And Can It Be

Submitted by Marilyn Travis

 

 

"And Can It Be That I Should Gain?" is a Christian hymn written by Charles Wesley. This hymn is considered one of the best-loved of Wesley's six thousand hymns, written in 1738 to celebrate Wesley's conversion to Christianity. Find the lyrics below.

And can it be that I should gain
An int'rest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?

Refrain:

Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!

'Tis mystery all! Th'Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
'Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more. [Refrain]

He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race;
'Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me. [Refrain]

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee. [Refrain]

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th'eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own. [Refrain]

Amen.

I also want to share a beautiful song, “An Easter Hallelujah,” sung by Cassandra Star and her sister Callahan. God bless each of you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j3NZEdHQaI 

Thoughts on Resurrection

Submitted by Brooke Momblow

“Jesus set apart the week before His crucifixion to remind His disciples that death wouldn’t win, and His Kingdom would never end. But because they didn’t understand what was coming, they didn’t realize He was also telling them 'I love you' and 'goodbye.'

"Today, Holy Week is a reminder that God isn’t finished. Because even in those moments when our expectations crumble—hope is still coming. God is not done.”          

                        -Youversion

When Resurrection Takes Time

Ruth Haley Barton, Transforming Center

Used by Permission.

“The way of possibility is the way of going through.” John S. Dunne

It’s a good thing Easter is a season and not just a day because some resurrections take time. Like the coming of spring, some resurrections happen gradually; they are not overnight sensations. And yet somehow, we need to experience these as miracles too.

Fortunately, the Easter season (fifty days, eight Sundays, seven weeks—however you want to look at it) is longer than Lent because there are some areas of our lives where resurrection takes longer than dying. The Church calendar itself teaches us that “the implications of the resurrection—its explosive force—call for an extended period of exploration and appropriation.”* For us mere mortals, Easter cannot be done in a day.

To help celebrate the slower and yet no-less-miraculous resurrections we experience (or long to experience) in this life, we offer this poem from our beloved A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants.

Resurrection

Long, long, long ago;
Way before this winter’s snow
First fell upon these weathered fields;
I used to sit and watch and feel
And dream of how the spring would be,
When through the winter’s stormy sea
She’d raise her green and growing head,
Her warmth would resurrect the dead.

 Long before this winter’s snow
I dreamt of this day’s sunny glow
And thought somehow my pain would pass
With winter’s pain, and peace like grass
Would simply grow.  The pain’s not gone.
It’s still as cold and hard and long
As lonely pain has ever been,
It cuts so deep and fear within.

Long before this winter’s snow
I ran from pain, looked high and low
For some fast way to get around
Its hurt and cold.  I’d have found,
If I had looked at what was there,
That things don’t follow fast or fair.
That life goes on, and times do change,
And grass does grow despite life’s pains.

Long before this winter’s snow
I thought that this day’s sunny glow,
The smiling children and growing things
And flowers bright were brought by spring.
Now I know the sun does shine,
That children smile, and from the dark, cold, grime
A flower comes. It groans, yet sings,
And through its pain, its peace begins.

Mary Ann Bernard. From Rueben Job and Norman Shawchuck, eds., A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants (Nashville, TN: The Upper Room, 1983) p. 144.

*Bobby Gross, Living the Church Year (Downers Grove, IL:  InterVarsity Press, 2009) p. 95.

©Ruth Haley Barton, 2011. Not to be reproduced without permission. Ruth is the founder of the Transforming Center. As spiritual director, teacher and retreat leader, she is the author of numerous articles, books, and resources on the spiritual life. 

 https://transformingcenter.org/2011/05/when-resurrection-takes-time/

 Arise My Love:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueQCLrD-DPA 

 

On Eagle's Wings

By Cathy Ramsey

Isaiah 40:28-31

Have you never heard?
    Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
    No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
    and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
    and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint. (NLT)

This is my favorite scripture (especially Isaiah 40:31 - But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.) in the entire Bible. It brings me joy and I can see soaring with wings as eagles in my mind’s eye. It provides the most inspiring of God’s promises. I carry it in my wallet. I have a cross stitch of it on a wall in my home.

We like to go to Barr State Park in February. The bald eagles are very active this time of year; they are building nests, laying eggs, catching fish. They soar so gracefully over the lake. They are beautiful and graceful. I love watching them and they look so free and majestic. Can you imagine soaring with them? They are one of God’s many marvelous gifts to us.

For those of us that have struggled and felt lost, this invitation in Isaiah 40:31 to wait upon the Lord and soar high on the wings of eagles, brings us strength, hope, light, and love. God invites us to soar, to run, to walk in faith as we are showered in his love. It provides us with strength, resilience, energy, and freedom from earthly things.

As we near the end of Lent this year, we can sense the beginning to an end of a very difficult time for everyone on earth, this scripture is an amazing promise to followers of Jesus. We have waited “patiently” (somewhat) for the end of this horrible pandemic, we have also waited patiently for the end of Lent and the joyous rising of Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Redeemer.

