The Church, the Body of Christ

Opening Prayer: Good morning Lord! Thank you for all the ways in which you have wonderfully made me. What an amazing me you have created. Through my ability to read I can travel through time and around the universe. I can create music that soothes the spirit, art that tantalizes the sight, and food that excites the palate and my sense of smell. When I meditate on your word, my spirits are lifted, I become centered, and peace returns to quiet my anxieties and fears. What a wonderful gift. Thank you. Amen.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-14

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well.

Meditation: The scripture above is wonderful in that it recognizes the Creator God through one of his many wonderful works, the human body. I am often amazed at how interconnected and interdependent the human body is. If I have a cold and can’t smell, my sense of taste is also affected. The human body is amazingly strong and amazingly weak. Paper can cause a cut that is as painful as a cut from a knife made of metal. We are exposed to hundreds of thousands of germs on a daily basis, but most of us regularly avoid contracting the flu, a cold, or something worse. If the toe is injured, the pain is felt not just in the toe, but in the foot, leg, the back, and even the shoulders. It is not surprising that Paul used the metaphor of a human body when describing the church, the body of Christ.

Like the human body, the Church, the body of Christ was created by God, not by humans. It is wonderfully made. God is so interconnected throughout this creation that thoughts are perceived. When the Church is lying down or going out, God is there. God is familiar with all of the ways of his creation the body of Christ, the church. What might be the result of us recognizing our home congregation through this Psalm? Perhaps we would be more conscious that our congregation as the body of Christ was knit together long before we became participants and with proper stewardship has the potential to last long after. Maybe we might be conscious of God’s unique connection to Brunswick and see God’s working behind us and in front of us. I encourage you to imagine what our church might look like if it was seen as  God’s creation and not a creation of human ingenuity. Wow, I think of how limitless our potential could be.

If we saw our home church, the congregation as a creation of God we might look at each with amazement at God’s work, seeing each person as fearfully and wonderfully made. Maybe we could see God’s presence working around, in, and through each person. In recognizing our interconnectedness, we might learn how to laugh with another or how to cry with one another. Celebrating our interdependence, we might lift together asking fingers to work together to grasp and involve the wrist and arm to complete the action. My challenge to you today is as you ponder the words of Psalm 139, in this time of isolation from the gathered Brunswick family, that you seek out ways to reflect your membership as part of God’s creation, the church, the body of Christ.

Closing Prayer: Lord, it is difficult to be separated by so much distance. Help me to use this time wisely. Grant me the courage to move beyond my comfort level to be the body of Christ to someone this week. Reassure me in my loneliness and isolation that I am a part of a wonderfully and fearfully made body. Remind me that there is no place I can go that you aren’t with me. Exercise my mind, body, and spirit so that I become limber enough to thrive through this season so that when the next season comes, I am ready, willing, and able. In your holy name, I pray, Amen.

Talk to you again soon,

Pastor Yolanda

“I am the Church! You are the Church! We are the Church together!”

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the coming rain. It is a sign that even though our lives may feel stuck in one place because of the pandemic, the world is actually going on. Help me to find ways to participate in the movement of the world and of your spirit. Amen.

Scripture: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 1Corinthians 12:27

Message:  I was struck today by a Facebook post from a friend extolling the virtues of being able to participate in worship virtually. He was surprised that the experience was edifying and was even looking forward to the next service. I was reminded by this post again that the Church, the Body of Christ rests in and among the believers before it moves out into the rest of the world. Edifices with their steeples, pews, and colored carpeting, banners, and the like, which might range from the spectacular to the humble, are just spaces where those filled with the very spirit of God come together. In times of isolation by choice or thrust upon us, it is essential to recognize that you, we, are the Church. There are always ways we can be in communion with the body of believers whether local or far away. I have been saying lately to friends and colleagues, “We all need to get back to those old-fashioned ways of communicating. Write a letter, send out a card, make a phone call date to have coffee together.”

The title of this devotion comes from a hymn written by Richard K. Avery and Donald S. Marsh in the 70s. It is complementary to our reading from 1Corinthians. The Greek word, sóma, translated body most often refers to the physical body…flesh and blood. While most interpret the use of sóma to apply to the spiritual or metaphysical body, I would like to focus on the use of soma to mean the physical body.

