Living Word Youth

Good Friday

Today is when Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus. We have a service at EUMC at 7pm, and it will be much like a funeral. The bodily death of Jesus can remind all of us of the wages of sin- death.

Matthew 27: 46 records Jesus saying "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Jesus spoke from the cross, invoking Psalm 22.

Read that for a pretty accurate description of what Jesus endured, and how fascinating that hundreds of years later those words would ring true.

Today we remember the words Jesus spoke and his ultimate sacrifice: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15: 12-14.

But we know the end of the story, and we wait to celebrate until Sunday.

Daphne's Morning Devotion

Philippians 2:13-15
For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.

The reason that we are here is God. Sure, anyone can go to Mexico and build houses, but why would they? If we were just looking for a good time, we could all go skiing or something. Everything we do here is a representation of God. We are God's messengers here in Mexico. If we don't show God's love to the people here, no one will. So what we have to remember is that everything we do shows God. Our behavior, our words, they all are a way of showing God.

--Daphne--

Erin's Morning Devo

"You need to be aware of what others are doing applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins." -Jim Stovall

I read this quote and I thought that it fit perfect with what we are here for. We are there to help each other, and when we all encourage each other we are all going to win. In the end we are going to see our wonderful house that we built for the families. We are giving this house to them in the name of God.

1 John 3: 16,18 This is how we known what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

These verses after I read them, I knew that these were exactly what I wanted for all of us to hear. We need to be there for each other. We need to surround ourselves with people who will be there for us in our times of need. I do not have my best friend on this trip, and he has always been one of my best encouragers. My mom has also always been there for me, telling me whether or not I am doing a good job. I am so lucky to have these wonderful people in my life. It is so important to find these people in your life.

2 Corinthians 1: 3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

-Erin

The Imitation of Christ, II

From Chapter II, titled "Having a Humble Opinion of Self"

"If you wish to learn and appreaciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing.  Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel.  To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom."

In Matthew chapter 20 Jesus is teaching against the human nature to put yourself first.  In the parable of the Vinyard Workers he speaks of grace and mercy, not getting what you've earned:

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.  Matthew 20: 26

So how does this look to us?  According to this Boston.com article, not so good.  College students are more narcissistic than generations before.  We teach ourselves that we are worth what we work for, so essentially our saleries really do define our value. 

This erodes at relationships in your life as you're focused on clawing your way to the top- gettin' yours and earning it every step of the way.  "The Apprentice" is a prime example of this type of worldview.

Look at the responses of the workers in Matthew 20 11-12:  When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'

We haven't made any progress in 2,000 years, and it's killing us.  We are searching for worth from every external source but not the worth that's inside of us.  That's why those who are the most confident don't need any public recognition.  That's why Jesus taught us to do things in secret, a virtue that Thomas a' Kempis is espousing too.

The Imitation of Christ, I

As part of the website, we want to offer devotions from those within our community for others in the community, and outside the community. If you'd like to submit one, email adam (address on the left). It doesn't have to be all fancy or move people to tears.

The Imitation of Christ was written in the 15th century by a German monk named Thomas a' Kempis (the latter part of his name indicated where he resided). As part of monk-dom he copied the bible no less than four times, and his most famous "Imitation" is considered to be the most read Christian literary work second only to the Bible.

From his first Chapter- Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth:

"Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ...What good does it do to speak learnedly about the Trinity if, lacking humility, you displease the Trinity? Indeed it is not learning that makes a man holy and just, but a virtuous life makes him pleasing to God."

I find that I can rack up a pretty impressive book list pretty quick, some of them you'll find listed on the right. I enjoy reading and thinking about theology. So it can be tempting to get all fancy pants and think of myself as above the heathens who spend their time watching The Read World or reading US magazine while I focus on the more sophisticated things.

But if all i'm doing is reading for my own ego, what good is that? Who cares if I can use all the big church words but am still a jerk? Theology is only usefull in as much as it bends one's life towards Christ. If you've ever sat in Math classes and brooded over the fact that you'll never "use" any of it, then you have felt the disconnect between knowledge and practice. I hope that as a church staff member, and as a follower of Christ I can always return to a place of humilty and love, not egotistical knowledge.

John 14: 15...If you love me you will obey what I command.

Not just read and pontificate about it, but do it! I hope to continue going through "Imitation of Christ" in a somewhat regular fashion.

Thanks for stopping by, all comments are welcome, unless you're cursing or something really rude.

Much love.

-Adam