Homecoming Wave

Today’s Reading: John 20:17 (NIV)

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Good morning!

My mother looks forward to homecoming every summer in Mississippi. It is a time when she gets to visit with her extended family and friends in the town where she grew up. She can't wait to wave at and hug the stuffing out of all of her cousins, nieces and nephews. If you’ve ever attended a family reunion, or a homecoming football game at school, you can easily get caught up in the sheer excitement of the moment. Have you ever done a homecoming wave? It involves everyone in the stadium. You can see it coming from afar, and all of a sudden, you are up and cheering, waving your hands high above your head in tandem with everyone around you. Homecoming brings us back to the place where we began, to the ones we know and love. There is nothing quite like the experience of a homecoming wave.

In Jewish tradition and law, harvest time is a joyful time, when the first fruits are gathered in from the field. Moses instructed the people to celebrate the beginning of harvest by offering up a sheath of its first fruits, also known as the wavesheath offering to the Lord (Leviticus 23:9-14). This offering is given only once a year, following the Passover observance. It is offered in thankful praise to God as the one true giver of the harvest. The waving of the sheath (which was performed by the high priest) marks the beginning of the work that leads to an early harvest.

When Mary saw Jesus that morning in the garden, He told her not to cling to Him physically because He had not yet risen to His Father. He was preparing for His homecoming wave; Christ had become the physical wavesheath offering, marking the beginning of the great harvest of souls.

Can you imagine what the praises must have sounded like coming from heaven, as Jesus ascended that very first time before the Father’s throne? It must have been the most amazing homecoming wave ever! In my mind’s eye, I can clearly see the heavenly host bowing down and praising the Lamb all in one voice. Sin and death has been conquered forever! Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing (Revelation 5:12).

The wavesheath offering has been offered and harvest time has begun. Soon, we will all experience the eternal wave of the sheath, when we see Jesus for the very first time, high and lifted up, sitting at the right of the Father. Friends, He is waving us home. It is a spectacular homecoming celebration that you do not want to miss. Ask Jesus Christ to become Lord of your life today. Do it now! Christ will forgive your sins, cleanse you from all unrighteousness, and raise you up on the day of the great homecoming. Harvest time is just around the corner, and it will be here before we know it. Are you ready to rise?

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.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

Today’s Reading: John 20:15-16 (NIV)

15 “Woman,” he said, “Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, [Mary] said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

Good morning!

Have you ever been approached by someone who thought you was someone else? Recently, I’ve been the example of a mistaken identity on a number of occasions, most recently at a Perspectives Bible Study class. A woman who was attending the program at Faith Church from Illinois seemed to recognize me from clear across the sanctuary. When she realized I was not the person she thought I was, she said that I definitely have a twin sister living on the other side of the river. Ironically, I guess it could be true! Since I was adopted at birth, I could have a sister out there somewhere. I would love to meet her one day, along with my biological parents. If nothing else, my heavenly family reunion will certainly be a wonderful surprise party for me!

Class reunions and church homecomings are places where we are surprised to see the people we have not seen in literally years. Last summer, Jeff and I made a trip to Texas and arranged to have dinner with several church members from a former student pastorate. When we were in seminary, Jeff and I were very young, ages 20 and 22 respectively. The biggest difference in Jeff’s appearance is his lack of hair. The folks at College Mound were surprised to see their totally bald pastor! I looked nothing like I did before, when I was thirty years younger. Of course, the folks we met with had changed considerably too. It is funny how the lines of time may change our physical appearance, but the things that make us who we are, our character and conviction, remain steadfast. Even though some of my College Mound friends did not look the way I remembered them, I could hear that sweet familiarity in their voice, and I knew them instinctively by their love for each other. Christians can be easily identified by their love.

Mary didn’t recognize Jesus, and if I had been standing there, I probably would not have known Him either. The last time she saw the Lord, He was a bleeding, dying man hanging upon the cross. His flesh had been ripped to shreds. His face was swollen and bruised from the beating He took. His eyes were blood shot and almost swollen shut. Mary saw Jesus die. It is no wonder that she would not have immediately recognized the risen Christ. His physical body had been restored to wholeness. It must have been His voice that she recognized first, when He called out her name. Even when our physical vision fails, our ability to hear and recognize the voice of our Savior remains.

The behaviors that alienate human beings today from a holy and perfect God can keep us from clearly hearing His voice and cause us to misunderstand His message of Truth. Today, I am praying for the ability to hear above the roar of our cultural world view. I want to know Jesus for who He really is, for it is only in Him that I can live forever free. I do not want to experience a sad case of mistaken identity when Christ calls out my name. Father, forgive me for the sins I’ve committed against you and others. I plead the blood of your son, Jesus Christ to cover me, to cleanse and make me whole. Only He can help me hear your still, small voice. I ask this, in Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

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.

Skewed vision

Today’s Reading: John 20:13-14 (NIV)

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

Good morning!

I wish I had 20/20 vision. I’ve worn glasses and contact lenses from the age of eight, and I’ve thought of undergoing lasik eye surgery as a way to surgically correct my nearsightedness and astigmatism. If it works, it may be a great blessing, especially in the night, when my vision is compromised by the surrounding darkness.

Have you ever seen something in the dark that compels you to take a second, harder look? Sometimes, if I awake abruptly in the middle of the night, I may see a shadow that forces me to blink several times, trying to focus on what it is I am actually seeing. Quite often, it is only a piece of furniture in the room, the ceiling fan moving slowly, or a book left on the floor by my side of the bed.

Mary was there at the tomb and the sun was just beginning to rise. It is not always easy to see things just before the first light of dawn, when the world around you is hazy and dark shadows fill the sky. Mary didn’t recognize the two angels, nor did she recognize her Lord even as He was standing right in front of her. Mary needed supernatural help with her limited visual acuity.

