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Ready, Set, Pray!

While the incense was being burned, a great crowd stood outside praying. Luke 1:10.

So the scene is set. Zechariah is in the sanctuary burning incense and there are people outside praying together. At this point I can imagine God breathing in the smell of incense, and hearing the prayers of His people. Did they all start praying together….Maybe not the same prayer, but with the same spirit?

Not with homogeny, but humility

Prayers that don’t necessarily agree with each other, but do agree with God. I wonder if that’s what prayer is really for? It’s the opportunity not to get our requests granted, but for God to teach us to align our prayers with His will. And when we bring another person, or people into that dynamic, we give God the opportunity to align an entire community to His will. I am sure there were prayers going on at the temple most days, but I always pay attention when details are in a story. Details are important or they would be left out. So what does this detail tell me?

Prayer is important…. Essential even for the work of God to flourish. There is a humility in prayer, when we “make our requests known to God.” We ask for what we may need or desire, and then we are told to let go and let God handle it. Not an easy thing to do, especially when we are told to have joy when we do it!

I like to think of that day and the prayers that were being said. Not perfect prayers, but the humble requests of every day people. People just like you and me. And I pray the hope that is revealed in the angels words to Zechariah, “God has heard your prayer,” would give us the encouragement needed to keep praying and let God do his miraculous work!

December 16, 2024 0

Are You Ready for Christmas?

I am ready for Christmas! The tree is up, decorations fill the house and jazz Christmas music is playing on my Spotify. All the elements are in place for a blissful holiday season. Or are they? While the house is ready on the inside, I am not so sure about the outside. The weather outside may not be frightful yet, but it is certainly cold. 26 degrees that feels like 11 is not my typical cup of tea, so I am really trying to figure out this whole “dressing warmly” thing.

While it’s pretty cold, it’s not really the weather that has me wondering if I am ready for the season, it’s my own head and heart that are my concern.

Am I truly ready for Christmas?

What does that look like and what does that mean for me?

For some reason those are the questions I am asking myself this morning, because I do want to be ready for Christmas! So here we go!

The story of Jesus birth is found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. The two authors split up the narrative, so you end up putting it together like puzzle pieces. I was reading in Luke, and struck by the priest Zechariah. We know a good amount about him, priestly lineage, married, old, obedient and not only he, but his wife was righteous in God’s eyes. We also know that they had no children. So while there was much good in both of their lives, there was also pain and disappointment. In this part of the story, I also found a clue to being ready for Christmas.

Here was this man who was a priest, taught about God from his youth, so he would be ready for the job he would one day fulfill. He is serving God in the temple, and then is chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord. There he burned incense with just a curtain separating him from the dwelling place of God on earth. It was then that all heaven breaks loose! (Well I couldn’t say it the other way!). He is met by an angel, but it’s not just any angel, but Gabriel himself. After Gabriel relays the news of the impending pregnancy of his wife and the role that child would play, Zechariah questions, “How can I be sure this will happen? I am an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” This is when I imagine that Gabriel stands to his full height and in his indignation states, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God.” Luke 1:19. Like dude, who do you think I am? While I may leave you awestruck, I am just a messenger for the God of the universe. You are in the place where God dwells with man and you are questioning if what I say is true? What kind of falsehood could even be spoken in this most holy place? I imagine that thoughts like those may have rushed through Gabriels mind before he spoke.

It seems to me that Zecharaiah was positioned to hear from God. He was spiritually right and even physically in the Lord’s house. The man was chosen by lot, or God Himself, to enter the dwelling place of God on earth. There is no better position to be in than close to the Lord, set up to hear the whisper of His voice. So…. How do I position myself to hear from God?

Seeking to be righteous. This is nothing holier than thou…..none of us are perfect and never will be. Being righteous is about being right with God. That is the work that Jesus did on the cross giving us that pathway to righteousness. I seek to be righteous by reflection, confession and repentance.

To not fear. Did you know there are 366 verses in the Bible where people are told not to fear? As I read through the story of Jesus birth, this story is filled with the reminder “do not fear.” I was watching Grantchester last night, and one of the characters said, “Fear makes you feel that there is no way out.” That trapped feeling can disrupt how I respond to God and others. Fear brings distortion, but clarity comes with the absence of fear.

To be humble. The humility of those who trusted God to work out their lives abounds in this story. For me this year, most noticeably is Elizabeth. She is in the lineage of Aaron, the priestly line of Israel, married to Zechariah who is also a descendant of Aaron. Here is a woman who should be looked up to and admired, but there is a problem. We read by her own words, that she is disgraced. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children” Luke 1:25b. Yet, she was “Righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.” Luke 1:6. That takes humility! Up to this time in her life she has lived with a cloud over her head. You know how people talk, and I can just imagine what was said behind her back. And I am sure she would’ve imagined too. Yet she did as she was called to do, live blamelessly before her God.

