Advent Devotional - Day 21

Isaiah 35:1-2:  The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom.

The King James says “rose” rather than “crocus.” When I was in Glee Club at boarding school, we learned Michael Praetorius’ piece, “Lo, How a Rose ere Blooming”.  Then Love Story came out with Ali McGraw conducting an acapella boys choir singing the same piece.  It introduced me to this biblical text. Years later, we had a craft at Advent Adventure – a disc, a pipe cleaner stem, crepe paper rose and quilt batting snow.  The picture of one flower in winter or one flower in a vast desert – this is my picture of the kind of joy God brings into the desert seasons of our lives.  The incarnation. The second coming and so many small serendipities of joy.  This Advent, remember.  It might be a kind word, a blossom, a sunset, a baby’s burst of joy.

PRAYER
Thank you, O God, for the way joy pierces the desert. 

Rev. Marnie Silbert, Associate Pastor, Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church, Murrysville

Advent Devotional - Third Sunday in Advent

Isaiah 12:3-4a:   With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!  In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done.

We’re in the season of joy! With it comes a flurry of activities that can be both joyful and exhausting. Yet, this season isn’t about the biggest sale, largest present, or best tasting mincemeat pie. It’s about the greatest gift ever given!  Jesus!  His name means “God is Salvation;” Immanuel, “God with us!”  This gift of love didn’t come wrapped in ribbons and garland but was heralded by heaven’s angels.

Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King! 

PRAYER
Lord, help us to move through this holy season with wonder and joyful praise for the amazing gift and grace given to us in Christ our Savior. 

Rev. Jane Johnson, Minister at Large

Advent Devotional - Second Sunday in Advent

Isaiah 9:6:  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

A little peace can go a long way. 

We all find ourselves grateful for a moment or two of peace in our manic and unpredictable lives. Life grabs us by the horns and somehow manages to drag us in a dozen directions at once. The holiday season can often do just that to us, leaving a myriad of constant errands, desperate shopping, and familial disharmony in our wake.

While we search for peace, we may forget the Prince of Peace described in Isaiah, and this Wonderful Counselor hasn’t just brought peace for you and I – he has peace for the entire world. There is nothing fleeting about this peace, because, unlike the hurried moments of clarity or levity we so desperately seek on yet another frenzied day, this peace is not given by our anxious and fickle world. As Jesus explained, “peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” And the peace of Christ is forever.

Joshua Scully, Commissioned Pastor, Little Redstone Presbyterian Church, Fayette City

Advent Devotional - Day 3

Isaiah 25:8:  The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his peoples disgrace from all the earth.

Revelation 21:4:  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

How can we possibly hope in times such as these when we are surrounded by hatred and violence? We can look at the big picture. Written centuries apart, these two passages offer the same promises: God’s presence with His people and the end of pain and death. It’s difficult to hold on to those promises in these terrible times, but we can. We can because of Jesus. This Christmas, more than ever, we need to remember that He was sent into the world to overcome evil, and He did. Therein lays our hope, not in what the world is doing but in what God has done in Jesus Christ. We usually think of Advent as a time of waiting, but maybe this year our waiting should be active. Maybe this year we should make ourselves available to God, asking Him to use us to act out His Love because Love is stronger than death; and so, no matter what the circumstances around us, we have reason to hope.

Rev. Sue Currie, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Belle Vernon

Lenten Devotional - Good Friday

Scripture: Isaiah 43:15-21

“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:18-19)

  Methodist preacher Charles W. Allen was once asked, "What is the number one problem you have had to deal with over the years of your ministry?" Without hesitating, Allen answered, "The number one problem I have had to deal with is the mistaken notion so many people have that God is mad at them." As long, as people see themselves as being victims of an angry God, neither God nor his church will ever be a thing for them.

  Isaiah reveals, however, that God's first inclination is love. God is always coming up with new ways to redeem us and to set us right, just as God is going about the work of setting his creation right. God doesn't do old things; God does new things.

  In verses 16-17, God offers his people a reminder of when a similar sort of thing happened. They are reminded of the deliverance of God's people out of slavery in Egypt. God is giving them a snapshot of their ancestors. "Hey, this is what I did for my people in the past!" The Lord made "a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters" for his people to escape their Egyptian oppressors and then "extinguished" their pursuers "like a wick." The same God who did that thing will be the God who will do a new thing by leading the people again out of slavery and exile back to the land God promised them.

  In each new generation, God is doing something new, because in each generation they find new ways to hold themselves in bondage. Deliverance from slavery was a thing, but so was the fact that the people had exchanged slavery in Egypt for the slavery of their own self-serving desires. In many ways, the wilderness was the hardscrabble road that represented God's judgment on his people. Today, people are held in bondage by money, possessions, alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.

