Monday, March 31

by Jerry Jernigan
"Peace Through the Night"

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.  –Matthew 6:25

 And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.             –Matthew 28:20

Merriam-Webster says “worry” means “to think about problems or fears: to feel or show fear and concern because you think that something bad has happened or could happen.” Well, here is the truth of the matter: I worry. I cover it up pretty well but I worry all the time.

Some of my worries are understandable. Will we ever live in peace? Why don’t we devote more resources to alleviating homelessness? Will my children live the lives I wish for them?

And some worries are embarrassingly trivial! Is there enough milk in the fridge for my coffee and cereal tomorrow morning? Will that commentator ever realize how foolish his commentary is? Will rain cause me to alter my outdoor plans?

I have lived long enough to know, I think, a proper response to these kinds of worries. The serenity prayer helps. Also, it helps to laugh at myself!

But these worries are not the ones that most shatter my peace.  The worries that do that don’t occur often but when they do, it’s usually around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.  They take the form of anxiety over, really a fear of, loneliness. Now, I have family and friends who provide love and community for which I am so grateful. But this fear of loneliness, of being “separate from,” is one no human can dispel. It is a soul loneliness I fear.

And it is then, at 3:00 in the morning, after some tossing and turning, that I whisper the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray so long ago. I may recite the 23rd Psalm or recall the verses from Matthew quoted above. Or, I may simply ask God to help me, to be with me.  And somewhere along the way, I fall asleep.

Sometimes, in the morning, before I am up and heading to the coffee maker, I’ll lie still and remember the night, my anxious feelings and my prayers. I’ll wonder why I fretted so. And I will say a prayer of gratitude that a Creator beyond my understanding, one embodied in Jesus of Nazareth, one we know as the Holy Spirit, stayed with me through the night and brought me peace.


Lift in prayer today
Epiphany School, helping children who deal with Asperger’s Syndrome

Sunday, March 30

by Chris Moore
Focus for the Week: Gratitude

Rarely do I consider arguing against a Biblical verse, but when thinking of “gratitude” one comes to mind that I personally find a bit inaccurate, if only because it is an understatement.  “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”  (John 15:13)  But ask any good parent if he or she were faced with the death of a child what they might do and I’m sure the response would be something like “I would rather die myself,” for there is certainly no greater pain than losing a child. So I would argue that love expressed by a parent willing to sacrifice his or her own child is a greater love.  Yet that is the sacrificial gift that God gave to us when he saw his own son die on the cross.

So how are we to respond to such a gift, such an unbelievable expression of his love for us?  Wikipedia states that gratitude can sometimes be just a warm feeling of appreciation, but often true gratitude “motivates the recipient to seek out his benefactor and improve his relationship with that person.”  We are not simply indebted to God for the sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ, as he has not asked us to repay him in kind.  So while we owe him nothing, surely he deserves whatever thanks we can possibly offer. On the surface that may seem to be an impossible challenge, for how does one truly say “thank you” to God? Yet I think one need not look too far.  We are all created in his image, are we not?  He resides in all of us. So offering a helping hand, or our time, talent or money – yes, our service, to any other human in need with a thankful heart means we do so to him.  Even an expression of “thanks” to someone else for something he or she has done for us is an expression of gratitude to God.  Perhaps that’s the easiest way to get started. So pick up a pen, or a phone, or even a more modern form of technology (I have a hunch that God is open to receiving texts and emails these days!) and show someone your gratitude with a message of “thanks.” I think you’ll find that it’s only the beginning of a deeper relationship with that person and ultimately with our divine Creator.


