Thursday, August 30

Vesta Smith-Campbell

Scripture: “For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God’s will, than for doing wrong. For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit;…” I Peter 3:17-18

Reflection:
In the beginning everything was good. God created light, earth, water and heaven, God said they were good. God created plants, creatures, man and woman, God was pleased and declared, all was good. Up to this point, no human knew the difference between good and evil other than God. As the story goes, Eve took the fruit, ate it and gave some to Adam, who also became knowledgeable. They disobeyed God and could no long live a life of innocence. Eternal life in the Garden of Eden through the “Tree of Life” was lost until Christ died an innocent death for our sins. Peter tells us it is better to suffer doing what is right so that Jesus can bring us to God. Jesus is the door back into the garden. Jesus is the “Tree of Life” that was lost. We have the chance to eat from the “Tree of Life” once again.

Prayer:
Lord, we know that we are unworthy and without hope if we don’t let you into our lives. It doesn’t matter from where we have come, or what evil we may have done up to this moment, if we give our life over to you RIGHT NOW, you will wipe away our sin and take us before God. Praise be to God for mercy. Amen.

Vesta Smith Campbell is a member of the Webster Chancel Choir.

 

Friday, August 31

Shirley Porter

Scripture: “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16

Reflection:
Acts of kindness and sharing are particularly pleasing to GOD, even when they are unnoticed by others. The process of maturing in our faith takes time. Daily commitment and service produces maturity. When we are mature in our faith, we are not as easily swayed or shaken by temptation or worldly concerns. After reading this scripture, I sat and meditated on it for quite some time. I was thinking about our church and the things that we do for others and by doing this how pleased is God with us in this church? The task of church leaders is to help people mature in Christ. Cooperative followers greatly ease the burden of leadership. Does your conduct give our leaders to reason to report joyfully about you? I think that people who read this scripture and try to live as it says are so much happier than those that always think of themselves first. We can thank God for our church and its leaders.

Prayer:
Most Gracious God, we thank you so much for all the many blessings that you have given to us. Please help us each day to strive to turn to your Word and follow the help that is offered there. Amen.

Shirley Porter is a member of Webster Church.

 

Saturday, September 1

Kirby Fisher

Scripture: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.” Titus 2:11-14

Reflection:
God is good to us, and many times we do not deserve it! OK, stand up wherever you are if this applies to you! I am out of my chair, big time! Well, now I’m back in it so I can type this. These are wonderful verses from Paul’s letter to Titus. God has indeed given us all the tools we need to do good deeds in a zealous fashion. Good deeds can be as small a thing as holding a door at the supermarket for a struggling senior, or helping them get their stuff into their car. Good deeds can be almost anything that makes your heart feel good. I think we all know about that. You know when you’ve done something that is good, or the right thing to do. God lets you feel it inside of you. Conversely, you all know when you had an opportunity to do the right thing and did not do it. God lets you know that also, by the feeling you get inside. You may be saying to yourself that God has nothing to do with that feeling inside me, it’s my conscience. Who created us all with that conscience? Yes, it was God. The verses from Titus tell us that, read them over 2, 3, or 7 times. Mmmmm hmmmm. As the usual case with being a good Christian, it’s easy to say and hard to do. Our Associate Pastor, Bill Stuart, in a recent sermon talked about “the tyranny of the urgent”. I know I’ve passed opportunities to do the right thing because I wanted to do something else, and of course, I tell myself that the something else is sooo important! How about you? I am really not proud of this, but it is a reality for me, because what I want to do is “urgent”, and I have to do it NOW! What a crock, really. You may want to try to forget about how urgent your needs are, and try to be zealous about doing good deeds. If we really profess to “love our neighbors as ourselves” we will try much, much harder to do the right things. ‘Nough said!

Prayer: Dear God, we are aware that we do not deserve your grace sometimes, but please help us not pass up opportunities to do the right thing. We are weak, and in need of assistance, and that’s the truth! Amen.

Kirby Fisher is a member of the Board of Deacons at Webster Church.

 

Sunday, September 2

Mary Chamberlain

Scripture: “. . ., so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work, and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.” Colossians 1:10-12<p>

Reflection: This is a very powerful passage which explains the love and prayers of Timothy and Paul for the people of Colossae. In verse 9, Paul begins his explanation with the words, “For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” What they had heard was concerning the love in the Spirit of the people of Colossae. These were young Christians who were growing in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. They were growing in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord and living lives worthy of Him. Paul and Timothy were praying that the people might bear fruit in every good work. Here at Webster, UCC, we are all growing Christians who pray for, and sustain one another in the Love of Christ and in good works for our fellow pilgrims. In all of this we give thanks to the Father and grow in His Spirit.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we praise and thank you for the love and support of the people of our Webster family. We are thankful to you that we may grow in love in the Spirit. May our efforts be multiplied in doing good in your name. Amen.

Mary Chamberlain is a member of the Board of Deacons and the Chime Choir of Webster Church.

 

Monday, September 3

Anonymous

Scripture: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteous-ness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:14-17

Reflection: The Bible is not a collection of stories or human ideas about God. Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed his person and plan to certain believers, who wrote down his message for his people. This process is called inspiration. Although the writers used their own minds, language, talents and style, they wrote what God wanted them to write. Scripture is trustworthy because God was in control of its writing. The Bible is our standard for testing everything else that claims to be true. We should read it and apply it to our lives. It is our only source of knowledge about how we can be saved. God wants to show you what is true and equip you to live with him. Do you take the time to spend in God’s Word? Read it regularly to discover God’s truth and to become confident in your life and faith. We should study the Bible so that we will know how to do Christ’s work in the world.

Prayer: Dear Lord, in our zeal for the truth in scripture, let us not forget your purpose, to equip us to do good and strengthen our faith. Amen.

 

Tuesday, September 4

Jim Kulp

Scripture: “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:27-31

Reflection: As youngster most of us were taught the “Golden Rule” in Sunday School or by our parents. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” This seems easy and very logical I am sure to most of us. However, Christ tells us at the same time to “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Wow! I can tell you this part is not all that easy for me. As I reflect on this passage I struggle on Christ’s direction to love our enemies. I think of all the negative thoughts of anger, revenge and distrust that go through our minds when someone has wronged us. Then I think of Jesus hanging on the cross and asking God the Father to forgive the people who have crucified Him. This is the ultimate in loving your enemy. Christ shows us the positive approach instead of concentrating on the negative of what has happened to you. When I see these words of Christ put into action by Christ I am in awe of what He has asked us to do. Instead of spending our energy in hate Christ says how would you want to be treated? With this thought we are calmed and have the potential to forgive and help those who have wronged us.

Prayer: Dear God, help me to be a positive person. Give me the ability to ask in my mind, “Is this how I would want to be treated?” before reacting to being wronged. Thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus and the example He gave us to live by. Please grant me the strength to follow His word and example. This I ask in Christ’s name. Amen.

Jim Kulp is the President of the Church Council of Webster Church.

 

Wednesday, September 5

Richard Douglass

Scripture: “Therefore my brothers, I implore you by God’s mercy to offer your very selves to him: a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for his acceptance, the worship offered by mind and heart. Adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world, but let your minds be made and your whole nature thus transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, and to know what is good, acceptable, and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2

Reflection: Let me think: How many ways can I get myself into deep water? I can jump in head first. I can go pall mall. I can try swimming upstream. I can loose myself in the process. I can jump in heads over tails. Or, I can get so far “out of the box” that I can’t even see the box in my rear view mirror! I could travel where no man, or woman, has gone before, or, I can go blindly. I can take my life “by the horns”, or even go where angels dare not tread. Maybe this is what being passionate is about? Maybe this is how we are supposed to dive into a discerned life of goodness, faith, charity, and selflessness? Maybe this answers the big question. Why? If only I can hope to discover why…why I was born, why we live the way we do, or why I have been so blessed while most other people are not, then what peace I could know. How good that would feel.

Prayer: Dear Lord, you know we try. You know our lazy days, our self-absorbed days, or day of self-pity and our days when we need you most. You know the days we really need you and think you aren’t paying attention. Then we realize that there are no such days; it is good to be on this journey and not be alone. Thank you. Amen.

Richard Douglass is a member of Webster Church.

 

Thursday, September 6

Phyllis Voorheis

Scripture: “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:23-25

Reflection: God has been faithful every step in my life, even when I’m not always stepping in the right direction. I know that when I stumble or falter, He is right there to balance me again. I need to remember that others who know I am a Christian, often look to my behavior as a reflection of you, God, and that I need to live righteously to the best of my ability. Sometimes I don’t feel like getting up early and going to church, but I am rewarded when I do go. I am blessed with wonderful fellowship and friendships, and often get encouragement for a situation for which I have concerns. Life just seems easier for me when I’m with other Christians. They pray for me, lay hands on me, touch me or hold me when I need to be touched and held, and it fills me with such love. I have hope for a blessed eternal life when I let God fill my life with blessings. As someone once told me, “God is willing to shower you with blessings just keep your foot off the hose!”

