Saturday, February 21, 2009

poetspirit: Christian poem: this I know is true

poetspirit: Christian poem: this I know is true

A-live demonstration!


Today’s Reading: John 20:8 (NIV)

8 Finally, the other disciple who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed.

Good morning!

Do you remember when savvy salesmen dressed in three piece suits and ties would knock on your front door and ask for a minute of your time to demonstrate the latest and greatest vacuum cleaner? They would tell the lady of the house, “You’ve just got to see it to believe it!” When Jeff and I were first married, I remembered thinking that we needed to purchase a certain brand of vacuum; otherwise, we just wouldn’t be able to get our house really clean. The bells and whistles that came on these vacuum cleaners made one believe they could almost do the work all by themselves. And as much as they cost, that should have been true, don’t you think?

A live demonstration can speak volumes when it comes to believing. It is one thing to hear about a person, place or thing. It is something else to see it with your own eyes. I was amazed by the canister of dirt the dapper salesman would pull from his suit coat pocket, just to spill all over my mother’s clean carpet. Salesman have to spill the dirt before they can make their point, and there was no doubt that this one wanted to make a point. His vacuum cleaner would clean up any mess anywhere in record time, without even breaking a sweat. He was the master of attachments! Use this wand and clean the door frame ledges; the nozzle is perfect for apholstery and curtains, and this cord will stretch the entire length of your living room – no need to keep moving the plug-in. My mother was totally impressed! The problem would be selling my father when he came home that night.

We would try to gently tell him about the unannounced visitor during dinner. Hopefully his eating would distract him from getting angry. My mother kept the color brochures hidden until just the right moment during dessert, and we would all chime in together to validate how truly magical this machine really was! My mother didn’t bother telling him about how easy it might be for her to have this self-propelled vacuum; rather, she looked for ways that might appeal to Dad. After all, he would obviously want to use the vacuum when he washed the cars, or vacuumed out the air conditioning filters, or worked in the attic. Daddy wasn’t nearly as impressed, even with the artwork sitting right in front of him. Mom knew Dad would be a hard sell. He wasn’t going to jump into anything until he could see it for himself. When the salesman returned the next week, Mother asked the gentleman if he might be willing to loan his equipment to her overnight so she could give a personal demonstration of the vacuum for her husband. Surprisingly, the salesman agreed. It must have been a tough year in sales. But he was one wise man. He knew the sale was as good as done. My father tried out the vacuum for himself, totally liked what he saw, and left the money on the kitchen counter the next morning as he left for work. Seeing is definitely believing!

Peter and the other disciple had forgotten about Christ’s words, or maybe they just simply didn’t understand them. It wasn’t until they saw that Jesus was not there, when they recalled that He would rise again from the dead. This is why we can be sure that Jesus Christ is who He says He is – the Son of the Living God and the Savior of the world. Without His rising, the truth of Christ would be a holy stretch. The resurrection power is the same power available for you and me. He will bring our spiritually dead souls back to life in Him. It is His righteousness, His blood, His rising, that sucks the deepest dirt from our souls and makes us whole and clean in Him. There is no need for fancy attachments or gadgets to make this happen. Christ’s resurrection completes the job – it is finished and the battle with sin has been conquered forever!

What will it take for you to believe? Do you need to see Him to believe it? If you do, you are not alone. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to you through the power of His Word. Then pick up your Bible and see it for yourself. Seeing is believing!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The gathering table

Today’s Reading: John 20:5-7 (NIV)

5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.

Good morning!

I’ve decided that dinner time is not what it used to be. When I was a little girl, supper was served at 6pm sharp. It seemed as if all the families on our block sat down for their evening meal at approximately the same time. When mothers sounded the dinner alarm; children came inside to wash up. The circle drive became quiet, as we inhaled the delightful scent of suppertime floating around the neighborhood. When our own children were growing up, we made it a point to share the family meal together around the table every night. Unfortunately, life became way too busy with evening meetings and after school practices and games. Dinnertime became unrecognizable, often served out of a fast food bag in the back seat of the family station wagon. Our dinner table became a place to finish homework and a catchall for books and coats. If I could go back in time and change a piece of my personal family history, I would want to restore the time-honored tradition of family meal time around the table in our home. It is an event that warrants our very best effort as we share time together. We are far too busy to realize what it is we miss when we do not make time to come to the gathering table. Wouldn’t you like to slow down a bit and make time for a meal with your family tonight?

Dinnertime is an important tradition in Jewish family life. The servants prepare the table for the feast that is being offered. The Master would take his place at the head, reclining and enjoying food and fellowship with his children, family and friends. The servant would wait patiently and watch for the Master to finish eating. He knew when the meal had ended as the Master took his cloth napkin, wiped his mouth and beard, and tossed it onto the table. This was the servant's que that the meal had was over. If, however, the Master folded his napkin and placed it neatly at the head of the table, it meant that he was not yet finished would be coming back to finish what He had begun. When this happened, the servant knew not to clear the table, but waited patiently for His Master’s imminent return.

Simon Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved could not believe what they were seeing. The strips of linen that had wrapped Jesus’ body were laying there, in the exact same position as the body had been placed inside the tomb. It was as if the Master had passed right through it! Even more amazing was how the burial cloth that had covered the Lord’s face had been folded neatly and placed near the strips of linen. Jesus was clearly not finished and He is coming back real soon!

Jesus Christ is calling all of us to the gathering table. Can you smell the sweet scent of salvation wafting in the air? Come join me as we wait together for our Heavenly Host. Dinner will be served shortly!

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Running for your life

Today’s Reading: John 20:3-4 (NIV)

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

Good morning!

