Authority

John 5:19-29

Authority

^“As the Father has within him the gift of life, so he has granted to the Son that he too should have within him the gift of life, and has also granted him power to execute judgment, since he is the Son of Man.”  John 5:26-27 (Knox)

This is right after Jesus is chastised for working on the Sabbath.  He is telling his accusers that he is God’s son, and telling them that God has granted him the same powers, gifts and authority.  However, he also has the power to judge whether or not healing on the Sabbath is a sin.

A few years ago, RCPC had a policy of observing the Sabbath.  We were to keep to family concerns, take a load off, and observe Sundays as a true day to glorify God.  I think the pastors had to choose a different day, or the pulpit would have been quiet.

I wish I had taken that discipline more seriously.  I do spend time with my family, but often we are in different rooms of the same house, watching different TV shows, or on different internet sites.  We do share Sunday dinner, although that is often quick.

Jesus is telling the people that glorifying God is everything.  But glorifying God can be done in a variety of ways.  Surely healing the sick, or baptizing sinners would count as glorifying God.

---

Father, thank you for the gift of a full life.  Send your Spirit to fill my soul when I am tired so that I may truly glorify you.

Lori Earls

Confidence and Humility

John 5:1-18

Confidence and Humility

“Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’  At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now, that day was the Sabbath…”  John 5:8-9 (NRSV)

There are countless stories of Jesus healing the sick and the crippled, and even some of him raising others from the dead. This story, however, is different, mainly because Jesus gets attention for healing a man on the Sabbath, the Jews' traditional day of rest. Later on in the passage, John writes that Jesus says that his father is still working, and so he is working too.

It's fairly evident from this passage just how confident he was, but also how humble. Jesus was blessed with, among other things, a sense of clarity, a brilliant moral compass. We see Jesus' confidence in everything he does, from his healings to his teachings, and we also see his humility. Jesus is the son of God--why should he deign to help the lepers, heal the sick, or wash the feet of his followers? Because he is God's son, the everlasting symbol of forgiveness and healing.

There is something to be said for someone who could remain so confident and yet so humble so much of the time--maybe if we were able to step back and see ourselves for who we are, we could find some of his humility.

---

Dear Lord, help us to find our comfort in you. Be with us as we strive to find our confidence in life and our humility in all things we do. Amen.

Hannah Ruth Wellons

Do we believe?

John 4:43-54

Do we believe?

“So the father knew it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, ‘Thy son liveth’ and himself believed, and his whole house.”
John 4:53 (KJ)

When I was three, I contacted viral encephalitis.  I was a normal, active three year old.  I collapsed on my side, and my mother rushed me to the nearest hospital in Seattle, an hour’s ferry boat ride from where we lived on the Washington peninsula.  My skyrocketing fever put me in a deep coma.  Doctors did all they could, but finally told my parents there was nothing more they could do.  They suggested my parents pray. 

I don’t know how soon, but some time after that, I came out of the coma and started a new lifestyle.  After I became a Christian, I knew it was God who heard the prayers of my parents, family members and friends.  My family believed Jesus would heal me, and he did.  Yes, I bear the evidence of that awful disease, but you know what?  I was completely healed the day I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  I’m not sure what I’m to do here on earth, but everyone has many gifts and talents, that are sometimes overlooked.

---

Thank you, Lord, for your mercy.  Help me believe when doubts and fears make the path ahead seem dark and scary.  Be a light to my path, and keep me under the shadow of Your wings.  Amen.

Jenny McKenzie

Well?

John 4:27 – 42

Well?

“I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work [sowing], and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”  John 4:38 (NIV)

Tupper recently introduced me to a poem by Studdert Kennedy called, “Well?”. The poet speaks of a dream during which he meets God in the next life. He did not see a throne or a judgment book. God reviewed the chances he had had to do good. What was done and left undone, God said, “was done to me. For all their souls were mine.”  The poet is remorseful for lost opportunities, and God tells him now that he is no longer blind, to wake up, go out and put into practice what he has learned. The last word in the poem is God asking, “Well?”.

Matthew 25:40 quotes Jesus, “…Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Consider Matthew 25:45 in which Jesus says, “…Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.”

In John’s and Matthew’s passages, I wonder if we might find meaning that dovetails with Kennedy’s poem. All we have is a gift from God. Do I take for granted what those less fortunate would consider blessings beyond belief?  What am I doing with the blessings God has so richly bestowed? WELL???

