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Sunday, October 17 POWERHOUSE Intergenerational Worship for Children and Families 11:00 a.m. in the Gymnasium View the Upcoming Worship Schedule or Listen to past sermons on our website: www.St.Lukes.org/Worship You can see more Upcoming News & Events on our website: www.St.Lukes.org/Events
Kingdom Building Now Serving: Volunteer Opportunities You can see more Volunteer Opportunites on the St. Luke's Kingdom Building website: www.St.Lukes.org/KingdomBuilding/NowServing
Disciple Building Growth Groups, Classes & Sign-Ups You can see more Growth Groups, Classes & Sign-ups on the St. Luke's Kingdom Building website: www.St.Lukes.org/KingdomBuilding/SmallGroups
Praying the game, not playing the game Please pray for our St. Luke's Sports Soccer program through the season. October 13 - Day 75 - Our members to reach out when they see a need
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 Read: Jesus replied, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? John 14:9 (NLT) Think About: If you were to log on to your Facebook page on a given day, one of the first things you'd see is a large text box in the front and center of the page requesting you type in, "What's on your mind?" (For those of us unfamiliar with the Facebook phenomenon, please see Monday's devotional or ask a teenager). I usually type in some sort of quirky quote, or maybe a comment on the weather, or I give a "shout out" to my favorite sports team(s). I have almost 500 friends on Facebook, and for the vast majority of them, my Facebook page is the only way I communicate with them; the only way they know who I am; the only way they can see me. Today's scripture shows the Apostle Phillip making a bold request of Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied" (John 14:8). Have you ever stopped to think what kind of trust Phillip must have had in Jesus to be comfortable enough to have made such a demand in the company of his fellow Disciples? We don't know much about Phillip from the Bible, but we know he came from Galilee and answered Jesus' call to "follow me," so his heart must have had a strong yearning to be closer to God. He was with Jesus during most of his teaching years and witnessed many of his humble acts of service, including the feeding of the multitudes. As a Disciple, Phillip got to see first hand how Jesus regularly interacted with the poor, the forgotten, the outcasts of the time, treating them no differently than the in-crowd. Phillip got a better picture of the Christian life than many people will ever have, and yet he was still more focused on receiving some celestial sign of God's glory than in doing God's humble work on earth. Hence, Jesus essentially replying, "You've been with me all this time and you still don't get it?!" Today, we have the Bible and the Spirit to guide us, but are we any better? Haven't you ever asked God: "Why aren't you more visible?" "How do we really know you're listening?" "What do you want me to do?" Or do we keep such questions to ourselves and figure it'll get sorted out "later"? In our Facebook world, we often share what we think people want to hear, keeping our true feelings, doubts, and fears to ourselves. But what's the cost of hiding from others, ourselves, and God (or trying to)? Had not Phillip had the honesty and courage to tell Jesus what was really on his mind, would Jesus have been able to reveal to him and the other Disciples the divine nature of his relationship with the Father and the Spirit (John 14:9-31)? What might we know if more such questions had been asked while Jesus was with us? What opportunities to learn and grow do we deny ourselves when we don't ask the tough questions, study scripture, seek the Spirit, and share with others what we find? If we don't let others see us, how can we expect them to see God? How else can we come to "know the Father?" Pray this Prayer: Father, open my heart to your example, though Jesus, and give me courage to let your light shine on me for others to see, so that they may know Your love. Amen. Written by the St. Luke's Writing Team You are invited and encouraged to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences with the spiritual practices at the Devotional Blog. We are on this journey together and your words may help another along the way. Having Trouble Viewing this Email? Click here to view it on our website. St. Luke's Weekly Update Main Page St. Luke's Weekly Update Archives Click here to be removed from the St. Luke's Weekly Update Click here to sign-up to receive the St. Luke's Weekly Update via Email © 2010 St. Luke's United Methodist Church at Windermere |
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