Under the Bridge

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, March 13

By Dona McConnell, Director, Beacon of Hope, April 19, 2019

Under the Bridge

Read: Luke 19:10

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

On my way to work at Beacon of Hope I pass under the bridge overpass where many homeless gather. People are hunched on the side of the street with blankets wrapped against the bitter cold.  There are people of all ages and races, males and females, young adults and children. Extreme poverty does not discriminate. Sometimes it’s especially hard to bear, like a recent day when I spied a young boy, maybe 12 or 13, wearing socks but no shoes.

I hear all the arguments. “They should get a job.” “They want to be homeless.” “They are all on drugs.” All I know for sure is that no one under the bridge is happy. No one grew up dreaming of this life. No one “prefers” being cold and hungry.

So what can I do? I can’t help everyone, but I can try to love those who are sometimes hard to love. During Lent, as we reflect on Jesus’ life and death, we can reflect also on his lessons of unconditional love. Jesus’ mission on earth was based on inclusion. He loved the poor, the homeless, the lepers, the sinners. No one, not even the thief on the cross beside him, was beyond the reach of His love. As a follower of Jesus, am I not also called to love those whose lives I may not understand?

This Lenten season, I’ve decided to pray every day for someone under the bridge. I’ll pray for them to escape the cycle of pain they’re in, regardless of the reason, and to get another chance at a life of blessing. I’ll try to remember that we all deserve equal measures of mercy as children of God.

Prayer

God of love, grant us the ability to love others, especially those who are lost in the world. Help us not to turn away from their pain, but to follow Jesus’ teachings and love them.

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Being with the “Other”

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Friday, March 12

By Rev. Rick Isbell, April 18, 2019

Being with the “Other”

Read: Luke 19:5-6

In our most recent trip to Israel, Sue and I had the opportunity to experience something we have never done before. In small groups of four, we had the unique experience of having supper with a Palestinian Christian family in their home. The family we visited with one Sunday evening lived on the outskirts of Bethlehem in Beit Sahour. After meeting in Bethlehem and being transported to their home, we set down around their kitchen table, ate supper with them, talked and learned of their lives as Palestinian Christians living in Israel. The mother was a teacher and the father was a builder who had built their entire beautiful 3 story limestone home himself. I did not know what to expect, how to interact with them and where the conversation would go. For about an hour and a half I was in the company of the “other” whom I did not know, had never seen before and was an American in a Palestinian home.

This beautiful experience caused me to remember that Jesus was always in the company of the “other”. He ate with people he did not know, he had conversation with persons very different from him, and yet the people were changed by his presence. It seems he associated with and told stories about the “others” of that biblical society…. tax collectors, prostitutes, extreme nationalists, handicapped persons, fishermen, Samaritans, persons with illnesses, women, children, etc.

This experience in January caused me to think how much you and I are around the “others” in our society. How much do we associate with and try to understand those who are different from us? If I had not chosen to be a part of this experience in our Holy Land trip, I would not understand the daily life and challenges of a Palestinian Christian family. Sometimes we need to get out of our comfort zone and be in fellowship with our neighbor. Where do you need to spend time with the “other” this Lenten season? It just might change your life.

Prayer

Help me God to see the “others” around me. Help me to be with, help and understand my neighbor so that I may have a heart like Christ’s this Lenten season.

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Lunch with Jesus

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Thursday, March 11

By Ann Reego, April 18, 2019

Lunch with Jesus

Read: Matthew 25:40

Traditionally, Lent is a period of self-reflection and personal accountability. I see it, also, as a time to celebrate Jesus’ life and teachings. We hear sermons about answering His call, as the disciples did, and are challenged to look for ways to improve and enhance our own discipleship.

I have seen homeless and disenfranchised people walking our streets and standing at interstate exits asking for rides or money and have reacted in various ways. How can they live like that? Why don’t they shave or take a bath? Are they so emotionally disabled that they just dropped out of society? They make me so sad. Why? What? THEY.

This year I answered a call in the Messenger to work in the CSUMC Soup Kitchen. I found answers to my questions, although it’s not the answers that I expected.

#1—THEY are guests at our church every Thursday for lunch, and are welcomed at any time for   services on Sunday.

#2—THEY all have a face, a name and a story…just like me.

#3—THEY see life differently than I do – and that’s OK.

#4—THEY find joy in many experiences and are able to express their joy in life itself.

#5—THEY have the same needs as I do.

#6—THEY are not staying homeless just to get a free meal on Thursday.

#7—THEY are a real and present part of our society, and overlooking them or judging them will not make them go away.

Jesus did not qualify who received his love, his blessing, or his help. He offered his message freely to whoever was willing to accept it. Every Thursday morning, Church Street UMC does that, too!

I have made new friends. I have comforted someone who was feeling low. I have laughed and shared joy with people I would never have met. I have smiled more than I can ever remember.

And I get to have lunch with Jesus every Thursday! 

Prayer

Holy God, we are challenged to open our hearts and minds to everyone we meet. We pray to accept this challenge, for in doing so, we will see Christ. Amen.