Prayer: God, please help me to love others and do good. Help me to encourage others to do good as well. Help me to remain faithful to you my Heavenly Father, as you are faithful to me with every breath I take and step I make. Let my smile and helpful hand reflect the love I have for you and the glory of your greatness. In Jesus Christ I ask this, Amen.

Phyllis Voorheis is a member of Webster Church.

 

Friday, September 7

Nell Rooke

Scripture: “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cries.” Psalm 34:13-15

Reflection: Psalm 34 is an acrostic poem. Acrostic means that a poetic composition in which the first letters of successive lines in the original language appears in alphabetic order. It also shares characteristics of wisdom literature. The intention of this psalm is to teach. The behavior pattern in verses 13-15 is to teach the “fear of God”. Fear can be interpreted as reverence, respect, or obedience. The whole of Psalm 34 appears to be a teacher’s wisdom, perhaps read in the synagogue. These verses are good counsel regarding our manner of speaking: gossip, belittling, and angry words are wrong and they happen too often in our modern world. We need to treat other human beings the way we would like to be treated. (Do unto others?) Quoting Matthew 22:37-39, “He (Jesus) said to them, ‘You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself’ .” This is a tall order for us frail and sometimes disobedient human beings.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your wisdom given to us through the Bible. Forgive us when we fail to do good as you have directed us to do. Forgive us and lead us back to the right path. Amen.

Nell Rooke is secretary at Webster Church.

 

Saturday, September 8

Bob Springer

Scripture:“The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:35-37

Reflection: I am a rather straightforward person. I mean that I tend to accept things as they appear (gullible?), not generally searching for ulterior motives. Sometimes I completely miss the deeper meanings. In this case, although I believe there are degrees of goodness, I think the meaning is right there in front of you and quite clear! Good is good and evil is evil and the choice is yours! I do think the “day of judgment” is a bit overstated. The oath you uttered hitting your thumb as a 20 year old probably doesn’t have a lot to do with who you are today. Are you good? A little good? Mostly good? Our God of love and forgiveness knows who you are today.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for Your gift of Choice. We pray for Your guidance as we exercise that gift. Amen.

Bob Springer is the Webmaster of Webster Church.

 

Sunday, September 9

Barbara Lee

Scripture: “Warn those who are rich in this worlds goods that they are not to look down on other people; and not to set their hopes on money, which is untrustworthy, but on God who, out of his riches gives us all we need for our happiness. Tell them that they are to do good, and be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share. This is the way they can save up a good capital sum for the future if they want to make sure of the only life that is real.” I Timothy 6:17-19

Reflection: To be very honest I know very few “Rich Christians” in the sense Paul is speaking about. I know many who set their hopes on money and store up “things” in this life. Because of our different values and priorities we spend little time together. Paul says, “Tell them to do good and be rich in good works; storing up for the real future with God.” I have learned that a prophet/preacher is rarely heard in his/her own town, as it is said in scriptures. When I have preached this lesson as Paul says to others they laugh and leave. I am then again surrounded by my chosen companions, the “rich in spirit”; generous in forgiveness and sharing of their joys and STRUGGLES. I am happiest then, for I know God has given me all I need.

Prayer: Spirit of the Living God, increase my joy among your poor; be they poor in “spirit” and rich in worldly goods. May I not judge them, but love them where they are. Amen.

Barbara Lee is a friend of Webster Church participating in the Ghana Ministry.

 

Monday, September 10

Lea Fischer

Scripture: “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your faithful shall bless you.” Psalm 86:4-5

Reflection: As I read these verses, I wonder what David, the author, had recently seen or experienced to stimulate his mind and soul to exclaim about God in such expansive and enthusiastic phrases. Did he admit his own sins and those around him and marvel that God had not zapped them all in anger? Was he humbled by God’s mercy and astounded by God’s unrelenting love? Did he recall all the beauty and variety – the sights and sounds of the hills and fields and deserts and feel that these wonders of nature were somehow an expression of God’s character? As he looks and ponders, it seems that everything in God’s creation has the capacity and the impulse to honor their creator. To allow oneself to be moved by God’s character and to allow one’s spirit to give voice to the exuberance that results would truly be a liberating force – freeing one from the sluggishness of the pressing worries and work of the everyday!

Prayer: Lord, help me to take a vacation from the ever present drumbeat of the ordinary and let my spirit soar unimpeded in praise and thanksgiving to you who are so constant in your love, compassion and goodness. Amen.

