SIMPLY REJOICING 4: Praise and Celebrate with Others

SING FOR JOY
"A song will extend hope and infuse courage." (PL)

FRIDAY, June 13  Impact

“Paul did not have the luxury of today’s technology – computers, Internet, e-mail, smartphones or overnight delivery – yet  even in prison he found a way to communicate grace, encouragement, and instruction to the churches he started on his missionary journeys.  I’m guessing that he had no idea how far-reaching his singing, prayers, and messages would go or how long his letters would be circulated.” (PL p. 95)

          And neither do we.  What we write, what we say, what we do impacts far more than we can ever imagine.  When we put something on the internet, it has the potential to reach millions (MILLIONS!  That’s probably more than even lived on the earth during Paul’s time!)  We will never know. 

          I have twice received a comment or request from someone on the other side of the country regarding one of my drawings or posts.  It comes out of the blue with surprise, yet it reinforces the idea that we don’t know what God will and can do with our efforts, however small they may seem to us. 

          So…keep singing songs of joy!  Keep writing prose of praise!  Keeping drawing scribbles of prayer or contemplation.  Keep sharing the gospel story in whatever way God calls and let God work the miracle from there. 



THURSDAY, June 12  Hogies
"Paul's model prayer for the Philippians includes thanks, requests made with joy, and confidence that God will continue his good work." (PL p. 94 and Philippians 1:6)

     Yesterday I began to envision a life lived devouring a Christian Hogie.  So....what does that looks like?  Well, I imagine the hogie bun (a good whole wheat bun with lots of multi-grain seeds sticking to it!) of morning and evening prayer.  A morning prayer of joyful praise for the new day, for intercession and trust that God will tend to our greatest desires. And then an evening prayer filled with gratitude and thanksgiving for all that God has done during the day.  What is the 'meat' of our hogie, the heart of it all?  Service - hands on work in God's name.   Slices of tomato forgiveness and grace scattered throughout.  Witness by taking advantage of opportunities to plant morsels of God-truth.  Perhaps a cheesy layer of trust and faith that God is ever present in whatever we are doing.  And finally?  Little pickle chips of arrow prayers sent constantly in response to immediate concerns and circumstances. 
       If we devour this kind of sandwich on a daily basis, we are going to be fully satisfied and never hunger.  If we eat this sandwich in community with others, we are building the church....besides it is never fun to eat alone!  

  WEDNESDAY, June 11
Psalm 146: 1-2 MSG
Hallelujah!
    O my soul, praise God!
All my life long I’ll praise God,
    singing songs to my God as long as I live.

Psalm 147:1-2 MSG
Hallelujah!
It’s a good thing to sing praise to our God;
    praise is beautiful, praise is fitting.
     How many of the Psalms begin with a verse of song and praise?  It's a good beginning, both to a prayer, a psalm, a day, or a life!  
"       How to learn the scriptures, to write them on our heart (memorize!)?  We put the verse to music because songs we will remember!  We taught the SS children the verses of the Old Testament with a song, it is the praise songs that use scripture for a text that I remember.  So many passages of scripture, when I read them, come to life in the words of music: arias of Handel's Messiah, Sandy Patti's music, contemporary Christian bands. 
     I am envisioning another sandwich illustration here - a day begun with praise and wrapped up with gratitude.  Come back tomorrow!!!  

TUESDAY, June 10

Philippians 4:4  NIV
Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!

This is one of the first Scribble I drew! 

     One of my favorite 'short' verses of the Bible!  So a good one to memorize and remember, especially when things aren't going well.  What to do!  Rejoice!  Or, as The Message  puts it, "Celebrate God all day, every day!"  It's an attitude thing.  If we can approach life with this kind of spirit, then the trials will not seem insurmountable.  
     Got a big job on the schedule?  Ask how God can be made known through the task?  Then pray and praise.  It can work miracles!  

OPEN YOUR HEART AND HOME!
"United prayer can change the world." (PL)

MONDAY, June 9
Philippians 4:6 GNT
Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.
     It's easy to pray and ask God for what we need.  We do it all the time.  We say, "God, this is what I want to happen.  Please do it."  We forget the part about "Your will be done."  We forget to pray for God to do what is best. 
     But we also forget to pray with a thankful heart.  So often our prayers begin with the petition, the 'I wants'.  We enter into prayerful conversation with God in a much better spirit when we begin with our praise and thanksgiving, when we remember to offer our gratitude for all the ways in which God has already been at work in our lives.  
     May I start every prayer with thanks.  I might be amazed at how my prayer changes me right from that point.  I might be amazed by how the whole conversation is altered.  

