Day 24: Missional Excellence
Posted: May 17, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: 40 day walk, bishop mcalilly, christ, god, jesus, lord, Thessalonians 2 Comments
Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I wonder sometimes, if disciples of Jesus know and understand the importance of sharing the joy and thanksgiving of faith. In a world that is too often filled with gloom and doom, disciples need to bring the light of God’s love in Christ Jesus with joy and thanksgiving. After all, we are to witness and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus which is the Good News.
John 14:28, says in part, “If you love me you would have rejoiced …” I believe it is our responsibility as Christians to infuse and model for the world the joy and thanksgiving of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. It seems to me the two, rejoicing and thanksgiving, go hand in hand. When there is joy and rejoicing there is thanksgiving, and when there is thanksgiving there is joy and rejoicing.
Recently, at the Pulaski District Training, Bishop Bill McAlilly shared a God story with us. You could literally feel the joy and thanksgiving in the sanctuary, along with the spoken, “Amen” and “Praise God” as Bishop McAlilly told his story. We need to tell our stories of faith, and give witness to the blessings of a life in Christ. We need to celebrate with joy all that God is doing in our lives and in the world around us.
May we remember that the Church is called to be faithful to God in Jesus Christ, rather than to be successful according to the standards of the world. Jesus told his disciples in Luke 15:7,“… there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” As we share our stories of faith, people will be drawn to Christ for redemption and salvation.
Prayer: Lord, help us to know and understand that “rejoicing and thanksgiving” is vital and important in expressing and witnessing to our faith. In the holy name of Jesus. AMEN.
The Rev. Ron Brown
Spiritual Formation Team- TN Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
Day 23: Congregational Excellence
Posted: May 16, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: annual conference, bishop mcalilly, Epistle to the Philippians, god, jesus, lord, paul, philippians, Prayer, TNUMC 1 Comment
Philippians 4:11-13
I’m not saying this because I need anything, for I have learned how to be content in any circumstance. I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor. I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength.
Balance is always a problem because there seems to always be more of something than something else. Paul was able to find balance where ever he found himself planted…even when he is under arrest.
He reminds us that he has had plenty and he has had nothing. Finding that balance is important, and Paul was able to find balance between his relationship with Christ, the people he loved, and his situation.
In our congregations, it has been my experience that those Christ followers that manage to find a balance between jobs, families, culture, worship, prayer life and concerns have the ingredients to cause the kingdom to become closer at hand.
So, how does one or a group of “ones” find that balance?
I believe that the key to finding this balance, which was exemplified by Paul’s state of contentment, is by putting first things first.
Let us seek first the kingdom of God, let us pray continuously, let us do what it takes to balance our spiritual lives with our physical lives…let us be healthy, as both individuals and congregations, so that we are able to love God and love the neighbors Christ has given us.
Prayer: Lord, help us to focus, and help us to set our priorities to bring balance to our being. Amen.
The Rev. Stephen Webb
Chairperson, Fellowship of Local Pastors & Associate Members-Memphis Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
Day 22: Pastoral Excellence
Posted: May 15, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: annual conference, bishop mcalilly, christianity, god, hebrews, jesus, TNUMC 4 Comments
Hebrews 10:24
“Let’s also think about how to motivate each other to show love and to do good works.”
For a couple of years I volunteered to be an adult mentor to children in a local elementary school. Many of the children I met with on my weekly visits lived in the Settle Court housing project, which used to be one of most dangerous places to live in Nashville. Every Tuesday I would leave my office and drive to the school and spend two hours talking with children and reading to them.
One of the children I met each week was a little boy named Daniel. Daniel had unruly blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes and an unpredictable personality. Daniel could be cheerful or he could be angry and disagreeable; he was often sent to the principal’s office for misbehaving. But over the weeks of meeting with him we developed a bond of trust.
One Tuesday Daniel bounced into the office, saw me and said, “I knew you would come; you always keep your promises.” There were many Tuesdays when I was too busy to go to the school and I would start to make mental excuses for staying at work, but I would hear Daniel’s voice in my head saying, “I knew you would come.” Those words always motivated me to get in my car and drive to the school.
The world in which we live is broken and in need of healing. The world is in need of the transforming love of Jesus Christ. The world does not need a church that is perfect; the world needs a church that can be counted on to show up, a church that is motivated to show love and do good works.
Prayer reflection: Pray for the places in your neighborhood that could be transformed by the love of Christ. Consider a prayer walk through your church’s neighborhood.