---

Prayer:  Dear God, please show me how you would have me sow and reap – to your Glory.

Judy Hensley

Jesus’ Brothers and Sisters

Mark 3:31-4:9

Jesus’ Brothers and Sisters

“Anyone who does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.”  Mark 3:34 (Phillips)

Jesus was involved in ministry when his family tried to call him away for a moment of family time.  His response was to state that those who followed Him were his brothers, sisters, and mother.

When I was young, I thought I wanted to be a missionary.  I can remember the song, “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight”.  I just knew that that song meant that I should go to a foreign land and tell others about Jesus.  Even in college, I was torn between being a Christian educator, a church musician, or a missionary.

Knowing missionaries over the years, I’ve been impressed by the selflessness of their lifestyles.  They give up the homes they have known, their friends, even their families, for the greater good of giving their lives to others so that they might know Jesus.  WOW.

The next part of the scripture goes into the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-9).  Here, Jesus talks about the seeds falling on the path, on rocky ground, in the thorns and on the good soil, where it produced 30, 60, or even 100 times more.

As workers in God’s kingdom, we are all brothers and sisters of Jesus, sowing seeds to bring others to Him.

---

Jesus, Help us remember that as we follow you, we are your brothers and sisters.  Help us keep that in mind as we interact with others in your name.

Pat Wade

Water

John 4:1-26

Water

“’Sir, you have nothing to draw and the well is deep.  Where can you get this living water?’… Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”  John 4:11, 13-14

Water.  All living things need it to survive.  Our bodies are full of it.  It is a key to life.  Without water our planet would be barren.  Water is given to us by God.  It sustains us.  But God also offers us a different sort of sustenance, a “Living Water”.  This “Living Water” is attainable by following God’s path, a road paved with love, truth and wisdom.  The water is here, we just have to drink it.

---

Lord, thank you for providing us with life, in both this world and in your kingdom.  Thank you for water.

Austen Earls

It’s Time

John 3:22-36

It’s Time

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John 3:30 (NRSV)

I have two children.  Around 4th grade, when their math homework became cryptic to me, and I could no longer help them, I began to realize that I was no longer top dog in my family.  Now, playing Trivial Pursuit is a humbling experience.  They increased in knowledge, maturity, and wisdom.  Now, I’m not one to say that I decreased in these things, but I’m no longer the expert of my household on more subjects than I’d care to admit.

In a way, this is what John the Baptist was expressing.  To the people he came in contact with, he was known as The Baptist.  He predicted that Jesus was coming, so when Jesus finally arrives and begins baptizing as well, John takes the opportunity to step back a little.  He explains to them that everything sent by God is Godly, and that there is no competition for that Godliness.  There is plenty to go around!  He knew that the time had come that Jesus was to rise in notoriety so that he could perform the tasks set before him.

---

Father, help me to gracefully surrender the self-imposed
titles I’ve brought upon my self and to see the gifts of others more clearly.

Lori Earls

Light Has Come Into the World

John 3:16-21

Light Has Come Into the World

“That the light has come into the world.”   John 3:19a  (KJV)

As a young girl, mother took me on a long journey by rail covering many states. Tunnels were a necessary part of this train ride to reach our destination. Dark hardly describes the utter blackness we experienced upon entering the tunnels. Then suddenly, light came! How well that phrase rings true ~ light at the end of the tunnel.

So it is in this life. We are born in the darkness of a fallen state. Not until we see the true light of Christ do we really live. Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light. Just as there is joy to see the light at the end of the tunnel, so is there immeasurable joy to see the light of Christ in our lives.

Yes, Light (Christ) came into the world so all who would but believe could see the light, walk in the light and experience the eternity Christ offers to all.

What good news! God’s light, the living light of Christ, has come into the world, ushering us out of darkness into eternal life.

---

Father God, Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to be our true Light in this world.  Amen.

Joan Bowers

Born of Spirit?

John 2:23-3:15

Born of Spirit?

“Except a person be born of water and of spirit, he or she cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  John 3:5

Please read this entire section.  It is one of the most beautiful and most puzzling pieces of the Bible.  It tells the story of Jesus and Nicodemus, when Jesus explains the concept of being born again to qualify for the kingdom of God.  He says that being born again means being born of water and of spirit.  But what does that mean?  Birth is violent.  It is painful, messy, and changes your status permanently.  It is not a gentle process.  So can we really be born of spirit gently, quietly, over time.  Can we be reborn without demonstrative change?  I worry sometimes that we Presbyterians are so reserved that we don’t allow enough pain, mess and change into our lives and our religion.  And without that pain, mess and change, are we really “born again?”  I don’t know.  Is God telling us to show more emotion, embrace more change, and not fear the mess of experimenting, and often failing, to embrace new members and try out different ways of worshiping Him?  I think so.  The churches that are growing often minister to immigrants and others on the margins of our society, and they provide a variety of worship choices.  We try to do that, too, but perhaps we need to embrace rebirth more, individually and collectively.

---

Prayer:  God, please give us the confidence and the courage to embrace change, to bear mess, to suffer pain, and to be born again to accomplish what you intend us to be and do.

Hugh Wellons

I Beg Your Pardon?

John 2:13-22

I Beg Your Pardon?

“After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had
spoken.”  John 2: 22 (NRSV)                                                                   

      

I don’t know how the disciples ever understood Jesus.  There had to have been some divine intervention going on.  These were fishermen and regular Joe’s.  They knew the traditions to the extent that all Jews knew them, but they weren’t scholars.

Imagine them saying, “You’re going to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple in three days?  I’d like to see that!”  They never imagined he was talking about himself.  But the probability of either would have been the same.

---

Heavenly Father, help me to understand Your will for me, and how I can best serve Your plans.

Lori Earls

Jesus Blesses a Wedding by His Presence

John 2:1-12

Jesus Blesses a Wedding by His Presence

“On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.  Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had been invited to the wedding.”  John 2:1-2 (NIV)

At the wedding at Cana Jesus turned water into wine, which John tells us was the first miracle he performed during his earthly ministry.  By showing his power over nature, “He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in Him.”  (Vs. 11)  The miracle made a great impression on the master of the banquet.  And even today we are amazed at this and the other miraculous signs performed by Jesus as related in the Gospels.

Another significant aspect of this particular miracle was its occasion – a wedding.  By his presence at the wedding and his active participation in the celebration, Jesus showed his approval - indeed his endorsement - of marriage.

In Ephesians 5:22-33 we are reminded that Christian marriage is a reflection of the mystical union between Christ and his “bride”, the church.  It is thus a “profound mystery” as well as an especially sacred union, not to be entered into lightly.

These Biblical passages have been especially meaningful to my wife Sibyl and me during more than 58 years of marriage.  We urge all married couples - and anyone contemplating marriage - to reflect on them.

---

Lord, in this age when the concept of marriage has been so distorted, remind us of its sacredness.  In the name of Christ we pray, Amen.

Louis Newton

Fasting and Limitations

Mark 2:18-22

Fasting and Limitations

Jesus speaking: “Do you expect the guests at a wedding party to go without food? Of course not! As long as the bridegroom is with them, they will not do that. But the day will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”  Mark 2.19-20, Good News Bible

To me, this passage isn’t just a message about fasting, but also alluding to the fact that Jesus knew that his life was limited. I think that Jesus felt his disciples needed to celebrate life with him for the short time he had with them.  He knew that their energy should be focused on immersing themselves in the message and morals of God while God’s representative on Earth was there to explain in the clearest way imaginable. Though I completely understand the reasoning here, I personally find fasting to be an incredible way to connect with the rest of the world. I know, I know, it is intended to make us feel closer to God, but that isn’t exactly what I have gotten from it. For the past few years, I have taken part in fasting with other youth in the church. Every time that I do it, I gain a strong understanding of what millions of people on our planet go through every single second of every single day.  Fasting shifts my perspective on my life and the lives of those all around me.

---

God, thank you for the blessings granted to us and help the hungry to become satisfied.

Rebekah Wellons

Come and See!

John 1:43-51

Come and See!

“’Come and see,’ said Philip.”  John 1:46b (NIV)

"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" When I read this scathing question posed by Nathanael I imagine a group of men from Jerusalem launching into a series of jokes at the expense of Jesus' rural hometown. But Philip's reply takes the form, not of a retort, but of an invitation, "come and see."

Although Nathanael does not know Jesus, it is clear at their first meeting that Jesus already knows him. In response to Nathanael's amazement, Jesus promises that Nathanael "shall see greater things than that."  What a promise! Although these words of Philip and Jesus were spoken to Nathanael, I think they echo the invitation God extends to all of us. He wants us to come and see the incredible things He is doing in the world.

