Grace for All

Psalm 19: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.

Psalm 19 is the inspiration for a familiar hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth.” The lyrics begin:

For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies Lord of all, to thee we raise This our joyful hymn of praise.

These words from the hymn are familiar to many of us. They express wonder and awe at God’s creation. We all have sunrise and sunset moments of awe, seasonal moments of awe, and weather moments of awe. 

But in these dissonant times, more often I find myself turning inward and seeking messages of certainty and validation through my friends on social media and texts. I forget that we humans are a microcosm in time, and that we exist in a world created by God, a world of oxygen that allows me to breathe in and out, a world of gravity that allows me to move in predictable ways, a world of taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell. 

I live in a senior community,  and all our residents are blessed to receive a daily email from a neighbor, Bob. Bob is a man of science who seeks beauty in the natural world and photographs it. Over the years he has helped me see anew the glory that is all around: in the snowflakes of winter, tiny flowers in groundcovers, Lenten roses, the first daffodils and crocuses, the swelling buds on trees, the fungi that explode into mushrooms, and yes, even the exquisite beauty of dandelions. Bob sends a photograph and provides both scientific and historical information and makes us see things new.

And recently, our adult Sunday school class enjoyed a presentation on a book titled The Power of AWE.

AWE stands for Attention, Wait, and Expand. The author promises that investing one minute a day in the immediate moment will ‘”overcome burnout and anxiety, ease chronic pain, and bring clarity and purpose.” That’s a large order! But essentially, it’s what my neighbor Bob does when he creates an AWE moment with his emails. I now search daily for the AWE in my world. A friend and I have expanded AWE to AWES by adding the word SHARE. In this way we create community and joy each day.

And in this way, we see again that the earth is the Lord’s and that we must care for God’s gift and work as stewards of God’s creation. When we stop and pay attention to the birds, insects, water, and plants that inhabit this beautiful world, we realize that we must be better stewards of God’s creation. 

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, who has set your glory throughout the heavens and the earth, open our senses to your glory and create in us a sense of awe. Help us to become true stewards of your creation, not just consumers. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

This devotion was written by Laura Derr and read by Judy Wilson.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord’s and all who live in it.”

I remember when I was a little girl studying in school about the Sun, the Moon, the nine planets, and the far away stars.  Yes, there were nine planets at that time, including little Pluto.  My grandmother used to let me read from her huge family Bible that sat in a prominent place of honor, in her living room.

I loved reading the creation story in Genesis 1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth…”  The story goes on to explain that God created everything in, on, and above the Earth.  When he got everything else ready and saw that it was good, he created humankind – male and female – in his own image, and blessed them, turning over the care of all his Earthly creation to humans. 

He gave instructions to us to fill the earth and care for it – to tend it.  He gave us a Paradise and told us to watch over it, together.

So, of course our Scripture today says – “The Earth is the Lord’s and all who live in it.”

Unfortunately, the filling part of that command has worked out more successfully than the tending part.

Not all the people on the earth look at the Earth with reverence and care.  Multitudes look at the Earth as theirs, not God’s own.  Multitudes abuse her and her rich treasures.  Multitudes fight over her resources and abuse her and deny God’s sovereignty.

God knows that we can’t control other people.

God knows that we even have trouble controlling ourselves!

But, God also knows our hearts and can see our good actions, our efforts to live out his instructions to tend the Earth and to follow His instructions to LOVE one another.

If we Christians all band together in LOVING the Earth and ALL her people, we can make a difference.  We can show God and all mankind that we know whose we are and that we live for and in HIM.  So, let’s join our hearts and hands and do just that!

Won’t you please pray with me…

Dear Lord, show us the way we should go.  Help us to love and forgive, to nurture and tend your Earth and all her inhabitants, just as you commanded us to do.

In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen!

This devotion was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

Today is a special day that many people around the globe have set aside to honor the place where we live, the earth. For more than a half century, this day as been known as Earth Day.

• For some, this is a day to recognize and preserve our environment.
• For others, however, this day reminds us that the miracle of this planet is God’s creation.

For the next several weeks on the Grace for All podcast, we will emphasize this particular aspect of our faith. Thank you for joining use.

Genesis 1: 20-25And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

The lines of the old hymn ring loudly in my brain:

This is my Father's world,And to my listening earsAll nature sings, and round me ringsThe music of the spheres.This is my Father's world:I rest me in the thoughtOf rocks and trees, of skies and seas--His hand the wonders wrought.

Maltbie Babcock, a Presbyterian minister, published this hymn in 1901, and it has become a standard for hymnals of many denominations since then. The words are simple, direct, and clear. This is my father’s world. It is not my world. It is not the world of some power-mad politician. God created this world, and He still owns it.

God gave humans stewardship of the world. By any measure, we have not fulfilled our stewardship responsibilities of caring for this miraculous creation.

What is happening to the world today, environmentally and politically, is troubling. We continue to destroy what we should preserve. We continue to heap curelties onto one another instead of showing love, mercy, and kindness. Evil in its many forms seems to dominate our lives and the whole earth.

Yet, the words of the old hymn return to us: 

This is my Father's world:O let me ne'er forgetThat though the wrong seems oft so strong,God is the Ruler yet.

We can rest ourselves in that thought. This is my Father’s world.

Prayer:

Our Father, remind us daily that this is your world and not ours. Help us to find ways to preserve rather than destroy. Help us to be good stewards of what you have given to us. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Our journey through Holy Week ends today with Easter Monday.

During this last week, we have presented a special set of podcasts that have traced the events of Holy Week. Our journey ends today with Easter Monday and the story of a post-resurrection appearance of Christ. Thank you for joining us.

The 24th chapter of the Gospel of Luke describes a mysterious journey on the day of Jesus' resurrection. The story begins in verse 13.

Luke 24:13-16, 30-32 "That very day two of them were going to a village named Emma′us, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened."

Cleopas and his friend were believers. They saw Jesus's actions, heard his words, and felt firsthand Jesus's love for them and for all the people he encountered. Surely, this was the Messiah. Surely, he was the one who would redeem Israel from Roman oppression. He had to be the one - how could he not be?

But a week after Jesus came to Jerusalem on the back of a donkey to the cheers of the crowd, and three days after they watched Jesus die, they were headed for home, dejected, weary, and heartbroken. Jesus of Nazareth wasn't the Messiah. He was just another false prophet. It was time to get back to the real world and start over.

They discussed the events while they were walking.

Luke continues in verse 15: "While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him."

They just wanted to get home, but this stranger who joined them would not stop talking. They weren't sure where this guy came from, but he seemed oblivious to the past few days' events. How could he not have heard about all this? Nevertheless, they told the stranger about Jesus, his trial, and his execution.

But rather than just listening, the stranger talked back. He called them foolish and began to tell them about Moses and the prophets, quoting from the Holy Scriptures. Who was this man?

The more the man talked, the more interested they became. He explained to them that all of Israel's history and all the scriptures pointed to a Messiah and that the Messiah had to die just the way Jesus died. They started to understand. Could they be wrong? Was Jesus the Messiah?

Before they knew it, they were home. The stranger turned to the road to continue on his way, but they urged him to come home with them. They wanted to hear more. They asked the stranger to stay for dinner, and he accepted.

Verse 30: "When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?'"

The stranger was a very much alive Jesus, and he had given them the best bible lesson in history. He explained to them the truth of the Messiah and showed them that he was the deliverer of not only Israel but the world.

The story ends with the two men "rushing" the seven miles back to Jerusalem and seeking out the eleven apostles to tell them what happened to them.

This scripture passage is an account of one of the many post-resurrection appearances of Jesus. It is fascinating and mysterious, and for me, it raises many questions. The most important question is how this applies to us today.

These two men were headed for home in Emmaus. Emmaus was a retreat from their disappointment and heartbreak. They felt like Jesus had let them down when, in fact, they misunderstood his life and his mission.

We all have an Emmaus—a place where we go when life gets hard or we are hurting. Maybe we are frustrated or disappointed that God did not act as we expected or when we expected. Maybe we think God didn't answer our prayers. Maybe we feel like God doesn't really know us or love us and that all this God stuff we hear is untrue. It is there - in our personal Emmaus - that Jesus meets us. Even when we don't seek him, he finds us, and it is possible that we don't recognize him when he does. Maybe our doubt and fear are just misunderstanding.

When he finds us, he will not force himself on us. He patiently waits for us to invite him into our lives and situations. When we do, we should not expect Jesus to show himself through a miracle or other supernatural occurrence. He revealed himself to the two men through the scriptures, and that is a great place to look.

Jesus opens our eyes and reveals himself to us; when he does, it is exciting. Once you have experienced the real Jesus, you cannot get enough; nothing short of that will do. It compels us to act and to share.

