If you haven’t had a need for a Stephen Minister, you may not know what powerful work this 15-person ministry of Church Street does, or that their work has expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They call themselves the “after” people, comforting grieving church members after a loved one dies or crisis occurs. After the ministers visit, the family goes home and the loneliness of grief settles in, the Stephen Minister’s work begins. Each Stephen Minister is assigned one care receiver at a time to help walk that person through life after a crisis.
Each relationship between a Stephen Minister and care receiver is confidential. A typical relationship lasts anywhere from one to two years, although some care receivers may only need guidance for 6 months. Every once in a while a relationship will last more than two years as additional crises occur after the first.
“I can’t stress how rewarding it is to have a care receiver,” Stephen Leader of almost 10 years Doug Spencer says. “Just that relationship with a care receiver and as you watch God work in their lives and in the situation and see the healing that they go through.”
Before the pandemic, most Stephen Ministers met with their care receiver at least once a week. Now, phone calls and Zoom meetings are more common, and happen more frequently than once a week in some situations.
Rev. Pat Clendenen, who served as an Associate Pastor at Church Street from 1989 to 1994, offered to help the Stephen Ministry program at Church Street this year. She stepped in as the designated clergy in February, just as the pandemic started.
“It really is a calling. It’s not something that you just decide, ‘okay I think I’ll go and work in this area of the church this year. I’ll just volunteer here.’” Clendenen says. “ It truly is a calling.”
Becoming a Stephen Minister
Those who feel called to be a Stephen Minister participate in 50 hours of structured, intensive training developed by Stephen Ministries St. Louis. This training includes education of how to respond in certain situations, and roleplaying activities to put those lessons into action.
In addition to these 50 hours, a Stephen Minister may decide to train to be a Stephen Leader and attend an additional week of immersive training offsite, usually in St. Louis or Orlando. These Stephen Leaders provide ongoing leadership to Church Street like Clendenen, Elaine Doss and Spencer.
Doss, a two-time cancer patient, started her training at Fort Sanders Hospital in September 2018 with no intention to visit hospital patients because she was worried that she would not be able to minister to someone going through cancer.
“But by the time I got through the training, I was over all of that,” Doss says. “I think that God just shows up in every single hospital room.”
Once a Church Street Stephen Minister completes training, they are assigned a care receiver by Clendenen. Most care receivers are referred by a clergy member and first contact is made by Clendenen.
Making assignments isn’t taken lightly, and Clendenen has done her best during the pandemic to get to know both the Stephen Minister and the care receiver through phone or Zoom conversations before making an assignment.
“It has to be the right match and I have to trust that. A lot of prayer and thought goes into that,” Clendenen says. “It’s important for me to know the Stephen Minister well.”
Each Stephen Minister participates in mandatory Peer Supervision meetings, currently over Zoom, once a month and education offerings to stay up-to-date on ways to respond to different crises.
During Peer Supervision meetings, each Stephen Minister with a care receiver will give a non-specific check-in statement. The check-in statements allow Stephen Ministers to bring to the group any issues they have in their relationship and for other Stephen Ministers to offer support.
“The wisdom of many instead of the guesswork of a few is found in those peer supervision meetings,” Spencer says.
In addition to the short check-ins, one Stephen Minister each month gives an in-depth report that dives deeper into the situation, relationship and any setbacks or celebrations. The group listens to these in-depth situations and also provides support and feedback.
Working as a team with other ministries and clergy
There are often situations where a Stephen Minister cannot provide all of the necessary support needed for a care receiver, which is often brought to the attention of the ministry during the monthly Peer Supervision meetings.
The ministry will often dovetail with the Parish Health Ministry Team, with many care receivers accepting care and guidance from both ministries. Additional resources like legal support, home repairs and healthcare can also be arranged using the resources of the church congregation.
“It’s great when we can make that happen and bring it all together,” Clendenen says. “That has been a good outcome in certain situations.”
Clendenen’s familiarity with Stephen Ministry and Church Street has allowed her to lead the ministry with ease during the pandemic. At her first appointment following her time at Church Street in Brentwood, Tennessee, she was quickly immersed into Stephen Ministry training.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting back into it. It’s a really great set of Stephen Ministers,” Clendenen says, “a very unique, diverse group and this year during the pandemic it’s been tough. We’ve had some ongoing crisis situations.”
