Be Still: Daily Devotional

Today is April 17

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the Book Numbers chapter 13.

"26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size."

Moses sent out spies to explore the Promised Land. God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt, had led them by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. He miraculously fed them with manna from heaven and gave them water in the desert. And God had promised to take them into the Promised Land. God wants them to see the future in store for them. But more than that, he is inviting them to see the future with eyes of faith. But they didn’t see their future with eyes of faith—they saw obstacles, they saw enemies, they saw giants.

When you look into your own future, what do you see? Most of us, like the Israelite spies, see both challenges and possibilities. But God wants us to see more than that. God wants us to see him. He is there in your future. He has been with you the whole journey, and he is waiting for you up ahead, ready to accompany you into the next promise. As you hear the passage again, imagine God waiting
for you up ahead.

"26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size."

Think about the day or the week ahead. There will naturally be challenges and possibilities. But more importantly, God will also be there. And he will be there to strengthen you, to bless you, and to empower you. As you face a challenge or a test today, say to the Lord, “You are here with me.”

Lord God, Almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do, direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is April 14

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from 1 Corinthians 15

"15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed."

Today, one week after Good Friday, we’re reminded by Paul’s letter to the Corinthians what the gospel is... what the good news is... what is, as Paul writes, of first importance. Christ died for our sins, he was buried, and raised on the third day. Paul says: if this isn’t what really happened... you’ve believed in vain. It’s not sentimental, and it’s not symbolic. It’s either nonsense, or it’s the most important thing that’s ever happened.

As you listen to the passage read again, listen for Paul’s intensity. Paul wasn’t originally a believer; he was a persecutor. Paul was not a disciple; he was a detractor. Until Paul was interrupted by a vision of the risen Christ, he chased after the early Christians, even to the point of torture and death. Can you imagine the kind of vision that would turn that kind of person, into the person writing these words?

"15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas,[b] and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it is I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed."


The gospel didn’t just change everything for Paul, the gospel changed Paul himself. Has the gospel changed you? Do you exist with the gospel as some sort of myth or fairy tale or metaphor? Do you realize that there is something so much more? There is a truth, a historic, existential truth that will change everything if you allow it to intersect you. The truth of God can show you who you really are, what you’re really made for, and it can provide the spiritual power of transformation, so you don’t have to get there out of your own sheer willpower. The Gospel is soul formation, not self-help. The Gospel is what saves: That God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, so that whoever believes in him will not perish, but will have everlasting life, and life to the full.

As we end our time of prayer today, be attentive to what is of first importance, and ask God to draw you continually back to the truth and power of the gospel.

Music Credit:
"This is Love" - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is April 13

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Psalm 16

"1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” 4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.
5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Think about that phrase, ‘the boundary lines for me have fallen in pleasant places’. For me, it conjures up an image of a beautiful vista, filled with rolling hills and fresh streams. It calls to mind the green pastures of Psalm 23. Think about the boundary lines of your life and where they have fallen. Consider your relationships, your family, your ministry, your friendships, your work. Could you say that your boundary lines have fallen in pleasant places?

Wherever your boundary lines have fallen in your life, are you able to be thankful for the blessings that are in your life? Maybe that’s what the psalmist is getting at when he says, “Apart from you I have no good thing.” As you hear the passage again meditate on the good things that the Lord has brought into your life.

"1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” 4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods or take up their names on my lips.
5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. 6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. 7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. 8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. 11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."


The Psalmist says that his eyes are always on the Lord. What have your eyes been focused on lately? As we close our time, ask the Lord to give you grace to fix your gaze on him, to see glimpses of him throughout your day.

Music Credit:
Reign in Me - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is April 12

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew 28

"28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Matthew tells us that the women were afraid, yet filled with joy. All hope had been lost on Silent Saturday, and here they are: amazed. Terrified. Ecstatic. Can you imagine yourself, sitting with the Mary’s? It’s early, and there’s a chill in the air. The ground is wet with dew. There’s just a bit of light in the sky. You’re terrified. You’ve put all your chips on this Jesus. He valued you, as a woman, like no one you’d ever met. He’d treated you with dignity, like an honored sister. Your hopes were crushed when he breathed his last breath. You’ve no idea what to do next. Can you enter into that picture?
Isn’t it interesting that the angel of the lord appeared to two marginalized women? And the resurrected Jesus did too? Women were devalued in that culture, not counted as legal witnesses. No one would believe a woman, and no one would be expected to. I love that God works this way: he’s unexpected, he’s interruptive, he throws things upside down. It’s not only miraculous that Jesus appeared to two women first, it’s ironic. Almost snarky. It’s like God saying to the world, to culture, to natural law: see. I don’t have to do it your way. I can defeat death. I can honor those who you dishonor. I can lead by serving. I can be first, by being last. Through death... I can bring all the world to life. As you listen again, consider this upside-down nature of the kingdom of God.

