But you, Lord, are my shield! You are my glory! You are the one who restores me. I cry out loud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down, sleep, and wake up because the Lord helps me. Psalm 3:3-5 CEB

Sometimes I struggle to find a topic or a thought for the daily blessing that I think would be of any importance for you to hear. Well, it’s been one of those times. I would ask God what possibly could I say? Nothing really is happening in my life to draw from, just the same everyday of being at home like all of you. Maybe there isn’t anything other than the most important thought to be reminded of, and that is God is our shield and our glory who restores our tired soul, and settles our restless thoughts.

There is a chorus of this scripture,

“Thou O Lord, are a shield about me, you’re my glory, you’re the lifter of my head.

Thou O Lord, are a shield about me, you’re my glory, you’re the lifter of my head.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, you’re the lifter of my head.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, you’re the lifter of my head.”

There have been some hard and difficult times in my life, some have been very long stretches that have almost broken my spirit. During those times God would always remind me (many times through music) that God is still there. This is one of the many choruses would come to me, I would sing it throughout my day and I would be reminded that God sees all that I’m going through. Through all the hurts and pain and uncertainty, God is there.

We right now have all been going through the same emotional rollercoaster during the uncertainty of the pandemic and social distancing. Many are alone and feeling lost and removed from physical contact. I wish to remind you that God is always there with you, knows all that you are feeling and experiencing. I encourage you to pray this scripture Psalm 3:3-5. Ask God to be your shield from all that you are dealing with from the tiniest to the greatest, from the uncertainties and the fears. Allow God to restore your soul, to be your sustainer and glory to lift your head above all the distractions. May you rest in the assurance that God is with you and comforts you.

Comforting God, remind us that you are there in our midst, sustaining, comforting, restoring our brokenness. Shield us from fear and the unknown, lift our heads to see your glory. May you give us strength and endurance to continue to be and show your love, joy and grace to all whom we encounter. Amen

Blessings,

Brenda

You alone are the Lord.
You alone made heaven, even the heaven of heavens, with all their forces.
 You made the earth and all that is on it, and the seas and all that is in them.
 You preserve them all, and the heavenly forces worship you. Nehemiah 9:6

These days it can be so easy to fall into being a “Negative Nellie” so at the end of each day I reflect on where the blessings have been by answering these two questions.  Where have I seen God’s work happening today? Where have I felt God’s presence? Each day brings different answers to my questions but there has been one reoccurring theme that comes up.  People are creative. God is the creator of new things and I many times see God in people’s creativity to clear the newest hurdle that COVID has placed in their paths.

Just a few days ago I had the opportunity to take a webinar with other leaders in the church looking ahead to the Advent season wondering how we will prepare and celebrate the birth of Jesus in these times. The creative ideas were flowing…pop up pageants, ornament exchanges, delivering candles to homes for the candlelight service. 

Zoom has allowed our youth to continue to meet weekly throughout the summer but with the start of the new school year, which means even more time on Zoom, it was time to conquer the next hurdle. Is there another way we can meet and still be safe? Well if you bring technology outside, you can bring people together in person with those still at home. 

God is showing up in all parts of the world not just in the church.  Look at the creativity of the NBA. They have created an entire bubble in which they can all be together and play the game of basketball and today I learned the rock band, Metallica, will be performing live in a drive-in concert. We have had drive-by birthdays and graduations. Parking lots have been turned into restaurants. Creativity abounds. God is all around us in the ordinary of our lives. God continues to make things new when we use the creative gifts that God has given us.

Creator God, we don’t always see Your work being done when we get caught up in the negative thinking that we can sometimes fall into.  Please forgive us. Creator you have given us creative minds that help us to clear the hurdles that life throws into our paths.  Thank you for this gift.  We pray that we can use this gift to do your work in the world so that others will feel Your presence.   Amen

Marty

Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.  Psalm 54:4

When Ashley and I get together to work on commUNITY yoga, we always start by sharing what is going on in our lives and the world. We often find that we’ve been experiencing similar feelings and that sometimes guides us to where we land on a theme. This month we were both lamenting about how much uncertainty we’ve been feeling and how it’s so easy to feel lost when faced with the many changes and decisions being thrown at us on a seemingly daily basis. Ashley is a small business owner exploring creative ways to keep her livelihood going while being socially responsible and keep her clients safe. I’ve been struggling with all the decisions associated with heading back into a classroom in the middle of a pandemic. It seems as though everyone is struggling with change and their own uncertainty right now.

As we talked about coping with this uncertainty, our conversation led us to the one thing that is certain, the one thing we can always be confident in and that is God, and God’s love for us. God is steadfast. We have an anchor, and a guide. We are safe, we are held, and we are loved. Sometimes when life becomes especially chaotic or overwhelming, we forget this certainty. We get caught up in trying to figure everything out and worrying about all the details and if our decisions are the best we can do. We can end up feeling lost…and a little ungrounded. We forget that God always has our back.

Ashley took this theme and weaved it beautifully throughout our physical and spiritual practice reminding us often that God has our back. We can let go of the fear, because we are safe in God. When we are feeling blown off course, God is our anchor. We were also encouraged to breathe…to let go and enter God’s flow…a stream of love, grace, compassion, peace, healing and strength. Knowing that God has our back and living in that flow gives us the courage to move through the world with confidence and to be sources of strength for others.

Over the past two weeks, friends have shared their wisdom, love and grace through conversations that have helped me make the decision I’ve been struggling with for awhile.  The practice of yoga has also helped.  Through this physical form of prayer, I’ve found peace and discernment by taking moments to breathe deeply and re-connect my breath with God’s flow. I am confident that whatever happens next, God has my back and will take care of me. 

