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2025 2021 Glory To The New-born King! 12 25 21 - David |
2020 Do You Have Oil For Your Lamp? 3 4 20 - David Preparing For The Risen Lord 4 11 20 - David &Ann He Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! 4 13 20 - David Listening For God 5 2 20 - David Giving Back 5 30 20 - David & Ann The Captain’s Table 6 2 20 - David Intermittent Faith 7 10 20 - David 2019 Love Your Enemies 3 7 19 - David We Are Called To Be Inclusive 3 26 19 - David What Is Dying? 4 21 19 - David The Light Of The World 12 22 19 - David & Ann |
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Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025 |
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Scripture: Genesis 3:19b (NIV) – “for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Message: Ash Wednesday announces the beginning of Lent and summons us to remember Jesus’ journey to the cross and resurrection. It is called Ash Wednesday because ashes were used in ancient times to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent’s way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults. This day invites reflection, repentance, re‑dedication and marks the beginning of forty days of study, self-examination, sacrifice and prayer. The meaning of the number of “forty days” in Hebrew is a significant symbolic period of testing, transformation, judgment, spiritual growth and new beginnings. It was never intended to be a rigid calendrical* time. In apostolic times, a period of preparation and fasting was observed before the festival of Easter which was also the time for Baptisms. The formalization of the forty days of Lent was not instituted until the First Council of Nicea in 325 AD. In the early centuries fasting rules were strict, as they still are in the Eastern Orthodox Church. One meal a day was allowed in the evening, and meat, fish, eggs, and butter were forbidden; some also restricted the use of wine, oil, and other dairy products. In the West fasting rules have gradually been relaxed; the strict law of fasting in the Roman Catholic Church ceased during World War II. Today, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are observed as fast days in many Christian traditions. The emphasis on penitential practice and almsgiving remains, as well as a focus on self-denial, service to others, and with many Christians refocusing on spiritual growth. Jesus went to the wilderness for forty days to set aside the distractions of normal, “worldly” life and to focus on God and God’s will for Him which included self-reflection, testing and transformation in preparation for His ministry. Join Asbury Christians as we celebrate Christ’s life and ministry, and be blessed as you journey through Lent with these powerful and uplifting devotionals, inspired and written by members and friends of Asbury United Methodist Church. Prayer: Father, Comforter, Creator, be with me as I enter this Holy Season and help me on my journey through Lent to focus on You and to prepare my heart, mind and body for the true meaning of Holy Week and the glory of the Risen Christ on Easter Day. Amen. David Vatcher, Editor *calendrical - Calendrical means relating to a calendar or time measurement. For example, you might describe a ritual or calculation as calendrical. |
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Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024 by David |
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Scriptures: Luke 24:1-11 (NIV) – “On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”’ Then they remembered his words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV) – “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Mark 9:21-24 (NIV) – “Jesus asked the boy’s father, ‘How long has he been like this?’ ‘From childhood,’ he answered. ‘It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can’?’ said Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for one who believes.’ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’” Message: Why is it that so often in the Bible we find God and Jesus breaking cultural rules, using outsiders as Their messengers? And why, in our daily lives, are we so quick to forget that we are redeemed? On the first Easter morning, God chose women as His messengers to deliver the “Good News” to the apostles who were in a state of shock at the events of Good Friday, and thought the women were talking nonsense. Why does Thomas get the bad rap as “the doubter”, when in Luke, all of the apostles failed to understand and believe the unexpected women messengers declaring “He is Risen”? When we struggle with doubt, we are in good company as throughout the Bible there are many, many references to doubters, even during the Great Commission: Matthew 28:17 (NIV) – “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” God knows and understands the human condition of doubt, yet He loves us so much that His one and only Son gave His life to redeem our sins. Prayer: Father, on this Holy Easter morning, we praise and glorify Your name, knowing that Your Son Jesus died and is risen for our sake. Be with us and guide us at all times, and especially in times of doubt. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24b). In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. David Vatcher |