During the leadership training process, it is stressed how important it is to have clergy support Stephen Ministers, and Spencer says that he has been extremely impressed by Clendenen’s support.
“I’m so thankful for Rev. Pat Clendenen. She’s done a wonderful job,” Spencer says. “We’ve had some good clergy involved with this, and Pat has knocked it out of the ballpark. She’s doing a really, really fine job.”
Clendenen agrees that without clergy support, operating a Stephen Ministry program is tough, and that she has appreciated the support of clergy like Revs. Catherine Nance, Tim Best, Palmer Cantler and Jan Buxton Wade.
No matter when a person touches the Stephen Minister program’s process, Spencer says it’s a blessing to help those in the Church Street community see change and grow.
“We are not the fixers. God is the fixer,” Spencer says. “We are privileged to be able to be there to watch it happen.”
All are welcome at Church Street! We believe every person is of sacred worth and created in God’s image. We welcome and celebrate the gifts God has given to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious affiliation. We respect diversity of opinion and expressions of Christian faith. We believe God loves everyone unconditionally! As God loves us, so let us love and serve in the name of Christ.
To the parents of the noisy kids in church
Children, covid, FeaturedWritten by Caroline Lamar, church member and guest blogger.
Today was our second Sunday back at church since before the pandemic. Despite masks and preregistration, it is wonderful to walk through those doors and worship together in person. To be clear, our church never closed. We fed our community members experiencing homelessness on Thursdays, we participated in Bible study, Sunday School classes, and even choir. Our sanctuary was closed to us though, so coming back has been a bit of a reawakening for me.
Our church nursery has not yet reopened which means there are lots of kiddos in “big church” as we often call it. Today, some of those kids were quite vocal in their participation, even in times which some might have deemed inappropriate.
To the parents of those noisy kids today I have a few words I want to share with you. First of all, I see you. OK, OK, I didn’t actually see you because you were somewhere behind me in the sanctuary. But I see you because I have been you. I know exactly what you went through to get your children up, fed, dressed (perhaps dressed again if the morning didn’t go well) and to church on time, or some proximity of on time. I recognize that right now you actually had to plan ahead of time to go to church because we are registering in advance, part of our Covid protocols. We have three children who are now teens/pre-teens but I remember well the way we used to plan church attendance around feeding, naps, and snacks. I can’t imagine adding a pandemic to the mix.
So in addition to seeing you, I also want to thank you for bringing your children to church. Our pastor mentioned before her sermon today how much she loves seeing all the children. I know our pastor; she really means this. It is not a platitude. It brings her (and the rest of us) great joy to see and hear children at church. I know that when your kids got loud/kicked the pew in front of you/dropped crayons/crinkled paper/asked in a mock whisper how much longer was this going to take…that you were sweating through your shirt and second guessing your decision to even come in the first place.
We had one of those Sundays many years ago. All three kids were not in the best mood. They were restless, they were loud. We attend a very traditional worship service and I was keenly aware of those parishioners around me. I felt responsible for “ruining” their worship experience. I knew they were watching and silently judging me. That day after church an elderly member of our congregation passed me a note and walked away. I shoved it in the pocket of my coat and hurried everyone out to the car. I knew the note was probably saying I should get my kids under control during worship. Later I opened the note and it said, “You have a beautiful family.” Full stop. That little note on a scrap of paper completely changed my perspective. Kids need to be kids, even in worship, especially in worship. And while I obviously wasn’t there, I like to think of all the times Jesus preached to noisy crowds of people. I would venture to guess it was loud…small kids running around, livestock making their presence known, shouts from nearby shopkeepers. Silence isn’t a prerequisite for worship. Is it good to have times of silence? Yes, of course, but noisy kids in church do not detract from anything the rest of us are trying to do.
Because church isn’t about me. It’s not about my “experience.” It is about worshiping God and the risen Christ, and quite frankly, when I think of it that way, why are any of us quiet about it?