I often find it easy to get wrapped up in the demands of my worldly life and forget to look outside of myself toward the things that are more important. In this season of Lent we are preparing to celebrate Christ's resurrection - is there anything greater than Christ's victory over death for our sake? God has done an amazing thing for us.  Let's come and see.

---

Heavenly Father, help me to see what is important in Your eyes.  Amen.

Lisa Goad

We Have Found the Messiah

John 1:35-42

We Have Found the Messiah

“The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’” John 1:35-36 (NRSV)

“Jesus Wars: How four Patriarchs, Three Queens, and Two Emperors Decided What Christians Would Believe for the Next 1,500 Years” is a new book that examines the factions, politics, and controversies that were to define and shape the faith we now know.  In doing so, it leaves us wondering what relation modern American belief has to the actual, historical Jesus.  What would he think of what we have done to his story, over the centuries?  Would we even recognize him?  Unlikely. 

Predating all of the haze and distortions of 2,000 years, his contemporaries had no such problem.  John 1:35-42 gives us a double dose of that clarity.  John the Baptist sees Jesus walk by and proclaims him to be the “Lamb of God”.  Andrew follows, saying, “We have found the Messiah!”  They simply saw him, and they knew. 

---

Dear God,   Help us to peel away all that obscures your Son from us.  May we dig back through the layers of time to find Him, and to rediscover your Truth.  In Christ’s name, Amen.

Eric Lawson

Behold!

John 1:29-34

Behold!

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”  John 1:29 (NKJV)  

I love the unreserved sentiment of salvation and imagery this verse (and the surrounding text) and the other John the Baptist-related Gospel scriptures evoke and paint in my mind.    I see a non-conforming, wild-haired and unconventional holy man in a river, away from civilization, calling people to wash away their sins.  Who better to announce and identify God's ultimate sacrifice for our sins?  To tell us we can be baptized with the Holy Spirit?   To me, John the Baptist is a continuing reminder: (a) to be humble and non-judgmental of differences in others, (b) to accept and know that I can find God in what I might otherwise expect to be the most unlikely place or most unlikely person, and (c) to be open in my mind and heart to knowing and growing closer to Jesus and God's love at all times, not just when I'm sitting in a pew or doing something that would outwardly demonstrate piety.    Open your heart and mind to finding God in the unexpected.  You never know what you might behold.

---

As I walk through this day, let my heart and mind be free and open to find God in unexpected people and places.

John Blanton

The Pharisee and The Sinner

Luke 18: 9-14

The Pharisee and The Sinner

“…for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”  Luke 18:14b

I prayed –

“Thank you, Lord,

for the good life I lead.

Every day I read my Bible and pray.

I attend church regularly.

I give when the offering plate is passed.

I don’t steal or cheat my neighbors.

I’m not lazy or a drunkard

I don’t curse or lose my temper.

Are you pleased with me,

Lord? “

He answered –

“Beware of practicing your piety before others

I have set you an example,

that you should do as I have done to you.

I give you a new commandment,

That you love one another as I have loved you.”

“As you have loved me, Lord?

On the cross You suffered and died for me!

All my good deeds could never be sufficient.”

Humbly, I kneel before your cross and cry,

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”

---

Heavenly Father, forgive my pride and give me a humble spirit, that I may truly be your disciple. Amen.

Mary Jo Shannon

Share the Good News: Lenten Devotional Blog

As you prepare your heart for the Good News that Christ is risen, 

Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church urges you to reflect on the life of Jesus and his teachings to us.

Members of the congregation have taken a Bible passage and prayed over what that passage says to them.  After you have read the Bible passage, read what your brothers and sisters at RCPC have written, and pray the prayers at the end.

We pray this small collection of our thoughts and experiences helps guide you on your faith journey, and in the realization that God indeed is alive and among us now, as always.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer. 

from Psalms 19:14

Editor, Lori Earls

2013 Lenten Devotional Book 

The 2013 Lenten Devotional Book will be available for pickup in the Gathering Area soon.  Not so good with keeping up with a hard copy of the devotional book?  Then subscribe to our RCPC Blog!  A “blog” (short for “web log”) is an online journaling tool used by many writers and commentators.  The Writers Guild offers this blog as another resource for members to journey through the Lenten season.  To “Follow By Email,” go to: thisweekrcpc.blogspot.com and enter your email address.  You will be sent a devotional email each day and each time thereafter the blog is updated.