|
2020 A Clean Heart 10 31 20 2019 Divine Light 12 17 19 2016 Locating Ourselves 12 14 16 |
20115 The Good Shepherd 2 19 15 & 9 14 20 The Gift 12 5 15 & 2 12 21 Treasures 12 14 15 & 1 15 21 A Light Has Dawned 12 23 15 & 1 27 21 2014 Healing Power 3 10 14 & 8 21 20 |
|
Saturday, October 31. 2020 - "The Connection" Series |
|
Scripture: Psalm 51:6-12 (NIV) – “Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Message: This morning Ty and I watched our two pups in front of the fireplace. Like a mother, they were taking turns grooming the other, especially cleaning the eyes. We groom and brush them regularly, yet these siblings care for and daily wash each other. Later, I was reading in Psalm 51 where King David went before God to willingly open his heart. David knew he had sinned and pleaded with God to "clean him up". Only when we implore "wash me" will God, by invitation only, step in to do so. Not like my little pups. It is only when we say "create in me a clean heart" that God comes to "put a new and right Spirit" within us. King David's psalm displays a truth that when we have a forgiving spirit, our life is renewed. We praise God and sing aloud God's deliverance. We say yes to God's forgiveness. We sing God's salvation not only with words, but with our whole lives. Prayer: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me today. I open my body, mind, and spirit to You as I am able. Amen.
Pastor Barbara W Riddle |
|
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 |
|
Scriptures: Genesis 1: 3-4a (NRSV) - "Then God said, let there be light'; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good"; John 8:12 (NRSV) – “And Jesus spoke to them, saying ‘I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in but will have the Light of life.’” Psalm 109:105 (NRSV) – “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Message: This fall I visited with one of our seniors who had been hospitalized. It was a late warm afternoon when I knocked on Margaret's door. She lives with her daughter's family assisting in helpful ways. When she moved to Florida, I also visited in the name of Asbury hospitality; she had followed up with a handmade card. I was delighted. She spoke about her craft / sewing / scrap booking room. Such a talented woman!
That afternoon her living room drapes were drawn to resist the day's
heat. She assured me that her health was doing well. I realized that
some additional items were now in the living room. I saw
beautiful Asian dolls, cradled in clear cases. As I got up to gaze,
Margaret began opening the drapes. Light flooded in; I caught my
breath. The entire room was decorated in Asian art, furniture,
accessories, and trinkets. I asked Margaret about her childhood
years. Was she a missionary's child? Did her husband serve in Asia?
Had they visited this incredible region? Margaret had fallen in love
with Asia through watching TV programs and reading. The Yes, the sentence "The painting fitted the décor of our rustic house" is grammatically correct and clear. However, in modern English, "fit" is more commonly used than "fitted" when referring to how something matches or is suitable. So, you might consider: It was amazing how light revealed the real beauty of her room. As I bid her goodbye, I thought of the transformative nature of God's light. New truths are revealed. Our perspective can be changed and our lives saved. Similarly, the shepherds were led to Jesus' birthplace and the wise men followed the gleaming star from country afar. "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying 'I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness but will have the Light of life." John 8:12. Prayer: Thank You Holy God, that "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). May Your Holy Light continue to guide us during this Advent season. Amen. Pastor Barbara W Riddle |
|
|
|
Scripture: Psalm 16:7-9;11 - "You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." Message: It was late one evening when our youngest grandson, 5-year-old Parker, was sitting out on the front steps in his pajamas just waiting, hands under his chin, quietly looking out as the sun was setting. His mom, Kathleen, gazed out the front door and said, "Parker, what are you doing out there by yourself?" He replied, "I'm waiting for Brennan and Shep (oldest brothers) to find me on Google Earth." When I saw that Instagram photo and heard about that delightful conversation, I had a wonderful chuckle. Are we not like little Parker, looking up into the mighty deepening blue sky and asking brothers / sisters / mothers / fathers to find us on the great green globe of Google Earth? Are we not trying to locate ourselves in the midst of the craziness of Christmas shopping and life-changing events? Prayer: O God, may our lives have meaning. Send me / us a Savior to rescue and save us in these unsettling times. In Jesus' name. Amen. Pastor Barbara W Riddle |
|
Thursday, February 19, 2015 & Monday, September 14, 2020 - "The Connection" Series |
|
Scripture: John 10:14 (NRSV) – “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,” Message: This year, 2015, as I was putting away our Christmas ornaments, I was handling some of those that were special. They were sheep we have collected over the years from various places we have visited. Some are white, black, fluffy, carved out of wood, or other materials. As I wrapped these little pieces, I was reminded of the ones who first heard the glorious message of the Messiah's birth. It was the poorest of the poor, the shepherds out in the fields. They came with their leather-cracked faces and working hands, soiled with the grime of the day. I also remember that when I was in my church confirmation class, the common picture of Jesus the shepherd hung on the wall. When I went to church on Saturdays, I would notice it in our classroom. I grew up knowing that this Jesus was always there with the kindness of the shepherd caring for His sheep and lifting children onto His lap. Old and New Testament Scriptures mention sheep over 500 times. This image of Jesus being the great Shepherd who knows His own and cares for His flock has comforted me from the time that I was a child in my confirmation class. As I placed my ornaments away after the Christmas season, I was reminded that, in a few weeks we would begin the Lenten journey to the cross. Jesus, the Lamb of God, is our Shepherd and gave His life for all. Prayer: The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Amen.
