Our God Is an Awesome God
by Glenora Wright

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
 So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you,
 they sing the praises of your name.”
Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot--
 come, let us rejoice in him.
He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations--
 let not the rebellious rise up against him. Psalm 66:1-7
 
The passage from Psalms tells us to look around and see the wonders that God has done for us. His creation is the work of an awesome God. Take a minute, close your eyes, and think about nature, the huge mountains, the vast seas, the plains, all the different animals, plants and even the little bitty ladybug. Think about His creation of man and woman and how we are to take care of His world.

That is just one thing our awesome God did for us. After man messed up, God provided a way to reconcile with Him. That is what Lent and Easter is all about. John 3:16 tells us “God so loved us that He sent His only Son” to die for us on a cross that we might live with God forever. Lent gives us a little over 40 days leading up to the cross to reflect on the enormity of His love for us. It is amazing, humbling and even more than we as humans can imagine.

The title of this devotion is “Our God is An Awesome God,” which is a song by Rich Mullins. It says in part, “Our God is An Awesome God, He reigns from heaven above with wisdom, power and love...” This song always lifts me up and helps me realize that I am not alone no matter what is happening here on earth. God is my rock and I can always lean on Him. Praise be to God!!
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Pray with me – My Awesome God, thank you for all your wondrous works, your love and for the gift of your Son. Help me to love and honor you with the choices I make every day. Humble and thankful, Amen.

Repent and Believe
By Jim Hardenbrook

“The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15

Jesus’ message was perplexing, yet simple: The kingdom of God is available, but repentance and belief are required to enter that kingdom.

Sometimes I’m perplexed by Jesus’ insistence that we believe. Of course, we believe! But do we? I wonder. Jesus often asked those closest to him, “Do you still have no faith?” Yet he was surprised when he observed faith. Remember his
reaction to the Roman commander in Luke 7:9?

Do we believe what Jesus said about worry, or forgiveness, or loving those who curse and hurt us, or commitment, or material possessions, or eternal judgment. 

Maybe that’s why repentance is linked with belief. When we get close enough to observe and hear Jesus, we clearly see that he proposes a life radically counter to our culture and nature. If we believe him, change (or repentance) is mandatory. Eugene Peterson wrote, “[Repentance] is always and everywhere the first word in the Christian life.” The hardest thing to change is the way we think. That change, essential if not easy, inevitably leads to a changed lifestyle. 

Lent is a time of repentance. Years ago I had a cancerous tumor removed. Because of surgery the cancer was survivable. But without surgery, it would have killed me in five or six years. Sin and unbelief are survivable, but only when repentance enters the picture. I had to submit to the advice and scalpel of my surgeon. When will we submit to the call and command of Jesus, “Repent and believe?” 

Lord Jesus, thank you for making God’s kingdom available. In this season of repentance, reveal whatever is keeping us out. Amen

Who Do You Hang Out With?
By Pam Hardenbrook

Let your gentle spirit be known to all. The Lord is near. Philippians 4:5

I remember a sweet saint named Mary Glover. She was in her late nineties when I met her and we remained friends until she left this earth in her 104 th year.

Mary hung out with Jesus. Many times at church she would grab me or another sister or brother for a hug, and she would whisper in our ear. When that happened, I was never quite sure if she was talking to me or to Jesus. Her sentences were often interspersed with prayer.

Her last years were spent in a retirement home that had lots of corridors. She turned those hallways into prayer walkways, praying for everyone she knew every day. Mary could no longer sing in the choir, teach Sunday school, or lead her ukulele band. But because of her closeness to Jesus, her whole life was a prayer.

Like Mary, I want my best friend and confidant to be Jesus. I want to hang out with him because he is the one who calms my storms, soothes my soul, and gentles my spirit. Hanging out with Jesus is the key to my joy and peace of mind.

Prayer: Just a closer walk with Thee! Grant it, Jesus is my plea. Daily walking close to Thee – let it be, dear Lord, let it be. Amen.

