Gathering in Grace, Growing in Faith, Going with love
Devotionals
Eagle’s wings – Psalm 17
“Hide me in the shadow of your wings” (v. 8)
We have had a pair of bald eagles on our farm for years. Each year i nMarch they return to the same nest and begin to refurbish it. By the end of the month, they are incubating their eggs. Invariably, there will be a late snowstorm after they begin to sit. Amid frigid temperatures, blinding snow, and howling wind, they do not leave the nest. When the eaglets hatch and the spring thunderstorms begin, the parents keep constant vigil , protecting the babies beneath the shelter of their wings.
Psalm 17 is a prayer for relief by one who is powerless in the face of enemies. Appealing to God for help, the psalmist is confident that God will not only hear but also respond with mercy. God will be like the eagle who gives shelter under holy wings. When we face trials and struggles in our own lives, we too can boldly cry out to God, trusting that God’s protecting wings will cover us amid the storms that swirl around us and will bring us deliverance.
Protect us, O God, amid raging storms, and deliver us from all evil, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Spare and keep us – Revelation 3:7-13
“I will keep you from the hour of trial.” (v. 10)
One of my favorite resources is A New Zealand Prayer Book. Of the many things I find valuable in this resource, my favorite is a version of the Lord’s Prayer that is influenced by Polynesian culture and is rich in imagery. One of the most poignant lines is this: “From trial too great to endure, spare us.”
I cannot help but bring this to mind as I reflect on Revelation 3. These words could have easily been prayed by the ancient church in Philadelphia. This church was not wealthy, had no power, and faced persecution from those who were hostile to Christianity. Amid this circumstance we hear the promise that when trial comes, Chris is present.
On our own journey of faith and life, we too face trials. As we pray that God will spare us from trials too great to endure, these words from John’s vision remind us that no trial or tribulation can keep us from Christ; instead, Jesus will keep you amid whatever hardship you face.
God of promise, when trials come, thank you for keeping us in your tender care, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Love first – Romans 13:8-14
“Love is the filling of the law.” (v. 10)
It was a challenging time. Many of my neighbors were very different from me: They had different experiences. They held different worldviews. They thought differently about matters of faith and life. We had very little in common, and I wondered how I could make a home in such an environment. THen I listened to a podcast by a friend in a similar context, and she talked about the intentional decision that she made to “love first.” Instead of beginning with all that divides, she made a regular decision to love first.
In the Letter to the Romans, Paul talks about how to live as Christ followers in this life. Made right with God by faith, we love. Love, then, is both the theme and the refrain of our relationship with God and our relationship with the whole creation.
It is not always easy, but when we love first, we both see Christ in our neighbors and can be Christ for our neighbors. Who will you love first today?
Loving God, in my thoughts, words, and deeds, help me to love first. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Honor – 1 Peter 2:11-17
“As servants of God,…honor everyone.” (vv. 16-17)
Some words come from a different era; they are not a part of our everyday language, and sometimes they seem outdated. Even so, such words still hold value. Honor is one such word. We do not often talk about honoring someone unless they have done something special to deserve it. We rarely think of honoring people in daily life.
The letter of 1 Peter, however, calls us to honor everyone. The word that we translate “honor” means to have reverence for, or to hold in high regard. Because all humanity is made in the image of God, each person can reveal God to us. Hence, we honor everyone.
In an age when we are so divided across our differences, the call to honor everyone is a reminder that through Christ, God has made a new way. Through Christ, God has bridged the chasm that separates us from God and one another. As servants of Christ, we bridge the chasm of discord by honoring one another, and thereby seeking the image of God in everyone we meet.
O God, help me to see your image in all people I meet today and to honor them. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
God’s good law – Psalm 119:65-72
“You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” (v. 68)
I once taught a college class called “Introduction to the Christian Faith.” For the first assignment, students created a visual image of their understanding of God. Portrayals included an old man, a strong woman, an angry judge, a cross and an empty tomb, and composites of a variety of understandings. How do you understand God?
Reflecting on who God is by meditating on God’s law may not often be a part of our devotional lives. Yet Psalm 119 encourages us to do so. It may sound surprising, but when we remember that God in goodness gave the law to humanity, and that the root of the law is love (see Romans 13:8), we can be filled with praise for the law and for God the lawgiver.