Our church isn’t doing congregational hymns right now, and the music is being provided by a choral ensemble. Today, as they sang the Doxology (a song that gets me EVERY single time), I could hear the little girl two pews in front of me. Even behind her mask, she was singing loudly, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” It reminded me of another of my favorite hymns, “How Can I Keep From Singing?”
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?
So moms and dads with noisy kids in church, please don’t stop bringing them. Let them make noise and praise God in their own ways. If you see me cast a glance in your direction, just know I have been in your shoes and I remember. And since I am firmly on the other side of that phase of parenting, I want to tell you that one day your children will get themselves dressed for church and they will join you in the pew and recite the prayers and listen to the sermon and ask insightful questions on the way home. Hang in there, you’re doing great.
This blog was originally published on Caroline’s personal blog here.
Paramount Power
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, March 25
By Col. Bill Willard, April 1, 1980
Paramount Power
Read: Revelation 21:1
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away…”
Last December, Rev. Eldon Moore preached a sermon concerning breathtaking events. It caused me to think back to a lonely beach in the Central Pacific some twenty years ago. The long-awaited detonation of a hydrogen bomb was at hand. I had walked away from the area where most of the observers had assembled and found a secluded spot at the lagoon’s edge. It was 5 a.m. and pitch black. I looked towards Bikini, some 180 miles to the East. At first, there was only a faint glow on the horizon; then the entire sky came alive with a glorious sunrise, not unlike some Easter sunrises I had seen. But gradually the light began to fade and within 30 seconds the total darkness returned. I stood in awe, unable to fully comprehend what I had just witnessed. Man had created a power, albeit brief, to rival the center of our solar system. How he used that power was to become a major concern of civilization from that time forward.
God’s love, as manifested in Christ Jesus, is the paramount power in the universe. How will we use it? Surely, our failure to actively promote this power is one reason for the chaotic state of our world today. God’s love is not abstract. It shines through people who are truly his disciples. Does His love glow through you?
Prayer
May the power of the Living God control and shape our lives, so that we may radiate the truth of Christ to all mankind. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Evening Prayer – March 24
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
March 24, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Caring Comrade, as the steady moon stands watch and evening floats in upon our harried world, you bid us come home to you. You stand at the door in welcome, inviting us to pull up a chair and rest with you for a while. There are few others with whom we can share so freely, few who would understand the concerns that bear down upon us, and few who could grasp the dreams that live in our hearts. With gratitude, let us take that seat beside you and disclose those personal aspects that would interest only our Dearest Friend. . . . . . . . . . . Of all the things for which we hunger, only the food of your presence truly satisfies.
Faithful Spirit, send your peace upon all who are plagued by illness or trauma this eve. Envelope those who are heartbroken, lonely, confused or despondent, and move as the night wind through their lives, leaving sparks of hope in your wake. As Jesus promised your ever-present comfort, surround these friends of Church Street who voice their own concerns; and also receive the acknowledgements from those whom you are already sustaining:
Heart of Forgiveness, we began this forty-day venture of challenge and introspection sincerely aiming to get it right this time. Some days it worked out that way, thanks to your patient guidance. But truthfully, we wasted precious moments nursing our pride and keeping score. Write your pardon over our mistakes, we pray, and grant that we might walk honorably and faithfully these last miles to the Holy City to pay homage to our Savior.
Depending upon your forgiveness, O Lord, we take our rest tonight. May your angels of mercy guard us, and those whom we love, for you have assured us that you are only a heartbeat away. Receive all our prayers, as we offer them in the name of Christ, who taught us to pray in this way:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
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Strength for the Day
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, March 24
By Mr. and Mrs. Earl S. (Margaret) Ailor, March 3, 1980
Strength for the Day
Read: Romans 8:28 NIV
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…”
As 1979 began we had many things to be thankful for. We had been blessed with two daughters and two sons. Our oldest daughter was married to a Methodist minister and they had two sons. Our oldest son had completed Claremont Theology School in California and was serving two rural churches near Limestone in upper East Tennessee as a United Methodist Minister. He and his wife, Julia, enjoyed life in a rural pastorate.
On a cold January night, we received a call from the Kingsport hospital that Albert and Julia had been involved in an accident and they needed us. As we drove through the night not knowing what had happened we asked the Lord for strength to face whatever we might find upon arrival. At the hospital our worst fears became a reality in learning our son had been killed. We were thankful our daughter-in-law had miraculously survived.
