By Rene Toyota, Administrative Assistant

Can you believe that a year has gone by since the pandemic started? I know how it could be tiring to keep hearing about the pandemic and all the things associated with it, but the situation is more hopeful now as more businesses reopen and more people are vaccinated.  And now, First Prez is gradually opening. It's such a neat and exciting experience and we look forward to it.

I know that many of us have been very eager for everything to get back to normal. Our decision to stay closed all this time was only because we cared about everyone's safety—members, visitors, and staff. Not to mention the fact that we had to comply with Hawaii’s COVID guidelines. 

But here we are! We are at the point where we get to reserve our seats online for Sunday in-person services. Now I know it might be a little frustrating trying to reserve our seats, but it all comes down to patience, which I know is difficult to master. However, it's a skill worth acquiring. Patience is one of the ways in which we can receive God's peace.

Last month for our children's program,  the virtue of the month was patience, which is defined as “waiting later for whatever you want now." The memory verse was: "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and don't lose hope. Wait for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14, NirV)

Every week I have the privilege of putting together the curriculum videos for Ko'olau Kids, which are featured on our Ko'olau Kids webpage each Sunday. Our Ko'olau Kids Aunties and Uncles alternately present a video with the virtue of the month and a short personal lesson or message. 

Last month Auntie Aulani, with her sons Keahi and Dustin, did the introduction for early childhood. Uncle Russell Yamada did the intro for our preteens, and Auntie Karen Makishima did the intro for elementary. Both of Uncle Russell’s and Auntie Karen’s introductions were on patience. They all did a wonderful job, but Auntie Karen's video was so funny, relevant, and on point of how important patience is. I watched it like three times! You can watch Auntie Karen's video by clicking the picture below, and then tell me what you think.  

If you have children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces, or friends with children, visit our Ko’olau Kid webpage for additional resources not only on patience but other virtues too.

Prayer: Father, thank You for all the resources You provide to teach us how to be patient. Amen.

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By Patti Marshall, Session Elder

Chuck Swindoll, a favorite pastor/writer of mine, wrote a devotional a few weeks ago entitled Trophies. He contrasts the life of Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Amadeus Theophilus Mozart with Julius Caesar. One is poor and powerless. The other is wealthy and powerful. One is short-lived (1756-1791) and buried in an unmarked grave. The other is long-lived (100 BC-44 BC) and is buried in a granite-engraved shrine. 

Their similarity: both are gone forever, forever absent from sight. But the most significant difference between them is their trophy, their contribution, the good that lives on. Mozart, the most gifted composer of all time, lives on. Unexcelled. Caesar, on the other hand, is just another ruthless dictator with the adopted familial name of Roman emperors. 

That devotional stirred up in me a “blast from the past” poem, The Dash by Linda Ellis. It compelled me to think about my own dash. She writes that each of us will be remembered by two notable dates: our birthdate and death date, separated by a dash (-) in between, the time we live on earth. This little horizontal line floats in the middle of a line, text, or numbers, and indicates a pause or a range. The carved-on tombstone dash is sometimes little, long, short, or curved. The length and shape make no difference. It seems so little and insignificant. But is it?

Does a full-term baby who dies within seven hours of birth have a dash? Does a dad who suffers from the ravages of pancreatic cancer, but leaves his children with a legacy of love for Jesus have a dash? Does a mom, whose successful financial investments permit her to buy anything she wants yet whose ego is on the throne of her heart, have a dash? Yes. Yes. Yes.

Did Ruth, a Gentile, by leaving her home and moving to a foreign land and culture to support her mother-in-law Naomi, live her dash? Did Abel’s dash endure? The Bible says he “offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. … when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith, he still speaks, even though he is dead.” (Hebrews 11:4)

Did the Name above all other names, Jesus, live His dash by intentionally giving glory to His Father? Does His dash endure?

Doing our dash is so much than living every day to the fullest (or making the most of everyday) and being happy. It’s knowing that you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring. For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes.” (James 4:14) It’s realizing that everything we do during our “dash” must count for eternity. It’s filling that space with a life dedicated to God and His kingdom. 

So, how are you doing your dash? What are you doing with this in-between, very short time? What’s in your dash? Are you wasting it? Living it? Cherishing it? Overindulging it? Nourishing it? Regretting it? Hiding from it? Criticizing it? Sharing it? Investing it in others?

I wonder if the brilliance and delight of Mozart’s music will be heard in heaven ...

Prayer: Generous Gift Giver, thank You for our “dash,” that very narrow, little line between our birthday and death day. Show us each day how to contribute, live, serve, and show others. “How deeply intimate and far-reaching is your love! How enduring and inclusive it is! How endless … this extravagant love pours into them until they are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19)

P.S. I think “When It’s All Been Said and Done” is a beautiful song to meditate on after reading this devotional. Listen to it here.

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By Jeremy Lim, Session Elder

Matthew 28:20 (NIV) And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Two days ago, my parents, First Prez members Frank and Diana Lim, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Fifty years! Their five kids and 18 grandchildren are but a glimpse of the amazing things God has done in and through their marriage over the past half-century. 

Thinking about their anniversary prompted me to watch my own wedding video from nearly 18 years ago. My good friend and former youth pastor officiated the ceremony and spoke passionately about the covenant that my wife, Megan, and I were entering into. “You do not so much keep your vows as your vows keep you,” he said. “They are the cords that bind you together as long as you both shall live.”

Covenant. It’s an important word because it provides much greater depth to more commonly used words like promise, agreement, and partnership. A covenant is basically a partnership between two parties that is bound by the promise to work toward accomplishing a common goal. A covenant with another person is more than just a friendship in the same way that my wife is more than just my friend. She is my partner in life, and our vows are not just promises to stay married; they affirm our commitment to share and do life together.

Throughout the entire Bible, we see God establishing covenants with His people in spite of their repeated failure to uphold their end of the agreement. And yet God continued to pursue them, as He still pursues us today. Through Jesus, He invites each of us into a covenantal relationship with Himself. 