What does it mean that your physical body is the body of Christ? Let’s take a look at 1Corinthians 6:19-20, which reads, “…do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body” (ESV). Your physical body is a place in which worship and work of the Holy Spirit can and should reign. It is not just your mind and spirit that have been ransomed by the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. It is also your physical body and its senses. It is the physical body that provides acts of love, mercy, and charity. It is the physical body that sits next to others in places of worship. It is the physical body that is moved to compassion and therefore acts. It is the physical body that reacts when it feels the presence of God. I need you; you need me, we all need each other because we are the body of Christ. We are his hands, his feet, and his heart. So, while it might be preferable, it is not necessary to be in a specific building to experience God’s presence. It also not necessary, though preferable that we be in close personal contact to worship or to be in communion with one another. There is no “holy of holies” and God doesn’t dwell in an Ark. God dwells in you. The hard part will be remembering this so that your body, mind, and spirit acts like it. Please pray with me.

Closing prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for choosing to dwell in me. I often feel like the least likely vessel, but I remember how joyfully Mary received the news that she would bear the Savior of the World. Help me to be at least as joyful as that responding, "I am the Lord's servant…May your word to me be fulfilled" (Luke 1:26-38). Amen.

Balance

Opening Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for another sunny day. The light and the warmth of the sun remind me of your presence. Help me to find ways to shine a little light and warmth on others today. Amen.

Verse: Ecclesiastes 3:1, 3 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance…”

Message: It is difficult to maintain balance these days. One report tells us the crisis is slowing; another tells us we have not hit the crest of the storm yet. There are daily reports of heroism; of people sharing their gifts and resources to make others safer. On the other hand, there are stories of infected people purposely trying to infect others and of resource hoarders. Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes offers two sides as well. Exercises mare recommended to strengthen your legs, back, and core. Recommendations that help one achieve physical balance are helpful spiritually as well.

• Be aware of your current balance

• The New Testament consistently asks believers to be aware of the health of their spiritual selves.
• f Move in slow, precise movements
• There are times to be in a hurry, but taking steps that show a thoughtful, prayerful process might yield better results.
• Shift your weight from one leg to another
• You can’t carry it all. Bring your burdens to Christ. Find people with whom you can share the burden.
• Walk heel to toe in a straight line
• When I feel out of balance, I start to think and act scattered. I don’t walk in a straight line. Spiritually walking in a circuitous manner takes up a lot of energy, and while I feel like I have burnt off energy when I look back, I notice that I have not made very much progress.

As the writer of Ecclesiastes, as noted, there is a time for everything under the sun. Ecclesiastes doesn’t, however, say you are to experience both extremes at the same time. I encourage you to walk in balanced ways so that as your spirit grows it is able to provide support, comfort, and joy that will heal your body, your mind, and your soul. Please pray with me.

Closing Prayer: Lord help me to find balance. Remind me to walk in the paths of righteousness and to exchange my burdens for yours. Amen.

The Kingdom of Heaven

Opening Prayer: Welcome Lord. I know you are always here, but sometimes I just need to say out loud I’m here and you are welcome to be here with me. You who promised to be with me even to the end of the age, I answer the door and say “Welcome, come in.” Amen.

Verse: There are many verses in this devotion all relating to the kingdom of heaven.

Message: These parables are divided by biblical scholar Edward Burbidge (1839–1903) into two main groups. The first group is called the Kingdom of Heaven and the second is called the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Heaven parables found in Matthew, all begin, not surprisingly with the words, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…” They end with descriptions that include:

Matthew 13:24 “…a man who sowed good seed…”

Matthew 13:31 “…a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

Matthew 13:33 “…leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Matthew 13:44 “…treasure hidden in a field, which a man found…”

Matthew 13:45 “a merchant seeking beautiful pearls…”

Matthew 13:47 “…a fishers’ net that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind…”

Matthew 13:52 “…a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

Matthew 18:23 “…a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.”

Matthew 20:1 “…a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.”

Matthew 22:2 “…a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son…”

Matthew 25:14 “…a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.”

One look at these descriptions and you can see Jesus used the inanimate (treasure, and a fishers’ net); and animate things (men and women, yeast, mustard seed) to describe the kingdom of heaven. The parables include the wealthy, the middle class, and the poor. There are representatives of people who command others and people who only have the power to command themselves.