Bread of Life
By Kay Haley

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. John 6:35

Sometime last year after being in lockdown during the pandemic, I started watching cooking shows and became very interested in making bread. It sort of became an obsession. I was 72 years old and I had never baked a loaf of bread. I studied recipes, stocked my kitchen and finally was ready to bake bread. One morning after mixing a batch of sourdough bread, I sat down to read my morning devotional about faith and thought, “Baking bread is an act of faith.”

From Genesis and continuing to Revelation you will find scriptures relating to bread. In fact, bread is referred to 472 times with many different meanings. Bread is mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer, God provided manna in Exodus 16, and in Matthew 26 the broken bread symbolizes His broken body on the cross.

My baked bread today will be nourishment for my family, and Jesus’ nourishment is the bread of life. If we choose Him we can experience the fullness of life and God’s grace. 

Oh Lord, you are my spiritual bread. Thank you for the scripture that comforts me and reminds me of Your promises. In Christ name, I pray. Amen

Soon Our Race Will Be Run
By Kathy Day

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is a crown waiting for me. It is given to those who are right with God. The Lord, who judges fairly, will give it to me on the day he returns. He will not give it
only to me. He will also give it to all those who are longing for him to return. 2 Timothy 4:7-8

My grandfather, Jesse James May, was born on August 21, 1888, in Durant, Oklahoma. He married Viola Awilda Peacock in 1911 in Carrizozo, New Mexico. Eventually they moved to Fruitland, Idaho, where he lived until his death in 1978.

Grandpa was a man of faith, and to me he was the best grandpa ever. I especially loved his stories. This poem is an example of the wise words he shared with me and all of his family.

  Soon our Race will be run
Just a few more days for toiling;
Just a few more nights dark and cold,
Then our tents will be folded forever.
We shall trade them for mansions of gold.
Just a few more thorns with the roses;
Just a few more heartaches and tears,
Then we shall behold him in splendor
When the King in his glory appears.
Just a few more days in this prison
To serve as a sentence for sin,
And the angels will welcome us in.
Just a few more trials and testings;
Just a few more errands to run,
Then we’ll hear the King say, “Come up!
Thy toiling forever is done.”

​Humbled
By Jim Hardenbrook

See, I will make you small among the nations; you will be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rocks and make your home on the heights, you who say to yourself, “Who can bring me down to the ground?” Though you soar like the eagle and make your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down,” declares the Lord. Obadiah 1:3-4 (TNIV)

Some years ago spoke at a youth conference in Virginia. The conference theme was “Humbled by His Presence.” Not being a “humility expert,” I began reading Bible passages that focus on humility and pride. It was quite a task! 

Both Testaments are filled with challenges and corrections to our prideful approach to life. New Testament passages  focus more on personal relationships, often dealing with church conflict. The older testament has some of that but, especially the prophets, focuses like a laser on leaders – religious and political. 

Take a look at 1 Kings 21:27 and Jonah 3:6. (Two mighty rulers heard God’s warning, dressed in “robes of sadness,” and humbled themselves before God.) 

Rulers who wrapped themselves in religious practices but ignored God's guidance were called out. “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you: even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of
blood; wash and make yourselves clean.” Isaiah 1:15-16 (NIV)

C. S. Lewis warns us in Mere Christianity that “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride.” A page or two later Lewis asks, “How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious?” He comes to the conclusion that such people “are
worshiping an imaginary god.”

How would we respond if our faith leaders and those asking for our votes called for fasting, humility, and prayer rather than greatness, vengeance, and partisanship? Perhaps we should consider the humble wisdom of Abraham Lincoln as he authorized, with these words, a National Fast Day in 1861:

When our own beloved country, once, by the blessing of God, united, prosperous and happy, is now afflicted with faction and civil war, it is peculiarly fit for us to recognize the hand of God in this terrible visitation, and in sorrowful remembrance of our own faults and crimes as a nation and as individuals to humble ourselves before him and to pray for His mercy.
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Maybe there is a better path than the one we are on.

