"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 July 4, 2004
Submitted by David M.

"Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ." ... Ephesians 4:7, 11-13

The twentieth century theologian J. H. Yoder, commenting on this thought of St. Paul, says, "Paul proclaims that in the midst of a fallen world the grace of God has apportioned to everyone, without merit, a renewed potential for dignity in complementarity. God has done this not by making everyone the same, but by empowering each member differently although equally.

Unfortunately, churches have not always embraced this attitude, and obviously some still don't. Top-down hierarchical structures more akin to the military than an egalitarian fellowship of believers was the norm for centuries. The Reformation has changed that in varying degrees among the branches of Christianity. But even in churches where the diversity of gifts is welcome and practiced in principle, it rarely is played out to its' fullest potential. Many feel they either don't have enough knowledge, ability, or authority to participate in the various ministries. The excuses are many: the pastor went to seminary, the teachers know the bible more than I do, the choir members are just naturally talented, others are more "charismatic" than I am, and so on. However, if we think of it in the terms St. Paul and Yoder use, that all are freely bestowed gifts equally, though differently, we would have to imagine that we should all be participating in some ministries, the only question is: which ones?

Sometimes it can be difficult to overcome the fear of stepping into an area where we don't consider ourselves "experts", deeming it safer to leave those tasks to the "professionals". Failure in our culture is often greeted in the harshest possible terms, socially, economically, or personally.

But instead, what if we view our role in a supportive Christian congregation as just one sailor in the same boat building up the body of Christ, just one of the "laborers in the vineyard", one among the "priesthood of all believers" that Luther spoke about? Then we all will have our moments of success and of failure, yet we can proceed in our chosen vocations in the church confident that the Spirit will guide us, and our fellow members will assist us when necessary. No contribution is too late or too small! Even the workers who were hired in the eleventh hour in the parable of Matthew 20:1-16 were rewarded equally to those who were hired early in the morning and had labored all day. Take the challenge and decide to work with your brothers and sisters, using your gifts in doing the work Christ has left for us to do.

Father in Heaven, help us to discern what it is that we can do to carry on the work of your Son Jesus, forgetting the standards of the world, risking failure and discomfort, to achieve the goals that you have set for us to be People of God. We ask this through the same Jesus, who is our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Devotion for the week of July 11, 2004
Submitted by Pastor Dick H.

"And who is my neighbor?"
Luke 10:29

Good question!

Who is my neighbor?

Presently, I'm preparing to teach the adult sessions of our 2004 Vacation Bible School, August 1-5. One of the biblical stories to be explored by adults in the VBS is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) - the passage wherein our key question arises.

Now, it also happens that the same story is the Gospel for Sunday, July 11. In a timely way, too, the question is asked: "Who is my neighbor?"

Moreover, the message of the Good Samaritan story in Luke 10:37 ("Go and do likewise.") is the current theme of the World Hunger Appeal, now celebrating its 30th anniversary.

So, is the neighbor to be served Wendy our next-door 'neighbor,' who recently showed up at our front door with a bloody head wound? She had hit her head on the edge of an open kitchen cabinet door. She asked, "Do I need stitches?" "Yes," we said. And, off to St. Mary's emergency room we went.

To define 'neighbor,' Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. Thereby he said, 'Yes, Wendy is your neighbor, and there is more. Your neighbor is any person in need - near or far, rich or poor, young or old, black or white, male or female.' Anyone in need is to be served - actively, concretely and compassionately - in boundless mercy, unconditional, extravagant love, and with limitless, lavish care.

Echoing the biblical view, a hymn (With One Voice, page 765) answers our key question this way:

Neighbors are wealthy and poor,
Varied in color and race,
Neighbors are near-by and far away.

These are the ones we will serve,
These are the ones we will love;
All these are neighbors to us and you.

Devotion for the week of July 18, 2004
Submitted by Nancy E.

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will be changed -- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." ... 1 Corinthians 15:51

Nearly four years ago, my mother died. The latter part of her life was fraught with pain, physical disfiguring, and depression. I try to remember her in earlier times when she looked the way she appeared in the many photographs I have of her. It's hard. The following passage discovered during recent reading puts things into perspective.

In the dream I would be the age I really was, living the life I was really living, and I would discover that my mother was still alive. . . She would be looking quite well -- not exactly youthful, not entirely untouched by the paralyzing disease that held her in its grip . . . but so much better than I remembered that I would be astonished. . . I recovered then what in waking life I had lost -- my mother's liveliness of face and voice before her throat muscles stiffened and a woeful, impersonal mask fastened itself over her features. How could I have forgotten this, I would think in the dream -- the casual humor she had, not ironic but merry, the lightness and impatience and confidence? I would say that I was sorry I hadn't been to see her in such a long time - meaning not that I felt guilty but that I was sorry I had kept a bugbear in my mind, instead of this reality -- and the strangest, kindest thing of all to me was her matter-of-fact reply. Oh, well, she said, better late than never. I was sure I¹d see you someday.
Friend of My Youth, Alice Munro

Isn't it wonderful that as Christians, a dream like the fictional character experienced -- i.e., an illusion transparent in its hopefulness -- isn't necessary? Our reality is that we will meet our loved ones in heaven,. Halleluiah!

O God of grace and glory, we remember before you today [insert name(s). We thank you for giving him/her to us to know and to love as a companion in our pilgrimage on earth. In your boundless compassion, console us who mourn. Give us your aid, so we may see in death the gate to eternal life, that we may continue our course on earth in confidence until, by your call, we are reunited with those who have gone before us; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
... Lutheran Book of Worship: Burial of the Dead, page 207

Devotion for the week of July 25, 2004
Submitted by Michael S.

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." ... Philippians 4:11-13

This came as an email to me a couple of months ago. I saved it and am sending it to you because I thought it made an excellent point.

The Difference by J. Burns
"I love the story of the little boy who was overheard talking to himself as he strutted through the backyard, baseball cap in place, toting ball and bat. He was heard to say, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world." Then he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it and missed. "Strike one." Undaunted he picked up the ball, threw it into the air and said to himself, "I'm the greatest baseball hitter ever," and then he swung at the ball again. And again, he missed. "Strike two!" He paused a moment to examine his bat and ball carefully. Then a third time he threw the ball into the air. "I'm the greatest hitter who ever lived," he exclaimed. He swung the bat hard again, and missed a third time. He cried out, "Wow! Strike three. What a pitcher! I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!"

"His circumstances hadn't changed but his attitude had changed, and that makes all the difference in the world. What difficult time are you going through right now? Is there really something that can change it? If you can do something about it, great; don't wait another day. But if you can't change the circumstance, then change your attitude and that will make all the difference in the world."

The AA Serenity Prayer
"God grant me the strength to change the things I can; the courage to accept the things I can't; and the wisdom to know the difference." Amen