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Day 367 | Sunday, 21 March 2021
It is now officially SPRING, and we have all made it through another winter. YEAH!! The assigned Scripture lessons for this the 5th Sunday in Lent are Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-12, Hebrews 5:5-10 and John 12:20-33. John 12 is where we find Jesus’ teaching about his death. I am using the Message below. Verse 24 is one that we often hear at a funeral. A more familiar reading might be this one from the CEB: “24 I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.” This is Jesus’ last teaching before his crucifixion. If I were to purchase a package of seeds and just put that package on the shelf, what good would it be. I have to plant the seeds to achieve any product. The more I plant the more they produce. If we hold on to who Jesus is for us and what he means to us, what good is that? As disciples, we have a responsibility to spread who Jesus is and what He means to us. “In the synoptic gospels, following Jesus requires self-denial, even a willingness to take up one’s own cross. Would-be followers are told that losing one’s life is the way to find (Matthew 10:39), or save (Mark 8:35), or keep (Luke 17:33) it. John 12:25-26 sounds like the synoptic gospels’ sayings relating discipleship and self-denial, but in the context of John, something else is in view.” “In John, following Jesus is the path of abundant or eternal life (see also John 10:10 and 10:27f.). Also in John, the word “hate” means “reject”; it usually refers to what the world does to Jesus and by extension, to his disciples (see also John 7:7; 15:18-19, 23-25). So when Jesus says, “Those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25b), he is encouraging others to follow his lead in hating (or rejecting) this world’s definition of life as a small and isolated existence. He will not — and his followers should not — grasp and hold the seed and thereby fail to bear much fruit.” 20 There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. 21 They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?" 22 Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered, "Time's up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. 25 In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal. 26 "If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me. 27 "Right now I am storm-tossed. And what am I going to say? 'Father, get me out of this'? No, this is why I came in the first place. 28 I'll say, 'Father, put your glory on display.'" A voice came out of the sky: "I have glorified it, and I'll glorify it again." 29 The listening crowd said, "Thunder!" Others said, "An angel spoke to him!" 30 Jesus said, "The voice didn't come for me but for you. Lord, as we continue our journey through Lent, help us to bear much fruit for you as disciples of Jesus. Hear our prayers this day. Amen
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Day 366 | Saturday, 20 March 2021
Today we begin a second year of these daily writings. I thought I would go back to Day 1 and share what I had written for that day as a reminder of how we began and where we have journeyed. This Day 1 writing went out just to the Woodlands neighbors. As the days progressed, these writings have been passed along to many more friends. Our church has put them on its website. Some of you have sent them on to your family and friends. Here is Day one from March 20, 2020. Good Morning neighbors. I heard back from all but two people, so I decided why wait until Sunday. This is the first full day of Spring so, let us connect via email. I want to begin with what I believe to be one of the most comforting scriptures in the Bible. It is well known to us as we learned it in our childhood and probably can still recite it on cue. The version we learned is the King James translation. Here is Psalm 23. The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surley goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. This Psalm is filled with imagery to fill our spirits. What is it about this Psalm that you like so much? Why are you drawn to it? What are some of the images you have around this Psalm? I will be offering some different versions of Psalm 23 in the days ahead for our reflection. You, our Lord, truly are a Shepherd who watches over your sheep. In these uncertain days confronting us, we pray for your continued leading. We need those still waters to calm our anxious spirits. Help us to remain focused on your goodness and mercy. We need you, God of us all. This Psalm offers so much, and we find safety in your leading as our Shepherd. Thank you for watching over our community and the world. Give us peace, today. Amen Community Prayer Request: Please pray for Jim Erickson who is in Heritage Green. Request: If you have a favorite scripture or two that you are willing to share, please send it to me - do not send it to the whole group, just to my email. Have a Blessed day. Doug Day 365 | Friday, 19 March 2021 365 days ago, March 20, 2020, I began sending out these daily devotionals, inspirations, thoughts etc. Did I expect that I would still be doing this one year later, NO. We were in the very early days of the COVID pandemic at that time and it was certainly a time of uncertainty for all of us. The image below might reflect just how we were feeling.  We found ourselves in unchartered territory along with the rest of the world without any clear understanding of what was ahead of us or how we would proceed through this time. As pointed out by the Church Mouse in one of her writings, we were fluctuating between fear and worry. Given who I am, it came naturally to me to want to offer words of encouragement and hope to our community. I guess one could say I wanted to give us something to hold on to as me journeyed together yet apart through the pandemic. Prayer was something we could all do for one another and for those on the front lines of this virus. Well, here we are, one year later thankful that we have made it through the journey up to this point. Yes, some were positive for COVID and survived, yet still dealing with what is now called long timers’ syndrome. The effects of the virus may be around for an unknown time. Most have received at least one vaccine if not both. We continue to pray for the scientists and researchers who will not stop their work. We are thankful for their persistence. We have provided scripture, hymns, prayers, questions, recipe’s, humor, emotional word pictures, hope and inspiration over these past 365 days. This daily exercise has been just as meaningful to The Woodland’s Shepherd and The Church Mouse as it has to those who have been reading it. Although we are still under the cloud of COVID-19, we will journey on through these days. We will continue to do our best to provide all of us with a daily message as we are able and as God gives us inspiration. Praise God for God’s presence and our connections to one another. Psalm 27 selected verses CEB The Lord is my light and my salvation. Should I fear anyone? The Lord is a fortress protecting my life. Should I be frightened of anything? I will continue to trust in this: I have asked one thing from the Lord—it’s all I seek: to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, seeing the Lord’s beauty and constantly adoring his temple. Because he will shelter me in his own dwelling during troubling times; he will hide me in a secret place in his own tent; he will set me up high, safe on a rock. I will sing and praise the Lord. Holy and gracious God, today I thank you for your loving presence with us over this past year as we have journeyed through uncertainty. You have been our strength and guide. The love of your son, Jesus, has held us and provided both hope and comfort. The presence of your Holy Spirit has lifted us up when we have been down. Continue to walk beside us as we journey on into these days. Lord, hear our prayers. Amen! Day 364 | Thursday, 18 March 2021
Colossians 1:27-29; 2:6-10 The Message 27 God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. 28 We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. 29 That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me. 6 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. 7 You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving. 8 Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. 9 Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. 10 When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything. It’s Jesus! By: Lisa M. Samra (from Our Daily Bread) “God has chosen to make known . . . the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27 “During an episode of the popular US television talent competition America’s Got Talent, a five-year-old girl sang with such exuberance that a judge compared her to a famous child singer and dancer in the 1930s. He remarked, “I think Shirley Temple is living somewhere inside of you.” Her unexpected response: “Not Shirley Temple. Jesus!”” “I marveled at the young girl’s deep awareness that her joy came from Jesus living in her. Scripture assures us of the amazing reality that all who trust in Him not only receive the promise of eternal life with God but also Jesus’ presence living in them through His Spirit—our hearts become Jesus’ home (Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 3:17).” “Jesus’ presence in our hearts fills us with countless reasons for gratitude (Colossians 2:6–7). He brings the ability to live with purpose and energy (1:28–29). He cultivates joy in our hearts in the midst of all circumstances, in both times of celebration and times of struggle (Philippians 4:12–13). Christ’s Spirit provides hope to our hearts that God is working all things together for good, even when we can’t see it (Romans 8:28). And the Spirit gives a peace that persists regardless of the chaos swirling around us (Colossians 3:15).” “With the confidence that comes from Jesus living in our hearts, we can allow His presence to shine through so that others can’t help but notice.” “What blessing of Jesus’ presence in your life encourages you today? How might you share Him as the reason for your hope and joy?” Our precious God, as we live our daily lives, guide us to allow the presence of Christ that is in us to shine through to others. Help us not to hide Jesus just for ourselves. Lord, Hear our prayers. Amen. Day 363 | Wednesday, March 17th HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY For the Woodlands residents, this is a significant day in our journey over the past year. As we gather at noon to pray together our Lord’s Prayer, this will be the 52 week we have gathered since being shut down by COVID-19. We have been doing this for one full year. I look forward to being together today at noon with all of you. I have been thinking back to one year ago. We attended worship on March 15th, sang in the choir and the next day we heard the news that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the state would be on shut down. This was something I had never experienced. What were we to do? We were told to stay in, wear masks, wash our hands, use sanitizing wipes, stay away from other people – at least 6 feet away. Everything we had considered normal was changed into something strange and abnormal. I guess I went into shepherd mode thinking about how this change was going to affect our Woodlands community. Prayer was the first thought. Then came the idea of gathering for the Lord’s prayer one day a week. How would we do that and remain safe. The invitation went out to all who were living here at the time to come out to the end of each driveway or on the front porch on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, at noon. I would go out to the street and blow a whistle right at noon and we would join in prayer together. We did this for several weeks until we felt safe to meet in the street and maintain a safe distance as we prayed together. This gave us an opportunity to make sure everyone was doing OK and staying healthy and safe. With God’s blessing, we have been gathering for 52 weeks at noon on Wednesday without bad weather. In fact, most every week, the sun has come out if only for the moment. For those of you who read this but who are not a resident of the Woodlands community, perhaps you have joined us at noon from your homes. This is an invitation to do just that as we continue to gather weekly for prayer. A couple days after the first gathering for prayer, I began writing these daily inspirations. I will write more about that on Friday. Now, I want to share with you the prayer of Saint Patrick, a St. Patrick’s Prayer and St. Patrick’s Breastplate. “As we reflect upon the prayer of Saint Patrick this St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, we see that these very powerful, yet intrinsically beautiful uplifting words, represent a total transformation of the self with complete trust and faith in the Divine, God our Creator.” “This prayer is known widely as “Morning Prayer,” “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” or “The Lorica.” It’s not known whether St. Patrick is actually the author or whether someone else wrote it years later and it was attributed to St. Patrick. But it is widely associated with him and his ministry.” I arise today Through the strength of heaven; Light of the sun, Splendor of fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of the wind, Depth of the sea, Stability of the earth, Firmness of the rock. I arise today Through God’s strength to pilot me; God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s hosts to save me Afar and anear, Alone or in a multitude. Christ shield me today Against wounding Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in the eye that sees me, Christ in the ear that hears me. I arise today Through the mighty strength Of the Lord of creation. St. Patrick’s Prayer May the Strength of God pilot us. May the Power of God preserve us. May the Wisdom of God instruct us. May the Hand of God protect us. May the Way of God direct us. May the Shield of God defend us. May the Host of God guard us Against the snares of the evil ones, Against temptations of the world. May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us! May Christ be in us, Christ be over all! May Thy Salvation, Lord, Always be ours, This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen. St Patrick's Breastplate Christ be with me, Christ within me Christ behind me, Christ before me Christ beside me, Christ to win me Christ to comfort me and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me Christ in quiet, Christ in danger Christ in hearts of all that love me Christ in mouth of friend or stranger. (390-461 A.D.) Day 362 | Tuesday, 16 March 2021
1 Peter 2:4-10 CEB 4 Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective it is chosen, valuable. 5 You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Thus it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed. 7 So God honors you who believe. For those who refuse to believe, though, the stone the builders tossed aside has become the capstone. 8 This is a stone that makes people stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Because they refuse to believe in the word, they stumble. Indeed, this is the end to which they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. 10 Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy. “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” 1 Peter 2:9 Do you remember what it was like before email? We actually had to sit down at a typewriter, or with a piece of stationary and a pen and hand write a letter. Now, when is the actual last time you have written a letter to someone special? My sister writes letters and cards to many people all the time – they are letters of caring. She does not use technology. I remember writing to my grandparents and parents when I was in college just to let them know I was doing well and that I missed them. A few years ago, I received a hand-written letter from my grandson. It meant so much to me that I put it in a drawer and read in occasionally. A few years ago, I wrote each one of our children a personal letter letting them know what they meant to me. I called it “a letter from dad.” Let me share the following from Elisa Morgan: “Twenty-one “books” in the Bible are actually letters—epistles—caringly written to first-century believers who struggled for a variety of reasons. Paul, James, and John wrote letters to explain the basics of faith and worship, and how to resolve conflict and build unity.” “The apostle Peter, however, specifically wrote to believers who were being persecuted by the Roman emperor, Nero. Peter reminded them of their intrinsic value to God, describing them this way in 1 Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” This lifted their gaze to God’s great purpose for them in their world: “that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”” The Bible contains some wonderful, caring letters to help us in our relationship with God. How does reading the Epistles as caring letters help you receive God’s encouragement? How will you share the hope of God’s caring letters today? Perhaps, during the rest of Lent you might write a letter to someone who needs to hear from you as a caring friend or relative. Holy God, thank you for those writers of the scriptures who have written caring letters to let us know how much you care for us, your children. Lord, hear our prayers. Amen Today: Postal workers who carry our letters. Day 361 | Monday, 15 March 2021