Almighty God, you are the Potter, we are the clay. Mold us and make us. Change our hearts, O God, may we be like you. Amen.

Different Gifts, but the Same Spirit
By Cris Warzyn

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. . . Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 and 27 NIV

I have been the Trustee Chair for a long time. I have a unique perspective of the goings on at the church because I am also the church secretary.

During every week, people stop by to share their gifts of service. I suppose most people don’t think about this happening but it is crucial to the life of the church. They all do different kinds of service but they belong to the same Lord: Mike might come by to shovel snow. Floyd might trim the bushes. Jean might fix the computer. Gary might install the new router. Mark might climb up the highest ladder and hang a banner or change the time on the clock. Glenora might pick up the bills. Roxanne might get the deposit ready for the bank. Sharon might get the attendance books ready. Ed might fold bulletins or stuff giving statements. Teresa might come to give away ice cream. John might bring groceries for the coffee shop. Ron might program the thermostats and Chuck might drive through the parking lot almost every day to make sure all is well or to help me save a goat!

There are so many more examples I could add to this list. These folks all have the talent or gift of service. Not everyone has this gift but I’m sure thankful for the ones who do. They do different tasks but it is the same God at work.

Thank you, Father, for the many gifts of service that your Spirit distributes; and thank you for your people who are so willing to share those gifts in the church. Help me to open myself to ways your Spirit leads me to serve – to the praise of your glory! Amen ​

The Challenge
by Leslie Ward

"Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay them for their deed." Proverbs 19:17

During Lent a common practice is to give up something that you enjoy. I understand the idea behind that: to experience, in an infinitesimal way, the sacrifice that Jesus made. If this helps you to feel closer to Jesus, I commend you. I however would like to ask you to add something to your already busy life. 

I challenge you to add one or more of the following:
One more Bible verse reading
One more devotional reading
One more random act of kindness
One more compliment to a stranger
One more prayer for a difficult person
One more call to someone lonely
Find a Christian song that you love and live it
Forgive someone
Offer grace to someone
Listen when you want to talk
Thank someone

Use your imagination and add something to this list!

I love to praise Jesus as I listen to music on the way to work in the morning. I am quite sure that people think I am crazy. One of my favorite songs right now is “Less like me” by Zach Williams. I think music can speak to us and sometimes for us.

Dear Jesus, May I accept the challenges of each day and may I become more like you each day. Amen.

Less Like Me 
 
Oh I have days I lose the fight
Try my best but just don’t get it right
Well I talk a talk that I don’t walk
And miss the moments right before my eyes

Somebody with a hurt that I could have helped
Somebody with a hand that I could have held
When I just can’t see past myself
Oh Lord help me be
 
A little more like mercy
A little more like grace
A little more like kindness, goodness, love, and faith
A little more like patience
A little more like peace
A little more like Jesus
A little less like me

Yeah, there’s no denying I have changed
 I’ve been changed from who I used to be
But even at my best I must confess
I need help to see the way you see

Somebody with a hurt that I could have helped
Somebody with a hand that I could have held
When I just can’t see past myself
Oh Lord help me be
 
A little more like mercy
A little more like grace
A little more like kindness, goodness, love, and faith
A little more like patience
A little more like peace
A little more like Jesus
A little less like me

Oh to feed the beggar on the street
Love to be your hands and feet
Freely give what I receive
Lord help me be

I want a friendship first above all else
Love my neighbor as myself
In the moments no one sees
Lord help me be

A little more living 
Everything I preach
A little more like Jesus
A Little less like me

​Salt of the Earth, Light of the World
by Deanna Carr

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

When I was little, we used to have a special speaker, well known in our denomination, come to preach every night at our church for a special week. It was always a big deal and I looked forward to it.

We also were blessed with a children's story. One night, our special speaker told us he had something in his shoebox that he would show us the next night, that had never been seen before and would never be seen again after that night.

