Free Christian Devotions: Running Ahead of God - Psalm 37 v 34

Psalm 37:34a   Wait for the LORD and keep his way. 

Currently I’m on a four day personal prayer fast and vision cast retreat. For the last year, I’ve been so busy at church that I feel as though (and certainly know) that I’ve been running ahead of God and expecting Him to catch up with me. That’s not how our spiritual relationship is supposed to work. Like everyone else, I’m meant to stand and wait for His call to show me the way ahead.

I remember years ago, when I was about five years old, my family went on a vacation to Prestwick, Scotland. Each day, we used to walk down to the beach on a path alongside a small creek (which is called a ‘burn’ in Scotland). At the end of the path, there was a fork with two separate destinations. One day, I ran ahead of my family and chose my own path. I fully expected my parents and siblings to follow me. When they went the other way, I felt stupid, fearful, and angry.

My Dad called me back and when I reached him, he told me these words: “If you had asked me which way we were going before you ran on ahead, I would have told you.”

That’s why I feel that I need this prayer and fasting mini-retreat. I need to ask God where He wants our church to go, what He wants our Session to do, and how He wants me to lead. I don’t find stopping and waiting, praying and fasting easy, but I don’t want to go down the wrong path either.

Perhaps spiritually, you’re feeling distant or even isolated from God. Maybe like me, you’ve busily ran on ahead thinking that God will soon catch up. But it could be that you’ve stumbled down the wrong path and that He’s now calling you back to where He wants you to be.

Sometimes the path less travelled is not what God expects us to choose or follow.

Prayer:                        Father God, each day we are faced with choices that take us on new journeys and different paths. Sometimes we follow our own lead and end up distant from You. Give us the courage to turnaround, to wait for Your guidance, and to listen to Your directions. Keep us from straying and help us to be led by Jesus, our Shepherd and Savior. In His Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. John enjoys reading your own messages and stories that relate to the message.

Today’s image is from one of John’s Psalms series.

4 Minute Daily Devotions: Saying "No."

Titus 2:12        It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

I wonder what the Christians in Paul’s time would have made of our society. Would they have applauded our freedoms and approved of our liberties? Would they have accepted our standards and applied our syncretism? Would they have allowed our culture to shape our churches? I suspect that the answer to those questions would be a resounding “No.”

There are so many boundaries and barriers that we have crossed that it is sometimes very unclear to see any difference between Christians and other people. And yet, there has to be a difference. There has to be something which sets us apart from the world.

I also wonder if we substituted our type of Christianity with that of Paul’s time, would the Christian faith and church have emerged from the heart of the Roman Empire? Sadly, I think that the answer to that question would also be “No.”

We need to take a step back from the cultural abyss that we’re about to jump into as Christians. We need to honestly ask ourselves if we are being guided by the Holy Spirit or engulfed by worldly ways. We need to ask these questions because the salvation of our souls and those of our children depend upon us taking the right choices and making the right moves. If we fail to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, then we fail as a generation that claims to be Christian. We may fool and delude ourselves, but we can never fool and deceive God.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, there are so many pressures laid upon our society that would steal our souls away from You. We delight in our distractions and take pleasure in pleasing ourselves. Help us to truly realize what it means and costs to be Christian people. Save us from ourselves and bring us to our senses. In Your Holy Name, we fervently pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

This Week's Top Ten Presbyterian Blogs

Presbyterian Bloggers has some great writers in its ring. Perhaps you haven't had the chance to read some of them. Here's what I consider to be amongst some of the best for this week.

Jan Edmiston over at A Church for Starving Artists has posted a blog about the newly discovered Scottish singer Susan Boyle and her quote that she’s never been kissed. Jan weaves the blog into a clever post about how we’ve all been kissed by Judas.

Encounter with the Gardener is Carl Wilton’s latest post after Easter. In it, Carl writes about John’s depiction of Christ as gardener after the Resurrection and the Genesis story of the Garden of Eden. Carl asks if John the Gospel writer is symbolically telling us something about Christ cultivating our spirits.

Train your body…prepare your soul is this year’s motto of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon that Adam Copeland is training for. Over at his A Wee Blether blog, Adam writes a post called “Jogging My Memory- I May Have Lost It.” In it, he states that he’s hooked on marathon training and how much Adam is looking forward to running in October of this year.

Bill Tammeus’s post, Facing Up To Differences, is about how we each see religious art differently. He writes about his recent visit to a sacred art exhibition and how different people respond individually to the 200 pieces art on display. Some find the works profound and deeply moving, whilst others only give a casual glance. Bill ponders if this is how we similarly respond to the sacred scriptures and holy rituals.

