WHAT A GREETING!

Good day dear friends.
Please be in prayer for Emily Lawrence. She was set to undergo surgery last night. We pray all is well with her. Emily is the daughter of Theresa and Steve.
Here is our text for today from Galatians 1: 1 Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the members of God's family who are with me,
To the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Someone once said there was a difference between being a disciple and an apostle. A disciple is one who sits at the feet of a great teacher and learns. An apostle not only learns, but goes and puts into practice that which he/she has learned. Paul took his title as apostle as a badge of responsibility and honor. His honor, like that of Jesus, was to serve not to be served, and he did this quite well all through his life. His commission to serve as an apostle was from Jesus Christ and not human orders. He also knew the presence of those who believed like him gave him further authority to serve.
In this short passage Paul writes to all the churches of Galatia. His desire is for them to receive God's grace and God's peace. No greater gift because of Christ's sacrifice. God's underserved favor and love and peace freely given to those who believe and who would receive it.
Paul also lifts high the name of Jesus and expects us to do the same.
All of that in a greeting. What do we convey in our greetings each day? Is it as lofty and heavenly as Paul's? Or do we convey something different?
A great "Good morning!"" goes a long way farther than a grunt or moan showing at least that we're alive.
Let your greeting be one of life and grace and peace!
PRAYER: God of grace and peace, let me today share You with how I greet others. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious name and for His sake, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

SALT AND LIGHT

Good day dear friends.
Here is an update on Del Brown. Del was finally released from the hospital yesterday, weak, but no longer suffering from fever. Please continue to pray for his complete recovery.
Here is a prayer request: Emily Lawrence (daughter of Theresa and Steve Lawrence) was admitted into the hospital at CTMC, Monday evening, with a possible infection, in her right leg. Please keep her and her parents in your prayers.
Sadly, the father of Harriett Olson, Charles L. Olson, died on Sunday. Please keep Harriett and her family in your prayers.
Here is our text from Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
I've related the importance of salt in cooking. If you leave out an ingredient of any meal that requires cooking, it cannot be salt, because salt is what gives the entire entree its flavor. Salt for the Jews at the time of Jesus was for flavor, for preservation, and for insulation. Apply these three to the Christian faith and you see what Jesus meant when he said WE were salt: Our positiveness of life as lived through Christ should add flavor to life. Our rootedness in Christ should allow us to share with others the preservation of that which is good for God in the world. And our faith should help us when we feel everything is falling around us.
As for light, that is pretty self-explanatory. Light defeats darkness. To live in Christ is to live in light and that defeats the darkness.
PRAYER: Loving God, we thank you for all You have shared with us to make us who we are. Let us indeed be salt and light for the world through Jesus in Whose name we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

OUR MISSION

Good morning dear friends.

Greetings from frigid Fort Worth! Nothing like mornings in the 40s. It is especially funny to hear from delegates from the north US who expected Texas weather to be warmer. You and me both!

Here is our text:

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!' 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town. 13 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades. 16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

What authority and power is ours from the Lord Jesus Christ! Like the seventy sent out in this passage, so has Christ sent us. Our is a mission to share first, peace. Let the peace of Christ fill every heart. The peace that "passes all understanding." In other words, the peace Christ offers through us, should be that peace that others will not understand but yet it is still there. It is the calm when others are panicking. It is the joy when others are sad. It is the light of hope, when others have resigned to be in darkness.

Ours is a mission of healing. Lift up in prayer those whom you hear are sick. Yes, you may be asked to pray for people you do not know. My first morning here I had breakfast at the Corner Bakery. The lady who served me asked if I spoke Spanish. I replied que si, and she asked if I would pray for her. She had hurt her hip while working the week prior and was now in severe pain. She had missed several days of work and now was working with much discomfort. I told her I would. I don't know the lady, but I know her need. I am not about to tell her, "I don't know you, why should I pray for you." That is not in keeping with my mission in Christ Jesus. Yes, I prayed and am praying for her healing. Later she shares that her daughter is pregnant and is almost due and now an illness has come upon her that she needs surgery and they're waiting until June to do a C-section and the surgery she needs. I can only imagine the stress that Luisa Fernanda is under, as is her mother Maria. Ours is to share with God through prayer the needs of those who need healing.

We can't forget to pray that God raise up laborers, like you and me, to do the work of God in the world. The harvest is ready, we just need those who will come and do the work of the Lord in our midst.

Not everyone will welcome us and Who we stand for. Woe to them. Ours is just to share with all; some will listen and be blessed, others will suffer life without Christ and then....

