Lenten Season

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” – Revelations 3:20

The church I attended as a child had a large stained glass window depicting a young, bearded Jesus in a long red robe knocking at a thick wooden door without a doorknob or latch on the outside. His head was slightly turned so that he appeared to be listening for footsteps and the click of a latch turning. Jesus, our teacher, told us, he cannot open the door; the door can only be opened from the inside.

Scripture: Matthew 18:1-14
“So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”–RSV

How often have you found yourself in a conversation with someone who believes, with great conviction, that God has chosen some to be saved and others to be lost?

“I always thank God for you.” – 1 Corinthians 1:4

Thanksgiving is the usual theme for November, but gratitude is appropriate for any season. Today, I’m thankful for a group of women who were precursors to the United Methodist Women – the foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. As the society discussed missionary plans for Japan and China, an elderly woman told them to not overlook the little kingdom nestled between the two Asian giants on the Korean peninsula. Three years later, a missionary by the name of Mary Scranton opened the doors of Korea’s first school for women in
a house located in Seoul.

Beautiful Feet

Scripture: Romans 10: 9-13

Romans 10:15 reads, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” I want beautiful feet, but in the past, I have struggled to share the good news of Jesus with others. Growing up, I kept my religion private. Sure I went to Sunday school and church camp and engaged in conversations about faith there, but that’s pretty much where it ended.

I didn’t feel comfortable talking about it with my friends and neighbors, let alone a stranger.