Daily Devotional 5.8.20 Brian Anderson

Kristin, Sophia, Kiearan, Douglas and Brian Anderson

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27 (NIV)

“Do Not Be Afraid.” Though the Bible states those 4 words as a phrase over 400 times… I am unable to practice that very well right now. There is much uncertainty, unknowns, questions, concerns, changes as the world continues to live into and through this COVID-19 pandemic.

I am living at a heightened level of anxiety, as many, if not all of us are. I am realizing my temper is extremely short (and I am not at all my ‘normal’ self) and anger and frustration are close by. Experiencing those emotions so much more frequently the past six weeks, sadness becomes a traveling companion. Sadness of who I am in the midst of these turbulent times, of who I am to myself and to my family. I am reeling through a roller coaster of emotions daily, sometime hourly, and fall into bed, earlier than normal, exhausted, only to wake up not feeling rested and the cycle continues through updates and an overload of information.  How do I face today renewed? Joyful? Peaceful? Playful with my family? Supportive at work? Thankful of going to work?

I pause. I turn off the news. I close the computer and put my phone out of arms reach. I sit. Be. I open my arms for the children to climb into my lap with one or many books. I watch the trees as they begin to bud. Spring is bringing forth new life. Renewal and resurrection are happening during the Easter time.

“Do Not Be Afraid” is at the end of that verse. Working backwards I find encouragement and strength. “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Ok. I’ll practice that too as I slowly re-read and listen, hear and become aware of my demeanor right now seeking to not be troubled by the external forces.

The verse begins with a Divine gift. Not offering or giving what we think we need, want, or desire through the understanding of the world, but on a deeper and more soul nourishing channel. A gift of immense measure. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.”

So I read this verse again slowly. Taking in a breath, holding and releasing before I begin reading. This time focusing and hearing the words in the present, not reading to get to the end. This creates space to turn down the pressure cooker, release the steam, and know the peace. So by the end of this verse, a mere 32 words later, I am open and ready to truly, deeply receive the words without trouble, without being afraid. Now I know peace. I experience peace that was left for me, that is a gift to me from above and from within… to you and for you as well. Know peace this day. Be at peace. Be peaceful.

Let us pray.

Creator, guide us as we seek the peace you offer us each day. Help our thoughts and actions to exhibit the reality of not being afraid as we choose to care for each other in new and vibrant ways through this time of change and challenge.  Let our hearts not be troubled, let us be joyful in your presence, being present here and now in all we are and do. Amen.

Hello, I am Brian Anderson. I am married to Kristin Anderson and the father of three delightful children: Douglas, Kiearan and Sophia. I am the chaplain at Alaska Pacific University and also work at AK Child & Family as Spiritual Life Minister. We stay busy in the day-to-day cycles of our family life sharing plenty of laughter.

Daily Devotional 5.2.20 Lia Slemons

Lia, Daphne, Freda and Jason Slemons

“Before mountains had been shaped, before hills, I was brought forth. When he had not yet made earth and fields, or the first dust of the world, when he established the heavens, there I was, when he drew a circle upon the face of the deep, when he made skies from above, when he founded fountains of the deep, when he assigned his limits to the sea, that waters shall not transgress his command, when he marked the foundations of the earth, I was beside him, a master workman, and I was delighting day by day, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in the world of his earth, and my delight was with the children of humankind.” – Proverbs 8:25-31

Every spring I am stunned by the overnight greening of birch buds. How they sneak up on me (again)? I’ve read the textbooks about a tree’s capillary system, but it feels like magic. 

Our family backyard project last week drilled right into the magic, and now we can see, feel, and taste it. And collect it in jars, bags, and growlers. The birch are pumping sap by the bucketload! The invisible transformation is filling all the glass jars in the cupboard of containers that I ought to have thrown out by now and I’ve made a fire today just to enlist the woodstove in boiling it down to a sweeter solution. Free candy!

Are these invisibly vibrant trees full of wisdom? We don’t really know that from this Proverbs introduction to wisdom, but they were crafted by God and wisdom delights in that and with the children of humankind.

