Devotion
Love the Foreigners
Frances Taylor
Have you ever thought that the Holy Family were refugees just as Israel and his family were when they went to Egypt to escape the famine? They fled from those who would kill them to a country not their own, trusting that they would be safe. They weren't asked for a passport; they weren't asked if someone there would vouch for them; they most likely didn't know the language and they probably didn't have a job lined up. Joseph did what he needed to do to keep Mary and the child Jesus safe. How many fathers and mothers today must flee from persecution? How many leave everything they know to find safety for their children? Those of us who have always lived in freedom can't begin to understand what this means. Yes, many of us know poverty, discrimination, fear of the violence of the streets, but not the unrelenting fear that many of our neighbors have faced. How might our attitudes be different if we looked at every family seeking asylum as a "holy family?" Would we open our minds and hearts and offer help, or would we worry that "those people" might take away our jobs or put our way of life at risk?
When my sister lived in student housing in Iowa thirty plus years ago, she met another student from Thailand who couldn't believe the wastefulness of Americans. We speak of overcrowding; this student couldn't believe that we used perfectly good farm land for golf courses. It's a good time to remember that our ancestors were once refugees on these shores looking for a new way of life and freedom from tyranny. God wants us to welcome foreigners and care for them just as the Hebrew people were welcomed and the Holy Family were welcomed. What can we do to make today's holy families feel welcome?
Prayer
Loving and gracious God, you welcome all your children and care for them and you ask us to do the same. Open our hearts to welcome the stranger into our land and care for them as you would. Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Night Prayer
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
Inspiration
We have chosen to surrender our lives and serve the Lord. We serve Him by witnessing, completing missionary projects, and ministering to those in need. There is always work to do and a world full of people to help. We will look for opportunities to provide for our brothers and sisters in Christ by any means necessary. We are servants to one another as a service to the Lord; He will never forsake us.
Prayer
Dear God, Help us see the world through Your eyes. We desire to serve those around us by reflecting Your love through our actions. You will never forsake us, and we will continually lift praises of thanksgiving to You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