SUNDAY, June 8 
Acts 16:25-26 VOICE
Picture this: It’s midnight. In the darkness of their cell, Paul and Silas—after surviving the severe beating—aren’t moaning and groaning; they’re praying and singing hymns to God. The prisoners in adjoining cells are wide awake, listening to them pray and sing. 26 Suddenly the ground begins to shake, and the prison foundations begin to crack. You can hear the sound of jangling chains and the squeak of cell doors opening. Every prisoner realizes that his chains have come unfastened.
     Prayer alone with God can be a powerful experience.  But prayer as a community, united by a common concern, can move mountains!  (Or open prison chains!)  Groups are using social media as a source of united prayers....and reports frequently show God at work. (No, the prayers aren't always answered as we request, but God responds!)  
     How open am I to community prayer?  I enjoy drawing the prayer pictures.  Perhaps when I post them on social media they become a community prayer as others read through the names and offer them up to God.  We don't have to pray for a specific outcome, just for God's will and presence to be known!  

LIFE INSPITE OF..

INVOCATION....  d365.org (Chris Cherry)
Life is full of disappointments. There's enough sadness around for everyone to know the hardest times that humans can experience.

The way of faith doesn't deny suffering and struggle, it simply recognizes that difficult experiences are not the end of the story.

No, God's way of "doing business" is to redeem every situation, to lift us up, to teach us, to help us grow. No matter your circumstances today, these gifts are available to you now.

SATURDAY, June 15  "Righteous-Living"
Psalm 146: 7c-10  (The Message)

God frees prisoners—
    he gives sight to the blind,
    he lifts up the fallen.
God loves good people, protects strangers,
    takes the side of orphans and widows,
    but makes short work of the wicked.

 God’s in charge—always.
    Zion’s God is God for good!
    Hallelujah!

Prisoners. Convicts and druggies.
Disabled. Blind.  Deformed.
Fallen.  Abused.  Neglected.
Homeless.  Unemployed.
Foreigner.  Stranger.  Bullied.
Widow.  Orphan.  Lonely. 
Poor.   Destitute.
Hard lives, Pain-filled lives.  
Are these the righteous?  The 'good' people?
Could be.  Could be you and me. 
Could be the family next door. 
God doesn't guarantee trouble-free. 
God assures his presence.
And that makes all the difference.
God brings us to LIFE
In spite of death.
In spite of hardship and pain.
In spite of suffering and loss. 
Righteous-living isn't easy
Without God. 
Hallelujah for God's presence!  


BENEDICTION     d365.org (Chris Cherry)
Resurrection is an every day kind of thing.
We celebrate it at Easter, each Sunday,
And, in fact, all the days in between.

Place no limitations on God's determination
To redeem your life regardless, of circumstance.
Live into the kind of faith that anticipates redemption.

FRIDAY, June 14  "Happiness Is..."
Psalm 146:5 (Common English Bible)
The person whose help is the God of Jacob—
    the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God—
    is truly happy!
     What makes one happy?  The response might include such things as winning the lottery or success on the golf course or tennis court.  Perhaps it is a campfire and s'mores with friends and family.  Dining pleasures, new gizmos and gadgets.  Perhaps a big promotion.  Linus of Peanuts would say a warm blankie. The list can go on and on.  In fact, I have a small book that lists 14,000 Reasons to Smile!  And in some ways, it is a good list to compile if you think of it in terms of blessings. 
     But Psalm 146 reminds us that the list is VERY short: God.  Happiness is the presence of God in our lives.  Nothing else can compare.  Nothing else is worthy of our total trust.  Hope and happiness comes from the Lord.  Happiness that will make the pain and trials of life endurable. You can bank on it.  

THURSDAY, June 13 "God-Foundation"
Psalm 146:1-4 (The Message)

 Hallelujah!
    O my soul, praise God!
All my life long I’ll praise God,
    singing songs to my God as long as I live. 

Don’t put your life in the hands of experts
    who know nothing of life, of salvation life.   
Mere humans don’t have what it takes;
    when they die, their projects die with them.