Matthew 28:20 is a beautiful and comforting promise we should never forget. However, this promise is best understood when we remember the words Jesus spoke just before making it. There was a purpose, a goal, behind the promise. 

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

We know these verses as The Great Commission, but maybe they could also be simply known as Our Common Goal: that the world would know God’s love through a personal, covenantal relationship with His Son, Jesus. Jesus’ promise to never leave us underscores how important it is to Him that we pursue this goal together, as partners. Following Jesus and helping others follow Jesus will unlock the full potential of what it means to have a personal relationship with God!

Eighteen years ago I promised to always be there for Megan so that I could love and support her through a life we vowed to live together. She whole-heartedly agreed, and thus began our amazing adventure as husband and wife. More than 2000 years ago, Jesus promised to always be there for you and me so that…

How would you finish that sentence? How might Jesus want to partner with you to make Himself more fully known to the people in your life? Wherever you are in your faith journey, take that next step toward more fully experiencing the blessing of partnering with Jesus. 

Prayer: Jesus, I know Your promises are true and that I can count on You to never leave me. Thank You! Help me to not just receive the promise of your presence but to also be a part of Your fulfillment of this promise to those around me. In Your Name, Amen. 

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By Marianna Meachen, Director of Care Ministries

Have you ever had your name misspelled or mispronounced? Or have you been called by some derivative of your name, or a name that starts with the same first letter? I have spent my life correcting people when they mispronounce my name. “My name is Marianna. It has an A at the end, not an E." 

“Marianna” is spelled as one name. My family has always called me by that name; they never shortened it. 

I have been called almost every M name you can list–– Marianne, Marian, Mary, Marlene, Martha, Margaret, and even Merridee. Then if you add my surname, which is Meachen, it gets worse. Meachen somehow becomes Meachan, Meachum, and even Machin. 

Our names are an incredibly important part of our identity. They carry deep personal, cultural, familial, and historical connections. They also give us a sense of who we are, the communities in which we belong, and our place in the world. Our names give us stature and status. 

That is why I love the different Scripture names for God. He is referred to by more than just a single name. One of the ways God reveals Himself to us in Scripture is through His names. Each of these names has significance. They describe His nature and His character. Each of God's names tells us something important about God, and how He relates to us.

Abba: Father
Alpha and Omega: The Beginning and End
Attiyq Youm: The Ancient of Days
Christos: The Anointed One
El Chuwl: The God who gave you Birth
El Deah: The God of Knowledge
El Elyon: The God most high
El Olam: The Everlasting God
El Roi: The God who sees
El Shaddai: God Almighty
Elohim: The Creator 
Jehovah (Yahweh): The Self-existent one
Jehovah-Bore: The Lord creator
Jehovah-Jireh: The Lord our provider
Jehovah-Nissi: The Lord our banner
Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord our healer
Jehovah-Rohi: The Lord our shepherd
Jehovah-Sabaoth: The Lord of hosts
Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord is peace
Jehovah-Shammah: The Lord is there
Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord our righteousness

In all of these names, there is a God who loves us, who chose us and called us to Him. Our response to this God of wonder, love, mercy, compassion, and grace should always be:

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV)

 Prayer: Abba, You are our God and we glorify you in all we do. May we always remember your many names, characteristics, and attributes and your unparalleled love. Thank you for loving us, caring for us, and sending Jesus to die for us. May we sing your praises forever.

In Jesus’ holy Name, Amen.

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By Matt Yamamoto, Director of Youth Ministry

Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them— He remains faithful forever. (Psalms 146:3-6)

I chose this verse because it made it extremely clear to me why it is better to trust in God. It actually feels absurd not to, but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to trust.

The first verse says: “'Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save.” I love that verse. When I need help with a problem that is bigger than I am, I try to find the biggest “prince” who can help me with it. Sometimes it might be someone I know, and sometimes I find these “princes” through Google or YouTube. But King David, the Psalm writer, is right. Ultimately these princes, though influential, knowledgeable, or powerful, can’t actually save anyone. They are mortal just like you and me, in spite of their accomplishments and accolades. They are just as limited as the rest of us. 

David compares these mortals with God, the all-powerful Creator. It seems silly now to compare a prince with God. An influential but limited human being versus the eternal and faithful Creator of all things. It seems totally ridiculous to put my trust in anyone or anything other than God, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy or practical.

Practicality is the idol of our culture. Immediacy and accessibility are the dangerous cocktail that drives our impatience. Whatever isn’t immediately tangible is immediately dismissed. This is why it seems so much more practical and realistic to reach out to the “princes” of the world. They are tangible and immediate, but so is God.

This is the flawed perspective that I need to change. God is just as tangible and reachable as the princes, and even more so. God is only a thought away, and He can actually do something about the issues that I need intervention on. Not only is He able to affect the here and now, He also sees the entirety of my life and how the present fits in the larger picture, how my life fits into eternity.

How much do you trust Him?

Prayer: Dear loving and faithful Father, forgive me for thinking that humans can do more for me than You, the all-powerful God, can. Remind me and help me to turn to You and put my trust in You. Amen.

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By Deanna Sivik, Session Elder

The hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus was originally a poem written by preacher Joseph M. Scriven in 1855. While living in Canada, he received word that his mother, back home in Ireland, was very sick. He wrote her a comforting letter and enclosed this poem to her. It wasn’t until many years later that a friend of Scriven’s was visiting and found this particular poem. This friend, Charles C. Converse, was a musician and put music to these words:

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

The other two verses of this song continue to remind us to, “Take it to the Lord in prayer.”

I don’t think this song could be spelled out more clearly. Not that it’s always easy to do, but the words are spoken so powerfully simple. What a peaceful life we could lead if we surrendered everything to Jesus and walked with Him hand in hand. We are not meant to carry life’s burdens on our own, but to consistently depend on God to see us through life’s challenges. God can handle all of it, and we can tell Him everything.

Jesus also wants to be a part of our daily routines and celebrations, too. Aren’t we blessed to have Jesus, not only as our Savior and King, but as our best friend who is always there for us? His unconditional love and friendship offers hope, peace, love, and life through Him. 

Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for always being there for us. You are a precious and loving friend who will never leave us or forsake us. We can hand our troubles over to You, and put our trust in You to take care of us. May we gratefully put You first in our lives as You have loved us first. Amen.

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By Pastor Tim Shaw

How would you define leadership? What does it look like to lead in our workplaces, in our homes, in our schools, in government? If you’re sitting across the table from someone right now, share your initial thoughts on that question with them. What does it look like to lead? If you’re on your own, jot down a few thoughts on that question.

At its core, leadership is influence. Before some of you decide that today’s devotion is not for you because you think you're not a leader, let me pull you back into the discussion. All of us are people who have influence somewhere in our lives. We all have spheres of influence. Maybe it’s with your colleagues at work, or with your grandchildren, or in the classroom with your students, or in the legislature, or with your fellow cast members in the play you are in, or with your teammates when you’re on the soccer field. All of us have influence. We influence others, whether we realize it or not, with our proactive, positive actions. We influence others through what we do and by what we say. We also influence others when we decide not to do or say anything. Our silence and inaction can be influential.

If that is all true — that all of us have influence — that means all of us are leading somewhere in our lives because all of us have a sphere of influence. The scope of your influence may seem small but it can be quite significant in the life of another person. It’s true that some of us have a spiritual gift of leadership but that doesn’t mean the rest of us are disqualified from being leaders. So, the question becomes, what kind of influence do you want to have in your world today? Do you want to have a positive impact on the world around you, or will the influence you have negatively impact your world and the people in it?

If you’ve said yes to Jesus and are one of His followers, you’ve signed up to be a leader. He’s called you to influence your world for the sake of His kingdom. Your life, your leadership, in whatever spheres you live and work, can influence those who live and work in those spaces. Your influence, your leadership will either bring greater health and wholeness to those people and those contexts, or you will bring negativity, discouragement, fear, pain, hurt and a whole host of other destructive experiences to those people and spaces. So, what kind of leadership do you want to provide in your world today?

One of the most impressive leaders in the Bible is a woman by the name of Esther. I’d encourage you to read her story. The Book of Esther is a wild story about a person who discovered her sphere of influence. When she made that discovery, admitting to herself that she indeed was a person who had influence, she decided to act. With God’s help and the encouragement of others, her actions saved the lives of thousands of people. All the people in the story of Esther are people who have weaknesses and flaws. But that did not prevent God from using them to accomplish His good in the world. The same is true for you and me today.

Esther joined the ranks of other women and men whose leadership made the difference that was needed. So, where is God calling you to lead? How will you live out God’s call to be a person of influence in your workplace, school, family, and community this week? Like Esther discovered, could it be that this is YOUR time?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, would you continue to form Jesus in our lives? Heal the broken places in our lives, remake us and show us how we might be people of influence for You in our world. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Empower us to be the leaders You are calling us to be. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen!

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by Scott Schultz, Session Elder

Matt. 20:28 (NIV) For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Other quotes (non-Biblical sources of wisdom) support this:

"Therefore, desiring to rule over the people, One must in one's words humble oneself before them. And, desiring to lead the people, One must, in one's person, follow behind them." [Tao te Ching]

“Too many Chiefs, not enough Indians.” [Ervin Williams, my father-in-law, who was a full-blooded Oneida/Chippewa Indian, Distinguished Flying Cross awardee, and Chief Pilot (American Airlines)] 

“You Gotta Serve Somebody” [Bob Dylan]

And from Dan Chun: “Somehow, the more we mature in our faith, we want to help, we want to serve others, we want to lead them to Jesus, we enjoy it and feel empowered by it.” (March 7 2021 sermon Service with a Smile) 

Pastor Dan also said: “We can move through different service stages: (1) I don’t want to serve. (2) I will serve, but I don’t want to. (3) I will serve because it’s the right thing to do. (4) I will serve and I enjoy it.” 

An amazingly effective way to move from stage 1 to stage 4 is simply to serve. You will discover whether the particular area of service is within your God-given gifting. I was initially reticent to serve as an usher, even more so as an usher captain. I soon learned that usher captains serve ushers, who serve worshippers, who serve Jesus. (FPC’s excellent training helped a lot!)

Pastor Steve often reminds us that we all should be participants (co-creators) in worship, classes, etc. Serving being the highest form of participation! Pastor Dan also said, “Church is not a show. it’s supposed to be like a co-op. Everyone pitches in (in) some way.”

Titus 3:14 (Voice) Our people must learn to get involved when a need arises, particularly when the need is urgent. Teach them to do what is good so they won’t become unproductive members of the community.

The title of this devotional is a line from the song Ripple by Grateful Dead, where the chorus is: "Ripple in still water, where there is no pebble tossed, nor wind to blow." Toss in your pebble by serving, and may your service have a ripple effect for the Kingdom of God in our church, your community, and the world! 

At the end of the 2021 H.I.M. Conference, I heard Andy Croft say, “… like a stone thrown into a pond that lands and then ripples out.” Okay!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us the opportunity to serve Your children and Your Kingdom through the free will You instilled in us. Give us the courage to toss a few pebbles in still water in the name of Jesus, in whose precious name we pray, Amen.                 

P.S. Click here to watch a really cool arrangement of Ripple.

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By Patty Kamahele, Administrative Assistant

Moving from the condo that my husband Francis and I shared has been one of the most difficult things I have ever experienced, both physically and emotionally. It is the first time in 34 years that I have moved without him ... as his address is now in heaven. There are such fond memories of watching sunsets and rainbows from our lanai, having Bible studies and special gatherings with friends, and sharing our thoughts and dreams together.

I just moved into our cousins’ studio after 20 years in our previous building. She told Francis before he passed away, “Don’t worry about Patty. We’ve got her.” Although he couldn’t speak, he touched his heart in a loving grateful response. I believe it was what he needed to hear, as he went to be with the Lord just two days later. Our cousins have lived up to their promise, and I feel their love for me in so many ways, as well as the love and support of my family and friends. 

But I am so grateful that one day there will be no more goodbyes. That is why I love the Hawaiian phrase A hui hou, which means until we meet again.