As days, weeks and months have passed we find strength in the Easter faith our son Albert had in Christ as he had proclaimed the truth that “only believe and we shall meet again.” We have also felt the prayers of our friends in Christ in our time of loss. The three children we still have with us have been a source of comfort to us. We have the faith that “blessed are those who die in the Lord,” and that our son will greet us at the end of the way.
Prayer
“Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything pleasing in his sight, through Christ Jesus; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20
Thought – “Christ has taken the dark door of death and replaced it with the shining gate of life.” -Bosch
We still have many things for which to be thankful.
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Evening Prayer – March 23
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
March 23, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Ah the blessed half-light is slipping in! We praise you, Eternal One, for another day full of your glories! Even if we only spied a small portion your splendor, it was sufficient to fill our hearts with wonder and astonishment. The days are lengthening, and in their progression, might you also be calling us to lengthen our stride as we make our way to Jerusalem?
Jesus, Man of Sorrows, we confess that we have wounded your heart by our own failings:
Too often we have turned a deaf ear to those who cry out to us.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
We hunger for personal recognition and spar with our testy egos.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
We have held back more of our financial resources and have not shared as you commanded.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
We have recited the mantra of peace but have eschewed responsibility of actively working for equality and justice.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
As you are opening the buds in springtime, open our eyes to the truth of our lives. And open our hearts to receive your forgiveness and mercy. We would be honest with ourselves and, for your love’s sake, we would be honest with you.
Receive now, we pray, these prayers that come from the souls of your people at Church Street. We bring them in the conviction that love and renewal are woven together in that great healer himself, Jesus the Christ:
As the earth now rests from its labors, spread your tranquility over us, and all whom we cherish. Thread your grace through our souls this night, Holy Lord, that it may color all we think, say, and do tomorrow. In Christ’s name we make our prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Amid pandemic crises, the ‘after’ people of Stephen Ministry remain
connectors, FeaturedIf you haven’t had a need for a Stephen Minister, you may not know what powerful work this 15-person ministry of Church Street does, or that their work has expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They call themselves the “after” people, comforting grieving church members after a loved one dies or crisis occurs. After the ministers visit, the family goes home and the loneliness of grief settles in, the Stephen Minister’s work begins. Each Stephen Minister is assigned one care receiver at a time to help walk that person through life after a crisis.
Each relationship between a Stephen Minister and care receiver is confidential. A typical relationship lasts anywhere from one to two years, although some care receivers may only need guidance for 6 months. Every once in a while a relationship will last more than two years as additional crises occur after the first.
“I can’t stress how rewarding it is to have a care receiver,” Stephen Leader of almost 10 years Doug Spencer says. “Just that relationship with a care receiver and as you watch God work in their lives and in the situation and see the healing that they go through.”
Before the pandemic, most Stephen Ministers met with their care receiver at least once a week. Now, phone calls and Zoom meetings are more common, and happen more frequently than once a week in some situations.
Rev. Pat Clendenen, who served as an Associate Pastor at Church Street from 1989 to 1994, offered to help the Stephen Ministry program at Church Street this year. She stepped in as the designated clergy in February, just as the pandemic started.
“It really is a calling. It’s not something that you just decide, ‘okay I think I’ll go and work in this area of the church this year. I’ll just volunteer here.’” Clendenen says. “ It truly is a calling.”
Becoming a Stephen Minister
Those who feel called to be a Stephen Minister participate in 50 hours of structured, intensive training developed by Stephen Ministries St. Louis. This training includes education of how to respond in certain situations, and roleplaying activities to put those lessons into action.
In addition to these 50 hours, a Stephen Minister may decide to train to be a Stephen Leader and attend an additional week of immersive training offsite, usually in St. Louis or Orlando. These Stephen Leaders provide ongoing leadership to Church Street like Clendenen, Elaine Doss and Spencer.
Doss, a two-time cancer patient, started her training at Fort Sanders Hospital in September 2018 with no intention to visit hospital patients because she was worried that she would not be able to minister to someone going through cancer.
“But by the time I got through the training, I was over all of that,” Doss says. “I think that God just shows up in every single hospital room.”
Once a Church Street Stephen Minister completes training, they are assigned a care receiver by Clendenen. Most care receivers are referred by a clergy member and first contact is made by Clendenen.
Making assignments isn’t taken lightly, and Clendenen has done her best during the pandemic to get to know both the Stephen Minister and the care receiver through phone or Zoom conversations before making an assignment.
“It has to be the right match and I have to trust that. A lot of prayer and thought goes into that,” Clendenen says. “It’s important for me to know the Stephen Minister well.”
Each Stephen Minister participates in mandatory Peer Supervision meetings, currently over Zoom, once a month and education offerings to stay up-to-date on ways to respond to different crises.
During Peer Supervision meetings, each Stephen Minister with a care receiver will give a non-specific check-in statement. The check-in statements allow Stephen Ministers to bring to the group any issues they have in their relationship and for other Stephen Ministers to offer support.
“The wisdom of many instead of the guesswork of a few is found in those peer supervision meetings,” Spencer says.
In addition to the short check-ins, one Stephen Minister each month gives an in-depth report that dives deeper into the situation, relationship and any setbacks or celebrations. The group listens to these in-depth situations and also provides support and feedback.
Working as a team with other ministries and clergy
There are often situations where a Stephen Minister cannot provide all of the necessary support needed for a care receiver, which is often brought to the attention of the ministry during the monthly Peer Supervision meetings.
The ministry will often dovetail with the Parish Health Ministry Team, with many care receivers accepting care and guidance from both ministries. Additional resources like legal support, home repairs and healthcare can also be arranged using the resources of the church congregation.
“It’s great when we can make that happen and bring it all together,” Clendenen says. “That has been a good outcome in certain situations.”
Clendenen’s familiarity with Stephen Ministry and Church Street has allowed her to lead the ministry with ease during the pandemic. At her first appointment following her time at Church Street in Brentwood, Tennessee, she was quickly immersed into Stephen Ministry training.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting back into it. It’s a really great set of Stephen Ministers,” Clendenen says, “a very unique, diverse group and this year during the pandemic it’s been tough. We’ve had some ongoing crisis situations.”
During the leadership training process, it is stressed how important it is to have clergy support Stephen Ministers, and Spencer says that he has been extremely impressed by Clendenen’s support.
“I’m so thankful for Rev. Pat Clendenen. She’s done a wonderful job,” Spencer says. “We’ve had some good clergy involved with this, and Pat has knocked it out of the ballpark. She’s doing a really, really fine job.”
Clendenen agrees that without clergy support, operating a Stephen Ministry program is tough, and that she has appreciated the support of clergy like Revs. Catherine Nance, Tim Best, Palmer Cantler and Jan Buxton Wade.
No matter when a person touches the Stephen Minister program’s process, Spencer says it’s a blessing to help those in the Church Street community see change and grow.
“We are not the fixers. God is the fixer,” Spencer says. “We are privileged to be able to be there to watch it happen.”
Where is Thy Sting?
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Tuesday, March 23
By Mr. and Mrs. Tom (Mary Ruth) Fonville, March 18, 1980
Where is Thy Sting?
Read: John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:55
“For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in Him should not die but have eternal life.”
O death where is thy sting?
A father and his son were taking a drive in their car. They were enjoying the trip and being together that day. It was a warm beautiful day and the windows were down. Suddenly a bumblebee flew into the car. It was flying around, buzzing, and the boy was frantic! He was afraid he would be stung. His father was concerned too, because he knew his son was allergic to bee stings and could have a dangerous reaction that would kill him.
The father said “Don’t worry son, I’ll take care of it.” He found a place where he could pull off the road and stopped the car. He reached out his hand and calmly caught the bumblebee and then he opened his hand and let the bee go. His son was still frightened as the bee began to fly around again. His father held out is hand with the bee sting imbedded in his palm and he showed it to his son saying “You don’t have to be afraid anymore the bee can’t hurt you. See, I have taken the stinger out of the bee.”
Isn’t this what God, our father, has done for us? By Christ’s death and resurrection, he has taken the sting out of death!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love and that you love us so much you sent your Son that we should not die but have eternal life. In His Name we pray. Amen.