      'Don't put your life in the hands of experts' paraphrases Peterson in the Message.  He could go on to say 'don't put your trust in material wealth, celebrities, athletes,  or cultural mores' as well.  Things of this world are subject to human corruption, to the distorted way we build relationships and tear one another down.  Reliable and complete trust belongs with God and God alone.  If God is at the basis, the foundation, of every human relationship then the result is something we can bank our lives on!  And THAT is worthy of our ultimate praise, every day and in every way possible! 
      Go out with a joyful and grateful heart today seeking the places where a God-foundation results in a strong and healthy relationship of trust.  

(On the road today, so I shall post an old scribble for Psalm 146.  It doesn't quite emphasize the point of THIS devotion, but.....rejoice anyway!) 

WEDNESDAY, June 12  "God-Work"
Luke 7:16-17 (The Message)
They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful—and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, “God is back, looking to the needs of his people!” The news of Jesus spread all through the country.
God, you are daily at work in our world.
We dwell in the midst of holy mystery,
And so often fail to acknowledge the source. 
We credit luck or coincidence,
Good fortune or 'living right' 
When miracles large and small of 
God-at-work surround us.  
May we have eyes to notice,
Voices to joyfully praise,
Hands to participate,
And hearts to love as we
Become a part of your God-Work. 
You are here, God, among us,
Looking to our needs with compassion and love. 
May we do the same for each other
And thereby proclaim your presence to all.  




TUESDAY, June 11  "Tears to Hope"  
Luke 7:12-15 (The Message)
As they [Jesus and his disciples] approached the village gate, they met a funeral procession—a woman’s only son was being carried out for burial. And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to her, “Don’t cry.” Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you: Get up.” The dead son sat up and began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.

Jesus transforms death to life, 
Despair to hope. 
The emotions are real; the suffering genuine.
But a touch, a word, a moment with the Lord
Can change everything. 
 Don't cry.  Rise up.  
Simple words.  Plain action.
The hardships might remain,
But we are equipped with a change of attitude,
A different perspective on life,
A vision of life inspite of tragedy.
Our tears give way to hope 
When we allow Christ to reach out
And touch us in love. 
We give that same hope to others
When we act in the Lord's name
And do the reaching.
Who among us needs transformation?
Who among us cries out for their
Tears to be washed away 
By the waters of Hope

MONDAY, June 10 "Last Dollar"
1 Kings 17:12-13 (Good News Translation)

She answered, “By the living Lord your God I swear that I don't have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour in a bowl and a bit of olive oil in a jar. I came here to gather some firewood to take back home and prepare what little I have for my son and me. That will be our last meal, and then we will starve to death.”

 “Don't worry,” Elijah said to her. “Go on and prepare your meal. But first make a small loaf from what you have and bring it to me, and then prepare the rest for you and your son.

     There is a drought.  People are starving.  God has fed Elijah by ravens.  Yet now God sends the prophet to a widow in Zarephath who is on the brink of starvation along with her son!  Elijah has the gall to ask her to give him her last loaf of bread!  Would we put our last dollar in the Salvation Army bucket while the pain of hunger gnaws in our belly?  That's what God, through Elijah, is asking of this widow.  He is asking for her obedience when it also means death for her son.  This is a woman who is not a Jew, she doesn't even believe in the one God!!! 
     Yet, she obeys.  She shares what little she has, feeding Elijah first.  Not out of faith in an unknown God, but because custom demands hospitality to the stranger.  How does the story end?   God blesses her daily with enough flour and oil to make the day's bread.  Blesses her with enough to live until the drought ends.  
     When we give when it hurts, that's when God responds to bring life....inspite of our pain. When the request seems so ludicrous, perhaps THEN is when God is at work and we need to obey! 

(This was not the d365.org scripture for today, but when I opened my Walk Through the Bible devotional book, the 1 Kings 17 passage was the text for June 10.  Not a coincidence I decided.... perhaps one more message from this text!) 

SUNDAY, June 9  "Wild Abandon"
Psalm 30: 4-5, 11-12  (The Message)
All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God!
    Thank him to his face!
He gets angry once in a while, but across
    a lifetime there is only love.
The nights of crying your eyes out
    give way to days of laughter.
You did it: you changed wild lament
    into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
    and decked me with wildflowers.
I’m about to burst with song;
    I can’t keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
    I can’t thank you enough.

