Tag Archive | Nashville Rescue Mission

Chaplain’s Corner – Comfort and Hope

Jun24

“But I am calm and quiet, like a baby with its mother. I am at peace, like a baby with its mother. People of Israel, put your hope in the Lord now and forever.” (Psalm 132:2-3)

I was blessed to spend the last week of May with my husband, children, and grandchildren in a beautiful chalet in the Smoky Mountains. Like most everyone, we had not been able to celebrate Easter or Mother’s Day together as we were practicing social distancing. I was so happy to have all my babies under one roof for five days, and we had a great time. 

My husband and I have seven grandchildren, ages 13, 11, 10, 9(2), 4, and 3. The older kids, ages 9 and up, were fairly independent. However, the younger two were not so independent. They needed help with dressing, eating, playing, sleeping, etc. With so many adults and older kids around, there was always someone to help, and usually, help was accepted.

However, there were those times that only their mother would do. We would all offer and try to help, but at those times the child was inconsolable until Mama appeared and wrapped them in her arms, as only a mother can do. For a baby, there is no greater sense of security than to be enfolded in the arms of his or her mother. And Mama, while grateful for our attempts, never seemed to be unwilling or too tired to step in.

While studying the Songs of Ascent, Psalms 120-134, I “discovered” the verse shown above and found such comfort in the words. “But I am calm and quiet, like a baby with its mother. I am at peace, like a baby with its mother.” As a mature adult, I have developed some pretty good coping skills. Sometimes I can seek comfort in the company of others. However, I know that my only true and lasting comfort is in the arms of my heavenly Father. I could imagine how secure it felt as a baby to be held by my mother and know that God’s security is even greater. He is always willing; He is always available. Even though He alone knows my deepest secrets and darkest fears, He still loves me, and He loves me more than anyone else ever could! Yes!!

On this pilgrimage through life, I may run to other resources for temporary comfort. Others may lovingly seek to comfort me. While all efforts are welcome, and while we are commanded to comfort one another, we all know this is a shallow and short-term solution unless we are pointing each other ultimately and always to the hope that only God provides.

My hope is in the Lord now and forever.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Givers and Takers

Jun17

I realize it’s overly simplistic, but my mind sometimes categorizes people and things into “one or the other.” For example, my father-in-law used to say “some like chocolate, others vanilla” in response to complaints about people with different opinions, etc. Then there’s that Coke or Pepsi thing. Dichotomy is the technical term, and in a true dichotomy there is no middle ground. Jesus expressed a dichotomy when he said you are either for me or against me (Matthew 12:30).

I most observed this phenomenon when I was operating a management practice consulting with organizations who were going through change and then directly with the employees who were impacted by that change. My clients naturally reacted to bad news such as job demotion or job loss in a variety of ways, and usually not favorably at first. However, once the shock was over, it was always insightful, many times frustrating, and sometimes inspirational to see how individuals moved through this change.

In short, as we consulted with individuals going through career transition, we found that some were “takers”: bitter, begrudgingly going through the motions, oblivious to anyone else’s situation, victims, and never thankful. After meeting with someone in this state, you just felt like the life was sucked out of you.  And there were “givers”: those who were grateful for any help, eager to reciprocate, interested in the experiences of others, and willing to help or give of themselves. These were the ones who brought the donuts to the meeting and/or shared their networking contacts or job leads.

Of course, everyone has a bad day now and then, and most people were somewhere between the two extremes of the taker/giver scale, so it really wasn’t such an obvious dichotomy. But usually it was obvious which general side someone “lived” on. I’m quite sure you can relate to this based on your work with individuals experiencing homelessness or participating in the life recovery program.

If we identify moving through a difficult change as an inevitable part of our life’s journey or pilgrimage of sanctification, as we have been studying using the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134), we can apply some biblical teaching to help ourselves to stay on the “giver” side and avoid unproductive detours.

  1. Prioritize: Make sure the main thing is the main thing.

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6).

Beth Moore tells a powerful story from her experiences traveling to war-torn Angola. As she witnessed extreme starvation and poverty, a local minister said, “One of the most frustrating things is that in villages where they receive seed, they often eat the seed rather than planting it and bringing forth the harvest.”* We can surely see the shortsightedness of such a thing and how it would result in ultimately starving to death, but do we do the same thing? Do we eat the seed (the Word) by merely reading and studying, rather than sowing it? Perhaps I am too satisfied that I accomplished my 30 minutes of daily Bible study but didn’t make it a priority to invest God’s love into others through building relationships and giving of myself, in the name of Jesus. I will tell you that this story impacted me more than anything else in this Bible study. Whatever hardship we are going through, although major, should not deter us from our priority of being faithful to God’s word, to study and to share it.

