Crown of God’s Creation
Roger Kunkel

Crown of God’s Creation

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Today’s message was written by my friend 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 the 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, 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.

Where is God?
Joe Albright

Where is God?

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There’s a story about two young boys, age 8 and 10 who were really mischievous and always into trouble. The parents were just at the end of their rope, and they heard that the local pastor was good with children. The boy’s mother asked if he’d talk to her boys, and the clergyman agreed but asked to see them one at a time. The mother sent the 8-year-old in first while she and the other son waited outside.

The preacher, it turned out, was a big burly man with a booming voice. He sat the young man down and asked him sternly, “Where is God?” The boy’s mouth dropped open, but he said nothing. Then the big man began to pace back and forth across the room. The pastor then spoke even more sternly, “WHERE is GOD?” The boy sat, frozen, scared to death. Finally, the preacher raised his voice to a fevered pitch. WHERE IS GOD?

At that, the boy screamed and ran out of the room, out of the church, and into the yard where his mother and brother were waiting. Pale and trembling, he looked at his older brother and said, “Dude, we are in big trouble. God is missing and they think we did it!

God is not missing. Sometimes it feels like it though, doesn’t it? Sometimes we get to a point where we just feel like God is distant, maybe a distant concept or idea instead of a Spirit that is alive within us. Sometimes the whole idea that God would guide us or lead us feels foreign. But maybe the question really is: are we shaping our lives in such a way that we have time to listen and to be led?

For centuries now, Christians have used the season of Lent to deepen their walk with Christ. Some of you, I imagine have developed habits of prayer and silence. For others of you, maybe the end of this season could be a perfect opportunity to begin to carve out time and make it a priority.

I don’t know how this might look for you. I have a friend who when she had small children, used to hide in her closet first thing in the morning so that she could have ten minutes – ten minutes of prayer time.

However it looks for you, I pray that you would intentionally set aside time to be fed, to pray, and to listen. And may God meet you in the quiet and holy moments.

Let us pray: Loving God, it is easy to fill every waking moment with activity. I pray that you would help us to carve out time to sit in your presence and be renewed in your love. As we are fed, give us the strength we need to feed others. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

World Day of Prayer
Joe Albright

World Day of Prayer

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Today is the International World Day of Prayer. It is celebrated on the first Friday in March by Christians around the world in more than 170 countries. Through this celebration, those who participate affirm their faith in Christ and they share their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows, their concerns and opportunities. They also pray for each other, especially those most in need around the world.

What a beautiful concept! What a positive witness to the unity we share in Christ!

Friends of Dial Hope, I invite all of you to join me in this day of prayer. Let us remember that we share a faith with as many as two billion other people on this planet, and our mutual well-being is deeply linked.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus prayed for his disciples, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one.”

Let us pray: Awesome God, we pray the words of Psalm 24, that “the earth is yours and all that is in it, the world and all those who live in it.” We praise you and give you thanks for the unity we see in those who have given this day to you as a day of celebration and prayer. We join our hearts and prayer to theirs.

We especially lift up our sisters and brothers who are suffering, those who live in war-torn or oppressive environments, others who are hungry or cold, others who are struggling to find meaning and hope. Loving God we long for the day when your peace will reign. Until that day, teach us to live as your children, one in Christ. For it is in his name we pray. Amen.

Blessed Is the One…
Joe Albright

Blessed Is the One…

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In Psalm 32 we read:

Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

The Apostle Paul quotes these very verses in the book of Romans. It is also said that Saint Augustine had these words written above his bed so that upon waking, these words would be the first thing he’d read.

Sometimes we carry our mistakes, our shortcomings, our failures with us in life. We hold them inside. And they eat us alive.

The Psalm ends with these words:

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!

We all want to be in a healthy place in life, where we can experience joy. We want to feel blessed, happy, and able to rejoice.

The Psalm continues:

When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away…

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.

Friends, that is the good news. When we open up and name our sin, our brokenness to God, God hears and forgives. The assurance of our faith is that God is merciful, loving, forgiving. There can be a new start. There can be redemption. Even now.

Let us pray: God of Grace, we confess that we are not perfect. We don’t always have it all together. There are things that we’ve said, things we’ve done. God you know. You know our hearts. We want to be cleansed. We want to be made whole. Hear again the confessions of our hearts. Even as we lay them in your hands, wash over us with your grace. Give us an overwhelming sense of your peace. Now Lord, help us start over anew today. Amen.

