In this Guideposts article, Casting Crowns lead singer Mark Hall describes his feelings of wanting to keep his cancer diagnosis private. He and his family quickly found out the value of letting others know. While most of us can’t count on hundreds of thousands of fans contacting us, we all can do our part to lift others up.

Do you know someone going through cancer or other challenges right now? Maybe a card, call, text or other contact can happen today or this weekend?

May the Spirit fill each of us today with unexpected joy and action!

P.S. Love Lifted Me is a song that shares some wonderful messages. Lyrics and the tune are here: http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Love_Lifted_Me/

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 26, 2017:

A recent visit with friend Dan reminded me of our times together in two separate small groups of 8-12 people which enriched my Christian life substantially. We enjoyed wonderful discussion about our faith and our families during those years. One beautiful aftermath is when we get back together years later it is still so comfortable.

If you or someone you know is looking for discussion materials to use with another couple or larger small group, Serendipity booklets and other resource items are HERE. In addition, if a small group of men want some materials, please check out the FATHERS Team materials (Upbuilding Ministries.)

Enjoy the day in your times with God (and small groups of believers,) filled with the Spirit!

Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 26, 2017:

This past weekend, the Lectionary included the “born again” passage about Nicodemus. It seems appropriate then to point us to this story written by Ron Johnson (formerly of Cincinnati and now living in Michigan.)

When you have 15 minutes today or this weekend, it’s worth a read to enjoy Ron’s prose and consider 1-2 of the reflection questions. For instance,

“What do you think Jesus meant about our not knowing where the wind has been or where it’s going?”

May we feel the wind of the Spirit pushing us, this day and in the weekend ahead!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 19, 2017:

Alive Now** previously included this article by Lynne M. Babb about fasting, including thoughts on non-traditional fasts from electronics, shopping, news media, etc.. Fasting has many benefits, especially freeing us to be be more mindful of those on our prayer lists (and those without food, when we’re doing a food fast).

Maybe you’ll want to try a traditional or non-traditional fast sometime during Lent 2017?

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

** Alive Now has been a favorite devotional for daily or periodic use. We celebrate the years Upper Room has published Alive Now and we hope they keep that content on the internet even though the magazine will be no more as of April 2017. 

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 19, 2017:

When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” (Matthew 17: 6-7)

We need to be reasonably careful – and hopefully not fearful. Yet it’s important to be willing to make a suitable number of mistakes in life. Maybe this Lenten season is no different, and it’s time to try a little something new to see what you think…

Upper Room has created a webpage called Lent 101 and it includes a section on “Top Ten Things You Can Try for the Lenten Season.” Maybe you’ll want to try an idea from the Lent 101 webpage, even if we’re already a few weeks into the season? 🙂

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 12, 2017:

In the early 2010s, Rev. Dr. L.P. Jones, prepared and shared a Holy Week Prayer with the MWPC community as part of his weekly column in the Beacon Lite. This prayer is great to read every year during Holy Week.* With his permission it is now available to the Christian Playbook community with a slight alteration for use throughout the Lenten season…

Lenten Prayer* – Rev. Dr. L.P. Jones

Guiding God, we are traveling the Lenten road. We are ready for it to end. We prefer celebration to reflection and self-examination. On the table, pulpit, and lectern, we prefer pure white, festive red, hopeful blue, or gentle green to Lent’s pensive purple. We know our sins are many, but why must we confess them so often? Remind us, gracious God, that you call us to confession not to burden us, but to free us. Help us to offer you every fear, failure, and sin, so that your forgiveness can calm and cleanse us and your steadfast love can draw us to new beginnings.

We thank you, God of wonders, for countless blessings. We thank you for those special people whose embrace, friendship, and accepting eyes ease our burdens and heighten our joys. We thank you for the songbirds who greet the dawn with exuberant melody. We thank you for the ability to laugh: to laugh at ourselves when we are mistaken; to laugh with our friends when we take ourselves too seriously; to laugh for the pure pleasure it brings. We thank you for eyes that see familiar friends and a new face in the crowd, savor a peaceful sunrise or sunset, and note a hand in need of our touch and open arms waiting to receive us.

Because we are so blessed, help us to respond faithfully to life and its goodness. Because people and relationships are so important, help us to look beyond ourselves and share our plenty with those in need. Help us to build a community known for the risks it takes to help others experience your loving presence. Because life can be so abundant, help us to be a community as joyous in our celebrations as we are committed to service in Jesus’ name. Because not everyone sees your blessings so readily, help us to comfort the bereaved, accompany the lonely, offer hope to the despairing, and reach for a better world for all.