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Monday, December 9, 2024 Biblical Honesty And Ethics by David |
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Scriptures: Exodus 23:1-3 (NEB) – “You shall not spread a baseless rumor. You shall not make common cause with a wicked man by giving malicious evidence. You shall not be led into wrongdoing by the majority, nor, when you give evidence in a lawsuit, shall you side with the majority to pervert justice; not shall you favor the poor man in his suit.” Exodus 23:1a (NIV) – “You must not give a false report.” Exodus 23:1a (NLT) – “You must not pass along false rumors.” John 8:31-32 (NIV) – “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 1 John 2:9 (NIV) – “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.” Message: If we think that spreading baseless rumors is something from the 21st Century, then we need to turn to our Bible and specifically Exodus 23:1a. “Spreading” or “passing along” baseless or false rumors is not a lesser sin, than the sin incurred by the originator of the baseless or false rumor. Further, in the Jewish Study Bible1, published on behalf of the Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation by Oxford University Press in 1985, the word “majority” in verse 2 is more correctly translated as “mighty”, in other words those who are abusing their power. During these incredibly turbulent times, we would all do well to read and pray over these wise words from the time of Moses, as well as remembering and living the words of Jesus to love our neighbor (all people) as ourselves. John Wesley put it so well on October 6, 1774 during a highly contentious UK parliamentary election when he was speaking to members of Methodist societies near Bristol, England: “I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them
Prayer: Father, help us to keep our focus on You during this election season and to remember the words of Moses, Jesus and Wesley, and to treat all whom we meet with dignity and respect, just as we would wish to be treated. Amen. David Vatcher 1. Jewish Study Bible, published on behalf of the Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation by Oxford University Press in 1985 © Copyright. Permission not required for quoting a single word. 2. Journal of John Wesley Volume 4. Published circa 1790. Public Domain |
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Wednesday, April 19, 2023 (Eastertide) Can This Burden Be Lifted? by David |
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Scripture: Philippians 4:6 (NI V) – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”Message: In June 2003, my father had a stroke and was in a coma. On arriving at London Heathrow Airport one of my sisters phoned to let me know that my father had passed. I already knew. On the flight from DC to London I was deep in prayer when I became aware that my father had passed. His desire was that I read the Scriptures at his Memorial service. As a child, I did not have a close relationship with my father. His workday from home to home was from around 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. and he also worked a half day every other Saturday. Later we grew much closer. Two weeks before he passed, we had a wonderful five mile walk along the sea cliffs where my parents lived. Due to our close relationship, I knew I would struggle to read the Scripture at his Memorial Service. I was terrified. I was finding it difficult to sleep. At about 1.00 a.m. I was fervently praying, asking that this burden be taken from me. A voice spoke to me: “Do not worry, this load will be lifted from you.”. I slept soundly. Later that day, my mother, three sisters and I met with the pastor. We got to the Scriptures; no one knew of my anxiety. The pastor said: “Sometimes, it’s nice for the grandchildren to read the Scriptures, what do you think?”. My mother, knowing my father’s wishes, looked at me. I said: “I think that is a great suggestion.”. When asked, our son and daughter generously agreed to take on the task. Later, we were discussing hymns, and my mother said: “We don’t have a resurrection hymn and we can’t have the service without one.". At the pastor’s suggestion we agreed that the organist would play “Blessed Assurance”1 as the family walked out to the reception. The church was full. When “Blessed Assurance”1 was played, the congregation spontaneously broke out into song. We felt the Spirit moving in that place. Our family was blessed. Prayer: Father, thank You for listening and responding to our prayers in ways we never imagine. Help us never to forget to place all our anxieties and burdens on You in every situation with thanksgiving. Amen. David Vatcher 1. “Blessed Assurance” by Fanny Crosby. 1873. Public Domain. |
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Christmas Day, Saturday, December 25, 2021 by David |
