|
2023 Good News In The Night Sky 12 22 23 - Steve & Kathy 2020 Betwixt And Between 6 8 20 - Steve 2019 Danger Zone 4 18 19 - Kathy The "True" Story 12 21 19 - Steve & Kathy |
Reason For The Season?
12
4 18 - Kathy Simple Trust 12 11 17 - Kathy Do Not Be Afraid 12 17 16 - Kathy
Tradition
12 9 14 &
1 14 21 - Steve & Kathy |
|
Friday, December 22, 2023 Good News In The Night Sky by Steve and Kathy |
|
Scripture: Luke 2:8-14 (NIV) – “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. 'I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’” Message: The sunset was magnificent. Orange and yellow molten lava in the sky. The dive boat had left the marina at Islamorada, in the Florida Keys. Our friends, the Nadlers, were geared up for a night dive. We were along for the ride. As we sailed further and further from shore, the sky grew darker and darker. With no city lights within miles, it became profoundly dark. That’s when we noticed the stars. Living in the suburbs, we’re used to seeing only a few of the brightest stars at night. On the ocean at night, the sky was alight with stars! Millions of stars. Too many to ever count. As we gazed up at the sky with a sense of awe, I thought about the lowly shepherds, who, more than 2,000 years ago, looked up into the night sky. Did the shepherds realize they were the first to hear the Good News? Did they understand the Messiah had come for them? For all of us? Did their sense of awe become a feeling of hope? Prayer: Dear Lord, when we look into the night sky, may we remember the shepherds and the Good News they, the most lowly, were the first to receive. Amen. Steve and Kathy Peck |
|
Monday, June 8, 2020 - "The Connection" Series Betwixt And Between by Steve |
|
Scripture: Romans 12:2 (MEV) – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Message: We moved to Florida because I lost my job. In restructuring its marketing division, the company eliminated my position in Knoxville, TN. For 16 years, Knoxville was home, and we loved it. We belonged to a friendly church, had wonderful friends - it was a good place to raise our daughter, but my job had been eliminated and I had no idea what would happen next. I had entered a “liminal space.” “Liminal space is where we are betwixt and between, having left one stage of life but not yet entered the next,” writes Father Richard Rohr, Franciscan priest and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation. My old life had ended. I had not chosen it to end, but things would never be the same. I didn’t know what was to come next. “When we find ourselves in liminal space, does it matter whether we are pushed or whether we jump? Either way, we are not where or what we were before, nor do we know how or where we will land in our new reality,” writes Sheryl Fullerton. I sought many people’s advice, including Reverend John Stuart, our pastor and friend. He suggested I find a quiet place, with no interruptions, and listen. Just be quiet and listen. Father Rohr would call that contemplation. “…What if we can choose to experience this liminal space and time… as… a place and state of creativity, of construction and deconstruction, choice and transformation (?). I wonder whether it is, then, also the realm of the Holy Spirit, our comforter, who… invites us to lay down our fears and discomfort to see what else is there…,” Fullerton writes. After an hour or so of quiet contemplation, calm overcame me. It became clear that I should pursue an opportunity with my company to transfer to Orlando, Florida. That was 20 years ago. And as much as we still love Knoxville, our home is here now. Prayer: Lord, I give thanks for liminal space, the time betwixt and between. May we accept this as a time of creativity and transformation. A time when, in our quiet contemplation, we may hear Your voice. Amen. Steve Peck |
|
Maundy Thursday, April 18, 2019 by Kathy |
|
Scripture: Mark 14:37-38 (MSG) - "He came back and found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, 'Simon, you went to sleep on me? Can't you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert, be in prayer, so you don't enter the DANGER ZONE without even knowing it. Don't be naďve. Part of you is eager, ready for anything in God; but another part is as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.'" Message: How often, when we are tired, do we say: "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." How often, when in prayer, are our thoughts distracted by sounds, or circumstances, or trivial concerns? How often do we find ourselves apologizing for our abbreviated prayer life? We carry all that "baggage", instead of dropping it at our Father's feet. And yet, He still draws us closer, just as He did the disciples in their "humanness." God continues to want to be a part of our lives. Christ told His disciples to watch and pray so that they wouldn't fall into temptation and Christ asks of us the same, and yet, we also fail Him often, and we whisper: "The spirit is willing but the body is weak." Help us, Oh Lord, grant us the strength of body and spirit to offer You the living sacrifice of our lives. Prayer: Father, forgive us for our weakness. We pray that You will grant us the strength of body and spirit, so that we will not be like the old dog sleeping by the fire, but instead, become Your children inspired by the fire of the Holy Spirit and carrying Your Word to all those that we encounter. Amen! Kathy Peck |
|
Saturday, December 21, 2019 The "True" Story by Steve and Kathy |
|
Scriptures: Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV) - "But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'" (See also Luke 1:26-38 (NIV)) John 8:12 (NIV) – “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” Message: The story of Jesus' birth differs in Matthew's and Luke's telling. Matthew starts with the genealogy; Luke starts with John the Baptist. Matthew mentions the wise men, Luke mentions the shepherds. Matthew does not mention a manger, Luke mentions a manger. What is the "true" story? Matthew mentions Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus; whereas Luke mentions Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist and Joseph the earthly father of Jesus. In Matthew's narrative, Zechariah and Joseph were visited by angels; in Luke's narrative, only Zechariah was visited by an angel. The angels provided assurance that seemingly unbelievable occurrences in their lives were actually divine expressions of God's love. Both men struggled to believe and understand these extraordinary happenings from their limited, human perspective. We have those same "simple" minds of Zechariah and Joseph with limited perspective. We find it impossible to use human logic to process the miracle of the conception and birth of Jesus. But like Zechariah and Joseph, we can come to have faith and believe in our hearts that God's plan is one we can trust. The details of the story are not important. The "revealed truth" of the stories is that Jesus, Son of God, is born to become the "Light of the World," and that Light continues to shine in the world today. Prayer: Gracious Lord, let our faith in the birth, life and death of Jesus not rely on a "story," but rather on our heart and our spirit's relationship with the living God. May we always be open to centering on the Light and on ways that we may share this Light with others. Amen. Steve and Kathy Peck |
