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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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Friday, March 5

By Steve Richardson, March 18, 2018

A Lesson From Seaweeds

Read: Mark 4:30-32

One of my brothers, Joe, is a marine biologist. For as long as I can remember, he’s had a passion for all things marine. One of my earliest memories as a toddler was going with him to “fish” in a tiny run-off creek in our backyard after heavy rains. All we ever caught were leaves, but Joe still deemed it fishing. 

In his teens, Joe discovered the renowned oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. Even I was fascinated by the images and films of Cousteau diving among marine life like whales, sharks, dolphins and giant octopi.

When Joe entered graduate school to attain his doctorate at North Carolina, I was certain he, too, would ultimately be diving among the great species of the seas to study their habits.

However, Joe’s dissertation dealt with the life cycles of seaweeds. Seaweed?! To me, that was the most mundane, obscure, seemingly purposeless thing the sea could render.

“Not so,” says Joe. Seaweeds are essential to our oceans’ ecosystems. They’re a food source for many forms of marine life, including fish. They’re hosts and hiding places for protection of other species. Although seaweeds lack the charisma of great sea animals that share the spotlight in documentaries and coffee table books, they serve a grand and important role for all marine life.

Isn’t that similar for all of us as people of God? Even those who our society may label the least, the lowest, the weakest, the obscure – in God’s eyes each of us has purpose, meaning and a role to play. To God, we all have worth and value. To God no one is least or low or weak or obscure.  Rather, we are all vital to the enhancement of God’s creation and kingdom.

Prayer

God of the sparrow, God of the whale… How does the creature say Awe?” With great gratitude for your grace, we pray you remind us that such grace is unconditional for all people and we pray you grant us the wisdom to share it likewise. Amen.

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Thursday, March 4

By Ann Jourolmon, February 27, 1978

Welcome, Friend

Read: Romans 15:7 (The Living Bible)

      “So, warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified.”

One of the International Sunday School lessons this past fall was based on the above scripture.  The key word is welcome. I thought how true it was that as Paul preached the Good News, always he proclaimed that it was for all. Again and again, he stressed that Christianity had a welcome sign out for every person. Someone has said that for Paul, the Gospel had so changed the world, that all the “Keep Out” signs were replaced by “Welcome” signs.

This reminds me of an incident that happened to my father. When he first built his mountain cabin, he put up a sign, “No Trespassing.” Someone did not like this. He found his sign torn down several times. Finally, he posted a sign: “Private Property – BUT – Welcome, Friend.”

Paul was positive that all the “Keep Out” signs were replaced by “Welcome” when Jesus Christ came to this world. As God welcomes every person through His Son, so we who are His followers must welcome all into the Christian fellowship.

We are told that the word “welcome” is an Old English word, originally spelled “wilcoma.” I suppose that it means well come – it is well that you have come. God says to us, “It is well that you have come to Me, through Christ, your Saviour.” And, in turn, we must say to all who would be a part of the Christian fellowship, “It is well that you have come -WELCOME.”

Prayer

Our Father, may we realize that Thy Son is an inclusive Saviour and that His church must be inclusive, too. Amen.

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Wednesday, March 3

By Dr. Felix Line, March 12, 1980

Faith With Works

Read: James 2:26

…Faith without works is dead.”

The Christian religion makes many demands upon one who accepts it. The first step in becoming a Christian is to have faith. This concept emphasized by Paul is discussed at length in his various letters which make up a large portion of the New Testament.

There is a small book of only four chapters which I believe strikes a balance between faith and works. I am referring to the book of James about which there has been and still is controversy.  Martin Luther wished to exclude the book from the canon because of the appearance of an apparent contradiction of Paul’s teaching on justification by faith.

It seems to me that James is expressing the same concept that Paul is saying, namely, that when one is a Christian and attempting to do the will of God the natural and normal sequence of that faith is “good works.”

Over the centuries Christianity has been talked about, argued, debated and has been encrusted with observances, confessions, rituals and prayers. The writer of James gets down to the essentials by stating that the Christian faith makes a difference in the way a person lives regardless of the rituals and observances in which he participates.

Prayer

Help us to live by what the writer of James says:

  “Be doers of the word and not hearers only.” 1:22

  What does it profit my brethren if a man says he has faith but has not works?” 2:14

  Show me your faith apart from works and I by my works will show you my faith.” 2:18

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When you hear of the Congregational Care Committee, it’s easy to imagine what their day-to-day looks like: caring for the congregation. 