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Scriptures: Isaiah 9:6-7a (NIV) - "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end." Please also read in your Bibles: Mark 1:1-2 (Isaiah prophesy); Matthew: 2:1-2 (Magi); Luke 2:8-12 (Shepherds); John 1:1-5 (Mystical / Spiritual - The Word) Message: Whenever the police are trying to understand what happened in an incident, they take observations from multiple perspectives and interview multiple people and it is only through painstaking methodical work that the facts might be revealed. To help us discern the truth, or the revelation of Christ's birth, God uses several writers with different perspectives as can be seen from the accounts in Isaiah, Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. None of these accounts are in conflict; they all combine to provide an all embracing image of the nature of God and of His excelling divine love for mankind with the fulfillment of His promise to deliver our Redeemer. Wow! What a glorious morning this is! In addition, God chooses unexpected people through whom He delivers His promise: a lowly maiden; a terrified husband; mystical visitors from the East who don't worship Yahweh, shepherds (the lowest of the low) who would be considered outsiders to the religious leaders of the time. These stories are the preamble to Christ's ministry for those who are willing to hear His Word, irrespective of their background, status and reputation. The radical shift serves to reinforce the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3b (NIV) - "and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you. " Abraham was also an outsider from the City of Ur in the Babylonian Empire. Use this Christmas morning to praise God and give Him thanks for His unending love for mankind. Family Activity: invite those with you to read the Scriptures indicated above and explore how each of the stories reveals an important aspect of God's love for you. Prayer: Father, we praise You and adore You on this Christmas morning in celebrating the birth of Your Son, our Redeemer. Thank You for your faithful servants from the time of Abraham who help us understand Your love. As Jesus commanded, help us to share Your love with all whom we meet. In Your Holy Name we pray. Hallelujah! Amen and Amen! David Vatcher |
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Wednesday, March 4, 2020 Do You Have Oil For Your Lamp? by David |
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Scripture: Matthew 25:13 (NIV) – “Keep awake then; for you never know the day or the hour.” Message: This parable came alive for me when I visited Karachi, Pakistan in 1974 as a young naval officer. One of my Master’s program cohorts was an officer in the Pakistani navy. He and his wife took me out daily so that I could see Karachi through their eyes. One evening we passed a large walled enclosure with bright lights, music and sounds of celebration. It was a wedding. My friend told me they had a rather small wedding with around 1,000 guests; some weddings would have up to 5,000 guests. The problem was that the time of arrival of the bridegroom was uncertain and so the bridesmaids had to keep watch so that they could let the bride’s father know when the bridegroom was approaching. The festivities could run to several days and this tradition is still common today in some Middle Eastern and Asian countries. My experience in Karachi, a Muslim country, opened my eyes to a deeper understanding of this parable where Jesus drew on a familiar scene which would have been well understood by those listening. Through this parable Jesus speaks to us; not just about the second coming, it is about the way we live our lives and our journey of faith. It helped me to understand that we can and need to have a personal relationship with Christ, our Risen Lord, and that our time on earth is not of our choosing. Prayer: Father, help us to be awake to Your Word as we live our lives day by day. Amen. David Vatcher |
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Saturday, April 11, 2020 Preparing For The Risen Lord by David and Ann |
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Scripture: Isaiah 40:3 (NIV) – “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” Message: In 1907, Lord Baden Powell, founder of the Scouts devised the Scout motto “Be Prepared” which he defined as: “you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.” I saw a great slogan in one company for which I worked: “expect the unexpected”. As we have journeyed through Lent, have we been prepared, prepared to expect the unexpected? Lent is a time of reflection and preparation for new beginnings on Easter Day when we receive the resurrected Christ as our Savior. It is therefore a time of challenge and change. The Hebrew nation understood that “words” mean “actions”. Words for words sake are just hot air and without meaning (Ecclesiastes 1:2). This goes right back to Genesis 1:3 “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” God’s commitment to us through Jesus is that with His Words come His Actions and the same is expected of us. My life was changed through the power of other people’s prayer after I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001. My mind was healed as I came to understand the meaning of contentment when all was turned over to God. My healing came through God’s action that followed prayers. As we approach Easter Day are we prepared? Are we ready to accept and embrace the risen Christ into our lives? Family Activity: Listen and reflect on the song “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord”1 from Godspell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuUl522_8jQ (Skip Ads). Or make "Empty Tomb Rolls" or "Resurrection Cookies" Empty Tomb Rolls. Ingredients: Mini marshmallows (body of Jesus); Crescent Rolls 8 oz (tomb). Recipe: separate rolls into triangles; place a marshmallow in the center of each triangle. Fold and seal the dough around the marshmallow. Seal well. Bake on a greased baking sheet, or in a jumbo muffin tin at 375F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown. Allow to cool slightly then eat warm. If the rolls are opened, the marshmallow will have disappeared (Christ has risen). Prepare the rolls on Saturday, and bake on Sunday, morning. Prayer: Father, thank You for the gift and the sacrifice of Your Son Jesus. Help us so that our lives and our actions reflect the risen Christ. Amen. David and Anne Vatcher 1. “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” by Stephen Schwartz. 1965. © Copyright. Publisher unknown. Permission not required for use of Title only. |
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Monday, April 13, 2020 - "The Connection" Series He Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! by David |
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Scripture: Matthew 28:6-7 (NIV) – “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” Message: The Easter morning greeting likely started in the Eastern Orthodox Church with the priest proclaiming: “He is Risen!” and the people replying: “He is Risen Indeed!” This proclamation and reply is said three times. Why three times? For many years I had assumed that it was connected with of Peter’s admonishment after he had denied Christ three times. The risen Lord said to Peter on the beach “Do you love me” and “then feed my sheep” three times (John 21:15-17 (NIV)). However, the weight of repeating a statement three times, probably had its origin more than 500 years before Christ just before Jeremiah was accused of heresy in Jerusalem, following his Sermon in the Temple in 509BC, he stated: “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!”’” So just as Christ was admonishing Peter and setting him straight; so Jeremiah was doing the same for the leaders of Israel in trying to get them to turn back to God. Let us remember as we celebrate the risen Christ, let us enthusiastically proclaim Jesus the risen Lord and our Savior three times as a statement of our love for Him. And to place that love and faith at the center of our daily lives and committing to show our love to all whom we meet in the same way that Jesus showed His love for us. Prayer: Jesus, our risen Lord, help and support us in our daily lives to live according to Your will following Your commandments to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves through praise and service. Amen. David Vatcher |
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Saturday, May 2, 2020 - "The Connection" Series by David |
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Scripture: John 15:13 (NIV) – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Message: Listening for God is not always so easy when we often want to speak and not necessarily listen. This devotional came from listening to God on three different occasions this week. Firstly, during a shower when I was pondering the coronavirus pandemic and all who are putting their lives at risk for the sake of others: the first responders; medical teams, the medical support staff and care givers and the many who have given and continue to give their lives. Secondly, when editing devotionals, I was drawn to a famous quote by Winston Churchill at the end of the Battle of Britain on August 20, 1940 when so many young men, with an average age of 20, had given their lives for the nation which under great threat of invasion. "Never was so much owed by so many to so few" – this quote is poignant to me as my paternal grandfather was a pilot in the First World War and he never told his children. He shared it with me when I was teaching youth 16 years old to fly gliders, when I was 17 years old. This quotation is also very apt for those who have died and those who risk their lives every day in the fight against this terrible virus. Thirdly, when taking my usual 4 mile morning walk this morning, John 15:13 was given to me. The last time I used this quotation was during The Museum of the Bible project where we featured a Cenotaph in Arlington National Cemetery erected by the brother of Major Archibald Butt who died in 1912 on the Titanic. Rescued women told of how Major Butt ensured that they and their children were given places in lifeboats knowing that he would not. If we open our minds through meditation and prayer we can surely hear what God has to say to us. Prayer: Father, we pray for all those who, following Your Son’s example, give selflessly for others, even unto death and new life in You. Help us to better listen for Your Word through the Holy Spirit that we may reflect the love of the risen Christ with all whom we meet. In the name of your dear Son, our Savior. Amen. David Vatcher |
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Saturday, May 30, 2020 - "The Connection" Series by David & Ann |