Pastor Barbara W Riddle |
|
Thursday, December 2, 2015 & Friday, February 12, 2021 |
|
Scripture: John 3:16 (NRSV) – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Message: Over the long term, I remember few gifts that I have received. I’m sure many are lovely and special… And I can point them out in our home. But I suppose in my sixties, I am reminded of the “lean years.” No, we didn’t walk to school in the snow, but Ty was in the Air Force as a non-commissioned and we did live in a trailer park right in front of a meat packing plant. The smell was indescribable. The trucks roaring out early each morning would threaten to mow us down before we got a running start. Ty and I cleaned a medical office in the morning, he cleaned tables 3 nights a week at the Officers Club, and it seemed I was driving across Denver numerous times a day to drop him off, or pick him up, and go to my own job. Until I found a job in Denver, our trailer and car payments exceeded Ty’s Air Force salary. Why am I sharing such personal details? Because we struggled deeply those early years… and gifts were few and hard to come by. I remember and cherish one of the sweetest gifts ever given to me. I didn’t give a thought to my birthday, knowing something would arrive from family. But, on my birthday afternoon, my husband baked a mix cake, no icing. He made a hand drawn / colored card and ventured out to pick a bouquet of wild flowers. It has been 44 years and I still remember. It’s the small things… the thoughtful things that remain with us. It’s the giving of thought, of self, of significance. Prayer: Loving God, thank You for giving Your life for us. Thank You for the gift and the Giver. Amen.
Pastor Barbara W Riddle |
|
Monday, December 14, 2015 & Friday, January 15, 2021 |
|
Scripture: Luke 2:19 (NIV) – “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Message: One Saturday, our family met at a popular restaurant for dinner. Ty and I arrived first and I told the host that my kids were arriving in another car. He asked, “Will you need a booster seat for them?” I smiled silently, and with a touch of melancholy answered, “No”. The host, in his early twenties proceeded to lead us to a table, carrying coloring books and crayons for my kids. This time the laugh was audible. I apologized for the confusion and explained that one of my kids was driving my other kid and that they had way outgrown coloring books. The youthful host said, “Oh that’s okay. I’m 23 and I’m still my Mom’s baby.”. I wonder as Mary treasured the wonderful heart things about her infant child, Jesus, if she realized how quickly He would be grown. Probably not, because in a dozen years, she lost track of her young son in Jerusalem, while He questioned the synagogue teachers and amazed them with knowledge about God, His heavenly Father. Like my children, Mary’s child grew too quickly, but she always carried Him in her heart. He was always “her baby.” Prayer: Dear God, You are with us every step of our life journey. Amen.
Pastor Barbara W Riddle Back to top |
|
Wednesday, December 23, 2015 & Wednesday, January 27, 2021 |
|
Scripture: Isaiah 9.2 (NRSV) – “The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined.” Message: It was truly a paradoxical experience. I perched myself on the creaky bleachers with my family and I viewed a living nativity. It was December 23. The music began to play as a spotlight shone on the tall pine tree revealing “shepherds watching their sheep”. I strained to hear the narrative “and there were shepherds abiding in the field” as truckers downshifted in the low gear. On cue, the Bethlehem Star over the “stable” lighted up just as a car’s headlights washed out the brilliance of the set. Mary rocked her baby as the stately march began of the approaching bearded kings. About that time an emergency vehicle plowed through the intersection with the pulsating red light and deafening racket. I turn my eyes from the darkened tableaux to glimpse the sign in the shopping center across the street which read, “open until midnight for your convenience”. I returned my attention to the setting, attempting to focus on the events. Within moments the production ended with all of the actors kneeling around the makeshift “stable”. Well-wishers moved to speak to the actors, and I sat for a few moments in the silence. Once again the story of Christmas was told amid competing confusion and commercialization. Against the backdrop of the secular world, I strained to hear the good news of “glory to God in the highest!”. Amid grinding gears, flashing lights and distraction, I thought I heard, “the people who have walked in darkness… Those who have lived in a land of deep darkness – on them a light shined” for a child has been born to us, a Son has been given and His name has been called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Prayer: Dear God, as we live and move among the challenges, distractions, and opportunities of Advent, may You continue to whisper the miracle of Christmas. Amen.
Pastor Barbara W Riddle
Back to top |
|
Thursday, April 10, 2014 & Friday, August 21, 2020 - "The Connection" Series |
|
Scripture: Isaiah 43:1-3a (NRSV) – “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Message: I had been counseled concerning the possibility of permanent damage to my vocal cords following the first of my spine surgeries. This is not a good outcome when one's calling and vocation is a minister / preacher, so I didn’t think it would happen. And then it did. I began to sound like a frog. At first the doctors seemed to think it was swelling from the surgery. Yet, tests confirmed that the vocal cords were not vibrating. Gratefully I was in an administrative position and I did not need to preach for several months while I was healing. I was told the nerves to the chords might need a year to heal and to "give it time." I felt the dark veil of depression come over me as my “froggy” voice held on. For the first time in my life I was unable to sing beloved Christmas carols. As each month passed, there was less possibility of the chords healing. But, we continued to pray. In mid-January, at a training event, I was mouthing words and making sounds, when Ty turned to me and whispered, "Are you singing?" Suddenly I realized that I was. Then I recognized the hymn that I was singing; it was Fanny Crosby’s hymn “Rescue the Perishing.” “Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, Feelings lie buried that grace can restore; Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.” This perishing person, named Barbara, needed to be reminded to sing with all her heart and her chords would be restored. Once again, God provides! Prayer: Dear God, we thank You for healing our illness and brokenness. We thank You for our community of faith who surround and love us. Amen.
Pastor Barbara W Riddle |
|
|