When Jesus departed this earth He said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). He was assuring us that we will never be alone in this life. He will be with us now and until that glorious day when we are able to see Him face to face.

I don’t know about you, but that brings my heart great comfort. The Lord will see us through until our time on earth is done. And He will be there to greet us if we have placed our faith and trust in Him. He is the Lover of our souls here...and will be so throughout eternity. What a caring Savior we have.

As a side note, I just decorated my new home and, of course, included a special place of honor for “My Vavy’s Corner” with his paddle, guitar, ukulele, Saint Louis School lei, and precious family photos. 

Missing my Francis so much, but with a thankful heart for the Lord’s guidance, provision, and promises. I look forward to seeing him again one day. Until then ... a hui hou, my sweet husband.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are always beside us, surrounding us with Your comforting presence. You know the days we have here on earth, and we look forward to seeing Your loving face one day in a place where there will be no goodbyes. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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by Jenny Sung, Executive Coordinator

What does it mean to live by faith?

Hebrews 11:1 starts by defining faith in this way: “the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see.” I am highly driven by logic, so I get how hard this definition can be to digest. I remember conversations in Alpha (course) about how difficult it is to have faith in someone we cannot touch or see. 

From early on, the world trains us to rest our confidence in what we can touch and see, and in ourselves, our own reasoning, and abilities. In a recent course on modern church history, I found that I am indeed a product of the “Age of Reason,” aka the Enlightenment. Even though this movement was forged in the 17th-18th centuries, the Enlightenment profoundly shaped our confidence in reason and the individual: 

“The new science confidently asserted that the complex principles controlling the universe could be discovered through human reason; once these had been discovered and understood, the universe could then be controlled. Nothing was beyond the reach of human reason. Optimism about the future, and confidence in human progress – including moral progress – led to the advancement of the concept of human autonomy, or the idea that man was no longer dependent on God and the church. This, in turn, gave rise to the supreme importance of individualism, an idea which has come to dominate much of Western society in the intervening years.” (Grayson Carter, The Enlightenment: A Brief Overview)

The article was helpful to see how a movement had such profound influence on the cultural values I esteem today. This is not a devotional about the binary choice between reason and faith, for I believe God gives us reason and abilities to be used for good, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I do hope though, that we spend some time searching and reflecting on where we rest our confidence and assurance. 

Does our faith rest in the things of the world that can change like the tides, or sometimes feel engulfed in flames of chaos and uncertainty? Does our faith rest in people who, with our flaws and foibles, can terribly disappoint and even betray? As Pastor Tim Shaw often points out in his teachings, humans were never designed to bear the entire weight of another.

But there is someone who took on the weight of us all, and there is someone in whom we can place all our confidence and assurance. Our faith can rest in Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. We look to Jesus, who “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:2-3)

We can live by faith, not by sight (1 Corinthians 5:7) because of the love of Jesus. Because of His work on the cross, we have a secure place of hope and assurance in Him. We can live lives of faith resting in Jesus. He knows the future and what is best for us. Even when it feels unsure or out-of-control, we can release the need for control and ask for a greater measure of trust in Him.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your love and bearing my sin on the cross. I want to walk in faith each day, trusting and depending on You. Lord Jesus, help me to rest solely in You, the author and perfector of our faith. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

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By Pastor Steve Peich

Ever go into a Google search for something that seemed a bit nonsensical, but came out the other side with an important insight? That’s what happened when I Googled “why water creates a whirlpool when it goes down a drain” (don’t ask me why I was curious about that). The word for this phenomenon is called a vortex. 

I know the word vortex sounds like some kind of fabric for ski suits, but a vortex is created by forces that want to go in opposite directions. So in the case of tub water, gravity and weight want to force the water down the drain, but air in the pipes wants to push upward through the same hole. These opposing forces create that churning whirlpool you see in the drain.

So how does that lead to anything worthy of the word insight? Well, it dawned on me that sometimes, perhaps often, our lives with God resemble this kind of convergence of “opposing forces” that want to go in different directions. Don’t we all at some point feel the vortex between doubt and faith, praise and lament, our pain and God’s promises? 

Fortunately, the book of Psalms helps us to pray and live well in the spiritual vortex. One type of Psalm that does this is what some scholars call Psalms of Disorientation (also known as lament and imprecatory psalms). Disorientation Psalms are those prayers of raw expression. They are words of people who find their once smooth circumstance in life and their clear doctrines of God suddenly or painfully altered. They are left feeling devastated, alienated, fearful, and even traumatized. One researcher says that 40% of the psalms are infused with words and expressions of disorientation. In other words, it was a very common way to pray and sing as a follower of God in the ancient world.

You see an example of this in Psalm 6:2-3:  

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony, my soul also is struck with terror, while You, O Lord—how long?

You can just hear the physical and emotional trauma, as well as their wrestling with disappointment toward God. Are You going to be there for me God? Lord, where are You? How many of us have lived those exact feelings? 

What I really appreciate here is the awkwardness of the grammar in verse 3. The sentence itself feels incomplete and twisted with discomfort: “my soul also is struck with terror, while You, O Lord…how long?” Sometimes real, raw, and effective prayers are ineloquent. Sometimes they don’t flow with coherence, but simply stumble out of our mouths in a disjointed manner. 

But the pain is just one stream of the vortex. The other is in verse 9: “the Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.” 

At first we may think, how does verses 2 and 3 jive with verse 9? One minute it’s like, “God, where are You?” And then next minute the writer is totally convinced that God is right there with them. That in a nutshell, is life in the vortex: we can’t deny our agony, but we also can’t deny our God. 

Let me invite you to come to God in prayer today just as you are. Come with all your ambivalence and your inarticulate sentences. Come to Him as one on a journey between doubt and faith, joy and sorrow, your pain and His promises. I’m confident that He will meet you there in the honesty of the vortex. 

Prayer: Lord, right now my soul is swirling with doubts and fears, hurt and pain, as well as a desperate hope that You are with me. Please make known Your presence to me today. Help me to remain faithful in the vortex. Amen.