Lift in prayer today
The Learning Collaborative,
a preschool for children in vulnerable situations

Saturday, March 29

by Caroline Stratos

Don’t panic. I am with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you.     –Isaiah 41:10

I had a hard time understanding my grandfather at certain times. He would always have a billion things going on around him and still would be able to keep a calm composure. Whether it was preparing to marry some family friends or making visits to some sick church members, he would never break a sweat. He was a man of his word and would never back down on his promises. See, my grandfather on my mother’s side was a Presbyterian minister who preached at various Presbyterian churches across the whole country. People came to his services to hear his passion and love for Jesus Christ, to whose service he devoted his whole life. But beside his life of faith, he also devoted his life to spending time with his family. I remember going up to Waynesville, North Carolina, to visit him and my grandmother in their mountain house that overlooked a massive golf course. Right when my brother and I walked through the door, he would automatically engulf us in an enormous bear hug. And I would look up and see that smiling face. His smile would reach from cheek to cheek every time. And then I would hear his laugh, that soothing laugh that would always make my day. After his hug, he would offer us something to drink or eat and tell us to sit down and relax. Now I knew that when he went to get us something to eat, he would eat something himself, because he was a snacker. He had a huge pantry that was filled with everything from Goldfish to Fig Newtons. That was one of the things I loved about him. But the whole time we were there, he would spoil us and take us to every fun place there was in Waynesville (they were not plentiful). Also, every time we went out to dinner, he knew that my parents would try to pay for the meal, so he would pay for it beforehand. As these examples show, he would never think about himself. He was the most selfless person I have ever known.

Unfortunately, my grandfather developed pancreatic cancer later in his life. When he got his diagnosis, he was given a life expectancy of about two years. My whole family was devastated, especially my mother. I remember her coming up to me and asking, “Why did it have to be him? Why was he the one who got this terrible disease? He served the Lord his whole life, and out of everyone in our family, he’s the one who got it. I know I deserve to get it much more than he did.” That would leave me speechless because I understood how she felt. Throughout this constant time of worrying going on in my family, he was the one who remained the calmest. He would go about his daily routine, just as he had done before he received his diagnosis. In a way, he knew that this was just a part of God’s plan for his life. Knowing that I had few ways to help him, I decided to buy him rocks engraved with character traits like “hope” and “wisdom” from a store called Ten Thousand Villages. I would go every week and buy a different rock every time with my own money. I would then wrap up the rock with a Bible verse corresponding to the character trait and send it to him by mail. I decided to send him the rock engraved with “peace” first. It was the trait which I thought he displayed the most throughout his life. After about seven weeks, I ran out of new rocks to send him. Not long after, he passed away on a warm June evening after enduring his battle with pancreatic cancer.

I didn’t cry as much as I expected to. Why? Because I knew that he cherished the life he lived each and every day. I knew that he was in a better place now, free of pain. He was now in the arms of the Lord, whom he had loved and served all his life. Most importantly, I knew that he was peaceful when he passed. He knew that it was his time to go, and he was never afraid of this either. This realization gave me an overwhelming sense of peace I had never experienced before in my whole life. I understood this to be a pure message from God beckoning me to lead a life filled with peace, just as my grandfather had done.

About a year after his death, I went to visit my grandmother at Thanksgiving. There were many people there whom I had never met before, so I took a break from shaking hands and saying hello. I went into my grandparents’ room and walked around to observe many family photos held in fancy picture frames. As I was about to leave, I screeched to a halt when I noticed a most beautiful sight. The rocks that I had given to my grandfather were sitting in the center of his bedside table, arranged in a neat formation. He had kept these rocks close by him, until the day he died. I knew this to be my grandfather’s way of telling me to go out into the world and to live a life led by faith and filled with peace. I then looked up to him in heaven and promised him I would.


Lift in prayer today
Let Me Run and Girls on the Run, after school programs
for 4th and 5th graders teaching positive life habits and lessons

Friday, March 28

by Tyler Askew
"Drops of Moisture, Agnus Dei, and Tiny Lights"

This world that we have the privilege to dwell in is chaotic, frightening, beautiful and wonderful. It is utterly impossible to make it through this life without being overwhelmed by it at least once; thus we seek peace and solace wherever and in whomever we can. Many of us find this peace through loved ones, or by busying ourselves in repetitive tasks that we particularly like. Some people lose themselves in distractions and celebrate life’s grandeur in order to forget about their hardships and doubts. Many more of us look to our one God, who goes by many names and is worshiped by many different faiths, to find the peace we desire. I count myself among those who find peace with God, but I do not look for him in all of the usual places. I will not deny that I often feel a comforting sense of stillness and gentleness within the walls of a church, but to me God and the peace he offers can easily be found in three things: light, sound, and water.

