But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbour?" ~ Luke 10:29 Communities as well as individuals suffer. All over the world there are large groups of people who are persecuted, mistreated, abused, and made victims of horrendous crimes. There are suffering families, suffering circles of friends, suffering religious communities, suffering ethnic groups, and suffering nations. In these suffering bodies of people we must be able to recognise the suffering Christ. They too are chosen, blessed, broken and given to the world. As we call one another to respond to the cries of these people and work together for justice and peace, we are caring for Christ, who suffered and died for the salvation of our world. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, help us when we suffer as a community. Amen.
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"He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him." ~ Luke 10: 34 Jesus reminds us to love our neighbors as ourselves. One thing that we need to realize is that just living next door doesn't mean that we are neighbors. The idea of being neighbors means that we must be neighborly! It requires us to be willing to cross the street for one another. Today there seems to be so many things causing separation and segregation: between gay and straight people, between black and white people, between healthy and sick people, between young people and old people, between prisoners and free people, between Jews and Gentiles, Muslims and Christians, Protestants and Catholics, those who have and those who have not. There is a lot of road crossing to do. We are all very busy in our own circles. We have our own people to go to and our own affairs to take care of. But if we could cross the street once in a while and pay attention to what is happening on the other side, we might become neighbors. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, help me to see the street before me as the road to meet my neighbor. Amen. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even those who do not believe love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even those who do not believe do that. ~ Luke 6: 32, 33 The headlines recently have gotten my attention, especially when there is talk of war, disputes and just general disagreements. When we think about the life that Christ lived, we quickly realize that Jesus' whole life was about being a witness to God's love. Jesus then calls others to carry on that witness in Jesus' name. We are the living embodiment of Christ, are sent into the world to be the bearers, or the signs, of that unconditional love. Something that can be difficult, especially when the world is so full of turmoil. Additionally, we can be, and often are, judged by what we way, but also by what we live. When people are given the opportunity to see us living out our faith, they are actually catching a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God looks like. It gives them insight to what loving one another looks like, and how it being given life, helps the lives of those around each of us. In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams In Your mercy Lord, hear our prayers for peace and unconditional love. Amen. Thank you to the over 15,000 people who are now reading my blog each day. I hope that my sharing continues to encourage each of you in some way.
If you are going to be in the Galveston, Texas area this Sunday or August 27, I will be preaching those Sundays at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 5127 Avenue U, Galveston, Texas 77551. Worship begins at 11 am with a coffee fellowship at 10:30 am. All are welcome! Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ~ Mark 10:21 It's really amazing how people respond to the words, "follow me" these days. When Jesus walked along the beach during his life he extended an invitation for people to simply "follow" him. Scripture even notes that some dropped everything they had to go and serve. One of my dearest friends, Suzanne Barrow, had served as a cook at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary for years. When talking about her calling she often shares, "For years I fed people. Then one day it occurred to me that I was really being called to feed others." We graduated from seminary together and she is now an Episcopal priest. Each day God calls. Sometimes we hear. Sometimes it gets lost in the many sounds we are bombarded by from many sources. Then, sometimes we ache because something isn't right in our life and we feel pulled to discover what it is that we are to do. Sometimes I think the only advice to give is this. Like two cornerstones of the Hebrew scriptures, Samuel and Eli, the only words we should say at the beginning of each day are these, "Speak Lord, for I am listening..." so that God might have a chance to be heard. Stay in God's grip, and listen! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, while there are so many sounds around each of us each day, may I hear the sound of Your voice and follow You! Amen. Sometimes When it Rains
