East Heights Prayer Blog

East Heights Daily Devotional

Monday, October 31, 2011

1 Chronicles 29:14
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.

Everything Comes From You O God!

I had almost completed college before I understood the significance of this scripture and our personal relationship with God it describes. Yet, verse 12 of 1 Chronicles 29 says it so clearly when it declares “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things.”

My self-centeredness then and even now causes me to forget that only God created this world and everything in it. My extended family has been blessed in countless ways through the years. I fully understand now that none of us can out give God. However, we forget sometimes to be appreciative and grateful for all God has given us through His son Christ Jesus. I need reminders. Most of my reminders come from activities our family is involved in here at East Heights. Now that I have been thinking and praying about giving back to God, a simple solution has been revealed to me. It is my attitude.

I need an attitude of surrender.
 To give up my “wants” of having everything that others have.
I need an attitude of obedience.
 To remember to recognize God’s ownership of all things and stay convicted that God will help us get out of any unchristian situation if we will just stay obedient to Him.
I need an attitude of prayer. 
 To praise God as he meets our needs in miraculous ways.
I need an attitude of commitment.
  To hang in there when unexpected expenses and opportunities come our way; and not forget long   range goals I have made in my heart and committed to God.

 
Prayer:  Dear God, we come to You today, like David did so long ago, praising You for reminding us that we belong to You and that everything comes from You. You bless us by giving us responsibility and stewardship over so much that You have provided. We also come to You today to pray for Your church named East Heights. During this stewardship emphasis period, help us to focus on knowing You, loving You, and serving You through the many of the opportunities of worship, service, study of scripture, song, and prayer that we have available. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Donovan Moore
East Heights United Methodist Church
www.ehumc.org

 

East Heights Daily Devotional

Friday, October 28, 2011

Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Lest you think I spend all my time at work, since all the devotions this week have been written from the perspective of my various locations in the building, we have a big project going on at home. We are re-seeding the yard. We live on a cul-de-sac, and our back yard is kind of pie-shaped—a rather daunting amount of square footage. Not to mention the fact that we don’t have much time to give to yardwork, and that lack of attention is catching up to us. So now, we are taking on a big load of fall work. We are planting and fertilizing and verti-cutting and hauling in dirt—doing a lot of hard work now so that in the spring we will have a beautiful yard.

Once again I am tempted to write about the standard metaphors—planting in the dirt and letting God take over and bring beauty from death, etc. But my heart is drawn to another image this time: working hard now to bring forth beauty in another season. I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking and praying about this church and the seasons God has ahead for us. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the task we have on our plates—the task of seeking out unhealthy systems, of visioning and setting goals, of establishing step-by-step processes to reach those goals, of evaluating at every step. And yet I am sustained by the voice of God telling me that we have to work hard in the dirt right now in order to be able to reach up, in, and out to share the love of Jesus Christ.

Prayer:  Dear God, we commit to you our work. We commit to you our evaluations and visions, our goals and steps. Sustain us in our labor for your kingdom. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Rev. Brenda Heard
Pastor of Music and Worship Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Brenda@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org

 

East Heights Daily Devotional

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

There is a beautiful bush outside my window. In the fall, it has wonderful orange berries on it. Don’t ask me what kind of bush it is, because I have no clue. But I know that I watch the seasons change by that bush. Right now, the birds think those orange berries are scrumptious, and they come to visit every day. Once, before I got new windows, I had my window opened—you know, the kind of window that tilts in—and it had no screen. I watched, without moving, as a bird came up very close to my window and looked in at me. He was so close that with another step he could have entered my office. I was busy thinking what I would do if that happened. But, I moved just a bit, and that bird flew away in an instant.

For just a fleeting second, I looked that bird in the eye. God takes care of that bird. God created that bird. God made creation and the seasons that flow one into another, and God made the bush with orange berries outside my office. How cool!