I mentioned earlier that I often feel at peace within a church. This is due in no small part to the light found within one. I have found that they tend to possess no small quantity of windows, stained glass or otherwise. It is the sight of sunlight streaming in through these windows that I find particularly calming about churches. I’ve always enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the beauty that it lends to the sky during the periods when day and night transition, but something about the presence of its light within a church just seems right to me. I can easily lose myself in watching this light, and in these moments I find myself at peace.

But the light does not have to come from something as magnificent as the sun to bring me peace. I have always had a special fondness for Christmas Eve worship services,  especially for the lighting of candles. The sanctuary lights go out one by one, and then, amidst the all-encompassing blackness, a tiny candle is lit. It is not the light of the candle by itself, but the way in which that tiny flame is passed on by each individual in the room until everyone holds a tiny light in his hand and heart. The sharing of this tiny but precious light makes it so easy for me to grasp the concept of how much God loves us that I am often moved to tears by this spectacle.

From light, I move now to sound. In this day and age, ear buds, headphones and iPods are a common sight among the youth of our world, and I am no exception. These devices serve two functions at once: blocking out the sound of our enormous world, allowing us to retreat within ourselves and seek self-isolation if the presence of the masses becomes too overwhelming; and streaming in the sounds that we want to hear – music, or perhaps even a book read aloud, all chosen by the listener alone. In this way one can seek peace within himself by blocking the world out and getting lost in the familiar and comforting patterns of repetition and melody, taking a much-needed break from the larger chaotic world until one is ready to face it again.

I will not deny that I have more than a few rock and roll tracks on my own device, but I often prefer to listen to something more subtle and gentle, such as symphonic concertos and jazz albums. However, I have found that there are plenty of sounds beyond the confines of my headphones that bring me closer to the peace of God: the sound of an entire church congregation with voices lifted in songs of praise and faith, hundreds of different voices, each with troubles and opinions of their own, all united to sing the same song. The significance of this is not lost on me, and I take comfort in the knowledge that however different we may be from each other as people, we still find that we have enough in common to sing together.

Finally, I bring the aspects of light and sound together along with the third way in which I find peace: water. I love to swim and have always done so with a certain single-mindedness and fervor. I always make sure to take a pair of goggles with me whenever I go to swim in a pool. I do this for a number of reasons. The most obvious is to keep chlorine out of my eyes and allow me to see which way I am going when I swim underwater. But my main reason becomes clear whenever I swim into the deeper end of a pool. There I will dive down and just look. Suspended several feet from the bottom of the pool, with soft blue light streaming all around me in a space where all sound is muffled, I feel as if I have suddenly gained the power to fly. And so that is what I do: I fly through the water, weightless and free to move in any direction I desire. This feeling of freedom and being in a space that is not governed by the same laws as the space above the surface makes me feel set apart from the daily routines of life, and in this separation I feel further away from my burdens and closer to understanding the majesty of the God who created this wondrous space called “underwater.”

The peace of Christ is all around us every day. Some find it more easily than others do, but it is there for us if we take a moment to look.


Lift in prayer today
Florence Crittenton Services, helping at-risk girls,
especially those who are pregnant

Thursday, March 27

by Nancy Sutton

I have experienced the peace of Christ through reflection on the Spirit’s help in weakness.

I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brethren.  –Luke 22:31-32

In the Impact study of Acts we see Peter in his destined role as leader of the apostles. How did that come about after so great a failure on his part?

Peter’s story is one of embracing and resisting and God’s grace in it all. Peter’s faith in Jesus – a faith that caused him to leave his fishing boats, that propelled him out into the water to go to Jesus, that caused him to be the first to confess Jesus as Messiah – that faith failed him at the crucial moment.
When those hostile to Jesus ask Peter where his allegiance lies, he denies knowing Jesus – not once, but three times! So it can be with us. When we try to stand up to pressure in our own strength, we may wilt.

But just as Jesus knew Peter would betray him, so Jesus was interceding for him. So also it is with us.
When we think of ourselves as people of little faith, do we not realize that the Lord is interceding for us that our faith may not fail? Even when our faith is no bigger than a mustard seed, Paul says in Romans 8:26, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words.