Ash Wednesday
Joe Albright

Ash Wednesday

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Today is Ash Wednesday. For many Christians, it is a day when we go to worship. We receive ashes on the forehead as a sign of our mortality and as a reminder of God’s grace. We remember that God created us from the dust, that God lovingly provides for us here and now, and that one day God will raise us again from the ashes.

Today also begins the 40-day journey of Lent – which leads us to the celebration of Easter Sunday. Over the years, Christians have set this time aside to develop and deepen their walk of faith. Some people fast from certain foods, technologies, or even from negative thinking. Others, actually add something – maybe an extra time of daily prayer, study, or worship.

It is my prayer that this season would be a time of renewal in your life and faith. May you join others who set this time aside to intentionally grow in their faith. And, may you re-commit to making the very most of the life God has given you – living in the healthiest, most loving way possible.

Let us pray: Be with us, Lord, as we travel these next 40 days. Grant us space and time and habits to draw closer to you. Help us to reflect on those things that keep us from truly living, and from truly experiencing your presence and grace. We remember today that life is short, it is a gift, and ultimately we depend on you. Meet us during this season as we seek to take hold of the life that is truly life. Amen.

Trust God
Joe Albright

Trust God

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In his book Sabbatical Journeys, Henri Nouwen wrote about the special relationship that trapeze artists have with one another when performing. He had some friends known as the Flying Rodleighs and they described to him what goes on between the flyer and the catcher. They told Nouwen that the flyer is the one who lets go of the trapeze, and the catcher is the one who catches. As the flyer swings high above the crowd on the trapeze, the moment comes when he must let go. As he arcs out into the air, his only job is to remain as still as possible and wait for the strong hands of the catcher to pluck him from the air.

One of the Rodleighs told Nouwen, “The flyer must never try to catch the catcher.” The flyer must wait in absolute trust. The catcher will catch him, but for the catcher to be able to do that, the flyer must let go and completely trust that he will be caught.

On telling this story, my friend Charley Landreth said, “In living and in dying we must trust the Catcher.” He went on to tell about his grandmother Celia. He said he could remember sitting on her lap as a child in her rocking chair, her arms extended around him. She would read to him, sometime from the Bible, sometime from another book. “Trust the Lord with all your heart”, she would say.

Charley continued, “It’s been almost a whole lifetime since that early instruction and I am still learning to trust the Lord. You see, I’m a slow learner.”

Aren’t we all, Charlie? Aren’t we all?

Let us pray: Loving God, in our everyday lives sometimes it is hard to trust. We want to take control. We want to hedge our bets. But eventually, we all come to a point when we realize that we have very little control. We need you. Help us today to trust that you are with us and that our lives rest in your loving hands. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Favored by God
Joe Albright

Favored by God

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I remember reading something a pastor named Ann Hallstein, wrote about her childhood. She said when she was six years old, her mother was expecting another baby. One day her grandmother came home with a book from the library listing Christian names and their meanings. Her grandmother found Ann’s name, picked her up, and sat her down in her lap. She told her that the name Ann came from the Hebrew name Hannah, which means, “God has favored me.” Ann writes, “Imagine telling a 6-year-old she is favored by God? It has never left me.”

I remember when I was in seminary we were introduced to a theologian named Karl Barth. He wrote 13 volumes of Christian Dogmatics, among many other hefty works. His writing is so thick, I could spend an hour reading a single paragraph.

Not too many years before his death, he was asked if he could summarize his theology. He responded, in all seriousness, using the words of well-loved children’s song, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” It’s beautiful to me that years of research, writing, and study could lead him to a simple but profound truth. It is in fact the basis of our faith.

My prayer today is that you would know God’s love for you in Christ in the very deepest part of your being. And may you share that love with a world desperately in need.

Let us pray: Gracious God, even in the midst of the challenges of everyday life, we thank you for your love for us. Help us to accept this love and this grace. May it flow into our lives, change our world views, animate our actions, and overflow back into the world around us. Help us to be healers and peacemakers. We ask in Christ’s name. Amen.

