4 Minute Devotions: Dealing with Death

Years ago, I saw a person actually die. He was a stranger to me, but both he and his daughter taught me an important faith lesson.

Podcast version here

Job 38:17 Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death?

It was the first time that I saw someone actually die and he was a stranger to me. I had just started as a part-time chaplain to a local hospital and received a call very early one Saturday morning.

“Can you come and help a patient’s family member?” a nurse asked. “She’s all on her own and has asked for a minister to be with her. Her dad is dying”

It took me about fifteen minutes to get ready. I was at the hospital within half an hour. A young woman was in a side room sitting next to her father’s bed. He was an old man that I had never seen in my life before. He looked tired and weary. She looked exhausted and frail.

“Thank you for coming, “she quietly said.” I just needed someone to be here. I didn’t want to do this on my own.”

We talked for a couple of minutes and I read some scripture. Time passed so slowly. Her father was breathing intermittently and the young woman clasped his hand. She told her dad that she loved him and once or twice she tenderly stroked his hair.

And then the moment came. His face slightly changed color and the breathing stopped. It was very peaceful. The young woman quietly sobbed. I read from Psalm 23 and said a soft, comforting prayer. She graciously thanked me for being there and then the nursing staff arrived to take care of the body. The young woman thanked me once more and allowed me to quietly leave. I never saw her again and to this day I do not know their names. But the woman and her father taught me a lesson: death does not need to be feared and dying can be very peaceful.

That’s why I’m still a minister today and it’s also why I preach the Good News. Jesus has defeated death and His great victory vanquishes all of our fears. Christ not only saw the gates of death; He took them apart forever. We may pass away but once on earth, but death no longer imprisons us, for Jesus has won our eternal freedom.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of our souls and the Deliverer from death. You grant us an everlasting opportunity to be reunited with our loved ones in the holy realms of God. We can never repay the immortal debt that we owe to You, but we will praise Your Name forever. Amen.

Daily Devotions; Party On

Last Sunday, we had one of our best Easter services ever. A lot of families were in town and it was great to see them sitting together in the pews, praising God for the resurrection of Christ. It was a wonderful worship service. We even had to print extra bulletins and set out more chairs to accommodate the crowd.

Podcast version here

Some people are cynical about the Christmas-Easter crowds that show up to church. I used to be one of them. In the past, I’ve been known to preach a hellfire and brimstone service at Easter, just to make the visitors feel guilty. Thankfully, I grew out of that years ago, so now I just preach the Gospel story and keep to the message that God has planned. People have enough pressure going on in their lives. In church, they need to find that the peace of God, which passes all understanding, is still there to be experienced and rediscovered.

Bible Verse of the Day

Nehemiah 8:10b This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

When Ezra and Nehemiah brought out the Laws of Moses and re-read them publicly in the ruins of Jerusalem, the people thought that they were in for a rough time. Instead, Nehemiah encouraged them to celebrate the day as a resurrection of their faith. He urged them to go home and party with their families, and to share whatever they had with those who had nothing. It must have been a wonderful time of renewal for the Jews, bringing them a new hope to rebuild God’s Holy City and giving them the courage to re-dedicate their lives to God.

I think that’s what Easter brings to some people. They come to church to be with their family, and also to get reconnected to God. They want to go home knowing that God loves them and that Christ has forgiven them. They want to feel welcomed by the church and blessed by His people. And for those of us who have faith, we’re meant to share it with those who have little or none. To me, that is the message of Easter – a celebration of Christ that we don’t keep to ourselves.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for calling many people to church last Sunday. Thank You for touching their hearts and bringing them back to worship You. Continue to affect and influence their lives with Your ways and words. Help us to share what faith we have with all those who have little or nothing when it comes to believing in You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Weekend Screensaver: The Lazarus Project

Stained Glass window design of the Raising of Lazarus Gospel story

Weekend Screensaver - Magdalene Morning

Mary Magdalene unexpectedly meets Christ in the Garden of the Tomb




John 20:1-18 to celebrate St. Mary Magdalene's Day

Doubting Your Doubts

Weekend Digital glass screensaver depicting Thomas tentatively reaching out to touch Christ's wounded hand.