Just as the Lord looked at Peter and saw him trying to stand up to pressure in his own strength, he looks at us as we are. There are no secrets. He sees us without our masks and pretensions. The Lord sees the worst things we have done and the worst we are. He sees us more clearly than we see ourselves, maybe because most of us live in a state of perpetual denial about our faults.

The resurrection message is that we can give up pretense and denial forever. The Lord looks at us as he looked at Peter and sees everything there is to see and still says as he said to Peter, “I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.”

Jesus teaches God’s grace in this warning to Peter: Do not trust in your own strength, but realize that after failure, there will be opportunity for restoration. Jesus intercedes for his own even when he knows they will fail him. Intercession evidences God’s love and grace for Peter and for us.
Peter’s failure of nerve is not a failure of heart and it is not permanent. Peter turns from his denial. The turning also is a gift from God, something the Holy Spirit brings about. His call then is to strengthen his fellow disciples.

The risen Lord remade Peter and he will do the same for us. In his death and resurrection, Jesus paid the price and won the victory. We are free and in this freedom we too are called to strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Gracious and merciful God, help us to take time during this Lenten season to look into the depths of our sin and, even as we consciously acknowledge the seriousness of our predicament before you, at the same moment help us recognize you as the one who extends your mercy to us even in the midst of our condition. In Christ’s name, we pray.


Lift in prayer today
Families sponsored by Covenant and
housed in the Arosa Avenue condominiums

Wednesday, March 26

by Becky Allison

What is peace? Peace is total commitment, the surrendering that says, “Here I am.” Peace includes forgiveness. Hard as it is to do, it is a way of making peace in our families, our church, and our nation. What a wonderful place to be.

I have experienced peace in a number of ways, most of all in my marriage. Jim’s returning home from war was peace for me. And after we were married, I joined him at Covenant Church. Peace!
I experience peace in Montreat. I call Montreat the closest to heaven on earth I will ever be. We have had a home in Montreat for 40 years. I have watched generations enjoy Montreat. Peace.

I experience peace by being in church. Each Sunday I watch the televised service from First Presbyterian Church. With bulletin in hand I worship. Recently, the worship service included the sacrament of baptism. I participated in viewing this holy moment as the minister held hands with the mom, dad, and baby for a prayer. Peace.


Lift in prayer today
Charlotte Family Housing, empowering homeless families
in their goal for long-term self-sufficiency

Tuesday, March 25

 by Dylan Welchman
"Peacefully Vulnerable"

 Two summers ago, I was traveling with 20 complete strangers on a Covenant mission trip to El Salvador.  After plane trouble and a seven-hour layover in Miami, we arrived in San Salvador many hours later than planned. After a 30-minute ride to our hotel for the night, everyone quickly retired to their rooms to sleep. The following morning, I went to the lobby to find a tasty breakfast buffet and a stoic Bob Henderson inviting me to sit with him. I took my seat across the table from him and began some small talk. I had taken only a few bites of my breakfast when Bob began to explain that my uncle, John Trexler, had died in a biking accident the previous day. I just sat there for a while, choking back tears, unable to speak or move, paralyzed with guilt, fear, and sadness. I had never experienced death before, and now I had to in a foreign country, surrounded by people I had never met before. Strangely though, I was at peace. All throughout the trip embarrassing stories were told, stories of guilt were told, tears were shed, passages were read, songs were sung, sickness was passed around … and everyone was at peace. Conversations were had and friendships were made, phobias were tested, and we crammed 20 people into a 15- passenger van …and everyone was at peace. 

The key to seeking peace is vulnerability. If you take a step out of your comfort zone, and make yourself vulnerable, and you are met by somebody who does the same, peace is instantaneous. The moment everyone on the trip found out that my uncle had died, they made room in their hearts for me, and the moment they did that, I did the same for them … peace. The moment you share a concern with a significant other, or a family member and they listen … peace. 

Peace is a beautiful thing; it’s free of judgment, full of love, and it makes you forget about all the bad things for a while. So go out, with an open heart; seek peace. Amen


Lift in prayer today
Freedom School Partners, engaging, educating and empowering at-risk children
through literacy improvement efforts