I wish that I could drill beneath the surface of this period of disorientation and see what magic, if any, is flowing to green the buds. Are we gaining confidence in truly asking and answering, ‘how are you doing?’ Are we noticing how a routine helps, or how it is better to toss it out and restart? Are we holding onto neighbors on the margin? Are we sharing suffering and sharing joy? Are we nurturing (or exhausting) patience? Is wisdom deepening our roots?

The birch have a surer purpose with their sap than I do. Some members of my family are lobbying to make syrup, but my kitchen fairy wand doesn’t appreciate a thermometer tether … although it could be another experiment. We boiled the heck out of it and sipped (or gulped) sweet spring tea this morning. The first cup we drank straight from the tree. The birch don’t need to know that their sap will bring leaves.

I wish that I knew when and what leaves will grow this spring, but I can be aware that life is flowing, and remember to drink some water.

Dear God, thank you for your invisible presence, both when I can’t feel you and when I am surprised by your gifts. Thank for you creating us to grow and to give. Help me trust that you are a guide who is present when we are entering new lands. 

Lia Slemons is a wannabe skier who runs a lot. She works for the KMTA National Heritage Area on community trail connectivity. She is held together by her husband Jason and her daughters Freda (6) and Daphne (almost 3).

Daily Devotional 5.1.20 Betty Hertz

Betty Hertz with Finn and Joy (David Jensen photography)

Philippians 4:6-7 6 Don't worry about anything but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. (Contemporary English Version)

“Do not worry about anything”… My first reaction was “Are you kidding me?” How can I not be anxious? People are dying, people are unemployed, people are limited in activities. Our sense of community has been disrupted. On a much lesser scale, I had to give up my volunteer work; I can neither attend 8 a.m. service nor visit my friends.

Then I am reminded what I can do - pray with thanksgiving and present my requests to God. For many years, I was a crisis prayer person. Many times I demanded that God listen and fix things my way. How did that work? Not so great!

In the last several years, I experienced some incredible challenges and major losses. I often would cry out “Why” or turn away from prayer. Because others were patient with me, I have grown to know that God listens when I seek him in prayer and my prayers do not have to be finely tuned. In fact, I believe any prayer is perfect in God’s eyes. I also learned how to pray with others and pray for others. I no longer look down at the table when someone in a group asks, “Who would like to lead us in prayer?”

According to Anne Lamott, Help Thanks Wow are the three essential prayers. By praying with those three words in mind, I have honest conversations with God. I have found peace and hope. And when I move away from that framework, I lose that peace and hope. The order of these prayers changes depending on how my life is going. Sometimes it is only one word … usually HELP.

Somewhere along my journey, I heard this thought: pause, pray, proceed with patience and peace. I believe God is saying stop, talk to me and I will give you patience and peace. So, if I stay in touch with God, I truly “Do not have to worry about anything.”

Amazing and Loving God, Circle us with your love, remind us to be patient, teach us to take our joys and concerns to you always. In Jesus name, Amen.

Betty Hertz has been attending St John since 2001. She joyfully serves St John in many ways … Stephen Ministry Leader, SPRC, Wednesday Night Supper and Cold Weather Shelter. Her other interests are her dogs Finn and Joy and enjoying Alaska’s great outdoors.

Daily Devotional 4.30.20 Mary Alice Donaldson

Mary Alice and David Donaldson

 “Be strong and of good courage, be not frightened neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

This verse has sustained me for almost 40 years.

In 1981, while on our honeymoon driving from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, across the plains and through the mountains of Canada, it finally dawned on me just how far away Alaska was from all I knew. David sensed my “homesickness” and made up a tune to this verse from Joshua. We have continued to sing this verse and countless other scripture chorus’ and hymns of praise.

When David has seen my spirits start to sag over the years, and this past week in particular, he has encouraged me to sit down at the piano, gotten out his horn and joined me playing our favorite hymns. As a child, playing the piano, cello and singing in our church youth choir became my safe place of rest and comfort.

During this season of hunkering down it has been a challenge to not get stuck thinking about all the things we are missing. We have been grateful for the opportunity to worship together online. Hearing Andy, Emily, Freya and James lead us in worship, the choir singing “On Eagles Wings,” watching the wee ones wave their hands joyfully on Palm Sunday, listening to gifted liturgists (I was especially touched by Gabriel and Lorenzo last week) … all supported behind the scenes by the technology I do not understand but am extremely thankful for!

My days go so much better when I am able to start them with a quiet time of reading scripture and prayer. The pastor who married us, Dr. H. Pat Albright, always encouraged us to read a chapter of a gospel and a psalm before ever opening the newspaper.

“It is no accident that the Psalms, which are the devotional heart of Scripture, were written as songs. Music heals. Music carries words to their destination in an irreducible and powerful way ...The retrieval of the Psalms as song in Taize worship … or in the musical settings we find in hymn books reminds us that to “sing unto the Lord” is a commandment for a reason. The words call us to attention. The music deepens that attention into prayer.” - from “Word By Word” by Marilyn McEntrye

Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for your life given for us. Quiet our hearts so that we can hear your voice. Please continue to guide our steps and help us to find ways this day to share your light in our hurting world. Amen

Mary Alice and David Donaldson are retired longtime Anchorage School District music teachers who remain active playing their instruments in our community. They renewed their membership to St. John in 2015. maryalicedonaldson@gmail.com  907-306-0268

Daily Devotional 4.29.20 Marilyn Carpenter

Marilyn and art Carpenter

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; Break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord” Psalms 98:4-5

I love to sing!  I sing when I clean house; I sing when I hike in bear country; I sing when doing a jigsaw puzzle.  I sang to my children and I sing to my grandchildren. I do not sing around other people; I am not a good singer.  My family is polite. They know my songs are saying, “I love you!”  I may not get the tune right and I may be off-key, but they feel my caring for them in every verse.  

I have often wished that I had a lovely singing voice, that someone would hear me sing and say, “You should be in choir!” or “We could use you in our musical!”  Alas, what I have heard is more along the lines of, “Not everyone can be in the choir.  I’m sure you have some other talent.”  As I mature, this doesn’t bother me as much as it used to.  Didn’t John Wesley say something about singing “lustily and with a good courage”?  Yes, and he added, “Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard.”

I like to think that when I sing to God, that God also doesn’t mind if my notes may not match the ones in the hymnal.  I’m pretty sure that God cares more about the feeling in my heart than the purity of my voice.  Some songs touch my heart so much that tears spring to my eyes when I just see them printed in the bulletin and know we’ll be singing them soon.  The “Hymn of Promise” and “Here I Am, Lord” take my breath away.  My singing may not be exact, but it is “joyous!”

Nature is filled with joyous songs of the Lord:  honking geese, babbling brooks, softly falling rain, calls of birds, even snorts of moose!  (A strange question pops into my mind:  do birds ever sing “off-key”?)  There are an infinite number of joyful noises in the world.  God’s creation is a symphony of life and love and joy.  This symphony is for everyone.  Some may hear it with their ears, some with their eyes, some with their hearts.  If it fills you with joy, then it brings you closer to God.

In this challenging time of social distancing, how lucky are those of us who can step outside, who can   access the joy of nature.  Yet, we can sing inside or out.  We can feel God’s love in the house or in the woods.  We can find our own way to sing God’s praises.  

What makes you feel joyous?  What ways do you sing God’s praises?  Do you use your voice?  Do you use your hands?  Do you use your mind?  Do you use your heart?  When you feel your heart fill with the love of God, then you can sing praises!  When you share that love with others, then you are making a joyful noise to the Lord!

This week, listen for the music of God.  Look for ways you can be joyful.  Share God’s love and joy with others.  Sing with whatever tune and key you want.  You are part of God’s symphony.

Thank you, God, for creating such a marvelous symphony of life and love and joy.  Thank you for helping us be a part of that symphony.  Let us be your instruments.  In Christ’s name, we pray.

Marilyn Carpenter has three wonderful grandchildren, who all live here in Anchorage, which is why she and her husband Art live in Alaska.  They moved here 12 years ago from San Diego when their first grandson was born.  A retired family therapist, Marilyn can recite the lines from “When Harry Met Sally,” as well as sing all the songs from “Sound of Music.”  (Of course, she will not sing them in public.)