From Magnificent Life Ministries:

The spirit of the Lord is our light and righteousness. It is the light that shines through us when we wait patiently and don’t give up. It is the light that illuminates our hearts and minds when we wait for God to reveal to us the divine promises. Likewise, it is the light that guides us when we are weary and discouraged, even when we mount up with wings as eagles.

Psalm 37:34 says, “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.”

Of course, the philosophy behind this call is that we must be willing to let go of what no longer serves us; things we cannot control or change, things that drain our energy and makes us feel like we have nothing left to offer. But if we allow God to operate in us with an open-minded and receptive soul, then life will begin to unfold in ways that we never dreamed possible. It’s a beautiful thing to wait on God because we will rise by waiting on the Lord.

Wonderful things happen to those who wait for God to work in them. They receive strength, renew life, never tired or weary when they run through the desert of life. They are refreshed and renewed by his presence, the burden of life becomes lighter and lighter. Where we mount on eagle’s wings, we become more confident to return to life’s duties to display our talents and gifts. Will you wait on God? I hope so. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

By David Reay (excerpted):

There are two unhelpful responses to the challenges of life. One is to surrender to defeatism, to conclude it is all too much and simply give up. The other is to assume some sort of superman pose and imagine we soar serenely above any problems that confront other mere mortals. Our text suggests another way, and it has to do with how eagles fly.

The experts on eagles tell us that these birds are able to fly in challenging conditions because they are able to tilt their wings so as to negotiate the stormy currents of air. It is not as if they just avoid the storms. Rather they adjust to them. They can actually use the buffeting winds to help them fly.

So we are not encouraged to blissfully dismiss the troubles of life, to presume that because we follow Jesus we are somehow immune from them. Or at least we can avoid the pain and grief that is part of human life. We are encouraged to tilt our wings in a way that may not sidestep the storm but will allow us to get through it.

And we do not surrender to despair. We are given God’s own strength to get through. We don’t have to manufacture our own tenacity and power. God gives us his resources. We don’t “tilt our wings” all on our own. Soaring like eagles may not mean a smooth ride, but it may mean a safe destination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7FbycDXxXk 

Hosanna to the King!

Submitted by Barb Batt

Some of you know that I have a miniature donkey named Sammy. He has participated in several events at Elizabeth Presbyterian Church in the past such as the Nativity Scene, Palm Sunday, and Vacation Bible School.  When I saw the following devotion I had to share it with you.

A Not-So-Stubborn Donkey

            – The Editors of Guideposts

Donkeys have a reputation for stubbornness, though those who keep them will often tell you that they are intelligent creatures and that if a donkey is being stubborn, it might just be for good reason. Researchers have learned that donkeys do well in cognitive tests, scoring higher than either mules or horses, and less inclined than their equine cousins to panic.

Author Isabel George tells the story of a donkey named Murphy who was a true hero in World War I. Acting as an ambulance for stretcher bearer Jack Simpson, Murphy calmly carried wounded soldiers over the rough terrain of Gallipoli, Turkey, to a field hospital, even as shells and bullets hailed down around him.

Scripture tells us of another donkey – one whose name is never mentioned – that played a brief but crucial role in an epic story. Jesus's disciples borrowed this unassuming donkey with its owner's permission, and it carried Jesus into Jerusalem, where, just a few days later, He would be crucified.

On this Palm Sunday, we remember a day that saw crowds laying down palms before Jesus, in recognition of the royalty He was, and calling Him the King who comes in the name of the Lord. May we remember Him as the humble, gentle King bringing us salvation as He rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey.

Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

            – Zechariah 9:9 (NASB).

Fear and Anxiety

By Marilyn Travis

Does the title of this devotional make you want to run and hide? Sometimes I wish I could revert back to toddler-hood and just close my eyes so nobody can see me. Alas, life is not so simple. Last week news of the mass shooting in Atlanta was sad and unsettling. Then when the mass shooting happened in Boulder this week those emotions increased in intensity and came much closer to the surface. I must say I experienced a bit of hesitation walking into Safeway yesterday.

Monday afternoon Mitch and I were following the story as it unfolded, witnessing the shock, fear and sorrow of survivors who were being interviewed. Our hearts were breaking for them, mixed with the fear of knowing there is nowhere truly safe. Yet, in the center of the turmoil, a young couple who escaped out a side door were interviewed. They spoke of their faith in Jesus. They prayed with people there at the side of King Soopers. They assured everyone that Jesus was right there with them and His love, His presence would conquer their fear and guard their hearts. That interview brought me back to reality. Jesus. He is sufficient.

I’m sure even the terrible events of the past week are nothing in comparison to what Jesus knew He must endure on the cross as a sacrifice for our sin. We know, as fully human, He experienced every emotion we experience. He must have been tempted to give in to fear and dread in the days before His crucifixion. He did not give in. He trusted the Father. He trusted Himself to God’s will. We must follow His example.