 

Tuesday, September 11

Richard Douglass

Scripture: “For it is by his grace you are saved, through trusting him; it is not your own doing. It is God’s gift, not a reward for work done. There is nothing for anyone to boast of. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to devote ourselves to the good deeds for which God has designed us.” Ephesians 2:8-10

Reflection: I often wonder why it is that this most obvious clarification of the meaning of grace gets lost in the contemporary, or even the historical, manifestations of formal religious organizations. Just think of the ways that Christians, or at least those to claim to be Christian, demonstrate how they are morally, spiritually, economically, and maybe even biologically superior beings; and how such false gods as pride and self-infatuation stand in the way of the most fundamental truth of our faith. We can’t earn redemption. It is ours for the taking if we just believe and act in accord with what is just, self-sacrificing, and other-oriented. It’s apparently too obvious for the industry of religion to understand. Of course by making such a claim I, myself, have just set myself apart, and I myself have just established myself as morally and intellectually superior. Finding the path to faith and comprehending the generosity of grace may not be so easy after all. Being good takes an effort and a good look in the mirror of life.

Prayer: Well, Lord, I’ve done it again. Jumping into the hot grease of intellectual superiority has fried my assumptions of understanding and returned me to a common plane with all others who struggle to understand. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for the grace I cannot earn. Amen.

 

Wednesday, September 12

Rev. Bill Stuart

Scripture: “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD and all your faithful shall bless you.” Psalm 145:8-10

Reflection: David stands at this bleak intersection on the road of his life and points toward the Lord, the great burden-bearer. God is able to lift us up because his greatness is unfathomable and he does his mighty deeds across the many generations. He is full of glorious splendor and majesty. He is righteous and gracious and compassionate and patient and, above all, loving. He remains near those who call on him and the Lord hears our cries and rescues us. Sometimes our burdens seem so much more than we can handle, and we wonder how and if we can go on. When we reach that intersection of life and are bending under a burden and feel that there is no hope turn to God for help. God is always ready to lift us up. God is full of love and he satisfies all who trust him. We know that there will be a time when all people will join together in recognizing and worshiping God. We need to continually praise God who is faithful, forgiving, patient, just and loving. In what ways have you recently praised God and told others all that God has done for you?

Prayer: Forgive our willfulness, our carelessness and slowness to learn and obey. Touch us again with the grace of forgiveness. Amen.

Rev. Bill Stuart is Associate Pastor at Webster Church.

 

Thursday, September 13

John Gannon

Scripture: “Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.” II Corinthians 9:7-8

Reflection: The Old and New Testaments have many passages devoted to us being “good”, and if we are good, God will be good to us in return. “The LORD is righteous and loves good deeds; those who do them will live in his presence.” Psalm 11.7. And “God has made us what we are, and in out union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has us already prepared for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10. Obviously, this is a lot harder than it sounds, but it is a wonderful promise worth working towards as it is so beauty-fully stated in the all familiar Psalm 23:6: “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” In this passage from II Corinthians, one aspect of goodness is giving. In my view, this is meant to be much broader than giving money but encompasses our time and energy devoted cheerfully and freely to doing good works for ourselves, in the sense of enrichment not selfishness, and for others in family and community. In this context, giving is an aspect of goodness and a broader set of virtues and behaviors we are implored to strive for: “But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22. Sure, all of these virtues are challenges for us each and every day. The important thing to remember is that we are not alone, and we need to pray for help along the way, and when we falter, to pray for forgiveness and strength to do better tomorrow.

Prayer: “We ask God to fill you with knowledge of his will, with all the wisdom and understanding that his Spirit gives. Then you will be able to live as the Lord wants and will always do what pleases him.” Colossians 1:10

John Gannon is a member of the Webster Chancel Choir and Board of Trustees.

 

Friday, September 14

Shirley Porter

Scripture: “Therefore, rid yourself of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” I Peter 2:1-3

Reflection: This scripture starts out by telling us some of the things that we should get out of our lives but it changes direction quickly and starts with information about being a baby and comparing this with being born again. When we are a child one characteristic that we all share is that we all want to grow up - - to be like brothers, sisters or parents. When we are born again we become spiritual newborn babies. If we are healthy, we will yearn to grow. How sad it is that some people never grow up in their spiritual life. The need for milk is a natural instinct for a baby and it signals a desire for nourishment that will lead to growth. Once we see our need for GOD’S Word and begin to find nourishment in Christ, our spiritual appetite will increase and we will start to mature. How strong is your desire for God’s Word? What a wonderful feeling it is to be excited and desire to grow in your spiritual life.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for all of the blessings that you have given to all of us. We thank you that we have been born with the instinct to grow in our knowledge of you and your Word. Amen.

