An Elder Pilgrim's Reflections

Surely his salvation is at hand  for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you? Psalm 85:9 God, can we have civil conversation in our land again? Can you revive us to a state of dignity? This story gives me hope that God is at work reviving God’s people.   In 1856 at the age of seventeen, William MacKay left his Scottish home to attend college. His mother gave him a Bible on which she wrote his name and Scripture verses. At college he began well. But eventually he drifted far from the way he had been raised. He began drinking heavily. At a low point, he carelessly pawned the Bible using the money to buy whiskey Years later, MacKay completed medical training and worked in a city hospital where he had a dying man as a patient. The patient knew he would soon die and began to urgently request that the hospital staff get a book in his apartment. He needed that book brought to him. “I need my book, ...

  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves,  it is the gift of God Ephesians 2:8 Brayden Harrington may not be a name you remember, but he shared a moment of grace. Brayden has a serious stutter issue. Children with that issue are often the subject of teasing by others which may leave them feeling isolated and alone. They may choose to be alone to avoid humiliation. They may not offer an answer to a question by the teacher even they know the answer. Often added to that is the embarrassment of being removed from the classroom for speech therapy.  Brayden, however  had a moment of grace. When Joe Biden was in New Hampshire he met Brayden and they spent time together. Brayden was shown how to mark a paper so that when he had to read aloud it was easier. The moment of grace wasn't so much that he was shown something new or different. It was that someone with the same disability took time to share in their experiences. As Bide...

The Word is near to you on your lips and in your heart Romans 10:8 Communication is a major issue when driving a special needs school bus. Some children don't comprehend what you are saying while others can't clearly articulate what they are trying to say. Some understand what you are saying but have difficult behaviors they can't control. Some are living through or have had traumatic experiences and express their anger or pain in socially unacceptable ways.  Communication is a major issue with Paul. Paul expects that God’s Word actually gets inside of people. It is not just spoken, but is a power that changes hearts and lives. In Paul’s day the heart is where the physical, intellectual and spiritual life, including the will, emotions, and desires, while the mouth gives expression to what is in the heart. Thus, on your lips and in your heart. Words like believing and faith suggest agreeing to something -- whether or not that can be belief is demonstrated as true. Paul’s cla...

               By this time the boat, battered by the waves,  was far from the land, for the wind was against them. Matthew 14:24 One of my adventures was a 50 mile Boy Scout canoe trip on Chesuncook Lake, ME. The 16 year old scout in my canoe was  actually a paddle washer, meaning I worked and he merely dipped his paddle in the water. On our second day, a strong wind came up at our backs. The next day on our return trip, the wind was a strong headwind. I kept telling him to paddle harder or the wind would turn the canoe sideways and we might be swamped. Nothing changed, so I prayed, "Lord, motivate this scout". Unexpectedly a  strong gust turned  the canoe sideways, a wave broke over us, and the scout got soaked. Suddenly the Spirit moved within the scout who paddled as though his life depended on it for the rest of the day. It's been a busy day for Jesus. Jesus hears about John's death and tries ...

  "Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness," Romans 8:26. My morning worship includes a prayer time for people I know who are in need of healing, guidance, strength, and wisdom. I pray for the Red Sox, the Patriots, and the Celtics. I also include a prayer for our church that "God may restore her fortunes like the watercourses of the Negeb."  (Ps. 126:4). I pray these prayers in confidence that God hears them and the Spirit intercedes according to the will of God. My prayer form follows A.C.T.S. Adoration, Confession,Thanksgiving, and Supplication. Thus, when Paul says, "the Spirit helps us pray when we do not know what to pray," (Romans 8:26) , I don't know what I don't want.  James Dunn, a British New Testament scholar, says Paul's grammar in verse 26 defines the scripture differently than we usually think of it. He says it's not that we know what we need and merely lack the right words for asking it. As he says, we "do not kno...