Prayer

It's either that I'm getting older or that I'm more spiritual or that I have kids now. In any case, I find myself praying more that I ever thought I would. I remember that during my confirmation class (in the UCC church), we had to write some thoughts about our feelings and beliefs about faith. Mine took the form of a technical essay that posed uneducated hypotheses about such things as "what is the afterlife like" and "why we fold our hands when we pray."

I still don't know the answers to those questions. I do believe in the importance and value of prayer. Though I also believe that some prayer is good and some is not so good. I don't know the exact criteria, but I think that it probably depends on the context and the intent.

Here are three short stories about prayer:

For the sick
At 12 weeks, my wife and I took our still small 8 pound daughter to the hospital for open heart surgery. While in the hospital, prior to surgery, one of our pastors came, prayed, and gave us a prayer-shawl/blanket for her.

We sat with her through the night, watched the nurses prep her, and carried her down to the pediatric surgical area. My wife handed our tiny daughter to the anestesiologist, we kissed her, and walked away... I always assumed that we were walking away for good. After 5 hours of surgery, it was done and things had gone smoothly. I didn't think of it at the time, but we later learned that many were praying for our family.

As soon as we could, the prayer-shawl/blanket made it's way onto our daughter's ICU bed. 5 short days later, we were out of the hospital and at home again.

Over the next few weeks, we learned about all of the prayer circles and friends and pastoral prayers that had mentioned our tiny daughter. It means a lot to me to know that so many people were thinking about our family.


For the injured
Several years ago, a good friend in the church lost her husband in a sudden and violent crime. In the subsequent months, she received continuous pity from those around her. The crime made state-wide news and, as a result, our friend began receiving unsolicited emails of condolence from across the state stating that "I am praying for you and your family in this time of struggle." Few ever confronted her directly though. How does one politely ask "what's it like to have your husband die and to suddenly become a single-parent?" Instead, she got hushed whispers, warm "greetings," and a good deal of awkwardness.

The unrelenting attention and charity being offered eventually lead her to the painful decision that she must leave the church and her community in order to make any progress .


For the jobless
This past week, the company I work for "incurred a reduction in force" -- as we say. After the notifications were made, and those employees who did not lose their jobs recovered from the emotional intensity of watching their colleagues get walked out the door, one of the first reuqests was for a list of employees that were impacted to prepare a prayer list.


Blessings to all in need.

Welcome Mat

We have another new member for our blog roll! Sparky's Garage: You never know what you might find. Thoughts on all things meaningful and some, not so much.

"Sparky" doesn't blog every day, but what he does post is worth reading. His two most recent posts are about the meaning of friendship and the emergent church movement. Enjoy!

A big unofficial PC(USA) Blog welcome to Sparky's Garage!

Sunday Lectionary Devotions: Bible Bumper Sticker

Lectionary Verse

Psalm 20:4 - May God give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. (NIV)

I've got my favourite bumper-sticker Bible verse on my car again. It's today's verse from Psalm 20. I printed it out in large letters and put it on the inside of my back window. Once again, when I'm stopped at traffic lights, I'm seeing people write down the verse and smiling. I guess that during these uncertain times, people find it's good to know God is with them.

That also reminds me of one of the names that we know Jesus by: "Emmanuel", which means "God is with us." I only knew one person who was called Emmanuel in my whole life. I met him in senior high. He was one of the brightest mathematicians that I have ever known. Whenever any of our grade had problems with our math homework, we would say to one another, "Let's ask Manny. He'll know the answer." And he did.

So why was he called Emmanuel? Were his parents ultra-holy? Did they believe that their son was destined for great things? No. They gave him the name when he was born and they saw him for the first time. Manny was a hunchback, so I guess his name was a prayer for God to be with him throughout his life. When you're only four feet tall in senior high and look different, the world can be a hard place. But with a name like Emmanuel, you can stand ten feet tall and know that God sees your beautiful soul and accepts you as a child of God.

After senior high, Manny used his mathematical skills and became a highly sought-after computer programmer.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, each day we ask You to be with us, but sometimes what we're asking is that You accompany us wherever we go. Help us to understand that we are meant to follow You, and that when we pray for You to be with us, we are not only needing You to be near us, but we are ready to rise up and accompany You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart, aka Stushie, is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He writes and sometimes podcast the devotional blog page "Heaven's Highway."

Today's image is taken from John's Psalms Project Artwork, some of which is on public exhibit this month in Knoxville.

Read and Learn -- a Crazy Good Chapter

I recently finished a book called, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan. The first two or three chapters are nothing that will be new to anyone reading this -- you may not agree with it, but you will have seen it before -- 1. Try and focus on the awesomeness of God and his creation; 2. Get over the idea that this world is all about you; 3. Consider how much God really loves us. Well done in a kind of casual, trying-to-be cool, post-modern way, yes; but not new.

Read this book for Chapter 4. Profile of the Lukewarm.

The opening of Chapter 4 is a quote from Forum Magazine:

It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.

The bulk of this chapter is a series of fairly biting descriptions of what the author feels are stereotypical, luke-warm American Christians. Each description is followed by one or more Bible verses pillorying the description. I would excerpt one or two of them here, but they really are best taken as a whole.

The rest of the book is worth reading, but get your hands on the book for Chapter 4.

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on June 14 2009

Here are the passages for June 14th, 2009, the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). (Note that the numbering picks up from before Lent, and that several "named" Sundays, such as Trinity Sunday last week, are counted in this number despite my not always mentioning this explicitly.) All links are to the TNIV via BibleGateway.com, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead (either with your own Bible, or via the drop-down menu at BibleGateway.com).

1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

• I find it odd that the lectionary drops us right into the story after the incident where Samuel told Saul that the Lord had rejected him (because Saul failed to carry out the Lord's instructions), telling us only about the aftermath. Why do you think the lectionary frames this reading in this way?
• What does it mean about God that we can read about God having regrets?
• We often hear and tell this story to demonstrate that God does not look for leaders the way that humans do, but what does it tell us that Samuel, who knew God fairly well, made such human assumptions? And just what do we learn about God's criteria for leadership?
  