 

Saturday, September 15

Mary Chamberlain

Scripture: “Moreover we had human parents to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not be even more willing to be subject to the Father of spirits and lives? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness. . .” Hebrews 12:9-10

Reflection: We often rebel against discipline. As children we rebelled against our parent’s discipline even though they would tell us it was for our own good. Our children were not always accepting of our discipline which was meted out “for their own good”. Yet, in our heart of hearts we know that in order to be productive and lead lives of good will, we must be disciplined. As teachers, we were convinced that children appreciate and respect discipline, and for the most part, that proved to be true. In our own lives, we, too, know that we have to be disciplined to achieve anything worth having. How much more true is this than knowing that we can share in God’s holiness, if we only obey? God’s discipline is not punitive, but uplifting. It raises us to new heights of love and service. What a lesson is there for human parents.

Prayer: Our Lord and God, thank you for loving us with your holy discipline. May we share that love with all we encounter. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

 

Sunday, September 16

Kirby Fisher

Scripture: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but to all who have longed for his appearing.” II Timothy 4:7-8

Reflection: Do you ever feel like the first of these verses apply to you? I do, sometimes. At least I think I do. The fact is more could almost always be done in fighting the good fight, or finishing the race, or keeping the faith. I’m certain this applies to me, what about you? What about wearing the crown of righteousness? I’m not sure I ever deserve that, but you may. God is the righteous judge, and we all need to be aware of that. OK, the pressure is on, let’s do the right thing, the good deed that we have an opportunity to do. Let’s not pass up those chances, please. Easier said than done, of course! Isn’t trying to do the right thing part of fighting the good fight, and finishing the race? I think so. God knows how hard we try, or don’t try to do the right thing. All of us know it, too, deep down in our hearts, in the place where God let’s us feel these things. OK, now our job is to strive to really deserve that crown of righteousness, and not pass up opportunities to do the right thing. Oh my goodness, we do have some challenges, don’t we? Well, it’s your move, and it’s my move, and it’s every human’s move. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Prayer: Dear God, please help we humans strive for the crown of righteousness which your Son did so well on our behalf. We give thanks for your grace in our lives, and we will strive to deserve it more. Thank you for being there for us, and we will try to be there for you. Amen.

 

Monday, September 17

David Calhoun

Scripture: “But everyone knows that you stand loyal and true. This makes me very happy. I want you to always to remain very clear about what is right and good, and to stay innocent of any wrong.” Romans 16:19

Reflection: Paul dictating as Tertius writes in this letter to the Romans, asks the faithful to be alert for “slick talkers”, whose messages are self-serving and contrary to Jesus’ teachings. False teachers tend to bring about division and cause upsets among the faithful. Demonstrate your knowledge of the difference between good and wrong through actions. Make it apparent to those who observe you that you are loyal and true. In this letter, Paul names more than twenty-five individuals to whom he sends his special greeting and asks them, and all Christians, to shake hands warmly with each other to make obvious their bond in the faith. Keeping company with the faithful strengthens one’s understanding of good verses wrong, and helps ward off division among believers. Defense against falling prey to false teachings of charlatans is to have key elements of your belief and faith firmly in mind. If you know always the difference between what is wrong and bad, and what is right and good, you are armored for life. By clearly understanding this distinction, we can fend off “wrong” and ensure that good prevails, regardless of spurious outside influences.

Prayer: Lord, keep me loyal and true. Give me the clarity of mind to always know which of any choice is good and right and to dismiss immediately that which is bad and wrong. I pray my decisions and choices will always make you very happy. Amen.

Dave Calhoun is a member of Webster Church.

 

Tuesday, September 18

Klara Dannar

Scripture: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.” I Thessalonians 5:16-22

Reflection: This passage is so full of powerful messages: starting with Paul’s specific directives, then he throws in “test everything”. Of course, that part got my attention, since that is what I tend to do: is my nature as a seeker, which can also mean I challenge things—sometimes to excess. What Paul writes after that part—“hold fast to what is good” – is a challenge to go thru that testing process and salvage and protect the good – the parts that are sent from God to guide us—and identify and avoid all that is wicked. I am reminded of watching my two year old grand-daughter: testing limits, negotiating, figuring out what is good, safe and valuable; then with wild abandon, embracing her discoveries. Rejoice . . . Pray without ceasing . . . Test . . . Protect all that is good. I needed the reminder to avoid getting stuck on the testing part.

Prayer: Gracious Creator, guide my thoughts, my works and my actions to live by your word to honor and protect all that is good; to give thanks and live in a way that enriches your spirit in our human world. In your name I pray, Amen.