|
Tuesday, December 4, 2018 Reason for the Season? by Kathy |
|
Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-4 (MSG) - "But now, God's message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: 'Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end - because I am God, your personal God, the Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! :That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.'" Message: Each year for about the last forty years, I say, "This year, I'm gonna keep this season special. I'm gonna keep it all about the real meaning of the season: the preparation and celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Yeah - that's what I'm gonna do." Every year for forty years, I have begun the season with this purpose, and somewhere in the midst of my honorable plan, I have failed big-time. I have allowed my thinking to become heavily involved with what I will buy for family members and friends. I have allowed my spirit to become heavily laden with thoughts of grief for loved ones who have passed, for events on our family calendar, for money spent on gifts no one will really use or appreciate. I have allowed myself to become distracted and discouraged at a time when my spirit and relationship with God should be expanding and filled with joy in the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. I am accountable to my Lord to make this the year that I do keep the “Reason for the Season” at the forefront of my life. If you are like me, please join me in my prayer. Prayer: Lord, help me to keep my heart and spirit present in this season as I recommit to its real purpose and true joy. Help me every day- not just in this season of Advent - to work at my relationship with You. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Kathy Peck |
|
Monday, December 11, 2017 Simple Trust by Kathy |
|
Scriptures: Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG) - "Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track." Luke 1:38 (MSG) – “And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her.” Message: Mary, mother of Jesus, must have had this passage on her heart from her first interaction with the angel. Can you even imagine her initial human reaction of confusion, anxiety, disbelief—that she alone was selected to carry the Son of God, the Messiah? Surely, she had to place her total trust in God and keep in relationship with Him during her pregnancy and throughout Christ's life here on earth. She understood that she didn’t have to figure everything on her own—she just had to listen for His voice in everything she did, everywhere she went. Simple, right? Why does that seem so difficult for us today? We are “programmed” from a young age to have all the answers, to be self-reliant, to figure it out. During this season of anticipation, I would urge each of us to follow Mary’s simple example: to trust, to listen, to move on the track God has set for each and every one—“I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.” Prayer: God, be with us as we look to You for guidance during this Advent season and every season of our lives. Help us to let go of the idea that we need to figure out our path on our own. Help us listen closely to You and follow Your leading for our lives. Amen. Kathy Peck |
|
|
|
Scripture: Luke 2:9-10 - "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.'" Message: I actually am writing this Advent Devotional during Hurricane Matthew. I have been feeling somewhat scared and possibly "forgotten" during last night's wind and rain. The newscasters spent all day yesterday with nothing but gloom and doom for all of Florida and after viewing footage of Haiti and the Caribbean, I was praying for a message word from God that would take away this "icky" feeling in my stomach. My heart and brain remembered the small phrase in the Bible that was given to Mary on the very night our Lord was born: "Be not afraid." Now, even I knew that this time was NOTHING compared to that night, but the few words remembered in my heart led me to a peace in the midst of this time. A message given to me at a time I needed comfort and reassurance that I was not alone - that I was not abandoned and that I had nothing to be afraid of. Nothing to fear since God was with me as he was with Mary during her much more difficult circumstance. I was reminded to keep God's word close during trying times and lean on Him as we struggle with any physical or mental challenge. Prayer: Lord, help me to know your presence is with me today and always. In your holy name I pray. Amen. Kathy Peck |
|
Tuesday December 9, 2014 & Thursday, January 14, 2021 Tradition by Steve and Kathy |
|
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a (NIV Study Bible) – “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances;” Message: A family tradition is lighting candles on our Advent Wreath on Sunday, evenings during Advent. We began when our daughter was very young, so young that we had to help her keep centered on the Scripture reading for that day and not strictly focused on the brightly lit candle. As she has grown up, and no longer lives at home, my husband and I continue this tradition with just the two of us. A time, set aside from all the rush, to read, sing, and pray about the greatest gift ever given to us by our Heavenly Father. Prayer: Father, at this busy time of year, encourage us in our hearts to take time to be still and center on Your loving gift to us. Guide our families in our time outside of the Sunday, morning worship to share our thoughts with each other about You in safe, loving family language. Amen.
Steve and Kathy Peck Back to top |
|
|