Rev. G. Todd Williams (This is a poem I wrote while working with the homeless on the streets of Houston over a decade ago. Sometimes when it rains I find that I smile And think of boyhood days when I would sit and play. Sometimes when it rains I think of the time) When I would run into the rain and dance among the sycamores and proclaim "I'll grow up tomorrow." Sometimes when it rains I remember the time when I watched our calves chase each other in the spring grass, running so fast. Sometimes when it rain I think of the times that we would shed our shoes and walk barefoot as we crossed the creek after school. Sometimes when it rains I remember times when it would rain for hours and fill several buckets that would be used to bathe when summer's spell had dried up our well. Sometimes when it rains rains for hours without break I now think of people who have no where to go No home of their own No food to eat And only rain water to drink. Sometimes when it rains rains for days without break I think of parents who live under bridges In plastic-bag shelters Suffering at the mercy of angry winds. Sometimes when it rains Rains so hard that hail joins in I think of broken people In search of new beginnings and wonder if they still see God's promise in the rainbow when the rain ends. "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." ~ Galatians 5:25 Have you over noticed that when news that's shared without joy or peace is often considered bad news? Someone recently asked me if it was possible for someone to forgive others with a bitter heart? It made me stop a moment and think. I hate to admit it, but I have encountered more than one person who has done this. It's one thing to overlook a situation and to move forward. It's another to forgive someone, "tongue in cheek." Christ came into the world to save the world. In that saving comes an important lesson. The lesson of love comes within some of his final words, "Father forgive them..." That forgiveness came from the heart, even through his suffering. We are called to witness, always with our lives and sometimes with our words, to the great things God has done for us. But this witness must come from a heart that is willing to give without getting anything in return. The more we trust in God's unconditional love for us, the more able we will be to proclaim the love of Jesus without any inner or outer conditions. Forgiveness must always be a "heart thing." If not, then we are not living truthfully to ourselves or others. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, when my heart has been wounded, help me to allow Your grace to heal me. Amen. So often we read the Psalms in the context of the time that they were written, while forgetting that God remains the same. This is my version of the 23rd Psalm for today.... The 23rd Psalm for Today..
Rev. G. Todd Williams The Lord is my Shepherd...I am a wanderer among those in the world. I need guidance to keep me from harm. I shall not want... because I receive exactly not what I want, but what I need. While providing green pastures... with blades of grass so soft, I find myself staring at clouds and feel the sun on my face as I lay on the hillside. And water that it still... that I can stare into its depths and see myself looking back. My soul is restored... I am reminded that You love me, and that You care for me completely. I am provided a pathway to walk, that is both safe and protected... when there are so many crossroads and turns I could take, I know with Your guidance, i can never be lost. And though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death... for there are those who would want to see me fail, finding my faith to falter, I am held within Your hands. I will fear no evil... because I know that even on the darkest of days, Your light cannot be diminished. The darkness will fail every time. For You are with me... Always! In every breath. In every beat of my heart. In every thought! Your rod and staff comfort me... I am protected by Your presence, and anyone or anything that might try to hurt me, You quickly stand between me and any harm. You anoint my head with oil... marking me so that others may know that I am Yours. My cup overflows... with so many blessings in my life that I cannot even begin to understand how amazing my life is! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me... and remain so close that I can sense their steps right with mine, and often overtake me. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever... wherever I may be, wherever I may go, I am never homeless. Your Kingdom is here, and I am one of its citizens! Thanks be to God forever! For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. ~ Acts 4:20 Years ago one of the members of a church I was serving was life-flighted to the hospital with a serious infection. His family called and asked me to meet the helicopter at the hospital as it would be a few hours before they could arrive. I made it to the hospital just as the helicopter was landing, and I walked with the staff as they brought him up several floors. Once they got him set up in a room, IV's going and pain managed, I went in and sat next to him. The room was quiet, except for the occasional beep, and a few people passing by the door. I offered prayer for him, and I began to hum a hymn. Amazing Grace. In the stillness of the room, he began to hum along with me. While he was asleep, he was listening, and his spirit was giving thanks. So often our spirits are aware of things that we are not. While Jesus suffered it is said that his "spirit groaned." It is one thing to tell of the wondrous things that God has done, it is another to recognize with our spirits what God is doing. We are the witness for others of who Christ is, and how Christ's presence in us serves as an open door for others to know who God is. It is a true cause for gratitude and celebration, even when we find in our sleeping we sing God's praises, of what God is doing in each of us. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, may the thankfulness of our spirit be a witness for others of what You are doing in our life each day. Amen. For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken. ~ Psalm 62:1 - 2 For years I struggled with making peace with myself. Someone once told me that I "should on myself" way too much. We all do it. "I should have done this," or "I should have done that." There is a real peace about life when you simply realize that what has happened in the past cannot be changed. The results are steps taken, either out of or to a new and better life. Reconciliation can only truly come out of a place of peace. The message of love for one another comes first with loving one's self. This can only happen if you focus on that primary love... you. The next time you find yourself "shoulding" the day away, allow yourself some grace, and forgiveness for yourself, and acceptance, while seeking peace. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, while I know that there will be times when I struggle to forgive others, help me to forgive myself. Amen. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever. ~ Psalm 145:13 - 21 "The important thing in life is not to conquer, but to fight well." These are words my grandmother had penned within the opening pages of her Bible while battling cancer. They have often served as a mantra for situations in my life, and often will serve as a reminder at the end of the day. There is a sense of resolve among the words. There are many things in life that we must face. The mysteries of God can sometimes leave us asking, "Why?" In the work that I do, I see this come to life so often. A man dies of cancer, and I recognize that he fought well. A person tries one more advanced treatment and dies from complications. There are so many battlefields I witness. The pendulum perpetually sways, and the line between life and death leaves one battle fatigued. The image that God gives to us each day is this, "Take my yoke upon you and I shall give you rest." And goes on to say, "The battle is mine." Each day we live with the certainty that there is One who is always with us. That our battles are not necessarily ours. We can be instruments of healing, of encouragement and of peace, but our reliance on God while attempting to surrender so many things, while helping one another, offers us little at times, but should leave us knowing our battles have already been won. "Peace I give to you. My peace I leave with you." Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, help me to live in the peace that You have given me. Amen. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me. ~ Psalm 66:20 Some days are just like today. I have managed to squeeze every bit of the day into a full schedule. While today was filled with many opportunities, there is still comfort in knowing at the end of the day, I can say "Amen." Our daily lives are lived out as a witness to what it is that God is doing in the world. If we are to be the living Christ, then we are by that presence, living unto God that which is our heart, mind and soul. Today I gathered with several friends that represent the board at United Campus Ministries of Greater Houston. As we talked about ways in which we can engage young people in ministry, one of the members shared that there seems to be a new "enlightenment" among young people. They are seeking something that is much different, but yet, still very meaningful. I don't think I have considered what is happening in many churches, watching them struggle to make bills, and creating new programs in hopes to attract new members, as "enlightenment." I think something "clicked" within. My dad used to call those moments, "Ah - ha" moments. When you suddenly understand why something is the way that it is. While I'm probably like most mainline Christians today, I do sometimes wonder what the church will look like for my grandchildren and great grandchildren. I wonder if their relationship with Christ will provide the same strength and comfort that I find? While I don't know what that may look like, I do know this, God will still be faithful to us. Today I am grateful that I was able to share in communion with this group. It has been a while since I have been able to lead in the sharing of the cup and the bread. Our ability to reflect at the end of the day, and recognize the moments that God has filled our lives, leaves only one response. "Thank you, God. Amen." Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Lord, while the full moon begins to ascend in the evening sky, let me take a moment to say "Thank You," for another day. May I find myself surrounded in peace as I close my eyes and seek rest. Amen. "Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me." ~ Revelation 3: 20 Today the whole idea of gathering to eat has changed. With the convenience of the fast food drive thru, application ordering from the phone, and already prepared meals, the intimacy of family recipes and cooking from scratch are "old fashioned." I loved walking into my great grandmother DeAtley's kitchen, especially when one of her warm chocolate pies, with the tallest, lightly browned, and firm meringue had just exited the oven. Many of life's problems just disappeared, and any bad day simply succumbed to a piece of her simple, but wonderfully crafted, sweet offering. Even now as I remember her smile, especially when she would watch, as any person who tried one of her pies seem to fall under her magical spell (Note, no witchcraft was used, only unconditional love and the knowledge that everything she did, she did with a prayer as well). Jesus, who not only has every kind of blessing just waiting for us, actually is just waiting on us to open the doors of our lives to his presence. We don't even have to do anything. Just answer the door! It's like having a visit from my great grandmother with her bringing everything! Well, perhaps that image is a bit stretching it, but we ALL have images in our minds that are reflective of love, unconditional presence, and peace. All are things that we need. Have you answered the door lately? Heard a knock or two? Open the door! You are loved! Knock, knock... guess who is there! Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, thank You for reminding me just how much You love me each day! Amen! Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob. Raise a song, sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our festal day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. He made it a decree in Joseph, when he went out over the land of Egypt. ~ Psalm 81:1 -5 Sometimes we forget that there are many joyful moments in scripture. It seems that so often we get "stuck" in Biblical proportions when it comes to the Bible (no pun intended!) that we miss these joyful moments. But we do! When Matthew shares the commandment from Jesus, reminding us to "Love the Lord thy God with all our heart and soul," I sometimes throw in these words, "and there will be times of joy!" Of course it doesn't say that, but I think all of us know what it means to be in love with someone with our heart and soul. We simply can't wait to spend time with that person, and just seeing that person makes our heart seem to skip a beat and we can't help but feel great. It's that kind of relationship that Jesus is trying to share with us to have with God. LOVE God with your HEART and your SOUL! I can remember my first girlfriend. Well, I was in first grade, but I could not wait to spend time with her. Diana Knaur was a neighbor and she and I used to play for hours together. When we moved away during my second grade year I was crushed to realize that I probably would never see her again. But then, nearly five decades later, we reconnected, and remembered that friendship, still fondly. Now we find joy in watching each other's families and times through social media and staying in contact that way. God wants us to have that type of relationship. There are times when I think, I can't wait to talk to God about the day that I was laying on the hill next to our pond Indiana, looking at the sky, and I just really thought how wonderful God was. And then, how joyful my heart was the day that my children were born, and how much more my joy was multiplied when my grandchildren were born. So many times that God shared with me. God was a great part of every one of those moments. Even on difficult days. I remember sitting at my great-grandfather's funeral, sitting next to my grandmother, his only child, and she was crying. I didn't really know what to say as a six year old, but remember her saying that she knew that her daddy was with God and that he was now happy again. She was sharing that he was now sharing in the joy of what it meant to love God with your whole heart and soul. When we speak of loving God with our heart and soul, it is about those times that we will celebrate throughout eternity with our best friend. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear Lord, I'm so grateful that You are my friend and that one day when I see Your face, I will recognize You as my best friend. Thank You for being that friend, Amen. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. ~ Psalm 63: 1 Someone asked me recently if I ever experience "writers block?" In my case, since I tend to concentrate on my faith when I write, I guess the question should be, "Do you ever feel like my spirit is dry?" I tried to come up with what that might mean. Humans are quite good at making even the "exciting" become mundane. Why do you think that programs we love, suddenly become last season's hit, replaced by another program months later? We sometimes let things become "stale." It just seems to happen. When it comes to God and our spiritual walk, just try to begin to realize just how each day God tries to get our attention. In the movie the "Color Purple," one of the characters remarks that it makes God mad when we walk by a field of purple and don't take notice of what God is doing. Back to the question of writers block. Sometimes I do struggle. It's important for us to seek God out every day. God must just absolutely go crazy some times trying to get our attention. Sunrises, sunsets, miracles, tall clouds, amazing mountains, rolling waves, and on and on and on. I try to avoid times of writer's block by reminding myself that the Spirit of God and God's presence lives beyond our feelings and thoughts. It is great grace to experience God's presence in our feelings and thought, but when we find it difficult because perhaps we are experiencing a sense of "writers block," or times of "spiritual dryness," it means that God is calling us to a greater relationship through faith. It is precisely in times like these that we seek better ways to be in relationship with God. Our need for intimacy with God can grow, even when we are having difficulty. These moments remind us to be faithful. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 Dear God, when I find that my relationship may feel as if it is becoming stale or dry, help me to find ways to be more faithful. Help me to remember that each day You seek ways to be in relationship with me. Amen. |
AuthorRev. G. Todd Williams is the author of the book, "Remember Me When..." and is a former hospice chaplain and pastor. Archives
February 2024
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