PRAYER: Loving God, give me Your courage, wisdom, strength and all that I need to fulfill that to which You have called me. Let me be Your servant in all things. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

NARROW IS THE WAY

Good day dear friends.

As we pray for one another, please pray for John Schaeffer, who has entered the hospital again. John and Dawn are new members but he has spent more than his share of time in the hospital. If any of you work or drive by Austin South Hospital, please go and visit John.

Here is our text for today:

Matthew 7:12 "In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. 13 "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
I don't know about you, but in my opinion, traveling alone is not the ideal way to travel. I say this because of the long journey yesterday from SM to Ft. Worth. This is one route that our car has memorized. I could have taken a nap and the car would have known how to get to FW easily. We have made this journey several times going up to Denton to visit Caty at Texas Woman's. I traveled this way to attend General Conference. I am chair of the Committee for Correlation and Editorial Revision, the committee that puts the Book of Discipline together for the United Methodist Publishing House. I have one of the best seats in the house, sitting on stage while all goes on around. I do not get to vote on things, unless one of the reserve delegates wishes to let me go and vote. But I came without Nellie, who is the Chief Administrative Officer of Child Care for the Department of Valverde Grandchildren. Her number one and only client is of course, baby Sarita Evangelina Cortez, the delight of our eyes, ears, heck, all our being! So, while Sarita's mom has finals, Nellie is watching baby. And that's an important job! Pray for her today at 3:30 pm as Sarai has a major exam.

But the road is best traveled with my wife. She's my navigator, critic, food processing administrator (she unwrapped burgers as we eat and drive), narrator, conversationalist, critic, and my overall best friend and travel companion. She wants me to be a cautious driver, friends, which is why I list that as "critic." But our road has some known turns and routes, as well as the unexpected "only one lane open ahead" and I had a couple of those last evening. We usually start our journey northy by leaving 35 to get to Creedmoor and then to the tollway that gets us north of Georgetown. We stop in Temple at one of our favorite Starbucks (the best manager of those is of course Blair Thompson from our church at the SM Starbucks); it's ideally located for a rest and stretch, hot chocolate or hot tea stop. We pass through familiar sights that are still standing 30 years after we made that journey up to Perkins. And the road from Waco northward reminds us of our first church there in Waco. It is a familiar road, best traveled together.

Jesus spoke of life and how it can be traveled. In the above passage He mentioned life in Him and how that can be "narrow" which I take to mean difficult, for it is not a popular way to travel, the wider way is more traveled and you see so many on that way. His way is the way of service, sacrifice, and love. The other way is selfish, self-serving, me-centered, and doesn't offer much in the way of love. My mom first exposed me to that verse talking about the road to destruction she would say, "Is a beautiful road or so we think. It has roses and beautiful flowers all along it. The road that Jesus wants us to walk has thorns and is harder to walk." I first thought "I'd rather walk along the beautiful road, but when she said Jesus was on the thorny road I changed my answer.

I haven't changed my answer to this day. And I trust your changing would be only to get on the road to life.

PRAYER: Loving God I thank You for being with me on the road that leads to life. Speak to my heart about what I should be, what I should do, and what I should share. Help those not yet on Your road to find the way, and if you could, use me to help. I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

PS Yes, I miss Nellie very much!

BREAKING THE ARMS OF GOD

Good morning dear friends.

Our text for today comes from Matthew 14:22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." 28 Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29 He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Today's thought is not original. It comes from a great conversation I had with The Rev. Tom Monroe, a stewardship strategist with a company based in Atlanta. Tom was a pastor on the staff at First Baptist Dallas, one of the country's biggest Baptist churches. One of his church members sold real estate and once while cleaning a home to sell, she came across some books by a Methodist preacher. Tom said he received these as gifts and in one he came across a passage that touched his heart. It concerns the above passage about the miracle of Jesus and Peter walking on the water. That Methodist preacher wrote (and I left that name at the office!) that while we know this story well, he came to an understanding that the only one who was in the most secure place was Peter. The eleven were in a boat probably built by their own hands, and it was a product made of wood, tar, and pitch. The waves or the wind could easily sink the boat and take them to the bottom of the sea. Peter, on the other hand, was in the arms of Jesus and this writer asks, "Who can break the arms of God?"

The answer is of course, no one. But we try! We find ourselves at times trying hard and we act like we're almost to the bottom of the sea, but in reality if we have faith and if we have placed ourselves in God's arms, there is no one nor anything that can break the arms of God.
What a secure feeling and thought: You and I are in the arms of God! Friends, there is no better place to be!

PRAYER: Loving God of all strength, thank You for Your hold on our lives. If one of us is feeling like we're almost at the bottom of the sea, lift us up! If one of us is feeling like we're slipping out of that firm grip that is Yours, tighten it! No one can break Your arms! We pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day!

e.v.