Arm in Arm (He Cares for You)
Roger Kunkel

Arm in Arm (He Cares for You)

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Friend of Dial Hope, do you sometimes feel like your problems are so overwhelming that you can barely keep your head above water? In the Bible, God tells you to cast “all your care upon him,” knowing he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

One of the most dramatic examples in the Bible of casting yourself upon God is Peter’s attempt to walk on water. It was liquid pavement beneath his feet. When Jesus bid Peter to come to him, Peter quickly stepped out of the boat and, with his eyes on the Lord, he began to walk. But then he looked around at the heavy seas. Terrified, he began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Immediately, Jesus was beside Peter. And, arm in arm, they walked on the water to the boat. Like Peter, if you get your eyes off your source and onto your impossible situation, you’re sunk. But, if you keep your eyes on Jesus and walk arm in arm with him, you’ll be safe…because Jesus specializes in meeting human needs. Whatever is over your head in the way of problems is already under his feet. It’s in his control! Remember: “Cast all your anxiety, your care on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Let us pray: God of love, who came into the world clothed in our garment of flesh and who willingly gave yourself to the cross, clothe us in your Spirit that persons will recognize you in us and receive your great gift of unconditional love and amazing grace. We remember today and this week the men and women serving our country in Afghanistan and Iraq. Surround them with your presence and give them Christ-confidence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Inherent Gift
Joe Albright

Inherent Gift

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Today I would like to say a special word of thanks to those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. Your gifts make this ministry possible!

George W. Mallone tells the story about a time when the youngest son in a family was asked to say the blessing over breakfast one morning. With his head bowed and his eyes tightly shut, he prayed in a clear, loud voice: “We thank Thee, God, for this beautiful day and for our food. Amen.”

Everyone at the table glared at him. The day was not beautiful. It was a miserable day, cold, damp, and dark. His father said sternly, “You must never pray insincerely like that.” An older brother muttered, “What a jerk! Trying to be smart.” And his mother asked, “What do you mean, ‘A beautiful day!”?”

As the child reached for the strawberry jam, he simply said, “You can’t judge a day by its weather.”

It’s true, isn’t it! There are a lot of things in life that we can do nothing about. We can’t change the weather. We can’t control what other people do, or what they think about us. But we can choose how we will respond, how we will move forward, and how we will live – with life as it is.

I heard a friend say one time that he tries to wake up every morning and make a conscious choice. He begins each day with this prayer: Today I am going to find and celebrate the good in this day that you have given me, Lord. It is a gift. And, I am going to find and celebrate the good in every person I meet. They are a gift!

I imagine some days it is still not easy to live this out. However, with this prayer as the foundation of each day, I have to believe he sees much beauty and experiences much grace.

Let us pray: Loving God, we thank you for the beauty of life itself; for the majesty of your creation, for people who love us and challenge us, for the gifts of music and art, and for the depths of your love expressed in the coming of Christ. Give us open eyes and hearts to receive these and all your good gifts. Help us to cherish them and to celebrate them. I entrust each person listening today to your care. Amen.

Questions Without Answers
Joe Albright

Questions Without Answers

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I like the story of the boy who came to his father and asked, “Dad, who made God?” The father, engrossed in reading the news on his phone responded, “Beats me, son.” The little boy would not be put off. “Dad, why is the earth round?” The dad answered, “I don’t know, son.” The boy played for a minute, then asked, “Dad, is there life on other planets?” The father patiently answered, “Nobody knows the answer to that.” Finally, the boy asked his father, “Dad, do you mind me asking you all these questions?” The father put down his paper, “Why, not at all, son,” he said, “How else are you going to learn?”

The story is funny. And questions are an important part of life, in order to glean knowledge and wisdom. But it is also true that part of what we have to learn is that there are questions to which there are no answers.

“Why did she get sick?”

“I’m a good person, how did this happen to me?”

“What does all this mean?”

As we journey through life we are confronted with limits to what we can know. We come face to face with deep mystery. In the face of such unanswered questions, we have a choice. We can become cynical or bitter. Or, we can have faith.

We can have faith that God is loving and merciful, forgiving, and full of grace. We can have faith that there are things that break God’s heart. We can have faith that even now God is at work to redeem and restore. This is the faith that has stood the test of time. It has been trusted and lived by millions upon millions of people, passed down from generation to generation.

Even with all our human limits, the Apostle Paul leaves us this hope, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; one day we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Let us pray: Eternal God, You are holy, and You are a mystery. And yet, You are loving and as near as our next breath. We can’t always understand why things happen the way they do. We can’t pretend to always have all the answers. Being human, we do ask for insight – but above all, we ask for your grace and peace. Give us the faith and the courage we need to face the hour – trusting that you are with us even now. Amen.