I will admit, it’s been a couple of days writing down my thoughts, and I’ve already had a run in with one of my points. And I lost. That was one day though, and I thank God for new mornings that come with the opportunity to start all over again. To position myself in a way so that I will be ready for Christmas!

December 6, 2024 0

Just do it….

I noticed her again at church. Sitting alone and with a blank expression. It could have meant anything, but I guess from her body language, I assumed she was alone. There was no one sitting with her, and expression seemed sad. I missed her one Sunday, as I wanted to shake her hand after service, but she was gone before I could speak with her. This Sunday was different. It was time to greet people, and I had again forgotten about that haunted look. Greeting time was almost over when I remembered, or was reminded as I like to think. I moved from my spot and walked over and shook her hand and introduced myself. Her face lit up and I was gifted by a very lovely smile. It was just a moment and then it was gone. I saw her later and she was speaking with a gentleman after the service. Maybe she wasn’t as alone as I thought?

It was then I wondered if the moment wasn’t really for her at all, maybe it had been just for me? An exercise in wholeness, where a still small voice prompted me from hearing to doing.

November 25, 2024 1

Happy (?) Moveaversary!

So I am a little late with this post, but I guess I really wasn’t feeling it till now. So October 15th was our sixth month “moveaversary”. Sixth months of new weather, people, church, town and really just about everything. It is a blessing though that our jobs are the same, and those connections have done a lot to keep me sane.

Why did I wait so long to make this post? Well, to be honest, I was having a hard time dealing with it. We are physically settled, but we are still working on developing our life here. And in many ways that sucks! Not the being here, but that unbalanced feeling of still working out what life is going to look like.

I remember going into Starbucks before we left home, and being greeted by the son of one of my friends. The easy familiarity of his greeting made me both happy and sad. Happy in that way you feel when you are known, but sad because I knew it would be a long time before someone would greet me like that again. When I went over to our new Starbucks for my free birthday drink, there was no loud greeting or wave. There was just a very nice woman doing her job, but none of the special joy of seeing someone with whom you have a shared history.

Well, as with most funk’s, I am happy to say that I’ve passed through it, or at least most of it for now. It always helps to have some perspective, and it only took a walk and some geese to help me gain it.

You see, I was taking my normal walk down a trail that runs through the neighborhood. There is a museum, some old buildings, a wooded area and a small windmill along my route. Our weather was going to turn a bit rough in the afternoon, so while I was out for my walk I kept my eye out for opportunities to take some pictures. I loved the clouds that were filling the sky, but as I walked, I was really thinking about how I would love to get some geese in a picture. A few days before, some had flown by where I was walking and it was just lovely. I purposely didn’t take a picture and just enjoyed their flight across the sky. Today though, I was on a mission to snap a picture if the opportunity presented itself. I will admit, I shot up a quick prayer asking for the geese. God in His wisdom gave me something I wanted, but for His own good purposes. When I got to the windmill, I lined up my shot and took the picture. It was exactly what I wanted, but then I heard the geese. As I went back to line up for the same shot, I couldn’t see the geese on my screen. I started moving the phone, trying to find the geese in the sky, and I took a number of pictures trying to get both the geese and the windmill all in one. The problem was when I finally looked at the pictures, I had a couple with the geese flying though the clouds, and the one shot that was perfectly set up with the windmill. None of the pictures had it all.

When I thought about it later, I realized that when I heard the geese I took my eyes off the big picture. That was the composition of the windmill that I liked so much. Instead of keeping steady and my focus on what I already had, I started searching for what I didn’t. Instead of waiting patiently for the geese to come into my shot, I tried to make it happen on my own. And when I did that, it didn’t work out so well.

It reminded me of life right now. I took my eyes off the big picture of my life, and focused on a detail. And that detail took on a greater importance than it should have. I took my eyes from the blessings God has given me and how He has brought me this far. My focus zeroed in on my desire to have my life all settled in my new surroundings, instead of on the One who will guide me there. That loss of focus brought me sadness and stress, but I am grateful to have some of that focus back.

So when I forget again, because we all do, I will have two pictures to remind me where my focus belongs. And I will dream of the day when memories and shared experiences are as much a part of my life with my new community as it was with my old.

November 2, 2024 2

So what are you trying to say?

I heard something the other day and I thought, “so what are you trying to say?”

It’s happened a couple of times during a preach, just a quick comment about a character or story in the bible. It may go something like, “you’ve probably never heard of this,” and they name an obscure character or bible story. When I hear a comment like that, it just strikes me funny, and not in the “ha ha” way. Maybe they say it that way because what they really want to say, “you would know it if you read your bible,” might not be received so well.

Now don’t get me wrong, because for longer than I care to admit, I would probably be like, “yep never heard of that guy.” That definitely changed when I picked up my bible and just started reading through it. I wasn’t doing anything special like following a study, reading the bible in a year, or doing it with a group of people. I was just reading and underlining things that jumped out at me. In turn, I found that I liked it! Reading the bible is like having a conversation with God. It’s a long, and slightly confusing conversation at times, but a conversation where I slowly know Him better. Most of the time, it’s also helped me know me better too.

After pondering it, I wondered if the answer to my question really mattered? Why? Well, whatever the reason the comment was made, it seemed like a missed opportunity. A teachable moment if you will. I know, those are what we think belong to children, but we adults have them too.

So I wondered, what if instead of tossing off a comment that may or may not be useful, why not see this as a teachable moment? Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to encourage your listeners to read for themselves what God has placed in His book? Instead of just assuming they’ve never heard of the character or story, ask IF it’s new to them? If it is, that is the perfect time to invite them to go home and read through the passage themselves. To take some time and ponder what the words say and the context of when they were written. To make space for the Holy Spirit to take the words on the page, and the message from the pulpit to speak into our every day lives.

So if you hear a comment like that in a preach, sermon, teaching (whatever you happen to call it) just remember the opportunity you have before you. If the story or character IS new to you, check it out more! Read the passage in different translations, check out a commentary and talk about it with a friend. The stories are old, but we are told that “there is nothing new under the sun.” So in these stories and the people who lived them out, we have the opportunity to see a reflection of our own lives.

October 5, 2024 0

Faith: Strap in!

The last time I visited Disneyland, I had a moment of panic on the Tower of Terror ride. I had the seatbelt on, and had pulled the yellow rope, but I still didn’t feel secure. Unlike other rides, I had nothing to brace myself against if the seatbelt failed. So before we started, I lifted my whole body, putting as much of my full weight as I could against the belt to confirm it would hold. Which is pretty silly since the force I could exert just sitting there was only a fraction of what would happen when the ride was actually operating! It did help me feel a bit better, but not much. It wasn’t until that first drop, when the belt was tested to it’s max and held, did I finally relax and enjoy the ride.

Today, when I was reading about faith, that’s what God brought to mind. You can trust in God, but until it’s tested, you can’t call it faith. I pray that God would remind you of the journey you have already walked with Him, and that remembrance would strengthen your own faith as you continue on that journey.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

September 6, 2024 0

Gettin’ back to workin’ it out!

I am feeling a sense of renewal today. I feel like I’ve just finished a good rest. Maybe I needed time to rest, be quiet and listen? Time to hear that still small voice and work to align my heart with what I’ve heard.

Or maybe I was sleep walking? Going through the motions, getting things done, and wrestling with God. Trying to shut out that still small voice, and trying to get Him to align with my plan.

….“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14

I love this verse because it always reminds me of the movie “Shawn of the Dead.” I know, not high art, but It was through this movie that God gave me a perspective of a life I could easily fall into.

We humans are all at risk of sleep walking. It’s hard to sleep though a whole life, but maybe there are periods of time that just seem to slip through our fingers. Periods of time we waste just going through the motions. I believe my time has been a bit of both. Time to seek and see what is next on the horizon, while wrestling against what I already know. Time to get back to the writing that helps me “work out” my salvation, and hopefully encourages others along the way.

August 4, 2024 1

Prepared to do good…..

There is an annual event in the valley called Kids Day. It is an fundraiser for Valley Children’s hospital. We are blessed in the central valley to have an exceptional children’s hospital, that gives amazing care. So every year on Kid’s Day, the Fresno Bee sells a special edition newspaper, and hundreds of people stand at intersections selling them for a a couple bucks. It is such a well received fundraiser, that many people give more than the asking price. As I was getting ready for work, they mentioned it on the news, so I checked my purse to make sure I had a few dollars ready for my paper. I left the house this morning, prepared to do good. As I got into the car, I put the money on the seat beside me so I would be ready.

While driving I decided to try out my new earpiece that my husband purchased for me, I put it on and was talking to him in an instant. I drove and shared a running commentary of the detour that had been set up the day before and the utility problem they had been working on. By the time I had hung up with him only a few minutes had passed, and I was approaching the high school where I would turn right, to get to the freeway. It was then I was somewhat surprised by the person standing on the corner? I realized that there was a woman selling a Kid’s Day paper. As soon as I saw her I knew what she was doing, but in the few short minutes that it took to get from my house to the high school, I realized that my mind had been distracted from Kid’s Day back to normal life. What had been at the top of my mind when I left home had been displaced in a few short minutes.

