Week of July 4, 2010
Jean G.

"My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."    Galatians 6:1-2

On a cold winter day in Akron, Ohio, over lunch in the tiny soup kitchen of an urban church, I met recently-incarcerated men who now lived in transitional housing where they supported and supervised one another. Then my brother Steve, an Anglican deacon and co-director of Truly Reaching You (TRY), gave me a tour of the housing while the men were at work-in apprenticeship programs also arranged by this ministry, so the former prisoners can learn such skills as remodeling, landscaping, and custodial work. I admired the clean, comfortable, homey environment. Steve pointed out the locks on the doors of the individual rooms, giving the residents a sense of privacy that prison lacks, and the chore list on the kitchen wall. And he explained that the men know their rooms are subject to surprise inspections. A man with three violations (such as possession of alcohol or failure to sleep in the house for a night) is sent downtown to the shelter, where he sleeps on a cot in a large, barracks-style room. If he follows the shelter's rules for a week, then he may return to the transitional housing.
 
The ministry works, with 46 completing the program in its three years of existence, and only one of the 46 returning to jail-a far cry from 68% returning to prison within three years of release, the statistics provided by the Ohio Adult Parole Authority. TRY was founded by a man who had himself experienced incarceration, and knew what support former felons need to survive in the outside world. Prison usually has not provided them with the education, job skills, or self-discipline needed to prevent a return to the behaviors that led to their initial sentencing. Lacking the constant supervision of jail, they fall easy prey to drugs and alcohol, substances that make it even more difficult for them to make wise choices. But to Perry the most important factor was that people who have been incarcerated are typically alienated from the external community, often including their families. They are alone, ostracized, and often homeless.
 
Because of Perry, TRY's major goal is to integrate these former prison inmates into the community, by teaching them to maintain healthy relationships. Each man is sponsored by an area church, which provides regular mentorship. The program encourages positive interactions between the men and their families, including providing gifts for them to give their children. Those in the program engage in community service together. Their supervisors in the program hold them accountable for following the rules, but because they live together and meet regularly for Bible study and devotions, they also encourage one other. As one, Leonard, says on the program's website, "There are people we can talk to, we have Bible Study on Mondays, we come together as a family and go out and help other people." These former prisoners live out the words of Paul's letter to the Galatians, as they avoid temptation and help their brothers do likewise.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken."    (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Week of July 22, 2010
Rosemary S.

There are quite a few scriptures that talk about running (see below), but the one I think of in conjunction with our Running in Faith devotions is the one in 2 Timothy.

This does not say won the race, but finished the race. Someone once told me, "God calls us to be faithful, not necessarily successful." This has been a great comfort to me when my greatest efforts have been thwarted, or I feel I have failed. It is a good motto for any endeavor. Those who run marathons have the satisfaction of completing the journey, whether they come in first or six hundredth. If you do your best and keep the commandments in mind, your striving will be a reward unto itself, even if you do not reach the goal that you intended, Remember another maxim, "It is better to light one candle than to stumble in the darkness". If your efforts help or influence once person, you can count yourself successful. One cold cup of water cannot fill the thirst of the world, but can give life to one parched person. It is the doing that is important.

Do you know the story of the child who was picking up starfish and throwing them back into the ocean?

Once a man was walking along a beach. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. Off in the distance he could see a child running back and forth between the surf's edge and the beach picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. As the man approached he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide. The man was stuck by the the apparent futility of the task. There were far too many starfish. Many of them were sure to perish. As he approached the child continued the picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf. As he came up to her, he said, "You must be crazy. There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish. You can't possibly make a difference." She looked up at the man, then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean. She turned back to the man and said, "It sure made a difference to that one!" (adapted from "The Star Thrower", by Loren Eiseley, 1978)

Other references to running

2 Samuel 18.27:
The sentinel said, 'I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz son of Zadok.' The king said, 'He is a good man, and comes with good tidings.' (Our authors bring good tidings to readers each week.)

Psalm 119.32:
I run the way of your commandments, for you enlarge my understanding. (Our authors help readers understand some of the more difficult passages in the scriptures.)

Proverbs 18.10:
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe. (Our authors develop themes that give power to the name of the Lord.)

Isaiah 40.31:
...but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Our authors show the strength of God in our daily lives.)

Habakkuk 2.2:
Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. (Our authors often give new meaning to old scripture references, and write so that others can often look at the verses with new vision.)

Philippians 2.16:
It is by your holding fast to the Word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (Our authors bring the Word of life, written in faith, to our readers.)