Psalm 20

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17

• The Revised Common Lectionary allows churches the option of reading--or not reading--the verses in parentheses.
  
• The first verse seems phrased rather strangely to me. Paul seems to link his "confidence" with the knowledge that he is "away from the Lord." Surely this isn't what he means! What's he getting at?
• (In the optional verses) Paul mentions that he is giving his readers an "opportunity to take pride in" Paul and his companions, "so that (they) can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart." What kind of "answer" does Paul imagine that the Corinthians will give?
• Paul says the he longer regards anyone "from a worldly point of view." But what does his new point of view (presumably that of Christ) look like? What difference does it make?
  

Mark 4:26-34

• Here are two different seed parables. Why does Jesus use "seed" imagery so much?
  
• We are told that Jesus "explained everything" when he was alone with his disciples (and indeed see an example of such explanations elsewhere in the gospels). But why does Jesus "teach" the masses in such "unclear" ways (so as to need an explanation) in the first place? And, judging from how his disciples often acted (Mark, in particular, tends to portray them as pretty dense), just how clear were Jesus' explanations? What hope is there that Christians today can understand these teachings?

Bound, Bound, Bound and Rebound

As a parent of young children who are moving through development stages so quickly, I'm often amazed at how little perspective I have about the bigger picture of life. There are times that I really struggle with whatever challenges we're facing as parents. At those times I think to myself that things are horrible, are a struggle more often than not, and that this phase might NEVER END! And in direct contrast, when my kids do things that warm my heart and make me glow, I know in my heart that they're the perfect gift from God. I'm not truly bipolar. I have learned during my brief 5 years of parenthood and spiritual growth to remember that life comes with ups and downs.

This weekend, we went together as a family to see the latest Disney Pixar animated film, Up!. It reminded us how much we like the Pixar Shorts. In fact, we have a DVD collection of them. One of our favorites, because of both the relevant message about weathering the ups and downs of life (and, for my pride in my childhood home state's unofficial mascot, the jackalope character) is a short story called Boundin'.

Enjoy this for your somewhat non-traditional Tuesday devotional.

Who ARE We?

What does it mean to be Presbyterian?

Indeed, what does it mean to be Christian?

Is it about what you do?

Is it about what you believe?

Is it a combination of both?

Who decides?

There's an inherent tension, I believe, between making sure that we stand for something, and not putting too much focus on policing member belief and behavior. We believe, after all, in the priesthood of all believers. But not all differences, not all principles can be cleared away with a rhetorical flourish.

Who is to judge? And how?

The root problem is that our systems rely on humans. Human humans, the kind with strengths and weaknesses, love and pain, doubts and sins and failures of every kind.

I know more Christians than I can count who work hard for a greater good, doing important works without calling attention to themselves, trying as best they can to follow Jesus' example.

I have seen good Christians behave in horrible ways to others in their communities: lying, manipulating, scheming, hurting all in the pursuit of an end they believed important.

The vast majority of Presbyterians I know serve honestly and with integrity. It pains and annoys me to say that like in every other organization, there are some Presbyterians who really like to be in the middle of conflict, who thrive on behind-the-scenes politicking, who believe that the ends do justify the means, who lose sight of larger goals in pursuit of immediate minutia, who seek power for its own sake.

(Disclosure: someone very dear to me was once viciously pursued and professionally harmed by a career administrator/executive who engaged in gossip, lying, secret meetings, and horrendously unprofessional behavior from a position of denominational power. This experience . . . shocked off my rose-colored glasses. It was actually a lot like a certain Ministry of Magic official - hem hem - in the fifth Harry Potter book/movie. It might have been laughable if it weren't so real.)

I'm sure there are damaged apples in every part of the tree, from youth to member, staff, clergy, executive, moderator, volunteer. We're all damaged apples, one way or another.

what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? MICAH 6:8 NRSV

I don't think our system is irrevocably broken. I just think we need reminding, every now and then, what we're about. I think we'll do bad things, sometimes, as individuals and as an organization, precisely because we're human. We fail and we fall short and we pick ourselves up to try again.

Still, I'd love to know what you think about this essay, called: The Inquisition.

For me, the single-word answer for how I feel is: unsettled.

Where I am right now, I tend to look for justice and kindness and humility on a personal scale before seeking out a larger context. I think it's hard to go wrong when facing this direction; the personal can and should be expanded outward to the global, while the neighbor can be disregarded when the focus is on the entire world.

Special Devotion: The Tank Man of Tiananmen Square

Yesterday saw the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests in China. I wrote this devotional to commemorate the bravery of the two  thousand  Chinese students and citizens who lost their lives during the protests.

Psalm 147:6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

It was the most courageous act that I have ever seen in my life. It took place twenty years ago  in the Chinese capital of Beijing. A young student was standing in the middle of Tiananmen Square in front of a gigantic military tank. It was the modern equivalent of David and Goliath and the whole world waited to see what would happen. Would the Chinese authorities listen to the protests of the students? Would the liberties and freedoms that the young people protested for, be made available to them?

Sadly, the students were massacred and the world did nothing. As usual, the United Nations made a formal complaint and there was some talk of sanctions. But it came to nothing and China, as it has done for a long time, got away with human rights violations. Even today, on this twentieth anniversary of that remarkable historical event in the annals of human dignity and freedom, the corrupt Chinese authorities are clamping down by removing dissidents away from the Square and ignoring the rights of the anguished families who lost loved ones. They are also limiting internet access, so that their citizens cannot read any material about worldwide commemorations of this day.

So much for the Chinese Government’s promises of allowing their people civil liberties to formally protest against the corruption of their leaders. So much for the commitment that was made during last summer’s Olympic Games which hypocritically portrayed China as a modern freedom loving nation. People are still being oppressed, imprisoned, violated, and executed in China and what does the world do? It turns a blind eye for fear of annoying this despicable and dishonorable dragon.

