A change of pace ...

Today at the team meeting, we decided to temporarily change the format of the daily devotionals over the next nine weeks as we enter into a communal discernment process to redefine the nature of our ministry to the children here at Westview. Four to five days of the week we will consider various lectionary readings, and meditate upon them (lectio divina) as our daily devotion. One or two days of the week, we will include a devotional thought. The plan is for the devotionals to resume their more normal form later this fall as we complete our project.

For those of you who need something a little more directed, you can go to the devotional blog at: www.wbhdevos.blogspot.com and either look through the chronological listing for a devotional, or you may enter a subject to search for in the blog by typing in the little white window in the blue stripe across the top of the blog. Since there are now over 365 devotionals posted on this site, we hope that you can find something there that builds you up, challenges you, or comforts you.

Hear the word of the Lord:

Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act — they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 1:17-27 – NRSV

Making joy complete

Greg ends the week with these thoughts:

This week we have identified the joy in knowing God's power and knowing that he is mighty to save, the joy in God's forgiveness of our sins and remaking of our hearts, and the joy of God the fixer, who restores us and makes us whole. These all represent joy that is derived from what God does; God is powerful, God transforms, God restores. Today let's ask, "Is there any joy that comes from what we do?"

But to give me the power to displease you, or to set a sin before your face, which you infinitely hate, to profane Eternity, or to defile your works, is more stupendous than all these. What else could you intend by it but that I might infinitely please you? And having the power of pleasing or displeasing, might please you and myself infinitely, in being pleasing! Thus you have prepared a new fountain and torrent of joys greater than all that went before, seated us in the throne of God, made us your companions, endued us with a power more dreadful to ourselves, that we might live in sublime and incomprehensible blessedness forevermore. For the satisfaction of our goodness is the most sovereign delight of which we are capable. And that by our own actions we should be well pleasing to you, is the greatest happiness nature can contain. O you who are infinitely delightful to human beings, make me, and all humans, infinitely delightful to you. Replenish our actions with amiableness and beauty, that they may be answerable to yours, and like yours in sweetness and value. That as you in all your works are pleasing to us, we in all our works may be so to you; our own actions as they are pleasing to you being an offspring of pleasures sweeter than all.
- adapted from Thomas Traherne

Perhaps the greatest joy available to humanity is the joy of pleasing God. This joy is how God's transformation of our hearts and restoration of our souls work themselves out. This joy is the perpetual, enduring, ever-renewable joy of lives lived in God's will. This is what we are made for! What greater joy can there be than the fulfillment of doing and being what we are made for?

"As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Now remain in my love.
If you obey my commands,
you will remain in my love,
just as I have obeyed my Father's commands
and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be complete.
- John 15:9-12

Obeying God's commands, and remaining in his love, makes our joy complete! The fact that we can please God is cause for joy, because it gives us hope of a deeper bond with him and it represents his plan for us. Joy can surprise; it can come at us from many different directions. One of the most unfiltered joys of all is the joy is living out God's call. Let's pray for joy.

O God,
God of joy
we pray that you give us your joy

Help us to rejoice in your might,
and your power to overcome our sins and circumstances

Show us joy as you wash away our sin
and form within us something new,
your kind of person

Let joy rush through us as you make us whole again
let us dance when you restore to what you made us to be

Above all, help us to multiply these joys in our lives
Grant us grace to live out these joys,
and so to attain the joy of pleasing you
may the sacrifice of our lives be a pleasing aroma to you
and let us dance and sing,
living in your light.

Amen