Disappointment and despair,
Struggle and suffering,
Poverty and pain,
Hurt and humiliation.
All are part of our mortal life.
Low points when we question
   from the depths of our soul.
But you, O God, are our redeemer.
You can take EVERY situation,
And transform it to blessing, 
In some way, in some manner.
May we seek the laughter in your love
And find the opportunity for faith  
That lies hidden in the somber cloth of death. 
In the black of our nights,
Bring us to the joy of the morning,
And the chance to celebrate your love
With wild abandon. 

SERMON NOTES  1 Kings 17:8-16  Rev. Katy  

• Katy retells the story from the perspective of the unnamed orphan boy. 
• The truth of the Lord brings life to the dead, food to the poor, and joy to the grieving. 

This scripture was the basis for a devotional message last fall under the theme of God's abundance.  I would like to include today the scribble and poem from that post.  

Let go of our fears
Release the worry
That we might run out. 
Share first and
Our well will not run dry. 
Risk to have faith and
God will surprise us in
Unimaginable ways. 
It begins with giving,
Without question or doubt. 
Bread for all.  
Justice for all. 
Life for all. 

LOVE FOR ANOTHER

Saturday, November 10
Ruth 1: 19-21 (Good News Translation)

They went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived, the whole town became excited, and the women there exclaimed, “Is this really Naomi?”

“Don't call me Naomi,” she answered; “call me Marah, because Almighty God has made my life bitter. When I left here, I had plenty, but the Lord has brought me back without a thing. Why call me Naomi when the Lord Almighty has condemned me and sent me trouble?”

Naomi returns to home, with bitterness in her heart.
Suffering is her mantra inspite of a brand new start.
"It is all God's fault," she utters,  "the Almighty is to blame!"
She cries with blindness caused by suffering and shame.
Eyes that cannot see the gift of faithfulness and love,
Of Ruth who walks beside her, along with God above.  

Who in our world today is hurting and in pain?
Who fails to recognize God due to suffering and strain?
Who can we serve as Ruth, To love and walk beside?
Who needs a hand to hold so eyes can open wide
To God's abundant blessings, grace and constant truth?
Everyone needs the love; Everyone needs a Ruth.  

d365.org GO! (Song by Peter Scholte)
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord. 
And we pray that all unity may someday be restored. 
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes they'll know we are Christians by our love.   



Friday, November 9  Following God
Ruth 1: 16-17 (The Message)
But Ruth said, 'Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home.  Where you go, I go; where you live, I'll live.  Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be buried, so help me God - not death itself is going to come between us!'
What kind of role model was Naomi
To bring Ruth to such a declaration?
The bonds between them were tight. 
What love must have been shared!
Ruth has lost much, yet is leaving more
To follow in love, faith, loyalty. 
She goes knowing the love of Naomi's God
Will sustain them. 
She goes wanting that love to be part of her. 
The power of God's love!
The power of God! 
     Are we willing to follow as Ruth?
     Wherever you lead, Lord,
     Will we go?






Thursday, November 8  Love Trumps!
Ruth 1: 8-9 (Good News Translation)

Ruth said to them, “Go back home and stay with your mothers. May the Lord be as good to you as you have been to me and to those who have died. And may the Lord make it possible for each of you to marry again and have a home.”

So Naomi kissed them good-bye. But they started crying...

My sons have died. 

Custom says my daughter-in-laws are bound to me.

Go home to your families and start anew. 

     Love trumps law.

     Love trumps custom. 

My fields are filled with ripened wheat

My neighbor's larder is empty.

Cut the harvest on Sunday and share. 

     Love trumps law.

     Love trumps custom.

This man is unclean, filled with disease

To touch breaks the laws of purity.

Heal with tenderness and compassion. 

     Love trumps law.

     Love trumps custom.

Lovers of the law are blinded

To the narrowness of their perspective;

Law-men having trouble being God-men.

     Love trumps law.

     Love trumps custom.

Add all the laws together

Hundreds and thousands of don'ts.

It equals one:  LOVE. 

     Love trumps law.

     Love trumps custom.

Go in LOVE. 