The Rev. Ken Edwards
Chairperson, Order of Elders-TN Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
Day 21: God’s Transforming Presence – Offering Christ to a Hurting World
Posted: May 14, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: 40daywalk, annual conference, bishop, bishop mcalilly, god, holy spirit, jesus, memphis, tennessee, TNUMC 1 Comment
John 14: 25-26 (Read verses 15-27)
I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you.
We begin our Christian journey, as we respond to the invitation of Jesus to “Come, follow me.” Each of us in our own way responded, “Yes, I will follow you.” We never know where our simple response to the call of God in Christ will lead, or what it will offer to us in terms of challenge and fulfillment.
Jesus, who had compassion for the crowds, does not add another layer of “you should” to the invitation to follow him. For the invitation is first to “Come follow and come receive.” The promise is that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will be guided, taught, empowered, and sustained in every step we take with Jesus. So we claim our full inheritance as children of God and begin living a life of trust and fulfillment. The Incarnation is made real in us as we become a holy chalice to carry the Transforming Presence of God everywhere we are called to go.
The invitation of Jesus to every disciple is, “Come follow and together we will go where the wounds are.” That’s where Jesus always goes and there the Transforming Presence will heal wounds, and reveal God’s Kingdom. The invitation is “Come, walk with me, and see what the power of God can do when we walk together.” Our response? “I will follow you and share the Transforming Presence of God wherever you lead me, for I am yours.”
In Your Time of Prayer: Remember, reflect upon and give thanks for your call to follow Jesus. Give thanks for God’s love for you and desire to live with you and within you as you ask where God is leading you today. In joyful gratitude offer your life anew to God in Christ as you decide again to walk with Jesus for all time and wherever God leads.
Write and record your response and commitment so it will be remembered.
Bishop Reuben Job, Retired
Author and Leader in Spiritual Formation and Prayer
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
DAY 9: God’s transforming presence – offering Christ to a hurting world
Posted: May 2, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: 40 day prayer, annual conference, bill mcalilly, bishop, bishop mcalilly, mckendree, memphis, Methodist, Prayer, tennessee, UMC, united methodist 2 Comments
Luke 13:10-13
Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. A woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and couldn’t stand up straight. When he saw her, Jesus called her to him and said, “Woman, you are set free from your sickness.” He placed his hands on her and she straightened up at once and praised God.
As we reflect on the transforming presence of Jesus in our lives, what a remarkably sweet gift is the healing presence of Christ that is always with us! Jesus reminds us that many of us are bent over, weighed down, overwhelmed and burdened. Every now and then, we need someone to speak a word of encouragement and lay gentle hopeful hands on us in His name that we may be able to stand up straight and tall, liberated through faith.
What must it be like to not have to look down at the ground, but look up to the Lord because we have been set free?
What must it look like to no longer be looked upon as cursed, but blessed and highly favored because we have been healed in the place of worship and praise?
What would happen if all those who came to the House, the Temple, the Church where we gather each Sunday morning; and brought those who were bent over because they were nameless, faceless and voiceless; and they were able to leap and jump and praise God for deliverance?
What would healing look like in each congregation if we all came expecting Jesus to be present to do great things in us, with us and through us?
Prayer: Precious Jesus, hear us when we pray for healing that we might stand up, reach up, look up and hold out until our change comes! Your transforming presence gives hope that we are not forgotten, invisible, or helpless. Heal us of the things that cause us to stoop over and not look up to give thanks to you. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN.
The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Davis
McKendree District Superintendent-Memphis Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
Day 7: Congregational excellence
Posted: April 30, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: 40 day walk, bishop, bishop mcalilly, clarksville, colossians, mcalilly, memphis, Methodist, Prayer, tennessee, UMC, united methodist 3 Comments
Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Colossae folks first heard the gospel from Epaphras, a beloved co-worker of the apostle Paul. Ever since the Colossians had received and understood the message of God’s grace, fruit and growth had taken place. Paul gives thanks for this church, reminds them of their rescue through Christ, and now, in this passage, Paul’s words are offered as encouragement for even greater things.
Prayer: O Lord, help us put on Love like a beautiful garment to wear! Thank you for setting us free from sin by love for love! We understand that this gift we receive is the same gift to be given.
In all our congregations, our sisters and brothers in faith, may we remember and renew this awesome work of your grace on our behalf: your compassion for us, kindness to us, humility, gentleness and patience with us, your forgiveness of us and this incredible experience of your love through Christ Jesus.
Considering all that you have done for us, may we now with joy do the same, not only with each other, but with ALL! AMEN.
