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DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 5/6/2008 It was a zoo at Cold Springs Church a few weeks ago. Sometimes, we use the term "like a zoo" to speak about things being crazy or chaotic, but it really was like a zoo at our church the other day when we had the blessing of the animals service. While Noah and company had two of every kind of creature when they went on their voyage on the Ark, we had lots of dogs, a few cats, a calf, a rabbit, and a few other creatures roaming the church parking lot and grounds. There were also lots of two-legged creatures (people) there who were from the community. A few days after the blessing of the animals service, I ran into one of the persons from the community that brought their pet. As we stopped in the shopping aisle and chatted for a moment, they told me, "Thanks for the blessing of the animals of the service, but I got to let you know that I hope that we have a blessing of the animals service at my church because I don't want my pet to be a Methodist". I know that person was just kidding with that comment, but it was a reminder to me that we use a lot of labels in our world today: Republican or Democrat, Duke fan or Carolina fan, Methodist or Baptist, liberal or conservative, pro-choice or pro-life. The apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 3: 28 there are no labels in the kingdom of God when he says, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." PRAYER O God, forgive me for the times that I look at others through the labels and categories that the world gives. Help me to see others as persons that Christ died for and as brothers and sisters in Christ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/29/2008 While most of you are reading this at work or in your home, I am in Fort Worth, Texas. As Dorothy told Toto in "The Wizard of Oz" "I don't believe that we are in Kansas anymore", it is obvious in Texas that I am not in North Carolina anymore. When you talk about BBQ in Texas, you aren't talking about pork. They certainly don't have green, beautiful trees around Fort Worth like we do around Concord. And don't even ask in Texas to have your hamburger prepared "all the way". I am in Texas attending the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. It is held every four years, and there are people here from all over the world. I almost feel like I am at the United Nations because there are so many interpreters here. Of course, there are also persons here from all fifty states who speak with different accents and eat different foods. As I gather here, I think about another gathering of people from all sorts of places. They were gathered not in Fort Worth, but in Jerusalem. While they were together, Acts 2 tells us that the Holy Spirit came upon them "like the rush of a mighty wind". My prayer is that as these Methodist folk of different places and different languages gather in Fort Worth that the Holy Spirit might come upon the church in a powerful way and empower us to more fully be the body of Christ in the world. That's a good thing to seek whether God's people are gathering in Fort Worth or any place. PRAYER Come, Holy Spirit, come, our hearts inspire and fill us with your heavenly fire as we seek to be your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/22/2008 Most of you reading this are only on the Cold Springs Church campus for a few hours a week, but Ann and I are around here all the time since the parsonage is located next to the church. One thing you might not see in your brief time on the church campus is that there are all sorts of wildlife around the church. I have seen wild turkeys, deer, and squirrels roaming around our church campus from time to time. As the weather is getting warmer, we are keeping our windows at the parsonage open more and more. In the early minutes of daylight recently, Ann and I listened as the birds sang in the trees around the parsonage. As Ann and I listened to the birds singing, she commented, "Each of them is singing a different song." In Job 12: 7-10, we hear these words, 7 "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; 8 or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. 9 Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? 10 In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. As we hear the birds sing, they are telling us the truth that the Lord God has made them and that God has made us. God is the one that gives breath to the birds of the air and to the creatures that roam around the church campus, but he also is the one that gives us life and breath. As the birds of the air have their song to sing, each of us has our own song to sing to the glory of God. Let us sing that song this day and in this life. PRAYER O God, we give you thanks for the birds that sing and all the creatures you have made. We especially thank you for our lives. Hear our prayers of praise to you this day, and help our lives to praise you always; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/15/2008 Last Sunday was a great day as we had members of our confirmation class join the church. It was a joy for Pastor Mary, Betty Talley, Leon Talley, and myself to work with them for over 2 months as we learned together about God, Jesus, the Church, Christian service, church membership, and many other things. These young people did not just learn things about being a Christian and following Jesus in confirmation. No, they have been learning throughout their lives from their family members, Sunday School teachers, and other folks. In II Timothy 1: 5-6, we hear the apostle Paul tell his friend in Timothy, 5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. I give thanks to God for the faith that lives in these members of the confirmation class through the influence of so many folks. May faith continue to grow in them, and continue to grow in each of us. PRAYER O God, I give you thanks for all those persons whose life and example shared Christ with us. Grant that our faith may continue to grow; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 4/8/2008 Have you seen the television show on ABC on Sunday nights called "The Big Give"? Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the one who is producing the show and when Oprah speaks, people listen. From what I can gather, there is a lot of buzz about the show. The basic premise behind the show is that contestants are given a large sum of money with the instructions to spend the money not on themselves, but on a great need. Throughout the Bible, we see one example after another of God giving. God gives us the earth and its resources&ldots; a covenant, and a new covenant. Most of all, God gives Himself in Jesus Christ. As ones who have been given richly by God, we are called to give to others. In II Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul tells us about the Church in Macedonia and their "Big Give". Hear what Paul says about the Macedonian Church in II Corinthians 8: 1-5, "1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will." Thanks be to God for his generous giving to us, and thanks be to God for those whose way of life is one "Big Give" after another. PRAYER O God, we give you thanks and praise that our lives are overflowing with your wondrous gifts. As we have been richly given, help us to richly give; through Jesus Christ our Lord, the greatest Gift. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 2/12/2008 The sun had not even risen yet as I made my way from the parsonage to retrieve the newspaper. As I walked across the church parking lot toward the road, I noticed a strange car parked near the road. As I came along the side of the car, I noticed a young woman sitting in the car and waiting for the traffic to clear so she could be on her way. "Are you the pastor at the church here?", she asked as she rolled down the car window. Surprised at a pastoral encounter so early in the day, I was slow to respond but finally said, "Why, yes I am." The woman then said, "I want to tell you a brief story before I go. This morning, I woke up early and felt the need to pray, so I drove up here from home and went down to the Spring and prayed." Before she drove away, she told me that I would be seeing her and her family at the church soon. That woman was not a member of Cold Springs Church or any congregation in our community, but she gave this pastor a lesson early on that weekday morning about the importance of prayer. A woman who is not a member of a church makes the effort to spend time in prayer early one weekday morning. I wonder how many of those who are a part of the body of Christ, the Church, take time to pray early in the morning or some other time of the day? Anytime is a good to pray, and all the time there is something to speak to God about. There are gifts and goodness in life to praise and thank God for. There are needs in our lives or the lives of others that we can bring to the throne of grace to a God that can do more than we can imagine. There is a "friend we have in Jesus" that waits for us to share our life with him and who wants to share Himself with us. Lent is a time of renewal. Why not let Lent, 2008 be a time when prayer becomes more than something you do on Sunday or at mealtime? God is ready to receive our prayers when we are ready to offer them. PRAYER O God, I thank you for the gift of prayer. Forgive me for the times when my prayers are infrequent and when praise and thanksgiving are rare in my prayers. Lord, you want a deep, personal relationship with me. Help me to reach out to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/22/2008 Please continue to pray about our need for rain. In the aftermath of the recent snow and rain that we have received and with hot summer days only a memory, it is easily to be lulled into not thinking about the drought conditions North Carolina and the South are still experiencing. During this time of drought, I have found myself thinking more about the fact that most of Israel is a very dry region. The desert in the southern part of Israel only gets rain less than 5 times a year. Rain is so rare and so precious that you will find holes in the ground (called wadis) for the rainfall to collect and be stored. The people of Israel know not only a dry land, but they also have known dry times in their history when hope and God seem far away. Isaiah the prophet wrote in such a time these words: “ The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God” (Isaiah 35: 1-2). Whether your prayer life focuses in these days on the dryness of the earth or whether you are feeling like you are in a time of “spiritual drought”, thanks be to God whose Spirit can make the earth and make our souls bloom again. PRAYER “Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, lift me up, and make me whole.” Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/15/2008 In the early morning light, I look to the east and see the trees behind the parsonage. This tall timber casts a silhouette against the light of the morning sky. These trees were colored with leaves only months ago, but now their barren limbs of varying sizes have a plain and simple beauty about them. On this winter day, the trees are skeletons that stand tall and erect awaiting not only this new day but a new day for themselves to come in the Spring ahead. Whatever time of year it was, it was winter in the hearts of the Israelites and for the prophet Ezekiel. The prophet and his fellow Israelites were being held captive in Babylon, and their homeland of Israel was in physical and spiritual shambles. In Ezekiel 37, we hear that Ezekiel has the image of a valley filled with bones. Hear these words from Ezekiel 37: 11-12, “11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel” Perhaps winter time is not only the time of year you read this, but it is winter time in your life right now. Perhaps there is a barreness and starkness to what your life is now. Perhaps you are tired of what is going on in your life now or you even feel that God is far away. The same God that brought new life to the nation Israel and will bring new life to those trees that surround us on these January days can do the same for you. Thanks be to God, who makes the trees bud and blossom again and does the same for the life of His people. PRAYER O God, who makes all things new, give new life to those who need your tender touch this day. Revive their spirits through your Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/8/2008 One of the “hottest” gifts for Christmas 2007 were GPS systems. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. What a GPS system does is that it uses a space satellite to assist you to know where you are and help guide you to where you are going. In Genesis 3, we hear the story about the first sin of humans when they go beyond the boundaries of conduct that God has set for them in the Garden of Eden. After their sin, the scripture tells us that Adam and Eve seek to hide from God. In Genesis 3:9, we hear this verse, ‘But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"’ Where are you in these early days of 2008? While a GPS can tell you what is your physical location, I wonder where you are in your relationship with God and service for God. The good news is that wherever you are, God knows and God is there with you. Where are you going in this year of 2008? A GPS can tell you how to get from point A to point B, but how can you know how to go forward to grow in your relationship with God, your service for God, and in your relationship with others. How can you know how to fulfill your meaning and purpose in life? In John 14:6, we hear Jesus tell us, ‘Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”’ Through the scriptures, small group studies in Christ’s church, worship, prayer, and the Holy Spirit, God provides us with guidance on how to go forward as His followers. PRAYER O God, we praise you that you are never far from us and know our every need. We thank you that you not only know where we are, but that you are there to guide us as we follow you. In this new year of 2008, help us to avail ourselves of the means you provide to grow in your grace and service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 1/2/2008 While I know that the new year of 2008 has come, let me share a final word related to Christmas since it was only days ago. In Algona, Iowa, they have a nativity scene that is visited by over 2,000 visitors each year. The nativity scene is 40 feet wide, and features over 60 figures. What is different about this nativity scene is that it was created by German Prisoners of War during World War II. It seems that there were about 3,000 German POW’s held in Algona, Iowa in the 1940's. Though the POW’s only made ten cents an hour working on Iowa farms and other jobs, they used their own money to buy the materials and built the nativity scene on their own time. While the prisoners came to the camp as enemies, friendship developed with some Iowa residents who kept in touch after the war’s end. The story of the birth of Jesus is a story about a poor couple named Mary and Joseph and about rich Kings who had seen a star in the East. It is a story about heavenly beings called angels and about low-down, mangy shepherds. But most of all the story of the birth of Jesus is about Christ Jesus “the prince of peace” , who brings together rich and poor, heavenly beings and low-down sinners, Israelites and foreigners from the East. In a town called Algona, Iowa, this same Christ Jesus brought together Germans and Americans. In this new year of 2008, may that same Christ break down the walls between us and bring us together in these days. PRAYER O God, we give thanks that Christ came as the savior for the world, and that people of many races, languages, and countries join in praising and adoring His holy name. We pray that His Spirit among us in this new year of 2008 might knit us together as one people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/21/2007 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EDITION This will be the last devotion for 2007. Have a blessed Christmas. Christmas is filled with traditions for many of us, and one of the traditions I have is that I always want to see a “Christmas movie” this time of year such as “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. The other day, Ann received at the video store a free copy of the movie “A Christmas Vacation” for us to view. One of the things that stood out in that movie is that the main character, Clark Griswold, had the deep desire to have a “perfect family Christmas” but things kept happening to mar that experience. The tree they cut to go in their house was too big&ldots; the electric lights on the house would not work&ldots; and the family that gathered at his home did their own version of “family feud”. I believe there are a lot of folks like Clark Griswold that search for a “perfect Christmas”- the perfect meal that would make Martha Stewart proud&ldots; or the perfect home decorations that could be featured on HGTV&ldots; or the kind of family gathering that could be portrayed in a Norman Rockwell painting. Unfortunately, the perfect Christmas is sometimes as elusive as a three dollar bill because sometimes the food burns or gets cold&ldots; the dog knocks over the Christmas tree&ldots; or a family member is sick or has gone to be with the Lord. Perhaps “A perfect Christmas” is a figment of our imagination or the creation of Hollywood. We certainly don’t hear of a “perfect Christmas” as Luke tells us that there was no room in the inn for Mary (ready to deliver a baby) and her betrothed Joseph. I bet the stable where Mary gave birth would not be shown to HGTV viewers and the shepherds who first heard the news about the Child/King would not be dressed to the satisfaction of any movie producer. We cannot create “A perfect Christmas” because Christmas is not made by humans, but it is made by God. You see, everything that we create at Christmas pales in comparison to the perfect gift that God made at Christmas in the savior that was born in the world, Jesus Christ. All the food that we eat at Christmas fills us for a day, but Christ is food for our soul for a lifetime. All of the decorations in our home will soon make their way back to the attic or closet, but Christ fills our hearts all the time. All the family that we hold so dear will not be with us always, but we have the good news from Christ Jesus that “I am with you always, even to the close of the age.” PRAYER O God, we give thanks for the wondrous, perfect gift you give at Christmas in Jesus Christ our Lord. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help our hearts to be open to knowing His presence among us. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/11/2007 Food is a big part of Christmas gatherings. I can’t think of many Christmas activities that does not have food as a part of it. But you know what? Some of the food I hear about in Christmas poems and songs has never showed up at any Christmas gatherings at my house. The poem “T’was the night before Christmas” may speak about sugar plums dancing in the heads of sleeping children, but I have never seen a sugar plum on our table at Christmas. Nat King Cole might sing of “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire”, but we enjoy roasted peanuts and pecans at Christmas. “Oh, bring us some figgy pudding” we sing when we share “We Wish you a Merry Christmas”, but no one has ever brought any figgy pudding to our house at Christmas. The gospel of Mark tells us about some other food that probably will not be on your Christmas menu: locusts and wild honey. According to Mark, that was the diet of Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist. While we might not eat what John ate, I think we would do well to heed his word and message: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight paths for him” (Mark 1:3). We have got some work to do to get ready for Christmas, and that work is more than preparing our favorite foods. It is going to take some work to get our hearts ready to receive our Savior who saves us from our sins, Jesus Christ our Lord. The food for our souls that Christ Jesus gives will never grow old. PRAYER O God, we confess that it is easier to get our homes ready for Christmas than to get our hearts ready. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, come among us anew that might we live and sleep in the “heavenly peace” that only your son, Jesus Christ, can give. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 12/4/2007 “Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go; Take a look in the five and ten, glistening once again with candy canes and silver lanes aglow.” When I hear the words of that song, I always think of my mother because that was one of her favorite Christmas songs. With the Chrismon tree we see in our church sanctuary&ldots; the Christmas tree in our homes&ldots; and the lights reflecting from homes and along streets, it is looking like Christmas. There is a message in the sights of Christmas, and that message is Christmas shows. As a pregnant Mary made her way to Bethlehem, surely it could be seen that soon she would give birth The gospel of John, like the gospel of Mark, does not give us any details about the birth of Jesus. The closest that John comes to telling us about the birth of Jesus is in John 1:14 when he tells us, “14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In his own way, John was saying that Christmas shows in the fact that God came to us in the flesh. My hope and prayer for all of us that follow Jesus is that we will let Christmas show not just through the decorations we have in our homes on in the clothes we wear, but that we will let Christmas show by letting his love be seen in and through us. PRAYER Holy Lord, thank you for the gift of Christ Jesus, the Word made flesh. Help me to let Christ so fully live in my heart that he might be seen in all that I say and do; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/27/2007 Angela Sidden, our administrative assistant, was trying to make out the name on an offering envelope as she recorded the weekly contributions recently. A young child in our congregation had done their best to print their first name on the envelope. It makes no difference how much that child put in that envelope. Those monies in that offering envelope say something about that child and what they believe. That child had learned through his parents and others that those who love Jesus and follow Jesus give their gifts to the Lord through His Church and that his gifts (though small) were important. That child could have taken that money and used it to buy ice cream or bubble gum. However, he chose to use that money to give to the Lord because that was important to Him. That child might not be able to stand before the congregation and preach a sermon or even read the scripture lesson, but he could participate in the life and worship of the church by giving his offerings. In Psalm 116:12, we read the Psalmist ask, “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?” What a good question to ask in the week after Thanksgiving or anytime. A young child knew what he could do. He could give his gifts to the Lord as he was able. Let us go and do likewise. PRAYER Thank you, Lord, for all that you have done for me. Help me, Lord, to show you my gratitude and thanksgiving for all your blessings by offering the gift of myself and my monies to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/20/2007 Well, Thanksgiving Day is almost here. It’s time for us to count our blessings. As the old hymn says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one”. If we take the time to really do it instead of simply setting our sights on a Thanksgiving feast or our travel plans, we could easily jot down a long list of things to be thankful for. For most of us, our list would include things like family, friends, our home, our food, our clothing, and our job. But think about it for a moment. If you follow this logic, we cannot give thanks if we do not have things. What if we did not have these things? Would we have anything to be thankful for? The apostle Paul says that we would have plenty to be thankful for even if we had none of those things. A matter of fact, Paul says that we have plenty we can be thankful for that you cannot see or touch. In Ephesians 1: 15-23, we hear the apostle Paul give thanks to God for a