Devotions

By Don Cain

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and

petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

- Philippians 4: 6, 7

When Mary Lou and I were married, we had 4 teenagers at home. We purchased and moved into a 6 bedroom, 4 bathroom, house so each person would have privacy and living space. When the kids moved on, the two of us didn’t need the large space, so we sold the house and moved in with my mother and aunt and shared their home.

That is not unlike our church situation today. When our congregation numbered 1200 or more, we built and moved into our present beautiful building. When our membership stopped growing and started to move on, we couldn’t afford the big home we had built.

Our best option, today, was to move in with two other congregations, sharing operating expenses and, jointly, continuing God’s work in the community.

People have asked me how I feel about the move from this wonderful edifice to a new building and sharing a facility that is not wholly our own. As I think about it, I feel lots of trepidation, I don’t like change. There are times when I am excited, looking forward to new experiences and challenges. And, always, I have great faith; God is leading us in the ways we do His work in the world. God guides us in strange ways, sometimes, but faith lets us know that He is right. Our move is the right thing for our congregation at this time and place.

By Karen Kandik

God spoke all these words: I am God, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of a life of slavery.
Exodus 20:1-20

I haven’t rearranged my living room furniture in over 25 years.  Actually, even longer than that if you count my previous residence that had the same floor plan as my current house.   Oh, I’ve thought about changing things around but I can’t quite envision what it would look like afterwards; what if I hated it?  Besides, I am quite comfortable with the way it is arranged now; at least something in my life is a constant. Yes, if I decided to shuffle things, I could change them back…but would it ever look quite the same once I had seen the room be different?

We at First Christian don’t have the opportunity to try out rearranging our church home and then moving back to things just the way they were.  There is no going back now, that’s for sure.  That sense of security of having all the pews arranged the same, the long standing traditions being followed, knowing where to park on Sunday mornings, seeing the same people Sunday after Sunday –that sense of security will be challenged daily in the next few years as we adjust to the BIG REARRANGEMENT.

But what we do have is a rock solid assurance that God’s laws/commandments are God’s personal voice to us, God’s chosen people.  The laws are perfect:  reliable, clear, righteous and truthful and form our covenant with God.  They are the something we can rely on that will never change. They are a constant in our lives no matter where we sit on Sunday morning, who preaches, where we park or, most importantly, who we are and what we have done.  They are to be relied upon to provide the shelter and security that we need when going through such a major transition.  We have a LIVING relationship with Christ, no matter what, and can rely on that relationship to bring us comfort, guidance and security as our lives are rearranged.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

By Val Dunham

through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

Exodus 14:19-31

I have been vacationing in the north woods of Wisconsin since I’ve been six years old. Therefore, there’s been ample opportunity to accumulate a whole stockpile of comfortable habits. Still, the same question looms once the bait is bought, the rods are readied, and the boat is hitched: “Where shall we go fishing?”  Most likely the answer will be: “Lake Carrol.”  We rationalize by saying “we know the lake.” Habitually we motor to “the corner” where the crappies might lurk and my dad’s ashes were scattered years ago.

This year we have been trying to make a conscious effort to try lakes new to us. Believe it or not, it feels like a risk!  In our most recent foray my fishing partner asked THE usual question followed by this comment: “You know you are always more comfortable with the familiar.”

Hmmm. Comfort does seem to spawn habits. Habits feel secure Security can impede taking risks.

Now my fishing dilemma is miniscule compared the Israelites following Moses into the Red Sea, and our church is not exactly fleeing the Egyptians. But we have been shaken out of our comfort zone and objectively examined some ingrained habits. We will soon sign a covenant that will steer three congregations into the future. With trust in our lay and clergy leadership and our shared faith in the same God that spoke to Moses, we are willing to risk fishing a new lake. Each of us needs to bring a pole.

God of the past, present, and future, Make us comfortable at being uncomfortable. We accept the risks of being a Christian. Change us daily with the living presence of your Son, Jesus. Amen 

Lent is usually described as a journey.  It’s a journey that begins with Ash Wednesday and processes through Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and ends with the glory of Easter.  It’s a journey that we are called to savor and take in slowly.  It’s a time to slow down and listen to what God is saying to us; to take stock in how we have lived our lives so far, and how we should live going forward.

