Running in Faith 2002 April

"Running in Faith" is an electronic devotional guide written by members of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church. Each week, writers use their personal interpretation of scripture to write an inspirational message they hope will help readers take their Sunday faith into weekday lives. Your comments are appreciated and, when related to a particular devotion, passed to the writer. We hope you will share these devotions with friends and coworkers. We are always happy to add new names to our e-mail list. Please contact us if you wish your name to be added.
Devotion for the week of April 1, 2002 Submitted by Ken T. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10 This is a well known scripture verse. The first line is so powerful that it is easy to overlook the second line. However, I want to have us focus on the second line for our devotional this week. The Good News Bible translation is: "and put a new and loyal spirit in me." The adjective "loyal" sends a dramatic message to each of us. There isn't any "maybe" or "if I think about it" involved. We pray for the Spirit to lead us in our daily lives. Although it isn't explicitly stated, it is obvious that we must listen to the Spirit and let the Spirit lead our lives. Too often we pray for something such as this, and expect it to happen without any participation on our part. I think of a story that appeared in BOND magazine about a dramatic example of a person who listened to the Spirit and followed where the Spirit led him. The person was Wes Prieb, who in 1957 bought a copy of the Anchorage Times newspaper while standing on an Anchorage street corner waiting for a friend to pick him up to take him to a church picnic. He read an article in the newspaper about a copper mine in the Wenatchee National Forest that was being sold by its owner. The property was located in Holden, Washington. Probably this article caught his eye because Mr. Prieb had been thinking for years about starting a church retreat. I think the Spirit was at work in the circumstances that let him to purchase the newspaper and then bring his eyes to the article. But this would have just been an interesting article for Mr. Prieb to read if he wouldn't have listened to the Spirit and then taken another step. He had never seen the mine or its adjoining camp in the Cascade Mountains. However, he wrote a letter to the superintendent of the mine inquiring about the price. He also mentioned his idea to turn the property into a church camp or retreat center. I am sure the Spirit was at work here!! He received a letter saying the price was $100,000. This was too much money to even consider. He waited a year and wrote a similar letter hoping the price had been reduced. The company still was holding to the original price. Prieb kept his dream of acquiring this site. Two years later, he decided to write another letter. He received a message in reply that he was to call the superintendent immediately. When he called, he was informed that the company wanted to donate the mine and the camp in return for a letter of confirmation stating that a gift of property worth $100,000 had been received. Because Wes Prieb kept listening to the Spirit and let the Spirit lead him to write the third letter, we now have Holden Village, the Lutheran retreat center where thousands of people journey each year for spiritual renewal. The most inspiring part of this story to me is Mr. Prieb's answer to the question as to why he continued his letter writing campaign after being rejected twice. He replied simply, "The Spirit moved me to do it." Lord, we ask that your Spirit be active in us. Just as importantly, we ask that we respond to the Spirit as we are called. Amen.
Devotion for the week of April 8, 2002 Submitted by Debbie B. ". . . . . Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.'" John 20: 24-29 We are all familiar with this text. I have always liked it. I've also tended to concentrate on the last verse where Christ says "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." It feels personal to me, after all I believe and I have never put my finger in Christ's side or seen his hands. Sometimes however Christ speaks to me in a different part of this text, where he says, "Do not doubt but believe." This also feels personal to me, after all there have been times in my life when I have said, "Are you really there God?" In this text, merciful Jesus does not abandon Thomas when he hears his doubts, instead he comes to him and offers him proof of his resurrection. I believe that Christ also comes to me when I question his existence. He comes to me in the actions of a friend or loved one, He comes to me in the scriptures, and writings of other believers, and He comes to me in that peace that surrounds me when I surrender my doubts to him in prayer. Our God is a merciful God who does not abandon His followers even when they are consumed with doubt. Our God comes to us and gives us what we need to believe. Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who died for all of us, and forgives us our doubts. Amen.
Devotion for the week of April 15, 2002 Submitted by Pastor Dan W. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Exodus 20:16 At a crisis moment during the German church struggle during the 1930's, the Confessing Church was forced to shut down its preachers' seminaries in compliance with anti-Jewish laws affecting church ministry. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (pastor and martyr) was called upon to lead the underground seminary in Finkenwalde. After two years, that extraordinary effort to form a community of pastors-to-be was also shut down by the Gestapo. In the little book Life Together, Bonhoeffer records his own reflections upon the Finkenwalde "experiment" in Christian fellowship. I was particularly intrigued by one spiritual rule that Dietrich Bonhoeffer established for the seminarians living at Finkenwalde. The so-called "Finkenwalde Rule" proved to be especially important for the community, but not always favorably received. The gist of the rule was that members of the fellowship obliged themselves not to talk about another brother who was absent from the conversation. I invite you to join me in trying the "Finkenwalde Rule" this week. Let us see if we can refrain from talking about another person when that other person is physically absent. Or if that measure is completely impossible, let us ask ourselves in each conversation when another person's name comes up: "Would I say this about or to that person, if he or she were right here?" Or if that measure is even truly impossible, let us keep in mind the words of Luther regarding the commandment: "Do I do my best to interpret the words and actions of my neighbor in the best possible light?" O God, you place great importance upon the use of words. Accepted by grace, you turn us toward our neighbors to use words to build up them and the community of faith. Guide us in our speech and forgive us when we bear false witness or skew the truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord who is Ultimate Truth. Amen
Devotion for the week of April 22, 2002 Submitted by Rosemary S. "The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;" Song of Solomon 2:12 This is certainly an appropriate verse for the past week or two. Birds are indeed singing as the morning dawns on another day. Trees are beginning to turn green, flowers are popping up from the ground and appearing on trees -- beautiful, even though allergy aggravating! In our back yard, in a long-defunct chicken house foundation, we have kept box turtles since we moved here more than 30 years ago. We brought the first two from our house on the other side of town, and over the years, we have become the "wild turtle" refuge for people who find the creatures stranded in the middle of highways or parking fields. For many years, the neighborhood nursery made field trips each spring to "see the turtles." The tiny tots squealed with delight as they carefully held the wiggly, shelled reptiles, and often brought parents back to visit on another day. Now, occasionally, a grown nursery school alumni will bring his or her children to visit -- recalling o their own tiny tot the joys of discovery. It is not truly spring until we see the first turtle of the season, and our own children often vied for the honor of announcing that, "the turtles are out!" Spring, with all its beauty and grandeur, also heralds the beginning of the baseball season. As I was going through my computer files, I came across a piece that someone had sent via e-mail a couple of years ago. Considering the fact that Pastor Bartholomew is leading an Adult Forum series on GRACE, it seemed appropriate to include this in my devotion for the week. THE GOD'S BASEBALL GAME Bob was dreaming that he and God stood by to observe a baseball game. God's team was playing Satan's team. God's team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was Love. Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because Love never fails. The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love. The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly Wisdom never swings at Satan's pitches. The bases were loaded. God then turned to Bob and told him He was now going to bring in His star player. Up to the plate stepped Grace. Bob said he sure did not look like much! Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen. But Satan was not worried; his center fielder, the Prince of the air, let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; then it continued over the fence for a home run! God's team won. God then asked Bob if he knew why Love, Faith and Godly Wisdom could get on base but could not win the game. Bob answered that he did not know why. God explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, faith and wisdom will get you on base, but only My Grace can get you home! Dear God, help me to appreciate the beauty of your creation. Help me also to remember that it is your grace alone that will lead me to the beauty of everlasting life. Amen
Devotion for the week of April 29, 2002 Submitted by Pastor Tracie B. "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9 Our Scripture reading on Sunday from 1 Peter 2 ended with these words: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light." At one time you were not God's people, but now you are God's people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy. (CEV) These verses are a powerful proclamation of who we are as God's people, the church. It is a powerful reminder that we are God's own people, not because of what wonderful things we do, but because of how loving and gracious God is to us. God has made us his own through God's actions of mercy and grace. What a tremendous gift. To be made worthy, to be called somebody, all because God declares it to be true. And as the church, as recipients of God's gracious love and mercy, we are able to proclaim to all the world just how wonderful God is. Now that we know God's mercy, we can show that mercy to others. We rejoice together in this gift of abundant love that comes to us from God's generous goodness. Thanks be to God. Almighty and gracious God, you are always ready to shower us with your abundance, which we neither deserve nor appreciate. Open our eyes to your gifts. Open our hearts to your love. Empower us to share with others the grace and mercy shown to us. Use your church to proclaim your wondrous deeds in Christ Jesus. AMEN.
Year 2002 Index

