Elders devotions: Peace Like a River - Isaiah 48:18

Isaiah 48:18    If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 

I love singing the old spirituals that the African slaves once composed. In spite of the suffering, inhumanity, and injustice that they experienced, they had a deeper faith in God than most of the people of their times. They knew what it felt to be humiliated and oppressed, harshly treated and cruelly kept. Despite those terrible and terrifying experiences, they held on to a truer relationship with God that many of us today will never know.

Today’s verse reminded me of the spiritual “I’ve Got Peace like a River.” It’s a simple song which expresses a simple steadfast faith in God. Both the song and the Bible verse were written during times of oppression for both the Jewish people in Babylon and the African slaves in America. They depict an absolute trust and complete assurance in God to rescue and deliver both communities. In both circumstances, freedom comes through an inner faith which cannot be destroyed by the whip or wickedness. God’s people are liberated by His enduring love. Both races are rescued by their Redeemer.

Sometimes I wonder if our faith would be able to survive similar circumstances. We are blessed with many freedoms, wonderful opportunities, and great advantages compared to those two historical communities. Is our faith real or only convenient? Could we endure persecution and pain, injustice and calamity?

I hope that we will never be tried or troubled in those ways, but I also fervently hope that if ever we do, we will dearly hold on to God and find that inward pervasive peace that does indeed flow like a river.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we have been greatly blessed by God throughout our days. Our faith is rarely tested and our beliefs are hardly ever beleaguered by injustice or inhumanity. We are fortunate to live in a place and at a time when we feel safe and secure. Help us to use these blessings to support other people in need, as well as other Christians in distress. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest winter drawings. It’s called “Amid the Winter Snow” and features the Cades Cove Church, in the heart of the Smoky Mountains, covered under a blanket of snow and glistening in the light of a winter moon. If you would like to see a larger version of this drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6828228349_28319f48f3_b.jpg

Top Presbyterian Blogs: A Great Light - Matthew 4:16

Today’s readings are Isaiah 11:10-16  and  Matthew 4:12-17

Matthew 4:16                         “The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

When I first became a minister, I worked for a while in an ophthalmic ward as its part-time chaplain. All the patients in it were recovering from eye surgery. Some of them needed implants, some suffered from glaucoma, and still others had been involved in car accidents which meant that the surgeons had to patiently pick out small fragments of glass and metal from their eyes.

95% of the time, the surgeries were successful. The other five percent had to undergo several different operations before their eye ailments were cured. Sadly, a small number of people each year remained blind. Dealing with those patients was amongst the saddest pastoral experiences I ever had.

For the rest of the patients, recovery took several days. They were gradually brought into the light, so that their eyes would not be permanently damaged by the sudden brightness of daylight. I can remember that large wooden shutters were placed over each window in the ward. The merest ray of sunshine, if prematurely exposed to the patients, could ruin their eyes forever.

The best experiences in the ward were those great days when a patient was wheeled out into the courtyard in full sunlight. Their joy was ecstatic and tears of gladness were often shed by the patients, nurses, as well their families. It was indeed a fulfilling of the old Biblical prophecy – “the people walking in darkness have seen a great light.”

Spiritual darkness occurs in the hearts and souls of many people in the world today. Sometimes they’ve allowed fear, disbelief and distance from God to take them back into the shadows of doubt and despair. Sometimes painful events, grief, and illnesses cause people to retreat within them, cutting themselves off from God’s love and His people. Whatever the causes or the circumstances, as a pastor I have seen the light of Christ heal, restore, and reclaim people like them for God’s Kingdom, in words and ways that cause them to rejoice in the Lord and delight in His glory.

Perhaps you are currently undergoing some pain, hardship, or trouble. Maybe you feel vulnerable, isolated, and alone. Dark clouds may have almost overwhelmed your soul and you may feel depressed. Know this: Christ has the capacity to bring you back into the light. Allow Him to do what He is best at accomplishing – restoring peoples’ lives and returning them to God’s Love. All you need to do is ask Him to do this for you, even now as you are reading this message.

