Pieces of the Puzzle

God! My God! It’s you— I search for you! My whole being thirsts for you! My body desires you in a dry and tired land, no water anywhere. Yes, I’ve seen you in the sanctuary; I’ve seen your power and glory. My lips praise you because your faithful love is better than life itself! So I will bless you as long as I’m alive; I will lift up my hands in your name. I’m fully satisfied— as with a rich dinner. My mouth speaks praise with joy on my lips— whenever I ponder you on my bed, whenever I meditate on you in the middle of the night— because you’ve been a help to me and I shout for joy in the protection of your wings. My whole being clings to you; your strong hand upholds me. ~Psalm 63:1-8 (CEB)

“Nothing is real without deriving its reality from God. This was the great discovery of St. Francis when he suddenly saw the whole world in God’s hands and wondered why God didn’t drop it. St Augustine, St. Teresa of Avila, St John Vianney, and all the saints are saints precisely because for them the order of being was turned around and they say, felt, and- above all- knew with their hearts that outside God nothing is, nothing breathes, nothing moves, and nothing lives.

This makes me aware that the basis of all ministries rests not in the moral life but in the mystical life. The issue is not to live as well as we can, but to let out life be one that finds its source in the Divine life. ~From Gracias! By Henri J.M. Nouwen

It is a good reminder to not get caught up in trying to live as well as I can. Then my focus is on what I am doing. So quickly it seems sometimes that I go from wanting to do something because I feel led by God- to putting all my energy into what I am doing and I forget where my energy should be in the first place. On God. Any time my focus is on what I am doing, even if what I am doing is ultimately for him, I find myself back in the try-hard life forgetting that Jesus said that “his load” was easy.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus into the world to show me that our burdens should not be heavy. The key is simply to keep my focus on You. Amen.

Why spend money for what isn’t food, and your earnings for what doesn’t satisfy? ~Isaiah 55:2 (CEB)

“Seeking God first is not just good advice; it is the only way to joyful and faithful life in companionship with the One who made us and loves us without limit.

When I saw my first airplane as a child, I knew at once that I wanted to fly. I became a farmer, student, pastor, husband father and still wanted to fly. Throwing caution and common sense to the wind, I joined a flying club and soon was ready for my first solo flight. I will never forget the thrill of breaking the bonds of gravity. When the aircraft broke free from the ground and slowly climbed, I was bursting with the joy of realizing a dream I had nurtured for a lifetime.

Flying still holds a thrill for me, although I have not had the controls of an aircraft for over thirty-five years. When flying club members asked why I quit flying, I responded then, ‘I would rather fly than eat, but my children would rather eat.’ It is costly to fly! Several decades later, I realize something else was going on: a growing love and desire for God and a growing awareness of stewardship. I still look up when a light place of flight passes overhead and for a moment feel the sensations of flight, but then I rejoice in the companionship of the One with whom we can all break bonds holding us down and rise to heights greater than we imagine. ~From A Guide to Prayer for All Who seek God by Rueben P. Job

Heavenly Father, help me to seek You in all things. Help me to seek You first. Amen

We hear so much about Mandy-Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday… but what about Holy Saturday?

United Methodist Worship: Holy Saturday: The Great Silence.