Author: Mari Walker

Good Friday, April 15

Compassion of God

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. —Psalm 34:18

The long season of Lent can bring a deep sense of loneliness and longing in those who have lost a dear one. Sometimes God has surprising ways to comfort us. Although it has been thirteen years since losing my husband and best friend Chris, that grief still overwhelms me at times. I make an annual visit to his gravesite in November. After this year’s visit, I wrote the following meditation:

The beautiful November morning reminded me of the day of his funeral – crisp air, clear sky of Carolina blue, autumn leaves drifting in the light breeze. The young girl silently and reverently helped remove the hanger from the basket of lavender and lemon petunias I had chosen when she understood that they would rest on my husband’s grave. She gently sent me off with compassionate words, unexpected from a stranger, especially one so young.

At the gravesite, mockingbirds flashed wings in territorial posturing while chattering blue jays rooted for nourishing tidbits in the manicured grass. After nestling the basket of petunias by the grave marker, I sat on some other grieving family’s memorial bench of marble and, instead of praying, began to talk to Chris.

The sun on my back was warm, the clean air felt like food for my lungs, and I could almost hear the echo of the bagpipes playing Amazing Grace. As I reminisced about days now long ago, joy flowed from my eyes down my cheeks. I knew Chris was listening as I regaled him with my little stories of baby box turtles and soaring pelicans and sugar snap peas pushing up through the garden dirt.

While I talked a lot and sang a little, I looked around at the hundreds of graves so lovingly decorated with colorful flowers of silk and plastic. Then, turning back to the humble pot of petunias, I smiled as a beautiful painted lady butterfly rested on a yellow blossom and blessed the day’s reunion.

God of healing and hope, we rest in the promise of life everlasting that you have given each of us through the life, death and resurrection of your precious son. Help us to live with joy each day and reach for your comfort in times of sorrow. Amen.

Betty Schroeder

Maundy Thursday, April 14

Where Does It Hurt?

Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. —James 5:13-15 (CSB)

As I sat in church one Sunday, I was amazed by the title of the sermon, “Where does it hurt?” As a matter of fact I almost laughed out loud. You see, the week before I was in excruciating pain. I had pain in my legs, right hip, lower back and my left heel. It hurt when I walked, sat, or even slept. I was so frustrated by the pain in my body that I wrote four poems about my pain. I prayed and cried out to God and begged him for some relief.

God is so awesome! He led me straight to Amazon. I found a posture belt to help with lower back, leg pain and sciatica. I also found compression socks. At this point I would have tried anything. I even started seeing a chiropractor for the pain in my right hip. He also told me what was wrong with my heel and told me what brace to get. I got so unstable on my feet that not one, but three coworkers told me to get a cane. So I did, and I never leave home without my new little friend.

Yes, I still have pain, but God is helping me through it, and allowing me to experience moments free from pain. I’m also in the process of getting the right diagnosis for my right hip. Yes, it hurts, but I believe that God is healing me. In time I will see a significant difference, so I will remain faithful and patient.

Dear God, Thank you for your healing power. Thank you for braces and medications that ease the pain. Thank you for the doctors who help diagnose what’s wrong. Thank you for healing us from each of our ailments. In Jesus name, amen.

L. Darlene Dickson

Wednesday, April 13

Courage

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. —Deuteronomy 31:6

I live in awe of those people of past and modern times whose rock-solid faith has been tested and proven in the harshest of ways – those who have professed their love of God or Jesus while faced with literal life or death choices. I think of Christians practicing their faith in countries whose regimes seek to destroy them, prisoners of concentration camps or prisoners of war, missionaries martyred by those they seek to serve, and the many others like the young Columbine High School student who professed to her faith in God even while knowing that she would be gunned down for her words.

In our community, we live in relative peace and security, not called to face life or death situations engendered by our faith. How courageous are we? How courageous am I?

Every day I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide me. The Spirit fills me with love and compassion for my neighbor, helps channel my thoughts to the good, and suffuses me with grateful joy when I am surrounded by the magnificence of God’s creation. But, I don’t know if courage resides in me. I pray that it does, that it will. I want to stand for God as He has always stood for me. I think, however, that I will never truly know until I am profoundly tested.