2. Acknowledge that it is God who gives the harvest.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain…In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.” (Psalm 127:1-2).

Since this past Sunday was Flag Day, I’ll share a story from Benjamin Franklin’s 1787 “Speech to the Convention for Forming a Constitution for the United States.”

“In the beginning of the contest with Britain when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered …. And have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived for a long time (81 years), and the longer I live the more convincing proof I see of this truth, that God governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it possible that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall proceed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”

As we journey, as we seek to make our way, as long as we submit to God and put our hope and trust in Him, we can know that the ultimate results will be good. Incidentally, Psalm 127:2 also gives us permission to get our much-needed sleep. We’ll be our better selves and likely more “giving” if we are rested.

3. God blesses our obedience.

“Blessed are all those who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.” (Psalm 128:1).

Trying to do anything on our own, and going our own way, will ultimately be frustrating and fruitless. Paul says in Romans 6:16 “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” And in Galatians 6:7-9, Paul encourages us by saying “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

It’s truly a joy to journey with so many “givers.” I hope that this message encourages you and confirms that you are on the right course. I’ll close with this blessing to all my fellow pilgrims on this journey of sanctification. It’s from the Song of Ascent Psalm 128:5-6:

May the Lord bless you from Zion;
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem   all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children—
  peace be on Israel.

In Christ,

Judy

*Excerpts from Stepping Up, by Beth Moore.

Chaplain’s Corner – Sides

Jun10

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30).

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).

This devotional is a departure from our current series on the Songs of Ascent. The recent tragic events have weighed on my heart, and I felt that I could not keep silent. But what to say? How can anything I say ever be enough? I love all my brothers and sisters in Christ, and as the Scriptures call us to do, I “mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15).

I also know that talk is cheap, and the solution is to put our money where our mouths are, to be proactive. And we, as laborers for the Kingdom at Nashville Rescue Mission, do just that every day. I am so proud to be working “shoulder to shoulder” with each of you as you obey your calling to do the Lord’s work serving the hungry, hurting, and homeless.

Some use these tragic events to politicize, to polarize, to divide. That is not my agenda. For me, there is only one side, and that is on the side of Jesus. He said, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” When all is said and done, I want to be found with you on the only side that counts. Jesus taught us many things about how to be on his side, including who and how to love.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is good teaching on this subject. The .Good Samaritan went out of his way to rescue a traveler who was robbed and beaten by thieves. Jesus told this parable to answer the question of who to love. The Jewish leaders had challenged Jesus to identify the greatest commandment, and Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy to tell them that loving God was the greatest commandment, but the close second was to love your neighbor as yourself. They then wanted an exact definition of “neighbor.” So, by telling this parable, Jesus explained that “who to love” is anyone we come in proximity with, regardless of whether they are in our circle of family and friends. At Nashville Rescue Mission, you serve anyone without regard to sex, race, color, religion, or ethnicity.

I propose that this story also tells us how to love. The Good Samaritan went out of his way to see to this injured stranger; he cared for this stranger with all diligence and urgency, just like he would have cared for his own family, and just like he would have wanted to be cared for himself. I have witnessed more than once the selfless way that you care for those who find their way to the Mission, so many times without regard for your own welfare.

For most of you, you have taken the proactive step of loving your neighbor by working for Nashville Rescue Mission. While there will always be room for improvement, I believe we are like-minded in our pursuit of the mission of the Mission: “Providing hope for today, hope for tomorrow, and hope for eternity to the hungry, hurting, and homeless.”

This song, “Bleed the Same,” by Mandisa from 2017, performed by her along with TobyMac and Kirk Franklin, eloquently expresses these thoughts.

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:1-6).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Traveling Partners

Jun3

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalm 133:1).

We are continuing our focus on our journey. We have been tracking with the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) which sing of the pilgrimage that the Jewish people took to Jerusalem each year to celebrate their festivals, and they also represent the journey the Jewish exiles made back to Jerusalem from their captivity. We are applying this term “journey,” or “pilgrimage” to our growth in our Christian life.  Journey, pilgrimage, and walk are all metaphors commonly used for the sanctification process which occurs from the time we are justified by Christ until the time we are glorified in Christ.

