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!

It is interesting to me that the word Adam in Hebrew means man or humanity, and the word Adama means dust or earth. In the book of Genesis, we read that God took Adam from the dust of the earth and breathed into him the Spirit of life. Adam comes from Adama.

In other words, we are made from the same raw material as the rest of the earth; the same elements of all creation. Yes, God gives us life through his Spirit, but, there is a connection to the earth at the very depths of who we are.

Some of you may feel that connection when you are out digging in your garden when you feel the earth in your hands. Others of you may sense it when you are out in the woods, or in the mountains or on the beach.

We live in an age when we are often disconnected from the earth. Our homes, offices, and cars are climate-controlled. We have endless options to keep us entertained and busy without ever going outdoors. But when that happens, we often also lose our sense of wonder and awe of being a part of something so much bigger.

This week, make some time to get outside and enjoy the sunlight, the rain, the snow, the songs of the birds, and the beauty of the winter. Turn off the phone and just marvel at God’s creation – of which you are an integral part.

Our prayer today comes from the Hymn, How Great Thou Art. Let us pray: O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. When through the woods, and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees. When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur and see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze. Then sings my soul, My Savior God, to Thee, How great Thou art, How great Thou art! Amen.

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

I saw a cartoon not long ago that caught my attention. A woman is standing in front of a desk at the Missing Persons Bureau. A police officer is sitting at the desk, pencil in hand, taking down the information the woman has obviously come in to give him. This conversation takes place:

“My husband is a missing person.”
“How long has your husband been missing?”
“Oh, about twenty years.”
“Twenty years? Why are you just now reporting it?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just got lonely.”

Unfortunately, most people do not have to wait twenty years to feel the pain of loneliness. Loneliness is, without question, one of the great problems of our time. Some people call it Public Enemy Number One. It’s really quite ironic, when you stop to think about it, because the fact is that you and I come into social contact with more people in one year than our great-grandparents did in a whole lifetime. And yet, people today are lonelier than ever before…. and the pain is excruciating. There is the loneliness of separation from those we love, loneliness of feeling unneeded, loneliness of responsibility, and spiritual loneliness that comes into our hearts when we drift away from God! 

Drugs (including over-consumption of alcohol), self-pity, running away, and suicide are negative and destructive responses that should be avoided like the plague. But, there are at least two constructive ways to deal with loneliness. First, get involved in a church where you will be accepted, valued, welcomed, loved, supported, and encouraged. Second, remember that you are never really alone. God is always with us. That is the good news of our faith, isn’t it? “There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still” (Psalm 40).

Friend of Dial Hope, when we feel the pain and stress of loneliness, we need to remember that we are not alone – God is with us! Don’t ever forget… God loves you! God loves you! God loves you!

Let us pray: Loving God of china-blue skies and dazzling sunrises, touch our hearts and make them whole. Fill them with such boundless hope that our minds will burst with gratitude, our mouths will shout with joy, our hands will clap and our feet will dance! We believe, O God, help our unbelief! Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today we celebrate the life and ministry of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  One of my favorite quotes is his bold claim that, “Life’s most urgent and persistent question is, what are you doing for others?”

Dr. King gave his life for others. He lived what he taught. And because of his life, our nation came a long way in terms of healing a deep racial divide. 

Indeed racism has diminished, but there is no doubt that it is still present. Healing must still take place. As Christians, we follow the One who said, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Galatia, gives us a God’s eye perspective. He writes, “In Christ, there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, but all are one in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

Today, let us honor the witness and the sacrifice of Dr. King by loving one another.  

Let us pray: When we consider the billions and billions of people you created – each and every one of us different – it’s awe-inspiring! You must delight in different shades of skin, hair textures, eye colors, shapes, sizes, and languages – for there is an abundance. We remember today that although we may look different and speak differently, we all love and dream. We all have fears and hopes. And, we share a common Creator – You who made us all. 

Today we remember your servant Martin Luther King, Jr. who reminded us that your family stretches across the globe. We pray today also for all those who continue to sacrifice for the well-being of others… Pour out your redeeming Spirit on them, and on us, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the book of 1 Kings we read about the prophet Elijah. At one point, he is running from King Ahab and just worn out. He’s been going and going, and God says to him, Elijah, go up on the mountain – because I’m going to meet you there. And so Elijah goes up on the mountain, and the scripture says there was this great earthquake – shook the mountain – but God was not in the earthquake. Then there was this tremendous wind, but God was not in the wind, then there was a fire – and God was not in the fire. But following the fire, God came in the sound of sheer silence.

When was the last time you heard the sound of sheer silence, or anything close?

Which raises the question, when do you make room in your life to listen for God? Because it is easy for any of us to get to the point where God feels really distant, where we feel spiritually dry, where all of a sudden we’ve got all these problems or worries and we just wonder, “Where is God in all this?”

In the Gospels, Jesus sets a healthy pattern. He works hard. He meets a lot of need. He touches a lot of people. But often we find he withdrawals from the crowds, finds space and time alone to listen and to pray.

I suspect that most of us want to hear God’s voice. We want to have God’s healing and guidance at the center of our lives. But how often do we truly pause and listen?

In the Gospel of Mark, after Jesus sends the disciples out on pretty serious mission, when they come back together for the first time, Jesus says to them, “Come away to a deserted place by yourselves and rest a while.”

Let’s pray: Loving God so often we find ourselves racing through life and our souls are just starved. We find that we can go and go and go – but yet we miss so much of life that way. Forgive us for not slowing down to smell the flowers more often. Forgive us when we work as though the whole world depended on us and not on you. Help us to stop and breath and notice your presence.

We want to know you, God. We want to live out of a deep experience of your grace and love. And so we ask you to help us create time and space in our lives to listen for your still small voice. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

Over the past couple of days, we’ve reflected on Psalm 104. Again, what I love about this Psalm is that it is overflowing with unrestrained praise and celebration.

Of course, when we turn on the news or scroll through the headlines, they are full of violence, heartbreak, and tragedy. It often does feel like things are falling apart. But this is not the whole story, is it?

I know I’ve shared this with you before. At Thanksgiving, our family has adopted a new prayer. It’s a prayer with our eyes wide open. 

As we gather around the table before the Thanksgiving dinner we pause just a moment to look around at the faces of those who gathered with us. And we remember all the shared memories. Some of the faces may be new friends, and some may be people we’ve known for decades –  people with whom we’ve we’ve shared a lot of life – a lot of laughter and tears, a lot of joy and disappointments over the years. We’ve carried a lot for each other. And we give thanks to God for that gift – for the gift that they are. 

And as we look around at the circle of gathered friends and family we remember what a gift it is to have this time together – for none of us know how many more Thanksgivings we have together. We don’t know when we will see each other again – or even if. We give thanks to God for the gift of that moment itself.  

Then we give thanks to God for the food before us, for God’s providence, and for the privilege that we each have to share from our abundance, and to reflect a little light and hope back into this world.

We recognize all these gifts and give thanks to God. 

It does us well to notice like the Psalmist the blessings in our lives and the world around us. Just that simple noticing and naming can shift our perspectives. I know for me – it can work against my sense of entitlement. It works against my natural tendency to feel as though the world is coming apart at the seams.

We do well to remember that each moment, each breath is a gift. 

The Psalmist ends with a type of doxology: “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.” May we never fail to notice the good and beauty we see in the world around us. And may we give thanks and praise. 

Let us pray: Open our eyes, O God, to the beauty and good in the world around us, even here, even now. Amen.