All the next day, I thought about what it could be. I was very excited when we got to go up for the children's story that night. When we were all assembled at the front and we had been welcomed, he opened the box, took out a peanut in its shell, broke it open and ate it! My disappointment was probably palpable.

I am only guessing, but I think I remember the gist of what he was saying. He was telling me that there was no one on earth like me and never would be. Awesome. No other peanut like me. I have a purpose. I told this story to many of my students.

Jesus loves us all – all of us peanuts.

I had great parents who loved me. They took me to church, where I had teachers, friends and formed lifelong relationships. I learned about Jesus, who taught us about being salt and light. I have to let His light shine through me to enhance the beauty of the world. My peanut is designed to uplift, enhance, and bring light and to glorify God, but I’ve gotta be out of the shell.

So, is my life transparent so that the light of Jesus can shine through me; and does my life have the flavor that only God's grace can impart? What kind of peanut am I growing up to be? 

Thank you Jesus for being the Way, the Truth and the Life; and thank you for stories. Amen.

​Spring Cleaning
By Holly Hutchinson

And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 

I spent my earliest years in Pinedale, Wyoming, a mountain town famous for long, hard winters. The word “spring” was never spoken aloud before April first. But a woman in our town was a nut about Spring Cleaning.

Her name was Madge. She moved to our town and became the lone employee of the Welfare office. Her tiny, century-old log cabin was one of the town’s first structures. Located on Main Street, the house was passed daily by everybody in town. Its living room had two chairs in front of the fireplace and a huge upright piano.  Coats hung on a row of hooks. The tiny kitchen and bedroom were monk-like. The “facilities” were out back. The tiny windows made the interior somewhat dim, but colorful braided wool rugs adorned the floors. It was perfect for Madge. Not a stay-at-home person, she liked to be out and about. Playing piano by ear, she provided raucous music for local dances and community events, especially at the Episcopal Church. She started the town’s Campfire Girls, brought Red Cross swimming lessons to town, and helped start a museum. She organized a box supper for Valentine’s Day, an Easter egg hunt on the courthouse lawn, and Thanksgiving meals for shut-ins, where the deliverer sat down and shared the meal.

But the event Madge directed every year on April first was unlike any other: Spring Cleaning Day. That day everything from her cabin (except the piano) was carried outside. The house was dusted, scrubbed, and polished. Madge didn’t accomplish this alone; she recruited people to help—expecting us to honor the frontier tradition of “pitching in”—and she could be a little bossy. Kitchen cupboards were emptied; shoes and clothing were taken outside; rugs were draped over the fence; curtains were hauled to the laundromat. Then, after the last corner was swept and the last window washed, Madge started putting things back. But before each item was returned to the house she asked two questions: What is it for? Do I need this?

Madge said this yearly ritual helped maintain her balance. Not interested in possessions, she did not give or receive gifts. She appreciated beautiful things, but did not need to own them. “I need Spring Cleaning Day to eliminate clutter and make way for what is important,” she said.

Don’t we all? The season of Lent is a good time for de-cluttering our messy lives, and changing the focus to our faith and the lessons of Jesus.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know I spend too much time counting, organizing, maintaining my possessions; and not enough time maintaining my relationships with people. I am determined to use this time before Easter to work on this, to “get my house in order.” Amen.

Beauty Grows from Trials
By Mark Hershey
 
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”  Psalm 139:14

I love woodworking, and I love wood. One of my favorite things to work on is wood burl. No one knows for sure what causes it, but it is widely believed that it is caused by an injury to the tree, by severe stress, or disease.

Most burl will appear as a growth, or a misshapen part in a growing tree. While it may appear ugly on the outside, when it is opened up, worked, sanded, finished and the inside is exposed, you will see amazing beauty in the wood. This beauty comes from the continual growth as the tree is healing from its wounds or stress. The swirling grain is not only more beautiful, it is also much stronger than the normal straight grain of the tree. The burl is almost impossible to split apart, where the straight grain will split apart easily.

