LOVELY EVE

Wandering dejectedly in The Garden of Eden, Eve
told God, “I’m lonely I’m tired of eating apples by
myself.”
“Okay,” God said, “I’ll create a man for you.”
Eve said, “A man! What’s that?” “He’s a creature
with aggressive tendencies and an enormous ego.
He won’t listen very well, he’ll get lost easily, but
never stop to ask for directions. However, he is
big and strong, he can open jars and hunt animals.
And he’ll be fun in bed.”
“Sounds great!” said Eve.
“Oh, and one more thing,” God said. “He will want
to believe that I made HIM first.”

THE HEART OF THE KING

Scripture:
Isaiah 10:1-4
Woe to those who make unjust laws,
    to those who issue oppressive decrees,
2
to deprive the poor of their rights
    and withhold justice from the oppressed of
my people,making widows their prey
    and robbing the fatherless.
3
What will you do on the day of reckoning,
    when disaster comes from afar?
To whom will you run for help?
    Where will you leave your riches?
4
Nothing will remain but to cringe among the
captives or fall among the slain.
Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.(NIV)
Reflection:
How often do I turn on the news and see people who are
suffering because of unjust government officials, merciless
warlords, terrifying gangs, and corrupt companies?  But in
a time of 200-plus cable stations, I can easily change the
channel and block out the pain of others to search of my
entertainment. After all, what can I really do about any of
that anyway?
     In our text today, Isaiah offers a stinging indictment of
those who abuse the poor, hold back justice,and persecute
the marginalized (v.2).  For them a day of reckoning is
coming.  Their suffering has not gone unnoticed, for a King
is coming and there will be no hiding (v.3).  God did not
forget them, and he stirred Isaiah's heart to remember them
and cry out on their behalf (v.4)
Prayer:
Dear Lord, forgive us where we forget the suffering of others.
Stir us to cry our for your Justice in this world, for your
kingdom to reign, heal and save.  Amen
(Covenant Home Alter author, Quaime Lee)

MY SITUATION

As I was pondering over
my situation Psalm 121 came
into my mind.
 
I looked up into the sky and prayed, and I
immediately realized, deep in my heart and
soul, where my help was coming from. 
My help, as it always has before, will come
from the LORD. 
That's right, the same mighty
and powerful God who created all the heavens
and the earth.  The same God who is going to
help me and preserve me in my going out and my
coming in.  HE IS GOING TO HELP ME STARTING
NOW, AND HE IS GOING TO HELP ME
FOREVER MORE.      A M E N !

FACES OF THE SUFFERING

Verse
Again I saw all the oppressions that are practiced
under the sun. Look, the tears of the oppressed—
with no one to comfort them! On the side of their
oppressors there was power—with no one to
comfort them. And I thought the dead, who have
already died, more fortunate than the living, who
are still alive; but better than both is the one who
has not yet been, and has not seen the evil deeds
that are done under the sun.
(Ecclesiastes 4:1-3)
Voice
How often have I lain beneath rain on a strange
roof, thinking of home.
(William Faulkner)
Prayer
Lord, help us to see the face of God in the faces
of all who suffer. May it move us to act. Amen.
(Verse & Voice from Sojourners. sojo.net)

WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR

Scripture:
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus,
‘And who is my neighbour?’30 In reply Jesus said: ‘A
man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when
he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his
clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half-dead.
31 A priest happened to be going down the same road,
and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other
side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place
and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a
Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was;
and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went
to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and
wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought
him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he
took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper.
“Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will
 reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”
36 ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbor
to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’ 37 The
expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on
him.’(NIV Luke 10:29-37)
A car turned directly in front of a young woman crossing
the street. She reflexively reached out her hands to avoid
walking into the followed the woman.  He grabbed her by
the back of her coat and punched her in the face,
knocking her to the ground.  He stood over her as if
trying to decide what to do, before walking back to his
 car.
     A young man rushed to help her up.  He waited while
she made a police report, and then offered her a ride
home.  In New York City people don't offer or accept
rides from strangers, but she was grateful for his
kindness and compassion, and she accepted the ride.
     Jesus does that for us.  Like the Samaritan, Jesus has
compassion for our broken and violated state.  He pours
oil on our wounds and carries us to places of safety. 
He invites us to go and do likewise.
Prayer:
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for caring for us.  Help us to
show mercy. In Your Name Amen
(Covenant Home Alter author Mary Trujillo)

THE GIFT OF UNANSWERED PRAYER

 We don’t always get what we pray for. But we
always get what we need, and that makes all
the difference. When we pray for one thing and
we don’t get what we asked for, it feels as though
one of two things has happened. Either God didn’t
hear our prayers, or He has denied us a gift. But
neither is true. God hears every one of our prayers.
Sometimes He says “yes” and other times He
says “no.” But when God says “no,” it’s not
because He doesn’t want us to have good things.
When God says “no” to what we asked for, it’s
because He has something even greater to give us!
When your prayers seem to go unanswered, thank
God for your unanswered prayers because those
are often the greatest gifts of all.