I have never seen these verses stacked up against one another before. The one thought that comes to mind is this “How diverse is the kingdom of heaven! “It is made up of people from all walks of life. It functions as a mustard seed, a treasure, and a fishers’ net. It is sought after, worked for, saved up, and it is given away to others. It sees to the needs of person, family, and community.

The church when looked at from this vantage point can be very much like the kingdom of heaven. We should ask ourselves, and ask ourselves often in what ways is Brunswick a reflection of the kingdom of heaven? How are we inclusive? How are we like mustard seeds that grow into trees big enough to provide shade? How have we entrusted our wealth, or showed mercy? These questions are not just questions for the church as a community. They are questions for us individually as Christians. I invite you to reflect on these scriptures this week and ask yourself how am I the kingdom of God? Please pray with me.

Closing prayer:  Lord, remind me of how small a mustard seed is when I think I am too small to be of any good. Remind me of the great power of a little packet of yeast when I think my energy is not enough. Remind me of the riches I am to you when I forget I am your treasure. Use me as a net to bring the welcome you first offered me to everyone I meet. In your name I pray. Amen.

Fan the Flame

Opening Prayer: Good morning, Lord. We begin with a thank you. Being forced to slow down offers many opportunities to reflect, to have conversations that we don’t typically have time for, and to ponder your word. Help us to use this time in ways that will bring life and health to our bodies, minds, souls, and spirits. Help us to use this time in ways that will bring life and health to the bodies, minds, souls, and spirits of our communities and of our world. Amen.

Verse: 2 Timothy 1:6 “For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”

Message: Paul’s letter to Timothy begins with Paul’s typical thanks for workers and the work. He mentions earlier in the chapter his practice of praying for everyone which includes Timothy’s mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois. He moves on in this personal letter to Timothy with an appeal and, I think, a reminder of Timothy’s responsibility to fan into flame the gift of God which he received when Paul laid his hands on him.

            The practice of laying on hands is ancient. The Hebrews used this ritual to bless, to ordain, or to pass on authority. It is still the practice in some churches to actually place your hands on someone while praying that the Holy Spirit be in them or that they be healed. I participated in these “laying on of hands” rituals while in non-denominational and Full-Gospel Assembly churches. Having participated in services in which someone put their hands on, not over, your head, or on your shoulders, I know it can be a solemn event filled with expectation and emotion. The weight of another’s hands on you confers and transfers something. It is intimate. For sure, when you expect that transference of power or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the expectation adds to the effect. On the other hand, the fact that you feel something is not just psychological mumbo jumbo spurred by human expectations. Something special happens when we are touched.

Touch is used by all parts of God’s creation in both negative and positive ways. A study in Developmental Review found multiple physiological and biochemical changes that occur due to touch. These changes occur whether the touch is negative or positive. Let’s assume the laying on of hands is done with consent in a positive, safe environment. Add now to the expectations of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to those positive experiences of lowered blood pressure, decreased heart rate and cortisol, and the increase of oxytocin. In this sense, laying on of hands creates a powerful holistic experience.

It appears from our letter that these benefits do not last. It isn’t that you have to keep getting, as they called it in my charismatic churches, baptized in the Spirit, but there is something about the process of growth that is stunted if you don’t have something that fans it into a flame. Wesley understood this. He advocated that Christians practice holiness in speech and in their practices; and that they participate in small groups that would help to spiritually feed and to hold accountable. This is the church! We feed, support, and help fan into flame the gift of God.

Touch is not available to many during this time of Covid-19. As someone who lives alone, I challenge us to think about ways that we can keep the flame alive. Perhaps think of it this way. One sense is not going to be able to be used to be supportive and to show love. How can I increase the use of the other 4, or 5 depending on if you include extra-sensory perception, so that I am both receiving and giving?

This pandemic, while difficult and challenging, can offer some great opportunities to train other parts of ourselves. Don’t let it pass you by or use it to reinforce negative isolationism. Fan the flame. Please, pray with me.

Closing prayer:  Dear Lord, what an opportunity! I now have more time than before to lean on you and others. I don’t want to be trite here. I am worried. I am scared. I have bills and I need human touch. But I know in all things you are able to see me through this. Help me to feel your presence and to sense the touch of your Holy Spirit. Help me to do more than to survive this. Help me to thrive. In your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.