  Getting God's people out of Babylon will be another wilderness experience, but it will be a very different kind of thing. "I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert," says God (v. 19). To give up whatever may hold us in bondage, often involves a wilderness journey where God can “do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it.” (v. 19)

  It's good for us to look back and remember what God has done for us in the past, even when that past is marked and marred by our disobedience to God. We've all walked our version of the wilderness road, focusing on "things" that run counter to God's way for us. But, we also need to recognize that God doesn't want us to dwell on that past, but, rather, seek out the new thing God is up to in our lives. God's faithfulness remains consistent, even when our faithfulness wavers.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Our ability to see God’s grace alive and well around us.

Click Here PDF - Good Friday Devotion

Lenten Devotional - Day 35

Scripture: Isaiah 50:1-4

“The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.” (Isa. 50:4)

  A couple years ago, I was sitting in my truck with a former Sunday school student. She had wanted to talk to me privately. As she began talking she rolled up her sleeve to show me a needle mark in her arm.

  “How do I stop using?” she asked.

  I had no idea what to say. Nothing in my seminary training had prepared me to counsel someone addicted to heroin. And so, I asked some questions and listened to the story of her life and why heroin seemed like an easy answer to some deeply rooted problems. I tried to refer her to professionals. But I knew she wouldn’t go.

  She had come to me thinking that I had the tongue of a teacher. That I might have the wisdom of God with me in the Bible on the backseat. Magic words that I could pull out for such tough times.

  But all I had were a bunch of jumbled words and a silent prayer that the Holy Spirit would help her to make something of them. That the Spirit would allow her to somehow feel sustained by my words.

  As Presbyterians, we are all about the Word of God and the words we write and speak about God in our sermons and books. But so often it is the embodied word that offers comfort to those who are suffering. It’s the hug or the eye contact or the act of listening. It’s showing that we do care.

  My friend ministers to homeless people every week and has had more experience with addiction and poverty issues. She says that sometimes the only thing we can do is show up and love people in the name of Jesus Christ. Rather than use our tongues and words, our ministry tools are our ears as we listen compassionately. So, that even if we don’t have the tongue of a teacher, we can reflect the heart of Jesus Christ. He didn’t shy away from the troubled people in his world. Instead he showed up, listened to them, touched them and healed them. He shared the love and forgiveness of God with them and encouraged his disciples to do the same.

Sue Washburn, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Help to lead us to the right people and the right place where we can assist others to begin recovery.

Click Here PDF - Day 35 Devotion

Lenten Devotional - Day 17

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-12

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?” (Isa. 58:6-7) 

  It’s hard to share. Any preschool teacher or parent will tell you that it’s difficult for a child to let other people play with their things. In the preschool setting, if a child walks into a play kitchen, the one who is already in there is told to share. If a child is playing with blocks and another wants to join, what happens? Someone steps in to make sure they share and cooperate.

  But if we think about it, we lose that emphasis on sharing as we age. As we move into the independence of adulthood we go the opposite direction. High school students all have their own books and materials. As adults we have houses full of things that many of us don’t share. Can you imagine someone walking into your kitchen or garage uninvited and wanting to use your tools? Is there anyone there who insists that you share?

  No. Our decision to share or not is internalized from lessons learned in preschool and God’s words to us about what it means to be faithful. The prophet Isaiah tells us that God wants us to share—our food, our homes, our clothes. This is the devotion that God would like to see.

  There are so many ways we can share. We can invite people in our kitchens, our churches and our lives. We can offer people, especially those with addiction in their families, the nourishment and love that they need to get through each day.

  Maybe there are days that we need to think of God as our teacher. The one who gently walks a new people into our lives and churches, leading them forward with a hand on their backs and saying to us, “Remember to share your things” or “Why don’t you welcome her into your game?” or “This is my child.”

Sue Washburn, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Churches who are honestly seeking to answer the call to lift the yoke of addiction and set free their communities.

Click Here PDF - Day 17 Devotion

Informational Resources

NIDA for Teens https://teens.drugabuse.gov/

Easy-to-Read Drug Facts https://easyread.drugabuse.gov/

Into The Light - Lenten Devotionals Introduction

Into the Light: Join the Conversation 
“Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins.” (Isa. 58:1)

       Our communities have discovered themselves in the grips of a serious alcohol and other drug problem.  Heroin, alcohol, cocaine, and a host of other drugs are destroying families, homes, children, parents, grandparents, neighborhoods, communities and individuals. Communities are faced daily with death, destruction, hopelessness, disability, criminal behavior and prison.  The people impacted are individuals both far and near to us, our sons and daughters, our neighbors and friends. As the church and followers of Jesus Christ we are called to have a prophetic voice in our communities and speak out with authority and boldness to the tragedies around us, like the prophet “Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet!”

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we can’t allow our neighborhoods to decline around us and watch passively as our sons and daughters perish.  During this time of Lent, we take time to understand our own limitations, mortality, and our tendency to act in ways not in line with God’s way, but we also reveal our hope in repentance, forgiveness, and resurrection.  We invite you to explore the meaning of Lent and how it speaks to the epidemic of AOD abuse and dependency that surrounds our churches and communities.  As the people of God, we are called to share the good news of God’s amazing grace and love.