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Does Jesus Still Reign 2000 Years Later?

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Wednesday, March 10

By Keith Biggers, March 11, 2018

Does Jesus Still Reign 2000 Years Later?

Read: John 21:15-17

It is a hot summer day in Atlanta and my truck is loaded with a couple hundred sack lunches. I park under a shade tree near several tenement apartments. Soon, I am surrounded by throngs of children. One little boy in particular likes to sit on the tailgate beside me as I pass out a simple lunch bag with a sandwich, a piece of fruit, a bag of chips and a milk. He looks at me and says, “I missed you yesterday, Mr. Biggers.” I realize I may be the only male role model in this child’s life at this moment.

Like hundreds of others throughout the city, I am a volunteer for M.U.S.T. Ministries, which stands for Ministries United in Service and Training. I started volunteering for M.U.S.T. to find something to do with my spare time after retirement, but I have found so much more. It is probably one of the best and most professionally run humanitarian operations in the country. What I learned from that operation, I have tried to apply on a small scale as Benevolence Team Leader at Church Street.

I am sometimes asked, “Do we really change people’s lives, or do we just enable a lifestyle?”That is a question I don’t ask myself anymore. Jesus said, “Feed my Sheep.” So, in answer to the question, “Does Jesus still reign after all these years”, I say, “Yes, but it is through us, His Church.”

Prayer

Sing Prayerfully…

“Jesus shall reign where’er the sun, does his successive journeys run; His kingdom spread from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more. Amen.” (By Isaacs Watts)

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Life After a COVID-19 Vaccine – New Guidelines!

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The CDC has issued new guidelines for people who have been fully vaccinated. You are considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or 2 weeks after a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

If you are fully vaccinated:

  • you can now gather indoors with other fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask.
  • you can now gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household without masks if any of them or anyone they live with is not at risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
  • you do not need to quarantine or get tested after exposure to someone with COVID-19 unless you have symptoms (or unless you live in a group setting).

Precautions have not changed for other situations!

Much has been learned but questions like those below still remain. Real world vaccine studies should continue to provide answers that will allow more updates to CDC recommendations.

  1. How long is the vaccine effective?

Some people who had a COVID-19 infection became re-infected after 90 days. Scientists feel protection from the vaccines will last longer because of how they work but more time is needed to determine.

  1. Is the vaccine effective against new variants of the virus?

Viruses survive by mutating. Early data show vaccines may be effective against some mutations, or variants, but not others. Vaccines can easily be modified if needed to create a new version to be effective.

  1. Does the vaccine prevent transmission without infection?

It is possible you could be exposed to the virus and not become ill from it because of protection from the vaccine but you could unknowingly spread it to someone else. Early results show vaccines may help prevent this type of spread.

  1. What threshold is needed to reach herd immunity?

Herd immunity is achieved when enough people are vaccinated or have adequate antibody levels from a previous infection to then limit spread. This threshold is different for different diseases. For example, with measles the threshold is 95% of the population.

  1. How effective is the vaccine in special populations?

Clinical trials are generally conducted in healthy adult volunteers with stable pre-existing conditions. This is especially true when answers are needed quickly. Trials are now being conducted in children and use in real world environments will provide information for other conditions.

Until we know more about these questions, everyone should continue using basic prevention measures when in public or around others with unknown vaccination status or health conditions. We know these mitigation strategies work: wear a well-fitting mask that covers your nose and mouth, stay at least 6 feet away from others, avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.

 

Submitted by: Vicky Shelton, D.Ph.

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Compassion to Serve

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Tuesday, March 9

By Louise Zirkle, March 19, 1979

Compassion to Serve

Read: Matthew 25:40

      “Verily, I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Leviticus 19:18

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

These words mean much to me because they epitomize the Christian obligation to reach out in sympathy and compassion to serve one’s fellowman.

Our Christian compassion and service to others is a direct obligation stemming from the two great commandments to love God supremely and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Our place in the kingdom of God at all times depends on our caring and outgoing concern for those in need. No matter whether it be to feed the hungry or minister to the sick, this we should do in Christ’s name.

Recently, the Lord gave me an opportunity to serve Him when I offered a poor and very ill woman a ride as she prepared to call a taxi to take her home from a doctor’s office. I just happened to be walking by the telephone booth at that time. I knew she couldn’t afford a taxi and I could see she was ill. Something made me turn around and offer to take her home. Looking at me with almost disbelief, she willingly accepted the ride. Upon arriving at her home, which was several miles away, she asked me what she owed me. I assured her that she owed me nothing and that it was my pleasure to bring her home. With tears in her eyes and with a grateful heart, she smiled and said, “God bless you!” What more reward could anyone want! I drove away feeling ten feet tall and praising the Lord for letting me serve Him this way. What I had done seemed so little and yet it meant so much to this stranger in need.

Prayer

Help us, our Father, not only in this Lenten season, but always, to see that there are lonely hearts to cherish and people to help as the days go by, and make us ever mindful of the needs of others. Amen.