PS Many leave today for Fort Worth for the start of General Conference. I start work early tomorrow with the committee on which I serve and every day will be a long day with lots to do. Pray that God would bring His strength, joy and peace to us all. Thank you!

A FAITHFUL WITNESS

Good day dear friends.

Our text for today comes from 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. 8 Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. 10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.

I had the special privilege of speaking at a men's retreat for Manchaca UMC at John Knox Camp outside of Wimberley on Friday and Saturday. It was a great time sharing with brothers in the faith, especially some young brothers. Pastor Steven Sweet, a dear friend and true brother in Christ Jesus, invited me to go and speak about the Christian life and I believe I left more blessed than I hoped to bless them.

One verse that I made mention to is the text for today. It is a verse that applies both to men and women, and contains an attitude for servant living.
If you look at it, here are the key points:

1. We should approach God with a humble attitude. God is everything and we are His and as we come to Him, we should be open, listening, and loving towards our Heavenly Father.

2. This attitude of humility will result in God lifting us up when it is time. No one should come before the throne of God thinking we deserve anything, we don't. We come before God's throne because God loves us and we come to be loved.

3. God is a listening, caring God. We can, through prayer, "cast our anxieties" on God because of the care and protection God offers to us. There is no need to carry around the weight of worry when we can give it to God to carry for us.

4. We need to maintain a discipline and alertness before God of spiritual things. This includes our prayer life, our devotional life, our willingness to study God's Word, to worship God, and to seek to learn more about all God has to offer us. You'll see in the next one why this is imporant.

5. We can very easily become the prey of the devil. From experience the writer shares how easily one can fall victim to the wiles of the devil. Probably not that the writer himself may have fallen, but being an overseer in the faith he had probably seen more than his share of those for whom he cared, fall victim to temptation.

6. We must resist, standing firm in our faith. What we have learned as truth we must hold to. I shared in my sermon yesterday the story of C.C. McCabe who boarded a train in the days of the Old West and found a newspaper headline that said "Churches Across America Are Dying." McCabe read the article and it was an interview with an agnostic Robert Ingersoll, who said America would be better off when the last one closed. McCabe got off at the next stop and fired off a telegram to Ingersoll with the message, "All hail the power of Jesus' Name! We're building more that one new Methodist Church every day of the year and propose to make it soon two a day." What a way to resist!

7. We are not alone, not even in our suffering. Every Christian suffers. Some trials are unexpected and of the kind one would not wish on his/her worst enemy, but we stand firm in our faith, knowing God is with us and our brothers and sisters are with us. Pray for one another. Even for folks you don't know! Just lift up the saints who are suffering for the sake of Christ.

8. Our trials and suffering will not last a long time. In God's time, the Word promises we will be restored, supported, strengthened, and established.

9. Worship God! Amen!

PRAYER: Loving God, we lift You up in our hearts, minds, and spirits. Yours is the power and glory and the kingdom for ever. Remember us today with our needs and joys. Let our lives give steady witness to others, especially those who do not yet know, or who have forgotten. We pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

RELIGION IN THE NEWS

Good day dear friends.

Our text for today is from John 4: 19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." 21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

My morning internet routine goes as follows. 1. I read the morning devotional at The Upper Room (www.upperroom.org/devotional). This morning's devotional is very good as they usually are. 2. I go to CNN to see what are the headlines for today. http://www.cnn.com/ gives an update of the headlines around the world and here in the USA.

Which is why this morning I write about religion in the news. The Pope's visit has been major headlines all week. It is his first visit to the United States and so that is headling worthy news. He has celebrated two major outdoor masses in huge arenas and that is worthy news. He is, as the Catholic church, the direct descendant of Saint Peter, the "rock" of the church. Just thinking about that and how, imperfect as the line got in some eras of our history, still the one recognized by that church as having had hands laid on him that were first the hands of the fisherman called by Jesus. That's worthy of headlines. The other news are more local, a polygamist ranch outside San Angelo (which is in the Southwest Texas Annual Conference of our church, and the children of that ranch are being helped by many UMs), has been raided by the authorities, and thankfully another "Waco" incident didn't happen.

In another part of the world, Buddhists originally slated to participate in the Olympic torch relay, have withdrawn in protest of the treatment of monks by the Chinese government, the hosts of this summer's Olympics.

The greatest news of religion today? How God is using you to make someone else's world a little better by your kind words, kind act, or listening, caring ear. These things won't be on tomorrow's headlines nor should they be, for we do things for Christ not for the fleeting glory of humans, but for the eternal glory of He who sends us out "to make disciples." And the best way to make disciples is to be one.