COVID-19 update: as of Friday afternoon, there have been 7,752 confirmed cases in the county with 119 now active, 227 in isolation and 139 deaths. There have been 2,056 cases in the 14701 zip code, 1,403 in Dunkirk, 902 in Fredonia, 304 in Lakewood and 271 in Bemus. In the USA we are now over 535,000 deaths with 29.4 million cases. Even though the vaccines are working we are still dealing with many deaths due to this pandemic. As we continue our journey through Lent, I offer more prayers. “One step on the path, we are returning home. Drawing closer to God, we are coming back home. Seeing the errors we've made, we are turning toward home. Knowing more about ourselves, we are making our way home. Trusting in God's embrace, we are coming home.” An Invocation: “Almighty and eternal God, you are a refiner’s fire, you are the thunder in the mountain, you are the potter with the clay, you are the pillar of cloud in the wilderness and the burning bush in the desert. We do not take off our shoes as did Moses, but we do take off our pride as we stand in awe and reverence in your holy presence. Amen A Lenten Prayer of Confession “Guide our feet, holy God, on your path, for we are tempted to stray. We turn toward the cheap success, the fleeting fame, the passing fad. We are always looking to someone, or some purchase, or some experience to fill our souls. But nothing lasts except the constant pull of your love. Holy God, tune our hearts to your commands, fill our minds with your counsels, keep our eyes on Jesus, our companion and guide. Amen.” A Lenten Litany “Death and darkness hide in too many corners of our world. Children go to bed hungry. Dissident voices are locked up in prisons. Armaments are stockpiled, while assault weapons terrorize our streets. Fear haunts our cities. We long for freedom and release, for justice and peace. Let us journey through Lent with all our hearts so we don't forget the One who has sustained us through all times and seasons. Families are pushed and pulled by economics and activities. We pack our calendars and strain our relationships. Tragedies and accidents upset the fragile balance we hold. Let us not forget the One who invites us to come away awhile for a rest. Griefs linger, resentments smolder, tensions mount, our personal faith gets challenged and we long for divine guidance or at least some breathing space. Yet God is with us through it all, the One who has blessed us with hope and forgiveness.” A Lenten Blessing “May you know hope in the midst of doubts, assurance in times of questioning and peace in the presence of conflict. May your journey through Lent lead you ever closer to the heart of God and may God walk with you all your days. Amen” Today: Prayers for families still experiencing loss of loved ones due to the virus. Day 360 | Sunday, 14 March 2021
The assigned Scripture readings for this the fourth Sunday in Lent are, Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; Ephesians 2:1-10 and John 3:14-21. The passage from John includes one of the most quoted verses from the scriptures – John 3:16. I share the passage from John from the Message. John 3:16-21 is a summary of the fourth Gospel. The more familiar language uses “So Loved” but “so loved” does not mean “loves so much.” Rather it means “loved in this way”; that is, God’s love is giving and purposeful – to rescue and give life. “Eternal life” in John means abundant life in relation to Jesus now as well as in the future or as Peterson writes it –“anyone can have a whole and lasting life.” I would encourage you to read the Ephesians passage along with the passage from John. In fact, I will add the Ephesians passage from the Message for comparison to your favorite translation. 14 In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up - 15 and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life. 16 "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. 17 God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. 18 Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. 19 "This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. 20 Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure. 21 But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is." 1 It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. 2 You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. 3 We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. 4 Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, 5 he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! 6 Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. 7 Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. 8 Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! 9 We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! 