Welcome to In This Season! Our series of devotions appears Monday, Wednesday and Thursday of each week.
TODAY: APRIL 18, 2024
Today’s Devotion was Written by Jill Cowan
That same day two of [the disciples] were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was. Luke 24:13-16
Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!
We heard these words on Easter. Remember that cold, blustery day? The sanctuary was beautiful, the music glorious, the preaching inspiring, and yet I felt very removed from it all. We continue to speak this proclamation throughout the Easter season, but the joy just isn’t there for me this year.
We live with constant reminders that there is something seriously wrong in this world —countless wars and conflicts, food and job insecurity, escalating crime, mistreatment of our planet, severe divides in our nation, growing mental health issues, broken relationships — the list goes on. In this season of Easter, our world is still hurting, and that Easter joy eludes me. I’m guessing that I’m not alone.
A couple of podcasters, Kate Bowler and Kate Mroz, have helped me with some clarity.
Kate Bowler reminded me of a concept I’ve heard before. She thinks about joy as “something we live into … precisely because of what we live with.”
And Kate Mroz reminded me of a fundamental truth — “The promise of the resurrection holds true … even when the suffering of this world makes us doubt. Jesus is already and always in our midst, but sometimes, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, our situation prevents us from seeing him and knowing he is there.”
So, if you’re feeling this too, it’s ok. Kate Mroz continues, “Easter is not so much an event on the calendar as it is an experience. Jesus’ disciples do not all see him at the same time, nor did they see him right away. They had their own personal encounters that convinced them that they were in the presence of their beloved Teacher.”
We live in the now and the “not yet” and “in the meantime,” often struggling and hopefully finding some joy too.
Instead of our Easter proclamation, I’d like to offer up the proclamation from our communion liturgy that we don’t often say. We not only proclaim the risen Lord, but we’re also reminded that for those of us who haven’t felt that Easter joy, we’ll always get another chance.
Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.
Alleluia!
APRIL 17, 2024
Today’s Devotion was Written by Pastor Dave Olson
A long-distance swimmer set out one morning to swim the 30 miles between Catalina Island and Long Beach, California. She had already successfully swum the English Channel between Great Britain and France numerous times and several other long-distance swims as well. She set out that morning from Long Beach confident of her ability to reach Catalina. As it often happens, there was a heavy fog that had rolled in over Catalina and the beach areas, a fog that typically burns off and clears well before mid-morning. But this day, as the swimmer made her way towards the island coast, the fog did not lift. The ocean began to get a little choppier as the morning progressed, but the swimmer continued on. She swam steadily and strongly, relying on her support boat to keep her pointed in the right direction. Hour after hour, she swam. And then, suddenly, to the surprise of her crew on the support boat, she lifted her arm and signaled for them to pick her up. She was done, she couldn’t finish, and they pulled her up out of the water. Was it a cramp? No. Was it the choppy water? No. Was she exhausted? No. It was the fog. Swimming hour after hour without being able to see her progress or her goal simply sapped her will to continue swimming. She stopped, she would later discover, a few hundred yards from shore.
What is it that can keep us going when we cannot see the shore? When our days pass and it seems as if we’re just treading water, going nowhere in life? How is it that we find both direction and encouragement to continue on when the fog of uncertainty and doubt settles in?
I am convinced that more things go undone, more hopes go unrealized, more relationships fall apart, and more faith goes by the wayside because of fog and not fatigue. When we are unable to see the way before us or are unclear about the path in front of us, we grow disheartened and disoriented. Anxious and fearful. Weary and lost. We aren’t even sure how to handle good news anymore, not sure if we dare risk being hopeful and happy.
Consider today how it can be that Jesus Christ could help us through the fatigue and fog that affect us all. Consider that He stands with us today offering a new life that cuts through that fog and fatigue with a vision of hope and courage. Pray that your faith might bring clarity and encouragement for the path and work ahead.