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Scripture: Matthew 25:34-36 (NIV) – “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” Message: Recently, a father of two teenage children was laid off from a well-paid project engineering job in the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic. The UK government indicated that he would receive financial support. He thought this would be a good time to “give back” and planned to volunteer with the National Health Service, possibly delivering prescription drugs to those at high risk. Just before he volunteered, the UK government clarified the conditions for financial support and he found that he was ineligible, yet he needed to continue to provide financial support for his family. “Giving back” was still on his mind and so, through an agency, he took a minimum wage job as a hospital “deep” cleaner. His role includes deep cleaning vacated rooms. He has also cleaned rooms with COVID-19 patients which required the use of full personal protective equipment (PPE) with respirator providing clean air. The dressing process for the COVID-19 work takes nearly an hour; the maximum time working in these conditions is 2 hours. The remainder of his 12 hour shift continues after a short break, cleaning vacated rooms. Before taking the job he asked his parents what they thought; they responded by telling him that being the hands and feet of Jesus and supporting those in need, while taking precautions was a worthy cause. We are proud of the work our son, Matthew, is doing in providing support for those hospitalized during this pandemic; it has provided us a window into the medical world which we did not fully comprehend from news reports on TV. Prayer: Thank You God for those who provide services and support for hospital patients at this time, including first responders, medical support staff, doctors, nurses and cleaners. Bless them and their families for putting service before self. Amen. David and Anne Vatcher |
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Wednesday, June 3, 2020 - "The Connection" Series by David |
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Scripture: Luke 14:17-20 (NIV) – “At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’” Message: As a young Lieutenant in the Royal Navy one of my duties was to attend “The Captain’s Table”. It was a daily routine for defaulters to account for their misdemeanors. Those attending included: the Captain or his deputy, the Executive Officer (XO), the Master at Arms (ship’s policeman), a defending officer and a witness, usually a junior officer. The most interesting Captain’s Table usually occurred the day after sailing; most defaulters were late reporting aboard. The experienced defaulters provided intriguing and often entertaining tales; it was not unusual for the Captain, or XO to lighten the punishment for a novel story. Adam Hamilton in his study “The Walk” tells a powerful story of when he was nudged by the Holy Spirit to visit a member of his church in hospital with a terminal condition. Adam was on his way home after a long day and decided to make a note in his calendar to visit the member the next morning. At around 10.00 pm Adam received a call informing him that the member had passed. Adam describes this “wake up” call which changed his behavior to always listen attentively to the Holy Spirit when it nudges him. Listening attentively is not always one of our best attributes and yet we are called to seek and listen for those who need help and to respond when we are called. Have you been nudged by the Holy Spirit recently? We are richly blessed and our lives can be further enriched by blessing others as our Captain and Lord teaches us through His Word and His examples so that we are ready to respond to His banquet invitation. Prayer: Father, help us to listen to You and Your Holy Spirit so that we are ready to respond when we receive a nudge, or a call to embrace and support Your work upholding the Asbury mission… to know the love of Jesus and pass it on! Amen. David Vatcher |
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Friday, July 10, 2020 - "The Connection" Series Intermittent Faith by David |
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Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2 (CEB) – “So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter.” Message: As a technologist, I have worked on a number of challenging and fascinating projects. In the 1990’s I was invited to develop a new method for launching roller coasters from zero to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds – same acceleration as a Formula 1 race car. Over several years the company had tried and failed, due to an “intermittent” failure and was ready to give up. I don’t accept “intermittent” failure as insolvable; we just had to find the cause which gave rise to the inconsistent failures. After an intensive 4 months, the team came into my office with grins like the proverbial Cheshire Cat. I knew, before they spoke, that they understood what was causing the failure; it took another 5 months of intense development to find a consistently reliable solution. The system has been launching a well‑known roller coaster in Orlando for the last 21 years. During a devotional discussion earlier this year, someone told me about their frustration with an intermittent failure of their car which started me thinking about a connection with intermittent faith. We all have times in our lives where our faith is challenged and we just have questions. Exploring