ps from ps… What does it look like to “abide?” I imagine it looks a lot like Billy on my bed every morning. After sleeping from 10pm-7am, he awaits us letting him out, making him breakfast (read: pouring food in a bowl) and heading off to work so he can return to my bed and sink into the comfort, quiet and warm embrace of the most expensive dog’s bed known to man.
Maybe that’s what abiding looks like? Maybe that’s what Jesus is inviting us into?
Two weeks in a row in church life we hear Jesus’ invitation to “abide in him.” It’s a simple invitation, which also includes a lot of pronoun confusion of “I in him and him in me and you in us and one for all and all for one” or something like that. Don’t get confused and lost in that though. It’s actually a pretty simple invitation.
Abide – I love the third definition of the word – “continue without fading or being lost.” That’s a pretty great invitation right? Not only from a comfy bed for a dog like Bill, but from a Savior for a missionary like you! From a rabbi/teacher for a student like you! From a guide for a journeyer like you! From a healer for one in need of healing like you! From a Shepherd for a sheep like you!
We’ve all felt “lost” at some point. We’ve all felt like faith has “faded” at another point. And maybe you’re at one of these points right now?
Well if you are, there’s an invitation that maybe we need to hear two…or three…or four weeks in a row. It comes from the warm, quiet embrace of Jesus today. “Abide in me.”
It’s an invitation of grace, compassion and welcome for someone just like you!
Lord, thank you for your invitation to abide. Amen
Still in One Peace, ps
“PS from PS” update: Written devotions will be a bit sporadic through May. May will be some creative time for a new offering: Digital Audio Guided Devotions. These audio guided dofferings, created by PS and engineered by Andrew Gruszka, St. Paul’s new Director of Digital Ministry, are designed to be used on 30 minute walks or runs over the summer. As you “abide” this summer, Steve wants to invite you to be more and more active and allow your faith journey and devotional time to sync up with your activity time. So, we’ll test run several by the end of May and send you links to try them out.
ps from ps….A few weeks ago, I wrote about nicknames. Specifically, some that were given to Jesus. Savior, prophet, messiah, teacher, etc.
But today I wonder about our nicknames again because of an interaction that happened after Easter in a locked up house with the disciples. The disciples were gathered up. Jesus shows up on scene. But Thomas was missing. So after they tell him what happened, Thomas says: I really need to see this to believe it.
And BOOM: Nickname cometh! From this moment henceforth you shall be deemed – Doubting Thomas!!
And that’s how we’ve referred to this poor guy for generations.
One wrong move. One slip up. One honest comment about the struggle of faith. One bad take while a guy is mired in grief. And now his nickname is Doubting Thomas.
Be careful what you say today! You might have a new name forever!
I was just talking to some friends about nicknames. The wife of a classmate of mine is hiking the Appalachian Trail as I type (she’s at mile 200 of 2010 or something crazy like that). But she’s a fast hiker. Both fast pace and larger number of miles. So the nickname she received on the trail: Roadrunner.
When you reflect on the disciples that Jesus called to follow and then sent out to begin the movement, what other types of nicknames would they receive on their trail? Doubter, Thief, Selfish One, Betrayer, Rule Follower. And still Jesus called them and loved them!
What nickname will you receive today on your trail?
I hope that you give yourself a little break today on the hike. I hope that you show yourself a little grace today. I hope that when you reflect on the Biblical story, you’ll see your own imperfect and yet loved/called face in that scriptural mirror. I hope that you know that the nicknames can’t define and override who you really are. I hope you’ll remember that you aren’t who you are at your worst moment. I hope that you remember that your original nickname is Child of God. And that each week we gather in worship you should hear your current name of Forgiven – Loved – Graced.
Lord, help me to define myself by the name you give me. Amen
ps from ps… How many thresholds have you already walked through today? Doors? Transitions? I bet more than you think! And I bet you barely noticed.
I mean think of your morning. Mine went like this: bedroom to bathroom to bedroom to hallway to stairs to dining room to kitchen to coffee pot. Eight thresholds before I even got my first cup of coffee. This clearly explains why I didn’t most of them!
Door, thresholds and transitions take us from one thing to the other, one place to the other, one room to the other. From home to car to work to lunch to work again to car to home to dinner to random sporting event on tv and back to bed again. Some days we blitz through them so fast, we barely notice a thing. Think through your day already today…how many did you walk through?
The door that we walk through this coming weekend is the threshold and transition between Lent and Holy Week. And Jesus DOES NOT want those who were there the first time, and those that are going through it this time, to miss it. He’s been going toward the cross since he came through the door in the stable into a manger. However, many on that first Palm Sunday are just noticing the threshold themselves.
“Get the donkey so they notice.” Cue the Palms!! Make it obvious!! But even when they noticed, they didn’t fully understand the threshold they were in. “Hosanna. Hosanna!” But that’s not what Jesus was there to do.
Jesus knew the door through which he was walking. And he knew the threshold it would allow to open for us.
Did you notice THAT doorway today? As we move toward Palm Sunday again, will you realize the depth of what this transition holds?
Notice the doorways today. The ones you’ve been through, the ones you’re about to enter and, of course, the one Jesus opened for us all.
Lord, thanks for the important door being open for us all. Help me notice! Amen
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