The law is a mirror into which we look and see ourselves and our need for a Savior. When we see our failure to live in love, we need not despair; instead, we look to Jesus, who knew our failings yet loved us all the way to his death. He fulfills the law once and for all. This is cause for praise, indeed!
Point me to Jesus, O God, that I might daily die to myself and rise with him. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
From hindsight to insight – Genesis 50:15-21
“God intended it for good.” (v. 20)
Looking back often brings a new perspective. It had been a difficult time in my life. My vocational dreams had been upended. I had made mistakes, and I had encountered people who were less than kind. I was disillusioned and uncertain about what the future held. With the help of a spiritual director, I gained new insight from hindsight, and I discovered how God was present and creating something new, even amid all that was so profoundly painful.
Genesis 50 brings us to the end of the Joseph narrative. The story has moved from betrayal to reconciliation, and it has covered a lot of ground in between. As Joseph looks back on all that has transpired, he sees how God was always present, working for good, even amid the evil he experienced.
In our own lives, Joseph’s words remind us that we are a resurrection people. God is never absent. God’s purposes will always prevail as God works to bring life out of death. That is the promise of Jesus for us.
O God, give me insight from hindsight, that I might see how you work for good. Through Christ I pray. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – Matthew 9:9-13
[Jesus said,] “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” (v.13)
Matthew was allied to discipleship by Jesus even though tax collectors were considered sinners. They served the Romans, and at least some were known to cheat others to benefit themselves. The Pharisees couldn’t understand why Jesus would break bread with Matthew and other sinners who had joined the dinner party. The Pharisees’ adherence to the Mosaic law, though well-intended as a form of devotion to God, left them unable to recognize these sinners’ need for Jesus’ mercy.
When we know in our hearts that we are not living as Jesus called us to live, that we do not always make the most loving choices in service of others, and that no matter how we try, it seems impossible to change, we too can become aware of our need for Jesus and be transformed by God. Watching and listening loosely to Jesus, opening our hearts to his Spirit, we come to recognize that we are like the people who gathered for dinner that night. We are in need of Jesus’ mercy. And to us, as to Matthew, he says, “Come, follow me.”
O God, let your healing love transform us, as it did Matthew, into the people you call us to be. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Living with gratitude – Psalm 145:1-8
“Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever.” (v. 2)
Facing ovarian cancer and the challenges of surgery and chemo helped me learn that living with gratitude does not mean discounting how painful life can be. I do not have to pretend life is okay when it is not. In my experience, living with gratitude means trusting God’s goodness through everything, to the depths of my being. Because of God’s goodness and grace, I know the hard places of life are not sent as punishment. They are simply part of life on earth.
The same God who is with us through the pleasant times wraps us in love through every challenge and loss. At no time are we unloved or left on our own. When we know that divine love and grae cover our every breath, then we know that we can get through the challenges. We may be changed by our experiences, but always we remain the beloved children of God. For this reason, we live with gratitude.
Holy One, give us awareness of your presence through everything, that we may live in trust. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Living in the goodness of the Lord – Psalm 106:1-12
“Then they believed [the Lord’s] words; they sang his praise.” (v. 12)
Psalm 106 is a long litany about the faith and unfaith of the Israelites. God had done amazing things in their midst, but the Isarelites quickly forgot the good when life became challenging and caused them fear.
These cycles of faith and doubt are part of the human story. When we believe we are experiencing the blessing of God’s presence, we are grateful. When loss or illness comes into our lives, we can easily doubt whether God remembers us at all. Pain and grief have a way of calling into question what we thought we held as solid truth.
Trusting that God is good, no matter what our situation, can help us persevere when our hearts are hurting, but of course that’s often easier said than done. In those times, we can be grateful that nothing we do or don’t do, feel or don’t feel, can diminish God’s goodness and love for us. We are held in dividend compassion through everything by the One who, simply, will never let us go.
Faithful God, your presence never leaves us. Help us trust we belong to you through eternity. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
A teachable spirit – Psalm 25:1-9
“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. (v. 4)
Every time my eyes are opened to a new dimension of faith, I hold on to it tightly as though I have finally arrived at the end point of the journey. As much as I might wish this were true, it never is. I will never reach a place where I have nothing more to learn. If Jesus, in his humanity, said he did not know everything, how can I expect I will?