The Rev. Karen Barrineau
Clarksville District Superintendent-TN Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
Day 6: Pastoral excellence
Posted: April 29, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: 40 day walk, bible, bishop, bishop mcalilly, mcalilly, memphis, Methodist, murder, Prayer, romans, tennessee, UMC, united methodist 4 CommentsMatthew 25:39-40
When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you? Then the King will reply to them, “I assure you that when you have done it for one of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.”
It was 1998. My family’s life had taken a dramatic turn the summer of ’96 when I answered the call of God to become a pastor. Friendships were forming for my son in his new high school, and life was going well, though, as family adjustments were being made. We had slowly moved into our new family “normal.”
Then, my son came home from school one afternoon telling me that he had heard that a friend of his from his old school had been arrested for murder. He asked me to go visit him in Juvenile Detention. We were about to enter into a new world.
Murder was something one might see on TV or in the movies, but certainly was not a part of our lives. My son continued to press me to find time to go and visit his friend. Several weeks later, my son came to me with a letter that he had written. I wept as I read my 16-year-old son’s letter to his friend. He shared in the letter about the freedom that he could find in his heart and life through repenting of his sins and asking Jesus Christ to be His Lord and Savior.
One day, sitting outside the chaplain’s office at the prison, while reading to my son’s friend from Romans, chapter eight, I found myself overcome with deep emotion as I shared with him how much Jesus loved him. I began weeping, while feeling an indescribable love well up in my heart for this young man. I, then, realized that God was pouring out His love “through” me to him. We were both deeply moved that day by the power of God’s love at work in and through us.
Fifteen years later, while he still sits unjustly behind prison bars, I can honestly say that nothing has impacted me more deeply in life than the love that God deposited into our hearts that day. “Jesus loves us this I know, for the Bible tells us so!”
Is there anything greater than love? I think not. We read in I John that God is love. May we walk in no other authority than in the authority of God’s love!
Prayer: Lord, teach us how to love well. Give us your heart for others, so that we might serve with excellence the sheep of your pastures.
The Rev. Dr. Diana M. DeWitt
Chairperson, Spiritual Formation Team-TN Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
Day 5: God’s transforming presence – Offering Christ to a hurting world
Posted: April 28, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: acts, annual conference, bishop, bishop mcalilly, mcalilly, Methodist, Prayer, UMC 4 Comments
Acts 9:17-19a (Read verses 17-22)
Ananias went to the house. He placed his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord sent me—Jesus, who appeared to you on the way as you were coming here. He sent me so that you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly, flakes fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see again. He got up and was baptized. After eating, he regained his strength.
This Scripture passage from the Book of Acts recounts the story of two men, both doing what they felt was faithful, both encountering the Risen Christ in their own way, both whose lives were changed forever. Saul was protecting the faith of his fathers, while Ananias was praying for the followers of the Way. They were apparently on opposite paths until Jesus called them together.
It was the whole-hearted pursuit of God that allowed both of these men to see with entirely new eyes, and to experience the most unexpected change of direction.
Neither Saul nor Ananias anticipated God’s direction, but the outcome has had lasting impact! That’s the transformation of the world we seek, as we practice being and making disciples: the transformation of vision, to see what God sees, and to love as God does.
We have no chance of changing others’ vision. It is overwhelming to consider the depths of the issues that face the Church and the world today. Poverty is an ongoing reality, we continue to battle disease, and many people feel hopeless and helpless. If it were up to us, we would be lost.
The Good News is still the good news: we serve the Risen Christ who makes the lame walk and the blind see. Unexpected course changes, hope and help and the power to persevere are all fruit of life with Jesus. Greater things are yet to come because He that is in the Church is greater than he who is in the world. Thanks be to God!
Prayer: Lord, we ask that you open our eyes to your transformational presence in the world around us. Help us to see with your eyes, to hear with your ears, and to speak with your voice. Help us to bring your presence to others. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.
Sue Engle
Intentional Discipleship Action Team-Memphis Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
Day 4: Missional excellence
Posted: April 27, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: annual conference, bishop, bishop mcalilly, florida, homicide, memphis, murder, nashville, Prayer, tennessee, UMC 6 Comments
Acts 1:8
Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
When the call came, I felt the very life knocked out of me. How could it be?
Surely this was a bad nightmare that would go away when I awakened!
But I was wide awake, and the nightmare was real. My son had been murdered!
How could I now survive?
The anger within me burned like a fire that was all consuming. Revenge was on the edge of the insanity that was consuming my heart…how does a parent move beyond such pain and grief?