Today I will be praying for the humble people of China. I will ask God to sustain them and to cast their wicked government to the ground. I will pray for Christian pastors in Chinese prisons and for their families to be protected. I will honor the memory of the Tank Man of Tiananmen Square, who faced up to his oppressors and showed the world that human beings have an unalienable right to be free.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You stood up to the corrupt authorities in Your own time and confronted both the political and religious hypocrites who were oppressing Your people. It cost You everything.

Remind us that we as Christians are called not only to follow You but to confront evil and injustice in the world. Give us the courage to speak out and against those governments of China, North Korea, and Myanmar who control their citizens through acts of terror, fear, and oppression. In Your Holy and Powerful Name, we pray. Amen.

If you want to see what actually happened on that historic day, visit the following Youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ToqbHQXg2c

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please male a comment below or send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. He’d love to hear your thoughts on this very important anniversary.

Celebrating Calvin's 500th

Aside to Justice Seeker: Not available on Kindle, alas.

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on June 7, 2009

Here are the passages for June 7th, 2009, Trinity Sunday (Year B). All links are to the TNIV via BibleGateway.com, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead (either with your own Bible, or via the drop-down menu at BibleGateway.com).

Isaiah 6:1-8

• Who was King Uzziah? Why does Isaiah make a point of mentioning his death as the time that this vision took place?
• Why is Isaiah's immediate reaction to seeing these things one of despair?
• Why should a live coal (an obviously physical object) be appropriately used to obtain penance for "unclean lips" (which have little to do with physical lips being unclean)?
  

Psalm 29

Romans 8:12-17

• What kinds of "misdeeds of the body" does the Spirit enable us to "put to death"? If Paul describes this as an "obligation," does that imply choice on our part? What role, then, does the Spirit play?
  
• Much has been made of the term "Abba" as resembling baby talk, although this apparently has little historical evidence. Rather, it seems to be a term used by adult children of a father.
• If we are heirs, what are we inheriting?
  

John 3:1-17

• Why do you think Nicodemus sought Jesus out? Why at night?
• Why does Jesus use the example of Moses and the snake? How is that story at all similar to what Jesus says must happen with the "Son of Man"?
  
• Pretty much everyone knows John 3:16, and so providing new insight might be difficult. On the other hand, sometimes a reminder of simple truths already known can be extremely valuable.
• If you'll note the footnote for verse 15, you'll see that there's disagreement about whether the words after verse 15 are Jesus' words to Nicodemus or not (In fact, the TNIV suggests that verse 16 and what follows isn't Jesus speaking). Why might there be disagreement here? Does it change one's understanding of this passage if the famous John 3:16 is spoken by Jesus to Nicodemus, or if it is John's later interpretive statement about this story?
  

Modern Major General

Today's reflection is just going to be funny -- at least for any musical fans out there.

I ran across a Google parody of the infamous Gilbert & Sullivan song, "A Modern Major General" the other day, and that sent me on a search for other parodies of the same song. So, I went in search of Christian ones.

Below is a fun history of Christianity set to the tune.


There are other Christian ones, but you'll have to judge for yourself if you think they're appropriate or not.

Beating Out the Welcome Mat as School Ends

It's summer vacation, here! I hope you're all relaxing and enjoying the sun wherever you are. While you're cooling off in front of your computer, we have a new member of the web ring for you to visit.

E-manna > Electric Spiritual Nourishment from Jon Burnham: Daily reflections on the lectionary and the intersection of religion and technology by Rev. Dr. Jon Burnham, Pastor of St. John's Presbyterian Church in Houston.

Welcome to the web ring, Rev. Dr. Burnham! I have a question for ya. St. John's Presbyterian's website doesn't list a denominational affiliation. Are you all part of the PC(USA) or a different denomination? (Not that you couldn't join us if you're not PC(USA); I'm just always curious about churches that don't list a denominational affiliation.)

Glad to have you!

Sunday Lectionary Devotions: A Pentecostal Spirit

Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (NIV)

Almost thirty years ago, I visited a university town in Spain called Valladolid (pronounced 'baya-dolith). It was originally a castle town and had some beautiful medieval buildings, cathedrals and colleges all over it. I was there with a friend of mine who had once trained to be a priest. We were visiting his old haunts and he introduced me to a lot of good Spanish people.

One evening, we went to a school building, where many people gathered together for prayer. Handicapped persons, people in wheelchairs, and all sorts of sick people were at the meeting. We sat in a circle, and the priest, who was leading the group, began to pray. Other people followed him and then I spoke my prayer. It was in English because I didn't have enough Spanish to put a sentence together. After I prayed, the priest interpreted and re-prayed my prayer. Once he had finished, a holy hush fell upon the room, and then, suddenly, people began singing in tongues.

I had never experienced anything like this before. It was beautiful and everyone, even those who were sick or sitting in wheelchairs joined in. The sound was like a hundred songs being sung at the same time, with different melodies and rhythms, but they harmonized perfectly. Then things began to quieten down, and after another time of silence, people started to go home.

It was a profound experience and one that I have never encountered again. The only explanation I can give is that the Holy Spirit descended upon all of us, and gave us a great gift of angelic song that evening. One glorious day, I hope to sing like that again, in the heavenly halls of glory, with millions upon millions of people and angels.

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit amongst us and for giving Your Church a wonderful source of comfort and counsel, guidance and love. Fill our hearts with Your Holy Spirit and lead us by His presence in our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Presbyterian Screensaver: Calvin's Tulip

Getting ready to celebrate 500 years

Thursday Read and Learn: Angels and Demons, Book or Movie?

This summer brings another Dan Brown novel to a movie theater near you. Angels and Demons, published in 2000, is the prequel to his controversial (and wildly successful) book The DaVinci Code. The story line of both books revolves around conflicts between science and religion, and religion is represented in both by the Roman Catholic church.

PresbyBlogger John Edward Harris (Summit to Shore) posted a review of the movie version and compared it favorably to the book.

Although I haven't seen Angels and Demons yet, I did read the book and also read The DaVinci Code and saw the movie version.

I thought Angels and Demons was a better book than Da Vinci Code, but agree with Harris that the movie version of DaVinci Code was not as good as the book.

If you read either of these books or saw either of the movie versions (or both) what's your opinion?

