Fear

And Love God

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

For God Loves Us

All Creation Sings God’s Praise.

Sing and Dance Along!

Isaiah 6:3

And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

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Revelation 14:7

He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Words of Grace for Today –

How right it is that we should tremble with fear before God,

and out of fear obey all God’s commandments, worshipping him along with all of creation.

But

We fail at that miserably, so to demand it of us is futile.

We can, with these attempts to earn God’s favour, only fail and live filled with guilt, regret, and sorrow, a walking death if ever there were one.

To love God, as well as to fear God, now that is a different thing.

For we can only love God, after we realize that God first loves us, unconditionally.

Out of love we can strive to follow God’s commandments, and worship God with all creation.

We will fail.

But we do not live filled with guilt, regret, and sorrow,

for we trust God always loves us, forgives us, and renews full life in us.

Fear and Love God.

For God loves, and forgives, and gives us new life.

And what a full life it is!

Is There A Balm In Gilead?

For it is desperately needed

Monday, June 2, 2025

here and now.

Like Grass, We Dry Up,

And Die,

except Jesus brings the Water of Life

Jeremiah 8:21-22

For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt,
I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.
Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then has the health of my poor people
not been restored?

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Luke 19:9-10

Then Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house, because you too are a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Words of Grace for Today –

Always we humans have had cause to cry:

is there no balm in Gilead,

pleading really, is there no balm here for us and all these people in our time.

So much illness.

So much injustice.

So much loss.

So much sorrow.

So much death.

So much grief.

To these cries, God answers with Jesus, living among us, a human, who will heal many, teach with great wisdom, and sacrifice his own life that all people may live.

We do not need so seek Jesus out.

For Jesus came to seek out and to save the lost,

which is all of us,

whether we know it or not.

There is a balm in Gilead,

and here and now,

for our every ill.

What a life Jesus offers us, to fully live, healed

and then sent to share the Good News

that God is for us,

for us all!

Thanks be to God.

Breath

Smoke

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Justice

Smoke Obscures Everything Good,

From Here

to The Furthest Shore

Psalm 112:5

It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.

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1 Timothy 6:18-19

They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.

Words of Grace for Today –

I woke to smoke that took my breath away, so thick and acrid did it dig into my soul.

I sought desperately for that breath that would take that smoke away.

And I could not find it

for hours.

So it is when others deal injustice to us,

filling courts and communities with lies about us.

Injustice is like smoke that takes our breath and life away, grinding us to desperately seek that truth that will take away the injustice and bring us freedom to live

and breathe

and work

and be at peace

with life.

So destructive is injustice.

So destructive are the lies.

So good are the truths that support good deeds, giving life

that is really life

to all.

Righteous

Suffering

Friday, May 30, 2025

Rejoicing

Hot Hot

or

Cold Cold

The Way is Always Challenging

Psalm 5:12

For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favour as with a shield.

.

Acts of the Apostles 5:41-42

As they left the council, they rejoiced that they were considered worthy to suffer dishonour for the sake of the name. And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.

Words of Grace for Today –

The Way of following Jesus, of going where God sends us and how the Holy Spirit guides us, with righteousness, wonder, and grace for all people,

The Way of following Jesus is never without risks and challenges.

Only when we trust that God shields us from final death, giving us new life each day, and everlasting life after death itself, can we proceed confidently into and through each day, meeting all challenges as Jesus would have us,

with kindness and honesty,

with music and dance,

with joy,

even

when

it’s

tough

going

forward.

Words

Music

Thursday, May 29, 2025

and Dance

Where Will We Sing And Dance

Next?

Leviticus 26:6

And I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one shall make you afraid.

.

Luke 11:20

Since it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.

Words of Grace for Today –

The chaos of words that fill our worlds is astounding, overwhelming, debilitating. So many of the words are evil. They are neither true nor kind.

God’s Word is both true and kind.

We need to speak it often, and clearly, amid the chaos of noisy words.

Better is that we put the true and kind words, words pointing to God’s Word, to music and sing them clearly, enchantingly, wondrously.

Best is that we not only sing kind and true words plainly for all to hear, but we also dance through our lives to them. For our steps speak even more loudly than our mouths can ever.

When we sing and dance God’s Word, then peace surrounds us, a gift from God, and the Kingdom of God has come into our midst, with power to heal our every ill.

The One And Only

Rock Saves Us

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

Again

On a Hot, 30⁰C+ Day, The Snow Looks Great!

On Any Day Of Challenges,

God’s Grace Welcomes Us In,

to a cool, life-giving hope.

Psalm 18:31

For who is God except the Lord? And who is a rock besides our God?

.

