The speed limit sign was unique. Never have I seen its twin.  Amused at first by the unrealistic suggestion it posed, further reflection brought me to appreciate the wonderful wisdom it proclaimed.

That sign was located along the driveway to a local nursing home.  While it looked like any other speed limit sign, the recommended speed is what distinguished it from all the rest.  Drivers were cautioned to proceed at 2 miles per hour.  That’s right- 2 miles per hour. Obviously, the implication of that unusual warning was –  SLOW DOWN!

In a world where speed reigns, being busy is applauded, instant communication is a must and a hectic pace seems to be the norm, could it be that the unique speed sign at a senior care facility offers a meaningful message for all?  SLOW DOWN!

When we do slow down and take our time, it’s amazing what we just might see.  Much of what is always around us may come into sharper focus.

My prayer is that all of us would SLOW DOWN and take the time to experience and soak up:

–  the beauty of God’s remarkable creation
–  the privilege of waking up to a new day
–  the joys of meaningful relationships with family and friends
–  the blessing of rest and relaxation
–  the innocence of children
–  the wisdom of seniors
–  the wonder of forgiveness
–  the thrill of serving
–  the satisfaction of being present to someone in need
–  the power of God’s love
–  the possibilities in a pandemic

SLOW DOWN, friends of Dial Hope, and enjoy each new day.

Let us pray:  Sometimes life seems like a race, Lord, a rat race.  Like it or not, we may feel as if we are stuck in the fast lane, doing our best to keep up with the demands, the expectations, the challenges that never seem to end.  Help us to slow down so we might see the wonders that surround us and grant us that peace that only you can give.  In the name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

The Templeton Foundation recently funded a major nationwide study on people’s attitudes toward forgiveness. It was co‑sponsored by the University of Michigan and the National Institute for Mental Health. The study was fascinating! It found that 75% of Americans are “very confident” that they have been forgiven by God for their past offenses. 75%!

However, only about half of the people surveyed claimed that they had forgiven or would forgive others who had hurt them. It is interesting that while we are sure that God has been entirely gracious to us, we have a hard time being gracious and merciful to others.

No doubt it is hard to forgive people who have hurt us. And yet, it is so important.

In that same study researchers also found that there is a significant link between forgiveness and better health. The more prone a person is to grant forgiveness, the less likely he or she will suffer from any stress‑related illnesses. In addition to our physical health, forgiveness is directly tied to our spiritual health.

In his letter to the Colossians, the Apostle Paul admonished: Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Let us pray: Merciful God, We have heard the Good News that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven. While sometimes we accept this forgiveness, other times we do not. Sometimes we can forgive others, but sometimes we hold fast to old grudges, hurts, and fears. Sometimes we feel unable to forgive – even ourselves.

Have mercy on us, O God. Help us today to let go… Help us to accept that we are accepted, and to forgive as we are forgiven; that new beginnings may be ours through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today’s message was written by Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

One of the greatest truths of the Bible is … We – you and I – are made in the image of God. Talk about a miracle! God made cats and dogs, hummingbirds, red cardinals, squirrels, elephants, giraffes, pelicans, dolphins, and the duck-billed platypus. God made the trees, the flowers, and skies. God made all of it and said, “That’s good!  Now, that’s good!” And to cap it all off, God said, “Now, for the masterpiece: I am going to create something like myself!” And God made you! You see, it is a sin for us to say, “Well, I’m only human.” If you want to see one of God’s miracles, don’t gather pine cones, don’t look at the Milky Way, don’t capture a squirrel, and don’t find a picture of a trout stream, just look at the person next to you. There is God’s miracle! There is the crown of God’s creation!

Let us pray: Creator God, we marvel at your small wonders and your overarching grandeur. We crouch down to examine a centipede and we stand on a mountaintop to try to take in the Milky Way. We listen to the tiny cry of a newborn kitten and we cringe in the face of the roar of the thunderstorm. We are small indeed in the scheme of the universe, but we are grateful that you have made us in your image. When we are weary, give us energy. When we are sad, give us comfort. For all those who are suffering loss, who wonder what will happen next, we pray that you will walk before them and enable us to be companions along the way. Now “raise us up on eagle’s wings, bear us on the breath of dawn, make us to shine like the sun, and hold us in the palm of your hand.” (On Eagles Wings, based on Psalm 91). We ask this in Jesus’ name, the friend of all. Amen.

One of my pastor friends has a pretty powerful call story. There was a time late in his college life when he struggled profoundly with the meaninglessness of life. It got to the point that he began to despair life itself. He was not a Christian at this time.

Then one Sunday morning, somehow, someway, God led him to get out of bed and drag himself into a church. But what is significant, is that when God touched his heart again, it was not at a point in the service where he felt like he was being fed – but where he felt like he was being challenged. It happened during the singing of an old African American Spiritual – the choir and the congregation were all singing – I’m gonna live so God can use me – anywhere Lord, anytime… I’m gonna live so God can use me…

It was not that God was just saying, Ok son, I’m going to heal you. I’m going to make you whole. I’m going to provide for you or protect you. No. No. There was far more. God spoke to his heart and said,  I’m calling you to give your life away – to pour out your life for others… And in that very act of pouring out, you are going to find deep meaning and hope.

It’s a little bit counter-intuitive, isn’t it? But my friend will tell you that he has found, as many others have, that it is true. In giving we receive.

Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when he said, “For those who want to save their life, will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, will find it..” (Matthew 16:25)

Let us pray: God of Hope, meet us again this day at the deepest point of our need. Fill us with your Spirit and empower us to pour our lives out for others in need. And as we do, may we find your healing grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s message was written by Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

The musical “Godspell” has many wonderful scenes. One of my favorites is a scene toward the end when Jesus is with his disciples in the Upper Room. He takes a bucket of water, a rag, and a mirror, and he goes to his disciples, each in turn, and washes away their painted clown faces. Then he holds the mirror up in front of them, so they can see themselves as they really are. And then, he hugs them!

The point is clear and powerful: We don’t have to wear false faces, we don’t have to pretend. God loves and accepts us, just as we are!

Friend of Dial Hope, this is the Christian faith in three words: WE ARE ACCEPTED. God loves us. God loves us and accepts us. Now, here’s the other side of that coin: God wants us to accept that love and pass it on to other people. He wants us to live in that same kind of grace-filled loving spirit. He wants us to imitate his generosity in our dealings with others. He wants us to extend to other people the same kind of “amazing grace” that he has extended to us. That’s the measuring stick of Christian love – to be as generous and kind and forgiving toward others. In this eighth month of the year, don’t stop… don’t stagnate. There is more to life than you have found thus far. It is so important to stay alive as long as you live. With God’s help, you can do it!

Let us pray: Loving God, thank you for this wonderful journey we call life. Help us remember that you are with us every step of the journey. We thank you for ages past and ages still to come, for the wisdom of scripture, the means of grace, the bonds of faith, the hope that springs from the eternal and fills our hearts. We pray in faith and with thanksgiving, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.