I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord.” I remember my affliction and wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Lamentations 3:22-23

This week I have often been deprived of peace. I tend to dwell on negative or frightening thoughts and let my imagination run. However, Jeremiah did not stop speaking at this point in Lamentations. He continues…

Yet this I call to mind and therefore have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:21-22

No problem or situation I fear is too great for God to handle. When I’m tempted to let fear or anxiety take hold I often pray Philippians 4:7. I have changed the words to make it personal.

(I will) not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, (I) present (my) requests to (you), God. And (Your peace), which transcends understanding, will guard (my) heart and (my) mind in Christ Jesus.

Do you know what happens? I take a deep breath, taking in the peace that can only come from the Lord. John 14:27 comes to mind.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Peace be with each of you this day. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3zbp6BU1S0 

God's Will Is That You Draw Near

By John Piper, submitted by Brooke Momblow

Let us draw near with a true heart. (Hebrews 10:22)

The command we are given in this passage is to draw near to God. The great aim of the writer of the book of Hebrews is that we get near God, that we have fellowship with him, that we not settle for a Christian life at a distance from God.

This drawing near is not a physical act. It’s not building a tower of Babel by your achievements to get to heaven. It’s not necessarily going to a church building. Or walking to an altar at the front. It is an invisible act of the heart. You can do it while standing absolutely still, or while lying in a hospital bed, or on the train as you commute to work.

This is the center of the gospel — this is what the garden of Gethsemane and Good Friday are all about — that God has done astonishing and costly things to draw us near to himself. He has sent his Son to suffer and to die so that through him we might draw near. Everything that he has done in the great plan of redemption is so that we might draw near. And that nearness is for our joy and for his glory. 

He does not need us. If we stay away, he is not impoverished. He does not need us in order to be happy in the fellowship of the Trinity. But he magnifies his mercy by giving us free access through his Son, in spite of our sin, to the one Reality that can satisfy our souls completely and forever, namely, himself. “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

This is God’s will for you, even as you read this. This is why Christ died: that you would draw near to God.

Jesus Lover of My Soul:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzAdHlwGaVI 

Togetherness

By Donna Winchell 

 

This week we are taking another step in our Lenten journey toward Holy Week and the beautiful celebration of Easter. This will be my third Easter season at EPC and I marvel at the uniqueness of each year’s preparation and celebration.

In 2019, we enjoyed worshipping together on Palm Sunday, listening to a beautiful Cantata performed by our wonderful choir and enjoying the Fellowship breakfast that followed. Then Easter morning we gathered again to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ in our lovely sanctuary decorated with flowers donated in memory of loved ones. What a marvelous start to Holy Week culminating in our Easter celebration; a time of being together and sharing in our love for God and the glory of His resurrection.

Then last year we found ourselves worshipping together in a very different way, unable to physically congregate, but celebrating nonetheless in a very gratifying way thanks to technology. We still had the experience of togetherness with song and stories and another fellowship, this time virtually.

So I sit here today trying to imagine how 2021’s celebration will look. But as Mike would say: “Wait, there is more….”

More to do before we can rejoice together in the resurrection of Jesus Christ–––Lent provides this special time for us to repent, to grieve, to love, to hope and follow Jesus on His way to the Cross. A chance to grow and to strengthen our faith, binding us together and making all things possible because of our love and devotion to Him, and our love for each other.

More time to continue to pray, to reflect and to journey together during these last two weeks–––Our journey on earth is not just personal, but expands to our community and beyond. It is about our togetherness, and the call to mutually encourage one another. As we connect and share with others, it helps us to grow into the image of Christ – who lived and died for others.

With togetherness, we can reflect on Christ’s journey to the cross at each week’s Lenten service. We can walk jointly through the depths of salvation history into the fullness of redemption by taking some time to focus on what scripture says – letting us nurture the art of praying and reflecting together as a communion in Christ. We can seek a prayer partner – a family member, a friend or a neighbor to pray and focus on God’s message with us.

More living for others, walking with love for others–––Jesus teaches us the way and I love the passage in Ephesians 5: 1-2 – Walk in Love Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ²And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Lent allows us to examine that living for others also means when we sin or hurt someone else, or they sin against us, it is important to be aware, to love, to forgive, to reconcile with the power of  healing. As Paul declared: “If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. “ (Philippians 2:1-6 MSG)

Togetherness!!  When the body of Christ responds in a unified “Amen!” there is power in those words. The one thing I truly believe is that serving our Lord and being together in mind, body and spirit is an important part of Lent and the Easter celebration of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, no matter where or how we celebrate in 2021 and beyond.

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” - Matthew 18:20 NIV.

Let’s Pray Together:

O God of mystery, in your Triune life you show us how to live as one in joy and peace. Bless our families and all relationships of care. With your Spirit, shape us into communities of respect and affection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

(Prayer cited from Koinonia: Services and Prayers - Geneva: The Lutheran World Federation, 2004).