St. Luke's United Methodist Church

The ‘Members Blogs’ Section

This section contains words of inspiration and encouragement written by members of our church who have a literary gift.

Note: this is an article in a continuing series in which I share my own stories inspired by The Upper Room’s daily suggested Bible verse and devotional story. I present this series in the tradition of United Methodist Church Founder John Wesley’s “methodical” study of The Bible, and I encourage other St. Luke’s members to become a formal contributor to this site in order to share their own testimony similarly.

Writing For God
Inspired by The Upper Room’s suggested reading for January 30, 2012
1 Corinthians 2:1-5

The State of Texas (and probably most other states in the U.S.) spends millions of dollars each year searching for ways English teachers can improve students’ writing. I know this because, as a Texas certified English teacher, I’ve read much of what the state has written on this topic, and I’ve attended countless seminars and meetings run by highly paid consultants and professors.

Despite my certification, I’ve never been able to fit in as a formally employed English teacher. And most of my fellow experts will take exception to my next paragraph. But I submit it anyway.

Further study and discussion of the teaching of writing has long been wasteful. Paul gave us the best “formula” for writing centuries ago. All English teachers would do well to simply base their lessons upon today’s reading. Any student who considers these words properly for a few moments before sitting down to write (or standing up to speak) will do just fine in the name of God.

Now, I cannot guarantee that this student’s words will always meet the exacting standards of the exams our world demands he pass. But, then, that’s humanity’s problem, not God’s. The best solution there is to not fret too much (or any) over the test.

Thanks be to God for an eternally creative spirit  open to everyone who seeks it.

Note: this is an article in a continuing series in which I share my own stories inspired by The Upper Room’s daily suggested Bible verse and devotional story. I present this series in the tradition of United Methodist Church Founder John Wesley’s “methodical” study of The Bible, and I encourage other St. Luke’s members to become a formal contributor to this site in order to share their own testimony similarly.

God’s Politics
Inspired by The Upper Room’s suggested reading for January29, 2012
Ephesians 4: 25-32

A few years ago I became very active behind the scenes in the Corpus Christi Democratic Party, but that was a short-lived era of my life.

I joined the party because I didn’t like the dirty campaign tactics,  unfair rhetoric, and even racist attitudes I saw routinely on display by Republicans. But it  took me only three months to discover that Democrats are just as bad about all that.

I have found that the infamous “sausage making” of politics is not, in fact, a necessary evil. It’s just a plain ole’, soul-killing evil.

Like The Sirens of classic mythology, politics disguises itself as something beautiful and important, some of my friends would even say glorious. But, in the end, it is the opposite. Not one word of today’s reading is applicable to what I’ve seen of politics (as least it has been practiced since the time of the Ancient Greeks).

So I’m thankful that God steered me quickly away from that poison and into this church where verse 29 of our reading today is put into practice daily: “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. ”

I remember being boo’d at a meeting of Democrats and then later shoo’d from their email list when I dared to suggest that a Republican’s idea might not be as atrocious as the group’s members were claiming. They were angry at me because I’d missed the point of their group. I’d come to them naively believing that they were, indeed, in the business of  building people up and spreading God’s grace.

On the contrary, their goal was to destroy. And they would have destroyed me, had I been willing to let them.

Today I am entirely a-political and I’ve found great joy in that. (I’ve even learned that the political boundaries between nations and cultures are entirely false under God, and that has open a whole new world for me.)  My high school civics teacher might be annoyed to know that  “a-political” means, yes, I’ve even given up voting.

But, then, Jesus never asked for a vote (and, if he had run for office, it’s a good bet that he would have lost in a landslide). So I’m confident I’m not  missing anything (except a lot of evil).

Thanks be to God that no political party can claim Jesus as its own.

Note: this is an article in a continuing series in which I share my own stories inspired by The Upper Room’s daily suggested Bible verse and devotional story. I present this series in the tradition of United Methodist Church Founder John Wesley’s “methodical” study of The Bible, and I encourage other St. Luke’s members to become a formal contributor to this site in order to share their own testimony similarly.

God’s Visionaries
Inspired by The Upper Room’s suggested reading for January 28, 2012
Hebrews 11: 8-16

So optimistic and hope are okay after all, it seems. At least that’s the message I get from today’s reading, if not from the world.

Sarah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph and all the rest of our great Old Testament heroes discovered an undying faith in God, and, with that, they “saw” God’s promises fulfilled even well beyond their physical lifetimes.

I believe we all have similar capabilities ourselves, but too often such visions of faith are discouraged by the world. They are dismissed as naive or even delusional.

Far be it from me to call for a psychiatric examination of someone who says the he or she has had a visionary chat with God. In fact, I’m sort of glad that the psychiatry is a product of modern times. It’s frightening to think of the consequences of Abraham, Issac and even Moses wasting their lives away in state-run mental ward.