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on May 31, 2009

Here are the passages for May 31st, 2009, Pentecost Sunday (Year B). All links are to the TNIV via BibleGateway.com, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead (either with your own Bible, or via the drop-down menu at BibleGateway.com).

Ezekiel 37:1-14

• Why is this story told on this particular Sunday?
• Why is this miracle done in stages? Why does God not just restore the bones to life all at once? Why does God have Ezekiel prophecy multiple times, and to different (inanimate?) audiences?
• When Ezekiel "prophesies" in this passage, what do you think he's saying? What does he actually tell the bones and the breath (or "wind" in the KJV)?
  

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

• One of the down-sides to BibleGateway.com is that the site doesn't really know how to handle partial verses, such as that called for with verse 35b here. The letter "b" indicates that only a part of the verse is to be read as part of the lectionary. In this case, the reading starts with the second part of the verse, which begins "Praise the LORD, my soul."
  
• Why does the lectionary leave out the first part of verse 35? It's just a few words.
  

Romans 8:22-27

• What do we learn about the Spirit in this passage?

Acts 2:1-21

• As Presbyterians, we probably have different interpretations of this passage than, say, Pentecostals might, and so I apologize in advance for my ignorance of how such traditions that practice active "speaking in tongues" might view this passage. But as I read this story, I am led to understand that if Peter (for example) was speaking, and two other people were in the room, each from a different part of the world, the person from (let's say) France would hear French while the person from England would hear English, even though Peter is speaking in Aramaic. Is this a commonly understood Presbyterian interpretation? Would a Pentecostal (for example) understand this passage differently? What other interpretations are there?
  
• Assuming that my interpretation of the Pentecost story is not widely different from someone else's, how might we account for the difference between this passage and current "charismatic" practice? What might we learn from them? What might they learn from us?
• Why might the Spirit have chosen to be revealed in this way?
  

John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

• One of the down-sides to BibleGateway.com is that the site doesn't really know how to handle partial verses, such as that called for with verse 4b here. The letter "b" indicates that only a part of the verse is to be read as part of the lectionary. In this case, the reading starts with the second part of the verse, which begins "I did not tell you this from the beginning...".
• The word translated here as "Advocate" has been translated a number of different ways, including "Helper," "Comforter," and "Counselor" (I find it interesting that nearly all of the translations I consulted capitalize the word). What is Jesus trying to get at?
• Why is it necessary for Jesus to have gone before the "Advocate" can come? Why is it not better to have Jesus remain with them than to have the "Advocate" (which is, at best, not as undeniably present to outsiders as Jesus in the flesh was)?
• What can the Spirit do that Jesus can not (or, at least, does not) do on his own?
  

Memorial Committee

As I looked out from the pulpit this morning,
I could see all the people
In our living Memorial Committee.

A lady in a wheelchair
Who, at the age of twelve
On her home island of Hawaii,
Watched Japanese planes
Fly across the sky
On their way to bomb
Pearl Harbor.

Across the aisle
Sat another lady,
Whose young Jewish parents had given
Her away to a Dutch couple,
Just before they were arrested
By the Nazis
And taken to a Concentration Camp
Where they died.

Three rows behind her,
Was a man who had been
Amongst the first American troops
To liberate European Jews from
Hitler’s Death Camps.

Behind him was a farmer’s wife,
Whose brother
Had been seriously wounded
On a beach in Normandy
June 6, 1944.

Four pews in front of her
Sat another man
Whose father
Had been a fighter pilot
Over the English Channel
And into France.

On the other side
Sat another woman,
Whose husband
Fought alongside
Fellow marines
Across several
South Pacific islands.

In the soprano section
Of the church choir,
Sat the preacher’s wife,
Whose father had been rescued
Off the coast of Italy
After his British destroyer
Was torpedoed and sank by
Enemy aircraft.

And sitting quietly,
At the back of the choir
In the tenor section,
Was a paratrooper,
Who at the age of twenty,
Had miraculously survived
The Battle of Bastogne
In that deadly winter
Of December 1944.

With such members
In our Memorial team,
We will never forget
Those who served
And died for Freedom.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Sunday Devotion: Dunkeld

Lectionary verse - Psalm 1:3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Several summers ago, I took a group of church people to tour Scotland. It was a wonderful experience and I personally delighted in showing everyone the wonders and beauty of the auld country.

In the middle of the tour, we visited a small town, right in the heart of Scotland, called Dunkeld. The scenery was breathtaking and all the tourists loved the buildings, bridges and beautiful gardens in and around the town. We stayed there for two days, but just before we left the town, I took the group to a secret spot behind the Birnham hotel, where we were staying.

We walked for about 500 yards and came to the riverside. There, next to the water banks, stood four ancient oak trees, about 900 years old. They were massive and the girth of one of the trunks took half of our party to ring. It was wonderful to experience one of Scotland's hidden treasures.

For nine hundred years, those trees had been planted by the water. They were mentioned in Shakespeare's Scottish play "MacBeth" in the lines "when Birnham wood comes to Dunisane hill." They had survived the most turbulent years of Scottish history, and they still thrive and bear fruit every year.

Today's verse tells us about the prosperity and strength of those who rely upon the Lord. It's a lesson for all of us to experience, for no matter what we go through - pain, sorrow, or trouble - if we remain true to the Lord, He will enable us to endure, overcome, and prosper.

Personal Prayer:    Lord God, Your strength carries me throughout life and Your will sustains me. Enable me to remain focused upon Your ways, so that I may spiritually thrive and faithfully prosper in Your kingdom on earth. Refresh my soul with the Living Water of Jesus Christ and strengthen my soul through the riches of His grace. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the writer of the devotional blog "Heaven's Highway," as well as being the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Weekend Screensaver: Spirit Spectrum

Celebrating Pentecost next weekend. Feel free to copy or share.

You can see more of my digital glass artwork at Stushie's Art.

Sunday School Lessons

On Sunday mornings, I teach a Gospel Lectionary Class using movie clips to help the class focus on the themes. I subscribe to Wingclips which is a terrific resource for downloading short clips. The subscription is about $15 a month. I use about 3-4 clips a lesson.