Today is the day after Easter. Yesterday, we celebrated the most significant event in history. God made a way for us to have a relationship with Him through Jesus's death and resurrection. And because we have a relationship with Him, He seeks us out and meets us wherever we are. If we invite him into our lives, He will come in. He reveals Himself to us; we will never be the same again when He does.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for the gift of a relationship with you. Thank you for never giving up on us, meeting us where we are, and revealing yourself to us. May we always welcome you and reflect your love with those you love. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

You are listening to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast written and produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee.

Today is Easter Sunday when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. It is the most important and most joyous day in the Christian calendar, and we are happy that you have joined us today.

The first Easter morning did not start with celebrations of Hallelujah!  It began with sadness, followed by fear and confusion.  A group of women went to tend to Jesus’ grave, still grieving from the horror of his crucifixion and likely in fear of encountering Roman soldiers at the tomb.  On arrival, they found the stone rolled away and an empty tomb…Jesus’ body was gone.  If that did not put them into shock, their encounter with an Angel, described as the appearance of lightning and clothes as white as snow must have completely frightened them. Then we hear the Angel speak:

Matthew 28:5-6 (NIV) "The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.'"

He (Jesus) has risen, just as He said!  Come and see for yourself and then go witness to the disciples.  In fear and joy, the women delivered the message.

 John 20:19-20 (KJV)Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."

Jesus had risen, just as He said!  And having appeared to the disciples, they too were charged to go and be a witness. 

In 1739, Charles Wesley penned a hymn that has been sung during Easter services for the last 286 years.

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

In the last two thousand years since that first Easter, how many times have people encountered the risen Jesus, and having believed gone out to be a witness.  I am one of them.  On this Easter morning, I join with countless Christians to celebrate the risen Christ, to sing Hallelujah, praises to God.  I celebrate the witnesses in my life, my parents and a faith community that led me to a relationship with Christ, accepting Jesus as the Savior who died on a cross for my sins.  On this Easter morning and every Easter morning, we celebrate Christ the Lord has risen today. 

When we sing our Hallelujahs, we provide a witness to others that Jesus has risen, just as He said.  We are Easter people, we witness to the risen Christ who is still with us today.  Hallelujah!

 

This devotion was written and read by Owen Ragland.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Holy Week

Holy Saturday

Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast written and produced by the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Thank you for joining us today. This is Holy Week, a time when Christians everywhere observe the days leading up to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This week, we present a special set of podcasts that day by day, trace the activities and words of Jesus during this time. Again, thank you for joining us on this journey.

Matthew 27:62-66The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Holy Saturday, the day between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, is the day Jesus is in the tomb. Does this “in between” times have anything to tell us? To get at the answer to this question we need to go back to that Saturday and look at what the people who knew Jesus were doing.  

The Gospels have different accounts.  In Matthew, whose scripture we read, the focus is on the Chief Priest and the Pharisees.  They are at Pilate’s house, demanding that a guard be placed at the tomb to prevent the disciples from stealing the body and saying he rose from the dead.  In Luke we have the women who had been with him, even at the foot of the cross, preparing spices so they could finish the embalming process once the Sabbath was over.  In Mark and John there is silence about this day but later in John we are told that the disciples were in hiding behind locked doors, fearful that the authorities who had put Jesus to death would come for them.  

I call all of these “tomb moments.”  It is a time of endings and death.  A time seemingly void of hope and possibilities.  Remember, for these first disciples there was no Easter, just the stark reality that their beloved teacher and friend had been cruelly put to death.

When we pause to reflect, we realize that we all have our tomb moments. These are times of great loss, disappointment and grief. Life, as we know it is no longer a possibility and what is to come is unknown, often unwanted and possibly frightening. This is a time of acute grief. 

The first day after a great loss can be almost worse than the day it happened.  This day you wake up for the first time knowing a void that will never be filled.  Whether that void is due to a death, loss of a job, or the ending of a dream, you know that your life has forever changed and there is no going back.

How do you live during tomb moments? The women highlight one approach in there preparing spices for the embalming. They were focussing on the loss, trying to process it by putting all their mental energy towards funeral preparations. This is a common expression of grief. You know that a new day has dawned but you are not ready to deal with it.  

Others, like the male disciples, can be filled with fear about the unknowns ahead.  We accept the loss, but it leaves us with a jumble of emotions, from anger at the person we love dying, to fear as to what we are going to do and what our future might look like, to helplessness because it all feels so overwhelming. The Pharisees and Chief Priest give us one more approach, proclaiming that new life is an impossibility. And doing everything in their power to resist moving forward in life.  

