Lenten devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Day #3

Matthew 10:37-39:

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

When I was growing up in the church I often heard the statement, “that’s my cross to bear” relating to a trial, suffering, a physical infirmity, or sometimes even a person. Every morning you were expected to get up, pick up that burden and carry it, trudging along behind Jesus. And of course no matter how heavy the cross it wasn’t as defeating as the cross Jesus was carrying.

Is this what Jesus meant? What was the cross Jesus was carrying? It was the instrument of His death and He knew that. So what does it mean for us to carry our cross? It means death; death to anything that threatens to take precedence over our love and obedience to God.

This passage flows out of the sending of the 12 disciples into the towns and countryside to proclaim the Good News, heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons. Jesus was sending His disciples into dangerous territory – they could be arrested, beaten, ridiculed – it cost them something to follow Him. It costs us as well. Sometimes following Jesus means death to relationships, attitudes, habits, and desires.

These are the truths we often want to ignore. We want to bask in the favor of men and women. We want to hold onto our anger, our resentment, our hurt feelings. We want to feed our habits. We want to have our hearts desires.

However, while we’re out striving to “keep” our lives, we are really in the midst of “losing” our lives.

“The permissive society is a phantom utopia which promises perfect freedom and yet has all its adherents in chains on Death Row” --from the novel, Absolute Truths, by Susan Howatch.

Father, show us what is keeping us from truly following Your Son. Give us the courage to nail it to the cross. --Amen

Lenten devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Day #2

Did you know that the earliest Christians probably didn’t use the cross as a symbol? They used the Ichthys, or the fish symbol. The simple fish outline had Greek letters which can be read as an acrostic: Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior.

Some think that the cross was too painful for the earliest Christians to use as a symbol, since it was a reminder of the painful, humiliating death of Jesus. However, by the 2^nd century it was being used.

Then in the 4^th century under Constantine the Chi-Rho monogram was adopted. These are the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek.

However, today the cross is central in most Christian Churches. You see it everywhere – on the outside of churches, in the sanctuary, worn around the neck or in the ear, tattooed in various forms on the arms of athletes, on the arm band of medics in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan, hanging on the walls of a designer room in a magazine dedicated to home décor. Most often these are beautiful crosses, bearing little resemblance to the Cross of Christ.

Crucifixion – death on a cross – was used for the commonest, vilest criminals in the days Jesus walked the earth. Many of the pictures we hold in our hearts and minds, placed there by artists’ renditions, are often glamorized and inaccurate. Does this matter? Only if we lose sight of the true horror our Savior endured for us.

When I was considering this series of devotions I researched the word “cross” in the New Testament. In only nine instances it’s used in the Gospels and only 12 more times in the rest of the New Testament – and it’s often used in relation to the cross we must carry to follow Christ. I don’t think the cross Jesus is asking us to carry is a beautiful gold or silver ornament around our neck. I don’t know what your cross is – sometimes I’m not even sure what my cross is. Perhaps it changes from time to time.

Today, let’s consider the scripture from Matthew 10:37-39:

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

--Father, we want to take up our cross and follow your Son. Please open the eyes of our hearts and minds to see what we need to nail to that cross. We believe we will find our true and fulfilling lives when we do that – we know we can trust You. –Amen--

Lenten devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

For several years I have been blessed by Lenten and Advent devotionals by Robbie Craker. I'm going to share her devotionals with you as I receive them through email. This is the first devotional intended for Ash Wednesday, sorry I'm a day behind.

What is the significance of Ash Wednesday and the celebration of Lent? Is there a reason for us to observe these holy days? Will we be changed by our observance?

When I was a young girl living in the California Bay Area I had many Catholic friends. They would come to school on this day with the sign of the cross made in ashes on their foreheads. Every Friday we had fish for lunch at school – all year long – and I knew during this season called “Lent” they would give something up. Usually it was something to eat like candy or ice cream or maybe even dessert all-together. This was intriguing to me even as a child. I didn’t see that these “outward” signs made them better “inwardly.” They were the same kids – but I was interested in this mystical process and knew it said they were different from me.