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By Patti Marshall, Session Elder

It’s two days after Easter Sunday, and my mind’s eye, head, and heart are dwelling on the hands of Jesus during His life, crucifixion, and resurrection. His hands were always doing things and advancing the Kingdom because He knew the hand of His Father was on Him. 

Surely, Jesus’ hands waved, clapped, gave hi-fives, pointed, held, carved, hammered, cupped themselves around his mouth and ears, whistled, blew his nose, cooked, wrote, knocked, and felt sensations of smooth or rough, wet or dry, hot or cold. It’s doubtful that He swiped, tapped, or scrolled a smartphone, texted, played a piano, filled a gas tank, or dealt with worry beads. 

Hands can bless or bully. They can show care or contempt. They can cultivate or control. They can give or get. They can help or harm. They can be raised high in praise or be rude. They can be sacrificial or selfish. They can serve or be self-serving. They can clarify (sign language), create, and convert. They can exhort and rebuke. They can pray. 

Jesus’ hands blessed. When parents brought their children to Jesus, He placed His hands on them and blessed them. Whenever He ate with friends, He placed His hands in a gesture of thanksgiving, broke bread and shared. Can you see Him making a point with His hands when He appeared as a stranger to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus? 

Jesus’ hands cared. On the Sea of Galilee, He reached out His hand to panicky Peter, and caught and calmed him. His hands raised Lazarus, His friend and beloved brother of Mary and Martha, from the grave. 

Jesus’ hands cultivated relationships. He called Zacchaeus, a scorned tax collector, out of a tree for a visit. He gave fishermen feelings of self-worth and purpose by loving and forgiving them. 

Jesus’ hands helped and healed. He fed five-thousand hungry people with five loaves of bread and two fish. He took the blind man at Bethsaida by the hand, brought him to a quiet place, spat on his eyes, and then put His hands on the blind man’s eyes so that he could see. 

Jesus’ hands sacrificed. His praying hands were violently ripped apart and pierced for you and me. “See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands (Isaiah 49:16). In a sense, our names were on His hands at the crucifixion. 

Jesus’ hands served. He, in humility and love during the Last Supper, knelt down before His disciples and washed their feet. 

Jesus’ hands created and converted. In the beginning, God (Jesus, the Holy Spirit) created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). His hands converted persecuting Saul to Paul, who stayed committed to Jesus until his own death. 

Jesus’s hands exhorted and rebuked. He was tempted by the devil, but Jesus rebuked him with Scripture (and His hands). His “Quiet! Be Still!” verbal rebuke must have been accompanied with the authority of His hands.  

Jesus’s hands prayed. He often went to solitary places, sometimes for hours at a time, to talk and listen to His Father. On the night of His betrayal, His hands clasped together, palm to palm, fingers pointing away from Himself toward God, His Father. He prayed for us, the people of the earth.

Whatever God places in our hands is in our care and control. What He places in our hands, we are to use for His glory. 

What are you doing with your hands?

“Yet still, Yahweh, You are our Father. We are like clay and You are our Potter. Each one of us is the creative, artistic work of Your hands.” (Isaiah 64:8 The Passion Translation)

Prayer: O Lord, we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Bless the work of our hands. Make our hands useful to You. Make our hands like the hands of Jesus. Show us how to be people with a soft touch and a strong grip on truth. In our Savior’s name, Amen.

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By Pastor Tim Shaw

Winter camping has been one of the outdoor activities I have really enjoyed. What I have in mind when I say “winter camping” is backpacking on snowshoes or backcountry skis in the middle of winter. The first time I went on one of these snowy expeditions with a group of friends I did not have any experience skiing with a 40-pound pack on my back. I quickly earned the affectionate nickname “Timber” because of the number of times I crashed. 

I know it sounds crazy to most people but I actually love camping in the snow. Yes, it can get really cold and, yes, you can spend a lot of time in your sleeping bag on a long winter’s night. To mitigate those below freezing temperatures, one of the things I learned to do was boil some water, fill a Nalgene bottle, tightly secure the lid, and throw it in your sleeping bag about 30 minutes before bed. When you jump in your sleeping bag, it will be a toasty 120 degrees in there. Perfect!

On one moonless night while camping near Carson Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, I looked up and saw that the night sky was ablaze with stars. I was stunned by the sheer number of stars that I could see. Away from the light pollution of any nearby city, I was in awe of how bright the sky was. There were countless stars overhead, reminding me of the greatness of the One who created it all. I was once again amazed that the Creator of the Universe knows my name, cares about my life and loves me. 

King David must have had a similar experience because he wrote this in Psalm 8:3-9 (NLT):

When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers—the moon and the stars You set in place—what are mere mortals that You should think about them, human beings that You should care for them?

Yet You made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.

You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority—the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents.

O Lord, our Lord, Your majestic name fills the earth! 

God has entrusted so much into our care. He has made us His undershepherds and has called you and me to care for what He created. That certainly includes all the animals David lists in his Psalm. But it includes so much more. We have been entrusted to care for the planet on which we live and we are called to care for all the people who live upon it. They, and everything on the Earth, belong to God, and He has charged us with the responsibility of stewarding it well.

Pete Grieg, commenting on this Psalm, wrote, “Whenever I catch a glimpse of the greatness of God — whether it’s under the stars or singing a song in worship—I find myself simultaneously diminished to a place of greater humility, and exalted to a place of greater authority. Without worship I would be doomed to choose between insignificance or arrogance. When I kneel I learn to rule.”

That last sentence has challenged me to remember that it is only as I kneel before God, acknowledging who He is and who I am, that I can become the kind of servant leader God calls me to be, the friend and family member He wants me to be, the member of society that my country needs me to be. The One who flung the galaxies into space is also the One who came to our small, beautiful planet in Jesus, and who died for the sins of our world. That act of sacrificial service on our behalf will forever outshine all the stars of the universe. So, let us kneel before this One who has given us life, and learn to shine like stars in our world. As the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to Christians in Philippi:

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (Philippians 2:14-16 TNIV)

Prayer: Loving, gracious, merciful God, I kneel before You in humble gratitude that You have made a way for me to be in a relationship with You. Thank you for all that you have done and are doing for me. Teach me how to be one of your undershepherds, showing your love to others and bringing your shalom to Your world. Amen.