One of the hardest challenges we face is to hold our beliefs with conviction while allowing for the possibility that there is more to learn, to have teachable spirits that trust that God is guiding our journeys. Our understanding of life will change as long as we live. Our faith journeys will also take us to new places because of our experiences in life and God’s presence in them.
If we trust that we are being led and that God has the power to see us safely through this life into the next, we will never fear this transforming love but will open our hearts and minds more fully to it.
Faithful God, give us open hearts and listening spirits, that we may be teachable. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Michael and All Angels – Luke 10-17-20
[Jesus said,] “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (v. 20)
Jesus had sent out seventy to places he was going to visit. They returned full of job because, by any standard, it had been successful. Even demons had submitted to the authority they carried in Jesus’ name.
While they focused on successful outcomes, Jesus quickly reoriented them toward the holy. The fact that they belonged to God should be the most important to them. If they taught out of this God-purpose, they would be able to persevere, whatever the outcome.
If we need success in order to feel we have done something worthwhile, we will quickly become discouraged when the results do not match our expectations. This is especially true when we are reaching out to help others. If we need them to respond a certain way, our needs are motivating the process. When we know, however, that we are being led by God, nothing else matters quite as much as this. Joy at being led trumps expectations every time.
Lead us, holy God, in the way we should go. Let your love light the way. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
The mind of Christ – Philippians 2:1-13
“Be of the same mind, having the same love” (v. 2)
Most, if not all, of us have trouble relating to those who think differently than we do. This seems to be part of the human condition. Pauls’ words offer the possibility that we diverse humans can come together in community and actually worship and work toward something larger than ourselves.
When divine love sets the foundation for our togetherness, we use our different gifts and viewpoints to build something of value that sends a message of hope to the world. Being of the same mind means we all agree that allowing the healing love of Christ to work through us is more important than any differences we have.
When we relate to one another out of the unity we share in Christ, we allow our diverse spiritual gifts to strengthen and teach the community. We praise God because in Christ we unique individuals are able to live as one. This is the kind of community that has much to offer the world. Within this circle of grace, we point everyone to the light and love of God.
Holy Jesus, clothe us in your love, that our unity would flourish for the healing of this world. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Devotionals
Eagle’s wings – Psalm 17
“Hide me in the shadow of your wings” (v. 8)
We have had a pair of bald eagles on our farm for years. Each year i nMarch they return to the same nest and begin to refurbish it. By the end of the month, they are incubating their eggs. Invariably, there will be a late snowstorm after they begin to sit. Amid frigid temperatures, blinding snow, and howling wind, they do not leave the nest. When the eaglets hatch and the spring thunderstorms begin, the parents keep constant vigil , protecting the babies beneath the shelter of their wings.
Psalm 17 is a prayer for relief by one who is powerless in the face of enemies. Appealing to God for help, the psalmist is confident that God will not only hear but also respond with mercy. God will be like the eagle who gives shelter under holy wings. When we face trials and struggles in our own lives, we too can boldly cry out to God, trusting that God’s protecting wings will cover us amid the storms that swirl around us and will bring us deliverance.
Protect us, O God, amid raging storms, and deliver us from all evil, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Spare and keep us – Revelation 3:7-13
“I will keep you from the hour of trial.” (v. 10)
One of my favorite resources is A New Zealand Prayer Book. Of the many things I find valuable in this resource, my favorite is a version of the Lord’s Prayer that is influenced by Polynesian culture and is rich in imagery. One of the most poignant lines is this: “From trial too great to endure, spare us.”
I cannot help but bring this to mind as I reflect on Revelation 3. These words could have easily been prayed by the ancient church in Philadelphia. This church was not wealthy, had no power, and faced persecution from those who were hostile to Christianity. Amid this circumstance we hear the promise that when trial comes, Chris is present.
On our own journey of faith and life, we too face trials. As we pray that God will spare us from trials too great to endure, these words from John’s vision remind us that no trial or tribulation can keep us from Christ; instead, Jesus will keep you amid whatever hardship you face.
God of promise, when trials come, thank you for keeping us in your tender care, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Love first – Romans 13:8-14
“Love is the filling of the law.” (v. 10)
It was a challenging time. Many of my neighbors were very different from me: They had different experiences. They held different worldviews. They thought differently about matters of faith and life. We had very little in common, and I wondered how I could make a home in such an environment. THen I listened to a podcast by a friend in a similar context, and she talked about the intentional decision that she made to “love first.” Instead of beginning with all that divides, she made a regular decision to love first.