Dealing with Unbelief

Prayer: Lord, thank you. It is a good thing to be able to remember your mercies that are new every morning. It is good to be able to see a blue sky with the sun shining. It is even a good thing to hear and to feel the brisk wind. Thank you. Inspire me with the beauty of your world the word I hear today. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 9:14-23 (NIV) *In the interest of space, I ask you to click the link and read the verse before you read the message. Thanks.

Message: These verses have been used in devotions and sermons to discuss everything from mental health, to demon possession. I want to focus on just the last three verses. The father asks Jesus to help in this way, “If you do anything, take pity on us and help us.” I am fascinated by the fact that Jesus answers the father in this way. “If you can?” I have read the scripture many times and heard about a hundred sermons on it. Never have I heard Jesus using you referring to the father of the sick boy. I have always heard in my mind Jesus saying, “I am able to help.” The Greek word translated you in both places is dyne. This word is used throughout the bible to identify ability and power. Here it is combined with you.

            While some might conclude that the father’s belief alone should have been able to heal his son. We all know what it feels like when a loved one is sick. You wish everything, that it could be you instead. I have heard parents told me how much harder they cried than their babies when the babies received their first shots. I am certain this father, wished his son could be healed. Being cut off from his community because having a sick son most likely meant the entire family might be prohibited from worshipping and from being in the worshipping community, there was no one who was going to be able to help them out, physically or spiritually.

            The news that Jesus and his disciples were in the neighborhood must have been not only the answer to his prayers but also provided great fear. He had no doubt tried many home remedies to cure his son. If this didn’t work…what were they going to do? The disciples had tried and failed to cure his son. The source of the argument was if it was impossible for his son to be cured. Like any parent, grandparent, or surrogate, he had to try even if it meant he was going to take his son home in the same state he had been in for years….he had to try. Jesus turns the ability to help his son back on the father. Since the man had tried other cures, what was left? Jesus answers, “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Let us again turn to the Greek to “flesh out” the word translated belief. Pisteuó can be translated to believe or to entrust. I often forget that an act of believing in something can be the same as being able to trust or to entrust. The father was self-aware. He recognized that even though he believed, at the same time, he didn’t believe. His belief that his son could be restored to health was confronted with his experiences of all of the attempts and failures. This father honestly admits, “I do believe” but asks “help me overcome my unbelief!” Maybe it is the father's honesty that caused Jesus to have compassion for them. I don’t think so. I think it was just the nature of Jesus' character to answer need. This response has nothing to do with whether the father had enough ability, could believe, or could trust enough. I came to this conclusion because Jesus heals the boy in verses 25-27. Every time Jesus encountered someone with imperfect faith, he responds with healing with presence, with his own faith. He responds to those with imperfect faith in the same ways he responds to those who he describes as having great faith. It is not about our ability to trust or to not trust that gets Jesus attention and presence.

The message I want you to receive today my friends, is this. God knows we don’t have perfect belief. God knows we can’t always trust perfectly or entrust our deepest concerns to him, perfectly. That does not prevent God from answering, from being concerned, from showing compassion, or from showing up! Please pray with me.

Closing Prayer: Lord with this father we ask, “Help our unbelief.” For your answers of which we are sure, we thank you. Amen.

Have a great day! Pastor Yolanda

Hope that Does Not Disappoint

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you today that we have made it through another day. It has not been easy, but we are grateful to be here on March 19^th with another opportunity to pray, to praise, to worship, to help someone, and to be in your presence. Remind us today of the things that are going right, the things of which there is cause for joy, or at least not despair. In your strong name, we pray, Amen.

Scripture: Romans 5:2b-5

We exult in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only this but let us also exult while we are in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; ⁵ and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Message:

            Paul encourages us from the book of Romans to practice exulting in the hope we have in the glory of God. He is not asking us to call the tribulations good, therefore worthy of being exulted in, (honored, glorified, boasted about); but that the glory of God of which and in which we have hope is worthy of praise, honor, glory, and exultation. Likewise, we exult in what can be the outcomes of going through tribulation, namely, building up perseverance, proven character, and more…hope.

            As a young Christian, I believed that I should look for tribulation, chase tribulation even, as a way to get to the outcomes of perseverance, character, and hope. This, I have learned, is wrong. God doesn’t ask us to seek out crisis. Crisis is a built-in part of living in a broken world. This is why Jesus says, “In this world, you will have trials also called tribulations or trouble” (John 16:33). No, it is because trouble is built into the lives we live that we must use them as opportunities to practice perseverance, leading to character, leading to increased hope.