Just Another Saturday Night?

The healing of the universe and the reconciliation of all creation begun on the night before the Resurrection Dawn.

Easter Sonrise

Digital Glass - weekend screensaver project

Abstract stained glass window depicting the glorious victory of Christ over the Cross, Sin, and Death.

Tabitha

Audio version here

Acts 9:36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor.


For those of us who grew up in the sixties, the name Tabitha will always be associated with the cute blonde haired daughter of Samantha Stephens, in the television series “Bewitched.” I can still see her smiling mischievously and touching her nose as she made her toys fly around the room. I now can’t believe that Tabitha is in her forties, has four sons, and is on her third marriage. Time moves on regardless.

As for the original Tabitha, I learned about her in the seventies, when I started to read the Bible again. I didn’t know she existed until I read the Book of Acts for the first time. In Scotland, ministers tended to call her “Dorcas,” and in the church where I worshipped, there was even a stained-glass window depicting this disciple of Christ busily hand-sewing a shirt. In the part of Glasgow where our church was situated, cotton merchants, weavers and tailors prospered, so the window was dedicated to Dorcas, patron saint of tailors & seamstresses.

Whoever Dorcas or Tabitha was, she must have been very important to the Christian community at Joppa. The fact that two men went to find Peter to raise her from the dead shows us just how dearly she was loved and appreciated. Her charitable works and words of encouragement must have strengthened the local church. Her making and giving of clothes to the poor probably saved the lives, especially amongst the destitute widows in the city. She used her gifts to help the helpless; she inspired faith in others through her kindness and compassion.

Today, or perhaps this weekend, we will each be given an opportunity to be a Tabitha in our communities. We will hear or read about others whose needs are desperate and whose plight is serious. Hopefully, when we are informed of these things, we will act accordingly by using our gifts, resources and skills to help others through tough times and painful circumstances.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the witness of true saints like Tabitha. The story of her kindness to the people in Joppa has been read, told and preached for almost two thousand years. She was just an ordinary person like us, but she did much to glorify You and to serve her people. Enable us to do the same. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Proof

Matthew 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

There’s a report this morning that the director of the movie Titanic will announce the making of a new documentary about what happened to Jesus’ body after the Crucifixion. He claims to have found a group of tombs in Jerusalem, of the family of Mary and Joseph, and that Christ’s remains is in the midst of them. There are also claims that Mary Magdalene is buried there, along with a son.

Some people will be alarmed at all of this because if the true bones of Jesus are found, it will make a mockery of what Christians believe. We believe that Christ rose physically from the tomb, showed his wounds to His disciples, and that He physically ascended into heaven. It’s all a crucial part of having faith in Jesus. What will be interesting to see is whether or not the alleged bones of Christ have horrific wounds and dislocations all over them. Crucifixion was not only about bleeding to death – shoulders, knees, collar bones and knees would all dislocate in the grueling process.

I guess this is just another showbiz attempt to try to unsettle the faithful and raise a new generation of cynics amongst us. Having faith, especially Christian faith, is not easy to carry these days. To some people, we are superstitious nutters, who have no place in the post-modern world. To others, we are constantly the burrs beneath their saddles of complacency, affluence and decadence. Our existence as a community of faith constantly challenges the ways of the world because we believe in a Risen Lord, who is King of all creation and the Savior of our souls.

So, whatever is announced tomorrow, let’s be aware that it’s just another publicity stunt by a film maker who’s running out of good ideas. Let’s also pray for his soul so that in the midst of his quest, rather than finding ancient skeletons, he may come across the One, True & Living Lord – Jesus the Christ.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, Your life, death, and resurrection are mysteries that we desperately want to solve. Many want to believe You are who You say You are, but they want physical and tangible proof. Remind us that faith does not seek proof, but it is revealed inwardly to us, bringing us hope for the forgiveness of our sins, restoration to God’s favor, and an eternal life beyond the dust and shores of earth. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen