Grace for All

Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:19)

I have always enjoyed music. When I was a teen, my mom joked that I knew the lyrics to every song on the radio. There’s just something about music that speaks to me. 

A few bars of “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang, and I’m back in Linda Lee’s den dancing with my friends. When I hear Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing at All,” I’m in a dorm at Andy Holt with my roommate learning how to two-step. And “This I Promise You,” by Ronan Keating, will always remind me of one of the happiest days of my life—when I married my husband, Don. 

Music seems to be persistently intertwined with memory and emotion. For me, that’s even more true of religious music. 

My maternal grandfather wanted Handel’s “Messiah” played as his casket was rolled to the hearse after his service. It brought a smile to my face as we left the service. 

The hymn, “It is Well with My Soul,” was sung by two of my friends at my maternal grandmother’s and my mother’s funerals. The words seem to relate to the deceased as well as those who mourn their loss. 

I could continue and make quite the playlist, but I want to circle back to this verse from Ephesians. When I read it, the phrase “make music from the heart” immediately reminded me of one of my favorite Christmas songs, with that phrase. “The Work of Christmas” is based on a poem by Howard Thurman, and the beautiful words are a good reminder for us throughout the year, so I’ll share them now. 

When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken, To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations, To bring peace among brothers, To make music from the heart.

I encourage you to listen to the choral arrangement at the link provided in the notes. 

Speaking with music from the heart can provide comfort, inspiration, lament, or praise. I hope the words of this song inspire you to continue the work of Christmas throughout the year as you seek to minister to the lost, the broken, and the hungry. 

Our prayer today:

Thank you God for the gift of music from the heart that speaks to us and sometimes for us. Thank you for musicians and lyricists with the talent to comfort, inspire, lament, and praise through music that enriches our worship and inspires us to fulfill our Christian mission on earth. In Jesus’s name, Amen.  

This devotional was written by Kathryn King and read by Amy Large.

“The Work of Christmas,” arranged by Dan Forrest:

https://soundcloud.com/beckenhorst-press/11-the-work-of-christmas?utm_source=danforrest.com&utm_campaign=wtshare&utm_medium=widget&utm_content=https%253A%252F%252Fsoundcloud.com%252Fbeckenhorst-press%252F11-the-work-of-christmas

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/.

Songs of the Spirit

Welcome to the Grace for All daily devotional podcast, produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Maryville Tennessee. We are glad to have you with us.  Today we are starting a new series of episodes we are calling “Songs of the Spirit.” Throughout the month of May, we will be highlighting stories from our personal lives, from scriptures, and from historical records that show the importance of music and song In our Journey of faith. We Methodists love music and hymns, and we love to sing and make music. We hope these episodes will demonstrate that love and also the love that we feel toward all who listen.

"Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him."  (Psalm 98:1)

 

In July of 1725, a young man named John was born in London, England. His mother brought him up in the Christian faith, but she died when he was seven years old. By the age of 11, John was regularly accompanying his father, a merchant ship captain at sea.

 

He was pressed into service in the Royal Navy at age 18 where he quickly became a problem. After attempting to desert his post, he was placed on a passing slave ship and ended up a slave himself in west Africa. He escaped and became a mate on a slave ship, and eventually became a master navigator.

 

The faith John's mother instilled in him had long since waned, but on one fateful voyage it came back to him as he was steering a near-foundering ship through a fierce storm. Although he continued his career in the slave trade after his conversion, his emerging faith combined with failing health compelled him to end his career at sea.

 

He became an Anglican clergyman and served a congregation for over forty years. He also became an outspoken abolitionist and was a force behind the eventual abolition of slavery in England.

 

Later, John began to write the story of his life. Along with the poet William Cowper, he began to write hymns. For his New Year's Day sermon in 1773, John Newton wrote a song as a complement to the message:

 

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found Was blind but now I see.

 

Perhaps remembering his conversion while at sea, he wrote:

 

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed!

 

God did marvelous things in John Newton's life. God's grace rescued him and worked salvation for him. My entire hope for the future, as well as my source of peace, is that amazing grace that God grants - the Grace that put Jesus Christ on the cross for all of us.

 

It is because of that Grace that we can all confidently sing the last verse:

 

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise Than when we first begun.

 

Father, thank you for your grace. Thank you for loving us enough to provide the grace that works salvation for all those who receive it. Amen

This devotion 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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found.

This devotion was written by Ed Cherry and recorded by Jim Stovall.

Our scripture for today comes from:

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20 KJV)

and

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalms 133:1 KJV)

We hear the word unity in many labels, slogans, admonitions, and challenges.

In simple arithmetic, we know that 1+1=2 and 2+2=4, but when God’s people come together, a new way to add comes to our attention.  Each person comes into a group with their individual talents and skills.  When two or three or more unite, the group can do things that go beyond the sum of the individual skills. It can be called teamwork.

I remember the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team.  As a united group they won a game with the Russians that all experts and prognosticators said that could not happen.  But it did because they were united and worked together and found skills that went beyond the sum of their individual skills.