Starting on the first Sunday in Lent (March 13) and continuing on for the next 40 weeks, First Christian will engage in a series of devotionals to prepare us as we leave our current location to move into partnership with Salem English Lutheran and Lyndale United Church of Christ. The devotional is Called “A People on the Move,” it is hoped this series of weekly studies will be a way to ground the community in God as we begin our journey.

The first part is A People on the Move: Lent and the members of Worship Committee at First have graciously contributed to this first devotional.  We hope that you will use this as part of your time with God during this Lenten season.

Booklets will be available on March 13 and you can also follow online by going to http://fccminneapolis.org/blog/devotions/ .
May God be with you on the journey.

Update: Instead of viewing the devotional online blog post-style, we’ve decided to make the entire Lenten devotional booklet available for download.  Please download by clicking here.

This the weekly devotional for the week of March 13, 2011.

Moving On

Jim Baumgartner

Don’t be afraid to keep moving on, For what was before, now has gone, God wants to accomplish so much more, But we need to move forward in the Lord. – M. S. Lowndes

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18 – 19

I remember thinking as a little boy in Sunday school class that I would never be one of those silly Israelites wandering in the wilderness.  I wanted adventure!  I would gladly rush to follow where God would lead me.

Then life happened.

The summer after I graduated from high school my mom was diagnosed with cancer.  It was terminal.  Sharing the journey with her was brutal.  I longed for the time when mom took care of us.   When Mom passed away our family splintered.  Everyone retreated to their own corner to lick their wounds and heal.  My father quickly remarried.  I longed for the time when I had a family.

After my divorce I ached for the days when, at the end of the day, I was able to tuck in my children, say prayers and kiss their foreheads.  I longed for the normal, daily routine of being a dad.

So now I know I would have been one of those Israelites craning back for just one more glimpse of the miserable life from which I had been delivered!  I would have longed for the known, the comfortable—even though it was not comfortable!  (This does not mean we have to obliterate our past memories.  We have wonderful memories that bring a smile.  We just cannot get tied down by them—or try to go back.)   In the reading of that story, we are given the big picture and see the lessons and blessings to come.

When we are living our story we cannot see beyond the next curve of the road—or sand dune!  We don’t know how the story will turn out and we are afraid.    That fear has us looking back.  The opposite of fear is love.  In fact, 1 John 4: 18 says, “perfect love drives out fear.”  God, with perfect love, has said that we will never be given tests that are beyond our capability.  There is comfort in that.  Hasn’t God prepared us for the next step?    I have also learned that God is always faithful.  I can rest in the knowledge that I will have what I need when I need it.  My mind wants to fret and worry and argue with that knowledge; however, I have to remind myself of God’s grace, let go and rest in that fact.  (My fear does NOT want to let go!)   As we look down the stretch of road before us—be it the relocation of First Christian, an illness, job loss or aging—ask “what can I do to surrender my fear to God’s perfect love in this situation?”  Think back to the Isaiah passage, it says God is making a way.  Let’s look for God’s way with excitement!  The passage also says that God is making streams in the wasteland.  These streams will nourish us on the journey and give us the strength to do what we are called to do.

James Baumgartner is the Interim Director of Music at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Minneapolis.

The year  2011 may well be a year of “lasts” at First Christian, Minneapolis.  In January of this year, the congregation voted to join the ongoing ecumenical partnership between Salem English Lutheran Church and Lyndale United Church of Christ.  If all goes as planned, sometime in the next 12 months or so, we will leave this building at 2201 First Avenue South and move to the Ministry Center at the near 28^th and Lyndale Avenues in Minneapolis.

That means the next few months will be filled with preparation for the move and for our new home.  Some of you are already part of committees dealing with design, worship and Christian Education.  In the coming months, others will plan the this massive move.

It also means we will deal with a lot of “lasts;”  the last Maundy Thursday service at 2201, the last Easter service at 2201, the last time the choir sings at 2201 and so on.  I’m half expecting the last worship service here will conclude with the hymn,  “We Are Marching in the Light of God” as people wipe away the tears and remember the memories that took place in this building.  We will march out of this building and this part of our journey as a faith community concludes.

Lent is usually envisioned as a journey to the cross, so it’s fitting we start this 40-week devotional called “A People on the Move.”  As we busy ourselves with the upcoming move, may this series of devotionals guide us during this time.  God is moving within and around us during this chaotic time; may God give us eyes to see and ears to hear.

Godspeed as you journey through Lent.

Dennis Sanders

Associate Pastor

Ash Wednesday 2011