Being raised in a Protestant home we, of course, didn’t celebrate Ash Wednesday or Lent. We didn’t even celebrate Advent leading up to Christmas. I remember having communion about 4 times a year. It was important to me, however, to be different because I was a true Christian. This is what I was taught – my way of observing the Christian life was the true way. I wanted to be good. I tried not to tell lies. I didn’t cheat. I worked hard at including the unpopular kids in games and relationships. I obeyed my parents (most of the time). I even read my Bible and prayed. Of course I went to church every time the doors were opened. And I loved to be there. We spent time singing, hearing testimonies, and praying. We didn’t wait for Lent to consider our spiritual lives and to grow our life in Christ. We didn’t wait for seasons of confession and repentance – this was a call at all times.

Now we have come to understand that it isn’t either/or for these observances, it is both/and. Every season is a season for confession and repentance. Every season is a season for spiritual growth. Every season is a season to live in the means of grace. And yet, there is something to be said about an intensive time of spiritual discipline.

All over the world Christians are meeting in churches to begin this 40 day journey participated in since at least AD800. Can it be a tool for us in the 21^st century? Yes! We need all the grace and mercy we can receive. We need to dispense all the grace and mercy we can to our fractured, fragmented world.

John Wesley, who is our denomination’s spiritual father, said, “Most people get lost in the hurry of life, in the business or pleasures of it, and seem to think that their regeneration, their new nature, will spring and grow up within them, with as little care and thought of their own as their bodies were conceived and have attained their full strength and stature; whereas, there is nothing more certain than that the Holy Spirit will not purify our nature, unless we carefully attend to his work in our lives. This is lost when we squander away our thoughts upon unnecessary things, and leave our spiritual improvement, the one thing needful, quite unthought of and neglected."

You might not receive ashes on your forehead, you might not give up ice cream, you probably won’t eat fish every Friday – but you can spend some extra time exercising your life in Christ with the desire for this life to grow stronger in you.

These “ways” of growing our life in Christ are often called means of faith. These include:

· Prayer – both private and corporate

· Hearing, reading, and meditating on the Word of God

· Receiving Communion

· Compassionate Ministry

By these observances we aren’t more worthy of God’s grace – we will not receive more of His favor, but if we enter into them sincerely our lives will be changed.

May this be our prayer for this Lenten Season-

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar. –Psalm 51 (NIV)

My world traveler is home

Katie returned last night from a week and a half trip to Washington DC and Rome, Italy. I know I'll need to explain. Last year my dad finished his second career a s a flight attendant and so they fly for free. They enjoy their travel and have promised the grandchildren to take them on an international trip. This year was Katie's turn.

She was in DC for the celebration of Lincoln's 200th birthday. She saw President Obama flying overhead in Marine 1. And the Pope walked right in front of them in the Vatican square. She'll have these memories for a lifetime. I'll post some of her travel journal entries later but tonight I'm going to share some of the pictures from her trip.



The Sistine Chapel















St Peter's Basilica










Katie and Grandma at The Coliseum

Words of wisdom from Gandalf

The last two Sunday's have been really tough for me. So many thoughts and emotions run through my head I feel like a teenager again with so many doubts and insecurities. Emotions can run over me at any time and I just lose it, I think this is how a pregnant woman feels....or so I've been told.

God answers prayers in lots of different ways but today I found encouragement watching a movie I don't particularly like that much. My younger daughter Stephie asked me if I would watch the first Lord of The Rings movie (sorry to all you lovers of this movie, it just doesn't do much for me) with her. I told her if I could snuggle with her on the couch and sleep through it, I would be glad to "watch the movie". I had a great nap, all comfy and warm, snuggling with Stephie and my two dogs. I woke up to find the Fellowship entering entering the mines of Moira. They are forced on this path because all other passages are blocked and a creature from the logoon has sealed the path out of the mines with a cave in of rocks and debris. Gandalf is not sure what path to take and so the fellowship is sitting waiting for Gandalf to decide on a direction. Frodo tells Gandalf, "I wish none of this had ever happened." Gandalf is a wise wizard and replies with sage words. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

This is a common piece of wisdom I pass on to my kids often when they are going through a tough time. There is much about our circumstances that are out of our control, but we are in control of how we respond to adversity that confronts us. I know God can speak to us in a multitude of ways but today I was encouraged by silly movie, thank you God!!