PRAYER: Loving God, we praise you and thank you for Jesus. We pray that in all we do today we might show that we are indeed, your disciples and in that way, help to make someone new a disciple. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS: LIVING WATER

Good day dear friends.

Prayer Updates: David Gish underwent successful surgery yesterday. Karen reports the doctor was pleased with the results of shoulder reparation. Pastor Ryan is home in Austin and not driving to Chicago as was shared here originally. The "encounter" with the deer occurred between Lake Travis and Austin. Ryan's car is in the shop and Ryan is resting at home. He is in severe pain (throat) and needs our prayers. On Thursday he flies to Chicago for his vacation.

Our text for today:
John 4: 5 So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 7 A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." 8 (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

One can only imagine the stress and strain put on Jesus' body during His ministry. Travel was not by private jet or limo. It was by foot, from place to place. The weather was hot at times, mild at others, but always dusty as the winds blew around Him in the land now called Holy. Jesus knew of the need to rest and in the passage for today, as his disciples had gone on to buy food, He rested near a well. The well was famous to the locals, but also the place to draw water. As Jesus rested a woman comes to draw water and He asks her for a drink. The woman of a different ethnicity was surprised by His request. A Jew would not ask a Samaritan for anything let alone anything that would touch their lips! Jesus' reply was of love when He said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, "Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

All of us know the importance and goodness of water. We live in an age where any supermarket will have an aisle full of different water in different containers and claims, though my suspicion is that they've all come from the same bathtub of one who knew early enough to market the city water they now claim is spring water. It was when I was a child that I had an illness that to this day I can't remember what it was or what caused it. All I remember is the severe thirst that I had during the whole time I was sick and how for some reason did not get to enjoy the quenching relief of water. I remember the moment when I finally was offered a glass of water and how I felt as the cool water finally quenched my thirst.

Jesus offered to that woman in that encounter on that day, the quenching of the thirst of her soul. For too long she had sought relief from the thirst of sin with different "waters," and here she encounters He who offers to us, "living water." The water that quenches once and for all, the thirst of our soul. Never again will we thirst for we have received the longing of our very being.

Jesus offers that water to you. Will you drink?

PRAYER: Living God of the living water, quench my soul today. Let me cease from seeking relief in the waters the world offers. Let me find that which will quench my thirst now and forever. It is in the Name of He who offers us this, Jesus my Lord that I pray. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

WHO DO YOU FOLLOW?

Good day dear friends.

As we pray for our morning, please lift up Art Amey who is having eye surgery in Austin this morning, and for David Gish who is having major surgery here at CTMC. Last, but not least, some of you knew that Pastor Ryan our associate was not feeling well Sunday and he suspected mono, well the doctor confirmed he had it. He left for a driving vacation to Chicago and somewhere between here and Austin he hit a deer. His car is in the shop and he borrowed his parents' car and is driving to Chicago. Pray that when he gets there he might have some rest and time for healing while enjoying his friends and his beloved Chicago deep-dish pizza!

Our text for today comes from Matthew:

Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

In Sunday's NY Times Magazine, page four, two full-page ads for an insurance company that struck me with the first page being a picture of a majestic-looking elk at the top of some steps, with the caption under it saying, "The question isn't how you reach your goal, it's who do you follow?" I thought then, a Sunday morning, as I do now, a Wednesday morning, how appropriate! I always imagine the Sunday Times Magazine as being read by men and women in bathrobes, sipping coffee as they await their morning brunch. The thought of bathing, dressing, and going to church possibly far from their minds. Yet, I pray that this ad make them as it did me, "Who AM I following?"

The text from today comes from the passage of Jesus' encounter with the one we've come to call "the rich young ruler." That title gives him away: Rich, young, powerful. Was there a question as to how he reached his goal of being rich? Not really. Youth came naturally. The power? Hmm, yes, the power. His problem was that he had NOT yet reached his goal. Overcoming his fear of his mortality. He had the riches of this life, yet his joy was not complete; something serious and something sacred was missing from his life. The joy of the knowing that this life is not all there is. Was the young man ill? We don't know. Was someone he knew and loved ill? Maybe. Something made him think that one day he would find himself leaving this world and he wondered what lies beyond this life, and if all he had heard from and about this itinerant preacher about life and its true meaning, what did he have to do to attain it?

The question asked, the response came quickly. Sell what you have. Give the money to the poor. Come, follow me.

Could you make it any harder Lord? The young man lived in the top 1% of his society. He had things others only dreamed of, yet in the lap of luxury there was missing the comfort and joy of being alive and having hope for tomorrow.