the scriptures and our faith with other like-minded Christians to try to understand what is being revealed, is a journey that is both exciting and exhilarating. To succeed in any activity we need to practice, practice, practice. At times we may feel God isn’t listening, or is far away. God is still there, but other distractions may have caused our attention to stray. When this occurs, we need to practice Bible Study, Worship, Prayer, Loving, Serving, Giving and Sharing, and the more we practice the stronger our faith becomes. If you find that your faith is sagging, feeling intermittent, then it is probably time for a spiritual workout and renewal with others. Prayer: Thank You God for giving us inquiring and curious minds, so that through the study of Your Word we can find glimpses of Your truth revealed. Help us focus on the race towards You. Amen. David Vatcher |
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Thursday, March 7, 2019 Love Your Enemies by David |
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Scripture: Matthew 5:43, 44 (NIV) - "You have learned that they were told, 'Love your neighbor, hate your enemy.' But what I tell you is this: 'Love your enemies and pray (for your persecutors; only so you can be children of your heavenly Father who makes the sun rise on the good and bad alike, and sends rain on the honest and the dishonest.'" Message: Gordon Wilson, a Methodist Elder and Lay Preacher in Belfast, was a loving person, but had no idea how his love would be tested. On November 8th, 1987, he attended the Remembrance Day Ceremony (the Sunday, closest to Veteran's Day) at Enniskillen with his daughter Marie. The IRA had planted a bomb timed to explode just before the ceremony started. 11 people died and 64 were injured. As Marie lay dying holding her father's hand in the rubble, her last words were: "Daddy, I love you very much." Hours alter the bombing, Gordon gave an emotional TV interview which brought him In international prominence with the words: "I bear no ill will; I bear no grudge and will pray for these men tonight and every night." This became one of the most remembered quotations of the "Troubles". He pleaded with loyalists not to take revenge for the terrible carnage. As Irish historian and author Jonathan Bardon recounts, “No words in more than 25 years of violence had such a powerful, emotional impact.”1 Gordon's call tor forgiveness and reconciliation was known as the Spirit of Enniskillen, he set up a Trust to support young people with a passion to promote reconciliation. He worked tirelessly as a peace campaigner with both republican and loyalist paramilitary organizations to persuade them to give up violence. Gordon's total commitment to love his enemies took a toll on his health; he died at the age of 67. Nevertheless his work paved the way for the Good Friday, Peace Agreement. Prayer: In a time of such divisiveness help us to understand how we can respect and work with those who have different views to our own. Amen. David Vatcher 1. “Gordon Wilson (peace campaigner)”. Wikipedia. Public Domain. |
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Tuesday, March 26, 2019 We Are Called To Be Inclusive by David |
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Scripture: John 10:14-16 (NIV) - "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep and my sheep know me the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. But there are other sheep of mine, not belonging to this fold, whom I must bring in; and they too will listen to my voice. There will then be one flock, one shepherd." Message: William Barclay wrote: "One of the hardest things in the world to unlearn is exclusiveness. Once people get the idea that they are specially privileged, it is very difficult for them to accept that the privileges which they believed belonged to them, and to them only, are in fact open to all."1 In the Methodist Church we attended in England, a couple ran the children's Sunday, School. I had some concerns with their literal theology. Two events brought my concerns to a head. Our daughter, then 12, had been away at a weekend Girl Scout camp, the following Sunday, she was told that she couldn't be a committed Christian if she put Girl Scouts ahead of attending Sunday, School. The second was during preparations for a church weekend retreat. During the previous Sunday, children were told they shouldn't attend the retreat as it was not being led by "real Christians." You can image how upset Anne and I were. Together, with the parents of a close friend of our daughter who was also a Girl Scout and in the same Sunday, School class as our daughter, we met with our pastor and the Sunday, School leaders – who were relieved of their leadership roles. Later, our pastor said to me: “It is very simple: are you inclusive, or exclusive and where would Jesus stand?” This was a pivotal and profound moment in my faith journey. Jesus calls us to be inclusive and to help bring in all the lost sheep. This call is also clear from the parable of the Good Samaritan and the Samaritan Woman at the Well; it is something we cannot avoid if we are about God's work. Prayer: Father, help us to put our own needs and desires away and focus on what You would have us do in bringing all people into a relationship with You without trying to bend others to our narrow point of view. Amen. David Vatcher 1. “The Gospel of John Volume 2, Chapters 8-21 Revised Edition Translated with and Introduction and Interpretation by William Barclay” “John 10 – The Ultimate Unity”. Written by William Barclay. 1956© Copyright. Page 63. Used by Permission of Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. |