long list of intangible things like faith in Jesus Christ, love toward the saints, a spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the riches of God’s glorious inheritance and power. None of those blessings that Paul mentioned can be touched, seen, or possessed like you can the clothes you wear or the food you eat. Yet, they are rich and wondrous gifts that God has given. As this Thanksgiving Day approaches, there are people who know grief and loss. There are folks who know fragile health for themselves or someone they love. There are people who know not where their next meal or next months rent will come from. However, whatever be our lot in life, all of us who follow Jesus know the intangible blessings that only God gives. Thanks be to God for his wondrous gifts. Have a blessed Thanksgiving. PRAYER Thank you, Lord, for the abundance of intangible blessings you have given me. Give me a grateful heart and help me live a grateful life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/13/2007 The Mount Pleasant High School football team is to be commended for an outstanding football season. It finished the regular season with a perfect record and won the Conference championship. Their accomplishments bring honor to the team, their families, and our community. A few days ago, I was in Summerville, SC (outside of Charleston SC) to officiate at the wedding of my cousin, Jennifer. On the way back from the wedding festivities on Friday night, Ann and I got caught in high school football traffic. They have a football coach in Summerville who has quite a record of his own. John McKissick is in his 56th season coaching the Summerville High School football team. During these seasons, McKissick has won more than 525 football games making him the winningest high school coach in the USA. Some joke that John McKissick has been the coach at Summerville so long that he has letters of commendation from President Abraham Lincoln and President George Washington. When McKissick, 81 years old, is asked how long he will coach, he only says that he will take one year at a time. There is an important lesson in the story of John McKissick, who is the grandson of a Methodist pastor, and it is this: older adults can still be useful and serve. John McKissick at 81 years old is still serving effectively winning football games at Summerville High School. Throughout the scriptures, we see the truth that older adults can still serve in the work of the Lord. For example, Abraham was 75 years old when he was called by God to be the father of God’s chosen people and was 100 years old when his son, Isaac, was born. I thank God for the many older adults who are still serving effectively in the ministry of Christ’s Church. While the federal government says that you can retire with full benefits at age 65, there is no retirement age for those who serve the Lord. PRAYER Thank you, Lord, for all those who have served you long and effectively. Lord, help me to serve you all my days until that day when you call me to go home to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 11/7/2007 We have been having a lot of problems with trees around the parsonage lately. One day, a large oak tree next to the church parking lot simply fell over toward the parsonage. The good news is that the when the tree fell it did not do harm to anyone or anything. The bad news is that though the tree showed no signs of problems that it was dead inside. According to James Sidden, the tree had been eaten by some wood-eating pests. In John 4, we hear the story about a woman that Jesus met one day that was a lot like that oak tree. There was a hollowness inside her that others could see. However, Jesus saw her need because he really knew who she was. Hear what John 4:13-15 tells us in this story, 13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 15The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." Perhaps you are like that oak tree in that there is an emptiness or hollowness inside you that no one else sees. Maybe you feel like you are about to “fall over” with what is going in your life. But you know what? Jesus sees your need just like he saw the need of that woman in John 4, and he ready to quench your thirsty soul if you would only ask. PRAYER “Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more. Fill my cup, lift it up, and make me whole”; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/30/2007 You are reading this while I am on vacation in the mountains of North Carolina. I am sleeping more and spending more time with my wife, Ann. I am exercising more and spending more time in prayer. I am enjoying the beautiful scenery and God’s handiwork in the mountains. While the psalmist tells us that “he who keeps Israel neither slumbers or sleeps”, human beings need time to rest and be renewed. This coming Sunday, we begin our annual Revival Services at Cold Springs Church. I hope you will join us Sunday through Wednesday evenings at 7 pm nightly as my friends Revs. Dave and Lynn Cash share the good news of Christ with us. As we need the renewal that vacation offers, we also need times of spiritual renewal. In Psalm 51:10, the psalmist declares, “ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” I pray that those words will be our prayer during these Revival Services. May each of us as individuals and all of us as a church we renewed in our commitment and our mission as disciples for Jesus Christ. PRAYER Lord and God, we ask that these Revival Services at Cold Springs Church be a spiritual oasis for our church and for us as individuals. May the winds of your Holy Spirit blow afresh on all of us and on each of us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 10/16/2007 Ann and I have been speaking a lot of time talking about weddings recently. Of the three daughters that Ann and I have that are not married, two of our daughters are getting married in 2008. Melissa will be married in May, and Heather will be married next Fall. Since it was 2004 when we had our last wedding in the family when Ginger was married, I had forgotten all the plans there are to made. There are invitations, a