Daily Messages Archives - Page 4 of 159

Sacrificial Giving

April 3, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

Many years ago now, my daughter Emily got into making small clay animals. They were really quite detailed, and she was able to sell them for a dollar a piece to friends, family, and neighbors. Over the course of about a year, she accumulated a hundred dollars – which of course is a lot of money for a nine-year-old!

At that time my sister was working in a shelter for women and children escaping abusive relationships. Emily got to thinking about the kids in this shelter who might be missing their toys clothes and homes. So she decided that she wanted to give some of her money to help. I’d been talking to her about tithing, giving away 10 percent of her money. But she hadn’t quite bought into that. In fact, in her mind, that wasn’t going to be enough. So, when she finally reached the $100 mark, she gave me the whole waded-up ball of money, mostly crumpled one-dollar bills,- and she said, “Here, Daddy. I want to give all of this to the Oasis shelter.”

It’s crazy. I actually tried to talk her into keeping some of it for herself. But she wasn’t having any of that. She said, “No Daddy. I want to give it all.”

It is a beautiful thing to be inspired by a child. Reflecting on her compassion makes me want to be more compassionate. Her generosity, makes me want to be more generous. Her willingness to sacrifice what she could have for the sake of others reminds me of how sacrificial giving toward a worthy cause touches something deep in the soul.

Thank you, Emily, for inspiring your dad!

Let us pray: Gracious God, none of us have to look very far to see how richly we’ve been blessed. We especially thank you today, for your unconditional, sacrificial love for each of us. In response, grant us open hearts. Show us ways that we might be a blessing to you and to others. others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Our Resurrection Hope

April 2, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

In the first century, in the Roman Empire, the early Christians had a really interesting custom. They would take laurel wreaths out into their graveyards and place them on the graves. These were the same wreaths that had been used in Greek and Roman culture to crown the victors of athletic contests. For these first Christians, the ritual symbolized their belief that in Christ we have received victory, even over the power of death.

Charles Kingsley, a gifted and beloved Anglican pastor of the 19th century, was also a well-known historian and author. Near the end of his life, both he and his wife lay terminally ill in different rooms of the same hospital. They communicated by writing notes. One day his wife sent him a message that read: “My darling, is it cowardly of me to tremble before the unseen reality of death.” He wrote back, “Do not be afraid! It will not be dark, because God is light. There will be no loneliness, for Christ will be there.”

That is our resurrection hope.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote: When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Let us pray: Eternal God, before whom generations rise and pass away, we thank you that through the resurrection of Jesus, you have overcome the powers even of sin and death. Help us to live fully – here and now – trusting that in life and in death we belong to you. Amen.

More Beyond

April 1, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

In preparing to lead a memorial service for my friend Rev. Herb Meza, I read an Easter sermon that he had written entitled, “More Beyond.” In this sermon, Herb reflected on the eternal dimensions of our faith. He noted that if our eyes are open, there are all kinds of hints pointing to something more beyond us. He wrote about how science has discovered that there is a tremendous range of colors beyond what the eye can see; there are scales of octaves way above and below what the ear can hear; And there are discoveries in the field of physics that stretch the imaginations of even the greatest scientists.

He went on to write this:

“Everywhere we turn there are hints that there is more. Hints of life and power and energy.

“But even if there were no hints, there is that instinct within humans that points to more…. Pascal once said that God had planted this instinct in our very souls and no matter how much we try to disbelieve it, it keeps creeping up and out when we come face-to-face with the mystery of death… Easter is the triumphant affirmation of something we have never proved but instinctively know…. That our little world of time and space is but a small fragment of something much larger than we can perceive with our eyes, or hear with our ears, or touch with our senses…”

In his sermon, he went on to reflect on how death seems scary, but in reality, it might be more like a birth. Near the very end of the sermon, Herb got very personal about the Christian hope of what lies beyond:

“I believe that one day every bruise, every cancer cell, every blind eye, every limp and every lump will be set right. One day every embarrassment and every rejection and every hurt we have suffered will give way to glory. I do not know how God will deal with all the shabbiness, failures and betrayal. It surely must hurt God, but I know God is loving and forgiving. One day, every moment of hoping against hope will be rewarded.”

Let us pray: We are grateful, Loving God, that in life and in death we belong to you. Help us to trust your healing, forgiving, embracing grace; now and always. Amen.

Problems are Opportunities

March 31, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

Friend of Dial Hope, I have a confession to make. Are you ready for this? I am an in- curable hoper and I want you to follow suit. I have a bias that no problem on earth is ever truly insoluble; problems are opportunities filled with possibilities. I do everything in my power to solve problems rather than create them. And I firmly believe that hope is our sustaining friend. It keeps us going through the good times and the restless nights of our souls.

