Ephesians 1:17-19 

I pray that the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and
revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart
enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are
the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the
immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working
of his great power.

Reflection by Jim Kennedy

Ephesians 1: 15-16

I have heard of your faith in the
Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not
cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.

Reflection by Joyanna Wyne

The book of Ephesians is commonly attributed to Paul, who helped found the church in
Ephesus.  Heartened by news of the growth
of the church there, he expresses his thanks that the faithful are spreading
the good news of Christ.  Reading this
passage over and over, I tried to discern its essential truth.  Recognize the faithful?  Honor the saints among us?  Pray without ceasing?  All are worthwhile endeavors, but something
seemed to be missing.  Finally it came to
me — I need to pray for the church!!!      

 I began to think about the churches that have
informed my faith and the changes they have undergone.  I grew up in the segregated south.  The Congregational Christian Church on Roanoke Avenue in Newport News, Virginia, was a big part of my childhood, but
after we moved to Ohio in the late 1950’s, the church building was sold to an
African American congregation, and a new sanctuary was built farther north on
Todds Lane in Hampton.  Fast forward half
a century.  When the Roanoke Ave. church
recently hit a rough patch, the Todds Lane church took them in until they were
able to get back on their feet.  I pray
for my church.    

Many years and several churches later, I joined Pilgrimage.  Over twenty-some years, I have seen this
church face many challenges and changes. 
Yet it has always nurtured and strengthened my faith.  It has given me the opportunity to develop
and share my talents.  It has supported
me through trials and triumphs.  I pray
for my church, and I hope you will too.

Prayer: 

Gracious God, I give thanks for the United
Church of Christ and all of the churches that have helped me grow in my faith.  Be with them as they seek to welcome all into
the fellowship of Christ, using their gifts for the common good.  Amen.               

Psalm 47:1 

¹Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs
of joy. 

Reflection by Diane Ingram 

When we moved to Tennessee in 1994 I found a small
congregation where every-body participated. 
The singing was thin and terrible. 
As someone who cannot sing well herself, I had some appreciation for
those brave souls who were willing to try, regardless of skill. 

They were also honest people. One Sunday, a woman stood up
to say how much she appreciated Greg, who would stand at the front of the
church and sing with a group even though he did not feel comfortable doing
it.  She said:  I particularly appreciate Greg, who is not a
singer, but who sings loud enough that we can hear him, anyway. 

The truth is that Greg was most obviously not a singer, to
put it kindly, but the woman praising him made me see things in a new
light.  Maybe he was, as she said, the
best at praise, the best at getting past his inhibitions and doing what he was
asked to do. 

She gave me something to ponder, but it hasn’t changed my behavior
much.  Shouting to God with loud songs of
joy, off key and knowing it, is something I have never managed to do.  It’s easier to stand on the third row from
the back and sing softly to myself, lip syncing once we’re past G above middle C. 

I’m not the only one, either.  There are other timid souls out there.  I wonder what it would be like if all people in the sanctuary could clap our hands and sing loud songs of joy.  We have many reasons to do that. 

Maybe if we clapped loud enough . . . 

Prayer:

 God of all people, help us to be able to sing
loud songs of joy even when our musical voice betrays us. Help us to remember
all that we have to be thankful for and to lift up our voices in gratitude and
joy.

Acts 1:6-11

6 So when they had come
together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the
kingdom to Israel?’ ⁷He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the
times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the ends of the earth.’ ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching,
he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven,
suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, ‘Men of
Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been
taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into
heaven.’

Reflection by Lynne Buell

Jesus has finished with his teachings and guidance on earth. 
But, before He ascends into heaven, Jesus’ last piece of advice refers
to judgment day for which he is vague in answer to their questions about the
future, and he reminds the disciples that “it is not for them to know the times
or periods.”  He also promises them that
they will be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, and they will be
witnesses for Him throughout their world. 

In the last sentence
of this scripture, the angel tells the disciples that Jesus will return the
same way they saw him ascend into heaven.  
I am uncomfortable with the apocalypse. 
The first thing that comes to mind is death and destruction.  But as I ponder all that I have learned these
past (almost three) years, I realize that I have benefited from the various
discussions (Bible study, the So What? Sunday School Class, and especially from
Kim’s sermons) during which I have learned that we all have various translations
for many of the writings in the Bible; each valuable toward enriching our faith
beliefs.  Beneath the surface, I am at
ease with the fact that I am a true believer in God and Jesus Christ.  Yes, I have experienced a few unbelievable incidents;
not as astounding as observing Christ’s ascension into heaven, however.  Nevertheless, I feel the love of Christ every
day, I pay attention to the signs that are put on my path and as a result, I am
content in both my personal and faith lifestyles.  That doesn’t take away the apprehension I
have about the day of reckoning, but after writing this devotion, I feel like I
have plenty to rejoice about today.

Prayer:

Most Holy One, you quench my thirst for learning about you
through the writings of prophets and Jesus’ teachings.  Continue to guide me so that I will continue
to benefit from your word.  Amen.

John 15:15-17

I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is
doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you
everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me but I chose
you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that
the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these
commands so that you may love one another. 

Picture by Mariah Durkee

Reflection by Janet Derby and the
Sunday School Children: Jamie
Derby, Morgan Jones, Emma Roberts, Olivia Roth, Gavin Roth

 This past week in Sunday school, our children listened to and reflected on this
passage. They heard Jesus’ words and were reminded of the Ten Commandments
given to Moses. They talked about the difference between a servant and a
friend. They felt that friends are not forced to do what is asked of them as
servants are. Friends are trusted and choose to be nice to each other and love
each other as God loves us. How do the children think we show love? By hugging
and kissing people, by helping them if they are hurt or they fall, by cheering
them up if they are lonely or sad.