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Saturday, April 20, 2019 What Is Dying? by David |
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Scripture: Romans 8:38-39 (NIV) - "For I am convinced that there is nothing in death or life, in the realm of spirits or superhuman powers, in the world as it is or the world as it shall be, in the forces of the universe, in heights or depths nothing in all creation that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Message: I was meditating on this passage from Romans 8 during the wonderful Memorial Service celebrating the life of Ben Celones and a homily entitled "What is Dying?"1 came to mind. The homily was written in the early 20th Century by Bishop Brent, the first Episcopalian Missionary Bishop to the Philippines and later Chaplain General of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War 1. Bishop Brent was also an ecumenical leader reaching out to other denominations and to the disenfranchised. As a naval architect, the words have a particular poignancy to me. I have provided copies to family and friends at their time of loss and find the words comforting as they transcend the divide between this life and the next with such poetic beauty. "I am standing on a sea shore. A ship sails and spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean. She is an object of beauty and I stand watching her till at last she fades on the horizon and someone at my side says: 'She is gone.' Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all; she is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her and just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her; and just at the moment when someone at my side says: 'She is gone,' there are others who are watching her coming and other voices take up the glad shout: 'There she comes." Prayer: Father, help us to remember that You have promised to be with us always and that nothing can separate us from Your love through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen. David Vatcher 1. “What is Dying?” Written by Charles Henry Brent. Circa 1912. Public Domain. Bishop Brent was Missionary Bishop to the Philippines; Chaplain General of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I; Bishop of the Episcopal Church's Diocese of Western New York. |
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Fourth Advent Sunday, December 22, 2019 by David & Ann |
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Scriptures: John 3:16 (NIV) - "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." John 8:12 (NIV) "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Message: During a Christmas service in 1747, Bishop Johannes de Watteville, Marienborn, Germany, a Moravian Pastor, gave children a lighted candle with a red ribbon around it representing Jesus as the Light of the World. The candle and ribbon became known as a Christingle, German for Christ's Light. The benedictory prayer at the service was: "Lord Jesus, kindle a flame in these children's hearts, that theirs become like Thine.”1 Moravian missionaries took the Christingle to the world and it was introduced to the United Kingdom in the late 1700s. In Moravian churches the Christingle Service is normally held on the Sunday, before Christmas, or on Christmas Eve. One of my greatest Christmas memories was attending my first Candlelight Service with my parents when I was 4 or 5 years old (long before Christingles became popular). I remember standing on the pew near the back of the church as the choir sang the candlelight processional hymn, "Once in Royal David's City”2 while the church candles were lit. Today the Christingle includes: an orange representing the world; a red ribbon representing the blood of Christ; a candle representing the light of the world; 4 cocktail sticks with candies and fruit representing the four seasons and the fruits of the earth. In the 1960s Christingle Services became very popular in the UK; last year more than 6,000 churches participated and raised more than $1.6 million for vulnerable children. The Christingle is made on the day before the Christingle Service with members of the church of all ages participating. Christingles are handed out during the service and lit during the candlelight hymn; afterwards the Christingles are taken home and used as a table decoration for the Christmas meal a reminder that Christ is the center of our lives. Activity: Making a Christingle Prayer: Father, at this Christmastide let the Christingle remind us of the real meaning of Christmas that Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, who came to redeem the world so loved by You. Amen. David and Anne Vatcher 1. “Christingle Definition”. Written by Bishop Johannes de Watteville, Marienborn, Germany. 1747. Public Domain. 2. “Once in Royal David’s City”. Written by Cecil Frances Alexander. 1848. United Methodist Church Hymnal #250. Public Domain. |
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