I also remember a few years back when a member of our church was in kidney failure and a candidate for kidney donation was needed.  A few members of First United Methodist went into a room and engaged in a group silent prayer asking for help to finding a matching donor. The next morning a matching donor came forward. That person was an active member in our congregation. Today, both of these people are doing well. Thanks be to God.  I believe that our united group prayer session helped that process.

The lesson is simple as we can read in Longfellow’s Hiawatha:

All your strength is in your union all your danger in discord; therefore, be at peace henceforward, and as brothers live together.

Let us pray:

God, please be in our midst and give us the wisdom and strength to gracefully unite in all that you will have us do. Amen.

This devotion was written by Ed Cherry.

Sarah outro

https://3.basecamp.com/5699235/buckets/34806075/uploads/6744657106

Episode notes

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found. “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.” (Psalm 14:2)

Now God can certainly see for himself what our lives look like. He can know our thoughts, our motives, and our feelings. 

But I wonder, if God were to test us by asking questions, what questions would he ask as the test to see whether we understand and to determine whether we are seeking him? 

I can imagine a few of the questions that I think he might ask… 

• Are you seeking me? 
• Are you doing my will? 
• Do you love mercy? 
• Are you growing in love, becoming more like your role model, Jesus? 
• Are you living the life I created you to live? 
• Are you becoming the person I created you to be? 
• Do you love your neighbor as yourself? 
• Do you forgive as you wish to be forgiven? 
• Do you act justly and walk humbly? 
• Do you worship only me, your God, or do other “idols” have more of your time than you give me? 

Lord, we sure hope you find the answer to be yes to most, or all these questions! But we know we need your help. We often fail you. We are not yet perfect. 

And perhaps that’s the point! Maybe life is a refining fire, the furnace in which God creates his masterpieces. When gold is refined, the extraction process removes and separates the impurities from the ore. The impure gold is melted under intense heat and impurities float to the top and are removed, leaving pure 24 karat gold. The process has many steps before the gold is ready and perfect. 

In our lifetime, we are worked into God’s masterpiece. We must go through the refining fires of life, be subjected to the removal of impurities, poured out, worked through many steps, and at last, ready and perfect in the Refiner’s eyes, we see our best! And God sees too! 

Our prayer from Psalm 139:23-24

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Amen.

This devotional 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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found. I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me,  With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity. (Proverbs 8:17 NIV)

Small children frequently have words of wisdom to share with those of us who have journeyed through life a bit longer. Even though we may have gathered the wisdom and love that comes with life’s many experiences, our  younger family members, with certainty and purity, share love that comes fresh from God. Sometimes this pure love overflows into a fearless leap into the open arms of a loving adult, or in many sweet expressions of love throughout the course of a day. 

One of my young grandsons says, “I love you” in a heart-melting way. Instead of just the three words he adds two more, saying “I love you, you’re beautiful,” or “I love you, you’re awesome!” He has kind words to say to everyone. Those who are fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of these words feel wrapped in both the love of this child and the love of God. 

I can’t help but wonder what would happen if all of us likewise expanded our words of love to include similar affirmations.  We might say, “I love you, you’re incredible!” or amazing or extraordinary - any additional word that would wrap another person in the glow of the love that comes from God.

This would be an act of love beyond measure, expanding outwards, full of joy and honor. Let us be mindful too, that God speaks these words to us each and every day, telling us we are awesome, exceptional, and loved. 

The small ones around us may not be aware of their special wisdom, but we are enriched and blessed by their trusting hearts and free-flowing, overflowing love. 

Prayer

Dearest God, help our hearts to be pure and trusting, loving you and loving others freely and completely.  Help us listen to the voices of wisdom around us and to expand our expressions of love in new ways.  AMEN. 

This devotional was written by Jenny Green and read by Sally 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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found.

Listen (or listen again) to the Bible passages referenced in this past week of devotional episodes.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. (2 Peter 1: 5-9)

Helping those that we like is usually pretty darn easy. The moments when we are surrounded by those we like do not typically require self-control and perseverance. On the other hand, helping those we disagree with or dislike can be much harder- at least at times.  In fact, I recently heard someone say, “It is easier to love than to like.” 

When I heard that, it made me think of these verses from 2 Peter. In our interactions with others, we can react in many ways, but simply put we often either react with anger or with love. It isn’t always easy to follow the commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.

Having faith is not enough if it does not shape who we are. Faith is not an intellectual exercise. When we bring acts of goodness to our beliefs, we show our understanding that we should share what we have been given. But as we follow the ways of Christ, we are not always comfortable if we do not agree with someone, if we do not like someone, if another person’s actions or beliefs anger us. It takes self-control and perseverance to love all. When we persevere and act in kindness, it brings us closer to God’s love because it is then that we see God’s grace endures in all things. And when we feel God’s love the most clearly, we understand that liking and being comfortable are irrelevant because we experience godliness. 

Comfort and ease are not what faith is about. That is what we learn through experience and action. Our faith and closeness to God grow not because we were told about it in a sermon and not because we read it in scripture. We know because the Holy Spirit is with us when we act in love, and we have so much to share that we can share it with all. It is not about us. It has never been about us. But with self-control and perseverance, we follow the path with God’s grace to release the scales from our own eyes.

Our Prayer

May God’s grace come to us and bring us peace as we learn to act out our faith and share it with all.  May we understand that sharing God’s love is what brings us closer to God even when we don’t like it. Let us grow in understanding that this is God’s way not ours. Amen.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope and read by John Cherry.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12: 6-7)

In Matthew’s gospel we read, “Therefore, take no thought,saying, What shall we eat? Or, What shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt 6:31-33.  In this passage, Jesus explains God’s attention to our needs. He asks that we consider the lilies of the field and the fowls of the air in our need of food and raiment.  

And in Luke, Jesus  tells us that “not one sparrow is forgotten” and “that the very hairs of our head are numbered.” These passages of scripture hold a convicting message on the power of  faith and the love of God.

All seasons bring spiritual analogies. Spring especially brings new life observations for us to consider. Flowers bloom, birds sing and build nests. All nature tells us of the bountiful message of God’s love.  Many of us enjoy watching the birds that come to the feeder in our backyards.  Praise God for reminding us that He created the world and all its beauty to reassure us of His detailed love and His provisions for us, the sheep of His pasture. 

These are principles that God wants us to consider. But, like the little foxes that steal the grapes, our natural tendency to worry and the challenges of daily living draw us away from Gods blessed assurance.  When we worry, we are seeking positive solutions to problems. God knows our need. Our interest prompts us to look for things that fit that interest. Our background forms the way we approach the world and what we seek. On so many occasions, we are driven by our own “needs and wants.” 

Prayer works better. So as we consider the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field, let’s remember Philippians 4:19  “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” May we own and trust this promise through faith.

And may we remember the words of the poet Frederick Lehman, who wrote:

Oh, love of God, how rich and Pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure

The saints’ and angels’ song

Prayer

Thank you God for your great and merciful love. May we reflect your grace in our lives and in what we seek. 

This devotion was written by Stephen Hankal and read by Susan Daves.

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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found. Psalm 31: 9-12 
Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;    my eyes grow weak with sorrow,    my soul and body with grief.My life is consumed by anguish    and my years by groaning;my strength fails because of my affliction,    and my bones grow weak.Because of all my enemies,    I am the utter contempt of my neighborsand an object of dread to my closest friends—    those who see me on the street flee from me.I am forgotten as though I were dead;    I have become like broken pottery.

These lines from Psalm 31 were read at the beginning of a homily given by Bishop Paul Leeland. His message was powerful. The subject was caring for those suffering from dementia. “I am forgotten as though I were dead.” 

Is there any soul more forgotten than someone with dementia? Someone unable to express the loss? Someone who is unable to express love? How hard it is to love when someone is unable to reciprocate the love of God back to us! For all of those we struggle to share Christ’s love with, do we struggle because we cannot see and feel anything in return? Is it hard because we have to do all the work?

But we aren’t sharing Christ’s love alone. The Holy Spirit is with us along with all of those we share our mission with. Let us build a tribe who shares in the mission with us, and there will be plenty of shoulders to share the burden of those who suffer the most. There is no denying that there are many burdens in life, but the people who suffer with those burdens are not burdens themselves. Let us help carry burdens for those that cannot. Let us see the joy and light in them. Let us share our joy and light with them. Do not let us forget the ones who need us the most. Let us all care for them and those who care directly for them. 

Our prayer: Christ, who bears our burdens, let us love with all our heart those that have the most trouble sharing love with us. Let them know that love is there and is shared in ways that we ourselves cannot imagine. Amen.

This devotional was written by Jill Pope 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/.

Seek the Lord while He may be found. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the groupand said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”(John 8: 3-11)

Why did Jesus do what he did? Could he see that an injustice was being done? 

Stoning was the penalty for the crime. But, the partner in the adultery was also to be stoned and is not mentioned nor is the witness who is to throw the first stone.

Jesus forgives her of her sins and sends her away with the admonition to sin no more. If she had not been sorry for her sin and repentant, would Jesus have done this?

Interesting questions, but for me the most important lesson to be learned comes from Jesus’ statement, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” For years I thought that his words only applied to the scribes and the Pharisees. But, there was one present without sin. Maybe Jesus was saying that if a stone (judgment) was to be thrown, he was the only one permitted to be first. 

Aren’t we sinners like the scribes and Pharisees? I fear that we are. Instead, we need to bring God’s love to those who are being unfairly treated, to those who are sick, to those who are hungry. We are qualified to do those things. But we are not qualified to throw the first stone. Only Jesus is.

Prayer

Dear God, help us to bring your love to all those we encounter. While we need to help others understand how you want us to live, never let us judge them. You are the only one qualified to do that.

This devotional was written by Alvin Jenkins 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/.