"Running in Faith" is an electronic devotional guide written by members of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church. Each week, writers use their personal interpretation of scripture to write an inspirational message they hope will help readers take their Sunday faith into weekday lives. Your comments are appreciated and, when related to a particular devotion, passed to the writer. We hope you will share these devotions with friends and coworkers. We are always happy to add new names to our e-mail list. Please contact us if you wish your name to be added.

Devotion for the week of April 1, 2002
Submitted by Ken T.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Psalm 51:10

This is a well known scripture verse. The first line is so powerful that it is easy to overlook the second line. However, I want to have us focus on the second line for our devotional this week. The Good News Bible translation is: "and put a new and loyal spirit in me." The adjective "loyal" sends a dramatic message to each of us. There isn't any "maybe" or "if I think about it" involved. We pray for the Spirit to lead us in our daily lives. Although it isn't explicitly stated, it is obvious that we must listen to the Spirit and let the Spirit lead our lives. Too often we pray for something such as this, and expect it to happen without any participation on our part.

I think of a story that appeared in BOND magazine about a dramatic example of a person who listened to the Spirit and followed where the Spirit led him. The person was Wes Prieb, who in 1957 bought a copy of the Anchorage Times newspaper while standing on an Anchorage street corner waiting for a friend to pick him up to take him to a church picnic. He read an article in the newspaper about a copper mine in the Wenatchee National Forest that was being sold by its owner. The property was located in Holden, Washington. Probably this article caught his eye because Mr. Prieb had been thinking for years about starting a church retreat. I think the Spirit was at work in the circumstances that let him to purchase the newspaper and then bring his eyes to the article. But this would have just been an interesting article for Mr. Prieb to read if he wouldn't have listened to the Spirit and then taken another step.

He had never seen the mine or its adjoining camp in the Cascade Mountains. However, he wrote a letter to the superintendent of the mine inquiring about the price. He also mentioned his idea to turn the property into a church camp or retreat center. I am sure the Spirit was at work here!! He received a letter saying the price was $100,000. This was too much money to even consider. He waited a year and wrote a similar letter hoping the price had been reduced. The company still was holding to the original price.

Prieb kept his dream of acquiring this site. Two years later, he decided to write another letter. He received a message in reply that he was to call the superintendent immediately. When he called, he was informed that the company wanted to donate the mine and the camp in return for a letter of confirmation stating that a gift of property worth $100,000 had been received. Because Wes Prieb kept listening to the Spirit and let the Spirit lead him to write the third letter, we now have Holden Village, the Lutheran retreat center where thousands of people journey each year for spiritual renewal.

The most inspiring part of this story to me is Mr. Prieb's answer to the question as to why he continued his letter writing campaign after being rejected twice. He replied simply, "The Spirit moved me to do it."

Lord, we ask that your Spirit be active in us. Just as importantly, we ask that we respond to the Spirit as we are called. Amen.

Devotion for the week of April 8, 2002
Submitted by Debbie B.

". . . . . Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.'"
John 20: 24-29

We are all familiar with this text. I have always liked it. I've also tended to concentrate on the last verse where Christ says "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." It feels personal to me, after all I believe and I have never put my finger in Christ's side or seen his hands. Sometimes however Christ speaks to me in a different part of this text, where he says, "Do not doubt but believe." This also feels personal to me, after all there have been times in my life when I have said, "Are you really there God?"

In this text, merciful Jesus does not abandon Thomas when he hears his doubts, instead he comes to him and offers him proof of his resurrection. I believe that Christ also comes to me when I question his existence. He comes to me in the actions of a friend or loved one, He comes to me in the scriptures, and writings of other believers, and He comes to me in that peace that surrounds me when I surrender my doubts to him in prayer. Our God is a merciful God who does not abandon His followers even when they are consumed with doubt. Our God comes to us and gives us what we need to believe.

Heavenly Father, Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who died for all of us, and forgives us our doubts. Amen.

Devotion for the week of April 15, 2002
Submitted by Pastor Dan W.

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
Exodus 20:16

At a crisis moment during the German church struggle during the 1930's, the Confessing Church was forced to shut down its preachers' seminaries in compliance with anti-Jewish laws affecting church ministry. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (pastor and martyr) was called upon to lead the underground seminary in Finkenwalde. After two years, that extraordinary effort to form a community of pastors-to-be was also shut down by the Gestapo. In the little book Life Together, Bonhoeffer records his own reflections upon the Finkenwalde "experiment" in Christian fellowship.