Fear and disbelief can cause a person to run pretty fast. I used to work on Main Street in a small rural town many years ago. Just down the road from my office was a residential subdivision. One of my co-workers had a grandparent living within a block’s distance of our building. One day, as we sat typing documents, we heard the sound of sirens race down the street past our building. Of course, both of us went to the window to look outside. Realizing the emergency vehicles were stopping down the block in front her grandfather’s home, my coworker took off running as fast as she could down the sidewalk. I’ll never forget that sprint. She actually lost her shoes as she raced down the street. Her grandfather had a heart attack that day and a neighbor had dialed 911.

It’s as if Mary had dialed 911 with her unusual story. Racing back to where the disciples were sleeping, Mary set off an alarm system that would change the course of human history. Simon Peter and the other disciple found themselves running for their life. They couldn’t believe that the Savior’s body had been taken or that the heavy stone had been rolled away by someone in the night. Fear and disbelief caused them to run as fast as they could through town and past the garden gate. It was only when they arrived at the tomb that fear caused them to hesitate. Do you ever hesitate when you are not certain of what you may find around life’s corner?

I wonder, if at the tomb, the disciples thought about Jesus’ last words to them. Do you think they knew at that very moment that Jesus had risen from the dead, just as He had said? Peter was far more concerned with who to blame than seeing the miracle. He was running for his life and had no earthly idea of what it meant to the world.

If you are living in a time of fear and disbelief and find you are running for your life today, there is a Savior waiting to welcome you with open arms. Jesus lived, died and rose again so that your sins could be forgiven once and for all. Running for your life is not a bad thing when you know who it is you are running to.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Holding onto hope

Today’s Reading: John 20:2 (NIV)

2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”

Good morning!

I seem to lose things quite easily these days, especially my car keys. I try to toss them in my purse as soon as I walk in the house, and yet, when I’m in a hurry to leave for work, or school, or to get to a meeting at church, it is the car key I cannot seem to find. My purse is not so big that I shouldn’t be able to easily access my keys. I spent fifteen minutes one morning last week trying to retrace steps and look in all the familiar places where I may have laid them down, only to find the keys buried in the bottom of my bag. The next time, I need to turn it upside down and see if they will simply fall out.

It is frustrating that something so simple can be so easy to lose. I’ve often thought of hanging my keys by the back door, but that doesn’t seem like a particularly safe plan, especially in the unfortunate event of encountering an unwanted intruder. Jeff is very patient with me as I continually search for the stuff of my life. I walk out of the house in the morning, only to walk back in because I forgot to grab my lunch out of the fridge, my medication on the bathroom counter, or the badge that allows me access into my office. Is it just me or do you also struggle to hold on to the things that are truly important to your day?

Mary Magdalene was shocked when she reached the Garden tomb and found the stone had been rolled away. Just three days earlier, they had buried the Master there. Who could have possibly moved that stone, or taken His body away? I can see myself in Mary’s shoes, racing frantically from burial plot to burial plot, double checking my steps, and wondering if I had been mistaken about the place where I had left my Savior. Do you ever feel like you’ve somehow lost the Savior along the way?

It is common at times to feel abandoned and alone. We hold fast to faith, only to wonder where faith has disappeared to in the midst of personal hardship and tragedy. How can we lose sight of the Master when life is hard? Shouldn’t Jesus be right where we’ve left Him, within reach? Did we somehow forget to take the Master with us when we began our day? Why do we not hold fast to His promise that Christ is with us always, no matter where we are in life’s journey?

Mary thought the Lord had been misplaced, when He was right there, all the time. Christ is with us, even when we struggle to see where we’ve last laid Him. Hold on to His hope and don’t ever let go.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Waiting for signs of new life

Today’s Reading: John 20:1 (NIV)

1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

Good morning!

The days can be long when you are waiting for signs of new life. If you’ve ever been pregnant, you may have a greater understanding of what it means to wait. In the birthing process, we get a glimpse of new life as we wait with anticipation for the baby’s birth. Ultrasound technology has changed how we wait to experience signs of new life. Now, many parents choose to learn the gender of their unborn child long its birth. Digital photographs of baby’s tiny frame reveal the most intricate observations. Not only can one count the fingers and toes of the unborn, but they can see the shape of its nose, tiny eyes forming, and its precious heart beating inside the womb. I saw my granddaughter Madison sucking her thumb in the womb at 20 weeks gestation. It was the most wondrous thing!

I’m looking for signs of life where I work, as I wait for word. Are we going to move forward? Will there be a resurrection in this dismal economy? How many people will lose their jobs before we begin to see signs of new life in the marketplace? We wait patiently for signs of new life in our children, as they continue to grow and mature. We pray that new life will take hold of old bodies. We look forward to the hope of yet another springtime thaw, when new life pushes out of the cold, frozen ground. It can be a long wait when we’re looking for a miracle, looking for signs of new life around us.

Mary Magdalene had waited long enough. She, along with all the other disciples, observed the Passover celebration together. For three long days, she waited in tears and silence, longing to get back to the One she loves. Mary wanted to see her Lord just one more time, to kneel at His feet; to tell Him once again how much she loves Him. She got up while it was still dark outside. The others were sleeping, and the household was quiet. So as not to wake anyone, Mary tiptoed out the front door, then ran to the garden tomb, unafraid of the darkness surrounding her. When we are desperate to see signs of new life, sometimes the darkness is not as scary as having to wait patiently for the dawn to come.

Mary was stunned when she saw that the 2,000 pound stone had been removed from the entrance to the tomb. This was not what she had expected to find. Was this the sign of new life she had hoped for? Where was Jesus?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2009, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.