Thursday of Holy Week: Loving Us Anyway
April 9, 2020 Tonight’s Maundy Thursday Worship and Tomorrow’s Good Friday Worship As of the time of writing this devotion, Brentwood UMC plans to present tonight’s and tomorrow night’s worship online live. >> Maundy Thursday Service>> Good Friday Service I encourage you to participate in tonight’s Maundy Thursday and tomorrow’s Good Friday worship services at…
Read MoreWednesday of Holy Week: Spy Wednesday?
April 8, 2020 DAILY READING Matthew 26:14-16 – Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to…
Read MoreJesus’ Teaching on Tuesday of Holy Week: Be Prepared!
April 7, 2020 DAILY READING Matthew 25:40 & 45 -“And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’” “Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not…
Read MoreHoly Week Monday: Cleansing Our Temples
April 6, 2020 DAILY READING Matthew 21:12 – “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, . . .” FIELD NOTES Paul teaches that we are Christ’s holy Temple…
Read MorePraying Through A Crisis
Palm/Passion Sunday 2020 Our Scripture reading: Luke 22:39-46 Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” Then…
Read MoreStill Christ
April 4, 2020 Christ is the Greek word for Messiah, the Anointed One who has the power to save us. In this litany we will find a Lenten image of Christ and then remind ourselves even that “less than” experience of Christ is still enough. The following Litany is inspired by the words of Caryll…
Read MorePsalms of Lament
April 3, 2020 The Psalms represent the full expression of emotions. In fact about 40 percent are Psalms of lament; Psalms full of complaints and questions, fear and anger. For example, Psalm 13 begins: “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?” But in every Psalm…
Read MoreFeelings Management
April 2, 2020 Marjorie Thompson, Presbyterian minister, author, and spiritual director, recently shared this four step process to feelings management during difficulties that I have found useful during this COVID19 pandemic. Name: What is this crisis making you feel? Is it panic, anxiety, fear, stupid, anger, shame? Identify it and name it. Notice: What is this feeling…
Read MoreNot In A Hurry
April 1, 2020 Is anyone else experiencing time differently in this time of quarantining and social distancing? The busy schedules, constant checking of the calendar, and overall hustle that use to define my life has now be replaced with a haunting feeling of “wait, what day is this!?!” This is the point of Sabbath. God commanded…
Read MoreLighting A Candle
March 31, 2020 As we are stuck in our homes, one of the ways I have found to bring a sense of the sacred into my life is by simply lighting a candle. From the very beginning of the Jesus movement we have lit a candle, we do it at the beginning of every church…
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