Yielding Prayer (by Pete Grieg)
Father God, I receive Your love for me;
Send me out to love the world for You.
Jesus Christ, I believe You live in me;
Send me out to show the world it’s true.
Holy Spirit, I perceive Your presence in my life;
Send me out to serve the world with You.
Amen

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By Pastor Steve Peich

John 19.38-42 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 

When I think of Good Friday, I often find myself not only reflecting on the brutality Jesus experienced, but also on the other characters involved in that last week of His life. One of them was a prominent Pharisee named Nicodemus.

When Jesus first met Nicodemus, it was during a private conversation at night – presumably so no one would see this Jewish leader getting too friendly with this troublesome Rabbi. No doubt, in being a Pharisee, Nicodemus was a smart guy. However, as smart as Nicodemus may have been as a “teacher of Israel” (John 3.10), he is utterly baffled by Jesus’ directive to him that he must be born anew.

What is interesting is that as much as Nicodemus fumbles his way through his dialogue with Jesus, the Lord is patient with him and does not write him off. Moreover, though bewildered and befuddled early on, Nicodemus must have kept seeking more. 

You see, although he was confused by the words of Christ early on, Nicodemus apparently kept listening, kept trying to understand, and even started to believe. For as we see in John 19, Nicodemus was bold enough to jeopardize his reputation and standing as a member of the highest Jewish ruling council in the land – the Sanhedrin – in order to care for Jesus’ battered and bloodied body. Such an act of love and commitment in the face of a dead body – not a risen one - should not be overlooked.

Now on top of this, the Scriptures say that Nicodemus brought about 75 pounds of expensive, aromatic ointments to anoint the dead body of Jesus. Scholars agree that such an amount was not only worth a truck load of money, but it expressed the depth of his devotion because he was literally giving Jesus a royal burial. Though once perplexed and cautious, he is now one of only a few people who bravely and openly express the highest form of honor to Christ. 

I can relate to being a secret seeker of Jesus who took a while to get it. Several years ago I discovered a journal I kept for a summer as a 16-year-old kid. In it I talk about my foolish escapades of degenerate, delinquent behavior. However, and this is the weird thing, I also wrote about the reflections I had from what I was reading in the gospel of John. Yes that’s right, I was stealing stereos, getting drunk, smoking weed - and reading the gospel of John! Furthermore, I had hidden my Bible reading from my family, my friends – everyone.

Through college the ignominious behavior continued, as did my secret reading of Scripture. My behavior and my spiritual longings were so contradictory that it just boggles my mind today.

Part of my point in sharing these details is this: if you saw me at that stage of my life, what would you think of my future with Christ? Would you have thought: “This guy is going to be a pastor someday,” or would you have gotten fed up and given up on my spiritual journey?

You know, it was in the context of Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus that Jesus uttered some of His most famous words: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3.16). 

“The world” in the gospel of John is not simply a reference to our little green and blue planet; it was a metaphor for all that resisted and was antagonistic toward the Kingdom of God. Yet it was this very world – and all the dope-smoking, confused, thickheaded guys from Jersey that make it up – that Jesus loved and for whom He gave His life. May you know and experience this Easter His persevering love for you and the life changing power of His grace.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for a love that perseveres and sees more in me than my sin and foolishness; a love that would go to the cross for even the worst of us. Give me the power and ability to see others in the way You see them and use me to help them in their journey with You. To You be all the glory. Amen.

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By Rosella Shishido, Communications Ministry Coordinator

If you google “what happened on Maundy Thursday,” you’ll get the Last Supper on top of the list. It’s when Jesus had His final meal with His 12 disciples in the upper room. It’s when He washed their feet (unheard of for a rabbi to do at that time), and when He established what we know today as Communion––the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the wine in remembrance of how Jesus willingly died on our behalf for the forgiveness of all sins.

But let’s rewind a bit to what happened BEFORE the Last Supper began. 

He (Jesus) replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” They (Peter and John) went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.” (Luke 22:10-13)

Notice how Jesus mentions two unidentified men in that passage: the man carrying the pitcher, and the man who owned the house. We don’t know who they are, but we know what they did. Mr. Pitcher Guy pointed the way. He led the disciples to where they needed to go. Mr. Houseowner opened his home to Jesus by providing the furnished venue for the supper. Seemingly small roles in the enduring story of the Last Supper, but they were important just the same. What if the pitcher guy was a no-show and failed to meet up with the two disciples Jesus sent? What if the houseowner changed his mind about letting them use his large room?

Like these unnamed men, we all have roles to play––some roles require people to be up front and center, while other roles require people to stay behind the scenes. Different roles, yet all are important. Which role are you finding yourself in these days?

We all know the major players in this story. But the Last Supper may not have happened the way it did, if the unnamed, uncredited, behind-the-scenes role players didn’t step up to the plate to play their parts.

If ever you’re feeling unheralded or unappreciated for what you do, know that it doesn’t go unnoticed. Jesus has His eyes on you. And whatever you do for ministry, whatever you do to take care of your family, whatever you do to help those on the fringes of society, do it well. You’re making a difference in people’s lives, whether or not you’re credited for it. You may be feeling small and unseen, but Jesus sees you. 

He knows what it’s like to feel small. Judas betrayed Him and sold Him cheaply for only 30 pieces of silver, and yet, Jesus bought us with the price of His precious blood. It cost Him His life to secure the forgiveness of our sins.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, my Blessed Savior, thank You for dying on the cross for me. I will never be able to repay You, but what I can do is to never take for granted what You’ve done. Help me to remember that You see me and all that I do whether I’m noticed for it or not. I want to do my part for You. Amen.

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By Jenny Sung, Executive Coordinator

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Each Monday morning, Heidi Lum and I meet at The Vine campus in Honolulu to pray. We always start with worship and then a period of silence. We listen. We listen for a long time. God puts different things on our hearts. Sometimes we walk around the neighborhood and pray for the businesses. Heidi keeps a record of our prayers and what God reveals.