Sell what you have. Part with what makes you comfortable. Part with what is killing you.

Give the money to the poor. Did you stop to think that what you have could be used to feed someone who hasn't eaten in some time? Could your money be used to help pay for the medical treatment of someone not being able to sleep because of pain and discomfort?

Come, follow me. You haven't really reached your goal if your life is empty. Full of things, empty of life is no way to live. And it's no way to die.

PRAYER: Loving God of all things, You own the herds of livestock on the hills, and You even own the hills, yet, Your desire is for us to live this life in abundance. Help us all to realize what true abundance really is. Let us know it is not in things, but in that which You have provided for us. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

DINNER WITH TAX COLLECTORS AND SINNERS

Good day dear friends.

I know there has been quite an absence in my sending this email devotional and I pray forgiveness and I ask continued prayer for me, my family and our preparations for General Conference, the transition between here and Harlingen, our new appointment, etc.

Here is today's text:

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. 10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12 But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, "I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

In case you've awakened from a long fog of a sleep, today is tax day. And I can proudly say that for the first time in my history of being a taxpayer, I filed early! And my taxes have already been processed! What a miracle! I also have overcome what I used to do, that of filing for an extension giving me til August, then in August I would file for an October extension, then I would file. It is so much better not worrying about which post office will be open until midnight so that I can rush over there with my extension form filled out and ready to mail.

Paying taxes have never been a popular thing except for those who work for the IRS. Even in Jesus' time the calling of Matthew to be a disciple meant calling a man away from the tax table. Matthew may have been among the wealthiest of the disciples for the common practice, and he may not have been one who participated in it, was to set a "tax" higher than due the Roman government and keeping the difference. But Matthew's call into ministry also meant that his former co-workers were invited to a dinner that night. Here is where the criticism begins. Jesus was sitting at the same table with tax collectors AND sinners. What's the difference you might ask? Jesus was in violation of keeping clean by sitting with those considered unclean. Jesus' response was to tell the folks there that he had come to be with those in need of mercy, those considered "sick" by others.

Our hope is in Jesus who invites us all to His table. One of the beautiful things, of many, is that as United Methodists every time we celebrate the Lord's Supper we say that the table of the Lord is open to all who desire to be in communion with the Lord and no one is denied. And the same is true in our spiritual life.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you for the openness of Your love. Help me to model that in my life today. I ask it in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

PS Don't forget to file your taxes! Or extensions!

CHURCHES FOR SALE

Good day dear friends.


Matt. 21:13 - "My house shall be called a House of prayer."

Some realty company discovered my email and sent me an email with the subject line just like the subject line for today's devotional: "Churches for Sale." I opened it to see what they were offering and more importantly, where. The first was Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio. Apparently, these guys and gals specialize in selling churches. I can think of nothing sadder in real estate than to sell a church. It says a lot without one knowing the full story, but the result is the same; this church is no longer able to function as a church, and we have no other option but to sell it.

In this week's conference newspaper, The Witness, there was a sad article about the Falfurrias church, El Buen Pastor UMC, that is closing its doors. No longer able to attract enough people to sustain it financially, the conference had no other option but to close its doors.

Jesus knew the day was coming when the very Temple that He had loved and cared for and even called a "house of prayer" would one day find itself with not one stone left upon another. He knew that His church would continue in other parts of the world, but the very Temple, symbol of worship and power, was destined to close at the hands of foreign powers that would close it down.

Could it be that churches have forgotten how to pray? And as a result of losing communication and contact with God, have forgotten to love? To reach out in Christian love to others? To share the Good News with a world that needs to hear? More importantly, have those people who make up the church, forgotten how to pray?

I say dear friend, that we can never forget to pray. We can never be too busy to lift up even a thought prayer to God about our needs and concerns along with a thought of thankfulness to God! God loves our prayers and God answers our prayers. We must be people of prayer!

It was a very moving ceremony yesterday morning as Kate McWhirt presented a prayer shawl to John Morrisett. Kate and some other ladies of the church, knit a shawl and all the while they are knitting, are praying for the person recommended by the pastors and staff of the church. As I told the congregation to receive a prayer shawl does not mean one is dying or going to face terrible situations, it simply means that because of some health issues and trials, their name has been lifted up to God in prayer. Rev. Jenna Heart who comes as the new pastor here in June is having a prayer shawl made just for her. If you know of someone who would benefit from a prayer shawl, please let me know.

PRAYER: God of living prayer, we thank You for listening to our prayers and concerns. Let me never be too busy to pray. And may the day never come when I believe I have forgotten to pray. I pray for my church and the needs it may have. May our doors always be open because of my prayers and love. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

ON LEAVING DEAR FRIENDS

Good day dear friends.

