Friday, February 19, 2021

Be Kind And Extend Grace

Scripture: Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV) - "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Message: I feel like as a population, we often forget to be kind and extend grace. It is easy to remember to be kind and gentle during Advent because the season is merry and we are focused on being generous and kind. However, I feel the spring can often be the most stressful time, where people need grace the most. Spring is often a time of change and growth. It's a time when we've forgotten about our New Year's Resolutions and we're just all trying to make it through. I believe this passage about being kind to others as we would want others to be kind to us. We are imperfect beings just doing our best. It isn't kind to judge or belittle others, because, in reality, we don't always do everything right. I try to do the right thing most of the time, but I still make oodles of mistakes. I hope when I mess up that those around me will choose to not judge me, but will be kind and extend grace. I hope you and I will do the same to those around us.

Prayer: Dear God, help us remember to be kind. Remind us to extend grace to others as You have extended Your grace to us. We make mistakes because we are human, but You are perfect and divine, and You choose to give us Your grace anyway. We love You and are blessed by Your grace. Amen.

Cassie Livingston

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Beauty In Mess

Scripture: John 1:4-5 (NIV) – “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Message: Since the 4th Century BC, stained glass has been used to decorate the windows of churches to tell stories of the Bible, and to shed beautiful light in historic worship spaces. Stained glass was a major piece of the gothic art period. A major mood of this art form can be understood through this passage in John. Stained glass tells stories through shining walls of colored light, which change with every passing moment, or shifting cloud. Sometimes our stories can be messy, just as stained glass is. The messy look was intentional in historic glass, as each piece has a different thickness, cut, color, and shape; but each piece works together to form a greater and more beautiful whole. Each piece of glass is a small part of a greater picture, just as each piece of our lives is a small part of a greater story. In ancient stained glass works, in order to hold the pieces together, large iron bands were installed. Our lives are a collection of fragments, being held together by our iron band, God, to make us a whole and beautiful picture through which we can tell our story.

Family Activity: Make a modern day stained glass piece. Pick up some magazines, with good photos inside, which can be cut up. Reflect on what story your family wants to tell together. Select and cut out photos and words from the magazines to tell the story of what the past year has looked like for your family. Cut, or glue these pieces to a sheet of pasteboard or card-stock. These cut-out photos and words are representative of all the different pieces of glass that come together to make one larger story of your family, as a part of God’s family.

Prayer: Dear God, help us remember that our stories are not complete yet. You are still forming us, collecting our glass to build a more beautiful picture in You. Help us to reflect and take a step back at the beauty You’re creating in our lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Cassie Livingston

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