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Evening Prayer – March 22
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
March 22, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Song of the Late Hours, you bid us set aside the tools of our trade and enter the holy space at dusk. As the sun heads for its bedroom, we turn our ears to your melody that plays in the distance, for it promises to open the door of truth. . . . . . . . . . .
Ever Present One, often during the daytime we can keep our pain at bay. After all, we are well-practiced in movement and busy-ness, and there are myriads of projects that can hold our attention. At day’s end, however, we come home to ourselves, the real ”us” that we generally hold at bay. Meet us here, Lord, for some of us are facing grave challenges. Some of us are losing hope, some of us feel like giving up. Meet us here in our alone-ness, showing us in some way that your hand is upon our shoulders, instilling us with a strength that is beyond ourselves . . . . . . . . . . And in that strength, may we remember that even birds with broken wings can learn to fly again.
Lord, you have forgiven far more than we will ever acknowledge, and you have wiped clean that slate of our misdeeds of old. And though we have earnestly tried to keep to your paved covenant road of Lent, we again confess that we have frequently found ourselves detained in the potholes of our own making. Bend close, that we might even now reveal our most recent blunders . . . . . . . . . . We see you just ahead, Jesus, gesturing for us to pull ourselves out of the ruts, to dust off the clinging debris, and to re-join our fellow travelers who keep to more level ground. Steady our steps, we pray, for we do not wish to disappoint you when you meet your own hour of need.
So immense is your flow of grace that our thanksgivings can never enumerate the favors you send our way; but we extend our honor to you, O Breath of Benevolence, for the ways you have lifted our spirits in recent days . . . . . . . . . . . And receive also the praises from members of our own church family, as well as our pleas for holy assistance:
Settle us down for the night as we leave all our insecurities in your capable hands, Gentle Savior, for we know that even in the precariousness of our world, your love and wisdom are sufficient. Soothe us now, and all whom we love, with your penetrating peace; and may we slumber in the divine assurance of Christ who said: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
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The Constant Love of Christ
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Monday, March 22
By Charles E. Naff, February 17, 1978
The Constant Love of Christ
Read: Hebrews 13:8
“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today and forever.”
Recently, I observed a bumper-sticker which read, “Jesus Christ is coming again soon and boy is He mad.”
As Christians, we believe in the second coming, but is Jesus Christ really angry with us? Maybe at times He isn’t very well pleased, but the Bible tells us He is always a loving Lord. He loved us so much He gave His life that we could have eternal life – it is ours for the asking.
At this lovely time of the year when we celebrate perhaps the greatest day of all, let us be forever mindful of the great sacrifice made by our loving God.
Prayer
Lord, as we go about our daily lives, keep us mindful of thy great love. Teach us ever to share that love with one another. Amen.
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He Will Take Your Guilt Away
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Sunday, March 21, Evening
By Ann Dooley Parsons, April 12, 1979
He Will Take Your Guilt Away
Read Isaiah 53:4-6
In Isaiah 53, we see a striking description of the suffering Christ. But doesn’t this also depict humanity in its sin? Look at the words — sorrows, griefs, transgressions, iniquities and lastly: “All we like sheep have gone astray.”
This adds up to one fact: each of us has a flaw, a blemish or several. Think of yourself or those you know and love – your friends, your relatives or your immediate family. There is something imperfect about each one of us. We aren’t willing to do our share, we lose our tempers, we’re selfish, we gossip, we’re too easy or not easy enough, we’re greedy. We too have fallen short – we too have turned to our own ways – we too have gone astray.
These flaws we have create guilt feelings and because of guilt we lose our peace of mind. Somehow the joy gets rendered out of life because of these flaws.
Is there any hope? Isaiah 53 tells us there is all the hope in the world. Truly we have gone astray, but remember that there is the Lamb of God who has not. Jesus Christ has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He Will Take Away Our Guilt.
Once again read Isaiah 53 and notice the plural. ALL have gone astray and ALL have been forgiven. But don’t be misled by the plural. Each one of us must believe, each one of us must accept to receive the blessed healing.
In the words of a beautiful and familiar hymn …
Prayer
Come ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish, Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel; Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish, Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal. Amen.
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