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FELC Youth Ministries

Pastor Dave's Devotions

Devotions by Pastor Dave Lyle:

Wednesday, July 2, 2008
“Elijah said to her, ‘Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son.”  1Kings 17:13

It seems these days that you can’t turn on the television or open the newspaper without hearing about how tough the economic situation in our country has become.  This is true.  Gas and food prices are up while house prices and incomes are down.  Belts are tightening.  During such times it’s tempting to focus on scarcity: we don’t have this and we can’t do that.  The truth, however, is a little more complex.  After all, are we not blessed?  Do we not have food in our bellies and roofs over our heads?  Our verse today seems to be about a miracle story, but it’s really all about economics.  During the time of Elijah, a drought struck the land.  People endured real scarcity.  Starvation was a real threat.  So when the prophet asks the widow of Zarephath for food and drink, you can imagine her hesitancy: “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing,” she replies.  But Elijah has faith, urging her to feed him and promising that her jar of meal and jug of oil would not go empty.  And Elijah was right.  The widow’s situation was bad enough that she needed a miracle, and a miracle she received.  How much more will the Lord our God continue to bless us?  We are not bereft of resources and bankrupt of blessings.  We still have more than we need.  May we, like the widow, continue to open our hands in praise to God and generosity toward our neighbors.  Our jugs and jars are still quite full, and God’s promises haven’t failed us yet.

Thursday, July 3, 2008
“Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’” John 11:16

We don’t usually think about him much during the middle of the summer.  The Apostle Thomas usually only comes across our radar screen during Easter.  It was the occasion of the resurrection, of course, that led to his being immortalized in our memories as “Doubting Thomas.”  But Thomas was not quite so one-dimensional.  In the light of Jesus foretelling his own death, Thomas suggests to the other disciples that they “also go, that we may die with him.”  Life without Jesus was not worth living, as far as Thomas was concerned.  Perhaps this is why he had such a hard time believing that Jesus had been raised from the grave.  He needed to use all his sense to come to believe in the resurrection.  In this way, Thomas does serve as a model for our continuing walk this Advent.  Thomas was willing to take things on faith, but he wanted to be as involved as he could be.  He wanted to know all that he could find out.  He kept his eyes and his ears open, looking and hoping for signs.  This is the call for us, as well, as we march closer to the blessed dawn of Christmas morn.  Let us keep our eyes and our ears open, and all of our senses alert, that we might stand with Thomas, and confess Jesus with him, “My Lord and my God!”

Friday, July 4, 2008
“For you were called in to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.”  Galatians 5:13

The old, silly riddle goes: Do they have the Fourth of July in England?  One is tempted to say they don’t, because of course they don’t celebrate American independence (if anything, quite the opposite!).  But of course they do have July 4 in England, just like they do in the rest of the world.  Here in America, it is a major celebration, as well it should be.  In the dawn of the American experiment a new hope was born, a vision created of a world in which all people (not just the landowning white men first envisioned by the Founders) would have a voice in determining their future.  In terms of history, few developments have more positive importance.  We celebrate our freedom from tyranny and servitude.  But this is not quite the same thing as Christian freedom, and the two types of freedom should not be confused.  In Christ, as Paul reminds us today, we have been set free from the powers of darkness and death that oppress us.  But we have not been released from bondage.  Instead, our slavery, as Paul calls it, is now to Christ himself, and through Christ, to one another.  We always are tempted to think that freedom means we are in control.  But true freedom means living in truth and reality that is grounded in the divine.  Yes, in Christ we are free.  But in Christ we also are bound: bound to each other in all things, bound to the earth that we live on, bound to the Creator and bound to his Son.  Freedom isn’t for us.  Freedom is for one another.

Saturday, July 5, 2008
“I thank my God every time I remember you.”  Philippians 1:3

Just over four years ago, on June 27, 2004, I started writing these devotions.  My first passage was Philippians 1:3, which I chose in honor of my devotional predecessor.  Today we come full circle.  I am the one who is now leaving the First English family.  Today I choose these words from Paul because of each of you.  I am thankful to God for the almost five years I have been a pastor at First English.  I am thankful to God for 32 years of love and support, first for me, and then for Erika as well.  I am thankful to God for what we’ve done together, and most of all, I am thankful to God for what he has done for us.  And I suppose I’m just plain thankful that you’ve read my ramblings in these pages for the last four years.  I’ve always said that I write these for myself; it’s just a bonus that others find them helpful in prayer and devotion.  So thank you.  Tomorrow morning, Erika and I bid farewell to you and head to our next adventure.  And no, I won’t be writing daily devotions in my new congregation, at least not right away.  My fingers need a break!  But as we say goodbye, we remember that we are bound together forever in the unity of Christ Jesus, and that is a promise and a future that cannot be broken.  I’ll think of you often, and when I do, it will be with thanks.  God’s peace and blessing to you.  May the love of God hold you in the grace of Christ, to whom be all glory, this day and forever.

Note: This is the final series of "Pastor Dave's Devotions." Pastor Lyle has accepted a call to South Carolina, where he will continue his ministry.

ARCHIVED DEVOTIONS

JUNE
Week of June 29 can be viewed here.
Week of June 22 can be viewed here.
Week of June 15 can be viewed here.
Week of June 8 can be viewed here.
Week of June 1 can be viewed here.