Thanks be to God for the crazy visionaries of our world, no matter whether the world appreciates them or not.

Note: this is an article in a continuing series in which I share my own stories inspired by The Upper Room’s daily suggested Bible verse and devotional story. I present this series in the tradition of United Methodist Church Founder John Wesley’s “methodical” study of The Bible, and I encourage other St. Luke’s members to become a formal contributor to this site in order to share their own testimony similarly.

Waiting on God
Inspired by The Upper Room’s suggested reading for January 27, 2012
Lamentations 3:21-26

I have met of late a lot of wise, elderly people with big plans for the future. Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to tell you about most of their projects because, the dreamers and I both know that going public with these grandiose ideas risks a sentence in an insanity ward. And there is a good chance, dear reader, that even you might decide its important to discourage me from helping these dreams along.

So I’ll just leave the plans between me, the great dreamers, and God.

And add this:

All of these  plans have one thing in common:  the dreamer is exceedingly patient.

None of these ventures have proceeded as planned in the last few months, and a few would seem to require a miracle to complete. But not one of the dreamers has lost faith in their idea. Here are few of the things I commonly hear from these people just as I am certain they are about to give up:

“Let’s don’t get in a rush over this.”

“All in due time.”

“I’ve been waiting 40 years for this. I’m sure I can manage a little longer wait.”

“We just do the best that we can, and trust that God will move us along.”

“One day at a time, Don. One day at a time.”

These great people are living examples of the Truth behind today’s reading. “‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’  The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. (Verse 24 & 25)

Thanks be to God for patience, and for all the great people who have taught me to be patient.

Note: this is an article in a continuing series in which I share my own stories inspired by The Upper Room’s daily suggested Bible verse and devotional story. I present this series in the tradition of United Methodist Church Founder John Wesley’s “methodical” study of The Bible, and I encourage other St. Luke’s members to become a formal contributor to this site in order to share their own testimony similarly.

The Power of Life
Inspired by The Upper Room’s suggested reading for January 26, 2012
2 Corinthians 4:8-14

I suppose I’m a junk food junkie. I give in, almost daily, to unhealthy cravings for pizza, burgers, cookies, candy bars, sodas and the like.

As far as vices go, I tell myself, that’s a pretty tame one — especially if it’s my only one (and it is).

But it’s also a killer — especially since I’m diabetic, have tendencies toward high blood pressure and have long been at least 30 pounds overweight. The truth is that my vice, like all temptations, is not so innocent after all.

I say “suppose” in my first sentence today because, well,  I do know how to control my junk food habit. So it’s debatable whether I’m an addict or not.

I’ll not worry with semantics from here on out and just get to the main point: today’s reading brings to mind the method I generally use when I’m fighting my poisonous cravings. I simply remember that, as verse 12 says, death is at work in me, but life is in God.

When my mind focuses on the life that is in God, I can easily talk myself into making a nice, low-fat sandwich for lunch. But when I forget God and, instead, key only on my deadly cravings, only a pepperoni, double-cheese pizza will do.

Thanks be to God for the power he gives me (and all of us) to always choose life; may I become more inclined to use that power.

Note: this is an article in a continuing series in which I share my own stories inspired by The Upper Room’s daily suggested Bible verse and devotional story. I present this series in the tradition of United Methodist Church Founder John Wesley’s “methodical” study of The Bible, and I encourage other St. Luke’s members to become a formal contributor to this site in order to share their own testimony similarly.

Risk Worth Taking
Inspired by The Upper Room’s suggested reading for January 25, 2012
Jeremiah 29:10-14

I’ve been thinking a lot about this Corpus Christi family featured in the latest issue of Texas Monthly.  If all is as the article says, The Overton’s are suffering a disturbing injustice, and all who live under the jurisdiction of the government officials responsible should be alarmed. For all Christians with a compassionate heart, this appears to be, truly, a case of  “there, but for the Grace of God, go I.”

In some of my own recent work to ease the pain of troubled souls, I’ve inadvertently stumbled into potential run-ins with law enforcement myself. Considering those cases along side that of the Overton’s (though my cases are not remotely as serious as theirs) it would be easy to drop a lot of the Christian work I’ve started.

Stop doing it, I could tell myself. “It’s not worth the risk.” And not a soul — even those I’ve been helping — would find fault with me. In fact, some well-intentioned friends and family might even feel a bit relieved.

But doing that would be missing the point of today’s reading.

Jeremiah’s people suffered 70 years of exile before God fulfilled his promise to them. So I’m confident I can endure whatever injustices may come my way as I carry out God’s work with my own life.

In the end, I know, God’s plan is for me to be victorious in all that I do for His glory. So I will not be deterred from that work, risky as it may sometimes be.

Thanks be to God for the inspiring strength of the Israelites and all others (including the Overton’s) who must suffer in defense of God’s great plans.