Here's my lesson for this coming Sunday:

Opening Prayer

Intro: John 17 contains the prayer that Jesus made on behalf of His disciples and future Church. He is interceding for the protection of His followers who are going to be persecuted when they go out into the world. We should be mindful that John’s Gospel was written about 50 years after this event took place, so this prayer would be highly relevant to the Mediterranean Christian Church which was beginning to be heavily persecuted by the Roman Empire at this time.

Clip #1 China Cry – Yes or No (3.33)

First reading - John 17:9-11

9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name-the name you gave me-so that they may be one as we are one.

 

Q:        Why do you think Jesus didn’t pray for the world at this crucial time? How does the Church bring glory to Jesus? Why does Jesus pray for the Church’s protection through the Holy Spirit? Is that prayer still relevant today? How do we pray for the Church today?

Clip #2 – Knowing – Highway Crash (1.38)

 

Second reading – John 17:12-13

12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

 

Q:        How does Christ’s Name protect us? Have we experienced this in our lives? Who was the one doomed to destruction? Does this seem fair? Does this confirm predestination and, if so, how does that affect our own lives? How do we experience Christ’s joy in our lives today?

 

Clip #3 – UP – Russell (1.04)

 

Third Reading – John 17:14

14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

 

Q:        Why did the world hate the First Christians? What was so radical about their message? Does the world still hate the Church today? Why/why not? What do you think it means to be ‘not of the world?’ How do we apply that principle in our faith today?

 

Featured Trailer – Earth (2.10) – we may not be of this world, but we are certainly stewards of the planet.

 

Closing Prayer

John Stuart (aka Stushie) is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He writes the daily devotional podcast "Heaven's Highway."

Thursday Review -- Looking Around

Grace is moving, and I'm in trial Friday with major work events stacked up for the next few weeks, so today you are getting other people's reviews.

Christianity Today has what is really a list rather than reviews of My Top Five Spiritual Memoirs, by Lauren Winner. She lists brief descriptions of 5 books: Facing East: A Pilgrim's Journey into the Mysteries of Orthodoxy, by Frederica Mathewes-Green; Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in Faith, by Nora Gallagher; Miriam's Kitchen: A Memoir, by Elizabeth Ehrlich; Virgin Time: In Search of the Contemplative Life, by Patricia Hampl; and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriet Jacobs.

I thought several of these looked interesting, but only one of them is available on Kindle -- so don't expect me to be reading them anytime soon. (I am blaming Grace for my addiction. There is no basis in truth for that whatsoever, but it is convenient and easy and I am sticking to it.)

Also on Christianity Today's website currently is an interview with W. Robert Godfrey on his biography, John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor. I am planning on reading this one, but it will have to wait until after I finish a humongous, but very well done, biography of Jonathan Edwards.

If anyone checks out any of the books mentioned above, let us know. We would love to hear from you some Thursday.

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on May 24, 2009

Here are the passages for May 24th, 2009, the Seventh Sunday of Easter (Year B). All links are to the TNIV via BibleGateway.com, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead (either with your own Bible, or via the drop-down menu at BibleGateway.com).

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

• Here we read an (edited) account of the calling of Matthias, Judas' replacement among the Twelve. Why was it important that a replacement be called?
  
• Why is the casting of lots considered a viable means of selection for the new apostle?
• Why do we never hear of Matthias again within the Scriptures?
  

Psalm 1

1 John 5:9-13

• It's almost cliche to point out that John considers "belief" in the Son of God important, but what does it mean to John to have such belief?
  

John 17:6-19

• This prayer is made by Jesus shortly before his arrest leading to his crucifixion. How is it that we have this account? Who was watching Jesus make it, or who did Jesus relate it to afterwards?
• I imagine that exegetes could ask all sorts of questions about this prayer. I'll try to limit myself to a couple. What does Jesus' prayer tell us about himself? What does Jesus' prayer tell us about those who follow him? Is he praying just for his followers present with him in first-century Palestine, or for all followers throughout all time and in all places?
  

Justice

And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

As an employee and leader employed by a faith-based corporation that isn't strictly aligned with my own personal beliefs, I sometimes feel like I get an added struggle to my faith journey. For instance, during leadership training, the religious leaders of my organization have made a clear statement that justice and fairness are very different ideals. God requires justice; and justice will not necessarily be fair.

For early childhood, we know that life isn't always fair: Sometimes your sister gets the piece of cake with more frosting. Or your have to go to grandma's house over the weekend and miss a friend's birthday party. Or a loved one passes away unexpectedly. Or would-be perfect parents suffer another tragic loss. We all experience things that simply aren't fair, and we struggle to accept the idea that life isn't always fair.

Is it always just, though?

Criminals get away with murder on technicalities. Huge corporations get away with slave labor in third world countries. Natural disasters kills tens or hundreds of thousands and destroy millions of lives. Surely, there's no justice there.

What is it we're looking for in justice?

Maybe justice or injustice isn't something that is done TO anyone, but rather a characteristic of how someone chooses to behave. The text actually says that we're to ACT justly - it doesn't say seek justice or make sure others are treated justly - ACT justly.

Whose justice are we talking about?

Perhaps my definition of justice is too human and, therefore, too close to fairness. God's judgment, perhaps is the one to consider. God's judgment would be based on the things that we do in accordance with God's laws rather than human laws. I think that definition of justice would hold all of us to too low a standard.

What does it mean to act justly?

Love your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind.
Love thy neighbor as yourself.

Two of Our Own

Today I'd like to highlight two pastors who write regularly on their personal blogs in addition to their contributions to the PC(USA) Blog.

First is Rev. John Stuart (aka Stushie) at Heaven's Highway, who's done some interesting blogging about human rights abuses in China and elsewhere. Excerpt:

Before last summer’s Olympics, I wrote to you about a Chinese Christian, Alimujiang Yimiti, who had been arrested in January 2007 for preaching the Gospel. He was one of the reasons that I boycotted the Games in China. I couldn’t stomach the fact that whilst the whole world was marveling at the Olympics, a Christian brother was languishing in a Chinese jail just because he was a preacher like me.

