Lenten Devotional...March 7

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for one another."

(I John 3:16)

How does one define love? Song writers, novelists, and artists have sought to define the term in many different ways. John defines it as an act of sacrifice...a selfless gift for the benefit of others. He gives this defining gift of love a name...Jesus. Then once he defines love, he declares its mission...love dies that others might live. John defines that further as he writes, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (I John 4:9-10) The author of this definition of love is God, and the gift of love, His Son.

What is love's impact on those who receive this gift? They, in turn, are to give of themselves for others. Sacrifice breeds sacrifice...the recipient becomes the giver. Perhaps that is the lesson of Lent...contemplating the sacrifice of Christ, then embracing the cross as our own. This is a call to service, to give of ourselves as Christ gave himself for us.

John completes his definition of love with these words: "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us...in this world we are like Jesus." (I John 4:16-17) In this world, we are like Jesus.

Prayer: Thank you God for defining love through Jesus Christ. Continue your work of love through us. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 6

"Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Psalm 62:8)

In our lectio divina day/night Bible study, we have talked at some length recently about the intimate nature of our relationship with God. This relationship is not meant to be a casual matter of convenience, but rather, a close personal connection between Creator and creation. The Psalmist's admonition to "...pour out your hearts to him," is a call to intimacy. How tragic that we allow so many things, including our sin, to build barriers between ourselves and God. Our text reminds us that it begins with trust...trust in God at all times.

Gordon Lester, in the publication "Homemade" describes the difference between familiarity and intimacy. He writes, "Familiarity brings a degree of ease and comfort. Intimacy anxiously searches for deep understanding and personal appreciation." This is the kind of relationship one can pour their heart into. This is the kind of relationship we can share with the One who has given everything for us, Jesus, the Christ.

Prayer: Welcoming God, we pour our hearts out before you and find refuge in your loving arms.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 5

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"

(Psalm 56:3-4)

From things that go bump in the night, to planes that are flown into buildings, to tornados that devastate property, life, and limb, there are a host of things that frighten us in the daylight hours and keep us awake thinking about them in the darkness of night. The Psalmists often speak of their fears, from avowed enemies, to the threats of nature, even to the God they call upon in times of great need. There is little about their emotional and spiritual struggle that we do not share. The fears of the unknown and known translate through the centuries and drive our concerns still today.

The writer of our text for today does not deny fear, but rather matter-of-factly acknowledges its presence in his life. Just as certain as fear threatens, however, is his commitment to put his trust in the God he praises. He declares, "...in God I trust and am not afraid." On more than one occasion Jesus comforted his disciples by telling them not to be afraid. In the fourteenth chapter of John's gospel, he seeks to calm his disciples fear in the midst of uncertain times as he says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Very soon the threats of the Pharisees and others who despised Jesus would become reality. Even after his resurrection and ascension, he would no longer be physically present with them. The peace he was offering them did not preclude trials and challenges, but was a gift to enable them to face those fears knowing that God would be with them no matter what they faced. The Psalmist's closing question became a powerful statement to these who would struggle for the cause of Christ..."What can mere mortals do to me?"

In a world of continuing threats, the Psalmist's question is ours as well...what can mere mortals do to me? The God we praise is indeed capable of being our strength in times of trouble. Fear is a part of life...faith in the living God is the key to victory.

Prayer: God of comfort, hear my prayer in the midst of my fears and help me trust in you, regardless of the threat. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 4

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness."

(John 12:46)

Even the smallest light transforms a dark space. Most of us never think twice about walking into a dark room and flipping on a switch that fills the room with electric light. Even a match, when struck in the darkness, flashes enough light to reveal a room. Jesus told his followers that he had come into the world to bring light...this was the intentional act of God to bring salvation to a people condemned by their sin. This is illumination that requires decision...does one remain in the shadows and walk in the darkness of sin, or does one place his or her faith in Jesus Christ and choose to then live in the glorious light of Christ? "...no one who believes in me should stay in darkness," Jesus said. Why would one choose to stumble in the darkness when the source of light is ever available?

To believe in Jesus is to emerge from the darkness to walk freely and humbly in his light. It is an intentional choice not to remain in darkness, but to purposefully choose light. Country legend Hank Williams had a hit song many years ago called, "I Saw the Light." One verse says, "Just like a blind man I wandered alone, Worries and fear I claimed for my own. Then like a blind man who God gave back his sight, Praise the Lord, I saw the light" To follow Christ is to have sight restored...why would anyone want to stay in darkness?

