WE EXTEND OUR CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY TO...Bonnie Emrick and her family as they mourn the death of her brother, Delbert Weum.  May all be comforted by God's promise of eternal life to those who believe.

YOUR PRAYERS ARE REQUESTED FOR...Beth Klotz, John Fry, Linda Hachtel, Cheryl Selaiden, Jim Pagel,  Gayle Trader, Lynne Sater, Kim Ballman, Judy Rawlings, Karen Greene,  Mike Wallace, Bill Falk, Linda Doerr, Jason Fiege,  Molly Fugelstad,  Georgean Banker, Bob Emrick, Al Renz, Bud Farnsworth, Ed Fischer, Kathy Wilcox, Joyce Satterlee,  Don Buckingham and Nick Stachula.

DAILY DEVOTIONS FROM "THE WORD IN SEASON"

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2010          COLOSSIANS 4:7-17

And say to Archippus, "See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord."

Have you ever been in the presence of someone who thinks it is his or her responsibility to drop all the names he or she possibly can into the conversation?  Folks like this want us to think they know people more closely than they really do.  For these people, name-dropping is a way of showing off.  Was Paul simply a name-dropper?  Paul listed recognized and trusted people in the growing Christian community.  The point for Paul was not in the name-dropping, but in the final declaration to carry out or complete the task given by the Lord.  That task is to be like Jesus in a beautiful and broken world.  We are called to bring grace,  mercy, and peace into our families, work places, friendships, and everyday locations without condition or expectation.  We can bring grace to others by listening closely, offering help, and paying attention to the people around us.

Guiding Spirit be with me as I grow as a representative of Jesus in my daily life.  Amen.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2010          DEUTERONOMY 29:2-20

The clothes on your back have not worn out, ...so that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

How cool is it to know that God has your back every day?  Even when we don't think that God is around, God's promise is that we will always be cared for and provided for.  I've noticed that it's when we try to make God act the way we want that things get messed up.  We pray - in fact, we pray hard - but we do so with our own loaded expectations.  God led the Israelites for forty years in the wilderness.  And that whole time God cared for them.  God made sure they were clothed and fed.  God provided both spiritual and physical nourishment.  God continues to wal with us through whatever wilderness is going on in our lives.  God will continue to provide for us.  God provides strength in trying situations, peace under stress, power when facing abuse.

God, thank you for all that you provide for me.  Amen.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2010          LUKE 14:25-33

(Jesus said,) "Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."

What are the crosses in your life?  For some, the cross is caring for aging parents while also caring for children.  For others, the cross is choosing between extra hours at work or more time at home.  Some bear the cross of standing up for people being teased or picked on.  Other crosses include being socially responsibile for the purchases one makes, votes cast, and causes one stands behind.  Jesus says that following him is not an easy task.  Following him takes thoughtfulness, care, love, generosity, and determination.  Following Jesus entails putting yourself, your desires, and your ego secondary to the needs of others.  Following Jesus means focusing on him, relying on his grace, and trusting that he will be with you.  The cost of discipleship is great.  It means giving ourselves selflessly, as Jesus did.

Lord Jesus, strengthen me as I follow you.   Amen.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2010          PSALM 101

I will walk with integrity of heart within my house.

Integrity is very important for followers of Jesus.  Integrity of heart means that your actions and words are in direct correlation with your beliefs.  The Chinese symbols for integrity and uprightness are the same.  Living with integrity and uprightness means not acting differently in different situations of your life:  the work you, the relationship you, the you at play, the you out on the town, the you with your friends, or the you with yourself.   The psalmist's prayer is to walk with integrity in the entirety of one's house, in every aspect of one's life.  I heard a child describe it this way:  "If I let Jesus into my heart, he'll be bursting out all over the place because he's so much bigger than me."  That's it.  That's Christian integrity - the consistent, integrated, whole follower of Jesus in every aspect of your life.

Lord Jesus, help me follow you, be transformed by you, and be led by you every day of my life.  Amen.