And second is Rev. John Shuck at Shuck and Jive. A few weeks ago, I blogged about Robert Jensen's book All My Bones Shake: Seeking a Progressive Path to the Prophetic Voice, which prompted an interesting discussion about what it means to call oneself Presbyterian, or even Christian. Rev. Shuck has reviewed the book on his blog and started some interesting discussion there about Christianity and atheism more generally. Excerpt:

What is an atheist? My general rule is that if you want to know how folks define themselves you ought to ask them. When that happens you find that things are generally not so simple. People define themselves for different reasons and mean many different things. At times our self-definition changes depending upon how the categories are defined.

I agree with many atheists in that I don't believe in the god they don't believe in either. But that doesn't mean much. If a person makes a straw man of my belief, I likely won't accept his or her definition. Often the terms are defined too narrowly (by both Christians and atheists).

These two PC(USA) pastors are very different (separated in ideology and theology if not geography) and yet part of the same denomination. Which is part of why I love it so.

Sunday Devotion: John 15:16 - A Good Choice

John 15:16  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. (NIV)

 I can remember when I was young playing for my street soccer team in Scotland. Before a game, the two best players lined everyone else up on the sidewalk and began to alternatively choose players. Each time a selection was made, you could see the fear and anxiety in everyone’s face. Inwardly, we were all thinking, “Choose me next!” At the same time, we were also praying, “Don’t leave me till the end!” It was a mark of shame and a dent in a young boy’s pride to be chosen last. I know that to be true, because I experienced it several times.

                Thank goodness that Christ does not choose people sequentially. He chooses us because we have gifts and talents, qualities and characteristics that are unique and much needed for His ministry on earth. Wherever we are and whatever we do, Christ always gives us opportunities to make an impact with our faith. He expects us to bear fruit with our lives, especially when we are around other people in our homes, our churches, or our work places. Today, He has chosen you and I to fulfill His work in our community. His blessing and favor are upon us. Now let’s go out and show Jesus that His choice was the right one.

 Prayer:  Lord Jesus, thank You for choosing me. I am not worthy of Your Holiness, but I am delighted to be blessed by Your choice. Guide me and help me to bear witness to Your Love. Let me share Your grace with all whom You have chosen for me to meet this day. In Your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. he writes the daily devotional "Heaven's Highway" blog.

Christian Bumper Sticker Shock

...sadly, a lot of Christians seem to believe this...

Photo source from MTSOfan's page on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtsofan/

Kirking of the Tartan Service

Scottish Highland Games take place all over the United States over the next six months. Sometimes Presbyterian pastors are asked to conduct the Kirking ceremony at the Games or host a kirking service at their churches. I've been doing this for 15 years, but I don't think this is taught at seminary. So here's my rendition of what a kirking should look like:

Kirkin' of the Tartan Service – Kirking of the Tartan Service

(I have done this on many occasions, at different Games & in churches in the United States. I also speak at Burns Suppers and have given humorous after-dinner speeches at St. Andrews Day events. Contact me by e-mail at Traqair@aol.com if you need any advice about hosting your own church service.

(The following is a copy of the service that I have used at several Highland Games)

Introduction:

On this special day, we gather for the Kirkin of the Tartan. In the middle of the eighteenth century, when our forefathers in Scotland had been defeated in the Jacobite rebellion, the wearing of the Tartan, the playing of the bagpipes and the bearing of arms were all ruthlessly outlawed by the Hanovarian English government.

On Sunday mornings at church, during the years when these bans were publicly enforced, Scots people would secretly carry a small piece of their clan's tartan to church under their clothes. Thus, when the minister ended the worship service with the benediction, that tartan was blessed and God's favor was bestowed upon the Scottish people.

Today, we celebrate their persistence and strong independence by proudly displaying the tartans and publicly parading the clans to the stirring sounds of the pipes.
Clan representatives and flag bearers are piped across the Games field. They stand in line in front of the altar.

We begin this commemoration with the roll call of the Clans. As you hear your own clan being called, please stand.

Honored representatives, proudly declare the names of your sacred clans!

Starting at the left, the Flag bearers will state the name of their Clan, Society or District. The Flags are held upright. When finished with the Roll Call, the pastor announces and gives the prayer of Dedication. During this prayer, heads are bowed and flags are tipped at a 45 degree angle.


On behalf of all Scots away from Scotland, these honored representatives present their tartans before Almighty God and ask His blessings on these sacred colors.

Let us dedicate these tartans to the One, True and Living God.

Prayer: Almighty God, who has promised that in all places where You record Your Name, that You will meet with Your servants to bless them; fulfill Your sacred promise and make this field a place of power, heritage, courage and prayer. May our worship be offered in the Holy Name of Jesus; may You bless us with the presence of the Holy Spirit; may You sanctify this time as profitable to our hearts and souls.

We rejoice in this opportunity to dedicate these tartans to You as symbols of the unwavering loyalty, steadfast faith and great achievements of our Scottish forefathers. We praise You for their ingenuity and integrity; for their respect of truth and justice; for their rejection of hype and hypocrisy; and for their regard of liberty, life and the equality of all people.

Grant us, O God, the ability to remain true to the faith of our fathers, which has enlightened, encouraged and enhanced the people of our beloved lands. Use us to bring peace and goodwill on earth and to advance equality and justice throughout the world, through the name of our precious Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Flag bearers raise their heads and hold the flags upright.

Piper, play a joyful sound to the Lord! "Amazing Grace."

The Flowers of the Forest

The pastor tells the story of the Flowers of the Forest.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Scottish people joined their beloved King James IV in a battle against Henry VIII at Flodden Field. Highlanders, lowlanders and borderers fought side by side against an overwhelming foe.

In the midst of this tragic battle, in which 10000 Scottish warriors were killed, beloved King James was also slain. Many leaders and nobles, knights and common folk lost their lives. It was later said that "the slaughter struck at every farm and household throughout lowland Scotland."

