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SCRIPTURE John 13:35 – By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. JENNY Several years before I met Bill Gaines, I had a pretty good friend named Martin. Martin was divorced from his former wife, Jenny, and he had confided in me many stories about their old relationship. I felt really unhappy about the way my friend had been treated by this woman, and even though I had never met her, I was fairly convinced that Jenny and I would never be friends. My friends didn’t treat one another badly, and I knew Martin well enough to know that Jenny had hurt his ..read more

SCRIPTURE John 13:21 – After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” THE PLAN Although more than forty years have passed, I remember the exact day I began to recognize God’s plan for my life. I was fifteen years old and attending a youth retreat at Lake Junaluska when that plan was revealed to me in a very real way. I remember one specific moment during that week when I became overwhelmed. I couldn’t name it then like I can name it today, but at the time it could only be described as a warmth of my soul. I couldn’t explain it ..read more

SCRIPTURE John 12:26 – Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. Is the Church under attack? I’ve been asked that question a lot lately. I remember no other time in this country when conspiracy theories were more apparent, but I’ve only lived a few years. I feel that the same questions on our minds today are no different than those of the 1940s, the 1860s, or the 1770s might have been. Anytime there is conflict in the world, the Church is affected. Similar queries surely plagued the minds of those living around th ..read more

SCRIPTURE John 12:3 – Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ENCHANTING The wedding was glorious, but the reception can be described using only one word: enchanting. The entire space was brilliant with twinkle lights adding just the right amount of ambient sparkle. The linen covered round tables could easily accommodate eight guests, but because of the world condition at the time, social distancing was essential. Each table was set for only four people, and the two of us ..read more

SCRIPTURE Philippians 1:21-24 – For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me, yet I cannot say which I will choose. I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. BACK TO WORK When I was a child, we had a neighbor who worked in her yard and garden constantly – even on Sundays. I was taught that Sunday was a day of rest, and my parents never worked on that one day of the week. I asked her one time, why she worked on Sunday ..read more

SCRIPTURE Philippians 1:3-5 – I thank my God for every remembrance of you, always in every one of my prayers for all of you, praying with joy for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. SATISFACTION Several years ago, I sat down and thought: “Ahhhh.” I didn’t sigh out loud, but I could almost hear the satisfaction hanging in the air. The sound of accomplishment! Finished projects! Things I’d longed to complete for days, weeks, months, even years had come together. My holly trees in the front yard were trimmed and shaped. The Hosta bed behind the house was fully lined in br ..read more

SCRIPTURE Psalm 143:8 – Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. KERMIT As a child, I only knew one Kermit. He was small and green, and he sang songs and danced. He was also in love with an obnoxious pink pig. I loved Kermit because he was kind and gentle. He was also wise, and I learned when I paid attention to him. Kermit knew things I didn’t know, and he introduced me to new ideas without me realizing I was learning life values. Yes, Kermit was the best frog I knew. Several years ago, I received ..read more

SCRIPTURE Ephesians 2:8-10 – For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. VERSE 8 A colleague was struggling to write a sermon. In passing, he asked me where to find a specific phrase in scripture. “I want to use that text in my sermon next week, but I can’t remember where to find it. It’s something about being saved by grace.” Now, I’m not that good at rememberin ..read more

SCRIPTURE Psalm 143:1 – Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness; answer me in your righteousness. A LEVEL PATH As I read the scriptures for today, I remembered when these texts last appeared in the lectionary. April 1, 2020 – we were three weeks into a phenomenon that would change our way of living perhaps forever. My imagination can be vivid at times, but never had it entered into my thinking that I’d live through a global pandemic of this magnitude. Never did I envision being away from family and friends while being restricted at home. Never did I foresee th ..read more