The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "God knows and loves you, inside and out" for Friday, 27 January 2017Psalm 139:(0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I stand up,
you discern my inclinations from afar,
3 you scrutinize my daily activities.
You are so familiar with all my ways
4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai,
you know all about it already.
5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front
and laid your hand on me.
6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me,
far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there.
9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn
and land beyond the sea,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me,
let the light around me be night,”
12 even darkness like this
is not too dark for you;
rather, night is as clear as day,
darkness and light are the same.
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Have you ever had moments when you feared God had given up on you? Or maybe had a time when you tried to run away from God? The psalmist said that, no matter where we go, God goes there with us. But this sweeping poem didn’t merely assert God’s presence—it also told believers that God’s presence is a good thing, because God will always guide, strengthen and support us.
• Suppose all of the promises in this psalm were shaped into a “commercial” for God. Would you believe them? Would you want to have a God who watched over you so faithfully and patiently? Which parts of your life, of yourself, do you keep the most hidden? God knows all about them—and looks on you with compassion and love anyway. Talk trustingly to God about those hidden things today—and listen inwardly for God’s response.
• Jesus began the Lord’s Prayer (which we say each week in worship) with “Our Father who is in heaven.” “Heaven” translates the Greek word ouranōs, which meant, not a place far away, but “air” or “sky.” Jesus was not saying God is far away, but around us, above us, wherever we go—the same idea as verses 7-12 in today’s reading. What helps you experience God’s presence? What spiritual difference does that make for you?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, at my worst, I feel like hiding from you. At my best, I want you to stay with me all the time—and that’s exactly what you’ve promised to do. Amen.
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Being married to a gal who loves projects means we typically have the television tuned to HGTV at some point in the day. It is a peaceful reprieve from the usual scheduled fare. (Well, unless some house hunter inexplicably chooses House #3 when “even a fool knows House #2 is the better option. Auuuugh!!!” Hmmmm….perhaps I need to dial down my own reactions to televised football games.)
Aside: Rumor has it that if you watch 54 episodes of International House Hunters, you receive 1 college credit toward a Global Studies degree.
This got me thinking, what if God had His own show on, say, HGTV-Heaven & Glory TV? Here’s a sampling of what I think a fixer-upper pilot episode of “The Clever Creator” might look like:
God: Thanks for meeting me here, Mr. Mason.
Mr. Mason: Please call me Brick. Happy to take a look. Hopefully this house is better than the one you bought last week.
Oh my. This house has absolutely no curb appeal. The shingles are literally falling out. Look! There are another 4 in the yard that fell off just after this morning’s light shower. The few remaining shingles have turned a gloomy gray.
God: Go on.
Brick Mason: The sightlines of this house are definitely not 20/20. Look at how the midsection is sagging – extremely unattractive. And as for that bulging foundation, the less said the better. Yipes! Do we even need to go inside?
God: Yes, please, since we have another 15 minutes of airtime to fill.
Brick Mason: [After a quick walk-through.] Ok, here’s my assessment. The harvest gold bathroom sink & stool have got to go. The electrical wiring is riddled with a lifetime of mistakes. And did I mention the closets are jam packed with years and years of accumulated debris and discards. I can’t imagine the cost to clean all this up. So my recommendation is to run fast/run far from this house.
God: Thank you for your assessment. That’s what I thought you would suggest. I bought it yesterday.
Brick Mason: If you knew all this already, then why are we here? Why do you want this house so badly?
God: Well, you see, My Son is a master carpenter. He loves to redeem and restore houses that appear to be beyond saving. He can take any house and make it the crown jewel of any neighborhood. He even works wonders with all the accumulated rubbish – making the junk of today into tomorrow’s joy.
Brick Mason: Huh. I’ve got ask. Has there ever been a house that y’all considered beyond repair?
God: No. My Son and I don’t give up. We are patient, but persistent. Nothing bothers us more than to see a home miss out on all the hope and promise for which it was ultimately designed. There isn’t a cabin, chalet, or cottage that is beyond our abilities to renovate & repair.
Brick Mason: Well, looks like we have a lot of episodes ahead of us. Hello, syndication!