Prayer:                       Lord Jesus, You know the struggles we are all experiencing and the issues that over-shadow our lives. In the midst of all the darkness that we feel, bring to each of us Your Everlasting Light. Encourage and embrace us; empower and enable us to follow Your Light. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s picture is John’s latest drawing called “Halloween Jack.” If you would like to view a larger version of this drawing, click on the following link: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6043/6242043547_520bbf2618_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Sinful Shadows - 1 John 1:6 & 10

1 John 1:6        If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

1 John 1:10      If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.

The problem with sin is this: we don’t want to recognize that it takes place in our own lives. It’s far easier to point out the sinfulness of others rather than take stock of our own spiritual weaknesses and shameful demons. I know that when I was an active alcoholic I totally believed that I did not have a drinking problem. Other people around me were concerned and voiced their worries, but as far as I was concerned, they were absolutely wrong. I could handle my liquor and if I got wasted every night, then so what? I still managed to get my act together and went to my work every morning.

But no matter how much I deluded myself, the issue was still there. Alcohol was wasting my life, my relationships, and my personality. I had a serious problem, but was unwilling to admit to it.

Some people have the same sort of issue with sin. Within themselves, they know that what they are doing or whatever lifestyle choice they are living is wrong. But rather than surrender their spirits to God and seek Christ’s forgiveness, they aggressively justify their sinful ways and expect everyone else to accept, tolerate, and even celebrate their wrong decisions. In other words, rather than turning to the light of God and love of Christ, they want to glory in their darkness and expect everyone else to embrace their sinful shadows.

There came a day in my life when I had to admit I was an alcoholic. Without that self-admission, I could not be healed of my broken ways. The work of the Church is to help people reach that level of self-awareness and to recognize that God does not always approve of His children’s ways. If He did, then Christ would never have had to die on the Cross.

We are all sinners in need of daily and constant forgiveness, but the work of forgiveness and restoration can only begin when we step outside of our sinful shadows and into the holy light of God.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, save us from our pride and delusions. Open our hearts and minds to God’s Word and Your Way. Keep us from molding You into our own misconceived Messiah; help us instead to be reshaped and restored by Your love and grace. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s stained glass designs. It’s called “Crossfull of Promises” and features a wooden cross with a rainbow behind it. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please visit the following link: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1365/536728152_10feaf58bd_o.jpg

PCUSA devotions: Living a Hard Life - Proverbs 17:3

Proverbs 7:3 The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

We say that we believe in God, so why do we live as though He doesn’t exist?

Sometimes I wonder if we really have faith or if we’re just playing at being Christians. It’s getting more difficult to distinguish between the lifestyle choices of believers and unbelievers. Apart for going to church on Sundays (and some have even given up on that), what makes us different from the people in our neighborhood or workplace? Is Christianity something that we adhere to even when it’s unpopular, or is it something that we carry around in case an emergency crops up? Is God at the center of our lives or do we just bring Him in when the going gets tough?

I believe that we as Christians are being tested not by the world, but by God. It’s almost as if we’re being given one last opportunity to get things right in this generation before the Lord actually returns. Believing in God, going to Church, and living as Christians was once part of the same package; these days, people believe in God without going to church, and people go to Church without living as Christians. In other words, it’s far easier to say that we are Christians than to actually live as one.

By the way, I include myself in this: being a Christian is the hardest thing to do in life and if our faith isn’t being truly tested day after day, then we’ve either forgotten what God demands of us through Christ, or we’ve managed to shape Jesus into who we want Him to be.

So I guess the question for all of us today is this: how can I start to truly believe in God and stop living as though He doesn’t exist.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, the Holy Scriptures challenge us day after day. We resist changing into what You want us to become and yet, we too easily reshape our lives into what the world desires of us. Forgive us for being poor witnesses of the True Faith. Grant us the courage to rethink commitment to You, and remold our lives in ways that are pleasing to You alone. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions of today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of my ‘digital glass’ designs based upon a verse from Psalm 85. In August 2011, Duke Divinity School is using this image for its annual church conference. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please visit the following link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/3704016750_70147e967d_b.jpg

Presbyterian Blogs: After 25 Years - Proverbs 9 v 16

Proverbs 9:16             "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.

