God Pause Daily Devotions

Thursday, February 4

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 01:01:00 -0600

Luke 5:1-11 -- He'd been fishing unsuccessfully all night and worked much of the morning, cleaning his nets. He'd let Jesus use his boat as a pulpit. After all that, you'd think he'd just want to go home and go to bed. But when the preaching was over, Jesus said, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Amazingly, Simon did it. Being a disciple is not easy, nor always convenient. read more...

Wednesday, February 3

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 01:01:00 -0600

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 -- John felt pretty confident about his faith when he was at worship services, but could get really shaky and tongue-tied when his friends said things like, "You really believe that stuff about Jesus coming back from the dead?" "You really believe God is in this world, with so many bad things happening?" John didn't know what to say and could even start questioning things himself. 1 Corinthians 15 can help us with these challenges to our faith. The church in Corinth shared John's dilemma. Corinth was a major port city with lots of people and lots of beliefs. read more...

Tuesday, February 2

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 01:01:00 -0600

Luke 2:22-40 -- My daughter Sarah was exactly four months old one Christmas Eve, when I held her in my arms to preach my Christmas sermon, "A Message to Sarah about Christmas." Holding my own baby, I was filled with the wonder of present joy and future hope and I had so much to tell her about our present future in Christ. As Simeon cradled the baby Jesus in his arms, he knew he was holding God's promises for Israel's salvation. Yet he said something I find incredible: "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation ..." It was enough for him to hold the promise and know that salvation was here. read more...

Monday, February 1

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 01:01:00 -0600

Isaiah 6:1-8 9-13 -- Isaiah got a sneak preview of God on his throne, with seraphim shouting back and forth, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory." But wait--Isaiah senses a disconnect. This is not the earth he knows! He cries, "I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips . . read more...

Sunday, January 31

Beth Ann Gaede, The Alban Institute, Hudson, Wis. — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

"In Christ There Is No East or West," ELW 650 -- During the season after the Feast of the Epiphany, Christians have traditionally focused on the church's missions. Magi from the East followed a star to Bethlehem in search of Christ, the light of the world. As Christians, we are called to be witnesses to that same light. read more...

Saturday, January 30

Beth Ann Gaede, The Alban Institute, Hudson, Wis. — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

"Hark, the Glad Sound!" ELW 239 -- Once the seasons of Advent and Christmas have passed and our days of waiting for the Christ child are fulfilled, we can easily forget the deep yearning with which God's people anticipated the coming of the Messiah. Centuries passed, and yet the events they hoped for--the release of prisoners, the binding of broken hearts--were still to come. "Hark, the Glad Sound!" is one of more than four hundred texts written by Philip Doddridge (1702--1751), an English independent minister. He freely gave away his texts, which were not published until after his death. read more...

Friday, January 29

Beth Ann Gaede, The Alban Institute, Hudson, Wis. — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

Luke 4:21-30 -- The people of Nazareth who gathered to worship in the synagogue knew Jesus as Joseph's son. He was just another young man from down the street, and they were accustomed to hearing him read and teach--although his gracious words seemed to move them in a way others' did not. But apart from his gifts as a teacher, he was an ordinary and familiar fellow ... read more...

Thursday, January 28

Beth Ann Gaede, The Alban Institute, Hudson, Wis. — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

Luke 4:21-30 -- How quickly perceptions can shift! In verse 22 of this Sunday's Gospel lesson, we read, "All spoke well of Jesus and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth." Only six verses later, we learn, "When they heard Jesus' message, all in the synagogue were filled with rage." What changed? Jesus' listeners had first been consoled by the prophecies of Isaiah (Luke 4:18--19) but were then confronted with the fact that God chooses what we reject and welcomes the alien we turn away. read more...

Wednesday, January 27

Beth Ann Gaede, The Alban Institute, Hudson, Wis. — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- The apostle Paul's teaching about love, the greatest gift, is often read at weddings, so we might be surprised to hear this chapter in worship this coming Sunday. Of course, we always benefit from reflecting on our love for one another and its foundation in God's love. The first verse of the chapter calls our attention to an ordinary expression of love--our speech. read more...

Tuesday, January 26

Beth Ann Gaede, The Alban Institute, Hudson, Wis. — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

Psalm 71:1-6 -- Rescue us, O God! Public leaders we count on to make the world a better place dither and dissemble instead. People we love or admire continually disappoint us. Economic recovery is shadowed by persistent joblessness. read more...

Monday, January 25

Beth Ann Gaede, The Alban Institute, Hudson, Wis. — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Presbyterian theologian Frederick Buechner is perhaps best known for his observation, "The place to which God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet." Jeremiah's vision reminds us, however, that God often calls the unwilling and the unexpected--in this case, a reluctant, tongue-tied boy. We have all heard people object when offered an opportunity to serve: "I don't have time." "I'm too old." "Others are far more gifted." "I could never deal with ...." From Jeremiah, we learn that not every vocation is rooted in our personal gladness or allows us to exercise gifts we believe we possess. Our vocations, like Jeremiah's, might even be difficult. read more...

Sunday, January 24

Mary Simonson Clark, Faith-based consultant, Twin Cities metro area, Minn. — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

"We Are Called," ELW 720 -- "Come! Live in the light! Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord!," proclaims Epiphany's celebration of Christ, the light of the world. Haas' hymn, We Are Called, with its lilting melody and commanding lyrics, is a profound and apt summary for the observation of Martin Luther King Day and The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Through this week's texts, we explored how we could live out our prayers for unity by sharing resources, witnessing our Creator's glory, loving God and our neighbors, practicing inclusivity and interdependency, working for equality and justice, seeking reconciliation and joining in mutual service. read more...

Saturday, January 23

Mary Simonson Clark, Faith-based consultant, Twin Cities metro area, Minn. — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

"Will You Let Me Be Your Servant," ELW 659 -- I have a book titled, How To Do (just about) Everything (Rosen, 2000). It's a misnomer! None of us can do everything, particularly the most important thing: save ourselves. Even excluding this greatest grace-filled gift, we still fall woefully short of "everything." Alone, our limited abilities are inadequate, which is very disconcerting for many of us to admit. read more...

Friday, January 22

Mary Simonson Clark, Faith-based consultant, Twin Cities metro area, Minn. — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:01:00 -0600

Luke 4:14-21 -- Jesus said, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing" (v. 21). Although the people "spoke well of him and were amazed at his gracious words" (v. 22), do you think they really understood what Jesus said? Did they realize Jesus just told them God's Kingdom had come to earth through him? Perhaps we are not very different from the people who heard Jesus that day in the Nazareth synagogue. Don't we often look around and fail to see God's Kingdom in our world? Surely, people still live in poverty, remain in captivity, have disabilities and suffer from oppression. read more...