The future of Evangelicals and evangelism is discussed in John Schroeder’s blog, “Blogotional.” He writes about the need for institutionalism to secure evangelism in the years ahead. John’s blog also contains some great artwork and references to comic book heroes.

Rev Kim has an interesting post about John Madden’s retirement. In it, she writes about her admiration and respect for this great American football icon. Kim is an avid Dallas Cowboys fan, but she has loved the hard work, grit and super analysis that Madden has shown in the commentary box. Like many other Americans, she will miss this giant commentator in the history of the game.

Discernment is a rare and hard to handle gift from God. Nancy over at the Conversation in Faith weblog ponders when and where God has given her discernment in her calling. It’s a problem that all called people experience and she writes about how she wrestles with this gift. It’s an important subject that we all should take time to read and reflect upon.

The issued about violence among today’s youth is posed over at Stewart Pollock’s insightful blog, Not So Reserved Pastor. Stewart writes about the recent discussion at his presbytery where the Peacemaking Panel made a presentation on this very serious subject. Stewart challenges all of us and our churches to confront this culture of violence in all of our communities.

Jody Harrington of Quotidian Grace posts a history lesson for the Governor of Texas. The Governor recently stated that secession for the state of Texas could not be ruled out. Jody sets him straight on what the original Joint Resolution of 1845 actually expresses. Don’t mess with Texas Presbyterians, Guvn’r!

I may not agree with him many times, but I certainly wouldn’t ignore him. John Shuck is always interesting to read, no matter what the subject. As usual, he tackles denominational, religious, and political issues every week. His post about the tax protests this week has already stirred up a heated discussion (mea culpa – mea maxima culpa). So, if you like your theological wheetoos mixed up with some spice and broken glass, John’s blog may be your cup of tea.

Holy Week Devotions: Seven Last Words of Christ (3)

This week, a group of pastor bloggers, over at Presbyterian Bloggers, are writing Holy week devotions based upon the Last Seven Words of Christ from the Cross. I’ve written and sent you the first two over the weekend. Today’s devotional was written by Jody Harrington who is a pastor in Sugarland, Texas. She has her own blog called Quotidian Grace.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
John 19:25-27

A small group huddled at the foot of the cross. The disciples had already fled. The crowds of followers that cheered Jesus with “Hosannas” just a week before as he entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey evaporated as soon as he was arrested. Only his mother, his Aunt Mary, Mary Magdalene and the “beloved disciple”, who tradition identifies as the author of John’s gospel, stood by Jesus in the agony of his crucifixion.The gospels tell us the disciples fled out of fear. Where was the rest of his earthly family--his half-brothers and sisters? Although his brother James later became a leader of the early church he is absent on this day. Like all the rest, he too afraid to stand by Jesus.

Jesus not only suffered humiliation, torture and desertion by his closest friends--but also desertion by most of his family as he lay dying. His words show his concern for the welfare of his mother. Since no mention is made of Joseph after Jesus’ childhood, we assume he died sometime between Jesus’ twelfth year and the beginning of his ministry. Mary was a widow and widows had to depend on the protection of family members--usually a son or brother--or else fall into poverty and neglect. The New Testament does not tell us who was supporting her during Jesus’ ministry.

With these words, Jesus tells John to treat Mary as his own mother, take her into his home for the rest of her life so that she is not left without support and protection. In a way, this is Jesus’ last will and testament. He leaves his responsibility for his mother to the one he can trust to stand by her in every circumstance-- just as he stood by Jesus at the foot of the cross.

Dear God, We praise you for the faithfulness of those who have stood by their witness to Christ throughout the ages despite humiliation, persecution and death. Grant that we may be inspired by their example to share the good news of salvation. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen

Blogging and Censorship

I like blogging and I encourage other people, even other pastors to do it on a regular basis. It enables all of us to get our thoughts out there in the real world. But some bloggers are really private journal writers, and some blogging pastors are so narcissistic, that they can't take the heat of positive criticism or opposing views

I visit some pastors' blogs and read their posts. Most of them I like. Some of them I disagree with. Others are just so boring (recycled sermon sites) that I stop reading them.

Sometimes I leave comments, but some pastors don't like it if you disagree. And rather than continue a dialogue, they get out their Marcionite scissors to delete relevant statements or opposing ideas. They are no longer bloggers...they've just become censors.

The funny thing is this: most of the censors that I have come across are liberals...and I thought that free speech was their mantra. It's usually old dinosauric conservatives like me who are supposed to be reactionary, but I've suddenly discovered that's not true.

So, here's my message to all you pastor bloggers: if you can't take dialogue, then why leave room for comments? And if you can't bear to exhange ideas, then buy yourself an old fashioned journal with a lock on it...oh and make sure it has a mirror on every page.