THE NATURE OF THE KING

Scripture:

Luke 3: 7-8
7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized
by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee
from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of
repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have
Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from
these stones to raise up children to Abraham.(NRSV)

Reflections:

Every week I meet with students and professionals who
are trying to "get in" somewhere. "We spend time going
over strategies for success, trying to come with the best
way to get in by spinning accomplishments and selling.
In Luke 3, John the Baptist shared a very different
strategy for getting in. His audience understood works
and sacrifices as part of religious ritual. Yet this realm
that John spoke of required sacrificing to help not oneself,
but those in need (v.11). The bureaucrat's resume of
accomplishments and the soldier's steel sword would not
get them in. This King demanded honesty and selfishness
(vv. 13-14). In short, this King was impressed not by
achievements or pedigree, but by how one's life mirrored
character. Let us seek to show humility and integrity to our
families, friends, schools, jobs, and communities, no
matter the cost.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, this week help me to live a life of love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control, choosing to give rather than gain. Amen.
(Covenant Home Alter author, Quaime Lee)

SHIELD ME

May Christ shield me today
against poison and fire,
against drowning and wounding,
so that I may fulfill my mission
and bear fruit in abundance.
Christ behind and before me,
Christ behind and above me,
Christ with me and in me,
Christ around and about me,
Christ on my right and on my left,
Christ when I lie down at night,
Christ when I rise in the morning,
Christ in the heart of every man
who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone
that speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I RISE TODAY

I rise today through the
power of God:
God's might to comfort me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to lead me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's Heavenly Host to save me
from the snares of the devil,
from temptations to sin,
from all who wish me ill,
from near and afar,
alone and with others.

BEING RIGHT

Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?
     There is more hope for a fool than for them.
     — Proverbs 26:12
“Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There
is more hope for a fool than for them.” How could there
be more hope for a fool than a wise person? When we
are so attached to being wise in our own eyes – to
being right all the time — there is more hope for a
four-year-old who doesn’t know much, but also doesn’t
need to be right. Sometimes our attachment to our
wisdom can stop us from making intelligent decisions.
Today, let’s take some time to think about “being right.”
When do we feel the need to be right? Does it ever get
in the way of our relationships at home, at work, or with
strangers? Today, practice being kind over being right.
And if there is a relationship in our lives that needs
mending, let us be brave enough to pick up the phone
and call. Choose happiness, choose kindness, and
choose life.

LOVING THE UNLOVABLE

(Jesus said) "A new commandment I give to you, that
you love one another: just as I have loved you, you
also are to love one another. By this all people will
know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another." John 13:34-35
No, I don't love everybody -- and you don't either.
Almost nobody loves everybody
.
Almost.
You see, there is an exception to that rule. That
exception is Jesus.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, the Savior of the world,
managed to love everyone. I don't know how, but He
did. Think for a moment of what that meant. He loved
the Pharisees who tried to trick Him, and Herod, the
King, who killed babies in an attempt to eliminate any
competition. Jesus loved the priests who refused to
identify Him as the Savior, and He loved the crowds
who wanted to be healed and fed, but had little use
for salvation. Jesus loved the disciples who slept
when He needed them, and He loved Judas who
betrayed Him with a kiss.
Jesus loved the Roman Procurator who decided to
save his hide rather than dispense justice. Jesus
loved the men who whipped Him, who spit on Him,
who nailed Him to the cross.
And Jesus loved us, which is reason and example
enough for us to try and do the same
.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, I give thanks that Jesus, in spite of my
many sins, has continued to love me. May I follow
His example and do all I can to love everyone --
especially those I consider to be most unlovable.
In the Savior's Name I ask it. Amen.
(from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

THE WORD COMES ALIVE!

Scripture: read Luke 4: 14-21
Reflection:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has
anointed me to bring good news to  the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim release to the captives and
recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go
free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' And he
rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and
sat down...Then he began to say to them, 'Today this
scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (v v. 17-21)

     It was not an unusual thing for Jesus to stand in to
read the Scriptures; this was something he had done
many times before. However, this day was different. This
was more than a cursory reading of sacred test; today
the Scriptures came alive. Jesus was (and is) the living
word! His life personified that prophetic message, and
his works would make words of Scripture tangible in
the lives of others.

     When we read the Scriptures, that should be the cry
of our hearts.  We should hunger for the word to come
alive in our actions every day.

Prayer:

Father may your word become tangible and real in my life.
Help me not only to hear and read, but to live and do your
word each day. Amen
(Covenant Home Alter, author Shaun Marshall)

THE WORK OF WISDOM

Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
     For it is not wise to ask such questions. 
Ecclesiastes 7:10
When the passion wears off and we get depressed, that’s
precisely when it’s time to press on. God might gift us
with excitement at the start of something new in order to
get us moving, but it’s up to us to carry on when things
get tough.
If you are going through a slump or feel that you are
acking the passion you once had, don’t get down. Instead
of acting from passion, lead with wisdom until you reach
your goal and reclaim even more inspiration than before.
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

WONDROUS WORKS OF HIS PERFECT LAW

Scripture: Read Psalm 19
Reflection:
Have you ever listened to the beautiful song of the sunrise?
Or witnessed the eloquent preaching of snow capped
mountains as the communicate to us the incredible artistry
of God? When we pause to appreciate the natural beauty
of our world, and quiet ourselves away from the noise of
sin that surrounds us, we will hear creation whisper,"trust
the voice of God...His law is perfect. Surrender to Him,
allow your soul to be His canvas, and let His word transform
your life into a masterpiece for His glory.
    God is an amazing artist, and His perfect law and allows
our lives to be His wondrous works.  Let's surrender to the
pen stroked of His perfect law, and allow our lives to be His
work of art.
     "The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the
firmament proclaims His handiwork.  Day to day pours forth
speech and night to night declares knowledge..... The  law
of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul" (vv. 1-2,7)
Prayer:
Father, I realize that Your law is perfect and my ways are
not.  Help me to surrender to Your word, so that my life may
tell of your glory. Amen
(Covenant Home Alter, author Shaun Marshall)