"I call you friends..." John 15:15

It is in knowing one is leaving that the hurts and joys of church members become deeper in my soul. I rejoice with those who are rejoicing in wonderful ways, but the burdens being carried by others hurt me deeper than before. I suppose it is the knowledge of knowing I won't be pastor for much longer and while I will still carry you in my hearts and prayers, it is not the same.

While we are praying today, please lift up Preston Connelly to your prayers. Preston is being moved to a special care unit as his Alzheimer's has become worse. He will stay at Merrill Gardens but may be separated from Doris. This has caused Doris great pain as you can imagine. As we pray prayers of thanksgiving, lift up the hearts (if they can get any higher!) of George and Bobbie Gilbert, who yesterday received a new great-grandchild into their lives.

The Lord Jesus as He taught His disciples spoke about servanthood and friendship. He Himself was a servant to God first, then to us as He ministered the new way of life we are to live, but He reached a point where He knew that the servant title of the disciples had to be expanded to include the title of friends.

Do you ever see your role as a friend as a special title in your life? Do you take being a good friend seriously? I know and love dear friends who would do anything for me. I know the ones I could call in the middle of the night and they would get up and come and help me. I also know the ones who I can share the deepest and most serious of secrets and they will go to their graves with them. What a blessing to have friends, and what a more awesome blessing to BE a good friend.

I would pray we would be the friends of Jesus today. And while being the friends of Jesus we would be the friends to those in need. Jesus knew it's easy to befriend and love those who befriend and love us; Jesus calls us to love everyone and be a friend to all.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I thank you for the friend I have in Your Son, Jesus Christ. I pray that I might be your friend and a friend to all today. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

TAGGED

Good day dear friends.

Someone "tagged" our wooden fence that is located in our children's playground at church. Being wooden it lends itself to tagging, that is, the marking with graffiti. This one was done in chalk and I'm guessing it was by the hand of an older person, not a teen or a child. The tag reads, "HE LIVES!" Sunday, between services two little boys playing on the grass stopped when one of the boys saw it and pointed it out to his friend. Having been the first to spot it he read it to his friend, "HE LIVES!" The two just nodded and smiled, then went back to running and playing.

What in your life says HE LIVES? Are you a living "tag" for the risen Christ? Do people see in you the living Christ or are you a living Snopes? Snopes.com is the site one can check out the validity of those million forwards we get and send. Some of the emails contain the most precious stories of faith and warm feelings and someone will always "check it" at snopes.com and discover that it may have been a great story, but it just didn't happen.

He Lives is part of a great story that faith says did happen. It tell of God's power and ability to help us rise above our deepest challenges and setbacks, to higher ground and to higher living. He lives is an eternal story that will bless all who believe.

May your life be tagged today with the line that frees us all: HE LIVES!

PRAYER: God of life, thank You for Your power and ability to lift me above what I am facing today. I may be weeping and weak, but Your love and grace make me strong, strong enough to move forward. I pray this in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

WHEN LIFE PAID DEATH A VISIT

Good day dear friends.

Again, our thanks for your prayers for our son-in-law, Eric Cortez, as he
recovers from
his appendectomy. He should be home this evening if all goes well. I know he
must be
doing good because he ate some barbecued chicken and ribs that I made for
Easter. That
was his biggest regret about being sick, he said, not being present for the
family BBQ!

Rev. Barbara Aziz is out of the hospital and I'm sure resting today after all of
her activities
at her church in Bishop, Texas. She was hospitalized with a bout of food
poisoning this
past week, but was out on Friday.

Yesterday we had a great time in church turning folks away from our eleven
o'clock
worship and sending them to our contemporary worship service. The sermon was
called
"When Life Paid Death a Visit," and I took folks on a tour of Eden and reminded
them that
through the first Adam, death paid life a visit, and it wasn't until the second
Adam, Jesus,
that life could pay death a visit. Ours is the victory as we trust God's desire
to be in
relationship with us and to walk with us all our lives.

We talked about our reluctance to talk about our own death and how Easter is
about our
trusting God that even in our death, God is with us and we have nothing to fear.

At our Good Friday service we had someone (maybe more than one) who said that
after all
these years the idea of forgiveness did not sink in until a service such as the
one we held.
It was very Wesleyan to hear someone say, I finally realized that Christ had
died for even
my sins!

Amen. And on Sunday, He rose again to give us complete victory over sin and
death!

PRAYER: Father, for lives touched and transformed, we give you thanks. May the
Resurrection Event be ours now and forever. Let my life touch others this day
and all days.
I pray in Christ Jesus' Name, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

e.v.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

Good day dear friends.