But, during the last year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the care provided by the committee has reached new lengths.

This is the first year of recollection that the committee has been chaired by two members — Barry Christmas and Judy Grubb — and the pair share responsibilities with 16 other church members. Most members serve three years on the committee, but it’s not unusual for a member to stick around for an additional year or two. This is the fourth year for Grubb. 

“It is a committee that a lot of people, they’ve heard of, but they don’t really know what the committee does and how far-reaching it is,” Grubb says. “I feel like it’s really important work that is done because we’re trying to maintain communication and to care about church members.

An active, hands-on church committee, Christmas, Grubb and the additional members take a very organized and detailed approach to reaching every member of the church in one way or another. 

“I love the work that we do because I know that it is touching people’s lives in a very meaningful way. It means a great deal to a lot of these people,” Christmas says. We get a blessing out of it, too. We are definitely blessed by the work.” 

Care Connect Ministry

The first responsibility of the Congregational Care Committee is the Care Connect Ministry. Each member selects their desired number of contacts off the contact list of 62 homebound members and members living in a care facility. 

Prior to the pandemic, members were encouraged to visit each contact at least once a month, sending cards and reaching out via phone call on occasion in between each visit. Now, members rely on cards and phone calls to connect with these congregation members, and it’s been encouraged to reach out more than ever before. 

“That contact is very important. It’s easy to fall into depression and be despondent and pull away from social interaction,” Christmas says. “As I tell the committee, these people can’t get too much love, so pour the love on.”

And the contact made is not just important to the member. Grubb, who has had the same contacts for the past four years, has begun receiving cards in return and always receives phone calls thanking her for her kind words. 

During the shutdown, Grubb has unfortunately lost one of her contacts, but before she died, her daughter passed along how much her mother appreciated the cards. Following her passing, Grubb sent a card to the daughter, and the daughter responded with a note saying the continued connection to the church meant more to her mom than she could have known. 

“That really makes you feel like you’re doing something good,” Grubb says.

Advent and Lenten Devotionals 

The devotions distributed each Advent and Lenten season are the work of the Congregational Care team, as well. In a typical year, devotions were only printed and distributed at the church, and mailed to congregation members who needed it. 

Now, with the help of the Communications team, Advent and Lenten devotions were delivered to members virtually through the Church Street website, email and social media. Anyone who still needed a printed copy could receive one via request. 

Barry Christmas shares advent devotions with community members picking up UMW Bake Sale items in November 2020.

Any devotionals mailed during the Advent season were sent by Christmas, and each person on the Care Connect Ministry contact list received a wooden cross and special Christmas letter. Christmas had the help of church staff members Doris Lively and Nancy Keen for the Lenten devotionals, and the pair sent to the Care Connect Ministry contact list a devotional and special Easter letter. 

“We’re learning how to do new and different things and calling on new people outside of our committee to help us keep our projects going,” Christmas says. “They’re so meaningful to all of our congregation.” 

In addition to a change in distribution, the way in which devotion writers were recruited changed. During Advent, congregation members dedicated time and attention to writing devotions for each day during the season. But, with an early 2021 Lent and Easter season approaching quickly, Church Street clergy suggested the Congregational Care team pull together a “Voices from the Past” for the 2021 Lenten season, reprinting devotions printed as far back as the 1970s from beloved Church Street members and saints. 

“I know it’s going to be meaningful, especially to people who have been members of the church for some time,” Christmas says. “They’re going to recognize all those names in that booklet. It’s a blast from the past.” 

Crafting with care

Many of the Congregational Care Committee members are crafty, using their skills in crochet, knitting and sewing to impact different congregation members. 

During the pandemic, Grubb has shared her work of creating monogrammed blankets for newborn babies in the church community with Betty Craig. Grubb started the project in 2010 and now gathers materials and sews the blanket as far as she can go until she reaches the monogram part, and then she drops off the blanket on Craig’s front door to finish. 

Once the full name and birth date has been added and Craig has monogrammed CSUMC, the blankets are given to Children’s Director Katryn Bancroft who assures the gift makes its way to the new parents. 

In addition to these blankets, volunteers knit or crochet prayer shawls to be given to members who are experiencing illness, chemotherapy, surgery or other life crisis where they need comfort of knowing prayers are being lifted up to them. 61 prayers shawls were distributed in 2020. 

When these shawls were delivered in person, a written prayer would be read over the person, creating a meaningful moment for both the recipient and the giver. Now a printed prayer is included with each shawl.

