“Today’s message was written by my friend, Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.” -Joe

A great British preacher of a generation ago told the story of a young servant girl who had no formal education yet was deeply spiritual. She had a strong sense of compassion, a concern for people. When this minister visited her one day and asked how she spent her days, she said, “My work is very demanding, and I don’t get much time off, so I can’t serve the church as much as I would like. But I have come up with a plan that lets me do what I can,” “What is that?” asked the minister. She replied, “Well, I always take the daily paper to bed with me at night.” He was puzzled. “Tell me about that. I don’t understand.” “Well,” she said, “l read the page with the birth notices, and I pray for the babies that have been born; then I read the marriages, and I pray that they may be happy and true, and next I read the deaths, and I pray that God’s comfort may come to those sorrowing homes.”

That young girl was not far from the Kingdom. Why? Because she had discovered the spirit of loving compassion. Loving compassion, Jesus called it the most significant sign of discipleship. In John’s Gospel, he said it like this: “l give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35). As deftly as a magnetic needle points to the north, so the heart of Jesus immediately zeroed in on the neediest person in the crowd.

The poet put it this way:

Love in your heart isn’t put there to stay;

Love isn’t love till you give it away.

Let us pray: God of love, you who have the whole world in your hands, we claim to be one nation, under you, and that you are the One in whom we trust. We are aware that you have called us to love you and one another, and we pray that you will remind us anew that love, to be love, must be expressed in action. Give us hearts of loving compassion. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

One morning after a fun lesson on how God is all-powerful, a Sunday school teacher asked her students, “Now children, is there anything God can’t do?”

There was silence. Finally, one boy held up his hand. The teacher, disappointed that the lesson’s point had been missed, asked: “Just what is it that God can’t do?” “Well,” replied the boy: “God can’t please everybody.”

So true. And neither can you. Some people spend an extraordinary amount of time worrying about what other people think. They allow their decisions to be heavily influenced by what they think others want from them or expect of them.

In his ministry Jesus was extraordinarily loving and compassionate. But, he did not try to please people. He was true to his faith and to his calling, and some people responded with love and others with anger.

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul said, “Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

When it comes to the important decisions in life, I pray that God would set us free from our need to please people and empower us to be guided more by our faith and our own hearts.

Let us pray: Loving God, we want to be kind and compassionate. But, we remember today that even in our best moments we will not and cannot make everyone around us happy; for not even you can please everyone, you who are almighty and all powerful. Help us to worry less about what others think and instead live deeply out of a place of hope and faith. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“Today’s message was written by my friend, Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.” -Joe

“In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). Everything – understanding, friendship, communication with other people and with God – it all begins with a word. We do not live by bread alone. We live by words. And yet the truth is, sometimes our words do get us into trouble. Many of us are prone to that common malady called, “foot-in-mouth disease”.

The Prayer of the Realist begins with the words, “Lord, you know that I am growing older.” It goes on to plead with God to grant deliverance… from talking too much, from stating strong opinions on every subject, from the recitation of endless detail, from complaining constantly about recurring aches and pains, from thinking that we are always right, from nosiness and bossiness and self-righteousness. The prayer then expresses the tongue in cheek notion that it is such a shame to not use all this incredible store of wisdom and experience the author has accumulated over the years. The prayer concluded with this sentence, “But you know, O Lord, that when the end comes, I do want to have a few friends left. Amen.”

The point is clear. Sometimes we say the wrong things. Sometimes our words hurt other people. But, thankfully, there is another side to that coin; words can help and heal. Words can soothe and restore and redeem. If you and I were to make a list of the most beautiful words in the world, there would be at the top of the list: you are loved, you are forgiven, and you are needed. Don’t ever forget these powerful, healing words.

Let us pray: O God of the wilderness, we stumble, mumble and bumble like victims of a desert sandstorm. We lose sight of your steadfast love in the cold winds of doubt. We fail to trust your love and try to control our lives. We disregard the needs of others as we seek to meet our own. Forgive our mistakes and set us again on the road that leads through death into the newness of life. For we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In the Hebrew scriptures, our Old Testament, animal sacrifices were a huge part of worship and faith. The priests of that day were responsible for making the sacrifice, then cleaning them and cooking them. As a pastor, I am so thankful we don’t do that anymore!

But there is something about this ancient ritual that is still relevant. The sacrifice of an animal from the herd or flock was costly for the ancient Israelites. Meat was a rare luxury in that world, so the offering was genuinely sacrificial.

Whenever I read about these offerings in scripture, I think about the sacrificial nature of a life of faith. There is no doubt that when we give generously of ourselves when we sacrifice for the sake of others when we commit wholeheartedly to a particular ministry, our faith matures and deepens.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “I appeal to you brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship…”

Let us pray: Loving God, we give you our hearts, we give you our hands. We give you our feet and our minds and even our words. Lead us where you will. Use the gifts we offer to serve your people and to glorify you. We ask that you would continue to heal us and redeem us and move us along the path to new and abundant life. Amen.

Christian author and educator, Lawrence O. Richards makes an interesting connection between sponge diving, which is a major business in his area of the country, and the spiritual life. Divers are attached to an oxygen line in a boat, then they dive deep into the water to search for sponges. The only thing that keeps the diver alive is his or her connection to the boat above them. “In the same way,” he writes, “…our life is being sustained by power from above. No matter how difficult life may seem ‘down here’ on earth, we are connected to the Source, and that connection keeps us going.”

I hope you find ways to stay connected to that Source of Life. For many people prayer is the sustaining connection. For others, it is found in solitude or meditation. For others still, it is time spent in creation or in worship. Today, I invite you to reflect on your own spiritual life. Where do you find strength, renewal, and hope? May you make those practices a priority.

Let us pray: Loving and Gracious God, thank you for sustaining us with your power from above. We thank you for times and places and disciplines that give our lives meaning and hope. Fill us again with your Spirit this day – that your courage, strength, and peace would be ours – and ours to share. Amen.