Wednesday, November 7   Add Love
Ruth 1:3-5 (Good News Translation)
Elimelech died, and Naomi was left alone with her two sons, who married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. About ten years later  Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left all alone, without husband or sons.
     If this were the 'rest of the story', Ruth reads as a cold, objective book - without love or emotion.  Somewhat like our reaction to the evening news - 
a disaster here, another there, lives disrupted, people hurting.  Ho-hum.  
     But add LOVE and the stories change!  They become personal, we are able to insert compassion into the tale.  As the book of Ruth continues, we learn the depth of the love Ruth has for Naomi; the story becomes legend in the annals of faithfulness. 
     When we listen to the media share the events of Hurricane Sandy on the east coast, news of mass murder in Africa, or another bombing in Iraq, until we insert the magic of LOVE into the stories, we are left untouched.  I live on the west coast - the weather is beautiful, my town is safe, no harm here!  But the people affected by tragedy have stories of love interwoven into their lives; suddenly, their stories can become personal in remembering this.  Compassion is built on the foundation of love for all.  Such love Ruth had for Naomi, such love we must have for others (near and far), such love God has for us.  

I heard there was a storm,
A big one. 
People are homeless,
broken, and in despair. 
Their lives are in upheaval.
     The weather is great in Oregon!
     Indian summer! 
The children are living in shelters,
Lonely, cold, missing school.
Families are torn apart,
Hopeless and homeless.
     I have children, too. 
     I would do anything for them. 
Compassion makes the shelter children our own.
Love makes the difference. 
And suddenly our response alters. 
     The storm is here,
     What can we do to help?


Tuesday, November 6
Mark 12: 32-34 (The Message)

The religion scholar said, “A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!”  When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, “You’re almost there, right on the border of God’s kingdom.”    After that, no one else dared ask a question.

We ask questions,
    but care not about answers. 
We ask to confuse 
    or catch our leader in their response 
    to make them look bad. 
We ask, but not in love. 
The scribe listened. 
He REALLY listened to our Lord's response.
He heard the wisdom in Jesus' words.
He heard the love:
    Love beyond sacrifice.
    Love beyond the LAW.
    Love beyond 'things'. 
Love puts us on the brink of the Kingdom. 
Love allows us to see the face of God,
As we love God
     and love each other. 



Monday, November 5
Mark 12:28b-31 (The Message) 
“Which is most important of all the commandments?”

 Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”

     Here Jesus wraps the Ten Commandments into two: Love God. Love each other.  The scribes are busy trying to catch Jesus into a misunderstanding of  The LAW.  Instead Jesus simplifies to a point where we cannot miss his intent: LOVE!
     What caught my attention in this well-known verse today was Peterson's choice of words.  We are used to hearing, "Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength."  We have heard the phrase so often we skip over the words to just love God.  

     But HOW we love God is important.  What does it mean to love with passion, prayer, intelligence and energy?  These are words of action!  It means  a kind of love that is totally interwoven into your daily life; God is second nature. You don't separate God from everything and anything you do.  Prayer and conversation with God happen as a matter of course, perhaps in mini-prayers throughout the day.   Our response to God isn't just guttural; our intellect is involved as we strive to learn and respond.  We put our time and energy into this kind of love.  Does this mean that all we do is 'church-related' or spiritua'?  No!  God expects us to have jobs and other responsibilities, but he expects to be woven into those aspects of our lives as well!  
     Loving God actively is a command that can change us, but it also gives us the power to achieve the second command of loving each other.  


Sunday, November 4 
d365.org PAUSE!  (Estelene Boratenski)
The stories of our very best human selves are the stories of our love for one another — the stories where laws and social norms are trumped by hearts that love and people who follow their hearts and act on that love.

Consider now how love can help us be our best selves.

Psalm 146:1-4 (Good News Translation)

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, my soul!

I will sing to my God all my life. 

Don't put your trust in human leaders;

  no human being can save you. 

When they die, they return to the dust;

  on that day all their plans come to an end.  

O God, 

I am surrounded by community. 

People who love and care for me. 

Friends and neighbors.

I trust them.  I love them back. 

We tend one another. 

But...we are human.  

We sometimes betray that trust,

We feel left out, let down. 

In those moments, 

We sing your praise.

Your presence is always constant.

You will never fail us, 

Even in the darkest corners of life. 

And that presence allows us

To continue to love

The community around us.  

O God, you are eternal.

May our praise reign! 

Give thanks to God!