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday.  In fact, it's the last game of the World Series.  It is the final game of the Final Four, the final game of the World Cup (most of the world participates in that!), and the last game of any championship game you want to compare it to.  It is Resurrection Sunday.  Easter to others.  Jesus rose from the dead.  It is the birthday of the Christian Church, it is the affirmation of life winning over death.

Name it what you will, God acted on your behalf and mine, to rid the world of sin and death.

What have you done about it?

Santa, The Easter Bunny, a man in distress

Good day dear friends.

I don't know if we can attribute this to March Madness or simply keeping Austin Weird, but it was on Saturday we were at Austin's Barton Creek Mall.  Our son-in-law, Eric, is a police officer in that sector of town.  We were making our way to the mall entrance to Sears (it's part of our ritual walk that takes us to Sears' yummy flat screen tv display), and I notice that there is what appears to be a tall, slender, homeless man, walking in the Sears entrance wearing only his tidy whiteys.  As I approach I notice he is wearing pants, but they're around his ankles.  It was then I notice that there was a display of what may have been Sears credit card applications thrown all around the floor and there were two mall security officers motioning all who approached to go through their upstairs entrance.  Our daughter Carli calls Eric to see if he is the officer that certainly has to be on the way.  Eric responds that there is a call from the mall but that another officer was responding to that call.  But being a cop he wants Carli to give him full details of the situation.  Carli covered the phone and said, "He's in Cop Mode!"  We laughed because we know the Cop Mode.  Eric is a happy-go-lucky guy when he's not in his uniform and on duty.  The first time I rode along with Eric it was in Galveston when he was on duty and I was surprised and amazed, and yes, impressed with the Eric I was riding with!  Back to the situation.  We stayed for a bit longer than I think the mall cops wanted and the Austin police did arrive soon there after, but we were being strongly encouraged to enter Sears from upstairs.  We moved upstairs. From there we could sit see the situation.  What makes this even stranger was that as I looked to see who had moved upstairs to continue viewing the situation, there was, I kid you not, a man with a Santa cap looking down.  I pointed that out to my family and as I turned my gaze towards Sears, the Easter Bunny came walking out of Sears.  Yes, the costumed guy who poses with kids for their Easter pictures came walking out and I remembered I was in Austin!

Yesterday was Palm Sunday and we were so blessed to have such a great group of kids participating in the procession of palms.  So many kids waving their palm branches and a time for reflecting on what God did through Jesus during this week.  Yesterday's entrance was a culmination of all the events in which the rumored rabbi made his way into Jerusalem putting a face on the one who had done so many unexplainable things.  The sadness coming in knowing that most of the ones who shouted Hosanna on Friday cheered for Jesus' death.  The one question I had to posed to the congregation at 11 was:   If  a parade were held in your honor, how many people would line for you?  How many people have you touched during your life for the benefit of their faith?  

I also announced to all three services that Nellie and I are leaving San Marcos.  I will be the senior pastor at First UMC in Harlingen, Texas.  We have mixed feelings as we leave our grandbaby behind.  We would appreciate your prayers during this time of transition.  We also ask prayers for the new pastor who will be named publicly soon.

YOU CAN TAKE IT WITH YOU BUT IT WILL MELT!

Good day dear friends.
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;Matt. 6:20
Part of our Lenten Journey should be about what we have received and what we should be giving. Many of you have "given up" something, say a daily cup of very expensive coffee or a soft drink. You have, no doubt, replaced it with a spiritual discipline in its place and you are being blessed. But where has that extra $3.45 or $1.09 gone?
Monday and Tuesday I attended the last Bishop's Convocation with Bishop Joel Martinez. He invited a couple of presenters to come and speak about re-igniting our ministries and on the last morning he himself presented his thoughts on the theme. It was the second presenter that spoke of stewardship and the line in the subject of this devotional thought. After years of ministry he reached the point where he would tell his congregation, "You can take it with you, but it will melt!" Think about it...here it comes. Did you get it?
Jesus said our treasures should be "stored up" in heaven, where nothing can destroy them; to try to hold on to our treasures is to live a life where heaven does not matter and to die with our money may make our money melt. (Those of you that still don't get this, please ask somebody!).
Okay, here it is: Are you storing up treasures in heaven or will you try to take it with you to the fires of hell?
PRAYER: Loving God, You have shown us how to live and how to give. You sent Jesus to further show us and to pay the price for our sinfulness. May we not take anything nor You for granted. Let me live a life that reflects heaven, not the place where we are aliented and separated from You for all eternity. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

WHAT WOULD YOU PREPARE?

Good day dear friends.
Here is our text for today: 1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." (John 12 NRSV).
Entertaining guests for many is fun. For those who love to cook it is especially challenging to prepare the best you know how to prepare and with hopes that your guests will be surprised and delighted that they were invited to your home. Who your guest is makes a big difference in the kind of meal you prepare. If it is your family, it is special, but if your guest is your boss and you're wanting a promotion, that makes it a bit more special and stressful. But what if your guest was one who brought you back from the dead? Such was the case in this text up above; Jesus was in the home of Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary. I think they pulled out all the stops in preparing a meal that, I can't resist, was out of this world! Yet, here is the home where Jesus had been before and already there had been seen a difference between the two sisters. Martha was the cook and chief bottle washer. Mary was not so inclined to the kitchen as she was towards knowing more about the spiritual. On one visit, Martha asked Jesus to order Mary to go and help with household chores; Jesus replied that Mary was seeking that which was important. And now, Martha is again serving and making sure all the guests have their food and Mary wanders in with another chore in her heart.
Mary has brought in a pound of very costly perfume and began to anoint Jesus' feet with it and then dried it with her hair. This filled the house with the fragance of the perfume. I am sure Mary asked herself, "Is this enough? Have I done enough? How can I ever thank the man who talked to me about spiritual things and then brought my only brother back from the dead?" In her mind I think she knew she could never do enough.
We can never do enough for the man who has talked to us about spiritual things and who will raise our loved ones from the dead, ourselves included. But that does not mean we give up and just say, "Oh well, I can never do enough!" On the contrary it motivates us to do all we can, everything we possibly can, to show our love for God and for others.
PRAYER: Lord, I realize I can never do enough, but I will do what You would have me do. Let my life be an exercise in showing my gratitude for all You have done. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.

A WORLD WITHOUT LIMITS

Good day dear friends.
As many of you have heard, our brother Allen Bates dies Tuesday night after a hardfought battle against a terrible disease. I do not have any funeral arrangements yet. Please hold the Bates family in your prayers. Allen was 51 and had two small children and a wife.
"As a man thinketh, so is he..." Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)
This was the verse we at Youth ultimately came to in a discussion about life and politics and elections. I was a bit saddened by how early negative thinking about oneself and ones future can creep into a child's life. Those present were all junior high kids and their negative notes reminded me of this verse. I tried to share with the kids that whatever fuels your thoughts fuels your life. If you think you can't do something, you won't. If you think you're limited in some things, you are. But if the opposite is true, then you can do more and accomplish more. God has given us free will and a mind with which to make decisions and we should apply it to the positive to get where God would have us get.
What limits have you placed on yourself today? Please don't be surprised if you don't get beyond those!
PRAYER: God of infinite possibilities, free my mind from negativity and set me free to dream Your dreams and to accomplish what You have shared with me. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
A free online copy of a classic book by the same title of that verse if available here: http://jamesallen.wwwhubs.com/think.htm.

LENTEN JOURNEY8/THE ROCK

Good day dear friends.
We continue to pray for Allen Bates of San Marcos and his special needs. We also lift up John Morriset who is to undergo a heart procedure this coming Friday. Please pray with faith in the Lord for the healing of these brothers.
David said, "The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation," 2 Samuel 22:47.
As I had lunch yesterday with a church member and a former church member, one of them said about our view over our beautiful river, "Is that rock new? It somehow looks out of place." The rock he was referring to was a huge rock that given its size sticks out about three feet above the water. I don't imagine that rock gets moved much without the assistance of mechanical devices of some kind.
Given the rugged natural area in which King David lived it was not unusual for him to notice the rocks of his area as well. These were not easily moved either and on this occasion as he ponders who God is, David calls God a rock. He's referring to the strength and immovability of God. He's also calling God "my rock," meaning David had a relationship with God and understood where he, David, stood, and more importantly, where God stands. He goes on to say that God is the "rock of (his) salvation."
David was saved. There, that pleased a lot of Baptists. And it should please you. David was a man of deep, strong faith most of his life, and yes, he did lose his salvation on some occasions (that didn't please our brethern of Baptist persuasion), but he came back to that salvation in his later years. David was sure of his relationship with God. He knew God had the power to forgive him of his sins and to restore him into the fullness of life; which are the fruits of being "saved." It's also an assurance that upon one's death, God is still there, unmoved, ready to receive us.
Do you know God as rock? Do you know God as your rock of salvation?
PRAYER: Loving God, my rock, speak to me words and thoughts of salvation. Let me have a relationship with You and let me model that relationship to others, so that they too, can come and ask about having a relationship with you as well. Be glorifed in my life, I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.