As I was thinking about this, I realized that God can, will, and does do the same for us. If we continuing to grow, face challenges, work through hurts and stress, but look to God to heal the damage in our lives, we will come out stronger, and more beautiful than we ever were before, as only God can make us.

We need to allow ourselves to open up to God and to each other to expose this new beauty created in our lives by these trials and scars. We may never know how us opening our hearts and allowing people to see the scars and the beauty that God has made of it will impact other people’s lives
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We also need to open our eyes to the beauty of the same growth and change in other people’s lives. The grain is never the same from tree to tree. Each has its own unique and wonderful pattern, just as no two people are the same. God has touched us each uniquely and created in us his own imprint and pattern of beauty.
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Prayer: Lord, thank you for being right there with me through all the trials and struggles in my life. They have formed me and made me who I am today, and without Your love to carry me through them, I don’t know where I would be. I am forever grateful You carried me through and made me stronger for them. Amen

Payette United Methodist Church
March 20, 2022
Third Sunday of Lent
(as recorded at Fruitland United Methodist Church)

Prelude “I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever” Arranged by John Innes

Welcome
The lighting of the candles and welcoming the neighborhood to worship.

Interlude “Great is the Lord” by Michael ad Debra Smith

*Call to Worship
 Blessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Calling Song “Shine, Jesus, Shine” TFWS #2173
Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light

Lord, I come to your awesome presence
From the shadows into your radiance
By the blood I may enter your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me, shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light

As we gaze on your kingly brightness
So our faces display your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story
Shine on me, shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father's glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be
Lord, and let there be light

Responsive Reading from Psalm 63
Leader: You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you,  my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
People: I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power  and your glory.
Leader: Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
All: I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name, I will lift up  my hands.

Unison Invocation
Lord Jesus, how is it possible that we can pray during this Lenten season in a spirit of gladness?
It is not that we have forgotten your suffering. It is not that we are unaware of the needs and worries of those around us. We are glad because in your great mercy and unending love, you continue to send joys and blessings not matter how messed up our lives and our world might be. We come thanking you for your presence and amazing grace. Amen.

Baptism
Baptism of Reece Hrizuk Jr.
March 20, 2022
The actions and words of Jesus tell us something about God’s desire for children to be a part of each local Christian community. In the United Methodist Church, our understanding of the gospel and our tradition has led us to baptize those of all ages. Those who are too young to make that decision are baptized with their parent’s commitment to provide a Christian education with the prayerful hope that their child will confirm this decision later in life.

To the parents of RJ: Reece and Suzy, you have shared in God’s creative power, giving life to this wonderful young man. Will you pledge to support and love RJ by providing a loving home that includes the opportunity for RJ to grow up in a community of Christian faith, with the hope that he will someday confirm the decision that you are making for him this day?

To the Congregation: Reece and Suzy, along with other members of their family, they have expressed their trust in God and in you, the Fruitland United Methodist Church, by presenting RJ for baptism. Will you pledge your support and loving presence in times of ease and difficulty, in times of joy and sorrow, in times of growth and frustration? Will you pledge to be faithful witnesses for Christ in praying for RJ, Suzy, and Reece?

Pastor: RJ, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In praise to God for RJ and remembering our own need for childlikeness before God, let us hear the commitment of this choir number.

Choir “I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry” TFWS # 2051

Congregational Response “Sanctuary” TFWS #2164
Lord prepare me
To be a sanctuary
Pure and holy
Tried and true
And with thanksgiving
I'll be a living
Sanctuary, oh for You

Old Testament Reading Isaiah 55:6-9
Gospel Reading Luke 2:21-24 and 39-40
 God’s Word for God’s People. Thanks Be To God

Offering “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” UMH #140 v. 3
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine with 10, 000 beside
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Children’s Moment

Message “Somebody’s At The Door” Revelation 3:14-22

Commitment Hymn “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind” UMH #358
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind,
in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust like theirs who heard,
beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord,
let us, like them, without a word,
rise up and follow thee.

O sabbath rest by Galilee,
O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee
the silence of eternity,
interpreted by love!

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress,
and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire
thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.

Unison Benediction*
May the peace of the Lord Jesus go with you
wherever he may send you.
May he guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May he bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders he has shown you.
May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
 *from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals

Postlude “Simple Gifts” A traditional Shaker tune arranged by Lani Smith
Thank you for Worshiping with us today!

(CCLI License #1552544)​ 

Make Me Your Vessel
by Jean Hershey

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 

I remember hearing about the conversation that my dad had sitting in the presence of his doctor and surrounded by some of my siblings. Upon hearing that his heart was failing and his time on earth nearly over, he didn’t break down. Instead, he gave a very dignified response about how he had lived a good, full life. His kids were all grown and doing well and he was ready.

I often think about how I might respond in that situation. Would I be able to say I’m ready? It leads me to think about my life, how I’ve lived it, and am I worthy in God’s eyes to say I have been a servant and a vessel for His use. I try to be, but as you may relate, it’s hard to stay on track. I fail, I fall, and it seems to become a daily struggle and need for forgiveness, for cleansing.

There is a worship song by Hillsong Worship called New Wine that goes over and over in my mind each time I hear it. The chorus says:
​
Make me Your vessel;
Make me an offering;
Make me whatever You want me to be.
I came here with nothing
But all You have given me.
Jesus, bring new wine out of me.

The song goes on to say much more, but that pretty much sums up my daily prayer.

Thank you, Jesus, for making it possible that I can be forgiven and cleansed, even daily, and filled with the Holy Spirit so that I can be a vessel, forgiven and sanctified – useful to the Master! Amen.

Even When They Are Old
 By Lyna Kittelmann Wilkins

"Good people....will take root like trees that stay healthy and faithful, even when they are old." Psalm 91:14
 
Some people dismiss older citizens as old and useless. They see the white hair, the hearing problems, and the physical disabilities as hindrances. They are!
 
However, like leaves on a maple tree, as they age seniors become more beautiful. They have experiences, wisdom, and inner strength to help others. God gives us all gifts to use to help others. We just need to let him lead us in what he wants us to do—no matter our age.
 
To God we are beautiful, created in his image!
 
Dear Lord, lead senior citizens, especially me, to further your kingdom and to bring Jesus’ love to others. Amen.

Are You Making Use of this Power?
by Jeanie Hershey

"And you will know God’s great power. It can’t be compared with anything else. His power works for us who believe. It is the same mighty strength God showed. He showed this when he raised Christ from the dead." Ephesians 1:19-20 NIRV

Recently I was reading something online about a product that sounded promising for a need that Lyn and I were facing. As I neared the end of the fairly lengthy information, I began to sense that something sounded familiar. Sure enough, we already had some bottles of that supplement that sounded so miraculous. The only thing is that we had not opened the bottle!

The Spirit nudged my heart then that that is a picture of the many wonderful promises He has made to us, the work He has done for us, and yet I often don’t access.

The Scripture for today is an amazing example of this: We recognize the power that raised Jesus from the dead. And, that is certainly crucial to the Easter story. But, I believe that same power is available for our everyday life and just as important. We are not expected to live life on our own. Actually, we really can’t do that very well as we were created to live a life of faith that claims this resurrection power for our everyday life.

As I understand it, the word that Paul used for power was dunamis, a word that gives us our word, “dynamite.” He is saying here that God wants to give us dynamite power that can change our life, transform us into the being He created us to be. How exciting!

Dear Father, we come to you in the name of Jesus who demonstrated this mighty power through the resurrection. Forgive us for the times that we have tried on our own rather than look to you for the great things you have provided for our lives. Amen. 

Dad’s Reveille
By Pam Hardenbrook

…the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

As a young adult, my father met Jesus - and became a joyous, enthusiastic disciple. It was his fondest hope to be alive at Christ’s return. However, when Dad died in 2009, that desire wasn’t realized. After musing about this for several months, I came to realize that surely, Dad was not disappointed. 

My reflections resulted in the following poem. 

Throughout his life of faith on earth, one longing he held dear:
“To see Christ coming in the clouds –that trumpet sound to hear!”
Eyes keenly focused on the sky, with yearning he gazed at the blue.
Would this be the day that the firmament rends, and joyfully, Jesus steps through?
Ears expectant and eagerly open, he’d anticipate Gabriel’s tune.
“May your ‘glorious appearing’ mark the end of my days.
Come, Lord Jesus; yes, please come soon!”
But early that morning he left us. All was quiet; dozing near him we stayed.
No trumpet sounded to our ears, but to his – was a reveille played?
Or the angel band – was it jamming, rehearsing their song for That Day?
Maybe Gabriel tuning his trumpet was the sound that called Daddy away?
But that last trumpet solo, he’ll hear it! And the limbs of that great redwood tree
will shake as he jumps up to answer that call – just imagine with me!
Alive on this earth or asleep when Christ comes – where I’ll be, I really can’t say.
Dad would tell us, “Just watch and be ready,
For you may hear that trumpet today!”

Thank you, Lord, for your promise: that at Jesus’ return, I will reunite with my loved ones – and I will finally see you face to face. How these words comfort me! Give me watchful eyes and listening ears, and prepare my heart for my own reveille. Amen.

Trees
By Joyce Turnbaugh

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

I think that I shall never see
A poem as lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with the rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree. 
                                - Joyce Kilmer, 1886-1918

This was my mother’s favorite poem and it was written in 1913, the same year she was born. I was named after the author, Joyce Kilmer. I have always loved trees, flowers, and other plants. 

Have you ever wondered how it is possible to plant a small brown seed into dull brown soil and have bright orange carrots, or vibrant yellow sunflowers emerge? I can prepare the soil and provide the water necessary, but only God can make the seeds grow and infuse the plants with all the colors of the rainbow!

Planting our humble little seeds of faith, kindness, and God’s love works very much the same way. When our beloved Savior, who gave his all for us, takes over from there, just stand back and watch them grow! 

Heavenly Father, give me grace to plant seeds of faith, kindness, and love in your world and give me humility and patience as I trust you to bring those seeds to life. Amen

The Labyrinth
By Kay Haley

Note: You may want to print out this devotion before listening to it. It has an interactive graphic that will enhance the devotion’s meaning.

You have made known to me the paths of life; and you will fill me with joy in your presence. Acts 2:28 NIV

One summer a couple of years ago I spent five months in the mountains at Sawtooth Methodist Camp. It was the epitome of the phrase “God’s country.” A very special place for me was the labyrinth. I once read that a labyrinth turns a simple act of walking into a peaceful journey with God. The labyrinth at camp was my silent retreat. As I entered I felt peace, and as   I walked I talked to God and he helped me with all my heartaches, fears, and joys.

During this Lenten season, a wonderful way to spend time in meditation is with this printed labyrinth. Follow the path with your finger or color your way to the center. As you follow the lines ask God to walk with you. Stay in the middle and just be still with God. Then as you follow your way back, thank God for all the joys in your life. 

Dear Lord thank you for using this time to pull me closer to You. By your grace, I will walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Borrowing from Jesus
By Pam Hardenbrook

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14

When my daughter was a teenager, she would often borrow clothes from me – and sweaters from her dad. She had many nice outfits of her own, but access to her parents’ closets greatly expanded her wardrobe! And we were glad to share – it pleased us that she wanted to wear our things and, in a way, resemble us.

My friend, Karen, has been wearing clothes from her mother’s closet. Just after her mother died, she and her sister sorted through their mother’s clothing and decided to keep some of her things to wear. “Wearing her clothes is comforting,” Karen said, “because the scent of Mama’s perfume lingers in the fabric.”

Scripture admonishes us to be holy – to be like God (Lev. 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15-16). But as I try to resemble my Heavenly Father, I find that my own spiritual wardrobe is sadly lacking. Clothed in my own virtues, my apparel is tattered and soiled. However, Jesus offers me a whole closetful of clean, freshly pressed, holy garments and when I am dressed in his righteousness, I catch a whiff of his gracious aroma. Maybe those around me will sense it, too.
         
I am so glad that Jesus lets me borrow from his closet.
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Lord Jesus, forgive me when I try to be righteous on my own. Teach me to rely on your holiness. Help me to grow to resemble you and to share the aroma of your grace. Amen.

How much God do you want?
By Jim Hardenbrook

"I hate, I despise your religious feasts: I cannot stand your assemblies. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!" Amos 5:21 and 24

This passage is about repentance not justice. Read all of it (5:21-24) and you will see what I mean.

The people who received this message were religious.  They obeyed the prescribed tenets of their faith.  Their worship services and prayer meetings were right in line with the tradition they inherited.  Everything seemed just fine. Everything, that is, except God. God was not fine.

He hated their worship experiences and their prayers. That’s what it says!  A lack of holiness and fair play provoked God’s angry response to these people’s religious traditions. 

With penetrating sarcasm Wilbur E. Rees writes: 

"I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don't want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please."

How much of God would you like? Be careful with your answer. God does not take our commitments, or His, lightly. 

Prayer: Lord, I repent of my desire for a comfortable, unchallenging, self-serving faith. Open my eyes to opportunities you place before me. Transform my life so that I will act justly, seek mercy, and walk humbly with you, my God. Amen.

Here I am, Lord
​By Sharon Wada

Scripture: That I may know Him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. Philippians 3:10

When I hear the hymn: “Here I am Lord” (United Methodist Hymnal, #593), I can’t get through the song without crying because I have heard You, Lord calling me in the night. Faith, belief, and trust all are interchangeable but although I hear You I don’t know what to do. It is my hope that from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday during this time of reflection and repentance I will have an epiphany. I have heard You more than once and yet I do not hear; open my ears and my eyes and heart that I may be awakened. Although I try to be more pleasing to You, I stay conflicted and unmotivated. I think of many things I could do to be of service but I am paralyzed.

I have experienced the power of prayer during these past months while I recuperated from my accident. Even my surgeon was surprised that the operation was as uncomplicated – after putting my jaw together – since the fracture was in two places. He said, after setting the first break, that it’s unusual for the second break to slide into place. I told him of my faith and all the people praying for me. Maybe just maybe, I heard you calling me onward, “holding your people in my heart.”

Prayer: Lord I know I have your wisdom to guide me and I will go where you lead me. Through your death I know I will have eternal life. Amen

​Listen now to "Here I Am Lord"

​God’s Unfathomable Peace
By Pam Hardenbrook

Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds. He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood. Philippians 4:6-7

A few years ago I became friends with a woman I quickly grew to love and appreciate. Her story has had a profound influence on my life.

In the 1960s, she and her husband started a manufacturing business that involved using hazardous materials.

In the late 90s, the Environmental Protection Agency filed suit against them, which led to their home and business being condemned and their eventual bankruptcy. Then, her husband developed terminal cancer and died shortly before we met her.

Despite all this, I never met a more joyful person. Her attitude didn’t make sense according to the way the world views such tragedies. The key to her joy was her commitment to prayer and her faith in God.
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She told us that while her husband was dying, many of her friends prayed for his healing. She said she appreciated their prayers, but that her requests were different. Instead, she prayed for three things: that she and her husband would have good conversation (about what was happening and what her future would be), that their love would grow, and that she would have no bitterness. My friend was quick to say that her prayers had been answered, and that as a bonus, God gave her unfathomable peace and joy.

When I grow up, I want to be like this faithful follower of Jesus.
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Prayer: Gracious and loving God, thank you for the examples of your servants and for their testimonies of your faithfulness. Protect my spirit from anxiety as I bring my needs to you with a grateful heart, and may your unfathomable peace and joy flood my soul. To the praise of your glory, Amen.