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for your great creation and for glimpses of your glory to be found in a little bird or an orange berry. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Rev. Brenda Heard
Pastor of Music and Worship Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Brenda@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org

East Heights Daily Devotional

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

I got new windows in my office, thanks to the EH Endowment. My windows were original with the building, built in the 60’s. Yesterday, as I sat at my desk near my west window, I noticed a dramatic difference in the lighting. Not only are the windows new, they are CLEAN, which is something I have never taken the time to do. As the sun goes down in the afternoon, it streams in through my window onto my desk. This sounds so simple and trite, but I was blessed by a new perspective via a new window.

This started me thinking about the new paths we are beginning to chart as a church and how maybe we need to clean our windows and start looking at things in a new light. OK, I’ll stop with the trite metaphors now—but I really believe that, as we move into a new season as a church, we need to stop and think about the assumptions we bring to the table. How do we envision the ministry of this church? How can we step into the path that God is laying out for us?

Prayer:  God, direct us. Guide us into this new season. Set our hearts on fire to see you in everything we envision for this congregation. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Rev. Brenda Heard
Pastor of Music and Worship Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Brenda@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org

 

East Heights Daily Devotional



Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

Recently, a 92-year-old member of our congregation passed away, and I was honored to officiate at her funeral. During the process of preparing and conducting the service, it occurred to me how much life has changed since 1918. I know this is not a novel thought—things change! But it seems the changes during this woman’s lifetime have been so dramatic.

I have been thinking about “Seasons” as I prepare to write these devotions. How many beautiful falls have occurred over the past 90 years? How many hard winters or searing hot summers? And how about the seasons of our lives? How many births, deaths, celebrations, times of despair? It’s staggering!

What is even more staggering, though, is the realization that God is in each of these seasons of our lives. God walks with us in our “wow” moments as well as our “I’ll never make it” times. God shares each season of our lives, holding our hands on the journey.

Prayer:  Lord, you are awesome! No matter what season we are in, you are there. Help us seek you out every day. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Rev. Brenda Heard
Pastor of Music and Worship Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Brenda@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org

 

East Heights Daily Devotional



Monday, October 24, 2011

Ecclesiastes 3:1
 “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”

In my ministry, I always have to be looking ahead. In July, I start thinking about Christmas. In November, I start thinking about Holy Week and Easter. In February and March, I plan for the summer. There’s always a season ahead for which I need to be preparing. This sometimes causes me what I call “season shock.” I am thinking snow and Christmas songs when it is 110 degrees outside. What I have found during my several years of this ministry is that I often forget to “be” in the present season.

As I write this, I am sitting in the pumpkin patch on a beautiful fall day. It’s a little chilly and there’s a breeze that is chilling my fingers, but the sun is shining. My endeavor for today is to enjoy “this” season, to be present with God in the here and now with which I have been blessed, to spend just a few hours not thinking 6 months ahead.

Prayer:  God, help me today to recognize your presence in my now. Show me the specialness of this day and help me to love you in it. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Rev. Brenda Heard
Pastor of Music and Worship Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Brenda@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org

East Heights Daily Devotional

Friday, October 21, 2011

Psalm 51: 1-3, 7
¹ Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
  according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
 ³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
 ⁷Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Isaiah 1:18
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;

I always wanted to make beautiful candles like my college friend, but while I have collected candle making supplies, I’ve never made the time to become a candle maker. Curiosity drove me to seek a reason for the odd way my crumbly, cracked candle burned this past weekend. I found an online a resource that offers instructions and an article, Nine pitfalls to avoid when making your own candles.

It’s doubtful that I’ll spend much time figuring out the candle wax failure or learning to make candles at this point in time, but I realized that the crumbling wax looks to me like small mounds of snow. In this I am reminded of Christ’s redemption – “wash me and I will be whiter than snow,” the Psalmist says. The prophet Isaiah likewise states, “Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

I continue to burn the strangely beautiful Christ candle on my desk and watch as it continues to crack and crumble during my morning devotions.  Though I know my sins and they are ever before me, I also know that I am washed in the blood of Christ and am forgiven. This crumbly, cracked, faulty candle of my life is forgiven and the light of Christ burns strongly within. Praise be to God.