“I’ve taken shawls to people before, and you could just tell that they were very, very touched by that,” Christmas says. 

There are other small projects that the committee works on from time to time, including walker bags to attach to the walkers of older members of the congregation. 

New member assimilation 

If you’ve joined the church in recent years, you’ve likely come in contact with one of the Congregational Care Committee members. Each month Christmas and Grubb receive a new member report and pass along to the month’s volunteer. 

The volunteer for the month will make contact within three weeks with the new member either by email or phone call. After that initial conversation, the volunteer continues contact for an additional six weeks to answer questions and make sure that they have been connected with ministry and mission opportunities. 

Supporting military and their families

Another responsibility of the Congregational Care Committee is its dedication to military members and their families. 

Grubb remembers when the U.S. entered Iraq in 2003. Her son-in-law was in the Army and in the first surge, and Rev. Bill Fowler created a special support group for members who had family in the military at the time. 

Attending with her husband and daughter, she remembers how important the support meetings were, and likens the work Congregational Care does on a regular basis to these meaningful meetings. 

Loretta Best has led this work as long as Christmas has been with the committee, and in a typical year, she maintains the military display board in the church with a photograph of all the active duty members and family of members of the church. She has continued to keep the board updated at the church during the pandemic, and in 2021, the Committee is taking one further step by recognizing active duty members in the Messenger each member’s birthday month so that the congregation can lift that military member up in prayer (in 2020, the committee dedicated this space to members in their 90s and older).

In addition to maintaining the board, Best will send cards on occasion to military members, and each Christmas she sends them a care package on behalf of the committee. 

Bereavement 

Helping members with bereavement has been the most changed aspect of the Congregational Care Committee’s responsibilities. 

Care notes, which are small pamphlets that cover a wide variety of issues, are kept on a display rack in the church for public access. While the committee and community has not had access to these care notes, clergy have been encouraged to take advantage of those pamphlets, which are grounded in scripture, when opportunities are presented. 

“People have told me in the past that that’s been very meaningful to them and those little pamphlets have really helped them,” Christmas says. 

Throughout the month of March, we are telling the stories of the Church Street Connectors, those in the church body who have exemplified “being the church” since the Covid-19 pandemic first hit in March 2020. When the church building closed, their ministries continued in new and thriving ways. Stay tuned for more stories all month and throughout the year.

Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Tuesday, March 2

By Rev. William H. Balch, March 15, 1979

The Call Worth Answering

Read: Luke 14:16-24

The teachings of our Lord are very real in our present day. I would like to share a parable that is written in response to the one found in Luke’s writings.

The telephone rings and John answers. Could he come for dinner, the caller asks, and John started to think. No, he could not come tonight since he was thinking about a new visitation program for the church. After hanging up the phone, he returned to the details.

The telephone rings, Tom answers. Dinner, tonight, — no I’ve just bought a new home and we’ve got a good deal to work on around the house.

Another call, Jean answers. She really cannot make the dinner since they are having company. When she hangs up, she calls The Browns to invite them to play bridge.

The calls continue but they all seem to be busy, happy, good people who just cannot make the dinner.

But what do you do with a meal you’ve prepared for those you care about? You call others – the man who lives in one room of a downtown rooming house; the girl whose life has been crowded with wild dreams from her drug use days; the woman with three fatherless children; the student who feels hopeless . . . other persons we all can name. And the dinner was a great celebration of life, for someone cared.

God invites all, but few of us respond. We may be about the good works of the world and fail to hear Him.

Prayer

Help us, O God, to listen for your call. Strengthen us to respond and to join in the celebration you bring to all of life. In Christ we pray. Amen.

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Monday, March 1

By Mrs. Gladys Phillips, March 12, 1978

Prayer

Read Matthew 6:9-13; 6:7-8, Mark 1:35, Luke 18:1; 6:12, Matthew 7:7-8; 7:11; 6:6

Dr. Frank Laubach called prayer “The mightiest force in the world,” yet it is said to be the most neglected practice among Christians. One has but to study the life of Jesus to learn what importance He placed on prayer. It was a constant practice in His life, and He commanded His followers to pray. He taught His disciples that prayer was to be the means by which they were to release the resources and energies of God. Pentecost was an awesome example of prayer power.

Bishop Cushman asks, “What does all this mean if not that Jesus taught, and Pentecost illuminated, His message that prayer is and has always been the greatest need of the church and of the world?”