Prayer: Light of the world, shine on me and through me that others may see you and step away from the darkness. Amen.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 3

"Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

(I Corinthians 4:2)

Booker T. Washington, late nineteenth and early twentieth century African-American educator, author, and political leader, once said,"Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him." Mr. Washington believed that in order for blacks in the south to rise above the oppression that so dominated their culture, opportunity would have to be offered that could empower them with confidence to become the person God created them to be. His role as the first leader of the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama helped open doors for students to develop skills that would allow them to claim greater responsibility for their futures and to have a significant impact on the world around them.

The apostle Paul knew the importance of embracing opportunities of service through responsible action. To prove faithful in a task given or calling extended was to honor God and make a difference for the Kingdom. The early church was dependent on the responsible actions of its members who were to share their resources, bear each other's burdens, and place the needs of the community before their own. All of this served to remind them that their faith in Jesus Christ compelled them to recognize that God had given them a great gift that was to be shared freely and offered compassionately to the world around them.

Jesus said, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded. And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected." You and I have been given a great trust through faith in Jesus Christ. This trust is not to be clutched in our fists selfishly, or held closely as a guarded secret of our hearts. The good news of Jesus Christ is to shine through us, for "those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."

Christ calls us to take up our cross on this Lenten journey...a trust that must be proven faithful.

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 2

"Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The LORD rescues them when they are in trouble."

(Psalm 41:1)

Paul wrote to Christians in Rome, " Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.." The feeling of superiority breeds contempt for those deemed to be less fortunate, who have less influence, or who are viewed as less significant in a society that often devalues the ones Jesus spoke of as "the least of these." Paul's call to humility echoes the Psalmist's joy known by those who intentionally express kindness toward the poor. To look at others in love is to look beyond any outward criteria that might influence the way one treats another person.

The last verse of Brian Jeffrey Leach's powerful hymn text, "Let Your Heart Be Broken," speaks of the joy of kindness to the poor as he writes, "Let your heart be tender and your vision clear;
See mankind as God sees, serve Him far and near. Let your heart be broken by a brother's pain; Share your rich resources, give and give again." Perhaps that is the key for those who are kind to the poor...joy is found as they give and give again."

Jim Abernathy

Lenten Devotional...March 1

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

(Luke 21:33)

Yesterday brought an unusual observance. Leap Year happens infrequently enough that we take notice of it as a rare event, occurring every 1461 days or so. Rarer still, is the blooming of a white star magnolia tree in this area in February. The picture above was taken yesterday in the courtyard at Westwood, just outside the sanctuary. The bloom looks a bit wilted because of the rain, but it is coming into full bloom. Normally, the tree would be in a dormant state waiting for the warmer days of spring...not the warmer days of winter!! Even the usually predictable patterns of nature are at times interrupted by unexpected changes in climate.

Most of us experience the unexpected on a regular basis, perhaps even daily. The ability to be flexible in an often changing world enables one to adjust to these changes and find joy in the midst of life's "shifting sands". Jesus reminds his followers in our text today that change is an inevitable characteristic of our human experience. Earlier in this twenty-first chapter of Luke, the disciples are enamored with the beauty and strength of the temple structure and of the gifts given that sustain it. Jesus tells them that such a structure cannot endure, for it is built of temporary materials. He also tells them that relationships they depend on may be called into questions because of their faith in him...once again the uncertainty of something so significant in their lives. "Heaven and earth will pass away," Jesus says, "but my words will never pass away." "What or who can I put my trust in?", we find ourselves asking from time to time in frustration and disappointment. Jesus reminds us that his words are trustworthy and that his promises are eternal.

Many things around us change unexpectedly, yet the living Word, Jesus Christ does not change. In our sin, the Word is ever faithful. In our doubt, the Word is ever encouraging. In our worry and struggle, the Word is ever present. The beauty of the temple in Jerusalem would someday be lost in a pile of rubble. The white star magnolia in bloom in the courtyard will most likely return to its dormant stage when the expected course of winter returns again in a few days. The living Word, however, will remain and that is our hope in the midst of the unpredictable.

Jim Abernathy