Today is Christian Education Sunday at Pilgrimage, the day we celebrate the
traditional end of our Sunday school year. It is my privilege to be with our
children each week and watch how they do more than give lip service to this
passage. They care for each other. They express concern about who is missing;
they recognize each child’s gifts; they do cheer each other up when they are
sad; they welcome newcomers with open arms. This year in particular, it was a
joy to see them learn from one another. Our structure this year was to have the
older children read and discuss the story and then teach it to the younger
group. It was awe-inspiring to see how they considered the best way to explain
the passage to the younger children, and then excitedly go get them and retell
the story. You needn’t be with them in Sunday school to see this manifestation
of God’s love. You can watch Isaac make faces at little Matthew, or Hannah look
for Emma when she comes into the sanctuary, or Mariah caring for Jamie when he
comes to church. They love, because they have learned that they are loved. We
can learn from them to do the same. 

Prayer: 

Loving God, we thank you for all those who teach us your commands and show us your love.
May all children be surrounded by love and acceptance and learn to share your
love and light with others. Amen.

Acts 1:1-5

1 In my former book,
Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach ² until
the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy
Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³ After his suffering, he
presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He
appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of
God. ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave
them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father
promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John
baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.”

Reflection by Don Tawney

There must have been a
variety of versions of the story of the source of life at the time of the
original writing of Acts.  Most who heard
the stories were content to let them go, to pay no mind to the differing
accounts because they had no real interest in Jesus. 

We know of one man, however,
who was interested in the real story—a seeker.    A fortunate man was he, this Theophilus, to
have lived so close to the time of Jesus and to have had such a careful
gatherer and interpreter of information as Luke to provide him with the truth.

Is proximity to the
historical Jesus the key to a stronger faith? 
Jesus told Thomas that we who believe even though we have not seen are
blessed.  Could it be that the power to
believe in the source of life is just as accessible to us today as it was for
Theophilus or for those who actually witnessed Jesus in the flesh?  Although the efficacy of actually witnessing
the Son of God in the flesh no doubt strengthens 100-fold the faith of those
who already yearn to believe in Him, Jesus knew, as did Isaiah before him, that
seeing did not always mean believing. 
(See John 12:37-50.)

How would a loving God set this
process up?  Would he make it harder for
us who live almost 20 centuries later to believe in the source of life?  Or would a loving God be willing and have the
power to help our unbelief?

Luke 11:9

“So I say to you:  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you
will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

The only way to test the
relevancy of these words for those living now is to ask, to seek, and to
knock.  Do these things.  Be a present-day Theophilus.  Then wait, expectantly.

Prayer:

Loving God, Help our
unbelief.  Remind us to seek you.  Give us faith that we will find you.

John 15:12-14 

MAY 11, 2012

John 15:12

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

REFLECTION by Gabriela Mills

My college experience was probably like many others in that I was there primarily for the social aspect of school.  I enjoyed my classes, but didn’t put meaningful effort into them until finals came.  Then, during finals week, I would “binge study.”  This was my form of “cramming.” 

When reading this short verse I can’t help but think that Jesus is trying to help his disciples do a little “cram studying” before final exams.  Jesus synthesizes all of his efforts, travels, sermons, one-on-one sessions with his disciples into one simple command, “. . . love one another as I have loved you.”  I wonder if we yet understand what it means to love one another as Christ did.  How did Christ love?  What was the example he set?  What was it that he was trying to convey to everyone?

The beauty and magnitude of Christ’s life was that he loved voluntarily.  He loved voluntarily.  Christ didn’t give his love because it was mandated, nor was it required of him to earn his way into heaven.   He voluntarily gave it to all those around him.

Are we ready to love voluntarily?  Loving each other is easy when the people we are interacting with are nice to us, but could we love voluntarily those who oppose us?  In Jesus’ case, he chose to love even those who were responsible for killing him.  That is a radical love.  I must admit, that is a love that I still don’t quite understand, but for which I am enormously thankful.  Praise be to God!

Prayer:

Holy, holy, holy God, you alone are worthy of praise.  Thank you for the pure, voluntary love you bestow upon your entire creation.  May we practice loving each other the way you loved us, and may we remain faithful to this practice until we embody your love.

Amen

John 15:9-11

⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

Reflection by Angel Geurin-Bailey 

Love = Joy.  That is what I read in this scripture and it’s true, right?  Doesn’t love always equal joy?  Any parent who has had to discipline their child, and person who has been through a divorce, anyone who has ever loved someone so much that it hurt knows this is not always true.  BUT generally speaking, what if we were consistently abiding in the love of God?  How would we feel if we took a moment each and every day to think about how much God loves us?  What if we were continually finding joy in the little things?  What if we gave ourselves the opportunity to stop for just a minute and watch as life happens around us?  What if we were looking at the world around us and making continuous and conscious efforts to love others as Christ loves us?  What if we really concentrated on loving others without judgment and selfishness?  I think our joy may be complete.  

Prayer: 

Dear God,

Thank you for loving us so completely.  Thank you for giving us so many opportunities for joy!  Continue to help us seek and find the opportunities to love our world, each other and ourselves so that our joy may be complete.  Amen.