All those who had fallen in battle, the best and finest in the Scottish kingdom, came to be known as the "Flowers of the Forest." To this day, Scots honor their dead and loved ones by listing their names at the gathering of the clans and playing the beautiful pipers' lament, "The Flowers of the Forest."

Please stand, as we name the Flowers of the Forest of our people gathered here today. Clan bearers, lower your flags.

Clan flags are lowered to the ground. The pastor reads the names submitted previously by the representatives. After this list is read, the pastor asks, "Are there any others?"
Once all the names have been read and expressed, the pastor then says:

Piper, play for our beloved people the "Flowers of the Forest."

After the playing of this lament, there is a ten second silence. The flags are solemnly raised to the upright position.

Let us dismiss with prayer.

The flags are again tipped to 45 degrees and heads bowed.

Prayer: May the Light of the World shine within and around you, like the sunlight to warm your heart, like a great peat fire to signify welcome and friendship, hospitality and faith.

May the Water of Life fall upon you - the sweetness of a gentle rain, growing in your souls and strengthening your heart.

May the Holy Spirit shower upon you the blessings of God, cleansing your souls and lifting you to the sacred heights of heaven.

And may the soft earth embrace you; may the land that you love enhance your spirit, lift up your heart and grow goodness, courage and faith throughout your life till that precious day in God's sacred time when you are called to be a flower in His everlasting forest, both now and forevermore. Amen.

Upon completion of the prayer, flags are held upright and the clan bearers are led off the field by the piper, who usually plays "Scotland the Brave."

If you need any other information or help, or even a Kirking children's sermon, contact me at traqair@aol.com.

Paper Chase P. 3 -- The Atheist and Jerry Falwell

This series was not planned. I just happened to read a book about a seminarian. Then, cruising around the Kindle store I saw a book that I thought was something completely different; but it turned out to be another book about someone going through a form of religious education -- Catholic that time. About the same time I ran across a third book with a different twist on the combination of education and religion, and a series was born. Let me introduce you to, The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University. The author, Kevin Roose, spent his freshman year at the liberal bastion Brown University. He then spent spring of his sophomore year at Liberty University, founded and run by Jerry Falwell himself.

Relevant background on the author is that he was studying English and Journalism at Brown. He worked for the author of a Year of Living Biblically, so this type of experiential, Gonzo journalism was something he had seen first-hand. He was raised by essentially non-observant Quakers, and he says early in the book that before he started at Liberty he could have named the four Gospels -- if you gave him a few minutes.

Frankly, I expected a smear job. Not that I wouldn't have enjoyed that, mind you. I live in the same State with Oral Roberts University. I was surprised. The author made a serious effort to bridge the God Gap, to find out what makes conservative Christians tick and who they really are as people. He claims that he wanted to learn and to understand, not to judge; and as hard as this is to believe, the book does come across that way.

We say that we want to know what non-Christians see when they visit a Church and how they perceive Christianity. Well, this is a good start. The fact that it is a pleasant and easy read doesn't hurt. Oh, and one of the great details in this story, the author managed to talk his way into doing an interview for the school paper with Falwell himself. Falwell died a few days later. That just happened to be the last print interview Jerry Falwell ever gave.

Two days ago John Shuck posted a book review on his blog, Shuck and Jive. He was reviewing a book by a Professor at the University of Texas named Robert Jensen. If the name rings a bell, you might have heard of Prof. Jensen. Several years ago he was admitted to active membership at an Austin PCUSA congregation without making a profession of faith -- because he was an avowed atheist. He was ultimately moved to the Baptized Member roles (a nice usage of that classification that I doubt I would have thought of). He has since written this book reviewed on Shuck and Jive, called All My Bones Shake: Seeking a Progressive Path in the Prophetic Voice. The book review is on Tuesday May 12. On Wednesday May 13 began a discussion, connected to the book, of how we define God and religion and how non-Christians (or at least some non-Christians) perceive that we define God and religion. What caught my attention is that some parts of what I read on Shuck and Jive correlate nicely with a series of discussions I have had recently with a Seeker.

Two very different views of Christianity from the outside. Personally, I prefer the atheist from Brown -- but I'm from Oklahoma, I've never been a Longhorn fan.

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on May 17, 2009

Here are the passages for May 17th, 2009, the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year B). All links are to the TNIV via BibleGateway.com, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead (either with your own Bible, or via the drop-down menu at BibleGateway.com).

Acts 10:44-48

• As this passage begins, Peter is still visiting with centurion Cornelius, and has been explaining how it is that God has brought Jew and Gentile together, coupled with a basic version of the gospel message.
• There are some clear similarities between this incident and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Does Luke imagine that this kind of experience happens often when believers get together? If not, what occasioned the Spirit's action in these instances where he writes about it?
  

Psalm 98

1 John 5:1-6

• Conveying the importance of carrying out God's commandments can be hard with many Presbyterians, as there's the obvious risk of sounding like one is preaching a "works righteousness." Do you think John has in mind any particular commandments when he wrote this down? If so, what?
• How can John claim that God's commands are not burdensome? How can we tell other Christians this message today in a way that they might actually believe this word?
• What is John getting at when he spells out that Jesus came not "by water only, but by water and blood"? What is he trying to correct, that he feels people might be leaving "blood" out? What would a "water only" Jesus look like?
  

John 15:9-17

• When Jesus connects keeping the Father's commands to remaining in the Father's love, it again sounds a lot like "works righteousness." Is it? If not, how is it not so? How might this be conveyed to a congregation?
• Jesus talks a lot about love here. How might Jesus define love?
• Jesus makes a point of calling the disciples friends, and no longer servants. Is this deeper than just what language Jesus uses for the people that, in practically the next breath, he gives instructions to? Can both roles co-exist?
  

Calvin Saw this Coming

July 10, 2009 will mark the 500th anniversary of Protestant Reformer John Calvin's birth. If you'd like to contribute a short piece honoring Calvin for this blog that week, please let us know (either by leaving a comment here or clicking on the "suggest comment for discussion" link at right).