One week, during prayer, I suddenly felt an impression that we needed to go outside and pray for someone with a bad left knee. When I shared this with Heidi, she said, “Let’s go!” Sometime ago Heidi had a vision from the Lord that people would go out two or three at a time to pray for healing in the streets. We grabbed a couple of garbage bags (since Heidi suggested we clean up the neighborhood while walking around) and started to circle the block. I was staring at peoples’ left knees, searching for someone with a limp, hoping I wasn’t creeping people out by staring at them. 

I know you think I’m going to say I found someone with a bad left knee––I did NOT. But we did have an encounter with someone we would have never met if we didn’t go out to the streets that day. 

As we were rounding the block and passing the courthouse, a young man sitting on the steps asked me, “Can I borrow your phone?” Part of me was hesitant to give a stranger my phone, and I confess I had an image in my mind of him running off with my phone once I handed it over. I asked if I could put it on speaker and dial the number for him. That was fine, and he called his friend to pick him up.

It was at that moment when I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit, so I asked him, “Do you happen to have a bad left knee?” 

Nope. He stared back at me. Then mustering up any courage I had, I said, “My friend and I would like to pray for you. I promise I’m not a weirdo. Our church is just down the street, and I wonder if we can pray for you.” He paused, and then said yes. That “yes” allowed Heidi and me to gather around him in the middle of the sidewalk and pray. Just as we were getting ready to pray, he shared some intimate details of his life that brought tears to my eyes. I knew this was why God sent us to the streets that day. 

The last week Jesus was on Earth with His disciples, He promised the Holy Spirit, the Helper, whom the Father would send, and that the Holy Spirit would teach us and guide us. It’s often in the times of prayer and listening to the Lord that we’ll sense a nudging, a leading of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the nudging feels subtle, but the more we practice and respond, the more we become familiar with His voice and leading. This Holy Week, as you reflect on the suffering of Christ, spend some time in prayer too asking the Holy Spirit to teach and guide you. Listen and see where God leads you in the world. Who knows, maybe you’ll heal some bad left knees! ☺

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit, our Helper, to teach and guide us. May our hearts and minds be open to Your leading. May we have the posture to listen and act upon Your will. Send us out into the world to bring Your light, Your love, and healing to all the broken areas. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

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By Marianne Schultz, Deacon

2 Corinthians 1:4 (NLT) He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. 

During Holy Week, we are more aware that our Lord Jesus knows pain and death, and He has overcome both! I have been blessed to help people deal with the pain surrounding the death of their beloved pets.

I became certified as a pet loss and bereavement counselor through the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement. I began this mission in 2012. The Lord directed me toward this ministry when I sought answers for my own grief at the loss of our beloved Maggie. She is my inspiration and the source of my passion to help others. Maggie is my angel in heaven; I do this for her and Jesus. 

I am the Chaplain for a unique veterinary practice called Arms of Aloha. Every week I receive a list of bereaved pet parents to call. Before making my calls, I have my prayer time with God asking Him to be with me and those I speak with. I pray that I continue to be a good listener, to offer comfort and hope at this most devastating time. I pray for confidence and strength to give me an open heart if they request prayer. I know the Lord is with me each step of the way.

These calls are extremely emotional for the bereaved parent and for me. I often hear sobbing and can feel their tears. I hear stories of their lives together, often funny memories, but also about the illness and the difficult decision as the steward of their beloved family member at the end of life. My encouragement is that they took a brave step in sharing with me, as that is the most difficult part. I let them know they will remain in my heart; they can call again to let me know how things are going and that I will pray for them.

One interesting thing is that I almost never meet these people. On occasion I have been requested to come to the home as a spiritual presence. I have laid hands on the pet, praying for safe passage as they take their final breath. We work together through the phone, often more than once, as they begin to walk this new journey. 

Pet loss during COVID has been magnified due to isolation from friends and family. Often the cat, dog, bird, chinchilla or other creatures of God was their only companion. I always share with them one thing I know for sure (from work and my own losses); their wonderful companion will forever be in their heart and the love will always remain. 

It is important to seek support in whatever troubles we have. Do not be afraid to allow yourself the healing necessary for your health (mental or physical). Fear not and feel no shame, for Jesus loves and supports you in all things. 

John 16: 32 (NLT) I am not alone because the Father is with Me. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray to You for continued strength in the ability to share Your love with others who are so hurting at the loss of their family member. Thank You, Father, for being with me every step of the way. Your love gives hope and peace in their hour of need. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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By Kelly Miyamura, Executive Coordinator for First Prez’s Hakuhia Ministry 

Matthew 21: 12-13 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” He said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday. Jesus enters into Jeruselem claiming His kingship while riding on a donkey, not the steed of a victorious general, but of a humble servant. The juxtaposition of power and weakness in this moment beautifully encapsulates the profound message of the Gospel––that we are saved not through strength but through weakness and by Godʻs amazing grace. 

Some call today Holy Monday, when we read about Jesus entering the temple courts, overturning the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. The money changers were making it hard for common people to access God and in some cases exploiting those coming to worship. The courts were filled with animals and merchants selling their goods and exchanging money. The scene was the antithesis of worship against the backdrop of the holiest of places. No one was focused on God. 

In this moment we witness Jesusʻ righteous anger in a demonstrative way, and this scene is often referred to as “the cleansing of the temple”. Today believers in Christ are the church; we are the temple. In this season of Lent, as we prepare our hearts for Easter, we cleanse ourselves through fasting, making more room for God in our lives, finding ways to give Him more of our prayerful focus and attention.  

This year Iʻve chosen to fast from complaining. When Iʻve felt the urge to make a negative comment or vent my frustration, Iʻve tried to hold my tongue, suspend my judgment, and prayerfully ponder my emotions. This hasnʻt felt natural, but it has certainly made me more self-aware of how my critical thoughts can sometimes lead me to dark places. 

Iʻve prayed throughout this difficult year to experience more joy and discovered in the midst of great challenge that joy was never withheld from me. Fasting from my complaining has helped to clarify my vision and open up my spirit often clogged with dissatisfaction and discouragement. It has reminded me during this season to pause and refocus my attention to the light all around me. 