"28 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”


I love the word ‘suddenly’ in vs 9. Isn't’ that so often how Jesus comes to us? When we’re least expecting Him. Maybe even when we’re not even looking, or when we’ve given up hope? Do you know someone who’s given up hope for finding Jesus. Pray the word ‘suddenly’ over them today and ask God to intersect their life with the upside-down amazingness of His kingdom.

Music Credit:
Eden - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is April 11

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Colossians 3

"12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

We get a lot of instructions in these few verses, don’t we? We're to clothe ourselves with compassion and humility and many other things. We’re to forgive one another – and not just a little bit, but as the Lord forgave us. We’re to put on love, be at peace, and practice thankfulness. It goes on and on... so... what do you think about all these instructions? What do you think about the intentional work it takes to practice all the virtues that Paul lists here? Do you find it envisioning and inspiring? Or exhausting?

Paul’s point is this: we, as the church, are supposed to be filled with the fruit of the spirit, bearing the likeness of Christ. And, he tells us in other places, that does not come naturally. It comes only super naturally, and with practice. In our own nature, we’re most often grumpy, selfish, we struggle to forgive. Of course, we are nice when others are nice to us first. (Or maybe that’s just me) As you listen to the passage again, be attentive to what particular instruction jumps out at you.

"12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."


Whatever you do, do it in the name of Jesus. What does that mean for you, today? In your family? With friends? At work? In traffic or on yet another zoom call with colleagues? As we end, ask God for the power of the resurrected Christ to fill you, and empower you live in the name of Jesus today.

Music Credit:
When You Come - Vineyard Worship/Samuel Lane (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is April 10

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s reading is from Psalm 118

"The LORD is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things! 16 The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” 17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. 18 The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD THROUGH WHICH THE RIGHTEOUS MAY ENTER. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad."

Psalm 118 is the final piece of the liturgy of Passover, which celebrated Israel’s deliverance from bondage in Eqypt. The Psalmist is exuberant, singing songs of God’s strength, and of all
the marvelous things God has done. He is also confident in God’s power, and His ability to save. How are you feeling about the reality of who God is today?

Consider what ‘the stone the builders rejected’ means. New Testament author Peter refered to Jesus as the living stone: ‘as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men... but in the sight of God, chosen and precious...’ That is such a kingdom paradox: That the material that the world rejects, God chooses, and calls chosen... and precious. As you hear the scripture read again, consider how that truth might draw you, like the psalmist, to exuberances, and confidence in the character of God.

"The LORD is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things! 16 The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!” 17 I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done. 18 The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD THROUGH WHICH THE RIGHTEOUS MAY ENTER. 21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 23 the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 The LORD has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad."


Let us rejoice today and be glad! Can you take time today to practice ‘being glad’? Can you take time right now, as we end, to drop someone a text, or a note, or even a call... and speak a work of thanksgiving or gratitude to them? As we end our time of prayer, enter into the rest of your day with the intention of practicing, and demonstrating, the fruit of the spirit of joy.

Music Credit:
Giver of Life - Heaven & Earth (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Silent Saturday Examen

Today is the Saturday Examen. This is what is known as Silent Saturday In Holy Week. Dr Suess has a line in his children’s book My Many Colored Days that goes: Gray day. Everything is Gray. I watch. But nothing moves today.

Today is the day in-between. The day where hope seemed lost. A day of quiet. Stillness. Nothing moved, today.

For today’s examen, we will practice silence for three minutes. Are you tempted to turn off the examen now? Do you find yourself thinking: silence isn’t useful? Silence will be a waste of my time? I can’t be silent for three minutes?

That’s okay. Learning how to be still is difficult. But it is not impossible. When we are still, we are like branches, abiding in the vine. When we are s
pasture. When we are still, we are like the wind and the waves, hearing the voice of Christ over us: Peace! Be still!