Klara Dannar is the parish nurse and a member of the Board of Deacons at Webster Church.

 

Wednesday, September 19

Rev. Bill Stuart

Scripture: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

Reflection: People have tried all kinds of ways to please God. In verses 6 and 7, Micah says, “With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God?” And he lists some items: burnt offerings; calves a year old; thousands of rams; ten thousand rivers of oil; or the firstborn of my transgression. No, God has made his wishes clear: he wants his people to be just, merciful, and to walk humbly with him. In your efforts to please God, you need to examine these areas on a regular basis. Have you been fair in your dealings with others? Do you show mercy to those who have wronged you? Have you learned humility in your relationship with others? Society rationalizes sin, and even Christians sometimes compromise Christian principles in order to do what they want. It can be easy to convince ourselves that we deserve a few breaks, especially when everyone else is doing it. The standards of honesty come from God, not society. We are honest because God is truth and we are to be like God.

Prayer: Thank you, O God, for being patient with us and lovingly guiding us to peace and justice with you. Amen.

 

Thursday, September 20

Phyllis Voorheis

Scripture: “If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.” Galatians 6:8-10

Reflection: Many times when I feel quick to react to something someone has said something that is offensive, confrontational, or just outright rude, I find a small voice warning me to stop and think, and act instead of reacting. I try to listen to the voice, offer up a prayer and then take action. I will do the right thing more often after prayer than if I had just gone ahead and reacted and possibly made a bad situation worse. The hardest thing is to remember to stop and take a moment (take a breath). I know that for me this often diffuses anger I may have felt otherwise, and I definitely feel more peaceful. My mother taught me to always be helpful to others, and sometimes people take advantage of that, but I do it any way because it is the right thing to do. Sometimes I’m teased for being “too nice”, but I don’t think that’s possible.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to heed your voice and follow your guidance for a more spiritually fulfilling life. Let me be a blessing to all who know me or with whom I come into contact. Let my peacefulness and helpfulness be a reflection of your great glory. Let my life be a testament that when we live rightly we will be richly blessed. Let me not grow weary of doing what is right. In your Son’s name I pray. Amen.

 

Friday, September 21

Nell Rooke

Scripture: “Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but one who does not believe will be condemned.’ “ Mark 16:14-16

Reflection: Mark’s gospel really stops at verse 16:8. The verses following are a later summary that replaces the ending that Mark did not live to write or at sometime went astray. Whoever wrote those verses believed that the church had tasks committed to it by Jesus: 1) The Christian has a duty to herald Jesus; 2) The church has the task of healing body and soul; 3) A Christian has the power to cope in life that others do not have; 4) Christ always works with the church, in it and through it; 5) Christians live their life in the presence and power of Jesus. Regardless of who wrote verses 14-16, they give us good advice to proclaim the good news to all the world. One way to do this is to live life in a Christian manner. If we read the Bible we are given direction on how we are to behave. How often do we ask, “What would Jesus do?” Probably not often enough. By the way, verses 17 and 18 were not meant to be taken literally. (Read these verses yourself. In fact, why not read the whole Gospel of Mark?) Christians have the power to cope with life through their faith in Christ Jesus. God has not asked us to perform good deeds in order to have faith but to have faith in order to do good deeds.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, grant us the will to do good. What a wonderful world we could have if everyone spent one complete day doing only good deeds. I think some changes would be permanent. Praise God! Amen.

 

Saturday, September 22

Klara Dannar

Scripture: “For the love of money is a root af all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away for the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” I Timothy 6:10-12

Reflection: As I write this I am enjoying the company of two thirteen-year-old girls. We have been camping for the past several days and have had many conversations about material possessions—exploring the differences between want and need, including the influences of media, peer pressure and ways material possessions are sometimes promoted to boost self-esteem. They have nicknamed me “Phillie”—short for pilgrim. They think Peter and I live like pilgrims without basic necessities—at home and when we camp— and they are a bit intrigued by our choices. They are good, bright, reactive and compassionate girls. Since I am not around kids their age a lot, this week has been an eye-opening time learning about the challenges teens face in our materialistic, consumer oriented and often spiritually challenged culture. Faith can be illusive when you are struggling toward adulthood while being bombarded with glitzy and glamorous gadgets. Speaking out about your belief in God can be challenging when adults and peers discourage you or are not willing to listen. Asking questions to explore and define personal beliefs can be scary. These are some of the lessons I have learned from my wise young teachers this week. A valuable reminder for me to listen, to be available and to encourage them to know that making good choices about their relationship to money and faith now will bring them more joy and personal peace than any material possessions.