Shortsightedness tends to skew our ability to see the bigger picture clearly. We are far too focused on the shadows right in front of our noses. It’s kind of like trying to see clearly in the dark without your glasses. We strain our eyes to see beyond the present, the particular, the concrete – only to run full force into that concrete wall. What walls are skewing your vision from seeing the Lord Jesus Christ for who He really is?

I believe it was no mistake that Mary was confronted by Jesus and two angels that day: Father, Son and Holy Spirit - three in one; one being; together forever. What will it take for our eyes to be opened so that we can see the bigger picture? The season of Lent is fast approaching. What would you be willing to give up if it meant that you could see the Lord for who He really is with perfect sight?

Father, help us look beyond the shadows and walls that limit our sight and see you clearly today in every human heart. Amen.

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.

Broken-hearted

Today’s Reading: John 20:10-13 (NIV)

10 Then the disciples went back to their homes, 11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

Good morning!

Last night, I was on the phone with my daughter Rachel, and I could hear my young granddaughter Emily burst into tears. Rachel put the telephone down and went to comfort her daughter. “Emily, what’s wrong?” I heard Rachel say. What followed next was a combination of slurred speech and sobs from a broken-hearted little girl. Sometimes we have trouble communicating when we are overcome with emotion. I imagine Mary was feeling overwhelmed when the angels asked her why she was crying at the tomb.

Have you ever been overcome with emotion?

I remember standing alone at my father’s casket about an hour before his scheduled funeral. Daddy had passed quite suddenly and unexpectedly. There were some things left to say, and even though I knew he was physically no longer there, I felt the need to express myself. I knew that God would hear and understand the words I spoke, even if no one else did. I think I sounded a lot like little Emily, sobbing and sputtering words that probably only made sense to me and the Lord. When we say goodbye to the people who have impacted our lives in a profound way, it is a painful thing to do. As I reflect on that day many years ago, I realize that God gave me His special gift of tears to help me in expressing what simple words cannot. My swollen red nose and teary, weepy eyes were a priceless gift from the Father above, and I can be grateful even in times of sadness and despair.

The disciples had left Mary alone to her grief. Men seem to have a hard time with tears, especially when the one who is grieving means so very much to them. Mary stood there – but she was not alone. The Lord sent two angels to comfort her broken heart; a priceless gift she cherished for the rest of her life. Although I did not physically see or speak with angels on the day my father died, I have no doubt they were there, surrounding our family with Christ’s peace that passes all human understanding.

The next time grief grips your heart, and you find yourself blubbering between sobs, remember that you are not alone. Jesus Christ is standing right beside you. He will send His angels to guard and protect you especially in your most vulnerable moments, offering comfort in ways you cannot begin to imagine or understand. You can run today into the Father’s open arms where He will hold you as you have your heavenly cry out. May you experience Christ’s priceless peace when you have a broken heart..

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.

Faith issue

Today’s Reading: John 20:9 (NIV)

9 They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.

Good morning!

Have you ever taught Sunday school? I remember the first time I was asked to teach a Sunday school class. Jeff and I were young newlyweds; he had received his M.Div. (Masters of Divinity) and I had received my Ph.T. (Put Hubby Through). Since I was working on campus during the week to help pay Jeff’s tuition, I did not have the opportunity to attend the classes he took, and quite honestly, I felt totally inadequate to teach a Sunday school class. He had learned so much more in his studies. I was a high school graduate with virtually no formal college-level Biblical studies to my name. At first, I allowed overwhelming feelings of inadequacy to set in, and taught only when I absolutely had no other choice. It was not a joyful experience, at first. It amazes me that people can accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, yet, feel inadequate when called upon to explain why they believe.

While at our student appointment in seminary, there was a need for a teacher in the toddler Sunday school classroom. Our daughter Rachel was a toddler then, and my confidence in sharing the Gospel with babies had grown since I had become a mother myself. I gladly accepted the position, and began working with several wee ones. We would sing the songs I learned as a child, and play with various art mediums. The children especially liked finger painting, and I could see Jesus in every one of their paintings. It’s seems rather peculiar to me that with every church, there was a need for a Sunday school teacher at just my children’s ages. Teaching became easier for me, because my comfort level grew as my children grew. I actually think it was a God-thing. I began teaching upper elementary classes, and then working with junior and senior high classes. About the time my children grew up, I finally found some comfort level in teaching adults. I recognized my deep need to learn and grow even deeper in the Word. I believe this is something every Christian should do. Understanding why we believe what we believe is imperative if we long to draw deeper in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

I have the utmost respect for Sunday school teachers. They are willing to set aside their personal fear of inadequacy to share the love of Christ with others. Their testimony and powerful witness impacts folks for the rest of their lives. I can still remember the faces and the lessons I learned as a child in Sunday school class. Do you remember your teachers and how their words and actions have stayed with you through the years?

The disciples were there, standing at the empty tomb. They viewed the remnants of where Christ’s body had been laid; they saw the folded napkin and the empty shroud. They believed, yet they did not fully understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead to finish the redemptive work of salvation. They were there and still had faith issues. Why then, should we be surprised when we struggle to understand?

I have a friend who attends Sunday school at Faith United Methodist Church in House Springs, Missouri. His instructor, Janet Holdcraft, asked this question a couple of weeks ago: "The question isn't 'What would Jesus do?' as if he wasn't here or as if he wasn't doing anything. The question is 'What IS Jesus doing, and how can I join in?" How would answer her question? What was Jesus doing in the garden on that resurrection morning? What is He doing in your life right now?

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.