Archives: Watchword

A bit of scripture, short meditations and stories, prayers, news and maybe a touch of humor.

Come to Me, All You…

WATCHWORD:

28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

5 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the people of Israel, When a man or woman commits any of the sins that people commit by breaking faith with the Lord, and that person realizes his guilt, 7 he shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong. 8 But if the man has no next of kin to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for wrong shall go to the Lord.  Numbers 5:5-8 Continue reading

Blessed to Give

Fourth Sunday of Advent

WATCHWORD:

This is my last gift to you, this example of a way of life: a life of hard work, a life of helping the weak, a life that echoes every day those words of Jesus our King, who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

 

Meditation:

Blessed to Give

It is more blessed to give than to receive.  That’s an expression we’ve all heard, and sometimes we actually practice. Certainly we take great joy in giving gifts especially to people we know personally or people we know have specific needs. But human nature, being what it is, feels like it is more fun to receive. If you don’t believe that, and if you’re near kids at Christmas time and see their excitement as they open gifts, well then, you’ll change your mind. From an early age, kids can tell you how many presents under the tree have their names on them. If they’re very young children, they think they should get to unwrap every gift, and sometimes it’s just plain fun to watch.

That attitude of the child carries over into adolescence where there’s a little voice inside that says ‘am I getting as much as the others. So when Jesus tells us that there is a greater blessing in giving than in receiving, he’s introducing a new behavior in our lives, he’s leading us to be more like his Father – who in his great generosity gave his only son to the world so we would be reconciled to him. If we can learn to be generous, we position ourselves to receive from God a greater blessing than anything we’re capable of giving. It takes faith to believe that, but this invitation to cultivate a heart of generosity always leads down a path of great blessings. Try it, you might like it, and it could become a habit. God bless. Amen.

(Meditation inspired by Allen Jackson in his book Lead with Faith at Christmas)

 

How Do We Repay the Great Gifts We Received?

I recalled with great fondness a group at the close of a powerful weekend, talking about  ‘what’s next?’, what do we do with the graces the Lord has given us?. Then, someone started singing…

I, the Lord of sea and sky
I have heard my people cry
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save

I, who made the stars of night
I will make their darkness bright
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night
I will go, Lord, if you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart

Here I am Lord, as You lead me. Amen.

 

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You have lavished Your Grace on us, promising us all sufficiency. Give us the grace to give cheerfully.Turn our resources of time, talents and finances into encouraging gifts for those You want to help. In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

Jesus, the Church, and You

WATCHWORD:

  18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:18-22 Continue reading

Deep Dark December

Third Sunday of Advent

WATCHWORD:

2 John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus,3 “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” 4 Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen – 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” 6 And he added, “God blesses those who do not fall away because of me.” 7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. “What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed, swayed by every breath of wind? 8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No. 9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. 10 John is the man to whom the Scriptures refer when they say,1 ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you.’ Matthew 11:2-10, Malachi 1:1 Continue reading

Wrapped Gifts

WATCHWORD:

13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.  Genesis 9:13

34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. John 13:34-35 Continue reading

Being a Friend

WATCHWORD:

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. John 4:7

Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 Continue reading

And Along Came John

WATCHWORD:

The Second Sunday of Advent

3 The voice of him that cried out in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Isaiah 40:3-5

3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.  Luke 3:3-6 Continue reading

To Know God!

3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8:3-4

1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. 2 Day and night they keep on telling about God. 3-4 Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world. The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it 5 and moves out across the skies as radiant as a bridegroom going to his wedding,* or as joyous as an athlete looking forward to a race! 6 The sun crosses the heavens from end to end, and nothing can hide from its heat. Psalm 19:1-6 Continue reading

Getting Our Steps In

WATCHWORD:

Enoch walked faithfully with God.  Genesis 5:24

I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people. Leviticus 26:12

Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous. Proverbs 2:20

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Psalm 32:8 Continue reading

The Advent of Advent

WATCHWORD:

18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. 20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18-20

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  John 1:14 Continue reading

Borrowed Thoughts on Thankfulness

WATCHWORD:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” Psalm 28:7 Continue reading

A Day of Thanks

WATCHWORD:

11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance,13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”  14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”[a] And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” Luke 17:11-19 Continue reading