APRIL 15, 2024
Today’s Devotion was Written by Intern Pastor Matthew White
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them and be their God;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.” — Revelation 21:3-4
“Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.” – “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” Sarah Flower Adams
Today, April 15, marks the 112th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic in 1912. The sinking of Titanic is one of the most well-known sinking disasters in world history, in no small part due to the work of scientist Robert Ballard. Ballard, along with French scientist Jean-Louis Michel, discovered the wreck of Titanic on the ocean floor of the North Atlantic in 1985. After the discovery, Ballard led efforts to study the wreck and memorialize those who died during the sinking. Ballard’s use of remote-controlled submersibles to maneuver through the decaying ship provided the first complete photographic record of the wreck since Titanic’s sinking. Ballard’s work also inspired James Cameron to film his famous historical drama, Titanic (1997), which retells the events of the sinking from the perspective of a pair of star-crossed lovers. For me, Titanic’s rediscovery by Ballard became the focus of my first real fascination with history and science. Much of Ballard’s work began to make its way into educational books, films, and exhibits while I was in elementary school, and something about the haunting, rust-covered wreck and its tragic story captivated me. I confess that I was excited for the Titanic movie, not for either of the heartthrob main cast members (Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, both looking younger than I remember) but for the recreation in stunning detail of the ship itself.
There are many (more and less apocryphal) legends connecting Titanic to Christian faith and life. Catholic priest Thomas Byles and Baptist minister John Harper, both of whom died in the sinking, have been held up by their respective church communities as heroes of the faith. The legend of the ship’s orchestra playing “Nearer, My God, To Thee” as the last lifeboats were lowered is a haunting tribute to the comfort faith can bring amid catastrophic disaster. Some less-than-generous writers and devotional bloggers have tried to spin the Titanic story into a morality play on the sin of pride, or the folly of placing our trust in worldly things. For me, however, these attempts to quickly tidy up Titanic for palatable consumption by Christians eager for a moral lesson seem empty in the face of the shocking disaster itself. 1,514 souls, a full 68% of those onboard, were lost in the icy North Atlantic as RMS Titanic ended her maiden voyage in tragedy. In honor of their memory, I will not here attempt to tie a neat Scriptural ribbon around their deaths.
As a pastor, however, I do find one passage of Scripture comforting and hopeful when considering the magnitude of a loss like Titanic. In the final chapters of the book of Revelation, the Apostle John describes a vision of the full arrival of the New Jerusalem, God’s rule and reign fully revealed in time and space at the final moment of history. God’s voice declares that, in this great and final Day, God will wipe away every tear, and death will be no more. There will be no need to mourn or cry, because even pain will be only a memory when God is finally all in all. At the end of our history, the final word will be hope, even for those whose lives ended in tragedy. This Hope does not erase tragedy, suffering, or death, but rather fully redeems and restores their victims.
God of Eternal Hope, as we remember those lost in the sinking of Titanic, give us gentle hearts for those who are suffering and dying in tragedies today. Help us share your peace, love, and hope with all people we meet, and give us the compassion and mercy to help when and where we can. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
APRIL 11, 2024
Today’s Devotion was Written by Jeremy Haug
Embracing the Journey of Progress
In a world that often idolizes the flawless, it is easy to become overcome by the pursuit of perfection. Yet, the mindset “Progress, over Perfection” invites us to shift and adjust our focus. It is a call to value growth and improvement over the unattainable ideal of perfection.
Scripture: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 3:18a (NIV)
Consider the flowers of the field or the mighty oak tree. They do not spring up perfect and fully formed; rather, they grow gradually, weathering storms and changing seasons. Similarly, our lives are a tapestry of experiences, woven together not in a single moment of perfection, but over time, through experiences, perseverance — surrounded in faith.
Today, identify an area of your life where you have been striving for perfection. Take a moment to acknowledge the progress you have made, no matter how small, and celebrate it.
“Progress, over Perfection” isn’t about lowering standards, but rather, recognizing that the path to excellence is paved with lessons learned, not just outcomes achieved. Let us embrace each other to journey forward with humility and hope, embracing each step as part of our divine journey. May we accept diverse experiences, and perspectives, and share the beauty of progress with others.
Let us pray, Heavenly Father, guide us to cherish the steps we take each day on our journey with You. Help us to see the beauty in progress and to learn from the paths we experience. May we extend grace to ourselves and others, knowing that in Your eyes, our growth is more precious than perfection. Amen.
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