Blog: Forest Lake Talks

Dear Friends, Forest Lake is a founding member congregation of the MORE Justice organization in Columbia.  [Midlands Organized Response for Equity and Justice]  This is a grass roots organization that helps to leverage the people of faith in our community to achieve small, measurable steps towards justice for all of God’s children.  In the last year, MORE Justice has been effective in many areas.  The consistent pressure on local elected officials has resulted in the City of Columbia Police force training more and more of their officers in a de-escalation model called Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) that provides tools and…

From Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor It is the third day, Lord of all, the third day, the eighth day of creation, the day of resurrection. The stone is miraculously rolled away, the tomb is unquestionably empty and the glorious news of you alive, scarred but breathing, ripples through the world. Reconciliation accomplished. Redemption certain. Death defeated. Sins forgiven. Salvation won. No longer can anything separate us from the love of God, the hope of Christ, the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Amen.

from Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor Jesus, the light that no darkness can overcome, even as the sun rises, the night refuses to relent. We huddle together, afraid, bereft and unsure what to do next. All we can do is cling to each other, assure one another that we heard you correctly, that you did say on the third day you would be raised, that you said plainly that you would not abandon us. Help us to hold fast to your words even when we see no evidence of their truth. Help us to put our hope in you…

Prayer from Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor My God, my God, why have you forsaken your Son? How can you tolerate the suffering of the One who came to save?  How can it be that He who brought abundant life has been sentenced to a cruel death? Hear our lament. Stand with us in our sorrow. Sit with us in the dark. Remind us of our Savior’s promise that we will see him again. Grant us the strength to get through the night in the hope of a new day. Amen.

As we make our way through Lent, I am again faced with one the part of my Christianity I struggle with the most. Good Friday. When I go out in public there is no sign of it. It is a happy time. Stores are full of brightly wrapped candy made especially for this time of year, pretty dresses, china with bunnies on it. I guess the real message is not easily promoted. At FLPC we have chosen to focus on reconciliation for Lent. Reconciliation is synonymous with bringing back together, reuniting, but the root of reconciliation means to change (Biblestudytools.com).…

Martin Luther King was assassinated ten days before Easter in 1968.  The impact of his life and teachings extended far beyond the United States.  Hymn author Brian Wren (b. 1936) was serving at the time in a church in the United Kingdom.  As he prepared for Easter services in 1968, he was dismayed that none of the Easter hymns in the hymnal said what he wanted to say to his congregation in light of King’s death.  So he penned these words to offer Easter hope in response to tragedy. Christ is alive!  Let Christians sing.  The cross stands empty to…

From PC(USA) Mission Co-Worker Mark Adams. Mark serves the bi-national border ministry, Frontera de Cristo. In June, a team from FLPC will travel to the border of Mexico to spend a mission week with Mark. On February 15, a day when the news cycle was filled with stories of walls and a declaration of national emergency, more than 400 people joined together at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Tucson for a Taste of Chiapas.  The Taste of Chiapas is an annual celebration that we organize to celebrate and educate how the vision and work of the farming families of…

From Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield Editor Luke 22:14-23 14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 Then he took…

From Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor Luke 15:1-7 1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors,…

From Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor Luke 14:15-24 15 One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, “Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 Then Jesus said to him, “Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. 17 At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my regrets.’ 19 Another said, “I…

From Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor Luke 11:37-44 37 While he was speaking, a Pharisee invited him to dine with him; so he went in and took his place at the table. 38 The Pharisee was amazed to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? 41 So give for alms those things that are within; and see, everything will be clean for…

From Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor Luke 9:10-17 10 On their return the apostles told Jesus all they had done. He took them with him and withdrew privately to a city called Bethsaida. 11 When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured. 12 The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are…

The text of this hymn is often attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux.  Although this cannot be authenticated, we definitely can find Latin manuscripts from the 13th century that reference this text.  The words are, in essence, a poem that consists of seven parts.  Each part is designed to be sung on a different day of the week.  Each part also addresses a different part of Jesus’ body as he hung on the cross – his feet, knees, hands, side, breast, heart, and head. The present version is by James Alexander, who translated it from a German edition from 1656.  The…

From Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor Luke 6:1-5 1 One sabbath while Jesus was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked some heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” 3 Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4 He entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and gave some to his companions?” 5 Then he said to…

From Presbyterian Outlook Devotions, Jill Duffield, Editor Luke 5:27-32 27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him. 29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. 30 The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” 31 Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician,…