Most of us do not travel alone through this life. In fact, if you are on staff at Nashville Rescue Mission, you definitely are not a solo traveler. You are traveling with fellow staff as well as the people we serve. Most likely, you also have family, friends, neighbors, fellow church members, and service providers with whom you “travel.” We are fellow sojourners, traveling partners.

Back in Bible days, people did not often travel alone because it was dangerous. They traveled in company, having a shared destination, for safety because they could look out for each other along the way. Even today, we as believers have a shared destination, and even though dangers might not be apparent, we know that the Enemy is putting every obstacle possible in our way to throw us off our path to try to prevent us from reaching our Promised Land. Therefore, we realize that as believers we are traveling in company and should be looking out for each other. Here are some ways that we can be effective traveling partners*:

  • Wise up concerning the Enemy’s schemes. As Paul said in his letter to the Corinthians: Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11). Satan is the author of all offenses. His goal is to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). Can you just imagine how gleeful he is right now? We are paying tribute to Satan when we do not live harmoniously with our traveling partners.
  • Encourage one another at all times. As the writer of Hebrews put it, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25). As we all know only too well, the Enemy is very effective in using discouragement, so we need to take very opportunity to infuse our traveling partners with courage; to speak life and not death.
    • “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).
    • “Kind words are like honey–sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” (Proverbs 16:24).
    • “A person’s words can be life-giving water; words of true wisdom are as refreshing as a bubbling brook” (Proverbs 18:4).
  • Fight for each other. You may recall from the book of Nehemiah what strategy they had to use to build the wall while facing the vicious opposition. “From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.” (Nehemiah 4:16-18). Make no mistake, we are in a battle. We must remember who the Enemy is and fight together, in harmony, for each other. Nehemiah and his crew were building the wall around Jerusalem. We as believers, as Peter put it in 1 Peter 2:5 – “like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood.”
  • Love one another deeply. Peter, in his first letter, used a framework of pilgrimage. In 1 Peter 1:1, he addressed his letter “To the pilgrims of the Dispersion.” In 1 Peter 2:11, he admonished, “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul….” So, in that context, we are commanded: “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Loving God and loving each other are the two greatest commandments, so it makes sense that Peter would say, “Above all.” Peter adds that we should love deeply. Not just a superficial love, but with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

My fellow travelers, I love the imagery of standing “shoulder to shoulder” in the following verse. I love you, and I am so happy to be with you on this journey.

“Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder” (Zephaniah 3:9).

In Christ,

Judy

*With credit to Beth Moore’s Bible Study, Stepping Up.

Chaplain’s Corner – Protection

May27

Today’s Chaplain’s Corner continues from the Songs of Ascent, which are written from the perspective of a pilgrim on a journey. Many of these songs speak of dangers which travelers face during their journey. The songwriters are very conscious of the need for protection against the enemy.

  • Psalm 120 and 121 speak of lying, deceit, war, and evil.
  • The writer of Psalm 123 seeks mercy from those who hold him in contempt and scorn. Yes, we want some of that mercy, too!
  • Psalm 124 reminds us of what might have been if it had not been for the LORD’s protection. “…if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us,they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away”  (Psalm 124:2-5).
  • Psalm 129 paints a vivid picture of being run over (picture tire treads on your back). Since they didn’t have trucks back then, the metaphor was to farm equipment. “The plowers plowed on my back, they made their furrows long” (Psalm 129: 3). Ouch! I think some of us have been here.

The enemies of the Jews were real. They faced constant threats. Likewise, we face a real enemy right now in this pandemic. This Covid-19 virus is our enemy and we seek protection. The precautions most of us are taking are quite simple (not easy, mind you, but within our own capabilities)—keeping apart, wearing a mask, washing our hands, making sure our surroundings are clean, etc. We could have been taking these precautions all along but didn’t realize this enemy was out there until people started getting sick. We can also see evidence of a greater enemy, Satan, because we see the effects of his handiwork. The precautions we should be taking against Satan are also quite simple (and not always so easy). We need to stay in alignment with God, in His Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers.

These songs are a reminder that when we face our enemies, we can cry out to Jesus. We can seek mercy. We can seek protection. We can seek justice; to be avenged. God might not answer our prayers in the way we think he should, but sometimes what we need most is to be able to cry out to someone somewhere. And we know that God is good, and that He cares for us, and we know that He hears us when we cry. I love the words in this song, Cry to Jesus (Third Day).

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
And there is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus.

“The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. “(Psalm 121:7-8)

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – The Journey

May20

 “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me.” Psalm 120:1

I am currently participating with a group of women at my church in a Beth Moore Bible Study, Stepping Up, based on the fifteen “Songs of Ascents,” Psalms 120-134, which sing of the pilgrimage that the Jewish people took to Jerusalem each year to celebrate their festivals, and they also represent the journey the Jewish exiles made back to Jerusalem from their captivity.

Those pilgrimages were historical, but the application for us today is to our growth in our Christian life.  Journey, pilgrimage, and walk are all metaphors commonly used for the sanctification process which occurs from the time we are justified by Christ until the time we are glorified in Christ.

In a purposeful journey, our starting point matters. If I’m just strolling the neighborhood or the park, it doesn’t really matter, but in a purposeful journey, I must have a reason and a starting point, as well as a desired destination.  The Songs of Ascent begin with a distress call, “In my distress I called to the LORD.” Psalm 120 goes on to describe a dangerous and miserable place, both physically and spiritually. In the ESV, the writer says he is an alien in his present place. Our journey begins when we realize that we are in a dangerous and miserable place, somewhere that we don’t belong, so we call out to the LORD.

The next requirement of a purposeful journey is a destination. Psalm 121 provides that imagery of the destination for all of us. “I raise my eyes toward the mountains, Where will my help come from?” (Psalm 121:1).

We are saved by the grace of God, who sent his Son to pay the ultimate punishment for our sin. All we must do to be saved, that is justified before God, is to believe and receive that grace. However, our ongoing growth as a believer, our journey to maturity, is a cooperative process, meaning that it takes our own effort along with the Holy Spirit. One of the things we must do on our journey is to constantly look ahead to our destination. We must raise our eyes toward the mountains constantly rather than looking behind or even side to side. When I’m driving, I like to look around. It scares my husband because he says that I turn the wheel the direction I’m looking. I’m trying to do better, but it is true; we tend to veer off in the direction in which we look. And you can apply that concept to any number of things. The point is to keep our eyes focused on the goal of eternity in the Kingdom of God.

My husband and I recently purchased a roadside protection plan from our automobile insurance company. It’s kind of like AAA.  There’s a tollfree number to call if we get stranded, have a flat tire, need towing, etc. The provider will come to wherever we are, fix the problem, and get us going on our way again. Psalm 121 is also a beautiful reminder that on this journey, God will always protect us. The question in verse 1, “Where will my help come from?”  is answered by the remainder of the psalm. Verse 4 says God is 24/7/365; he “will never slumber nor sleep.” “The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forever more” (Psalm 121:8). I don’t know about you, but that verse is tremendously reassuring to me, especially when I am facing the unknown. And I don’t even have to be concerned about paying an annual fee to keep the plan active. The cost has already been covered for my lifetime.

“Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault” (Jude 1:24).

It is a wonderful thing to be on this journey with you as fellow pilgrims in Christ.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Fervent Prayer

Apr22

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).

The parable referenced is the Parable of the Persistent Widow. In this parable, a widow persistently asked a local judge for justice. She had to keep asking because he was not paying any attention to her, and finally he relented just to get her off his back. Jesus then by comparison said that he would bring about justice for his chosen ones, and quickly at that.  “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?” (Luke 18:7). So, Jesus said the lesson in this parable is to always pray and not give up, just like the persistent widow.

We all have so much to pray about. Prayer for our own circumstances, our families, the Mission, our churches, our leaders, our country, those on the front lines, the lost, to get back to “normal.” The list is endless. It’s overwhelming. And praying is hard work.

I used to teach my middle school Sunday School class a simple way to pray using the acrostic “ACTS.”

A – Adoration: I have found out that when I start my prayer with acknowledging the attributes of God, everything else falls into place. A good example of this is in the Lord’s prayer when we say, “Hallowed be thy name.”

C – Confession: Just as with adoration where we remember who God is; with confession, we agree with him about who we are and where we have fallen short. “When we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

T – Thanksgiving: Counting our blessings helps to put our needs and wants into perspective. The Psalms are full of scriptures of praise and thanksgiving. Psalm 100

S – Supplication: this is where we ask God for what we want for ourselves and others, and I will spend a little more time on this section.

Another term for supplication could be intercession, and this part of our prayer would be intercessory prayer. To be sure, God hears our prayers no matter how articulate. Sometimes the Holy Spirit prays for us, even when we can’t utter a coherent word. You have heard that prayer changes things. What this means is that prayer changes us, and that takes some work.

Here are some keys for effective intercessory prayer (with help from C.H. Spurgeon’s My Utmost for His Highest Devotional).

  1. We must believe that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do. Otherwise, all we are doing is talking to ourselves, being sympathetic, or maybe even gossiping when we pray.
  2. We must bring the person or situation before God and seek to be changed by his attitude toward that person or situation. Paul said in Colossians 1:24 “I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.” (NLT). Spurgeon says, “Our work is to be in such close contact with God that we may have His mind about everything, but we shirk that responsibility by substituting doing for interceding.” I know I have been guilty of this.
  3. And finally, we must be persistent. Spurgeon says, “What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply “patched up.” We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God. Think of the number of people God has brought across our path, only to see us drop them! When we pray on the basis of redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer.”

I challenge us all to become fervent, persistent, prayer warriors. The world is in crisis. But we know that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power…And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people” (Ephesians 6:10,18).

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Wisdom of God

Apr15

Wisdom as described in the Old Testament is fairly straightforward. It includes the ability to govern well by accurate interpretation and enforcement of the law, to understand visions and dreams, to demonstrate morality and good judgment in making decisions.

Saul of Tarsus was probably considered to be wise as well as passionate. He was well-educated, highly regarded, and on the fast track to Jewish leadership. However, after his conversion to Christianity, he gained true wisdom. He, as Paul the Apostle, describes true wisdom in 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, and I am helpless to improve upon his writing (this is from the New Living Translation). I encourage you to take your time to read this passage, think about what you are reading. Read it out lout if possible.

The Wisdom of God

18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
    and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

These are powerful words. In the aftermath of Easter, as we live in the light of the Resurrection, as believers unified with Christ Jesus, regardless of our past, regardless of our mistakes, know that God chose us. What an opportunity we have before us to boldly preach Christ crucified, to demonstrate the love of Jesus to the least of these.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – The Time Has Come

Apr8

“My times are in your hands…. “(Psalm 31:15)

These certainly are unusual times, and we are learning how to live a new normal. But what if everything we have ever learned or experienced in life has been leading us to this time in our lives. Without realizing it, we have been preparing for just this moment so we can demonstrate our faith, our willingness to serve, our mandate to love God and others in the most difficult and unusual of circumstances.

Bringing us to the crucifixion which happened on Friday of Holy Week which we are now celebrating, we can reflect on the fact that Jesus had all along been preparing for just this time because he knew even at age twelve that he was about his Father’s business. Jesus had a purpose for how he spent his thirty-three years on earth.

  • Early in his ministry, he told his mother: “Woman, why do you involve me?” He went on to say, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4).
  • Later in his ministry he told his brothers, “You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.”  (John 7:8).
  • However, Jesus did go to the festival privately, and then went to the temple to teach. Although the authorities were seeking to arrest him, no one laid a hand on him. He was spared, he said, because “his hour had not yet come” (John 7:30).
  • Immediately following the festival, Jesus again taught in the temple, and no one arrested him despite the threats. John explains that “his hour had not yet come” (John 8:20).

It was not until the week before His crucifixion that he acknowledged that his time had finally come.

  • Then when Jesus had made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem… “there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival.  They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, ‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified’” (John 12:20-23).
  • And when Jesus was praying with his disciples at Gethsemane during His last week before the crucifixion, “After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you” (John 17:1).

Some Bible scholars say that the Gentiles seeking Jesus in John 12:21 were the triggering event for Jesus to declare that his time had now come, that this request by the Gentiles triggered the plan that God had designed all along to reconcile his people back to himself—Jesus’ arrest, trials, humiliation, condemnation, beatings, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and ascension. 

This is a solemn reminder that God has a plan, and it will come to pass in his own timing. There will be a triggering event and then all the elements of Christ’s Second Coming will fall into place as described in the Bible. There is some disagreement about all the events and the exact timing, but there is no disagreement among believers that the Second Coming will happen. That is what we long for with hope. 

The Jewish people knew that the Messiah would come; they had the writings of the Prophets to tell them many of the signs they could expect to see to confirm His first coming. But they were still taken by surprise when He did.

