If you’ve ever spent times sick in bed or in a hospital you know that the days start to run together.

Isn’t that what is happening to us right now? Our rituals have been forced to change, but it is still possible to order our days.

Peter and John had their worlds turned upside down Jesus’ death, resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were fully empowered by the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead – and yet the continued to follow the rituals of their youth. Daily prayer at 3 pm.

Rituals order our days. They point us toward what’s really important in our lives.

So –here’s my question – what routines are ordering your lives today? We know that faith is formed by routines of reading Scripture, prayer and being in community with the people of God.

I pray that you will find time – every day – to read Scripture – perhaps the verse that is posted in the River of Hope page each morning. Beginning the day with God’s word of love, hope and mercy helps to orient us and the words we hear throughout the rest of the day.

Find time to pray every day. Praying helps us place our fears and our joys in God’s hands, remembering that there is precious little we actually can control – but nothing is outside of God’s care.

And remember to be in community. That is challenging right now, but there are creative ways to make it happen – like this – devotions on Facebook! Like worshiping virtually in community on Sunday – bad sound and all – and joining tomorrow evening with Beer and Hymns.

All of those creative ways helps keep us physically distanced, but socially, and spiritually connected!

May we order our days and our thoughts so that each moment helps us grow closer to each other – and to the God who loves us more than we know!

Prayer:
Loving God,
We thank you for the gift of this day and each day. Help us to order each of our days so that we might grow in our faith and be equipped to go out and transform lives in your name.
Amen.

They were told to wait. They had spent 3 years wandering around Jerusalem with Jesus. Telling all who would listen that the kingdom of God had come to earth. God’s dream of love, peace, mercy and radical justice was here! They didn’t sit around with that information – they were on the move!

But then – everything stopped. Jesus died – and their world turned upside down. They no longer traveled around – but remained, in hiding at first, and then with the resurrected Jesus for 40 days. After they see him ascend in a cloud, they wait – they don’t know how long it will be. They are just there – waiting.

Does this sound at all familiar?

Being told to wait, to not leave a place, happens for a lot of different reasons. You might know someone who needed to be on bed rest during pregnancy. Waiting.

Or, perhaps you have sat by the phone waiting for a phone call with news – either good or bad.

Both of those times of waiting have an end point in sight.
For the disciples they have NO IDEA how long they must wait. They simply know that the Holy Spirit will come to them when their waiting period is over.

In the same way, we really have no idea how long we wait until we can gather together again in worship. How long we must wait until we can see loved ones. How long we must wait until – for some – our jobs return.

I don’t know about you, but it does give me some comfort knowing that this experience waiting is something that Jesus understands. More than that, we don’t have to wait for the Holy Spirit to show up – the Holy Spirit is already here. We do not wait alone!

The Holy Spirit is with you, giving comfort – guidance – and direction in this time of waiting – and always!

Let’s pray.
We thank you for your presence in this time of waiting. Show us how we can encourage those who are finding this time of waiting a struggle. Be with those who worry about family members who are ill. Be with those who are unemployed or underemployed. Use us to help those who are unable to put food in their tables. For all those who are hurting in this time of waiting, dear Lord, use us to provide healing and hope.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

When I was 9 years old my family moved from Minnesota to Arizona. We piled up in our 1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser and left our home in St Louis Park and went all the way – to Dawson. 3 hours west on Highway 7. It was our first stop because that’s where Grandma and Grandpa lived. I don’t remember leaving our house. I really have no memory of packing up my bedroom or 3rd grade belongings. I remember leaving Dawson. Why? Because I can still see Grandma and Grandpa standing in their front yard, waving goodbye until we turned on Highway 212 and headed west. They told me years later that they stayed there, looking toward the highway wondering if we might turn back. Eventually they realized that we were really gone and they went on their way.

This is the image that comes to mind when I hear the story of Jesus’ ascension. The disciples have just witnessed Jesus disappear into the heavens and they, understandably, remain there – looking up. Wondering – where did he go? Will he be back? Now what?

They needed a wake-up call, so to speak. So, two “white-robed men” asked them a simple question – “Why are you standing here staring into heaven?”

Not unlike my grandparents, the disciples stood there – stuck – wanting just one more glimpse of Jesus – but Jesus was no longer there.

I think that sometimes we “leave Jesus” at church. It’s ok to talk about our love for Jesus when we gather together, physically or virtually, on Sunday morning, but then go about the rest of our week without another thought.