The answer came as my wife and I and our younger son were driving down the mountain toward Florida where the random shooting had taken place in a church parking lot. The questions, both spoken and unspoken, were filling the air inside our car like a dark blanket that was almost suffocating us. How could something like this happen? Why did this happen? Why Jason? Who did this? Why? Why?
Why?
It was 15-year-old David who broke through the dark myriad of unanswerable questions. He said, “We know where Jason is, but what do we do about the boy who killed him?”
I heard myself say, “We forgive him!” It was at that raw moment when healing began for our family. Forgiveness is that point where life begins for all of us.
Jesus died so that we might live. That is the story that must be shared to the uttermost parts of the earth.
Prayer: Lord, help us to share our stories of faith so that others may find life through Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Tom Halliburton
Cumberland District Superintendent-TN Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
Day 3: Congregational excellence
Posted: April 26, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: annual conference, bishop, bishop mcalilly, mcalilly, memphis, Methodist, nashville, Prayer, sandy hook, tennessee, UMC 4 Comments
Ephesians 3:17-19
I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you will know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.
It had been coming for quite a while, but we had not recognized it for what it was, as I believe that we should. We lost precious children and teachers in a horrific event at Sandy Hook School. We also lost a parent and her troubled child.
But, God came to save all of the cosmos in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Doesn’t that call us to accept our shared humanity with all of its brokenness? To do so would open in each of us opportunities for the pain of others to be felt. By acknowledging and feeling the pain of others, we can begin to respond with compassion. After all, the word “compassion” means “with passion.”
Compassion is not regret. Regret forgets until the next time. Compassion is active involvement in the healing process.
I pray that you have never had to suffer the horrific pain of such violence. And, I pray that you never will. I also pray that we will be more sensitive to the pain and struggles of others on all levels, whether in our own country or in other lands across the globe.
There are no easy answers to the pain and brokenness that surrounds us. There is, however, hope. Hope came in the form of an innocent child:
• exposed to the elements,
• the neglect of the community,
• and the retaliatory fear from both religious and secular leadership.
Hope came through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this hope that draws all of us to gather together in the loving embrace of a congregation where mercy and compassion reaches out to one another to bring healing and wholeness.
Prayer: God, grant us compassion for those You came to save. Place in us your heart for others, that we might find the fullness of life through living in the embrace of your love in our churches and in our conferences. May our congregations be healthy examples of your forgiveness and grace.
Dr. John R. Bonson, Sr.
Director of Connectional Ministries-Memphis Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
DAY 2: God’s transforming presence – Offering Christ to a hurting world
Posted: April 25, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: annual conference, bishop, bishop mcalilly, mcalilly, memphis, Methodist, nashville, Prayer, tennessee, UMC 6 Comments
Psalm 139:7
“Where could I go to get away from your Spirit? Where could I go to escape your Presence?”
One Sunday afternoon I had just finished preaching my third sermon for the day. I was completely exhausted and drained of energy as I was driving the thirty-five miles back home. Then suddenly there it was right before my eyes. I stopped the car and got out, only to behold the glory of God’s beautiful creation.
The majestic mountains rolled on both sides of me. Just below the dark-green and waxy leaves of the trees reflected the glow of the sunlit sky. There were tiny buds covering the ruby-leaf plum trees. The porches and lawns of the houses were filled with colorful flowers. The vines covering the walls and porches splashed of bright orange, yellow and red colors. It was a magnificent sight!
As I beheld the beauty of God’s creation that summer day, suddenly I felt the Holy Presence surrounding me, filling me with little whispers of peace and love. My tired and worn body was completely transformed into a ray of energy, joy and new life. God’s presence hushed my sighs of weariness, bringing a breath of cheer and ease to my troubled soul.
I am convinced that we can discover God’s presence in all, yes all, of our daily lives; not only in the beauty of the earth, but in the faces of all our brothers and sisters. We can know God’s presence when we serve others living with poverty and injustice; when we stand up for truth, justice and righteousness, when we protect the least, the lost and lonely, when we reach out to the poor, the homeless and imprisoned. How many times have we looked back over our lives only to realize that God’s presence was there with us all the time: in the close encounter of an accident, the reconciliation of a family member, in caressing a new born child.
When was the last time you felt bathed in God’s majestic presence? When was the last time you recognized God’s presence in the ordinary, mundane circumstances of day-to-day living?
Prayer: Loving God, open our hearts to see your Holy Presence in all of our daily lives. May your closeness burst forth in the purity of the dawn and in the glowing ray of sunset, speaking your words of hope, joy and new life. May we always know your Holy Presence as we offer Christ to a hurting world. AMEN.