God: [Smiling] I’ll see you next week. I have my eye on another little fixer-upper that I hope we can repossess and reclaim. I can’t wait to close on it.
Brick Mason: Sounds good! See y’all next week. In the meantime, stay tuned for the new series “House Hunters in Hoboken,” followed by the hit horror show, “Houses Without an ‘Open Concept.’”
DARREN LIPPEDarren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
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"You’re never alone when God is with you" for Saturday, 28 January 2017
Psalm 27:7 Listen, Adonai, to my voice when I cry;
show favor to me; and answer me.
8 “My heart said of you, ‘Seek my face.’”
Your face, Adonai, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
don’t turn your servant away in anger.
You are my help; don’t abandon me;
don’t leave me, God my savior.
10 Even though my father and mother have left me,
Adonai will care for me.
68:3 (2) Drive them away as smoke is driven away;
like wax melting in the presence of a fire,
let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
4 (3) But let the righteous rejoice and be glad in God’s presence;
yes, let them exult and rejoice.
5 (4) Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
extol him who rides on the clouds
by his name, Yah;
and be glad in his presence.
6 (5) God in his holy dwelling,
is a father to orphans and defender of widows.
John 16:32 But a time is coming — indeed it has come already — when you will be scattered, each one looking out for himself; and you will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone; because the Father is with me.
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Every time we baptize a child, the pastor tells the parents that God’s design is that they model God’s love and goodness for their child. In this broken world, in Bible times and still today, human parents, friends and spouses sometimes fall sadly short of living out God’s design. But Scripture said that, even if our human relationships let us down, we do not need to fear being alone and friendless. We can always depend, if we will, on God’s loving presence with us.
• Part of our faith heritage, starting with Methodism’s founder John Wesley, is a profound sense of calling and mission. We believe God calls us to be God’s voice, hands and feet, in a hurting world. God’s work, the psalms said, is to provide a family for orphans, a sustaining relationship for widows, and companionship for all who might be lonely. How can you join in God’s work (and, in the process, build better relationships for yourself)? Do you know anyone who may not be an “orphan” or “widow” in the concrete sense of the term, but who you could uplift by extending God’s love and care?
Prayer: O God, the psalmist said you are “Father of orphans and defender of widows.” Thank you for always being with me. Give me eyes to see others who are hurting, and use me to bless them with your love and caring. Amen.
Family Activity: At times, everyone fears feeling alone or unloved. As a family, share ideas about how you can work with God to bring comfort and care to others. Discuss each person’s unique gifts and abilities. How can those be used to comfort others? How can those same gifts be combined with those of other family members to care and help? Use construction paper to create the symbol of a heart. On it, write or draw the gifts of each person. Also write or draw about how they can be used to comfort people who are sad or lonely. Pray together, asking God to help guide you to use your ideas and gifts. Thank God for giving them to you. Display your family’s “heart” as a reminder to comfort others this year.
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-------Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Dennis Petree and family on the death of his wife Marilyn Petree, 1/15
• Jon Petree and family on the death of his mother Marilyn Petree, 1/15
• Dean Carlson and family on the death of his wife Jeanine Carlson, 1/12
• Dave Wilson and family on the death of his mother Sue Wilson, 1/11
• Bailey Amtower and David Wilson III on the death of their grandmother Sue Wilson, 1/11
• Doug Cochran and family on the death of his mother Sue Cochran, 1/11
• Leslie Gray and family on the death of her husband Michael T Gray, 1/9
• Jim Markley and family on the death of his brother Kenneth Markley, 1/8
• Rick Hadel and family on the death of his mother Mary Hadel, 1/7
• Jessica Staub and family on the death of her father Steve Shepherd, 1/9
• Jerry Ballard and family on the death of her husband Dick Ballard, 1/8
• Kim Mawhiney and family on the death of her father Dick Ballard, 1/8
• Cindi Martens and family on the death of her father Loren Sommer, 1/8
• Blake Worland and family on the death of his mother Janine Worland, 1/7
• Jordan Williamson and family on the death of his father Marvin Williamson, 1/4
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Join us for worship today - see our worship times and locations here. If you are not in the Kansas City area, you can take part in our worship via live Web stream atrezonline.org.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
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