Church Meeting devotions: Journey of Joy

Today's Bible reading: Genesis 11:27-32

Genesis 11:31 Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there.

Last Sunday morning, after the worship service, we held a special ceremony to re-dedicate the church bell. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful event. We took time to remember one of our dearest elders and friends, as well as delighting in the official opening of the new site for our church bell.

The church bell goes back to the founding of our congregation and is the oldest artifact that we possess. For almost seven generations, it has been used to call the faithful to worship on Sunday mornings. It has been heard by Scots-Irish immigrants of the late nineteenth century. It proclaimed the ending of both the First and Second World Wars. It remained with us throughout the turbulent sixties and seventies, and now it has been restored in the 21^st century to a beautiful location next to the front entrance. All being well, it will outlive the present congregation and, who knows, it may one day herald the Second Coming of Christ to the Earth.

The story of the first Erin congregation is similar to the biblical account of Abram and Sarai. The Erin people also left the land of their birth and journeyed thousands of miles to settle in a place of promises. With hard work and determination, true grit and a focused faith, they carved out a living and eventually settled here in Knoxville, Tennessee. They called their new church ‘Erin,’ which is the ancient Gaelic word for Ireland. They planted a congregation and sewed seeds of faith which are still bearing fruit today. Just like the patriarchs of old, their work has been rewarded and their faithfulness has been blessed. The journey of joy continues; the mission of Christ goes on.

Questions for personal reflection

How has the faith of past generations influenced and affected me? What am I doing with that faith today in order to ensure that it will be passed on to future generations?

Prayer:            Lord God, you are the Maker of Time and the Shaper of History. You have raised up generations of faithful men and women to serve the continuing ministry and constant mission of Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for allowing us to be a part of Christ’s work on Earth. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully 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.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings called “Spirit-2012.” Its creation involves paper sculpting, wax crayons, and a scanner. If you would like to view a larger version, please click here: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7217562558_43d588ee31_b.jpg

(It’s also available as a t-shirt at John’s CafePress website at http://www.cafepress.com/stushietees )

Church Staff devotions: A Living Covenant - Genesis 9:13

Genesis 9:13 “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the Earth.” 

Like most people on Earth, I love seeing rainbows. The colors are always fantastic and the whole experience is mystical, especially when the bow arcs across a dark gray sky and then gradually disappears as the rains move on. Sometimes a double bow will appear and once I saw three bows together. That always thrills the child within me and I feel blessed to having seen something naturally beautiful. I know that there are scientific reasons why rainbows occur and it all has to do with the refraction of light against droplets of rain. Whatever the cause, I still stop to look at rainbows and experience the wonder of it all.

I also understand the covenant that God made with the Earth when the first rainbow was produced after the Great Flood. That promise was made not just with people, but the whole of life on Earth. This tells me that God greatly cares for all of Creation and not just human beings. We are just one species of many creatures on Earth and God loves them all; after all, who among us doesn’t love the things that we have created and crafted with our own hands? Don’t we also sit back, enjoy, care for all that we have made?

Next time I see a rainbow, I will delight in its short existence and thank God for such a blessing. I will also remind myself that the rainbow is not just for me, but for every living creature under its vibrant arc.

Question for personal reflection

Where do I find God’s promises being fulfilled in my life? 

Prayer:        Lord God, thank You for the wonder and beauty that rainbows evoke in our hearts and minds. We also praise You for the Promise of sustaining the Earth with Your blessings and grace. We are grateful to be living on and enjoying a planet with an amazing variety of living things. Help us to help You take care of it all. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully 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. 

 Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings. It’s called “Pentecost Power” and is a stained glass design of the Holy Spirit descending to the Earth. Symbols of flames and the rainbow permeate throughout the drawing. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7224/7200604314_e1352d502e_b.jpg

Church Meeting devotions: The Missing Verse - Mark 11 v 26

Mark 11:26     “But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”

In some early Gospel manuscripts, Mark 11 v 26 is missing. Either the person who was copying the original scrolls forgot to add in the verse, or the verse was added at a much later date. Thousands of years later, we still don’t know what to do with it, making it a mystery that we will never be able to unravel.

Some Bible translations deal with the problem by placing the verse as a footnote. That way the verse is included in the Bible, but is not officially a part of the translated passage. The new International Version of the Bible, which I read regularly constantly, places footnotes on practically every page of Mark’s Gospel. This means that the translators have been using more than several manuscripts to write the Gospel in English. It also means that they haven’t been able to agree on which version is the most original.

Most of the time the omission doesn’t really alter the emphatic meaning of the story, event, or teaching of Christ, but in the case of Mark 11:20-26 it actually does. Verse 25 ends with Christ granting authority to His disciples to forgive sins which the Church has used over the centuries to control people. When you add in verse 26, the whole passage takes on a new meaning: if Christ’s followers refuse to forgive, then they will also be unforgiven by God. In other words, when the Church refuses to forgive, it places itself in an unforgiven category. Jesus is teaching His disciples and us that grace is not just a godly gift; it is also a religious real-life obligation placed upon Christ’s followers.

Question for Personal Reflection

If God forgives me the same way I forgive others, what does that actually mean for me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, forgiveness is an essential part of being a Christian. We are meant to forgive others because we are forgiven by You. We are also forgiven by God in the same manner that we forgive others. This is both a great mercy and a heavy responsibility. Help us to review how and who we forgive. Keep us mindful of how this forgiveness affects our everlasting relationship with You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently 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.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawings. It’s called “Spirit in the City” and is an art nouveau type stained glass design of the Holy Spirit descending to Earth at Pentecost. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7174563066_24c0631105_b.jpg

Church devotions: A Real Promise - Genesis 8:22

Genesis 8:22   (God said) “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

I am not a scientist so I have to trust what the environmentalists tell me about what’s happening to the planet. I also don’t fully understand what global warming may or may not be, so I have to depend upon them to let me know the truth. If they have a political agenda or an ecological philosophy to push, no matter what the facts present, I wouldn’t know because I am no expert in their fields. It’s all a matter of trust and faith, good will and wise conclusions.

I’m a theologian and a biblical scholar, so when I read in Genesis that God says everything will be okay on this planet so long as the Earth endures, then I trust that His promises are true. Throughout my life, I have never known of God breaking His Word, so I can readily accept that thousands of years ago, when He stated that the agricultural and weather cycles on Earth would persist, as long as the Earth endures, then it will always be the case. I realize, however, that these cycles will only continue so long as the Earth herself is sustained. If we destroy the planet by abusing the environment then those cycles, upon which all life on Earth depends, will be absolutely ruined. In other words, we don’t have to worry about God bringing the world to an end – we can manage that tragedy all on our own.

Question for personal reflection

­How can I faithfully serve God through cherishing the Earth and protecting its environment?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the King of all Creation and we best serve You when we look after others and the world that we live in. Help us to recycle our faith through sharing it with others, as well as combining our resources with other Christians to renew and value the Earth. In Your Holy 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.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest digital glass drawings. It’s called “The Bright Morning Star.” If you would like to view a larger version, click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6997700470_2e5fe82c6e_b.jpg

Church Meeting devotions: The Hard Way - Mark 9:14-23

Mark 9:19       "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." 

As a teenager, I insisted on learning things the hard way, which often exasperated my parents. If they said something about this, I would petulantly sulk or aggressively attack them. Instead of listening to them and following their wisdom, I would go my own way and do my own thing. The results were dysfunctional, wayward, and self-destructive. The fact that I am still alive today says more about God’s grace than it does about my ability to survive. Looking back, I must also have exasperated Him too.

In the Gospels, we sometimes see Jesus being exasperated with His own disciples and people. The story of the sickness of the teenage boy and his unbelieving father in Mark 9, along with the argument that takes place between the religious teachers and Christ’s followers, appears to have caught Jesus at the end of His tether. “O unbelieving generation,” He exclaims, “how long shall I stay and put up with you?” I don’t know if He was tired and weary, or just vexed and fed up. Whatever Jesus was feeling, He wasn’t happy at all about the situation.

This makes me wonder how He would react to our present generation of Christians. Are we heading in the right direction? Are we following His teaching or our own agendas? Are we a believing or unbelieving generation? These are tough questions to ask but they should be asked by every generation, in every nation, and every congregation.