The kind of hope that is bolstered by the fact that it has gone through the test of tribulation is the type of hope that cannot disappoint. Hope doesn’t disappoint because the hope is centered in the one who doesn’t disappoint not in our expectations of the way life should be, or in our human sense of justice.

            We have all seen and felt the effects of trouble. We know what it’s like to feel the weight of tribulations on us like a weighty cross. We can choose to bear the full weight of these crosses, or we can choose to let Jesus carry some of the weight, allowing us to move through the tribulation to those attributes that make us better able to bear some of the weight the next time.

Our ability to “weather” storms is not just necessary for our personal health. It is not necessary for itself, just to be able to build up an ability to go through trials and tribulations in ways that build us up. The ability to weather storms is necessary for our children, grandchildren, nieces/nephews, spouses, and the communities beyond our families.

            Children, in particular, learn how to deal with crises by watching us deal with crises. As an example, I remember clearly the ways my mother and father weathered being treated poorly as Black people trying to get ahead in Gary, Indiana. At first, there was anger melded with hurt, but then at some point… I remember at some point…their backs straightening, their chins jutting forward, and the decision to carry on being obvious in their demeanor. I also remember their words of dismissal of those ways of treating them and the re-affirmation of their own innate value. This behavior, process, and outcomes have stuck with me. While this practice might not cover how to handle every trial, the practice has stuck with me and I now offer it to you.

a)         Recognize that you need to and should process the feelings that     

            trouble causes.

b)         Feel what you are feeling when you are feeling it. Rant, rave, kick something

inanimate. Shout, cry, scream.

c)         Contact your support group and be honest. Ask for support. *If you don’t have a support group, this might be a signal to you that you need to invite people to be supportive of you.

d)         Move on to asking is there anything that is beautiful and true (Philippians 4:8)

e)         Remind yourself of who you are and whose you are.

f)         Exult in the hope that you have in Christ. Hope builds hope.

Of course, there are no pat answers or pat techniques. You will have to think about what the kinds of healthy activities make you feel comforted and the language that makes you feel supported. Sometimes being aware of this, is a helpful first step in itself. Lastly, contact your pastors, we want to be in all ways possible a part of your support circle. As we close this devotion, please join me in prayer.

  

Closing Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we place our hope in you. We ask for your help. It is easy in the midst of trials to become so bogged down in the trial that we don’t look for or are unable to see anything that might be beautiful and true. Open our eyes that we may see hope even in the midst of hopelessness. Open our hearts that we might feel love when we feel unloved. Open our ears that we might hear your still small voice, saying “I am here.” We ask all these things in confidence knowing that you hear us and you are quick to answer. Amen.

Have a blessed day!

Pastor Yolanda

Selah

Opening Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you for the many ways you are with us. We see the cloudy day, and we are mindful of you as Creator. The cold air we feel reminds us of the One who set seasons in place. As our bodies take in air, we think of you present in us. You created us to be able to do these things and more. Strengthen us not to take them for granted. Amen.

Scripture: Psalm 103:1-2 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits.”