In the Letter to the Romans, Paul talks about how to live as Christ followers in this life. Made right with God by faith, we love. Love, then, is both the theme and the refrain of our relationship with God and our relationship with the whole creation.
It is not always easy, but when we love first, we both see Christ in our neighbors and can be Christ for our neighbors. Who will you love first today?
Loving God, in my thoughts, words, and deeds, help me to love first. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Honor – 1 Peter 2:11-17
“As servants of God,…honor everyone.” (vv. 16-17)
Some words come from a different era; they are not a part of our everyday language, and sometimes they seem outdated. Even so, such words still hold value. Honor is one such word. We do not often talk about honoring someone unless they have done something special to deserve it. We rarely think of honoring people in daily life.
The letter of 1 Peter, however, calls us to honor everyone. The word that we translate “honor” means to have reverence for, or to hold in high regard. Because all humanity is made in the image of God, each person can reveal God to us. Hence, we honor everyone.
In an age when we are so divided across our differences, the call to honor everyone is a reminder that through Christ, God has made a new way. Through Christ, God has bridged the chasm that separates us from God and one another. As servants of Christ, we bridge the chasm of discord by honoring one another, and thereby seeking the image of God in everyone we meet.
O God, help me to see your image in all people I meet today and to honor them. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
God’s good law – Psalm 119:65-72
“You are good and do good; teach me your statutes.” (v. 68)
I once taught a college class called “Introduction to the Christian Faith.” For the first assignment, students created a visual image of their understanding of God. Portrayals included an old man, a strong woman, an angry judge, a cross and an empty tomb, and composites of a variety of understandings. How do you understand God?
Reflecting on who God is by meditating on God’s law may not often be a part of our devotional lives. Yet Psalm 119 encourages us to do so. It may sound surprising, but when we remember that God in goodness gave the law to humanity, and that the root of the law is love (see Romans 13:8), we can be filled with praise for the law and for God the lawgiver.
The law is a mirror into which we look and see ourselves and our need for a Savior. When we see our failure to live in love, we need not despair; instead, we look to Jesus, who knew our failings yet loved us all the way to his death. He fulfills the law once and for all. This is cause for praise, indeed!
Point me to Jesus, O God, that I might daily die to myself and rise with him. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
From hindsight to insight – Genesis 50:15-21
“God intended it for good.” (v. 20)
Looking back often brings a new perspective. It had been a difficult time in my life. My vocational dreams had been upended. I had made mistakes, and I had encountered people who were less than kind. I was disillusioned and uncertain about what the future held. With the help of a spiritual director, I gained new insight from hindsight, and I discovered how God was present and creating something new, even amid all that was so profoundly painful.
Genesis 50 brings us to the end of the Joseph narrative. The story has moved from betrayal to reconciliation, and it has covered a lot of ground in between. As Joseph looks back on all that has transpired, he sees how God was always present, working for good, even amid the evil he experienced.
In our own lives, Joseph’s words remind us that we are a resurrection people. God is never absent. God’s purposes will always prevail as God works to bring life out of death. That is the promise of Jesus for us.
O God, give me insight from hindsight, that I might see how you work for good. Through Christ I pray. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – Matthew 9:9-13
[Jesus said,] “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” (v.13)
Matthew was allied to discipleship by Jesus even though tax collectors were considered sinners. They served the Romans, and at least some were known to cheat others to benefit themselves. The Pharisees couldn’t understand why Jesus would break bread with Matthew and other sinners who had joined the dinner party. The Pharisees’ adherence to the Mosaic law, though well-intended as a form of devotion to God, left them unable to recognize these sinners’ need for Jesus’ mercy.
When we know in our hearts that we are not living as Jesus called us to live, that we do not always make the most loving choices in service of others, and that no matter how we try, it seems impossible to change, we too can become aware of our need for Jesus and be transformed by God. Watching and listening loosely to Jesus, opening our hearts to his Spirit, we come to recognize that we are like the people who gathered for dinner that night. We are in need of Jesus’ mercy. And to us, as to Matthew, he says, “Come, follow me.”
