Dr. Earl Pierce used to tell the story about a man from the city who moved out to a farm and bought a cow. Shortly thereafter, the cow went dry. When the man shared this unfortunate event with a neighbor farmer, the farmer expressed surprise. “I’m astonished as well,” said the newcomer. “I can’t understand it, for if ever a person was considerate of an animal, I was of that cow. If I didn’t need any milk, I didn’t milk her. If I only needed a quart, I only took a quart.” “I see,” said the farmer. “That’s the problem! The only way to keep the milk flowing from your cow is not to take as little as possible from the cow, but to take as much as possible.”

Pierce made the point that this is also true of the Christian life. Those who only turn to God during a time of need miss a much deeper flow of grace and peace.

The God we worship is a God of abundance. In the book of Revelation, we receive this invitation:

“The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.”

It is my hope that you would turn to God not only in a time of need but often. Make a habit of carving out time for quiet and prayer. If we wait until the storms of life hit, we’ve really missed the opportunity to lay the groundwork. There is no instant gratification in the spiritual life. Relationships and faith take time to develop. And so I pray that you would sit often in God’s presence. Develop the muscles of faith. Live into the rhythms of life in the Spirit. And, may you drink deep from the fountain of life!

Our prayer today is based on Psalm 42. Let us pray: As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for the living God. I hope in you and I shall again praise you – for you are my help and my God. Amen.

Today’s message was written by my friend Roger Kunkel, Founder of Dial Hope.

In Jules Verne’s novel, The Mysterious Island, he writes of five men who escaped a Civil War prison camp by hijacking a hot air balloon. As they rise into the air, they realize the wind is carrying them over the ocean. As the hours pass and the surface of the ocean draws closer, the men decide they must cast some of the weight overboard because they have no way to heat the air in the balloon. Shoes, overcoats, and weapons are reluctantly discarded, and the uncomfortable aviators feel their balloon rise. But as they find themselves dangerously close to the waves again, they cast their food overboard and then cut away the basket beneath them, forcing them to sit on the ropes that held the basket. With less weight, the balloon rises again. And not a minute too soon, they spot land. The five jump into the water and swim to the island.

They are alive because they were able to discern the difference between what was really needed and what was not. The “necessities” they thought they couldn’t live without were the very weights that almost cost them their lives.

Friend of Dial Hope, do you have some things that might be slowing you down? What would your life be like without them? If you eliminated them, would you have more time for the things in your life that really matter? The Bible instructs us: “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely….” (Hebrews 12:1).

Let us pray: Caring God, how much we need the assurance of your presence and help. We are tired and discouraged. We feel weighed down by the burdens of life. So inscribe in our hearts the words of your prophet: God gives power to the faint, and strength to the powerless. Even the young will faint and be weary, and the youth will fall exhausted, but those who wait for God shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31). Mindful of this promise, we can now welcome this day and make it a masterpiece. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I remember hearing a pastor offer a children’s sermon one morning. He brought in the rule book from a board game. And he said that the Bible is like this, a kind of rule book. The analogy didn’t sit well with me. It felt like a reduction.

The scriptures were written by people telling us that their faith makes a difference – that the God they worship makes a difference. They remind us that God is not just up there somewhere, distant from reality, but that God is here. And even amid all the violence and mess, God has a plan and a purpose. When we read scripture, we are reminded that our stories are rooted in a bigger story – a story of creation and re-creation, hope, and salvation.

I do hope in your life that you take the time to read the Bible. I want it to be more than just a book for you that sits on a shelf, or in a church pew. I want you to open it, read it, soak it in so that you can experience it in a way that enlightens, that guides and that brings hope to the heart.

When you read, try to find a quiet place to begin. You might center with a few deep breaths while trying to become aware of Christ’s presence in you and around you. Then turn to the passage like a letter in hand, and begin to read slowly, pausing between phrases and sentences.

The question is this: Holy Spirit, what are you trying to say to me through this word?
What in my life right now needs to hear this word? Allow this reading to lead to prayer.

What resonates? Let that word or phrase stay with you. Turn it over and over in your mind. What challenges you? Don’t write it off. Let the challenge sit with you. As you do, may you come to see that the Bible to be not a rulebook, but a gift and a guide. And, may you find that what the Psalmist says is true:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

– Psalm 119:105

Let us pray: Gracious God, we want to hear from you. We long for your guidance. We long for healing and wholeness. We long for a deeper sense of your presence and peace. We long for you… We ask you to meet us in your Word through the gift of your Spirit. Amen.

There is a story about a father walking along the beach with his son. The boy asked his dad about the sermon they heard last Sunday morning The boy said, “Dad, I can’t understand how Jesus can live in us and we live in him at the same time.” As they continued down the beach, the dad noticed an empty bottle with a cork in it. He took the bottle, filled it about halfway with water, re-corked it, and threw it out into the ocean.

As they sat on the beach and watched the bottle bob up and down, the Father said, “Son, the sea is in the bottle, and the bottle is in the sea. It is a picture of life in Christ. Christ is all around you, holding you even now. At the same time, he also lives in you.”

That is a beautiful image, isn’t it?

Today, may you become aware of God’s presence all around you, sustaining you and all that lives. And, may you notice God’s presence dwelling within you, gently encouraging you, leading you, loving you.

Our prayer today comes from the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship. Let us pray:

We praise you, we worship you, we adore you. You hold the heavens in your hand, all the stars rejoice in your glory. You come in the sunrise and the song of morn and bless the splendor of the noonday. The stars in their courses magnify you. Day and night tell of your glory. Your peace blows over the earth and your breath fills all space. Your voice comes in the thunder of the storm and the song of the wind whispers of your majesty. You satisfy all things living with your abundance and our hearts bow at your presence. Accept us, your children, Eternal Father, and bless us with your love. Amen.

I recently read about a study that found that children who regularly eat dinner with their families were much less likely to get addicted to drugs or drop out of school. They were in fact, much more likely to do well in life, and stay out of serious trouble. That’s interesting, isn’t it?

There is something about actually stopping for a few moments to sit down and share food and conversation that is good for the soul. This is true for children and adults. The table brings our lives together, even if only for a short time. If we are not distracted by technology, it gives us an opportunity to talk, reflect on the day, and build relationships.

In Jewish homes in Jesus’s day, and even in some homes today, the dinner table was seen as a type of alter. Time spent around it with family and friends was time spent in the presence of God – sacred time. Holy. May it be for you as well.

Let us pray: Loving God, We thank you for friends and family and for food to enjoy. We are grateful for the love that is evident in the providence of the food itself and for the love that flows through the preparing, serving, and even cleaning. We especially thank you for the gift of a meal shared, for laughter and conversation, shared tears and triumphs. Help us to cherish these moments, to invite others in, and to share with those most in need. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen