Advent Devotional - Fourth Sunday in Advent

The Lord says to the lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.  (Psalm 110:1)

Psalm 110 portrays the Lord giving strength to troops for righteous battle.  The violent war imagery in verses 3-7 is disquieting. And yet, the Psalm begins (Verse 1) with the assurance that God designates a place at God’s “right hand” while justice is carried out. Christians have interpreted this to be a reference to Christ, who sits at the “right hand of God the father Almighty.”

Psalm 110 gives us a vision of hope in a broken and fearful world. In Christ, oppressors will receive their comeuppance and become “footstools” for those they have oppressed. It may be an abused woman who finds strength in seeing the abuser chastened and brought to justice; or, workers who have been mistreated finally receiving fair working conditions from repentant employers; or, warring gangs and armies so chastised by the Holy Spirit that they will put down their weapons and beg for mercy from those whom they have afflicted. In the kingdom of God, human power structures are turned upside-down: the promise of the Gospel. Hallelujah!

Dear Lord, we give thanks that your righteousness is fierce! So often when we feel defeated or alone, our prayers are timid. Help us, Almighty God, to welcome the fire of your Holy Spirit that dares give us a greater vision for our lives, and the lives of your children around the world. Grant us victories in your name. Amen.

Donna Havrisko is pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Advent Devotional - Day 11

O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people.  (Psalm 53:6)

One week, our prayer of confession started with these words, “Holy God, we come before you a broken people in a broken world.” As I was reciting the prayer it dawned on me this must be how David felt when he penned the 53^rd Psalm. He is having a moment. The world around him seems dark and evil, full of ungodly people doing ungodly things. What will God do? How can things be salvaged?

The answer didn’t come right away but generations later when God sent his Son into the world as a tiny baby who would grow up to be our Savior. In the Message the Psalm ends with these words: God turns life around, turned around Jacob skips rope, turned around Israel sings laughter.

God Thank you for sending Jesus into this broken world and making us” turned around people”. Amen.

Sarabeth Stopansky is a ruling elder at Congruity Presbyterian Church.

Advent Devotional - Day 9

Galatians 1:10:  Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Advent season is a great time to ask, “How should we live in light of the fact that our brokenness shows the beauty of the gospel”? Simply put, God’s opinion of us should be more important than that of the world. The work on the cross by Christ, should prove to you daily that God loves you not as you will be someday in heaven (perfect) but as you are right now broken and fractured. Embrace your flaws, trusting that God does not want to keep you where you are but wants to make you into something extremely beautiful - the image of His Son, Jesus Christ! Know that you are loved!

Michael Hurley, Summer Camp Director, Pine Springs Camp

Lenten Devotional - Palm Sunday

Scripture: Psalm 31:11-24

“I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. For I hear the whispering of many — terror all around! — as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." (Ps. 31:11-14)

  Over the years, I have spoken to many individuals both those with alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems and those with other problems who could have easily applied these words of the Psalmist to their current situation. Amid all their problems and the consequences, they came to understand that they are scorned by their communities and a horror to their neighbors. They understand why people flee from them and why their acquaintances, family, and friends find them a subject of dread.

  If they had ever read the Psalm they probably would agree with the psalmist “I have become like a broken vessel. For I hear the whispering of many – terror all around!” (Ps. 31:12–13) Many individuals in the depths of their AOD dependency do begin to understand the gravity of their situation, but many have come to believe they have simply gone too far. They are like the psalmist cannot come to that point, where they affirm “I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” (v. 12)

  Addiction is deadly, the percentage of those who recover is low and many end up permanently disabled, dead, imprisoned or insane. As disheartening as the statistics are regarding addiction, this does not need to be the norm, treatment works, recovery is possible. Getting people to accept treatment and enter recovery will always be difficult, if they believe, they have gone too far for mercy or hope to apply to them. Many things prevent recovery from occurring, but scorn, dread and whispering by others takes a toll on possible treatment of many people. If, we only flee from them and treat them with scorn and dread, we are not just bringing despair to some faceless stranger, but too frequently to the chances for recovery for people who are our neighbors, friends and family.

Lee McDermott, Contributor

Remember in Prayer: Individuals who only feel the scorn and dread of those around them who seem to only flee away.

Click Here PDF - Palm Sunday Devotion

Informational Resources

Large List of Web Links related to Alcohol and other Drugs provided by the National Institute on Drug Abuse

          www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/other-resources