As we enter into our stillness, take time to quiet yourself. If you can, sit upright in a chair with both feet on the ground. Take slow, deep breaths. Keep your eyes closed if you can, to avoid distraction. A chime will ring at each minute to help you know you’re making progress through this quiet space! When you get distracted, or antsy, or impatient, remember that today is Saturday in Holy week. God is at work, but we are not. God is all knowing, but we’re confused. God is on the move – and so, we wait.

Keep bringing your attention back to his words:
Peace. Be Still.

Take a deep breath, and pray Come, Holy Spirit.
(keep music playing)

The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. GOD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed are those who trusts in Him!

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.


Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

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Today is Good Friday, in Holy Week.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Isaiah 53

"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth."

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

John 18

"So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him." 7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God." 8 When Pilate heard these words, he was the more afraid; 9 he entered the praetorium again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave no answer. 10 Pilate therefore said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered him, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin." 12 Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend; every one who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar." 13 When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement, and in Hebrew, Gab'batha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" 15 They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." 16 Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. 17 So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew Gol'gotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.
19 Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

As we close our time of prayer, a reflection written by Fredreick Buechner:

"GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD," John writes, "that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." … To participate in the sacrificial life and death of Jesus Christ is to live already in his kingdom. This is the essence of the Christian message, the heart of the Good News, and it is why the cross has become the chief Christian symbol. A cross of all things—a guillotine, a gallows—but the cross at the same time as the crossroads of eternity and time, as the place where such a mighty heart was broken that the healing power of God himself could flow through it into a sick and broken world. It was for this reason that of all the possible words they could have used to describe the day of his death, the word they settled on was "good." Good Friday.

The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. GOD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed are those who trusts in Him!

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Music Credit:
Room At the Table - Vineyard Worship (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

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Today is Maundy Thursday, the fifth day of Holy Week.

The word “Maundy” comes from the Latin word mandātum means mandate, or command. This is in reference to the command Jesus gave his disciples to “Love one another, as I have loved you.”

Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

Take a moment and quiet yourself. Take a deep breath. Welcome God’s presence. And say, “Come Holy Spirit.”

Today’s first reading is from the Gospel of John, 13:2-17

"12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."

In Jesus’ day, a host would often have their servant wash the feet of guests. This was an act of hospitality, as well as of practicality. But it was an act that would have been always done by the servant. By the least member of the household. Jesus took on the very nature of a servant, scripture tells us elsewhere, but here’s where we see it. This week, right now... Jesus comes toward you. He looks at you, and at your mess, and at all the proverbial dust on your proverbial feet. He slowly grabs a towel, some water, and he sits down in front of you. You know you’re filthy. You know he shouldn’t be doing this. You wonder: where’s the servant?? Why is Jesus doing this? It’s embarrassing, almost. And then he begins to spill water over your feet, and wipe them clean. Later he tells you this: go do the same thing. Go take on the nature of the servant. Go get down on one knee. Go tend to the messy places and the dusty places in the lives of those around you. Can you hear his words to you? His command?

Todays second reading comes from Mark 14:17-25

"17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”
19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”
20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me. 21 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”
23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 “This is my blood of the[c] covenant, which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."

What a disorienting day Maundy Thursday is. Jesus washing feet, telling his disciples ot do the same. Jesus, sitting back relaxed at the table, casually mentioning his own betrayal. Jesus, telling them that the bread they were eating and the wine they were drinking was his body, his blood. Imagine being there that Thursday. Is your mind spinning? Are you confused? Worried?

In the midst of all that confusion, all that disorientation, Jesus gives the command that Christians remember every Holy Week on Maundy Thursday: Love one another, as I have loved you. The simplicity of this command cuts through the confusion, doesn’t it? That command is the ‘true north’ of all Christians: that we love one another, as Christ loved us. As we end our time of prayer today, and as we turn toward sunrise tomorrow, and all that Good Friday will bring... ask God to fill you with the power of his Holy Spirit to love others – to truly love - as He does.

Music Credit:
You Give Us Peace (feat. Paul Cullen & Scarlett) - Heaven And Earth (YouTube)

Be Still: Daily Devotional with Eric and Julia Pickerill.
Originally produced at Vineyard Columbus and republished by permission.

Subscribe: Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/be-still-daily-devotional/id1662156224 | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1vRcmmVmxUU579ZsOFcT1X | Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/c57a529f-db23-427f-87fb-e01cb8ca6b78

More at pickerill.casa