As we approach Easter, what are some of your reflections from this Lenten season? What new practices have given you life, or what has been most challenging for you to surrender? Whether through prayer, through fasting, or through worship, let us continue to empty ourselves and cleanse our souls so the Spirit of God can dwell fully within us and flow powerfully through us.

Prayer: Jesus, we praise and worship You as our King, our Savior, our Deliverer. Thank You for Your grace and for Your power made perfect in our weakness. Cleanse us, Lord, of anything that keeps us from a deeper and stronger relationship with You. Amen.

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By Pastor Tim Shaw

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD. Psalm 118:26

I think that the potential for minor injury at church is higher on Palm Sunday than any other Sunday of the year. Growing up at First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, I can remember singing in one of their many children’s choirs on Palm Sunday. Usually, I was a pretty well-behaved kid, but there were certain temptations that I found particularly difficult to resist. As a child, I found it virtually impossible to not repeatedly tap friends on the head with the palm branch that had been given to me by an adult who, up to this point, seemed like a wise and trustworthy person. I’m not talking about whacking my friend upside the head— just a friendly tap to say, “Hey! I’m right behind you.” But sometimes that friendly tap is all that it took for things to come a bit unraveled. Have you discovered that? Sometimes, all it takes is one misunderstood or carelessly said word and suddenly you find yourself in a full-blown conflict.

At the beginning of what we now call Holy Week (March 28th to April 4th this year), Jesus entered Jerusalem. As Jesus approached the city, people gathered along the road, waving palm branches in the air. To honor Him, they also laid some of those branches in the road along with their cloaks. Their words of praise and those acts of devotion were incendiary challenges to the ruling authorities, both religious and secular.

The raising of Lazarus from the dead had galvanized the people to act. Jesus and His followers now boldly proclaimed with their words and with palm branches in the air that Jesus was, indeed, the true king of Israel. “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” In fact, Jesus is much more than that. He’s the King of Kings, the ruler of the entire universe. The great liberator of the world was riding into the city of Jerusalem, humbly on a donkey.

What His first disciples did not fully understand at this point is that Jesus was going to claim His kingly throne and set His people free by giving His life as a ransom for many. He rode into the city of Jerusalem to die. In the days following the joyous welcome of Palm Sunday, opposition to Jesus would grow and begin to silence the praises that had greeted Jesus on His arrival in the city. Words of praise would be drowned out by false accusations, lies, and words of contempt. Disappointed that Jesus would not be the political liberator they wanted Him to be, some who had praised Him with palm branches in the air, turned against Him. How quickly we can sometimes go from singing the praises of Jesus to turning our backs on Him. 

It seems right that the source of the ashes that are placed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday, acknowledging our sins, is often from the burnt palm leaves from the previous year’s celebration of Palm Sunday. Even though our Ash Wednesday service this year had to be virtual, it is good for us to remember the ashes that have been placed on our foreheads in the past. Our sins are the reason God sent His one and only Son into our world. Jesus came to die so that we might be forgiven. 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17) 

That little boy who could not resist tapping his friends on the head with a palm branch when he should have been waving his palm branch in praise is still in need of what Jesus came to do for him and for the world. 

The cross of Christ is at the heart of the Christian faith. John Calvin, the Protestant Reformer, once said that the cross of Jesus is the theater of God’s glory. He said that because it is on that cross that we see God’s glory, His heart, and character most clearly. Please don’t miss the cross of Christ this coming Holy Week. It is easy for us to go from the joyous celebration of Palm Sunday (March 28th this year) directly to the joy of Christ's resurrection on Easter morning. But between those two events, there is an event that changed the world and made real hope possible. Between Palm Sunday and Easter there is a cross and a tomb. May we see Jesus on that cross and know the incredible, immeasurable love that God has for you and me.

Prayer: Dear Lord, All glory and honor be to You our Redeemer and King! Accept our praises. Accept the love we bring. In humble gratitude we remember and give thanks for all that You have done and are doing for us. Thank You for forgiving us, for setting us free, and for making a way for us to live with You forever. May the Name of Jesus be lifted high. In Your Name we pray. Amen!

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By Patti Marshall, Session Elder

Guess where I spent multi-day stays in January and February 2021? 

Hints: ER admitting, well-worn hospital gowns, uncomfortable blood draws, repeated IV set ups, unfamiliar faces and voices, new smells and sounds, a deluge of questions, proof of ID, freeeeeezing temperatures, many procedures and tests, and pain. Yup, a hospital. Adventist Health Castle became my personal VRBO and Airbnb!

Was there angst? Apprehension? Worry? Fear? Helplessness? Yes, to the max! As hard as I tried, I couldn’t separate these feelings as neither was strong nor weak enough to distinguish which one was “front and center”. Each felt like a twin to the other. They were a full plate of mixed emotions, thoughts and an undefined feeling of uncertainty and unrest.

The uneasiness lingered until one day, I looked at the patient information board in my room. Above the board was the hospital’s We Promise To: 

• Tell you who we are and what we are doing

• Partner with you to plan your care

• Listen and respond to your needs

• Round on you hourly

• Safely control your pain

• Respond to your call button in a timely manner

• Wash our hands and check your ID bracelet for your safety

Within moments, angst ebbed and awe flowed. A favorite song came to mind (Peace Maker by Greg Ferguson), followed by God’s words of love, reassurance, and comfort. The hospital’s We Promise To shifted to the I, God, Promise To:

• Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely, I will help you, surely, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

• For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

• Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)

• Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave until I have done what I have promised you. (Genesis 28:15)

• I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. (John 14:27)

• The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. (Psalm 145:18)

• O Lord, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me. ... (Psalm 139:1-24)

Prayer: Holy Peace Maker, Jesus, You tell us to be anxious about nothing, but we forget and feel overwhelmed. Help us to cast our angst/anxiety on You right away. Thank you for meeting us where ever we are in our moments of “churning insides and whirring minds”. Teach us daily how to cast all our anxiety on You. We know You care for us. Thank you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Amen

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