Yes, we have our tomb moments. We see our actions and feelings mirrored in the lives of those living through these horrific moments. Holy Saturday speaks to such times.  

Remember, the friends of Jesus did not have the reassurance of Easter at this moment, but they were not forsaken.  Jesus had promised that he would send a comforter.  God was with them at this moment. 

What did these friends of Jesus do this Saturday?  I am guessing what most of us do at these moments.  They shared memories of Jesus,  They remembered his words, his miracles, his kindness, and his love.  In spite of everything, there had to be a few smiles amid the tears and perhaps even a laugh or two.  The promised comfort Jesus had promised was at work. 

So when we are facing the tomb of death and other loss know God is with us.  God is doing all that God can do to comfort us and sustain us often through the love and care of others.  We can rest assured that our grief, our fears, and whatever other emotions we are feeling will not last. New life awaits us even if we don’t really want that life at that moment.  And often we are surprised as we walk forward in trust that the new life we receive is so much more than we could ever have hoped for.  We are often surprised by what life still has to offer us, just as those who waited through this dark day would find. 

Let us pray.

Loving God, when we have our own moments looking at the tomb of loss and grief remind us of your comfort.  Give us peace, help us to look to the future in hope knowing that in you new life is always possible.  AMEN.

This devotion was written by Bill Green and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Holy Week

Good Friday

Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast written and produced by the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Thank you for joining us today. This is Holy Week, a time when Christians everywhere observe the days leading up to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This week, we present a special set of podcasts that day by day, trace the activities and words of Jesus during this time. Again, thank you for joining us on this journey.

Luke 23:44-49 (NLT) By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words, he breathed his last.” When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshipped God and said, Surely this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching.

Luke gives us a description of what happens as Jesus dies. The darkness. The Temple curtain. And what the people present do, or don’t do. I’m drawn to an often overlooked phrase in verse 49: But Jesus’ friends stood at a distance, watching.

When I first became aware of that sentence, I was offended. Even angry. Really, his friends?? The crowd was up close, the soldier professed his faith. But his friends hung back. Stayed at a distance. At the time, Jesus needed them the most. So disappointing.

But I stayed with this passage. Continued to ponder it. And I came to realize that this is what I do. And I’ll bet you do. And it’s the reason we have what we call Good Friday. We are to spend Good Friday looking at Jesus die on a cross. And reflecting on it. And asking ourselves, what are we seeing, and what does it mean?

So today—Good Friday—I want to tell you what I see as I watch the Son of God die on a cross. Three things.

First, when I stand at a distance and see Jesus die, I see a God who understands my suffering. The oldest, hardest question for a believer is: if God is good, why does he allow the innocent to suffer? The most ancient book in the Bible, the book of Job, wrestles with this question. And doesn’t satisfactorily answer it. Truthfully, there is no completely adequate answer to the question. But when Jesus chooses the cross in obedience to God, he chooses suffering. Here we see a God who has decided to identify with the hardest things we have to face. Think of it: an all powerful God, a holy, righteous God, not only has come to be with us, but has chosen vulnerability, weakness, suffering. I read of a bitter, grieving father whose son had died in a terrible car accident and asked his minister, “Where was God when my son died?” With great compassion the minister said, “The same place he was when his own son died—on the cross.”

Life is not easy, and sooner or later we all are hit with suffering we don’t deserve. I don’t have an answer to why, but when I stand at a distance and watch the Son of God die on a cross, I see a God who chose to identify with me, who chose to understand my suffering.

There is a second thing I see when I stand at a distance. I see a God who understands my failures. By every human standard, Jesus’ earthly life ended in failure. He had early success and popularity, but over time opposition to him mounted. And finally, he was executed as a criminal, between criminals. Executed by a cruel method reserved for the worst of people. Isaiah 53 says, “He was despised and rejected.” So he was.

Have you ever failed at something big? A job? A marriage? Parenting? Something that truly matters? It is consoling to know our Lord experienced rejection in the worst way possible, the heart of his message ignored. He dies with only a handful of folks standing by him.

