Communion Wherever We Are

Devotional

Communion Wherever We Are

Written 4-29-2020

John 17:21 That they may all be one, just as you, Father are

in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the

world may believe that you have sent me. ESV

This morning I was watching an old documentary on public

television on the Apollo 11 mission. During the program, I was

struck by a piece of information that usually doesn’t get

much attention.

I was reminded that Buzz Aldrin, one of the two astronauts

that were about to walk on the moon, stopped everything to

pause, pray and observe Holy Communion.

It seems that Buzz Aldrin was an elder in his church, the

Webster Presbyterian Church, and was given special

dispensation to take the blessed elements of bread and wine

into space, for this purpose. Several astronauts had already

prayed while in space, but Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. was

the first to observe the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

There they were, Aldrin and Neil Armstrong, separated from

Earth by approximately 237,000 miles were connected with us

and God by a common act.

During our current period of separation caused by this global

pandemic, we may feel separated and forgotten, but we are

connected by our faith, our rituals and most of all, by the

Holy Spirit. We are all waiting until the time that we can

regroup and commune together.

So take a moment, remember be thankful for what we have, and

do what we can to stay connected to one another, even if we

are physically separated.

Prayer: Father, help use to remember who we are, your

children, and that we can never be separated from your love.

In Jesus name, Amen.

Rex Seigler

Never Cuss a Cow Pie

Devotion Written 4/24/2020

Bible Verse 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 For everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. -NLT

Several years ago, my how time flies, we went on a youth mission trip to Wyoming, to serve and witness on a Native American Reservation there near Lander. For me, that trip did not begin well at all. The day before departure, I was warming up for a jog, and somehow slipped a disc in my neck. Overnight, the pressure on the nerve had become excruciating. By morning, I could barely move, much less endure two days of travel by van.

When we finally arrived after two days, the housing site was actually in an unused section of the state hospital. The men’s dorm was downstairs in the basement storage. The women were housed in actual patient rooms, that had concrete benches for beds. The next day, workgroups were selected and sent off to begin serving the reservation and a nearby nursing facility. I was in so much pain, that I was just going along for the ride.

At the nursing home, there were two projects to do, painting and cutting down an overgrown snarl of rose bushes. Everyone chose the painting, but I couldn’t look up or move a paintbrush. I picked up the lopping shears and carefully made my way to the rosebushes. I did not want the kids to get hurt by the tangle of sharp thorns. I could cut one stem at a time and very slowly I carved my way through the forest of briers. I thought of Christ while I was working. He was doing work that no one else wanted to do, under pain and duress, yet willingly he chose to do so, even with the sting of whips, a crown of thorns, and the burden of the sins of the world. I realized that this situation, is not where I wanted to be, but my suffering would only be temporary.

Through the rest of the week, our group would encounter Christ in many ways, but the Holy Spirit gave me peace. Gradually the pain began to wane and I was able to witness and participate in the rest of the journey.

Our current situation of global pandemic is like that time. We are all forced to take a step back and look at a painful situation. Whether it is by isolation, scarcity, hunger or loss of loved ones by death, we are comforted by the fact that there is a season for us to be tested, and there will soon be a time for us to rejoice and celebrate the Resurrection. While in Wyoming, I had to experience my injury, and learn a hard lesson; that Christ sacrificed much more for us and has Risen victorious.

Thought for the day

Remember those who are isolated and sick, for soon we will be reunited.

Waiting for something to do