Prayer: Loving Creator God, help me see the cultural influences on our young people and help me to be available and in touch with their needs as they walk their own spiritual path, facing tough decisions. Guide me to make good decisions about my relationship to you and to material possessions. In your name I ask these things . . . Amen.

 

Sunday, September 23

Rev. Bill Stuart

Scripture: “But I am like a live tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will raise you in the presence of the saints.” Psalm 52:7-9

Reflection: The theme in Psalm 52 is that God will judge the evildoer. Doeg, the Edomite, had betrayed David and killed God’s priests. He thought that he was a great hero, but his deed was an offense to God. It is sometimes easy to mistake an accomplishment with goodness. Just because something is done well doesn’t mean it is good. One might be a skillful liar. We need to measure all that we do by the rule of God’s Word, not by how proficiently we do it. With God by his side, David compared himself to an olive tree flourishing in the house of God. Not only is an olive tree one of the longest-lasting trees, but as it flourishes, it will have even longer longevity. God will protect his faithful servants to eternity, contrasted with the destruction of the wicked.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to remember that our anger must not block our confidence in your ability to defeat the evil that may be around us. Amen.

 

Monday, September 24

Mary Stuart

Scripture: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Reflection: This is such a comforting verse. It is one of God’s promises we can cling to no matter what our circumstances. It is one I have always loved. I must admit that in my younger days I took this to mean that nothing bad would happen to me, “I” was protected. In all things God works for “my” good according to my view of “good”. Obviously, I had a great deal of maturing and learning to do. What this is saying is that for those who love him, no matter what life brings our way, God’s love and power will continue to work in our circumstances for our good. Note: Paul uses the word good, not happiness. For those of us who love him, we can rest assured that God can and will work in all situations in order that his will and purpose for us will be fulfilled. So yes, this is a promise to cling to especially when we are in the midst of difficult circumstances, and cannot see any good coming from then. That is when we must cling to and trust the promise of Romans 8:28. Later as we look back in hindsight we will see his hand at work often taking us places we may never have dreamed of going. We have an awesome, powerful, God who loves us enough to care about our everyday circumstances. One who knows what is good for us.

Prayer: Dear God, teach us to trust in your promises, knowing nothing can separate us from your love. Open our eyes to see how you have worked and continue to work for our good in all circumstances. Amen.

Mary Stuart is the Assistant Clerk at Webster Church.

 

Tuesday, September 25

Rev. Bill Stuart

Scripture: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5

Reflection: God is our creator and true believers know this. Other people live as though they are the creator and center of their own little world. This kind of attitude leads to possessiveness and greed, and if everything should be taken from them, there is a loss of hope itself. When we know that God created us and has given us everything that we have, we will give to others what God gave to us. Then, if all is lost, we still have God and all he gives us. God alone is worthy of being worshiped. What is your attitude toward worship? Do you willingly and joyfully come into God’s presence, or are you just going through the motions, mechanically? This psalm tells us to remember God’s goodness and dependability, and then to worship with thanksgiving and praise.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the invitation to enter joyfully into your presence. Your faithfulness extends to our generation and beyond. Amen.

 

Wednesday, September 26

Rich McKenzie

Scripture: “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” I Timothy 4:4-5

Reflection: I think it was Miss Alice from the Romper Room School television show circa 1958 who taught me and thousands of other children to recite our first grace before a meal, saying, “God is Good, God is Great. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen!” I remember my sisters and I recited that prayer at the dinner table throughout our childhood. We passed it on to our own children when they were younger. This passage tells us that everything God has created in this world is good and it is to be received with thanksgiving. Yes, we tend the field, but God provided it and causes it to grow. We thank Him for our daily bread for without it we couldn’t even live. We also thank Him for how good things are. We have the food when we need it. But often this is where most of us normally stop when it should only be the beginning! When we eat and enjoy things without giving thanks, we are acting much like the animals . . . without consciousness. Without giving thanks, God’s gifts to us are not made holy. They can only be consecrated through our heartfelt prayers of thanks to God, acknowledging God’s goodness in giving these things, and lastly we thank Him for all things He provides in our lives.

Prayer: Dear God, please help me to remember to make the conscious opportunity to thank you every time we gather and break bread together and for all the good things in my life you bestow upon me. Amen.

Rich McKenzie is a member of the Board of Deacons at Webster Church.

