Devotional by Lia Benton

Praise the Lord! Psalm 150 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his exceeding greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with timbrel and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! [...]

Devotional by Scott Hicks

Exodus 25:8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.” Robert Frost once said “a poem begins with a lump in the throat.” The St. John’s sanctuary has bred many throated lumps and misty eyes for me. Many people have given much of themselves to have it exist as [...]

Devotional by Judy Biber

MT. RAINER Mt. Rainer provided me with what was possibly the most soul-shaking experience of my life. We were in Seattle for several days, and took a day trip to Mt. Rainer. The day started as a beautiful day, but as we got close to the park, the sky filled with clouds. Soon, it was [...]

Devotional by Lia Benton

It’s Wednesday but Friday’s Coming Psalm 22:1-5 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my rescue are the words that I roar. My God, I call out by day and You do not answer, by night—no stillness for me. And You, the Holy One—enthroned in Israel’s praise. In You did our [...]

Devotional by Scott Hicks

Matthew 6: 24 “No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6: 33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall [...]

Devotional by Judy Biber

“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18-19 The Click of Sunday Shoes When we first came to St. John’s, 15 or more years ago, we usually exited through the sanctuary doors [...]

Devotional by Lia Benton

Penitence Lord, do not chastise me in Your wrath, do not punish me in Your fury. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am wretched. Heal me, for my limbs are stricken. And my life is hard stricken. —And You, O Lord, how long? Come back, Lord, deliver my life, rescue me for the sake [...]

Devotional by Phillips Bragg

Snow that won’t stick . . . It’s March 2nd and snowing, AGAIN! It is a beautiful snow – big flakes, slowly falling down, sideways, and sometimes up(!) outside my office window. I can picture the scene at Davidson Elementary; those poor teachers! Claude Bragg is all but squealing and Kirby’s fidgeting has reached extreme [...]

Devotional by Tom Peacock

In one of the best known chapters in all of the Bible, First Corinthians 13, Paul ends his song with the verse we learned as children – “And now faith, hope and love abide, these three, and the greatest of these is love.” NRSV. The Message translation tells us, “But for right now, until that [...]

Devotional by Judy Biber

Thoughts About Lent When I grew up in the Methodist Church, the seasons of the liturgical calendar were not prominent in my religious education. I was aware of Lent. I knew that it preceded Easter and that “giving up something” was recommended. One year, we were given a card with little slots for dimes. We [...]