Reminds me of Romans 8:31-39

^31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Paparazzi photographer

I first met Josh about 2 and a half years ago. He attended our church a few weeks in a row and I learned that he was a creator of Christian TV dramas featuring local teenagers. A few kids from our church had been involved in his productions in the past. I had never actually seen any of his work since we didn't have cable and the public access channel.

Josh friended me on Facebook about a month ago. I was impressed with his nearly 500 friends. he is quite the networker. That's not the point of the post however. Several weeks ago, Josh asked me if I would be his photographer for an upcoming premiere for a movie and TV series he had been producing. Last night was the big night. It was fun to pretend I was a paprazzi photographer taking pictures as the kids emerged from the hummersine, red carpet and all.

I set up the new light kit that my parents gave me for Christmas, and it worked really well. I look forward to taking my portrait type of pictures with the assistance of added light.

On a lighter note

Yesterday marked the maiden 2009 trip on my scooter. It was warm enough that I rode it back to work after lunch at home and then back home in the evening. I don't experience the kind of thrills that some one on a real motorcycle does but it is fun to have the wind in my face even if I am only going 35. Doug made a video for his motorcycle group. You can click here to view the video. I'm the goofball at the very end. Don't I look cool.

Keep singing

Sometimes a song just says it better.


Similar title, different song but yet the message is the same.

I have wanted to make a post since Sunday's announcement that Pastor Tom will be leaving us but have not had the right words. That's nothing new for me, which is why I like to post links or quotes from other people. Tom quoted the prayer of St Francis this morning in staff meeting and it has stuck with me all day.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

It is evident to me that there is a great deal of hurt and pain right now in our church body. I carry some of the same feelings and emotions. To be honest, I must admit that there are days when my raw emotions, left unchecked fabricate a dark future in the corners of my mind. But when I submit those feelings and emotions to God and get my focus off of myself, those are my healthiest days. St Francis' prayer is exactly what I needed to focus on today. The following scriptures have also helped me refocus my gaze in the right direction in recent days!

Romans 5:1-6 (The Message)By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready.

Philippians 1:9-11 (The Message)So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover's life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.

The verse that I have come back to so may times in my life and has continued to be a source of correction and strength for me is....

James 1:2-5 (New International Version) Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.



Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Reconciliation

My wife is an alumni of Seattle Pacific University. It's a great school that was influential in challenging her to deepen her faith in God and to move beyond the faith that she had inherited from her parents. We receive a quarterly magazine from the school that is always full of great articles. The most recent edition came to our home several weeks ago but I hadn't given it much notice before this morning.

The article that caught my eye was on the difficult work of reconciling our closest relationships with family. The author defined reconciliation from a family therapist's perspective as "staying in relationship while honoring differences and establishing appropriate boundaries". Seems like this is a good goal for any sort of difficult relationship. The article goes on to explain how reconciliation is more than just forgiveness. For my current context it was a good reminder that relational strife is very rarely the result of only one person's poor choices. We more than likely own some of the responsibility for the conflict. We are not called to be doormats but it is critical that we maintain an contrite spirit and an open door to reconciliation. You can read the full article by clicking here.

Attitude

When dealing with people, it’s recommended that we have an "Anyway Attitude". Mother Teresa is credited with the following:

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

"If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

"If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

"If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

"What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

"If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

"The good you do today, people will forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

"Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world your best anyway.

"You see in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway."

Whatever is true,
Whatever is honorable,
Whatever is right,
Whatever is pure,
Whatever is lovely,
Whatever is of good repute,
If there is any excellence and if anything is worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. (Philippians 4:8)