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How Far Does Our Love Go?

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Monday, March 8

By Martha Holt, April 9, 1979

How Far Does Our Love Go?

Read: Matthew 7:24

Jesus Christ said, “Whosoever beareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken to a wise man, which built his house upon a rock . . .”

Easter reminds us how far love will go for the beloved. What response will we make to Love Himself?

We read in the Gospels of Jesus Christ’s ministry of healing; of teaching men how to live a satisfying life; of forgiveness; of reclaiming those who had been given up by others as beyond redemption. What an example of love in action!

He said that those who had seen Him had seen God, and thus from His life we know the character of His Father.

What a mind-boggling thought that His Father would allow Him to give His life for creatures as undeserving and as wayward as ourselves!

What an inspiring and humbling thought that Jesus Christ would care enough about us to carry out His Father’s will to save us!

After such a sacrifice it is inconceivable that we do not praise the Lord continuously, and in responsive love obey Him continually, trusting Him explicitly in all things.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, in this Easter season let us begin to “know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly” by faithfully studying our Bibles and conversing with you daily as a first object in our lives. In Jesus’ name we ask this. Amen.

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Tuned to Receive

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 7, Evening

By Nelle Kroll, March 22, 1976

Tuned to Receive

Read Psalm 46:10-11

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

As a member of the Radio Amateur Service, I’ve become especially conscious of the need in this technical area for a good receiver. No matter how great the output of a transmitter, to get the best reception I must have a directional antenna and receiver capable of precise tuning to a frequency which will receive that signal, cutting out as much of the interference as possible.

This has a message for me. There is a constant challenge to receive that distant signal which may be available to me at this instant. And yes, there is a signal there at this very moment! I am the receiver, capable of accurate tuning. I only need to set my senses Godward, attune myself to the proper frequency and “Be still . . .” and listen. He is transmitting. He has given me the license to operate through Jesus Christ and a receiver capable of picking up His most distant signal without interference. My message: Make all of the adjustments to being properly tuned. Be sure you’re on the right Frequency. Sit back and listen. Give Him a call. He is there!

Prayer

Father, help me be still and listen so that I will be attuned to your spiritual messages and can apply them to the forwarding of your kingdom here on earth. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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A Program for Spiritual Growth

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 7, Morning

By Col. Joe R. Shepherd, March 2, 1979

A Program for Spiritual Growth

Read Psalm 100:1-5

“My help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:2

In our world today most of mankind’s endeavors are based on a program of some kind. There are business programs built into elaborate computer systems, athletic programs, and individual success programs. Our church has a program for growth and development which was devised by the Council of Ministries and approved by the Administrative Board. Successful programs are based on goals and objectives supported by well conceived plans and a lot of hard work.

If our goal in life includes a meaningful relationship with GOD, then we would do well to consider a personal program for spiritual growth. For a time, my life was without such a program. Having been born in a Christian family where going to church and reciting our prayers at bedtime was the accepted way of doing things, I felt pretty comfortable about my spiritual situation. However, this changed early in my military career, when I found myself directly responsible for the lives of many other young men who were assigned to military organizations under my command. During critical situations, I found the need for reinforcement from outside my own resources. When I turned to GOD for help there was no meaningful response. My arrangements with Him had been too superficial to support a viable communication relation between us.

With the help of a chaplain friend, I developed a spiritual growth program. The goal of my program was to find a meaningful relationship with GOD. The supporting plans basically consisted of rededication to the Christian principles that I had learned earlier, but had neglected to practice. This was not a story of instant success, however, there was the immediate feeling that this was the right direction and the realization was there that with faith and work, my goal could be reached.

Prayer

Father, we pray that during the Lenten season, many of us will re-evaluate our spiritual lives and consider rededication and renewal programs to strengthen our spiritual growth and development. Amen.

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Help Who You Can

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, March 6

By Steve Roberts, March 5, 2017

Help Who You Can

Read: Proverbs 1:8-9

Like many fathers, mine shared with me the wisdom of his life hoping it would influence my life. While a natural story teller, or parables in ecumenical terms, the ones I remember were not parables but aphorisms – short, catchy phrases that are easy to remember. I hate to think how many I’ve forgotten; I’m certain the few I remember are the wisest and the ones I’m sure he would have chosen for me to remember. I am also certain that they are his creations and not transgenerational tradition. “You give what you have and you help who you can,” and “Put one foot in front of the other, and if you can’t do that, stand still” immediately come to mind. But the one that seems to be the most thematically theological is “if you have to choose who to save, save the first one you come to.”

I have thought about “save the first one you come to” some over the years but only in the past two or three have I realized that I have heard the same message all of my life. It is the heart of every parable Jesus told, the heart of our faith. He did not decide who was most worthy or had the greatest need. He had no priority list, no minimum qualifications. He “took” everyone. As my father told me, so He told us, “you save the first one you come to.”

Prayer

Creator God, guide us to give what we have and help who we can, right where we are. Amen.

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