10 No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing. Praise God for God’s grace and gift of salvation! Day 359 | Saturday, 13 March 2021 DO NOT BE AFRAID – REMEMBER TO SET YOUR CLOCKS, WATCHES AND SUN DIALS AHEAD ONE HOUR WHEN YOU RETIRE FOR THE NIGHT!!!!!! If you are familiar with the hymn “God of Grace and God of Glory” substitute these words from Dean McIntyre, 1995. His version is titled “Time Change Song”. “God of sleep, and God of slumber, help us not be late, we ask: changing clocks one for-ward number, may we not for-get this task. Choir di-rec-tors, preach-ers, teachers, all will bless your ho-ly name, if to Sun-day church on time we came.” We certainly have been enjoying some wonderful weather this past week as we experience spring fever. Then, we must not forget St. Patrick’ Day usually is surrounded with a reminder that it is still winter and comes just 6 weeks after that fur ball of a critter saw his shadow. We have seen geese and ducks on the pond. We have also seen and heard a red-winged black bird. Still looking for robins. Lent continues and I offer this Lenten Affirmation of Faith: “(Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:12-13) We believe the prophet, where it is written "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." We believe the statement of John the Baptist, who saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" We believe that we need to clean out the old yeast so that we may be a new batch, as we really are unleavened. For our paschal lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. We believe that we were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from our ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. And so, we lift up our voice, and join with the heavenly host as they sing with full voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" “Just and merciful God: According to the ancient story, you cleansed the earth of all corruption in a giant flood that raged for 40 days. Your church long ago appointed this Lenten season of 40 days for stock-taking, repentance and cleansing. We pray for the proper humility, Father, that we may acknowledge our need to be made clean and that both our common worship and our personal prayers during Lent may open up our hearts, help us to get honest with ourselves and with you, and allow us to experience the passion, crucifixion and resurrection of our savior at a fresh, adult depth. Imbued with his teachings, inspired by his self-giving life, may this season prepare us to accept what he has done for us and to show our gratitude and love to him in new and effective ways. We pray in his glorious name Amen Day 358 | Friday, 12 March 2021 From the Church Mouse In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. - Job 12:10 (NIV) More often than not, the Mouse writes about God’s nature and all his creatures in it. I try to behave as if the God in ALL life matters. I don’t love all creatures: snakes, spiders, Fishers, skunks, and yellow jackets especially, but I do respect them. However, I love so many that I have written about: my beloved Jonah, my cats, especially Max, meerkats, Louie the cockatiel, Great Blue Herons, deer, chipmunks, Monarchs,,,, you remember the stories. Oh by the way…guess which bird is me:  I’ve always been passionate about feeding birds, saving birds from being trapped in the garage, running outside to hold to my chest the bird who knocked himself silly by crashing into our bedroom window. Growing up, and even into adulthood, I didn’t fully understand my fascination. I was busy, raising children, growing a huge garden, canning and freezing bushels of food, and caring for a large pond similar to the one we have now….except it was twelve feet deep. We had monster fish which we named after Japanese creatures popular at the time such as Godzilla and Mothra. I put up feeders for the birds so my children could see the tiny creatures flying close to the window and eating their fill. Sometimes it served as a distraction on rainy days when the kids were inside and I had toys to pick up, laundry to wash and fold, and dishes to clean, dry and put away. After the kids were grown with new lives of their own, I forgot about the bird feeders in my busyness. I was serving as a wife in ministry, keeping house, studying for my degrees and finally working full time. When we finally retired and moved here to the Woodlands, I put the feeders back up. I didn’t expect to recreate the bevy of birds from my younger years, but I hoped for a few robins and chickadees. I was surprised and pleased at the numbers and varieties that we have for such an urban setting. I had always thought that if I fed them, they would come, and they have. This spring I will need help planting a Mountain Ash, the tree with beautiful orange berries. Don’t worry. It’s not really an ash tree with their awful ash beetles. It’s closely related to the rose bush and attracts Cedar Waxwings. They are very hard to attract, but I would like to see them again. It was long ago when they came to the Mountain Ash tree at our childhood home. So….we’ll plant a Mountain Ash and cross our fingers.   I am delighted by these creatures that come to our feeders. Such kinds and colors, they seem other-wordly. They sing their little hearts out, diving down to the feeders from the trees, spilling seed on the ground for the Mourning Doves and Dark-eyed Juncos. How could I have forgotten for so long in by busyness? How could have I missed their blessing for all those years? It makes me wonder how many more blessings I have missed with all the business….even of the ministry to others. The pandemic has helped me reevaluate what is important now…..and it is a unexpected blessing.  |
Rev. Douglas Knopp, Pastor EmeritusArchives
April 2022
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