Devotion: The United Methodist Church (UMC) has chosen A Season of Selahs for its 2020 Lenten theme. Its website offers that the word Selah, used in the Psalms and Habakkuk, has an unclear English translation. It appears the word Selah functions as a pause and suggests an “exhaling or resting from routine activities.” While the UMC focuses the term on choosing and walking in bright paths, I want to choose Selah’s function of signaling and requiring pause.
I honestly often think of pauses as negative space. I want to be doing something, saying something, or going somewhere, sometimes, all at the same time. I learned my chosen lifestyle of working multiple jobs from parents who often always took extra shifts, worked overtime, or had multiple jobs. I remember my dad and I talking on the phone once, and he said to me, “You are always tired. When are you going to start working just one job?” I replied, “Dad, just as soon as you do, call me up, and I will quit a couple of jobs.” We laughed, and he admitted that I had come into that heritage honestly.
This season of telecommuting has given many of us more time than we have ever had at home. Some will probably choose to work more than they usually do at their offices because work is in your home, and you have opportunities to work consistently throughout the day, the evening, and the night. I want to encourage
you not to do that; to find ways to set a workday, to close your computer, laptop, or tablet, and to practice Selah, pause, exhale.
Practicing Selah doesn’t have to happen at home or the end of a workday. We are healthier when we find ways to pause throughout the day and evening. A former blessing was that commercials used to force most people to get up out of their chairs and to go into another room. I say “used to” because I know of many you who use that time to surf to another channel that doesn’t have a commercial. That is becoming a little more difficult, now that ad campaigns seem to be scheduling their commercials on multiple channels at the same time. The practice of getting up and moving around the room or into other parts of your home is still available.
No matter what your circumstance, I invite you to experience this time as a time to practice Selah. Teach yourself to breathe deeply, to exhale, to pause. Take clues from yoga, Eastern Meditation traditions, Bahai, and mindfulness.
• Breathe deeply
• Focus on the gemul the word translated as benefits, compensation, recompense, of dealings. How has being in a relationship with God benefitted you?
• Exhale
These moments that you take to cognitively focus your heart, mind, spirit, and body on the goodness of God may be just the Selah you need to be able to get back to the task at hand, to stir your creative juices, to re-center you in the rock that is Jesus. Write on a piece of paper if you can a list of benefits you have access to as God’s child. Write down the compensation you have access to as God’s child. Use these to focus your thoughts. Continue to add to this list throughout the day and evening. Please share what you came up with as you comment on this blog. *Hint: If you need help starting your list, read the rest of Psalm 103. Breathe, focus, exhale...Selah.

Closing Prayer: Lord, we have accultured ourselves to be active. It is not going to be easy to slow down and to enjoy Selah. We need your help. Thank you that you are with us, that you provide your rod and staff to comfort us (Ps. 23:4). Selah. Amen.

Peace

In an effort to mitigate the effects of enforced social distancing, Brunswick UMC is providing daily devotionals for use individually or with your family. Please feel free to share.

Opening Prayer:

Lord, we come to you in the midst of our fears and in some cases in the midst of enforced isolation. We take joy in knowing that we are never truly alone. We pray that you would through your spirit enliven our hearts and help us to feel assured of your promises. We pray all these things in the great and powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7 ESV

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Devotion:

This sounds like “pie in the sky” thinking. How in the world are we supposed to not be anxious? Isn’t anxiety, our “flight and fight” responses built into our DNA? Yes and no. What is called our acute stress responses are triggered by events that are terrifying, and this can be mental or physical. It is a normal response which in turn triggers the mobilization of physical and mental resources. Frequent activation of these responses is dangerous. It is because of these dangers outlined in WebMD that our ability to manage stress becomes important. 
Let's turn to our Philippians verse. One of the meanings of the Greek word chairos, translated as Rejoice is to “be conscious of God’s of/for God’s grace. This is a good starting place for lowering stress and combating the flight or fight response. In order to be conscious of God’s grace, I have to put my attention on God’s grace. I have to re-direct my focus from the stressor to the grace of God. At the end of verse 5, we are reminded, “The Lord is at hand.” Imagine what it might feel like to think of God as near, ready, able, and willing…at hand. I confess thinking of that makes me breathe a little deeper, settles the worries scattered about my mind.

The admonition in verse 6, “do not be anxious” is more like don’t give anxiety a foothold. Don’t engage and embody anxiety. Since you all know I don’t like “just say no” situations, you will not be surprised to see that instead of letting anxiety bleed into your soul and trying to stop the bleeding by saying "No," I am going to like Paul advocate that you in prayer, give those very anxious things that are consuming your heart and mind over to stronger shoulders than yours. With earnest deep prayers, confidently let God know the depths of your fears, your concerns, your worries. Drop them into the well that is God’s grace. When you do this, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It’s ok if you keep picking them back up as long as you keep giving them back. The more you practice giving them to God and leaving them there, the more practiced you will become at giving them to God and leaving them with God. What are you afraid of? What are you feeling anxious about? Try to give them to God, and try to breathe in God's peace that is not based on what is going on, but is based in who God is.

Closing prayer: God, I struggle. I want peace, but I am quite frankly used to being stressed out. Help me. Show me how to trust you with those things that are freaking me out right now. Help me to feel peace. Help me to be comfortable with the feeling of peace. Amen.

Pastor Yolanda

ywilliams@brunswicklife.org