SUMC Daily Devotion (6-30-2020)
“I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.” -Psalm 3:6 French philosopher Sartre said, “Hell is other people.” We are afraid of people who are mean and angry to us. We fear people who judge, criticize, and bully us. But a Hebrew poet wrote, “I will not be afraid of ten thousand people who have set themselves against me.” Where did he find his inner strength? He found his inner strength in God who lived within his heart. With God in our heart, who can be against us? Kneel before God and stand up to any man! Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, we regret that we ignored God and bowed down to people. Help us to please God, not people with power and money. Give us freedom and self-confidence by relying on you, not on people. Amen. 1. Don’t waste time responding to your critics. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr. 2. Not everyone is going to like me – or you. – Norman Vincent Peale 3. If the sun isn’t shining, then flowers need rain. If your car breaks down, a good walk will do you good. If you finish last, at least you finished. ![]() SUMC Daily Devotion (6-29-2020) “Practice hospitality.” - Romans 12:13 I learned that there is a term “Southern Hospitality.” Southerners are proud of their tradition of being hospitable to guests. But their hospitality did not extend to black slaves and their descendants. True hospitality is being hospitable to the poor and the powerless as well as to the rich and the powerful. True hospitality is working for a just and compassionate society where everyone is treated with respect and equality. True hospitality is to be kind to all living creatures. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, the world is often inhospitable to the poor and the powerless. Help us to practice random acts of kindness and hospitality to all. Amen. 1. The truth of religious practice is inseparable from the seemingly insignificant actions of our daily life. – Dogen 2. Be kind. Remember everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. 3. Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can read. - Mark Twain Jerry Cho: 920-373-3081 Dear SUMC members and friends,
You might have heard a saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” When we feel that we are in control of our lives, life has a way of surprising us. Virtually no one of us knew that the year 2020 would be dramatically disturbed by the coronavirus. But that’s what is happening. No matter what happens, we are to face it with resiliency, creativity, and courage. I like an American saying, “Roll with the punches.” When life hits us hard on the chin, we can roll with the punches and get back up again, figuratively speaking. That’s the American spirit I like. Our church is challenged to adapt to this new reality and figure out how to be a church in a new environment. Let us be flexible and creative as well as faithful to be a new church in a new given situation. As we carefully consider easing back into having in-person worship services and gatherings, we will take baby steps to make sure that the safety of our congregation comes before anything else because the church is for people, not the other way around. Our church leaders and I are working, along with the directives from our Bishop and the governor, to figure out what format of worship would be the safest and the most effective way of providing our congregation with the best worship experiences possible under the circumstances. We will incorporate your wishes and suggestions into our decision-making. G. K. Chesterton said, “An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.” Let us make this inconvenient situation an interesting, exciting, and exhilarating adventure. Grace and peace to you all! Your servant in Christ, Pastor Jerry Cho ![]() SUMC Daily Devotion (6-19-2020) by Pastor Jerry "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine." – John 8:31 Words have power. If I ask Cindy, “Can I have a bowl of ice cream?”, she brings me the ice cream. If Jesus commands us, “Help the poor, work for justice, treat others nicely, welcome strangers, be peace-makers,” then we need to listen to him and obey him. His words will make a difference in our lives and in the lives of people we touch. Let us be transformed by the words of Jesus so that we may transform the world. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, we pray that the words of Jesus may transform our lives. Help us to live our lives by the wise teachings of Jesus. Amen. 1. Religion is the substance of culture and culture is the expression of religion. -Paul Tillich 2. The way to show that your religion is true is not to yell and scream about it. The way to show that your religion is true is to live it. 3. Christ is Lord, not because of what he teaches but because of what he does. ![]() SUMC Daily Devotion (6-17-2020) by Pastor Jerry “Have faith in God.” - Mark 11:22 When the night is the darkest, the stars shine the brightest. When we are at the worst time, it’s the best time for us to meet God. God is the closest when we are at our wit’s end. Without faith in God, we are lost. But with God, we have hope for a better future. St. Paul said, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” With God’s help, we can overcome life’s darkest times. When friends are nowhere to be found, remember that God is near you as your best favorite friend. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, when we have lost everything dear to us, help us to remember that you are still with us. Remind us that with God’s help, we can weather the storms of life and come out stronger and wiser. Amen. 1. We are accepted by God – this is Christianity’s message. 2. Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not. – St. Augustine 3. Of course, the sovereign cure for worry is religious faith. – William James ![]() SUMC Daily Devotion (6-16-2020) by Pastor Jerry “Let it be done to you as you have believed.” -Mathew 8:13 A tiny, microscopic virus has turned the whole world upside down. Now let’s remind ourselves of Jesus’s teaching, “If you have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, you can move a mountain.” Vision, faith, and persistence can move mountain- sized problems. If you believe you can, you can. Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, we are going through a time of uncertainty, fear, and division. Give us a dream of unity, harmony, justice, and peace. Help us to set goals so that we may make our dreams come true. One step at a time. Amen. 1. Religion is caught, not taught. – Dean Inge 2. Faith is like a radar that sees through the fog- the reality of things at a distance that the human eyes cannot see. – Corrie Ten Boom 3. Without faith, nothing is possible. With it nothing is impossible. - Mary Mcleod Bethune Jerry Cho: 920-373-3081 |
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