O God, let your healing love transform us, as it did Matthew, into the people you call us to be. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Living with gratitude – Psalm 145:1-8
“Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever.” (v. 2)
Facing ovarian cancer and the challenges of surgery and chemo helped me learn that living with gratitude does not mean discounting how painful life can be. I do not have to pretend life is okay when it is not. In my experience, living with gratitude means trusting God’s goodness through everything, to the depths of my being. Because of God’s goodness and grace, I know the hard places of life are not sent as punishment. They are simply part of life on earth.
The same God who is with us through the pleasant times wraps us in love through every challenge and loss. At no time are we unloved or left on our own. When we know that divine love and grae cover our every breath, then we know that we can get through the challenges. We may be changed by our experiences, but always we remain the beloved children of God. For this reason, we live with gratitude.
Holy One, give us awareness of your presence through everything, that we may live in trust. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Living in the goodness of the Lord – Psalm 106:1-12
“Then they believed [the Lord’s] words; they sang his praise.” (v. 12)
Psalm 106 is a long litany about the faith and unfaith of the Israelites. God had done amazing things in their midst, but the Isarelites quickly forgot the good when life became challenging and caused them fear.
These cycles of faith and doubt are part of the human story. When we believe we are experiencing the blessing of God’s presence, we are grateful. When loss or illness comes into our lives, we can easily doubt whether God remembers us at all. Pain and grief have a way of calling into question what we thought we held as solid truth.
Trusting that God is good, no matter what our situation, can help us persevere when our hearts are hurting, but of course that’s often easier said than done. In those times, we can be grateful that nothing we do or don’t do, feel or don’t feel, can diminish God’s goodness and love for us. We are held in dividend compassion through everything by the One who, simply, will never let us go.
Faithful God, your presence never leaves us. Help us trust we belong to you through eternity. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
A teachable spirit – Psalm 25:1-9
“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. (v. 4)
Every time my eyes are opened to a new dimension of faith, I hold on to it tightly as though I have finally arrived at the end point of the journey. As much as I might wish this were true, it never is. I will never reach a place where I have nothing more to learn. If Jesus, in his humanity, said he did not know everything, how can I expect I will?
One of the hardest challenges we face is to hold our beliefs with conviction while allowing for the possibility that there is more to learn, to have teachable spirits that trust that God is guiding our journeys. Our understanding of life will change as long as we live. Our faith journeys will also take us to new places because of our experiences in life and God’s presence in them.
If we trust that we are being led and that God has the power to see us safely through this life into the next, we will never fear this transforming love but will open our hearts and minds more fully to it.
Faithful God, give us open hearts and listening spirits, that we may be teachable. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
Michael and All Angels – Luke 10-17-20
[Jesus said,] “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (v. 20)
Jesus had sent out seventy to places he was going to visit. They returned full of job because, by any standard, it had been successful. Even demons had submitted to the authority they carried in Jesus’ name.
While they focused on successful outcomes, Jesus quickly reoriented them toward the holy. The fact that they belonged to God should be the most important to them. If they taught out of this God-purpose, they would be able to persevere, whatever the outcome.
If we need success in order to feel we have done something worthwhile, we will quickly become discouraged when the results do not match our expectations. This is especially true when we are reaching out to help others. If we need them to respond a certain way, our needs are motivating the process. When we know, however, that we are being led by God, nothing else matters quite as much as this. Joy at being led trumps expectations every time.
Lead us, holy God, in the way we should go. Let your love light the way. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
The mind of Christ – Philippians 2:1-13
“Be of the same mind, having the same love” (v. 2)
Most, if not all, of us have trouble relating to those who think differently than we do. This seems to be part of the human condition. Pauls’ words offer the possibility that we diverse humans can come together in community and actually worship and work toward something larger than ourselves.
When divine love sets the foundation for our togetherness, we use our different gifts and viewpoints to build something of value that sends a message of hope to the world. Being of the same mind means we all agree that allowing the healing love of Christ to work through us is more important than any differences we have.
When we relate to one another out of the unity we share in Christ, we allow our diverse spiritual gifts to strengthen and teach the community. We praise God because in Christ we unique individuals are able to live as one. This is the kind of community that has much to offer the world. Within this circle of grace, we point everyone to the light and love of God.
Holy Jesus, clothe us in your love, that our unity would flourish for the healing of this world. Amen.
Reproduced by Permission of Augsburg Fortress, taken from the Christ In Our Home devotional Quarter 3, 2023.
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