Merciful God, hear my prayer for steadfast courage. Let my love for you always be the foundation of all that I do. I live in deep gratitude for the ever-present guidance of the Holy Spirit, your heaven-sent gift to each of us. Thank you, gracious Father! Amen.

Betty Schroeder

Tuesday, April 12

The Harvest

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” —Matthew 9:36-38 (NIV Study Bible)

While growing up, I went to a Catholic school until the start of the 6th grade – which meant I went to mass every day except Saturday. Even after I moved to the public schools, most of the school calendars and events were influenced by the Christian faith. As far as I knew, all of my friends and neighbors were Christians and attended church on Sunday. I actually didn’t have a conversation with someone who stated they were not a Christian until I had been working for a couple of years. So when these verses were preached on or discussed in a Bible study, I always thought that they didn’t apply to me since almost all of the folks that I knew were already Christian, and I had no plans on being a missionary.

When Lane mentioned that the Lenten Devotions would be based on “The Long and Winding Road: Following Jesus When the Path is Rough,” I got a light tap on my shoulder but figured I would ignore it and it would go away. Well it didn’t go away. It kept reminding me that during my work career, my family and I relocated to Thailand to work for a few years. Now, Thailand is a great place, it is very “exotic,” the people are very friendly, the food is fantastic and we loved living there. However, one thing that quickly became obvious was that Thailand had very few Christians – less than half a percent of the country.

It was now plain to see that “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” We were fortunate enough to be introduced to a couple of missionary families and were able to keep our connection with the Christian faith while in Thailand. One of the missionaries was fond of asking our small community of faith, “did we believe that God was still active in the world today, and if so, we should open our eyes, find out where He was active and go join Him in His work.”

If we fast-forward to now, we find that the number of folks active in their Christian faith continues to decline. Our community is no longer like it was when I was growing up. In the not too distant future, we may find that less than half of the people are active in the Christian faith. So now when I read or hear this Scripture, I have come to better understand that indeed, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Dear Lord, open our eyes to where you are active in the world that we might go and join you in your work so that we too can help with the harvest! We pray these things in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

grace, john toney

Monday, April 11

When We Choose Silence

Even if these [the crowds] are silent, the very stones will cry out. —Luke 19:40

What does Jesus mean, “the very stones will cry out”?

I’ve been wondering how our Lenten theme of a long and winding road relates to rocks and stones crying out. Could it be that because Jesus is riding a colt on a road, he used the stones alongside the road to emphasize how all of creation points to his power and authority?

Jesus defended people who were powerless and oppressed. Those very people are cheering and praising while the religious leaders are criticizing and complaining. Jesus declared that one day his authority will be made known and the structures of oppressive societies will come crashing down. Then all of creation will join together to proclaim Jesus as Lord of all.

Whether we acknowledge the truth of God and how he has revealed himself in Jesus Christ or we choose to remain silent, the truth still stands. The truth is not dependent on anyone’s acknowledgment.

So when Jesus says, “the very stones will cry out,” I believe he is conveying the idea that, whether you acknowledge the truth about Jesus or not, it does not change what is actually true. The people of God should always acknowledge the truth of who Jesus is, whether anyone else does or not.

Let us be stones! Let us always cheer and loudly proclaim the truth as we navigate the long and winding roads throughout each of our life’s journeys.

Lord and Savior, all power and authority belong to you. Bring down evil, and let justice prevail. We loudly praise your name. Amen.

Theresa Sandifer

Sunday, April 10

Lent 6 Reflection Guide – When God Needs Us
Palm Sunday

Opening

Share a memorable parade experience of yours.

Scripture

Luke 19:28-40

Scripture Reflection

Palm Sunday is the beginning of the highest and holiest week of the Christian year. It is a time when we remember the central event of our faith – Christ’s death and resurrection. Though Jesus had been telling the disciples what was coming, they were not ready for what was about to unfold. In order for things to work out the way God intended, Jesus needed helped from the disciples. They were the ones sent to get the colt, they were the ones sent to secure a room for Passover and what would become the Last Supper, they were the ones who would turn him over to the authorities and later deny knowing him. Just as Jesus needed his disciples to help live out God’s plans, he needs us to carry on his work today. When we offer what we have, we join our voices with those from all ages proclaiming, “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Moment of Silent Reflection

Spend one full minute in silence as you consider the scripture and reflection.

Turn to Wonder

Place yourself in the story of Palm Sunday. What do you notice? What would you tell the crowd shouting “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord”? What would you like to tell the group of Pharisees trying to calm the crowds? What would you say to Jesus?

Kings and Caesars would ride warhorses into cities as signs of victory. What point is Luke emphasizing by noting that Jesus rode into town on a colt?¹

What point is Luke emphasizing by observing that the people placed cloaks before Jesus (and not waving palm branches as in other gospel accounts)?²

What spiritual gifts, skills, and/or talents might God be needing from you? How might God be calling you to share those gifts within the church and in the world?

How has this Lenten journey impacted you? What are you looking forward to during the coming Holy Week? How will you prepare for crucifixion? The Resurrection?

Closing

Close your time together in a manner that is typical for you. Consider sharing joys and prayer concerns, then close in prayer.

Lord,

We remember the journey you have taken as we commit ourselves to walking in the same way. Give us the strength, hope, and joy we need as we follow. Amen.

¹It emphasizes that Jesus is a different kind of Messiah.

²Deemphasizing the joyous nature of Jesus’ arrival, it gives a more sacrificial and humble tone to the story. It also asks what we are willing to lay down for this Messiah.

Saturday, April 9

The Life and Challenges of a Long-Ago Christian, Part 6

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation. —2 Corinthians 10:7a

Zeno Speaks
Tullio’s Repair Shop, 63 AD

When the storm finally died down, the ship was a wreck, but we were alive. There was nothing to be happy about though. I had lost my friend and betrayed my faith. I made a few trips with the Shark, but I was no seaman. I came ashore at a town where I was a stranger, banked my back pay, and set about looking for work. The first shop I went into was Tullio’s Fine Furniture Repair Shop. A beautiful girl met me at the door. The shop was closed, she told me; her father had just had an accident and could not work. I told her I was a carpenter and asked if I could help. There was an important job due to be finished that day. I was able to step in and do it. So Tullio got paid. Now, Tullio needed an assistant, and I needed a job and a room. What could be better? I moved in that day. It was a happy time. I enjoyed the work repairing fine old furniture and making new pieces. I loved getting to know Tullio’s daughter Priscilla, who was as good as she was beautiful. She and her father were Christians. They belonged to a church which met in the house of their friend Jason. When she asked me to go with them, I had to confess I had been a Christian but had broken faith. Priscilla convinced me that I could be forgiven, and I began attending meetings. The church family was friendly and accepting. We were at home there. One morning we received bad news. Jason had borrowed money to help needy friends and could not repay it. He had been seized and sent to the slave market to be sold. Priscilla was distraught, but I remembered my back pay money. We could use it to save Jason, I told her. We rushed to the bank and then the slave market where Jason was being held.

Guide us, Lord, as we review each day’s experiences. Let us recognize and rejoice at the good, and acknowledge and repent our failings. Amen.

Guy Johnson

Friday, April 8

Keep Walking

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:13-14

I can’t imagine how Jesus put one foot in front of the other as the Passover approached. Sure, Palm Sunday was a joyous time with the crowds chanting and cheering as He entered the city, but Jesus knew what lay ahead. He kept walking – one foot in front of the other. He knew the disciples were struggling with what the kingdom of God would be. The people dreamed for a king to rid them of Roman rule. Their king would end up crucified by the end of the week – a king that knew His fate. He kept walking – one foot in front of the other. But that last week, Jesus had work to do. He cleansed the temple, he taught, he ate a final meal with His disciples. He kept putting one foot in front of the other.