We should not be surprised when trials and tribulations come. Jesus told us in John 16:33“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

We celebrate Christmas and Jesus’ first coming, and we celebrate Easter and His resurrection. We know the Jesus will come again. In John 14:3, Jesus states, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”  We know what many of the signs will be. We just don’t know when. However, we should not be surprised when the time comes. We have been informed. Be ready.

In Christ,

Judy

Chaplain’s Corner – Preparing for Holy Week

Apr1

“If I do not wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8).

We are in the middle of a crisis, and my daily communications to fellow staff have been directed toward prayers and encouragement. We are encouraged by the fact that this crisis will end at some point and we will return to some sort of normal (at least that’s what we are counting on). However, we are also approaching the remembrance of another momentous occasion, one which seemed to be a crisis at the time, but which changed us forever for the good. In just eleven days we will celebrate Easter. Whether or not we can attend a worship service, Easter will be Easter and we are forever blessed to be able to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, my devotion today is directing us to think on the days leading up to that holy event.

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. It starts with Jesus entering Jerusalem to the adulation of the crowds. It ends with him in the grave following his humiliation and crucifixion. Immediately before being arrested, he gathers his disciples together for their last supper. He surprises them by washing their feet.  It is, in fact, shocking that he would do this. As their teacher, the culture told them as the disciples that they did not have to wash his feet. But here is the teacher washing the feet of his disciples!

 As a long-time believer, I have heard this story about Jesus countless times, but recently during an in-depth study of the book of John, a different perspective was presented to me and it took me aback, as conviction often does.

As Jesus begins the process of preparing himself and the water, Peter exclaims that Jesus will never wash his feet. It’s not that Peter didn’t want Jesus to touch him; he was acknowledging that Jesus was too good to wash his feet. It comes across as a humble statement on Peter’s part, but is it really? How often do we reject the simple acts of kindness and assistance offered by others around us? Is it really because we are humble and truly believe we don’t deserve it? Or is it because we are too prideful and think we don’t need it? Maybe we don’t want to be beholden to anyone or we don’t want to feel that we will be obligated to repay the favor.

What do you think Peter’s motivation was for not being willing to accept Jesus washing his feet? How would I have responded to Jesus? Probably the same way. We who serve often take pride in not needing to be served. (Can you sense my conviction?)

Jesus answered him in John 13:8, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.” David Guzik writes that “This foot washing was a powerful lesson in humility, but it was more than that. It also shows that Jesus has no fellowship, no deep connection with those who have not been cleansed by Him … We should be grateful that Jesus did not say, ‘If you do not have great holiness, you have no part with me.’ We are happy he did not say, ‘if you are not a Bible expert, you have no part with me.’ Having a part with Jesus begins simply with receiving something from Him, not achieving something ourself.”

A clue to Peter’s pride can be found when Peter replies, then don’t just wash my feet, wash me all over. Now he’s telling Jesus what to do and how to do it! Who does he think he is? This was a loving act by Jesus. Are we too proud to accept his loving acts of service? We can see how Peter matures over time by his statement in 1 Peter 5:5 which shows Peter’s change of heart “Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility.”

Food for thought: According to Guzik: “Sometimes we show a servant’s heart by accepting the service of others for us. If we only serve, and refuse to be served, it can be a sign of deeply rooted and well-hidden pride. “According to Temple: “Man’s humility does not begin with the giving of service; it begins with the readiness to receive it. For there can be much pride and condescension in our giving of service.” *

What did Jesus tell us to do? (Clue: It was not to wash his feet.)

  • John 13:12-14 “you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” Jesus tells us to show the same humble, sacrificial love to one another. Charles Spurgeon writes: “If there be any deed of kindness or love that we can do for the very meanest and most obscure of God’s people, we ought to be willing to do it—to be servants to God’s servants.” *
  • John 13:34-35: “I’m giving you a new commandment: ‘Love each other in the same way that I have loved you.’ Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other.”

We are also called to receive the blessing of salvation from Jesus and service from others. We are called to love one another, serve one another, encourage one another, give to one another. We are called to do these things cheerfully and generously and sacrificially. Let us seek to fellowship with each other in mutual love, service, and encouragement. Let’s also seek to do these things without a speck of pride as our motivation, with only gratitude and praise to our Holy Father who is the source of all the resources we have at our disposal. In this way, we can prepare our hearts to worship our Lord and Savior during this upcoming Holiest of Weeks.

In Christ,

Judy

*David Guzik Text Commentary from Blue Letter Bible