I was particularly intrigued by one spiritual rule that Dietrich Bonhoeffer established for the seminarians living at Finkenwalde. The so-called "Finkenwalde Rule" proved to be especially important for the community, but not always favorably received. The gist of the rule was that members of the fellowship obliged themselves not to talk about another brother who was absent from the conversation.

I invite you to join me in trying the "Finkenwalde Rule" this week. Let us see if we can refrain from talking about another person when that other person is physically absent. Or if that measure is completely impossible, let us ask ourselves in each conversation when another person's name comes up: "Would I say this about or to that person, if he or she were right here?" Or if that measure is even truly impossible, let us keep in mind the words of Luther regarding the commandment: "Do I do my best to interpret the words and actions of my neighbor in the best possible light?"

O God, you place great importance upon the use of words. Accepted by grace, you turn us toward our neighbors to use words to build up them and the community of faith. Guide us in our speech and forgive us when we bear false witness or skew the truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord who is Ultimate Truth. Amen

Devotion for the week of April 22, 2002
Submitted by Rosemary S.

"The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;"
Song of Solomon 2:12

This is certainly an appropriate verse for the past week or two. Birds are indeed singing as the morning dawns on another day. Trees are beginning to turn green, flowers are popping up from the ground and appearing on trees -- beautiful, even though allergy aggravating! In our back yard, in a long-defunct chicken house foundation, we have kept box turtles since we moved here more than 30 years ago. We brought the first two from our house on the other side of town, and over the years, we have become the "wild turtle" refuge for people who find the creatures stranded in the middle of highways or parking fields. For many years, the neighborhood nursery made field trips each spring to "see the turtles." The tiny tots squealed with delight as they carefully held the wiggly, shelled reptiles, and often brought parents back to visit on another day. Now, occasionally, a grown nursery school alumni will bring his or her children to visit -- recalling o their own tiny tot the joys of discovery. It is not truly spring until we see the first turtle of the season, and our own children often vied for the honor of announcing that, "the turtles are out!"

Spring, with all its beauty and grandeur, also heralds the beginning of the baseball season. As I was going through my computer files, I came across a piece that someone had sent via e-mail a couple of years ago. Considering the fact that Pastor Bartholomew is leading an Adult Forum series on GRACE, it seemed appropriate to include this in my devotion for the week.

THE GOD'S BASEBALL GAME

Bob was dreaming that he and God stood by to observe a baseball game. God's team was playing Satan's team. God's team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs.

They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was Love. Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because Love never fails.

The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love.

The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked, because Godly Wisdom never swings at Satan's pitches.

The bases were loaded. God then turned to Bob and told him He was now going to bring in His star player. Up to the plate stepped Grace. Bob said he sure did not look like much! Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen.

But Satan was not worried; his center fielder, the Prince of the air, let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; then it continued over the fence for a home run!

God's team won. God then asked Bob if he knew why Love, Faith and Godly Wisdom could get on base but could not win the game. Bob answered that he did not know why. God explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, faith and wisdom will get you on base, but only My Grace can get you home!

Dear God, help me to appreciate the beauty of your creation. Help me also to remember that it is your grace alone that will lead me to the beauty of everlasting life. Amen

Devotion for the week of April 29, 2002
Submitted by Pastor Tracie B.

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light."
1 Peter 2:9

Our Scripture reading on Sunday from 1 Peter 2 ended with these words: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light." At one time you were not God's people, but now you are God's people; at one time you did not know God's mercy, but now you have received his mercy. (CEV)

These verses are a powerful proclamation of who we are as God's people, the church. It is a powerful reminder that we are God's own people, not because of what wonderful things we do, but because of how loving and gracious God is to us. God has made us his own through God's actions of mercy and grace. What a tremendous gift. To be made worthy, to be called somebody, all because God declares it to be true. And as the church, as recipients of God's gracious love and mercy, we are able to proclaim to all the world just how wonderful God is. Now that we know God's mercy, we can show that mercy to others. We rejoice together in this gift of abundant love that comes to us from God's generous goodness. Thanks be to God.

Almighty and gracious God, you are always ready to shower us with your abundance, which we neither deserve nor appreciate. Open our eyes to your gifts. Open our hearts to your love. Empower us to share with others the grace and mercy shown to us. Use your church to proclaim your wondrous deeds in Christ Jesus. AMEN.

Year 2002 Index