When my grandson, Jacob, was about 10 years old, I took him to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. It’s a fascinating place and we were having a great time. They have a Top Gun Simulator where a person can climb into the cockpit and experience what it’s like to fly a F-14 fighter jet. Jake, of course, wanted to try it. So he took the pilot’s seat and I sat behind in the copilot’s seat. He guided the controls as we took off, then zoomed over beaches and the Gulf of Mexico toward our destination, an aircraft carrier in the Gulf. The simulation was to end with a landing on the carrier. As we approached that narrow strip of ship bobbing in the water, I could see Jake tense up. When we began to get close I realized one wing was down and we weren’t lined up properly so I said, “Pull up Jake!” I didn’t have the controls, I could only speak into his ear. He managed to gain altitude and we circled back around. This time he was balanced and lined up correctly. But just as he was attempting to set down he got too low. Crash!! A huge X appeared on the screen. We had crashed and burned. Jake looked back at me with tears in his eyes. We climbed out of the simulator, I put my arms around his shoulders, and said, “Good try for the first time. Let’s get some ice cream, and I will be with you for the next time around. “

Sometimes we crash. It means the world to realize that we are not alone when it happens, but the one who loves us eternally pulls us in close and gives us another chance.

One more thing. When I watch Jesus die on a cross I see a God who does for me what I cannot do for myself. There are many things we can do for ourselves, and I believe God expects us to. Then, there are some things we do in partnership with God. Like farming or gardening. God supplies the soil and sun and rain, and we do the planting and tending and harvesting. Church is another example. God provides the grace and the Word, we are to do the hands on stuff. We work with God.

But there are two problems I can never solve: the sin problem and the death problem. The death problem is for later, for Easter. But my sin problem is solved by Good Friday.

When I see Jesus die despite his innocence and sinlessness, I realize that it is for me. There is no way that I, so flawed, so imperfect, could ever stand before a pure, holy, righteous God. Somehow, if I am to be connected with God, it must be by God’s initiative. Even if I could live an exemplary life from now on, there are the sins of my past that make me ineligible for fellowship with him. When Jesus dies on a cross he lays himself down over the chasm between my sinfulness and God’s holiness. When he dies he solves my sin problem. And yours.

So, on this Good Friday I join Jesus’ other friends to stand at a distance and watch. And as I do, I softly begin to sing,

What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again, nothing…but the blood of Jesus.
Prayer:

Dear God, We are not our own, we are yours. On this day set aside for remembering the death of Jesus, we give you our sufferings, we give you our failures, and we give you our sins. In the name of our Savior. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Herb Sadler.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Holy WeekMaundy Thursday

Welcome to our special Holy Week Podcast for Maundy Thursday.

The word “maundy” comes from the Latin word mandatum, meaning command.  The English word mandate comes to mind. This term Maundy Thursday helps us to recall Jesus’ mandate to remember Him, using the observance of Holy Communion/The Lord’s Supper…

Today’s scripture comes from two segments of Luke Chapter 22.

Luke 22:19-20 “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’ ” 

In this last supper gathering with his twelve closest disciples, Jesus knew what was coming and he made good use of every moment, and every word said at this meal.  He wanted his disciples to understand how important his final instructions were.  The disciples may not have known why Jesus said the bread was his body and the cup his blood, but we do. 

As events unfolded, they would have remembered the strange words about bread as body and wine as blood.  Perhaps their very first recollection of his commanding words filled them later that evening as they were with him in the Garden as he prayed.

We hear this part of the evening from our second scripture selection.

Luke 22:41-44 He withdrew about a stone throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed. ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Perhaps the disciples heard his anguished prayer and even saw his bloody agonized sweat that stained his robe.  As the evening came to its dreadful finale, with his arrest, they all ran away, leaving him alone with no support as the battalion of soldiers took him away.

I can imagine the disciples as they walked the floor or tossed and turned in their beds, sleepless that whole night.  Perhaps the mandate from Jesus rang over and over in their ears – “This is my body.  This is my blood.  Remember me!  Remember me!”

We know they did remember and thank God they wrote his stories and his words and their memories of him in the Gospels and letters in the New Testament, so we too can know and remember Him.

In the United Methodist Church when we observe Holy Communion services, we ask the Holy Spirit to be poured on us and on the gifts of bread and grape juice, that the bread and juice be for us the body and blood of Christ, so we, who receive them, may be for the world, the body of Christ redeemed by his blood.

So, friends, let’s lift up this Maundy Thursday prayer to our Lord Jesus to show Him and the world that we do remember and that we hope to LOVE as He loves, to live as He lived, always loving GOD and our neighbor.

Prayer:

Dear Loving Lord Jesus, who died on that cross for all of us – help us to always remember you and to follow your mandate to LOVE one another as you have LOVED us - not only on this Maundy Thursday but every day of our lives.  In your Holy Name we pray, Amen.

 

This devotion was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Holy Week

Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast written and produced by the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. Thank you for joining us today. This is Holy Week, a time when Christians everywhere observe the days leading up to the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Christ. This week, we present a special set of podcasts that day by day, trace the activities and words of Jesus during this time. Again, thank you for joining us on this journey.

“Crucify him!”

Matthew 26:14-16 (KJV) 

"Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him."

“Crucify him!”

Years ago I heard a pastor ask while giving an Easter sermon “who do you most identify with in the resurrection story?” He then listed central characters: Peter, Pontious Pilate, the Pharisees. Afterwards I told him that it seemed to me that Barabbas, who he had not named, was the only choice I could make. He seemed surprised, but to me Barabbas represents all that I do not understand in the mysteries of grace and what I have been given. Barabbas was pardoned so that Jesus could make the most divine, powerful, and loving sacrifice ever made.

“Crucify him!”

In John 3:8 Jesus shares, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Just the other day, I saw a photo of mist on the water with gorgeous orange and pink hues in the sky. I thought to myself what a beautiful sunset. I wondered where it was. Then I read the caption and saw the location but also learned that it was a sunrise and not a sunset. In a photo, I could not sense east from west. In life, I do not know whether it is the beginning or the end. Who am I to say how or where the Spirit will move? I do not know what will be asked of me or of you.

“Crucify him!”

Jesus cried out on the cross the prayer of David in Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” but as we know God did not forsake him. He loved him above all others. Judas sat at the table with Jesus and said “surely you do not mean me, Rabbi?” Immediately after, Jesus shares the new covenant with everyone at the table. It is shared with Judas, and Peter, who denies Jesus three times before the cock crows, and now with all of us. Judas is a beloved child of God, and what a task he was given. Jesus knows and feels all that Judas is going to do, and he says to him in love, “What you are about to do, do quickly." The most infamous betrayer in history shared the cup with Jesus and his sins were forgiven because Jesus was crucified.

Pray with me today:

Abba, may we remember that all are beloved and are forgiven! We know in our heart that you do not forsake us even in our darkest moments, but let us remember it always. Let us also understand in our hearts that we should not cry out “Crucify him!” about any beloved child of God, but forgive us when we do it anyway. Your mysteries are great, and our understanding is small. When I look into the eyes of others and think I see Judas, may your spirit be with me so that I recognize Jesus. Amen.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Holy Week

Hello, and welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee! I’m Grace Jonas, the reader and writer of today’s devotional, which I’ve entitled “By What Authority?”. Thank you so much for joining me on this Holy Tuesday! Now, I’d like to invite you to take a moment and pause with me as we meditate on today’s scripture:

Luke 20:1-2 “One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. ‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,’ they said. ‘Who gave you this authority?’”

If we expand upon this story further, Jesus counters this questioning by asking those who would question him: “tell me, John’s baptism, was it from Heaven or from human origin?” A question which the elders discussed among themselves, concluding that if they said it was from heaven, they would be asked why they did not believe him.

On the other hand, however, if they answered that it was of human origin, that they would be stoned due to the belief that John was a prophet. So, they answered that they did not know where it was from, and in response, Jesus said “neither will I tell you by what authority that I am doing these things.”

In this day and age, it can feel easy when faced with questions of authority such as “who told you that you could do this?” to resort to the response of being told by a parental figure or otherwise authoritarian figure to do a task. The historian in me would even go as far as to put the assumption out there that some would say that the tasks they are carrying out are pleasing to God, citing him as the one who gave them such authority.

But notice how instead of resorting to responses such as these, Jesus simply questions the men in return, asking them to think about a different angle, almost as if he is posing a riddle of sorts. Instead of caving, he stands strong, and when he is given an answer that they did not know the origins of John’s baptism, he opts that he will not tell them where his authority comes from that is allowing him to teach the good news within the temple. It can be implied and widely believed that his authority comes from none other than the grace of God, or in other words, from heaven, much as John’s baptism is implied to be from heaven.

Throughout this Holy Week, as we meditate on the scripture and the teachings of Jesus during his last week, let us remember that while it may be the authority of God and the heavens that allows us to act, not all may believe us, but we don’t have to justify that, we should simply strive to keep acting in a manner pleasing to God no matter what.

Prayer:

God, when we are faced with authority being put to question, help us to remember that the authority of heaven and your will is what matters and should influence our words and actions when others may doubt and question us. And help us to always remain unwavering in these beliefs. Amen.

This episode was written and read by Grace Jonas.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: [email protected].

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.