The Rev. Bettye P. Lewis
Director of Connectional Ministries-TN Conference
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
DAY 1: 40-Day Walk With God
Posted: April 24, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bishop's Blog | Tags: bill mcalilly, bishop, bishop mcalilly, mcalilly, memphis, Methodist, nashville, Prayer, UMC 10 Comments
I John 4:9
This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through Him.
Our grandson, Thomas, is 18 months old. He can say a few words now, but my favorite is “Papa.” He calls me Papa and sometimes calls his grandmother Papa. It makes me smile when I hear him say my name. Sometimes Thomas says “Papa” as praise. Sometimes he cries it when he is wounded and hurt. There are other times when he says “Papa” as a prayer.
Recently, in my own prayer life, it occurred to me that when I pray to God, call God’s name, God must surely smile as I do when Thomas calls my name. In its simplest form, this is what prayer is. Sometimes when I say God’s name it is praise. Sometimes it is when I am in pain. At other times, it is simply as a silent prayer.
Inviting God’s presence to give us a deep sense of the many ways God’s love is being revealed into us and through us is our hope for this prayer guide. For the sake of the mission of Jesus Christ in the world, we invite you to commit the next 40 days to a “Season of Prayer.” We invite you to journey with us as we seek to bear witness to the love of God in the world.
Across the Nashville Area, we are calling you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ who will invite others to become a disciple who will then change the world. May this prayer guide be a tool to assist us as we lean into God’s movement across our conferences.
We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. (I John 4:14)
Prayer: O Lord, speak to us with clarity as we seek to bear witness to the world of your love. Keep our lives focused in you as we live into your desired future. These things we pray in the strong name of Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Bishop William T. McAlilly
Nashville Episcopal Area Leader
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REFLECTIONS FOR THE DAY | Use a program on your computer, a traditional journal, or feel free to use the comment section of this blog post to record your reflections as a conversation with others…
READ – What spoke to me as I read today’s meditation?
REPENT – Where is God showing me that I have failed to be obedient to the call to discipleship today?
RECEIVE – What words of redemption and grace is God offering to me?
REMEMBER – Who and what is God calling me to remember in prayer related to today’s reading?
RESPOND – How is God calling me to respond today?
RESOURCES:
> DOWNLOADS – 40 Day Walk prayer guide (.PDF), 40 Days of Doodles kids journal (.PDF)
> CLICK HERE for sermon starters/suggestions
A 40 Day Walk With God starts tomorrow morning!
Posted: April 23, 2013 Filed under: 40 Day Walk With God, Bill suggests:, Bishop's Blog | Tags: bishop, bishop mcalilly, facebook, mcalilly, memphis, Methodist, nashville, Prayer, tennessee, twitter, UMC 2 Comments
Beginning tomorrow morning the Memphis and Tennessee Conferences will embark on a 40-day journey together with God and through prayer. As we prepare for this upcoming Annual Conference season (Memphis – June 2-5, Tennessee – June 10-12), consider walking with us!
“We will join hands and hearts across Conferences as we enter into a 40-day season of intentional prayer together and with God. I believe this call to prayer will change your life and our churches as we prepare for Annual Conference.” – Bishop Bill McAlilly
RESOURCES:
There are several options for participation during the 40 Day Walk…
- Physical prayer guides: there might still be a few of these floating around, contact your District offices for info (Memphis | TNUMC)
- Digital prayer guides: DOWNLOAD (.PDF) for printing or for reading on your computer
- 40 Days of Doodles for kids! CLICK HERE to download (.PDF)
- Subscribe to the Bishop’s Blog: by subscribing with your email, you receive automatic updates to your inbox – each daily devotion will release at 6:00 am cst every morning between Apr. 24-Jun. 2. Enter your email address in the box on the upper right-hand side of the HOME page
- Follow the Bishop’s Blog daily: just log on to www.BishopBillMcAlilly.com every day to read the daily devotions from the 40 Day Walk With God prayer guide – each daily devotion will release at 6:00 am cst every morning between Apr. 24-Jun. 2
You can also get links from our social media presence on Facebook and Twitter:
> Memphis: Facebook | Twitter (@UM_Memphis Conf)
> Tennessee: Facebook | Twitter (@tnumc)
Use hashtag #40daywalk when sharing and tweeting through Twitter – let’s let the world know that the Memphis and Tennessee Conference’s are in a season of prayer and encourage our brothers and sisters across the connection to join us!
Greater Things Are Yet To Be Done 