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

One of the greatest compliments a person can give is to say, “l need you!” The words melt our hearts and impel us to want to help. We all need to feel needed. A crucial part of friendship is to be able to admit our inadequacies and say to others, “l need you!” We can be sure that if we can’t say that to others, they will probably never say it to us. 

Actually, confession of our needs is an expression of healthy self-esteem. We value ourselves enough to believe that we are worthy of another’s care. Those who cannot express their needs usually end up unable to help others. Sadly, a man I knew committed suicide; he did not share his needs. What a loss! We were created for fellowship with God. There will be restlessness, an emptiness within us, until we rest in Him and allow Him to fill the God-shaped vacuum. 

Let us pray: Loving God, without you, we are truly scared stiff of making mistakes, of being ridiculed or rejected or missing out in our always fumbling uncertainties. So today we pray that your Spirit will hover over us to enable us to separate the light from the darkness. Encourage us to keep getting up and going on no matter how many times we have tripped up and fallen down crying. So move in among us that we may grow in your Spirit and live with passion in this amazing life. How wonderful are your ways, O Lord, how marvelous are your gifts of grace. Straighten the backbone of our beliefs and deepen our commitments to your way so that the roots of faith will reach the center of our hearts. God, we need you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus was talking to a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He said to Nicodemus, no one can see the kingdom of God, without being born anew.

Nicodemus doesn’t quite get it. He replies, “How can anyone be born after having grown old?”  

Nicodemus would have made a good literalist!

But it is not a bad question. Sometimes it is hard to imagine rebirth after we have grown old. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine rebirth after we become settled in our ways. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine rebirth during those dead moments in our lives. But so often those are exactly the times when the Spirit wants to do something new in us.

When I was in Atlanta I sometimes would help serve breakfast to the homeless at the Open Door Church. After serving breakfast we would then sit down to eat together. One day I happen to sit across from another volunteer who was a little older, newly retired, maybe in his early 70s. As I sat down, I noticed tears running down his cheek. He said he had been serving grits that morning, and near the end of the line, a homeless man grabbed his hand, looked him in the eyes, and said very sincerely, “Thank you.” This really touched him. Reflecting on this he said, “I can’t believe I waited 70-something years to start giving back. And another guy sitting at the table said, “Yeah, but what a blessing not to have missed it altogether.”

I remember a friend in seminary telling me that it was in the midst of a painful divorce in her early 50’s that she first started hearing God calling her into the ministry. She told me it was almost as if God was saying to her, I know you think this is an end – but there’s a whole new chapter ahead….

I don’t know what you might be going through in your life, but I pray you would come to expect that the same Spirit who blew life into the dry bones of Israel, the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, the same Spirit who blew life into the early church on the first Pentecost, that same Spirit can and will birth something new, even in you, even in me.  

Let us pray: Holy Spirit, Author, and Renewer of Life, like a mighty wind, blow anew into our lives, into our families, into our churches, and into our world. Bring healing, mercy, grace, and new life. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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

Have you ever noticed how every profession creates its own code words? For example, in a hospital when the words “code blue” are announced, all medical personnel are thrown quickly into action. Musicians have code words like “a cappella,” “pianissimo,” or “crescendo.” And those in computers use words like software, hardware, network, and user-friendly.

Code words are especially important in the world of faith. To those who don’t know the language, it sounds like gibberish. But to those who know and understand the code words, they are a source of joy, hope, life, affirmation, and inspiration.

The word “incarnation” is a code word that literally means “in human flesh.” “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” says the writer of John’s Gospel (1:14). It means that God wrapped flesh around his Spirit and came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is our window to God. God sent Jesus into the world and said, “Here it is. This is what life is supposed to be. This is what I want you to be like. Here it is, wrapped up in a person.” Incarnation is an important code word of faith. Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, regardless of your age, Jesus will transform your life.

Let us pray: Loving God, you follow us to the ends of the earth. You walk with us through the valleys of pain, sadness, and disappointment. You stand by us when all others desert us and you fill our loneliness with your Spirit. You leave your footprint on the scarlet sunset. You surround us with your love. Give us the heart of Jesus as we make this day a masterpiece. Thank you, God. We love you. Amen.  

We often read about how Jesus challenged the religious authorities of his day. He challenged the tradition. But it is interesting. Jesus never gave up on his tradition. He never gave up on ritual worship or rote prayer. As hard as he came down on the religion of his day – he never left it. He challenged it from within. He sought renewal from within. And while he got angry, called people on their hypocrisy, and overturned tables, he continued to show up and teach in the synagogues, and even the temple, right up until his death.  

Why do you think that is?

Kathleen Norris writes about the importance of ritual not only in the good times, times when we’re just not feeling it. She put it this way:

“The human need for routine is such that even homeless people establish it the best they can, walking the same streets, foraging in the same dumpsters, sleeping in the same spots, in an attempt to maintain basic relationships with people and places. For any of us, affluent or not, it is by means of repeating ordinary rituals and routines that we enhance the relationships that nourish and sustain us.” 

A Professor named Paul Bosch wrote an article on a recent study on marriage. It monitored the daily habits of couples in order to determine what produced good and stable marriages. One interesting finding was that simply embracing one’s spouse at the beginning and end of each day consistently made a difference in the quality of many people’s marriages. Most surprising to Bosch was that “…it didn’t seem to matter whether or not at that moment the partners were fully engaged or even sincere! Just a perfunctory peck on the cheek was enough to make a difference in the quality of the relationship.” 

Bosch comments, wisely, that this “should not surprise churchgoers. Whatever you do repeatedly has the power to shape you… even if you’re not totally engaged in every minute.”

Norris claims that’s why the monks pray at the hinges of the day. That’s why we are encouraged to pray at the hinges of the day and to worship at the hinge of the week. Because as we come back again and again, we find that we are being shaped by God’s love, mercy, grace, and direction.

As you still stand on the hinge of this new year, I pray that you would reflect on your life. Are there habits, customs, or disciplines that maybe do not give life – that you need to let go of? Are there others that you need to hold tight to? And, are there any that you need to develop or begin again?       

Gracious God, Help us to draw on the best of what has been handed down to us over the years. May we never lose sight of how foundational the ritual of worship and prayer can be. Inspire us by your Spirit that this year would be filled with blessing, meaning, and hope. Through Christ, we pray. Amen.

Yesterday, I shared with you an excerpt from the “Presbyterian Handbook.” This book has everything you’ve ever wanted to know about being Presbyterian in a short, often humorous format. Much of it applies to Christian faith across the board. There’s even a really funny section about “how to stay awake in church.” Let me share with you the top six:

Number one: Get adequate sleep. Late Saturday nights are Sunday morning’s worst enemy. Resolve to turn in earlier.

Number two: Arrive early and find the coffee pot.

Number three: Focus on your posture. Sit up straight with your feet planted firmly on the floor. Avoid slouching as this encourages sleepiness. 

Number four: Drink plenty of water, though not too much. It is easier to remain alert when you are well-hydrated… One quick bathroom break is considered permissible. Two or more are bad form.

Number five: Stay alert by flexing muscle groups in a pattern. Clench toes and feet; flex calf muscles, thighs, glutei, abdomen, hands, arms, chest, and shoulders. Repeat. Avoid shaking, rocking, or other movements that attract undue attention.

And, number six: If all else fails consider pinching yourself! Try not to cry out.

It does happen, doesn’t it? Did you know that in the book of Acts, once when Paul was preaching, a member of his congregation fell asleep and tumbled out of a second-story window? Paul goes down to heal him, then he goes right on preaching!

I hope that list brought a smile to your face. I also hope that worship in your church is vibrant and alive and that you arrive expecting to encounter the presence of the living God. I do know that when we show up fully alert and present, God is glorified and we are more likely to be fed.

Let us pray: Gracious God, Most of us have had moments when we’ve struggled to engage in worship. Sometimes our minds wander and our bodies get restless. But we trust that you know our hearts. We want to honor you. We want to show our love and gratitude. We want to hear from you, and we want to be healthy and whole. 

I pray that this week, you would prepare us to meet you in worship. May we notice your presence in the songs we sing, in the words that are spoken and unspoken, in the beauty of the sanctuary, and in the people we meet. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.