After almost 25 years in pastoral ministry, I’ve reached several conclusions and one of them is this: sometimes theology and theologians are full of bunk!

I’ve watched more than a few of my peers, both here and in Scotland, get so isolated in their theological ivory towers that they become too heavenly to be of any earthly use. They immerse themselves in theological obscurities and wallow in weird causes. They become armchair pastors, seeking the secluded safety of their studies and end up idolizing their own ideas. They make no difference in the world and add nothing to their parishes. They are deified drones who live off the resources, contributions and hard work of the parishioners.

They want to be respected for their profession, but have no idea how to lead. They want to write theological tomes instead of reading people’s faces. They want their name to be recognized instead of remembering the names of people at church. They would rather be teaching at a seminary instead of a small church group. They are ambitious and dangerous. They lack true judgment and usually end up losing their faith.

The Church suffers because we allow these selfish seekers into our parishes and presbyteries, our structures and our systems. They are like locusts who devour the people and who lead the simple-minded astray. They don’t believe that Jesus is the Only Savior of the World and they deride grass roots parishioners for being narrow-minded. They have a pre-Copernican attitude about their academic understanding: everything revolves around their ideas – even God must circle their theological globes.

As Presbyterians, we pride ourselves into being deep thinkers about our faith. Lately, though, we have allowed priestly parasites to feed upon the faith of our people. We need to be more circumspect about what churches we belong to and what leaders we choose – at any level. We would do well to seek out places of worship by what Calvin referred to as the marks of the True church – a church where the Gospel is truly preached and the sacraments are carefully administered.

Maybe this wasn’t the devotion you needed today, but sometimes we all need to read and hear things we don’t like in order to grow spiritually. Our broken world needs a healthy church, not a broken one. In order to bring healing to this suffering planet, we need to begin to seriously heal ourselves from within. Wishful thinking and good intentions will only lead us to hell; true believing and faithful living will help us to attract more people to Christ and Heaven.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, these are trying times for the Church and it gets harder to distinguish between true leaders and false prophets. It’s easier to keep our heads down in order to maintain  the peace, but evil triumphs when good people do or say nothing. Grant us the courage to stay faithful to Your words and ways. Raise up strong committed Christian leaders who live according to Your truth and abide by Your words. Forgive us of this generation, who have been led astray by our own understanding and who have failed to keep Your commands and faith. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. Your feedback means a lot to him.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Spring drawings. It’s called “Tulips and Daffodils.” You can view a larger version of the drawing at http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5293/5572859545_c40a716a9c_b.jpg

Signed limited edition 8x10 prints are available from John. Contact him by email for more information.

Presbyterian Devotions: Sharing the Gospel

Acts 26:28       Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" 

I really admire Paul. He never wasted an opportunity to tell the people that he encountered about Jesus and how to be a Christian. Even when he faced leaders and governors, kings and an emperor, he used the meeting to talk about Christ and not his own precarious situation. That’s what makes Paul such a hero in my book. His Christianity is undaunted by circumstances; his faith in Jesus never falters.

This is why I also admire the Christian Church in China. Each day, Christians over there face harassment and opposition, injustice and imprisonment, and yet they keep meeting secretly for Bible studies, worship, and prayer. They are remarkable Christians and put us Western church goers to shame. If we were faced with one percent of the opposition that Chinese Christians encounter on a daily basis, we would back down and make our faith private. We consider it as being impolite and even bigoted to share our Christian beliefs with others of different faiths; Chinese Christians cannot afford that philosophical luxury – nor would they ever want to.

So, here’s the challenge for us today: if God grants us an opportunity to share our faith with the people we encounter, whether it be in the street, at our work, in our homes, or even online via Facebook and Twitter, will we boldly witness for Christ or fearfully choose to ignore it?

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we will encounter and meet up with many people today, some of whom You have placed on our path so that we might share Your Love, Your Gospel, and our faith with them. Keep us from being afraid and help us to apply our faith in loving and effective ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is of Graystone Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. When John and his family first came to Knoxville, he preached there for six weeks. In October, Graystone celebrates its 120^th anniversary. If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link:  http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5002097480_6095c74e91_b.jpg