To be sure, you will be sorely tempted to despair at times. Some of you listening to or reading this message are terminally ill, some of you are lonely and depressed, some of you are learning how to live with physical and emotional pain. I advise you: ward off cynicism and cultivate hopefulness. It is a choice you will be called to make daily.

The cynic says, “Blessed are they who believe in nothing, for they shall not be disappointed”. The hopeful person says, “Despite all of life’s ills, pains, and problems, it is still a beautiful world.” Such an attitude will make all the difference in your world. For the hoper, unlike the wishful thinker, is willing to work his or her head off that it might just come to be. We live as we hope. Good friends Kathy and Harry Dodge reminded me that Emily Dickinson wrote, “Hope is a thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all.”

Let us pray: Loving God, it’s morning again…another day knocks. The tide of light rises, slides down the walls, across the ceiling, into my eyes, purging the darkness, slowly smoothing the crinkles of sleep. A particle of light has pierced our hearts reminding us to begin again, to get up and go. You promise to bless us so we may be a blessing to others. You give us contagious enthusiasm, so we can go on limping, hoping on every step a testament of gratitude. We scratch the ears of dogs, laugh at the ballet of cats and Pelicans, and dolphins. Help us this day to hear the cry and gurgle of the newborn, to learn from hundreds of teachers, some of them homeless, poor, and uneducated.

Awaken us to the beauty of the mockingbirds, the Milky Way. For You alone, O Lord, are our hope. You alone are our safety, our strength. May we – even with our fears and anxieties, our insecurities and uncertainties – trust, totally trust in your loving care and plan for our lives. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sacred Time

March 30, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

Earlier in the month, we reflected on Psalm 62. The psalmist “For God alone my soul waits in silence…” Today, I return to this theme.

In reality, there is so very little silence in our lives. We get the earbuds in. Screens on. The television going. Phones ringing… And we get used to this. We get so used to being entertained, so used to being bombarded with information, so used to the noise around us… that when we get a moment of quiet, we’re often not sure what to do with it.

I notice myself in a waiting room, or even sometimes in an elevator, looking at my phone… In an elevator! I mean what is that 20 seconds?

One recent study found that subjects would rather give themselves an electric shock than experience boredom for even a few minutes.

And yet we wonder why we feel so fragmented… So uncentered…

On this Holy Saturday, as we sit between the cross and the empty tomb, maybe we could take a few moments of silence, to carve out time to sit in God’s presence to allow God’s grace to wash over us.

Let us pray: Holy God, as we embrace a moment of stillness even now, we ask for Your presence to envelop us. In the relative quiet, speak to our hearts…May we grasp again the depths of your love for us, through Jesus the Christ. Amen.

The God who Suffers

March 29, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

In their book, Radical Hospitality, Father Daniel Homan and Lonni Collins Pratt tell a true story about a time when Lonni’s first baby was dying of cancer. The baby was in tremendous pain, and it was gut-wrenching to even be in her presence. Lonnie needed help, however, as her husband was in the military and deployed at the time. Out of the blue a woman named Linda, a local pastor’s wife whom Lonnie did not really know, showed up to help. Linda stayed with them for 48 hours – even after the baby died.

Lonnie said she’d never forget that one night: “Linda stood looking outside into the dark, and said in a shaky voice, ‘I don’t understand why God allows children to suffer like this. But I know this: You can trust a God who bleeds. When you can’t trust anything else, you can trust a God who bleeds.’”

Homan wrote, “Linda stood beside Lonnie during the darkest time of her life. She opened her heart knowing for sure it was going to get broken. Her ability to do so grew naturally out of her deep faith in God. In the midst of great suffering, somehow she knew that a God who gave himself and who held nothing back from his creation could be trusted.”

On this Good Friday, we remember that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. We can trust that in Jesus Christ God knows what it is to suffer – and he walks with us even through the darkest valleys.

Let us pray: Loving God, we don’t understand the brokenness of the world. But we do know that on the cross, you entered into the pain and heartache of the world. Today, I pray especially for those who are in the midst of suffering even now. Be near to them. Grant them courage and strength to face the day. Be near to us. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

With or Without Water

March 28, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

The Gospel of John tells us that on the night he was betrayed, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. He said to them, “I have set for you an example…”

Have you ever been to a foot washing service in a church? I have been to a couple, and in both instances, the experience was quite moving. At the same time, I also understand many people’s reluctance to participate in something like this. In any case, the point of Jesus’ teaching is clear. We can live out this teaching with or without water.