reception, flowers, photographer, and (of course) the wedding dress. I have told both Melissa and Heather that they have already taken care of one of the most important details of a wedding, and that is they have picked fine bridegrooms. There is so much to do to get ready for a wedding. Matthew 25 begins with a story of Jesus about a wedding. Weddings were different in Jesus’ day. Today, we receive an invitation that tells us the time and place for a wedding. In Jesus’ day, however, one did not know what the exact time would be. The story tells us that five of the virgins were not ready for the bridegroom. Therefore, they missed the wedding banquet. In this story and the two stories that follow, Jesus emphasizes the importance of being ready for the coming of the Lord. I believe that the Lord is coming. Someday, the Lord is coming to take home all those who have faith and trust in Him. However, I also believe that in this day and this week the Lord is coming. First, the Lord is going to reveal his glory in something or someone around you- a person, an experience, or in His creation. Secondly, I believe that the Lord is going to give you the opportunity to share His love with someone else in a tangible way or intangible way. While it is important to be ready for a wedding, it is more important to be ready for the coming of the Lord in your midst. PRAYER Holy God, thank you for coming among us in this world. We particularly thank you for revealing yourself through your Son, Jesus Christ. As we experience this day and this week., give us open hearts and open eyes to see you and make you seen even through our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 10/9/2007 There was an interesting story in the newspaper and on the television news recently about a fella named John Wood. It seems that a man in Maiden, NC bought a BBQ smoker at a storage facility. When the man looked inside the smoker, he found something wrapped in paper. Inside the paper, the man discovered the leg of John Wood. Reports say that Mr. Wood lost his leg in a 2004 plane crash and saved it because he wanted to be buried a full man. Now, he is trying to get that leg back. That “lost” part of the body is important to John Wood, and parts of the body are important in Christ’s Church. In I Corthians 12: 12-20, the apostle Paul compares the church to the human body: 12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body. You are important in the life and ministry of your church. Without the involvement and ministry of all persons in the body of Christ, the ministry of the church is crippled. PRAYER O Lord and God, I thank you for the gifts and graces you have given me as a part of the body of Christ, the church. Help me, O Lord, to never think that I do not matter to you and do not matter in the ministry of my church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 10/2/2007 I guess that Ann and I are going to have to buy a new car. The reason why is that I heard recently a news report that said that in-dash CD players in cars might soon be a thing of the past just like the audio cassette players and the eight track players before them. Dog-gone it, I had just learned how to work the CD player in our Kia. It seems that digital music is the latest thing, and soon cars will be equipped with devices that will play music off a memory card like the one you have on your MP3 player (if you have an MP3 player). Music certainly has changed through the years and what we hear music from has changed also. The days of the LP record albums you played on record players, and the single vinyl records you played as 45’s are no more. Though the Bible is filled with words of songs to praise the Lord, it does not say anything about methods we use to hear music today like CD players or MP3 players. Yet, it has something to say about changes in the world in which we live because the apostle Paul lived in a world that was changing also. In I Corinthians 13: 8-13, we hear the apostle Paul say, “8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. Changes are always happening around us like the music we hear or the way we listen to the music. And changes will also continue to be happening in us and to us. In a world that is changing, how good it is to know that God and his love never changes. PRAYER O Lord and God, I thank you that though the seasons change from summer to fall and though the leaves change and fall, you and your love never changes. Thank you that we know that we can always count on you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 9/25/2007 I read an interesting article in the Independent Tribune newspaper recently about a man named Ernie Chambers. I don’t know Mr. Chambers, and you probably don’t know Mr. Chambers either because he lives in Nebraska. The newspaper article says that Mr. Chambers is seeking a permanent injunction against the Almighty because God has caused fearsome floods, horrendous hurricanes, and terrifying tornadoes. That newspaper article reminds me of a man named Job that we read about in the book of the Bible by the same name. Though Job was a righteous man, we read that in a single swoop he suffers the death of all his children, the loss of all his possessions, serious health problems, and marital woes. Job is angry, and he brings his charges before God just like Mr. Chambers does. In Job 38: 1-8 we hear a portion of God’s response to his charges: “1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: 2 "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? 3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? 8 "Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb” For several chapters, God asks questions such as these to Job. The Book of Job ends with Job realizing that he does not understand God and His ways, and Job praying for his friends. The Book of Job reminds us of several things. First, it reminds us that it is okay for us to cry out and question God. In places like Job and the Psalms, we see persons cry out with their complaints to God. There is no sin in asking God “why?” We worship a God that is eager to hear the complaints of his creatures as well as their praises. Secondly, this passage from Job also reminds us what a great God we serve and what a wonderful world God has created. We serve a mighty, awesome God that has created us and all things good. Thanks be to God. PRAYER O God, we thank you that you love us so much that you are ready and willing to hear not only our praises, but also our complaints. We praise you for creating all good things, and for our constant presence with us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 9/18/2007 As some of you know, I serve as a volunteer chaplain a few hours a week in the Pastoral Care Department at CMC-NorthEast. I think that service in the community is important, and this is a way that I serve in the community and have served since 1996. As I was chatting at the hospital with my friend, Chaplain Tony Biles, a couple of weeks ago, he received a page from the Intensive Care Unit. The doctor informed Chaplain Biles that there was patient in the ICU who wanted to be baptized. Since Chaplain Biles was tied up, he asked me if I would respond to the call and perform the baptism. Though the patient was unable to talk due to being on a respirator, I learned a little bit about the patient that day through the doctor, nurses, and family of the patient. The woman was a senior citizen, and would soon be taken off of the respirator. The doctor did not know if she would live after the respirator was removed. Her family told me about her life as a mother and wife. Something happened on ICU that day. Healing and wholeness came near even though her body was not instantly healed. A woman that was a senior citizen was “born anew” in Christ. A woman that was connected to all sorts of tubes also became connected to Christ Jesus as one of his disciples. I Peter 1:3-4 declares, “3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you,” Thanks be to God for his transforming love. PRAYER O loving and living God, we thank you for the new life that comes through the grace found in our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, grant that we might die to self and live for Christ and in Christ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/11/2007 It probably is no secret to anyone reading this who lives in the Tar Heel state that we are in drought conditions right now. The amount of rain we have received this year is many inches less than what we need. Most of our area municipalities have called for water conservation measures and will levy fines for those that will not abide by those restrictions. I got an e mail the other day that shared some news about how these drought conditions are impacting the sacrament of baptism in area churches. According to the e mail, the Baptists have started sprinkling, the Methodists are using handi-wipes in baptism, the Presbyterians are issuing rain checks, and the Catholics are praying for the wine to turn into water. I am not so sure about all that; however, I am certain that God is the one that is the giver of rain just like he gives all our blessings. Zechariah 10:1 tells us "Ask the Lord for rain in the Springtime; it is the Lord who makes the storm clouds. He gives showers of rain to men, and plants of the field to everyone." Let us join together in praying for rain. Local governments and even churches can take measures to conserve, but only God can bring the blessing of rain. PRAYER O God, thank you for the showers of blessings and showers of rain you bring to our lives and our world. Hear the prayers of your people for rain on the earth and its people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
DEVOTION FROM PASTOR RANDY 9/4/2007 Ann and I went over to Charlotte a few days ago to see a ball game. I believe we had a better time than did the Carolina Panthers as they played the New England Patriots in an exhibition game. The final score was 24-7, and the Panthers were on the losing end of the score. There were at least 50,000 persons in Bank of America Stadium that Friday evening. Since it was predominately a Carolina Panther crowd, they would cheer loudly when the Panthers made a great play or scored, and they would complain when the Panthers did not do well. Since the game was not so interesting for this Carolina Panther fan, I got to thinking how that football game experience was a metaphor for disciples of Jesus Christ today. There were 22 players on the football field at any given time, but there were thousands of persons who were spectators in the stands. Sometimes it seems like we have just a few people who are busy doing the Lord’s work and a whole lot of people on our church membership rolls or even sitting in the pews who are spectators. As the fans would cheer loudly when the Panthers did well and complain loudly when they did not, it often seems that there are a whole lot of folks who cheer or complain about the Lords work but too few people who are actually “giving their best to the master”. On this day after Labor Day, I am reminded of these words of Jesus from Luke 10: 1-2 which say, “ 1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” If the Carolina Panthers are to have a successful season, they need some good players on the team. If we as the body of Christ are to be faithful to the commission the Lord has given us to make disciples and follow Jesus, we need more than spectators on the sidelines. We need workers on God’s team. If you have been one of the “players” on the body of Christ team, thanks be to God. If you have been simply a spectator, God wants you out of your seat and in the game. PRAYER Lord God, your Son Christ Jesus called disciples long ago and he calls disciples today. Give me courage to answer that calling and awareness to see how I might live out that calling day by day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