Prayer:  Forgiving Father, in your unfailing love, you have freed me from a life of sin. Thank you for your great compassion – may I extend that compassion to others by sharing Christ’s love in every way I can. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Beth Strickler
Director of Prayer  Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Beth@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org

East Heights Daily Devotional

Thursday, October 20, 2011

2 Corinthians 4:6-8
⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
 ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;

Light Out of Darkness
Within moments of lighting the Christ candle in the prayer room on a recent retreat weekend, with flame bright and flickering as usual, I noticed that the wax around the wick had begun to crack and crumble instead of smoothly softening as it melted. The flame continued to burn brightly, as the cracking and crumbling also continued, making the candle uniquely beautiful.

As the event proceeded all went smoothly for a time, but then difficulties began to surface. We continued to pray for God’s help with the unexpected turns and twists in the situations that arose, trusting Him to guide us in overcoming obstacles. The candle also continued to burn in this strange way which I’d never before seen. (Undoubtedly the formula or process used to make the wax was faulty.)

As the weekend progressed, I began to see a correlation between the strange candle and the event itself, which was fraught with unexpected difficulties. In spite of faulty candles and faulty humans, God provided solutions that proved to be the blessings needed and the “show went on” so to speak. The light of Christ burned brightly and consistently in the midst of a faulty candle which was crumbling instead of melting smoothly. Likewise, there was much evidence of Christ’s light shining brightly in those who came seeking Him for spiritual nurture.

Prayer:  Gracious God, I have many faults – thank you for not giving up on me. Let Your light shine in the darkness of my heart so that Your all surpassing power and glory may be seen. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Beth Strickler
Director of Prayer  Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Beth@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org

East Heights Daily Devotional

Matthew 18:19-20
   ¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Don’t you just love the way candles make you feel when you walk into a softly-lit room? For some of us, that magical, flickering flame softly illuminating a space enlivens the senses.

In college I had a friend who had a candle making business. She had recipes, techniques, and colors that made each candle a work of art and many of them I felt were even too pretty to burn.

At a recent spiritual weekend, I had the privilege of being in the prayer room. I selected a simple white candle, a cross, and a Bible as the focal centerpiece for our altar. Each time a group gathered for prayer we lit the candle as a symbol of gathering in Christ’s name.

The light of Christ uniting us for His purposes is a powerful and wonderful thing. As I drove to work this morning and listened to a beautiful contemporary Christian song, the line “You put the light in me” rang out such truth. The light of Christ burns in each of us for all the world to see.

Prayer:  Precious Jesus, unite us in your love so that Your holy light will burn brightly in us today – and let it begin with me. Amen.

Devotions this week are written by:

Beth Strickler
Director of Prayer Ministries, East Heights United Methodist Church
Beth@ehumc.org / 682-6518
www.ehumc.org

 

East Heights Daily Devotional

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Matthew 6:9-15
⁹ "Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. ¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Kids say the darnedest things! I know television at several points has used the fast and witty humor of children for the point of increasing viewership. My wife Amanda and I too have had our moments where we wanted to break out in laughter at what our son James said or did. One such moment was awhile back when we were out eating at a restaurant. Now James has become accustomed to prayer time before a meal is served at his daycare. It’s incredible to see how insistent he has gotten on having prayer now before meals. One such occasion happened while we were out eating when he said “Amen,” meaning he wanted to pray. Amanda and I caught ourselves before laughing a little bit because while this was somewhat humorous, at the same time, what a wonderful thing. That our son actually wants to pray; now he may not know what we’re saying or what the purpose of prayer is really about, but what a joy that the act of prayer is important before meals whether we are home or out for dinner.

Prayer:
Asithi—Amen, siyakudumisa,
Asithi—Amen, siyakudumisa,
Asithi—Amen, Baba, Amen, Baba,
Amen, siyakudumisa.

Amen, amen—Amen, praise the name of the Lord,
Amen, amen—Amen, praise the name of the Lord,
Amen, amen—Amen, amen, Amen, amen,
Amen, praise the name of the Lord.
(Zulu, South Africa: Prayer taken from Desmond Tutu, An African Prayer Book)

Devotions this week are written by:

Rev. Ross Baker
Associate Pastor, East Heights United Methodist Church
Ross@ehumc.org / 682-6518

www.ehumc.org