Years later, when both my parents had passed from this life to the next, I realized how much they loved me through those turbulent teenage times. I regret disregarding their life-wisdom and learning things the hard way. I didn’t believe them because I was so caught up in my own self and I arrogantly cast aside their advice. The question that we in the Church need to ask ourselves today is this: are we doing the same to Jesus?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, forgive our unbelief and help us to accept Your ways. Teach us the value of Your timeless teachings and the importance of Your wise words. Keep us from exasperating You when we embrace worldly ways as opposed to Your godly guidance. In Your Holy Name, we humbly 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.

Today’s image is one of my latest chess drawings called “Chess Nouveau.” It features chess pieces in the style of Scottish art nouveau genius Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who heavily influenced the works of Frank Lloyd Wright. If you would like to view a larger version, please click the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/7123158751_5be5d70f4a_b.jpg

Church Meeting Devotion: Speaking Plainly - Mark 8:32

Mark 8:32       He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

Some people never grow up. In my many years of ministry, I’ve come across sad people who live as if they’re still adolescents and take no responsibility for their actions. When things get tough, they ignore the crisis and avoid the issues. Some of them retreat into a petulant corner; others become addicted to alcohol, drugs, or porn. Instead of seeking God’s help or good counsel, they carry on their reckless ways. It usually ends in tragic circumstances or bitterness. That’s what makes it all so sad.

I think Peter the disciple had a similar problem. When things were going well, he was probably the life and soul of the party. However, when Christ spoke about arrest and execution, defeat and death, Peter desperately sought to avoid the impending reality. He didn’t want to listen to negative words. He didn’t want to accept Christ’s fearful prophecies. He wanted the sacred circus and miraculous merry-go-round to continue. He couldn’t face the obvious truth that Christ was expressing.

Within all of us, there’s a similar pattern. We want life to be jolly, our hearts to be happy, and our days filled with gladness. We have made the pursuit of happiness our reason for living, instead of enjoying God and praising Him forever. We don’t want to change our ways or be challenged by Christ’s words. We want our faith to be warm and fuzzy, instead of confrontational and life-altering. In other words, we really don’t want us to be focused on Christ; we want Him to be focused on us.

Question for personal reflection

Do I shape Jesus into what I want Him to be, or do I allow Him to re-shape me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, speak plainly to our hearts and minds. Grant us a better understanding of what You want to do in our lives. Keep us from deluding ourselves and help us to devote our lives to You. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Psalm drawings. It’s based on Psalm 121 and features the word “I to the hills will lift my eyes.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5276/7091105163_df5d277257_b.jpg

Genesis 2:5 …and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,…

What came first? Rain from the sky or water from the ground?

I must admit I hadn’t really thought about this, but today’s passage has really intrigued me. When the Earth was created, how did water form on this planet? Did it occur through condensation – the hot Earth cooled and hydrogen with oxygen combined in the process, or was it through evaporation – icy comets hitting the hot planet repeatedly causing showers of rain in the atmosphere? I’m not a scientist, environmentalist, or even a geologist, so I have no clue whatsoever about the processes involved. I guess it must have taken a considerably long time for water to appear on the Earth, but I’m also confident that this was a significant part of God’s creative plan and amazing patience. After all, how many planets in our Solar System currently have the gift of water on their surface?

Whatever the circumstances, this I do know: water is a precious commodity and one which significantly impacts the health of all of us on this wee planet. Much of the ill health, disease, and poverty in the world today can be attributed to the lack of clean water in many areas around the globe. The sad thing is this: we have the scientific, economic, and technological ability to clean the world’s entire water supply but due to our greed, sin, and inhumanity, we often lack the will to do anything about it. If we truly want to bequeath anything worthwhile to our descendants that will make their lives better, then clean water should be this planet’s first priority.

This coming Sunday is Earth Day. As Christians, we will be praising and praying to our Creator. Perhaps we should all ask Him what we can do to make the world a better place and to give our brothers and sisters across the globe access to clean drinking water.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You are the Living Water of faith, hope, and love in our lives. Across many nations, billions of people do not have easy access to healthy water. Open our hearts and minds to the challenge of providing clean water for everyone in the world within a generation. In Your Holy 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, then please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is John’s latest drawing for Earth Day. If you would like to see a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/6942425398_1632459efd_b.jpg