2 Corinthians 1:9-10

Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He who rescued us from so deadly a peril will continue to rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again

Words of Grace for Today –

Since we keep on sinning in old and rarely in new ways, God keeps saving us, again and again.

We have reason to give God thanks many times each day.

We have reason to hope to a future formed by God, and not ruined by those who try so hard these days (as each day has had many someones ready to ruin it).

That hope does not crumble, like shale.

Rather God gives us hope that is as solid as granite or marble, even more sure than matter existing in the universe, more sure than we can wrap our hearts and minds around.

Try squeezing a piece of granite or marble.

And then trust God to be more solidly for us, for us all.

Giving a Helping Hand

When and To Whom Needs It

Sunday, May 25, 2025

Freely

Troubled Waters Will Find Us All!

Deuteronomy 15:7

If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbour.

.

James 2:14

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?

Words of Grace for Today –

Life has it’s challenges. Never ending challenges. Kind of like the rain lately. But the rain reduces the risk of wild fires and their smoke that steal days from us, now and at the end of life.

Life has it’s challenges. We never know when we will succumb and end up in great need, even on the street among the growing numbers of homeless people who just a few months ago had homes.

So, out of rational expediency we ought to help those in need, and not just a little but systematically. Building systems that help everyone in need. So that when we end up there, there will be help for us.

Even more so: the greatest challenge in life is to recognize the purpose for one’s life that enlivens one’s days each day, and builds resilience against grief and diseases ravages and faster healing from them as well. The one and only purpose in life that provides those blessing is the act of reaching out to and helping those in greatest need.

Give a helping hand. It not only won’t kill you, it’ll give you life!

Giving God Praise

Along With All Creation

Thursday, May 22, 2025

At the break of dawn, to the setting of the sun,

And even all through the night of doubt and sorrow.

Psalm 74:21 (see also Psalm 67)

Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy. (Ps. 67:4)

.

Matthew 15:25-28

But the Canaanite woman came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Words of Grace for Today –

The challenges – all those under a deadline – and all besides the immediate ones to be dealt with – the challenges keep me awake, wondering how to improve the poor results methods I’ve used when I have barely anymore resources or smarts on how to meet the challenges.

And then the morning fire started,

I stood, peering, turning, overwhelmed by the music, wondering …

the geese squawked in a line, not a ‘V’ high overhead, passing in and out of the clouds covering the whole sky, calming the light …

cattle mooed insistently off down and beyond the shores adding a cacophony to the

song birds chirping, singing, swaying the air …

as loons called disturbed by something or was it just they were waking to a new day?

Wondering what great praise the music brings to the Creator, Saviour, Sustainer, 3 in 1.

The light, calm, grey, settled over the fog covered green, green grass in the lower north meadow

giving the orchestra an album cover …

before I decided the fire was probably well started, the ash door could be closed, and I could go in and take the morning medication and crawl back into bed, an opposite standing encore, laying down and letting the music of praise go on and on

and

on.

Healing the music brings, flowing freely, gently over all that is, was, and will be.

So it’s a reset to stand and wonder how

God brings all that music together as the dawn breaks

at 4:40 am.

And how is your morning, your day, and your night going?

Servants, Happy

Birthday

Saturday, May 20, 2025

Simon

Always Storms Threaten,

Weeds Can Slow Us,

Still Jesus Calls Us

Onward to …

Psalm 119:36

Turn our hearts to your decrees, and not to selfish gain.

.

Titus 2:7-8

Show yourself in all respects a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured; then any opponent will be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us.

Words of Grace for Today –

Jesus calls and bids us die.

Dietrich Bonhöffer

Jesus calls each one of us, to different lives of service,

always self-sacrificial service.

Not self accomplishments, nor selfishly accumulating wealth, power, or fame.

Just service,

bringing the basics of life, and the extravagant gifts of the Holy Spirit, to all people, especially those most in need.

Where of where

are you going this day?

With Jesus?

Or off into the wilderness so large it swallows up souls day after day?

Singing With Cause

For God is Good

Thursday, April 24, 2025

to each of us in God’s own way.

sometimes it’s hard to see

Psalm 13:6

I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

.

Mark 7:37

They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’

Words of Grace for Today –

Jesus walks from village to village with his disciples following along. Dusty roads. Wise sayings and guidance, and challenges to the powers that were. And miracles healing the incurable. And giving renewed life to the worst sinners (or were they the best sinners? That always catches me.)

As we realize that, though Jesus is not healing us of our incurable diseases as record numbers of people die from disease (mostly because there are more people than ever trying to live on earth,) – though Jesus may not be healing us of diseases, Jesus is freeing us from our sins and sending us out with purpose: to provide all people with the food of life, and the living water.

For that we can sing God’s praises, each day and each night.

Pick a melody, the hills and the planets provide the harmony.