 

Thursday, September 27

Ted Fischer

Scripture: “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Mark 1:14-15

Reflection: This translation of the Bible uses the literal wording, “good news,” rather than the more familiar “gospel”. In wondering why this choice was made, I felt that perhaps to the modern reader the term “gospel” might sound like so much religious talk, totally unrelated to the things of our world. On the other hand, “good news” gives the feeling that it’s something that one might want to hear on TV or read in the papers. After all, we hear or read bad news every day. It might be latest casualty figures from Iraq, or an inner city shooting, or a bridge collapse, a mine disaster, an earthquake, hurricane or flood. It does seem that anything worth reporting in our new media must be bad news. Good news usually gets relegated to an inner section where it may or may not get read. But the gospel is good news! Why is it news and why is it good? Think about it. Why should an event that happened over two millennia ago be considered news at all? Surely the basic facts about Jesus life, teachings, death and resurrection must be known to all, at least to a literate society. Even adherents of other religions must be somewhat familiar with the story of Jesus, are they not? I think the gospel is news because it is good. The gospel tells not only the facts about Jesus, but why he came to earth in the first place. We, every one of us, are in need of a Savior because we are a sinful species. We know what is right to do but are powerless to do so consistently. Jesus came, not only to explain the way of God faithfully, but to give himself up on the cross so that our sins might be forgiven and that we might have peace with God and eternal life in him. We could not do it ourselves, but need a divine Savior to intercede for us. This is good news indeed!

Prayer: Thank you, God, for demonstrating your good news in the life of Jesus. Thank you for providing a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Help me to be a faithful reporter of this good news. Amen.

Ted Fischer is a member of the Board of Trustees at Webster Church.

 

Friday, September 28

Mary Swain

Scripture: “Let your love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:9-10

Reflection: I wonder how often this passage has been used to justify doing evil or being hateful towards what is considered evil in our limited human understanding. It is interesting that the portion about hate is a very short part of the passage. Out of five instructions, only one is about evil, but that is the one that sometimes seems the most prominent. But none of it can be separated from our new life in Christ which is the subject of this chapter. It is an exhortation to holy living which can only be achieved by deep connection to God. None of the above instructions are all that easy. How many times do we outdo one another in showing honor? How often is our love completely genuine? All of this is only in the context of having a new life in Christ. We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we may discern what the will of God is (12:2). We are not to be conformed to this world. In fact later in the passage we are warned about becoming arrogant. When we are transformed daily by our connection to Christ, when we truly spend the time to discern the will of God, then I think we can begin the task of following the goals outlined in Romans. Holding fast to what is good, by holding onto God, however we do that, is the beginning.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Creator, thank you for your teachings and continual reminders of our need to connect to you and to live out the holy lives you ask of us. Amen.

Mary Swain is a member of the Board of Deacons at Webster Church

 

Next Issue

"LORD"

1. Luke 4:18-29 2. Hebrews 8:10-12 3. II Peter 1:10-11 4 I Thessalonians 3:12-13 5. Romans 6:22-23 6. Jude 20-21 7. II Thessalonians 1:11-12 8. II Timothy 2:19 9. I Corinthians 1:4-9 10. Revelations 1:8 11. Philippians 2:9-11 12. II Thessalonians 2:13-15 13. II Peter 3:8-10 14. Romans 14:7-9 15. Mark 12:28-31

16. I Peter 5:7-8 17. Matthew 7:21-23 18. I Timothy 1:12-14 19. Philippians 4:4-7 20. Revelations 15:3-4 21. Matthew 25:37-40 22. John 20:27-29II 23. Micah 6:8 24. Psalm 5:11-12 25. I Peter 1:23-25 26. Luke 10:21-22 27. Ephesians 3:16-19 28. Psalm 25:4-5 29. Colossians 3:12-15 30. Revelations 22:3-5

 

WORSHIP WITH WEBSTER Summer Worship: 9:30 a.m. Communion: First Sundays–9:30 a.m. Every Sunday, Prior to Worship: 9:15 a.m. :3ids WORSHIP WITH WEBSTER Sunday Morning:  September 9, 2007 – June 8:00 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. Communion: First Sundays–10:30 a.m. Every Sunday: 8:00 a.m. Summer Worship: 9:30 a.m. Communion: First Sundays–9:30 a.m. Every Sunday, Prior to Worship: 9:15 a.m. Sunday School: September – June 9:30 a.m. Confirmation Class: September – May 9:30 a.m. Weekly Choir Rehearsals WEDNESDAY: September – May 5:15 p.m.  Kids' Choir 6:30 p.m.  Chime Choir 7:35 p.m.  Chancel Choir Webster Traditional Christmas Eve Worship: 7:30 p.m. Candlelight Communion Service: 11:00 p.m.