We pray for all whose needs and concerns touch our hearts. We pray for those in need whom we cannot or do not see. We pray for new members and those preparing to receive baptism. We pray for all making difficult decisions. We pray for those enduring illness of body, mind, or spirit, and those who struggle to hope. We pray that we will complete our Lenten journey by seeing our brokenness borne by and entombed with Jesus, which will prepare us to hear anew the almost unimaginable proclamation that the tomb is empty, Jesus is risen, and life and love prevail. These and all our prayers we offer with confidence, for we bring them in Jesus’ name. Amen.

* ever-so-slight alterations made so the original Holy Week prayer applies throughout Lent

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 12, 2017:

Today’s devotional comes from our friend Toni in Cincinnati. We requested she again provide a guest column and she was willing. Thanks Toni! Toni writes…

Many of us consider with gratitude a special teacher that we have had in
our lives. A teacher who had a profound impact on me was the Rev
Dr LP Jones. In preparation for this Lenten season, I found myself
returning to words that he had written in preparation for Ash Wednesday.
Though they do reflect the practice of ashes, they are useful and
helpful words for any time–not just during Lent.

LP said “We are dust. Our bodies are made of earthly elements and will
return to the earth. It is always the right time to make the best of the
time we have.”

So, I encourage you to think with gratitude of a teacher who impacted
you; and to honor their influence and the memory of LP, to “accept the
gift of life with gratitude and live it with courage.” (LP Jones).

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 5, 2017:

• Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
• Psalm 32
• Romans 5:12-19
• Matthew 4:1-11

If you’re like me, “Shrove Tuesday” may not have significance. After reading this description from Wikipedia where self-examination is involved, maybe now I know why I don’t remember this as a child…  🙂

The expression “Shrove Tuesday” comes from the word shrive, meaning “absolve“.^[1] Shrove Tuesday is observed by many Christians, including Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists and Roman Catholics,^[2] who “make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God’s help in dealing with.”^[3]

PRAYER: Dear God, on this Shrove Tuesday, please help me to seek and heed your guidance on ways to advance my spiritual growth, that I might more closely be like Christ Jesus in all I do and say. Amen

Enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 5, 2017:

• Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
• Psalm 32
• Romans 5:12-19
• Matthew 4:1-11

Viewing pictures of those for whom we’re praying can enhance prayer. If you haven’t done this before, maybe this is the day to try it out?

At first, find a few pictures of loved ones. Place those photos in an area(s) where you’ll see them regularly while praying.

As time goes on, this practice can stay relevant by adding more hard copy photographs around the house and/or by adding photos using technology. Locating hard copy photos all around may even help prompt prayer? 🙂

Technologically, you might also create a Word/PowerPoint document and copy/paste photo images of people who are on your prayer list. This electronic file of pictures can be on your computer and also “on the cloud” for viewing the photos on smart phones, tablets or other computers even when away from the house.**

As a small example, HERE is such a prayer photo collage for world leaders and families.

Have fun with pictures and prayer, and enjoy the day, filled with the Spirit!

** NOTE: please don’t let this technological option become a burden – it’s just an additional way to make prayer visual and impactful. If it’s not adding joy, it’s not worth considering!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, March 5, 2017:

• Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
• Psalm 32
• Romans 5:12-19
• Matthew 4:1-11

Are you ready for Ash Wednesday and Lent 2017? Hard to believe but we’re just one week away…

One resource that I’ve really enjoyed during this season is The Rising: Living the Mysteries of Lent, Easter and Pentecost by Wendy M. Wright. In the book’s introduction she says…

The liturgical year roots our faith. It grounds the invisible, animating our lives in the visible, tactile world. It is elemental. It drapes flesh on the skeletons of our too-ghostly religiosity. It connects heaven with earth, divine with human. It allows us access to the mysteries of our faith. In its feasts and fasts we taste and see God.” (pages 13-14)

I like the thought of grounding the invisible and animating our lives as many of us spend more time in church and community while living the mysteries. Perhaps you’ll want to purchase Wendy’s book or pull another resource off of the church library shelves or your personal bookshelf to help uncover some clues to solving the mysteries? 🙂

May the spirit move through you vibrantly during this upcoming Lenten season!

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Lectionary Texts for Sunday, February 26, 2017: