“At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three In the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘ Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ (which means, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?).” ~ Mark 15:33-34 NIV

Scarred, broken, brutalized, and scorned, He watched from the cross alone. With an agonized gaze, He looked upon the vicious mockery of ignorance that was born out of an illusion of lustful power, as they stood crazed by their crime, but their plight touched Him still. With lifted head in the midst of hurtling shouts of ridicule and contempt, he shouted “Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani”. God turned His back on His Son who voluntarily became sin when He embraced God’s will and not His own. The earth fractured, the sun refused to shine, and time stood still as sobs were silenced, tears froze; minds were bewildered; hearts were assaulted: what has happened here? Blood mixed with water streamed down a pierced side moved a complicit infidel to become a converted believer amid the chaos and fear.

The death of hope mourned the living for three days while defeat lay wrapped in cloths too insubstantial to hold the power of life. Up from the grave He arose carrying the keys of death; riding on the wings of eternity, He ascended to the heavens to sit on the right hand of God Almighty, to judge the quick and the dead. Jesus, the One who came to save His people, all people, from the power of sin and death rose as the bright morning Star, our Horn of salvation who redeems the lost, our Deliver who comforts the downtrodden, the Bread of Life who feeds the hungry, the Vine who offers the water that forever satisfies.

Oh, King of glory, the victim turned Victor, the scorned turned Savior, the abused turned Abba, the ridiculed turned Redeemer, the resurrected One is the Divine; we worship You. Amen and Amen.

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I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

                                                                                                       John 14:27 NIV

A soft breeze. A gentle touch. A warm embrace. A heartfelt “I love you.” All of these give us a sense of peace, calm and comfort. Peace is something that can’t be overstated. It helps us to navigate through difficult waters. It sustains us through trying circumstances. It steadies us during times of loss and despair. And it surrounds us when living life on life’s terms becomes unsettling. It’s so good to know that, in times of turmoil and seasons of upheaval, the source of lasting peace, Jehovah-Shalom, is right there to dispense a measure of something that we can’t fully comprehend but we willingly embrace. So today, I invite you to enter into the cocoon of peace our loving Lord has prepared for each of you.

Let us pray:

God of all peace, we thank you for the space that You have provided for Your people – a space of tranquility in the midst of turbulence, calm in the face of confusion and stillness in the eye of the storm. Remind us, during times of trouble, that You are our peace and that we can resort to You at any time. This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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“They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”  ~ Luke 19:44 NIV

Lenten lesson: Be Still

In a world filled with so many things competing for our attention: X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The latest posts, call us from a place of stillness, where we can “recognize the time of God’s coming”.

In our focus Scripture above the writer points to a punishment, “a dashing to the ground” and “no stone being left one on another” for failure to recognize. A remedy for this busyness is setting aside quiet reflection upon God’s word and prayer. In this place, we pull away from all the distractions of our day to spend time reading, reflecting, and listening for the move of God. In this Lenten season, we can become so focused on attending services, making sure we get right our “Lenten sacrifice” that we fail to just be still with God.

”He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10 NIV).

Let us pray:

Dear Lord during this holy season let us choose to be still so that we don’t miss you moving in our lives.  In Jesus’ name, Amen

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7 I will give honor and thanks to the Lord, Who has told me what to do. Yes, even at night my mind teaches me. 8 I have placed the Lord always in front of me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. 9 And so my heart is glad. My soul is full of joy. My body also will rest without fear. 10 For You will not give me over to the grave. And You will not allow Your Holy One to return to dust. 11 You will show me the way of life. Being with You is to be full of joy. In Your right hand there is happiness forever.

Psalm 16:7-11 New Life Version

In this sacred Lenten journey, we focus to be connected to the very heart of God, the essence of true soul wellness. More than a brand or ideal, it is the reality of abiding in Christ Jesus our Lord. Though connecting with Him deeply may not come naturally, we can take intentional steps to return to His loving embrace when we stray. For He is ever near, patiently waiting wrap His arms around us and give us His peace that surpasses understanding. When our hearts grow tired and we lose our connect, we need redirect ourselves to the One who endured the cross to redeem us. He did this in order that we experience abundant, everlasting life in Him. Let us linger in sweet communion with our Savior, that His joy may become our strength for the journey ahead.

Let us pray:

Most Heavenly and Gracious Father, we feel the longing in our souls for deeper intimacy with You. Draw us close. Help us to know that we are under Your wings. Help us to focus our spiritual senses to Your still, small voice, that we may clearly hear You. In the chaos of this life, remind us to return to the One who calms the raging storms with a word. Give us the discipline and the delight in studying Your Word, that we may know You more. We surrender again to Your loving authority over every area of our lives. Thank You for paving the way to restored relationship through Christ's finished work on the cross. Lead us in the everlasting way, that we may experience fullness of joy in Your presence, this day and for all eternity. In the name of our Risen King we pray, Amen.

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And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.2 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.  ~ 1 Kings 17:1-4 (KJV)

Have you ever found yourself in a space where you noticed you were in a dry season – a period of time where joy and happiness began to fade.  A time where peace was now becoming scarce or a time where provision became challenging.  Unfortunately, these patterns are a part of life but thank God they are temporary!  Oftentimes, such situations lead us to a greater level of prayer or deliberately spending more time with God.  Usually, that increase in prayer and time with God allows us to become more sensitive to His voice or to His intervening in our situations. He often gives us instructions just as He did to Elijah in the passage above.  God’s instructions always lead us to a place where we are safe in Him – a place of provision, of healing, of peace, of joy or whatever we’re in need of.  It is through our relationship with God that we are able to create that place called “There.”  Today, there’s no brook called Cherith for us to run to but our place called “There’” can be in our car, in our kitchen, at our desks, during our morning walk or any place we take time to seek His face and the plans He has for us.

Let us pray:

Gracious and eternal Father, we look to You today and we thank You for being our God.  Thank you for creating us and for loving us.  As we navigate through life, we ask that Your Holy Spirit will continue to direct us in all of our ways.  Lord, when life presents its challenges, teach us to trust You.  Teach us to seek You for direction wherever we are (physically, spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically).  Help us to find that place that we meet you and talk with you daily; that we may have a place called “There” where we can have an encounter with You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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Truly my soul finds rest in God: my salvation comes from Him.

                                                                                                            Psalm 62:1

As a new elder at Memorial Presbyterian Church, there are so many things to learn about the responsibilities of the role and how to best serve the church, the congregation and the community at large. There is always more that needs to be done as we listen, engage and respond to needs of this faith community.

In order to do more, there are times you actually need to do less to avoid spreading yourself too thin and risk being less effective because you are too busy to focus on the highest and most urgent priorities. Our faith and our devotion are the most important priorities. God wants and needs us to be in the Word and steadfast in deepening our faith.

Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld: have faith in His prophets and you will be successful.                                                    2 Chronicles 20:20

Let us pray:

Thank you, God. You are a good God and have allowed us to draw nearer to you, oh Lord. You have provided us Holy scripture to allow us to understand what You would have us do. Romans 5:1 tells us, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” All honor and glory goes to you, oh Lord. Thank you for all that you have done for us and all that you will continue to do to lead and guide us. We honor you and magnify your name. Amen.

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“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”   ~ Zechariah 9:9 NIV

It is in our human nature to expect the best gifts to come in large, and expensive packages. The Jews in Biblical times were awaiting the Messiah to arrive, but they expected him to come riding into town on a majestic horse, wearing heavy armor, and “looking like the king who has come to reign.”  However, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey – one of the simplest animals during that era.  Horses were seen as a sign of prestige. Why would Jesus want to make his triumphant entry on a donkey?

Our Lenten theme, “Doing Less, Becoming More” ties with this verse from the book of Zechariah, which foretold how “our” king would enter Jerusalem.  This is the beauty of Jesus!  He could have chosen any animal to come riding in, but he chose to come in on a donkey, the lowliest of animals.  This symbolizes how Jesus can and will use what society sees as insignificant to make the biggest impact.  As you go through this Lenten season, as you look at yourself, and think that you might not be doing enough, or you are messing up, or things just aren’t falling right for you, remember that Jesus “chose” you. Yes, you!  With all your imperfections, and flaws. He “sees” you, just as he saw the donkey that others would simply have passed on.  We are valuable to him. That is the reason he died for us on the cross.

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for choosing me, for seeing me despite all of my flaws, all of my imperfections, and for loving me still.  I pray that, during this season, you help me to keep my mind fixed on remembering that You’re not looking for me to be perfect, but simply remembering who You are and what You did for me on the cross. Thank you, lord, for Your loving mercy, kindness, and your grace. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen. 

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"But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."                                                                                   James 1:6 NIV

Have you ever been on a boat, a ferry or a ship and felt contrary winds, disturbing waves or uneasy waters? Well, this could be an unsettling experience to any of us. But that is a similar feeling we have when we doubt. Many of us have taken the first step and asked the Lord for a particular thing. But we fold doubt into the request and send our mind on an uncertain journey, complete with unnecessary turbulence and unwarranted confusion. My sisters and brothers, I challenge you, on your Lenten journey and after, to trust the Lord who has our tomorrows in His hand, believe even when you can’t see and depend on the captain of the ship we find ourselves on to safely get us to our destination.

Let us pray:

Dear God, help me to receive the guidance and love of the Holy Spirit. Strengthen my faith to be able to quiet my waves of self-inflicting injuries that whip my soul with the winds of my own fear. Allow the Word of God to calm my sea of insecurities. Strengthen me with your power to grow in faith and calm the sea of my soul. I thank you, Father, in advance for what You are already doing in my life and hearing my prayer. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

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“Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.”                                                                                                                       Ephesians 6:13 (NRSV)

When we are faced with challenges, we must remember where our strength lies. Our Lord provides us with protection from dangers seen and unseen.  So we must continually speak with Him. Time with our heavenly father will strengthen our faith so that when the challenges come, we are prepared and do not crumble under their weight.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we come to you asking for your guidance and protection as we go forward. We pray that you will order our steps and shield us from harm and danger.  I ask that You will always have Your hedge of protection around us as we navigate our day-to-day living.  This we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

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As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

                                                                                                        John 15:9 KJV

No matter your education, occupation or socioeconomic status, everyone needs love.

From the nicest to the meanest person, we all want and need to be loved. Many may not acknowledge or accept that fact. They may scream loudly, "l don't need anyone and l don't need to be loved" but underneath they do.

In today's meditation, we’re reminded of just how much we are loved. Jesus compares His love for us to how much The Father loved Him.

"As He has loved Me, so have l loved you.” What a comforting thought. As you go through your day, as you face life's challenges, as you encounter negative attitudes remember that you are loved and that this love is forever.

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, thank you for the way you love me. I am grateful that l will never be without it. Ours is a "forever relationship" and I appreciate your continuous presence in my life. Help me to be present for others. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen. 

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