What if, rather than thinking of Jesus as in one place that we visit every now and then, we grasp a hold of the truth that – where ever there are people gathered, Jesus is there.
People who are struggling – Jesus is there.
People who are celebrating – Jesus is there.
People who are grieving – Jesus is there.

And YOU – people – Jesus is with YOU. You are the hands and feet, voice and compassion of Jesus out in the world.
May we open our eyes to see Jesus – not in the heavens – but right here, in the presence of God’s people.

Let’s pray,
Gracious God, give us eyes to see Jesus in the people around us. Use us to share the love and compassion of Jesus to the people we meet. Amen.

It seems that when angels meet people one of the first things they say is some version of “do not be alarmed” or “do not be afraid”. Well that makes sense to me. The women went expecting to see a large stone that they would have to move. The rock was gone.

They expected to see Jesus. Jesus was gone.

They did NOT expect to see whoever this man was. But they didn’t really have time to process this.

Jesus was gone. The proof they were given was “Look, there is where they laid his body.”

These women were given a lot of information in a short amount of time and told to not be alarmed. Really? Just how do you do that?

So – that’s my question – just how do YOU do that?

I mean, haven’t we been overwhelmed with information lately? Do we allow ourselves to “not be alarmed” or “not be afraid”? Can we maintain that “non-anxious presence” in the midst of this pandemic?

I know – the situations are completely different. One is a resurrection from the dead, and the other a world wide health crisis – but aren’t the feelings the same? Don’t we also feel afraid, anxious, apprehensive, worried, or even afraid just as the women did? Don’t we have good reason for those feelings – just as the women did?

So, if our feelings are the same, perhaps how we resolve those feelings can also be the same.

We can trust in the promise given to us – just as the women trusted the promise given to the women – trust that Jesus will be there waiting for us in the places we go – just as Jesus was in Galilee, waiting for them 2000 years ago.

Let us pray,
Gracious God, thank you for your promises that go with us when we are anxious or afraid. May your love carry us through this time of the unknown. May we find creative ways to share that love with everyone we meet. No exceptions.
Amen.

The sentence given by this angel to the women who went looking for Jesus’ body is directed not to the women, but to the disciples – and particularly Peter. The last time Peter saw Jesus he heard a rooster crow. When Peter hears these words, will they seem like a promise of good news or scheduled condemnation?

The only way we can predict future behavior is by examining past behavior.

For Peter, he had a lot of past behavior to anticipate what this angel was saying. He had witnessed Jesus heal his mother in law. He had witnessed Jesus cure a women who had suffered bleeding issue for 12 years. He saw a young girl raised from the dead. He was there when compassion led Jesus to feed thousands of people with minimal resources. The list goes on and on – in fact, there is precious little evidence of Jesus condemning anyone – except for those who put rules over relationships.

Jesus did not have a lot of time for the religious leaders who sought ways of keeping some people away from God’s grace and mercy while others were granted free access. He used the word “hypocrite” to describe them.

So, even if Peter could trust Jesus’ past behavior as an indicator that meeting him in Galilee would be GOOD NEWS, perhaps Peter didn’t trust himself. Perhaps Peter thought of himself as a hypocrite.

Here’s the thing – can any of us say that we are not hypocritical? Can ANY of us say that we haven’t set up walls that limit God’s love? That God’s love CERTAINLY can’t include “those” people – whoever that might be.

What Peter – and the rest of us – have yet to learn is that Jesus’ promise to meet us where he promised is not dependent upon our words – or our actions – or our inaction.

In fact, Jesus’ promise to be with us is dependent ONLY upon what God has already DONE, through Jesus.

People – Jesus promise to meet Peter, and all of the disciples in Galilee is the same promise that Jesus makes to us. For Peter and the disciples, Galilee was familiar. It was home.
I don’t know what your Galilee is – that place that feels familiar, that place that feels safe – that is the place where Jesus promises to meet you.

It is a promise you can trust – not simply a set of words. You simply need to look around and see all the times that Jesus has met you in your life and know that this promise is one that will continue to give you hope and comfort.

Let us pray,
Dearest Jesus, thank you for meeting us in our deepest needs. Open our eyes to see the many ways you meet us – and all people – every day. May this promise of your presence give us strength and hope. In Jesus name, Amen.

The sentence given by this angel to the women who went looking for Jesus’ body is directed not to the women, but to the disciples – and particularly Peter. The last time Peter saw Jesus he heard a rooster crow. When Peter hears these words, will they seem like a promise of good news or scheduled condemnation?

The only way we can predict future behavior is by examining past behavior.

For Peter, he had a lot of past behavior to anticipate what this angel was saying. He had witnessed Jesus heal his mother in law. He had witnessed Jesus cure a women who had suffered bleeding issue for 12 years. He saw a young girl raised from the dead. He was there when compassion led Jesus to feed thousands of people with minimal resources. The list goes on and on – in fact, there is precious little evidence of Jesus condemning anyone – except for those who put rules over relationships.

Jesus did not have a lot of time for the religious leaders who sought ways of keeping some people away from God’s grace and mercy while others were granted free access. He used the word “hypocrite” to describe them.

So, even if Peter could trust Jesus’ past behavior as an indicator that meeting him in Galilee would be GOOD NEWS, perhaps Peter didn’t trust himself. Perhaps Peter thought of himself as a hypocrite.

Here’s the thing – can any of us say that we are not hypocritical? Can ANY of us say that we haven’t set up walls that limit God’s love? That God’s love CERTAINLY can’t include “those” people – whoever that might be.

What Peter – and the rest of us – have yet to learn is that Jesus’ promise to meet us where he promised is not dependent upon our words – or our actions – or our inaction.

In fact, Jesus’ promise to be with us is dependent ONLY upon what God has already DONE, through Jesus.

People – Jesus promise to meet Peter, and all of the disciples in Galilee is the same promise that Jesus makes to us. For Peter and the disciples, Galilee was familiar. It was home.
I don’t know what your Galilee is – that place that feels familiar, that place that feels safe – that is the place where Jesus promises to meet you.

It is a promise you can trust – not simply a set of words. You simply need to look around and see all the times that Jesus has met you in your life and know that this promise is one that will continue to give you hope and comfort.

Let us pray,
Dearest Jesus, thank you for meeting us in our deepest needs. Open our eyes to see the many ways you meet us – and all people – every day. May this promise of your presence give us strength and hope. In Jesus name, Amen.

 

I remember living in Los Angeles as a director of an Early Childhood program. We took the students on a field trip to see Rose Parade floats being built. The group was filled with 4 year olds and the tour guide had an expectation that that they understand directions intended for adults.

Raise your hand if you wish to speak.
Don’t touch the floats.
Please don’t shout.

None of the students were able to follow those rules, naturally, except for Matthew. Matthew raised his hand. Matthew stayed where he was supposed to – and most importantly, Matthew listened. He heard every word that tour guide said.

So – when we came to the float with a WORKING roller coaster Matthew raised his hand and asked, “can we see it work?”

The guide was charmed, but said no. “The person who runs the roller coaster isn’t here today.”

Without skipping a beat, Matthew raised his hand again: “Can we come back tomorrow?”

I had a difficult time not laughing out loud! The tour guide, however, was silent. It took him a minute to figure out that, in fact, the whole building was closed on that day – so, no. But for a split second a 4 year old had bested an adult in a discussion.

Now, any parent or teacher will be able to tell you that this is not a unique story – it happens all the time. What it requires is what children do naturally – they are present in the moment. They are not worried about what was just said – they aren’t planning their next second. They are in the moment.

I think that the 26 words in the verse from Mark 16 have always disappointed me – and many others – because we expect more. We are looking to hear the words of Jesus directly. Or perhaps we want to hear the reaction of the other disciples.

But, if we remain in the moment and hear what the angel is saying – “don’t keep this good news to yourself, tell others and go find Jesus in the places he said he would be” – then this is a pretty amazing statement.

Tell others that you have seen the risen Lord in the lives of people who find hope in the midst of hopeless situations.

Tell others that you have seen the risen Lord in the lives of people who find joy in the midst of the most horrific pain.

Tell others that you have seen the risen Lord in the laughter of friends, family and “framily”.

Tell others that you have seen the risen Lord in the shared tears when we grieve together.

The point is – go – and tell others that the tomb is empty and Jesus is here!

Let’s pray:
Gracious God, give us eyes to see you in surprising places – and then give us the words to tell others that you are here.
Amen.

My prayers are my way to speak to God whose love is big enough to discern my intentions in the midst of my bungled prayers.

The truth is, it simply feels good to share my worries, fears and joys with the One who is powerful enough to handle all of them – and more.