There’s an old story about a young girl who was on the way home from worship one Sunday morning. She turned to her mother and said, “Mom, something the pastor said this morning confused me.” “Really,” replied Mom, “what confused you? The girl answered, “Well, the pastor said that God is bigger than us. Is that true?” Yes,” replied the mom. “He also said that God lives within us. Is that true?” “Yes,” answered Mom. “Well,” said the girl, “If God is bigger than us, and God lives in us, wouldn’t he show through?

Let us pray: Holy God, You have blessed us so richly. You have served us time and again – nourishing us with friendship, love, and mercy. Open our eyes to the needs all around us. As we reach out to meet that need, fill our lives with meaning and strength. We ask in the name of the One who came not to be served, but to serve others. Amen.

Enter the River of Faith

March 27, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Roger Kunkel

Today’s message was written by Dial Hope founder, the Rev. Dr. Roger Kunkel.

What are the three most difficult tasks in life to perform? When asked this question, the late Winston Churchill answered as follows:

To climb a high wall which is leaning toward you.
To kiss a girl who is leaning away from you.
To speak before a group on a subject which they know more about than I.

The noted newspaper syndicated columnist, Sydney Harris, brings another perspective in his response to that question. He said that the three most difficult tasks in life are neither physical feats nor are they intellectual achievements. Rather, they are moral acts:

To return love for hate.
To include the excluded.
To say, “I was wrong.”

In the movie, “A River Runs Through It,” there is this poignant line, “In the end, all things merge into one…and a river runs through it.” Today, as you follow Jesus, remember that faith is something you need to keep doing. It is like riding a bicycle. The only safety there is lies in riding. Otherwise, you can’t even stay on. You have to enter the river of faith to experience it. It means trusting God. It means getting your feet wet.

Let us pray: Loving God, bless us this day so we may be a blessing to others. And now, may the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rain fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again… May God hold you in the palm of his hand. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Recovering a Sense of Calling

March 26, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

Yesterday we reflected on a passage from 2 Kings 2 (vs 1-14), and Elisha’s faithfulness in a time of great uncertainty and change.

I was recently listening to a TED talk by the author and journalist, Krista Tippett. She was speaking about this very thing – about how we live in a time when the ground we stand on is so uncertain. There are so many fractures in our society, so much change happening. And she spoke about how it is precisely in these times that we need to recover a sense of calling as an art for living.

I thought that was really interesting – to recover a sense of calling as an art for living… She claimed that we are not called merely to be professional people. We are called to heal and make whole the world around us – the proximate world – the world that we can see and touch.

In that sense, every one of us has a calling on our own lives.

Fredrick Buechner has this great quote: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

I don’t know how that might look for you. I do know that you can’t do everything. I do know that it is easy to get overwhelmed by the needs of the world around you. I do know that faith and trust can easily be frayed… And at the same time, I also know, that if you are open to God’s calling on your life, God will use you in a powerful way.

As with yesterday, my prayer today is for an extra measure of God’s grace and blessing for you. And whatever calling God may have placed on your heart, that you would find within it, his empowering Spirit and strength to continue.

Let us pray: Today I thank you, O God, for your calling on each of our lives, for opportunities to touch the world around us with with your love and grace. I thank you for those who have heard your call, and for those who have stayed faithful. Please continue to heal us and renew us so that we would be channels of your peace. Amen.

Seeing Things to the End

March 25, 2024/in 2024, Daily Messages/by Joe Albright

There is a great story in 2 Kings, chapter 2 (vs. 1-14) about the old prophet Elijah. At this stage, Elijah had been going and going. He knew he was nearing the end of his life. And his disciple, Elisha is right by his side.

What’s interesting, is that three times Elijah pleads with his disciple to abandon him Three times Elisha refuses. Twice the prophets question Elisha, asking if he knows of Elijah’s departure. Twice Elisha answers yes, but ends the discussion and continues to follow his mentor.

All I can think is Elisha must have had a very deep sense of calling to this. He must have felt deep down that God had called him to follow his mentor to the end – to take up the mantle and carry it forward. Whether he heard God’s voice clear as a bell – or felt it more as a tug on the heart or a stirring in the soul, here’s a man who has a sense of what he can personally do. He can’t do everything. But he knows he wants to do what Elijah did. He wants to carry his words, his tradition, and his faith to the next generation.

And I can imagine him thinking to himself, I’m going to stick this out. I’m going to see this to the end. I don’t know for sure, but I’m going to trust that God will use me to do this…

Now I suspect, that many of you may know something about this. That somehow you have felt a real calling to do whatever it is that you do. And at the same time, I also imagine, there may be times when you have wondered, what difference does this make? I imagine there have been times when maybe you’ve thought I’ve got so much else on my plate. Yet, you’ve stuck with it. You’ve stayed faithful.

My prayer today is for an extra measure of God’s grace and blessing for you. And whatever calling God may have placed on your heart, that you would find within it, his empowering Spirit and strength to continue.