Kicking off the celebration a little early, USA Today ran an opinion piece last week called "Calvin saw this coming: The Protestant Reformer, born 500 years ago, could teach us a thing or two about fiscal idolatry, diplomacy and democracy. But would we listen?" The author of the article is Henry G. Brinton, pastor of Fairfax Presbyterian Church, PC(USA) in Virgina and author of Balancing Acts: Obligation, Liberation, and Contemporary Christian Conflicts.

It's an interesting article, and worth a quick read, I think. Although I'm not entirely comfortable presupposing Calvin's responses to current world events, I did enjoy seeing quotes from Calvin and various scholars applied to a modern context.

"In ethics, Calvin was not comfortable making sharp pronouncements about good and evil. Political talk about and 'evil empire' or an 'axis of evil' would have struck him as overly simplistic, since he believed that sin corrupts every person, community, and nation on earth. He realized that all people were good and valuable, but also distorted and dangerous."

Sidenote: Yesterday was our last day of Sunday School for the year, and my small group discussion class finished up 8 months of marriage enrichment using Adam Hamilton's Making Love Last a Lifetime: Biblical Perspectives on Love, Marriage, and Sex. For next fall we've chosen another Hamilton book, Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White. Brinton's book sounds interesting, and might inform our discussions. I'll definitely be checking it out for the fall.

Thursday Review -- Conference Announcement

Anybody looking for an excuse to spend a few days in San Antonio in late June?

Renovare (www.renovare.org) is having a major conference there. Speakers list includes Eugene Peterson, Dallas Willard, John Ortberg, Richard Foster, Max Lucado and everybody else you've ever heard of. Here is the link: http://www.renovare.org/journey_events_2009ic.htm

The conference, itself, is relatively cheap. There are tons of breakout options, several tracks for different types of spiritual development training. Great location, great time, it is on the Riverwalk. If I weren't out of town already 3 weekends in a row in June, I'd be there. As it is, if anyone does go; please let Grace or me know. We would love to have you blog about it here. The Conference ends on a Wednesday -- the next day is Thursday. So, check it out and let us know if you go.

JusticeSeeker
JusticeSeekerOK@aol.com

Lectionary Ruminations: Scripture for Worship on May 10th, 2009

Here are the passages for May 10th, 2009, the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year B). All links are to the TNIV via BibleGateway.com, but if you prefer another translation, feel free to use that instead (either with your own Bible, or via the drop-down menu at BibleGateway.com).

Acts 8:26-40

• We learn here the story of an Ethiopian eunuch, who even before meeting Philip was already worshiping Jerusalem and was reading from the Hebrew prophets. Was this eunuch a Jew, was he a proselyte, or might he have had some other reason to travel to Jerusalem to worship?
• Why does the eunuch seem to believe that it would be impossible for him to understand what he is reading unless someone explains it to him?
• What might Philip have mentioned, while teaching the eunuch, that would have suggested to the eunuch that being baptized was a good idea?
• What's going on with Philip in these last two verses? Did the Spirit suddenly teleport Philip away, that the passage would be worded in this way? (Why, for example, would the passage stress the immediacy of Philip's departure, so as to place it so "suddenly" after they "came up out of the water," and then use the word "appeared" to show where Philip ended up next?) Why would the Spirit do this (and why not with other disciples)? What other explanations might there be?

Psalm 22:25-31

1 John 4:7-21

• The last few verses of this passage stress that we are to love our fellow believers. What about non-believers? Why are fellow believers emphasized?
  

John 15:1-8

• Much as I mentioned in regard to shepherds and sheep last week, vines are not as commonly available to many modern Christians as they were to followers of Christ in the first century. What might need additional explanation, that congregations that don't work with vines might understand Jesus' point?
• How might someone fail to "remain" in Christ? What would be the consequences to that person? Is Jesus thinking primarily about consequences in this world, or is he thinking eschatologically? (Or perhaps both?)
  

It's Sort of a Whole-Family Job

Welcome to a new pastor's wife blogger! Well, she's not new to being a pastor's wife, just (relatively) new to blogging. Without further ado, here is Mrs.ReverendDr.: The life of a full time, head Pastor's wife, offering a variety of posts about ministry, hospitality and Church-clergy relations in the PC(USA) church. Mrs.ReverendDr. describes herself as "an ultra conservative PC(USA) minister's wife and young Mom."

I'm excited to have another pastor's wife in the ring, and have enjoyed reading some of her advice for other pastors' wives. (Growing up as a PK, I watched my mom struggle with some of these same situations.)

Lectionary Devotion: Carrying Lambs

John 10:11 (Jesus said) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”  NIV

Years before she was married, my mum used to work on a farm which, strangely enough, was in the heart of the parish that I ministered to for nine years. She usually worked alongside the shepherd and learned many of the skills of looking after sheep.

One day, she came across a young lamb, whose mother had died during its birth. My mum realized that the wee lamb would have to be brought back to the farmhouse where it could be fed and taken out of the cold, chilly wind. The shepherd offered to carry the lamb for her, but my mum insisted on doing it herself. The farmhouse was two miles away across the fields, but the lamb was light and cozy in her arms.

Halfway to the farmhouse, it started to rain. The field became muddier and muddier, making it difficult to walk. The rain also started to penetrate the lamb's woolen coat and it soon became heavy and soggy. As the weight of the lamb became greater, the shepherd helped my mum carry the lamb. The mud made each step more difficult and the farmhouse seemed to get further and further away. Eventually, after a long struggle with Nature, all three reached the comfort and warmth of the farmhouse.

Years later, in rare moments of sanity and clarity, my mum would tell us this story over and over again, always ending it with the phrase, "If it wasn't for the good shepherd helping me, I could never have saved the poor wee lamb." It was a lesson that I never forgot.

Christ is our Good Shepherd and we are His sheep, the flock of His pasture. In the midst of our struggles with life, He will carry us safely.

Prayer:     Lord Jesus, at times we need You to guide us and walk with us; in other pressing moments, we need You to help us and carry us. Whatever we do today and wherever we are, be our Good Shepherd. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Stushie is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He writes the daily Presbyterian devotional blog "Heaven's Highway."

Today's image is taken from Stushie's Digital Art Psalms project.