Alcohol and other drugs are creating a serious health and mental illness crisis, emotional pain, despair and unspeakable sinful behavior.  God does not wish us to be silent. Our call is not to speak harshly, but lovingly of the hope and grace that comes by facing our sin. The prophet Isaiah is telling God’s people that redemption and restoration is possible.

God is telling us just as God once told the Israelites what was needed: help the poor, free those in bondage, give food to the hungry and clothes to the naked. These are acts of true repentance. These are acts of faith that arise only from a heart that has turned around to face God.  As Christ’s church if we engage ourselves in the work God is calling us out to do, we will experience the wonderful things of God in our midst as the prophet tells us, “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.”  (v.8)

Lent provides us the opportunity to discover new avenues of faith and discipleship.  Lent provides a time to explore a deeper understanding of discipleship and how God is calling us to serve and where God is sending us.  This Lenten journey should never be easy, but challenging and joyful.  These Lenten journeys can help us gain a better appreciation of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the power of the resurrection, which gives us life, not just after death, but life in the here and now.  Eternity starts today.  We hope you will find these devotions helpful in strengthening your faith and discipleship. 

Don’t keep what you read, pray, think and experience a secret (at least not all of it). Please leave your comments on this blog and share your journey through Lent.  Share your thoughts and ideas about the daily selections with others and pray for the future ministry and mission of your church and your life together as the Body of Christ.  Use this time of Lent to give God the opportunity to speak to your heart and life in some unique and surprising ways.

 Suggestions for Using the Devotions

1.  Set aside time each day to read the selection for the day, time to think about it and time to pray.

2.  Give yourself time to sit quietly and simply rest in the presence of God.  Give God the opportunity to speak to your heart.  Listen for God’s still small voice speaking within your prayers. “I keep the LORD always before me;”  (Psalm 16:8)

3.  We most likely know at least five individuals and/or families who have been impacted by alcohol and other drug abuse and dependency.  Write those names on a note card and make a point to pray for these individuals and families daily.  Consider sharing with them a link to this blog in an e-mail message and invite them to attend worship with you.  Pray that God might use you as a witness in their lives. 

4.  Pray for all those you know who are sick, ill, injured, lost or having any problems in their lives.

5.  Keep a prayer journal and record all the people and areas of your prayers.  Make a point to record God’s response to your prayers. 

6.  Pray for the all ruling elders on the Session who have been called to lead your congregation.  Pray that God will empower them as spiritual leaders for your congregation.  Pray that God will give them vision, knowledge and purpose as they do their work for the mission and ministry of the church in the twenty-first century.

7.  And pray for your pastor.  Pray that God will make them better preachers, better teachers, and better pastors to all they meet, giving Glory to God in all that they do. 

Daily Lectionary Readings listed for each devotion are modified selections from the Two-Year Daily Lectionary (Book of Common Worship, Year 1).  The daily lectionary readings are not intended to directly relate to the subject of the devotion for the day.

All scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise noted. "New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved."

 

Bios of Lenten Devotional Contributors

Lynn Mance is a Ruling Elder at Delmont Presbyterian Church and a Redstone Presbytery Authorized Preacher.  Her family history includes alcoholism.  She has a heart for those who struggle with addiction and wants to help in this drug epidemic.

Lee McDermott is pastor of the McClellandtown and Grace Chapel Presbyterian Churches in Fayette County.  He has 30+ years of experience in addictions counseling, treatment and prevention.

Sue Washburn is the pastor of Reunion Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant, PA and the current moderator of Redstone Presbytery.

Cathy Ritter is a member and Ruling Elder in First Presbyterian Church, Johnstown, PA. She has a heart for the city and is in the trenches, easing the pain of the most vulnerable in our society.

Elizabeth Comer is Director of Clinical and Case Management Services for the Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission.  Elizabeth has worked in the drug and alcohol field since 2006 with prior experience working in mental health, medical social work, and the IDD field.   

Susan Perry is a wife, mother, grandmother, a retired attorney, and currently the Moderator of the Presbytery of West Virginia.

Walter Maynard is a Ruling Elder from the Westminster Presbyterian Church, Greensburg, PA

Rev. Richard “Skip” Noftzger is Executive Presbyter and Stated Clerk of Redstone Presbytery.  Visit Skip’s blog Flowing "Grace and Truth"...in Him....

Donna Havrisko is the pastor of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensburg, PA.

Alice Tondora is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Johnstown.

Andrea Andi Falcone is a Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master and Thai yoga Bodywork Practitioner, but most importantly, a spiritual warrior saint in recovery. She resides in rural Appalachia, Lost River WV. Her Recovery began with the 12 step programs (AA/NA) then exacerbated with Yoga, to release the "issues from the tissues".

Click Here for PDF File of the Introduction