In this time of uncertainty the one thing that is certain is that God gives us the things we need and will take care of us. My hope is that you can find confidence in the midst of all the change and uncertainty knowing that you are loved and you are held. God has your back!

Dear Loving God,

Thank you for having our backs.  You are steadfast and unmovable in our lives despite the storms that blow through bringing so much change.  Our souls are anchored in you. We find comfort and confidence in knowing we aren’t alone and you are always with us.

Thank you for freely giving us grace and love.  Because of this, we can live confidently in the world, sharing your grace, love and compassion with others, and ourselves, easing the struggles we may have of making choices and decisions during this uncertain time.

We know Your desire is for our wholeness and well-being.  Help us find ways to connect and stay in the moment drawing on your peace to settle our minds, our bodies and our spirits. Let us draw from the confidence we have in You so we can be a source of strength and healing for those around us.

Amen

Leyla

“Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” – Matthew 16:24

Rick Warren published The Purpose Driven Life almost 20 years ago. It became a bestseller despite an opening line very different from the vast number of self-help bestsellers. He starts off with a very blunt statement: “It’s not about you.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was even more blunt when, in The Cost of Discipleship when he tells us that “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Indeed, for standing up in resistance to Adolph Hitler and the genocide of the Jewish people, he was hanged on April 9, 1945.

When we read the words of Jesus in Matthew 16, we might want to believe that “taking up the cross” means wearing a cross charm around our neck, or perhaps enduring raised eyebrows because of our faith. But Jesus has just been telling the disciples that his journey will inevitably lead to his death. Simon Peter thinks that this is bad marketing and urges him not to talk about such unpleasant things. But Jesus insists on telling the truth. In order for God’s work in Christ to be freed from the bonds of space and time – in order for Jesus’s death to mean something – it must more than just him. In the same way, wants us to put to death all of the things which prevent us from understanding and living as children of God. As Warren puts it so eloquently, “The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness.”

This is a time of great self-denial. So many of the things we do to bring fulfillment and joy to our lives are simply too unsafe to do – too dangerous for ourselves and others. We are learning to take up our masks and stay six feet apart. It isn’t pleasant. And it requires a humbling of ourselves. We realize that it isn’t just about us: we have a part to play for the well-being of others!

Yet there is some strange freedom in this. In giving up some of the things to which we have become accustomed, we are discovering what is truly important, and finding new ways connecting, sharing, and living!  Yes, we look forward to the day we will be able to touch again, but even that will be imbued with new meaning. If this isn’t a death and resurrection time, then it is at least a time when we are like the caterpillars in a chrysalis.

I will be exploring these thoughts more on Sunday morning when we discuss the question, “How can I respond to cruelty?”

Here are the follow-up questions for discussion at home or online with friends:
1. What in your life or personality needs a funeral?
2. How can you be fully present with someone, even when you are physically separated?
3. Where can you make space for God?

Almighty and Ever-Living God, fill us with your peace. Help us to remember that you have made us for a reason: to be in right relationship with you and with all of creation. Allow us to glimpse the other, and the world, through your eyes of grace, mercy, and love. Then move in us that we might work for justice and righteousness. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6

While looking up scriptures for this week’s Daily Blessing, I had a person who passed on several years ago come to my heart and mind, Phyl Page. While many will remember her very fondly, for she was an amazing little lady with a great faith who had gone through many hardships, including the untimely death of a son, many will not know her. So, here is why I thought of her and a little bit about Phyl. I hope it blesses your day whether you were blessed to know her or not.

The reason she came to my mind while looking for scriptures for the Daily Blessing is because many years ago she asked Pastor Jan and I to have some Wednesday night classes to help memorize scripture for use in time of need.  She had found that even though she had been reading and studying the Bible for decades, she always had a difficult time memorizing scripture to recall during difficult times. So, Jan and I taught a short-term class called “Grab & Go Scriptures”; this verse from Philippians is the verse that touched her heart deeply and the one Phyl chose to memorize.

To me, this verse encompasses how she lived her life.  This caused a few thoughts to come to mind. One is what scripture verse encompasses how I live out my faith?  I would like to think this one; however, I know that I don’t present my requests to God enough in prayer and then stop being anxious about it.  I try but fall short, and I know that Phyl fell short, as we all do.  However, throughout her life from moving across country with her husband when he didn’t have a job to move out to California for to the untimely death of her son; she still had the peace of God.  Through the passing of her beloved husband, to moving back east to be with family because she could no longer live here alone, she had God’s peace.  I am not saying she was Pollyanna about life or wasn’t sad at times, I am saying that she knew that God was with her during the difficult times and felt his peace because if it. Something we all need right now.

Just thinking about Phyl brings a smile to my face and makes my heart feel lighter.  How wonderful it is to say that about a person and how even more so should we feel that about God.  Phyl was a great example of a life well lived in faith and service.

It also caused me to think about what scripture verses I use to get me through difficult times.  This verse is one of them, and we have been writing about many others.  In some sense, I think the verses that we choose say a lot about our faith or, at least, how we would like to live our faith.

So, I ask this question. What verses help you get through this time and what do you think those verses say about you and your faith? And, how can we live more completely into those verses we hold so close in our hearts?

Gracious & Loving God, we thank you for the gift of spiritual mentors in our life, people who have shown us how to live out our faith in our daily lives.  We thank you for the gift of scripture that challenges us and shows your love for us.  We thank you for the grace that you have shown us and for the ability to come to you in prayer.  Help us to have that peace which passes all understanding, even during these difficult times.  Help us to live more fully into your love and grace, so that we can show others the love and grace you have for them. Amen

Stay safe and well and be the hope you wish to see in the world.

Hugs, Suzanne