The framers of our Constitution solved a serious problem after pausing to ask God’s direction. In World War II massive prayer brought a miracle from God that saved the troops at Dunkirk.

All of us have had prayers answered individually, and recently God sent a miracle of healing in my own life in response to a small prayer group uniting in earnest intercession for me and prayers of others.

Prayer is not only a need for us each day, it is also a means of service available to everyone – the well, the sick, the lonely, the shut-ins, the elderly, the younger. One of our church vows is to pray for our church. It is a duty and a privilege for every member.

With prayer so great a need, why do people neglect to pray?

Prayer

Gracious Lord, Thank you for the privilege of prayer. Help Christians everywhere not to neglect it. Amen. 

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, February 28, Morning

By Grace Parkhill, February 27, 1980

Today — As You Make It

Read John 10:10b

“…I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”

   “Every morning lean thine arms awhile

Upon the window sill of heaven

And gaze upon thy Lord,

Then, with the vision in thy heart,

Turn strong to meet the day.”

(author unknown, but a favorite poem of Mimi Murphy)

I read a newspaper article the other day which commented on the first thoughts of the morning as setting the tone for the day. Several persons had given their first thoughts on awakening which ran the gamut of unlovely thoughts to very lovely ones; and so was their day.

I have found that as each day begins if I, (1) open myself to the presence of God; (2) use my awakening thoughts as one of thanksgiving; (3) and then wait for His Spirit, that my day is beautiful because I will it so. And then I can go forth with a good spirit and with power to serve, to fight wrong and to love. The morning dawns bright even though the sun may not shine because I have the feeling of being alive and of belonging.

Each day can be powerful as we find ourselves in tune with the Master Force, doing His Will and His Work. Our day depends on us.

Prayer

Dear Lord, your great prophet, Isaiah, has said “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” We want this for your children today; help us to learn to open our hearts and wait for you each new day; and give us strength to meet the challenges that come with each new day. Amen.

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, February 27

By Gene Flinter, April 2, 2017

The Companion

Read: John 14:15-17 NIV 

 If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

Our world is in turmoil. However, with the assistance of Christ and the Holy Spirit in opening our hearts and minds, we may visualize a healed planet.

Find a quiet place, sit or stand, take some deep breaths and then perform the following visualization:

Visualize our church and its staff and members in an embracing silver light and then filter in a golden light. Hold for a minute or so… Expand the same sequence to the residents of our state, country and world (continent by continent)… Then, embrace our planet in the silver/golden light with its oceans, forests, jungles and deserts. Include the sea and mammal life that also inhabits the earth.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit, kindle our hearts and minds with a heavenly fire, so that we may open them to renew the face and health of our world. Inspire us to avoid anger and judgment to all persons that we may encounter. Instead, let us embrace them with love and kindness. With Jesus, the hierarchy of angels and the Father and Mother of the world, we request your blessings throughout our lives. Amen. 

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Friday, February 26

By Rev. Frank M. “Bob” Bostick, April 6, 1979

Preparation Through Giving?

Read: Romans 12:1-2

      “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

When a friend saw me eating only a salad for lunch, she asked, “It isn’t Lent yet, is it?” “No! It isn’t.” (The date was January 18) “Then why aren’t you eating more?” “Not because I’m not hungry for sure, but because I must lose 7 pounds before March.” Wonder why we associate Lent with less than normal!

During Lent, we prepare ourselves for the celebration of God’s sacrifice of Jesus; we make ready our minds, our practices, our life styles to be more fitting to accept such a gift of salvation. But, “giving-up-something-for-Lent” is really absurd if we live in a state of desire for the day after Easter so we can begin to abuse ourselves again.

Many of our Lenten practices are Pharisaical: We keep the law but allow the intention of the law to be missed. It’s like a child being nice just before Christmas so a lot of goodies will be under the tree or in the stocking, but on the day after Christmas becoming sassy and obstinate once again.

No!  A proper preparation for Good Friday and Easter is not in playing games with giving up candy, or alcohol, or bad habits for only a short time – and wishing time would rapidly pass. It is only as we become new persons, striving to serve God on a permanent basis that Easter morning will present its fullest glory. No sham – no games – only true justice, deep and abiding loyalty, and genuine humbleness are the desires of God for His people.

May our mental, spiritual, and behavioral preparation yield new life!

Prayer

Oh God, help us seriously seek, prepare with perseverance, and thus with the direction of your Spirit awaken to new life. May the resurrection faith be spread abroad in the world of turmoil through the committed efforts of thy people. Amen.

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