in ways we predict and expect. He acts in ways that often surprise us and confound us. Just like the disciples we can find ourselves acting in a way contrary to our words, forgetting that we need God to get by and that his plan and will should be leading us in our lives.

How do we avoid falling into the “I would never” trap? Rely on God; trust his will and his plan.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, help me to remember that my will is weak and yours is strong. Guide me when my ego says, “I would never” rather than having empathy for someone’s situation. Help me to remember that only by your Grace do I find salvation and everlasting life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Karen Elsen.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal. Mark 14:12-16

These verses raise several questions. Which disciples were sent? What is the Festival of Unleavened Bread? Luke tells us that the two disciples were Peter and John, the same two who came to the empty tomb after Jesus’ crucifixion. The Festival of Unleavened Bread is a seven-day festival which follows a month-long cleansing of the house to rid it of all leaven (symbolizing sin). The first day of the festival is when the Passover meal is celebrated—the festival which commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.   How appropriate all of this is.

Working as diligently as we can to rid ourselves of sin, we conclude that we are unable to do so. The unblemished lamb must still be sacrificed. We can only be cleansed of our sin by this blood.

“What the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:3-4)

Let us pray: Holy Jesus, thank you for taking on flesh to live among us. Thank you for your sacrificial blood by which we can finally stand before you freed from the slavery of sin. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Mardi Mayerhoff.

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. Mark 9:38-41

The first thing I thought of when I read these verses was my attitude in 1986 when I was asked to teach Sunday School at Faith. My reaction was “I am not trained for this! Pastors and people who took Bible study in college should be teaching Sunday School.” In other words I was not “called” to ministry like they were or like the disciples were. However, I was asked again the next year and agreed to try for one year as long as they assigned me to a grade level where the children could read.

They gave me 4^th grade and that started my long career of being “for Jesus” not only in volunteer service at Faith, but in many other arenas. I began giving a “cup of water” to 4^th graders, then 5^th graders, then 2 year olds, then adults through the Alpha ministry and First Place 4 Health where we are serving people who attend church at Faith, many who go to other churches, several who are looking for a new church home, and on occasion the care givers of guests at our Faith House.

My faith has grown through these endeavors. I have seen “rewards” that are not measured in financial gain, and I see God working through me to bring his Word to the people who come together each week to seek his healing power.

Let us pray: Father in Heaven, during this Lenten season and beyond, give me the opportunity to “give a cup of water in Jesus name” to someone outside of my comfort zone. Let me see you work miracles through me. In Jesus’ name. Amen

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from David Stock.

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” Mark 7:31-37

Ephrata! Be opened! These were powerful words spoken to the deaf man. Opening the man’s ears is symbolic of the unbeliever hearing the gospel for the first time, opening the eyes and freeing the man’s tongue were additional gifts to mankind since the tongue provides us the opportunity to speak the good news. When Jesus shared his power with the disabled man, he gave us a first hand glimpse of his unconditional love for each of us. Shortly after the healing it would be fully expressed at the cross.

Jesus’ conveys love to the man by his only available senses, sight and touch. After spitting Jesus touches the man’s tongue. Saliva was believed to have magical and curative powers. This scene clearly reflects Jesus’ willingness to get close to people and meet us without reservation.

What’s puzzling is verse 36 “Jesus commanded the crowd not to tell anyone.” Perhaps Jesus preferred to keep his miracles silent, but just the opposite occurred. The people were so overwhelmed they said “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

We all have the capacity to be deaf and dumb. Can we let him take us from the crowd and have us hear “Ephrata” in our hearts?

Let us pray: Lord, in the varied experiences of life help me take the good things with simplicity and the difficult and challenging things with courage. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Kate Mitsakis.

From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin.

She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Mark 7:24-30

This is one amazing woman. If you read closely, it kind of sounds like Jesus didn’t even really want her to know He was there. Yet, she was eager, and she came to ask for help for her daughter, and it sounds to me a little bit like Jesus tells her no, or at least, not yet.

Her response? Why? There is plenty of what you give to go around, I’m totally happy with the crumbs of whatever you have to give. This is my daughter we are talking about here, I need You. Whatever You give will be enough. And Jesus heard her, and her daughter was healed.

As a mother of two young children, plagued with some demons of their own… Why are 4 year olds so wild? And will someone please teach my baby how to sleep? There are days that I feel like I haven’t done enough. Like I’m not good enough, or perfect enough for God’s help. But regardless of whether or not there’s something we could have done to be better, He is here to help us, and we need to be courageous enough to ask, and persistent enough to keep asking until we have His help.

Each one of us is good enough for God’s help, and we will take whatever we can get. We just need to remember to be confident that we are worth His help, and persistent in our requests – because God’s help and healing is there for all of us, even if we have to wait under the table to catch a crumb.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for being there for me, please help me to remember that I am always worth Your help, I just have to ask. Please help me to be persistent in my requests, and tenacious in my trust that You are here to provide healing and strength for me, always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Throughout the season of Lent our daily devotions have been written by members of the Faith Lutheran community. Our theme this Lent is “Jesus Our Healer.” Today’s devotion comes from Diana Boihem.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed. Mark 6:53-56

This text comes just after the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand and walking on water, so the word is out that Jesus has already been performing miracles before he heals the sick in today’s text.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to witness such amazing and beautifully remarkable events. I find it completely understandable that people living in the time of Jesus, who heard of His powers, would make every effort to approach Him and receive healing. I am impressed with their faith– that just being in Christ’s presence to “touch even the fringe of his cloak” would heal them.

But what about today, so many years after Jesus walked among us? Does Jesus still perform miracles in our lives?

I don’t have the benefit of first- hand experience that the believers in the text did, but I believe He is with us. I have felt His presence, in good times and bad, and been strengthened by it. I have not seen Him, but I have seen His followers. I am comforted in the knowledge that He loves me. I am thankful that He walked among us, died for us, and continues to be present in our lives.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, Open our hearts to the everyday miracles in our lives, especially when it is difficult to believe. Give us strength for what comes, and use us for good, that we too may carry your story forward. Amen.