So, as a people committed to “going out to transform lives through Jesus Christ” I want to suggest an idea during this time of social distancing. What would it be like if we share the gift of prayer with our neighbors allowing the power of prayer to transform lives while we stay at a safe distance.

What would it be like if we all had a “prayer station” in our front yard?
Here are a couple of ideas for a prayer station – you might have your own idea!

• Have 3X5 cards and pens, clothes pins and a rope or string tied between tree branches. Have an instruction card clipped to the rope that invites people to write their prayers and add them to the rope.

• Have strips of cloth and sharpies on a table. Write out a couple of prayers on the clothes and tie them to a tree or bush or fence as examples. Leave an instruction card on the table that invites others to do the same.

• Make a plain cross out of a 2X4. Have sticky notes and pens on a table. Invite neighbors to write their prayers on the sticky notes and place them on the cross.

Get creative – find your own way to create a prayer station in your neighborhood that invites prayers from all people. Don’t worry about the form or the words. God will hear our hearts!

For tonight’s prayer we will use one of my favorites from Mother Theresa:

Let’s pray:
I used to pray that God would feed the hungry, or do this or that, but now, O Lord, I pray that You will guide me to do whatever I’m supposed to do.
I used to pray for answers, but now, O God, I’m praying for strength.
I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now, O God I know that our prayers to You changes us and we change things. In Jesus Name, Amen

When I think of grief, I think of when I entered into the funeral home for Grandma Judy’s reviewal and saw her body in a casket. This primordial shriek came out of me. I have never heard that sound before, and I have no idea where it came from.

Or I think of the tears that came whenever I would hear “How Great Thou Art” because it would take me back to Grandma Bernice’s funeral service.

Or I think of the absolute numbness that I felt for months – maybe even years – after my late husband died.

I don’t feel any of those things now – how can this be grief?

Then I read an article published in the Harvard Business Review interviewing David Kessler, grief guru, on this time of global pandemic grief.
Kessler co-wrote a book on the stages of grief with Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. In the article he states:
• There’s denial, which we say a lot of early on: This virus won’t affect us.
• There’s anger: You’re making me stay home and taking away my activities.
• There’s bargaining: Okay, if I social distance for two weeks everything will be better, right?
• There’s sadness: I don’t know when this will end.
• And finally there’s acceptance. This is happening; I have to figure out how to proceed.

Ok, now I get it. I guess I am grieving. Truthfully, I think – in mass – WE ALL are grieving. We ALL are experiencing these same feelings of denial and anger, bargaining and sadness at the same time.

How do we, in the midst of this corporate grief, take care of each other?

There is really nothing left for us to lean on when everyone is in a state of grief but God.

That is ok, because, you see, God is bigger than our grief. God is bigger than our fear.

In 1 John 4:18 we hear the antidote to fear – the antidote to grief… it is perfect love.

God’s perfect love for creation assures us that, even when we face hardship and pain, we do not face it alone.

God’s perfect love flowing through us gives us the wisdom and strength to reach out beyond closed doors and quarantines to continue to care for our neighbor.

When we do that, church, we ease our own grief – and each other’s grief.

Let us pray:
Loving God, may your perfect love remind us that the troubles of this world will not have the last say. Your love, grace and peace will equip us to face whatever this unknown time may bring. Use us, Lord, to share your love in creative ways and to remind others that they are not alone.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.

But there are others who wonder where God is in this time of crisis. For those who have lost jobs and aren’t sure how to pay their bills and for those whose loved ones have become ill with this scary virus, God seems to either not care or too far away to help.

But you see people, God shows up in many ways. Yes, sometimes in ways we cannot understand – but most often God shows up in YOU!

Who is it in your life that is needing a reminder that God’s “appearing is as sure as the dawn”? How can you be the presence of God through your loving actions today? Keep your eyes open and your ears tuned to see and hear stories of others who are hurting. Going out into the community and serving your neighbor is not simply a “nice thing to do”, it is our job as followers of Jesus!

Maybe you were the one who felt that God was far away and then someone showed up and shared God’s love with you! If that is you, tell that story! Let others know the presence of God in your life through the love of other people!

Let’s pray:
Ever present God, may we see Your presence all around us and may that presence give us a sense of comfort in these days of chaos. By the power of your Holy Spirit, equip us and send us out to bring your healing and hope-filled presence into the lives of those who feel far from you.
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.