8/28/2007 I want to tell you a “whale of a tale” that happened recently at North Myrtle Beach. Three pygmy whales came ashore in North Myrtle Beach a couple of weeks ago. Pygmy whales are about the size of dolphins. Though they are sometimes spotted on the South Carolina coast, they rarely travel that far south. News reports say that whales usually travel in groups and that when one of them gets sick, the others often follow it even if it means they eventually die themselves. This “whale of a tale” does not have a happy ending. Despite the help of beachgoers and wildlife officials, all three pygmy whales had to be euthanized. The first whale was sick and had to be euthanized; the other two whales were unable, despite help, to get back to sea and they were euthanized about one hour after the first whale. That sad story reminds me of some good news about God, and that good news is that the God who created those whales and created us is with us in times of death just as those two pygmy whales were with the sick whale. The apostle Paul reminds us of that truth in Romans 8:38-39 where we read, “38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What an awesome and loving God we serve. PRAYER Lord God, we praise you that in life, in death, and in life beyond death that you are with us. Thank you for our love and faithfulness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
8/21/2007 Ann and I made a brief pilgrimage to Myrtle Beach last week as I had the good fortune to be a part of the leadership of the Convocation on the Rural Church sponsored by Duke Divinity School and held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. From the traffic we saw there, there are a lot of folks who do the same thing this time of year. One of the things that we brought back with us, whether we like it or not, was sand. Sand is somewhat aggravating, isn’t it? We wash it off our feet and shoes, and we vacuum it out of our cars. Have you ever thought about how many grains of sand are on the beach? Long ago, God did. In Genesis 22:17, we read where God tells Abraham, “17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies”. As I briefly walked the beach last week, it occurred to me that there in the sand is a reminder of the promise and hope of God that desires for each one of us and all of us to be His children. PRAYER Lord God, we thank you for the truth that you desire to adopt all of us to be your children. We rejoice, O Lord, that such a promise is based not on our goodness, but on the salvation that is ours through Jesus Christ that is only a prayer away. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, help our status as your sons and daughters to be seen in our lives day by day; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
8/14/2007 Many that receive this devotion also regularly receive e mail prayer requests. I am grateful for this prayer ministry and for the many persons that participate in it. While the internet is filled with many opportunities for evil, this is an example of a way that the internet can be used for good. What a privilege it is to pray for one another. These prayer concerns are often filled with sickness and surgeries, trouble and tragedy. It occurs to me that when someone else faces needs and request our prayers that it is a blessed opportunity for the “church to be the church”. While I am not fluent in Chinese, I am told that the Chinese character that stands for crisis also stands for opportunity. When we hear of prayer concerns, we have the holy opportunity to pray for others and be in ministry to them (including those who are in times of crisis). As Galatians 6:10 puts it, “10As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." PRAYER Lord God, we pray today for those persons and situations that are on our personal and church prayer list. Be with each need and each person. Be at work in these situations doing more than we ask or even imagine. Thank you for the opportunity that we have to come before the throne of grace and be a prayer support for others; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
8/7/2007 When Ann and I took a few days of vacation in late July, one of the things we did was travel to the North Carolina Outer Banks and watch the outdoor drama, “The Lost Colony”. The “Lost Colony” out door drama is observing its 70th anniversary this year, but the story it tells is much older than that. The story goes that in the late 1500’s Queen Elizabeth I gave permission to Sir Walter Raleigh to establish a colony in the New World we now call the United States. A small band of men, women, and children set sail and settled at what is now known as Manteo, North Carolina. When rations became low, Ralph White and a few others set sail for England to get provisions. When they returned many months later, they discovered a “lost colony”. What happened to the colonists remains a source of mystery and speculation even to this day. It occurs to me that in the church of Jesus Christ we have our own “Lost Colony”, and it is that group of people that get lost from our pews, our programs, and involvement in the life of our church. They are the people that joined our church and were involved in the life of the body of Christ. Though we might see them in the grocery store or in the community, we never see them and ministry of the church. As Ralph White and company searched for the colonists lost from Roanoke Island, so it is our responsibility as the church to be concerned about their welfare. Perhaps they are not involved in the church because of something that has happened in their life where the body of Christ, the church, might be a source of support and strength. Perhaps they are not involved in the life of the church anymore because of an unfortunate encounter in their relationship with someone in the church. In Luke 15, Jesus tells us not about a lost colony, but about a lost sheep who is sought out by the shepherd. As God’s instruments in the world today, it seems imperative on we who are the church to search for those lost colonists who once were a part of our church. It might be that not only their soul depends on it, but our soul depends on it also. PRAYER Lord God, we pray today for those who have vanished from the life and program of our church. Remembering how your love searched and sought us, help us to reach out to them; in the name of Jesus Christ we pray and we serve. Amen. |
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