I, like Jesus, have work to do. Though I don’t know what the end of the week will bring, I do ultimately know my fate. The wages of sin is death, and I am a sinner. That can’t stop me from serving where God leads – one foot in front of the other. There is temptation to look back on past struggles and wallow. Wallow like a pig in mud, enjoying the moment, reveling in past disappointments. Jesus doesn’t tell a parable about a pig wallowing in mud, but if he did, I suspect the pig who wallowed missed the bridegroom or its lamp went dim or it was easy prey for the robbers. The pig lost an opportunity to do something amazing. Jesus knew that by returning to Jerusalem he was going to do something amazing. He was going to suffer and die. He was going to give salvation to His people. He just needed to put one foot in front of the other. I need to be reminded that Jesus wants us to be amazing, simply amazing. He wants us to wipe off the mud and start walking – one foot in front of the other. Simple is the key. Jesus didn’t ride into Jerusalem on a golden chariot pulled by a team of horses. He rode a simple donkey. My challenge, our challenge, is to be simply amazing – serving others, sharing a smile, providing a meal, loving ourselves. The list is amazingly endless. All we have to do is start walking – one foot in front of the other.

Dear God, thank you for Your love which drove you to send Jesus to be our salvation. Remind us that you want us to share that salvation with others in amazingly simple ways. Amen.

Susan Lambert

Thursday, April 7

About War

When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. He shall say: “Hear, Israel: Today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not panic or be terrified by them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” —Deuteronomy 20:1-4

As a relative of those who have gone to war to ensure my freedoms, I am especially thankful for those who have served and those who are currently serving. They are willing to walk the rough road and face challenges of faith daily.

A couple of my relatives fought in World War II. One is still alive at 96 years old and has a very sharp memory of what the war was like. He fought in France and earned the French Legion of Merit, the Bronze star, and two purple hearts. His feet are damaged due to being frozen, as the war of a very hard winter raged in the midst of a more devastating war between nations. While standing in a doorway talking to a friend, a shell went off. The friend died. My relative did not. Another time an artillery shell came in and spun around and around. Thankfully, it was a dud. He and a number of his infantrymen were cut off from the rest of the unit for three days. The Germans were all around. Many in the unit perished.

Yet this relative went on to live a full life and served God by singing in the church choir for close to seventy years. He also was a servant to others by working at the Centenary Library book barn until he became too weak to lift books. His faith was challenged by rough roads, but he knew God and taught his children to know God as well.

I am thankful that his faith challenges were met and he never gave up on God. Without his faithfulness and without the love of God, I would not have my husband and my son.

Dear Faithful and Loving God: Many have faced the challenges of war and come out still being faithful. Thank you that I have not had to be in a war between nations and had to face those devastations. Thank you for always being with us no matter what the circumstances are and carrying us when we can no longer walk, for the road is rough. Your son faced so many challenges and bore them graciously. Help each of us to do the same when the road gets too challenging. Amen.

Daphne G. Grady

Wednesday, April 6

Glory Awaits Us

In the same hour I was invited to write this devotional, I was having a discussion with a friend about why some feel that God isn’t with us in every aspect of our lives, guiding us to positive outcomes, preventing hardships, even preventing death. I can assure you I don’t have answers and find it difficult to answer those questions for someone else. I am perhaps not qualified to answer those questions of a friend who has suffered in their life in various ways. It seems as though, compared to most in this world, I have not endured much adversity.

But I do have faith and want to find those answers because of my faith. At least partly, I also do not need all the answers. Isn’t that what faith is anyway? But, for my questioning side, I went searching. And here are just a few things, among countless others from the Bible, that my search revealed.

And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. —Romans 5:3-5 (CSB)

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. —2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 (CSB)

As he was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.” —John 9:1-3 (CSB)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. —Romans 8:18 (CSB)

During this time of Lent, we focus more on Jesus’ suffering. Yes, even Jesus suffered and not just in the end. His life (and his disciples’ lives) was filled with adversity from what I gather in reading the Bible stories. Jesus kept his eye on his Father, taking plenty of time to be with his Father. Jesus, more than anything, wanted to do his Father’s will, even knowing it would bring suffering. Jesus knew that our suffering on earth is a small price to pay for the vast riches and glory that await us.

Holy and Loving God, help us keep our eyes on you. Amen.

Kathy King