As I slowed to make the turn, I rolled down the window and handed her the money I had on the seat next to me. As I continued driving, I thought about how easy it was for me to forget about “doing good”. It made me think, what if I hadn’t checked to make sure I had a couple of dollars before leaving home would I have gotten a paper? If I hadn’t had the money out on my seat, would I have had time to dig in my purse, possibly holding up traffic,to get my paper? I am not sure. They only sell it on the street in the morning. If I had waited until lunchtime, I would have been out of luck.

How many of us find ourselves in the same position? We want to do good, but when the opportunity presents itself, we aren’t prepared to respond. Along the way, we’ve become distracted by other things. I thought back in my own life, on the many times I wasn’t able to respond to a need because I wasn’t prepared. The checkbook wasn’t balanced, bills were due or I had spent too much on other things. I get distracted along the way, and take my eyes off of being a good steward with God’s money. I know He owns it all, but in all honesty, most of the time I act like it’s all mine!

It has been a prayer of mine for a while now, that I become better with God’s money. Sometimes I am on track, but most of the time I am just trying to get back to where I should be. Today was a good day though, not only because of the newspaper. I was made aware of a need, and I was able to help. It felt good, but even more than that, it dawned on me that it was an answer to prayer. You see, this weekend I’d bit the bullet and worked on bills. What needed to be paid then, what could wait for the next paycheck, the whole rotten business. It felt good to get it done, but the unexpected benefit was that when the need arose, I knew that I could help in a small way.

Near the end of the work day I heard a verse: James 3:13, “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.” I thought the verse spoke to what happened during the day, it makes me want to seek “wisdom from above” and understanding I believe only God can give. I am thankful for the lessons of today, and thankful for the opportunity that came with it. It gives me hope that I am starting to understand a little, and that each day I can be prepared to do good!

March 15, 2024 0

Just a simple question….

I love Three Kings Day! While I have a list full of tasks I need to get done, I couldn’t end this day without a post about the Wise Men. I’ve been thinking about those guys for years! It’s become one of my favorite parts of the Bible, the retelling of the wise men’s visit to the baby Jesus.

This post though, began with a conversation with some ladies about our church. We were talking about what we could do to better serve God, the women of our church and the community. As we talked I was excited about the possibilities! It wasn’t because of what our little group could do, but because of the wise men. You see, I always think about the gifts that God gives to the church when I think about the wise men.

Who were these men? They have been called kings, wise men or magi, and how you refer to them may depend on your own cultural background. What I do know is that they were blessed with wealth and knowledge, and they used them both. They knew the prophecy and when they saw the star, they traveled with gifts to honor a king. Whether they realized it or not, God used these men as a conduit to care for the needs of Jesus and his earthly family. Who knew that some gold would come in handy when you’re fleeing in the opposite direction of your home to a foreign country? Well God did!

What does the new year hold for our church and community? While we don’t know, we can be confident that God does! I believe that just like He provided for Joseph, Mary and Jesus, He’s provided for the work He’s already planned.

As I was thinking about the wise men, I was also reminded of a man named Bezalel. So when God wanted to have a place to be in the midst of His people, He told Moses to make a tabernacle. This wasn’t just any old tent though, the specifications were precise and everything about it was spelled out to Moses by God.

“You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you.” Exodus 30:1-6

This was just for an altar! God specified the way to build each aspect of the tabernacle, all the way down to the priests undergarments! What makes us think that His plans for our new year are any different? I wonder if Moses started freaking out a little when he realized all the work, craftsmanship and skill that would go into this space? This is where God reassures Moses that he’s already taken care of that.

The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furnishings of the tent, the table and its utensils, and the pure lampstand with all its utensils, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, and the finely worked garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, for their service as priests, and the anointing oil and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. According to all that I have commanded you, they shall do.” Exodus 31:1-11

God had gifted this man to lead, and others to do the work He’d already planned. We’re each given gifts, blessings or abilities that when used, we bring glory to God in the congregation and the community.

“Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

I think of the gifts He has given me, and how I am using them. Or at times, not using them. I also think of the church and how the gifts people have been given show up every day on campus and in the community. I always wonder though, what gifts are still there yet unused? How do we ignite the church and empower each of us to use all the gifts God has provided?

My prayer is that we would all ask the ourselves a simple question. What experiences, abilities, blessings has God given me that combined with the Holy Spirit will equal the good deeds God’s already planned for His glory? By God’s grace may we all find our answer.

January 6, 2024 0

Cheryl Mendoza

How He speaks to me…..Or… can't He just call my cell when He wants to talk?

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