Bless and inspire our authors with Thy Holy Spirit. Amen

Week of July 18, 2010
Donald P.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.   ( Ezekiel 36:26)

Life-changing Institutions

   Our family is playing a game. The name of the game is Find a Suitable College for your Child. The object of the game is to find the most excellent education for the least amount of money in an environment that "feels" comfortable and welcoming to your precious progeny. This is a difficult game with very high stakes. If you succeed admirably, the child is placed on a strong foundation and you are tickled pink with contentment. If you fail outrageously, you risk the preposterous extremes of emotionally scarring your child for life...or going to the poor house...or both. Fortunately and unfortunately, there is a dizzying amount of information available to help you play this game. One source of help is a book that has been kicking around for about 15 years called, "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 schools that will make you change the way you think about colleges" by Loren Pope. Mr. Pope's assertion is that there are small, private liberal arts colleges begging for good students that will change your child's life by providing:
       A. Excellent student-teacher relationships;
       B. Service to the community;
       C. Emphasis on values and growth.
   As I read this book, it occurred to me that I also belong to an organization that promotes excellent student-teacher relationships, along with service to the community, along with an emphasis on values and growth...and is in every way capable of changing lives: My church.
   And yet, despite my baptism and my regular participation in the Holy Supper and my hearing of the Word, many times I do not feel overwhelmingly changed. I want so badly to represent Christ on earth but the fruits of the Spirit (...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22) are like so many ping pong balls bouncing around in the lottery-draw of my consciousness. Some lowlights of my existence are: I am judgmental and critical of everything; I get very grumpy when I am tired or my back hurts; I appear cold and insensitive at times when kindness is absolutely required. Why am I such a jerk...still? I know I have a sinful nature but I thought these were supposed to be the years when I kindle wisdom. Is my heart getting gnarled and leathery like the skin just below my knees and elbows? Do I need a spectacular event, such as being struck blind on the road to Damascus, or being visited on Christmas Eve by four different ghosts that would terrorize me down to my corpuscles so that white hair sprouts instantly from my ear lobes in abject horror?
   No.
   I need to know Christ better. The church is an institution created by God to help us find our Way. The Christian faith is a maturation process, slow and progressive, sometimes interrupted by doubt and dawdling. Few of us can point to an exact moment when our convictions flipped unalterably and we steamed forward towards a completely righteous life. My baptism secured a place; the Holy Supper remits my sins; and the daily exposure to the Word are all extremely important to the on-going process; but my church serves as an excellent supplement by affording me many opportunities for service, many resources for devotion, and a complete support network for worship and praise in times of fear or vacillation. (We "Carry each other's burdens..." Galatians 6:2). And as my faith develops, the natural extension is for others to be converted in whatever small wake I may create: Individuals changing individuals; communities changing communities; nations changing nations. With all due respect to the Pope (Loren, that is), the Christian church is truly a life-changing institution.

Dear Heavenly Father,
   I know that in Christ I am "a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). As clay in your hands, use your church and any other means necessary to break my heart of stone and change my life. Amen

Week of July 25, 2010
Carol

  "I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth
I will make your faithfulness known through all generations."
      Psalm 89:1

Fifteen years ago in 1995 I was lying in my hospital bed waiting to be taken to surgery after my second heart attack, when the third heart attack overcame me. Two doctors and a nurse rushed in (I was unconscious) and after cutting me in the groin, ran a pump up into my heart to keep it going. My aorta had shut down. I was then swiftly pushed into surgery, still in my hospital bed, pump and all.
 
After surgery my heart was too weak to supply my body with oxygen, so I was attached to a ventilator which kept me alive. Slipping in and out of consciousness, I was aware one day that my whole family surrounded me. As I was trusted at that point to not attempt to pull the tubes out of my throat, I made a circle with my hands, then a steeple. My daughter said, "I think she wants a circle of prayer." My husband, son and daughter and I joined hands and my son said a lovely and loving prayer.
 
Sometime after this I felt "energy" under my body. This "energy" lifted me up and the ten IVs dropped off. I felt untethered to the earth and the feeling of absolute peace filled me.
 
Looking around, I saw the "legendary" entrance to the tunnel. I went over to it, how I do not know. The interior was a pale purple and seemed to be a "living color", color with movement like a cloud. I looked down at the entrance and saw me, in my bed, floating. I then had an idiot conversation with myself.
 
"There I am!" "No, I can't be there, I am here!" "No, there I am floating at the entrance!" "No, I can't be there because I am here." At that point I looked down supposedly at my feet and discovered that I had no body.
 
Overcome with emotion, I said aloud, "Oh, I must look closely because when I get back, I must tell people about this!" At once, I was embraced and overwhelmed with pure love, love from God, and embraced in every part of my body with this love.
 
At once I was back in my hospital bed and just knew, beyond any doubt, that I would live.
 
Upon being discharged after nineteen days, my husband told me that the doctors had given him notice of a 48-hour period. During this period it was a toss-up if I would live or die.
 
God was faithful. He embraced me and assured me that He was in charge and that I would indeed live to "spread the Good News!" God and Heaven are real. Believe.

Great is His faithfulness.

 
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Running in Faithis a personal interpretation of scripture, written in faith, by members of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church Lutheran Church to help readers take their Sunday faith into their weekday lives. Each Devotion represents the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent Abiding Presence Lutheran Church. Permission is granted to link to this page and to use the Devotions for personal, non-commercial purposes only.