Grave Clothes

Lazarus

Thursday’s Thoughts from Pastor David!

The first Thursday after Easter and the last Thursday of the month of April!

On Easter Sunday, Christians all over the world celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Out of the belly of death (after being digested for three days), Jesus arose out of the depths and out of the tomb to life once again!

There’s only one person who has stayed dead longer than Jesus to come back to life.
That would be Jesus’ good friend Lazarus.

Lazarus was dead in the tomb for FOUR days!

Jesus arrived at the tomb encasing the dead body of Lazarus and told the mourners and family members to remove the stone.

The response was overwhelmingly negative…

Let me paraphrase…
“Oh Jesus… Don’t do that. Lazarus has been dead for four days and his decomposed body will stink to the high heavens! Can’t you just say a prayer instead?”

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Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye

Thursday’s Thoughts from Pastor David

Next time you read Thursday’s Thoughts from Pastor David it will be August!
Here we are on the cusp of a new month as we say goodbye to July.

How do you say, “Goodbye?”

Are you good at saying, “goodbye?”
Some people are…
Some people aren’t…

Sometimes we have to say goodbye long before we wish.

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Ft. Pierce

mass-shooting-pulse-nightclub-orlando

Ft. Pierce, Florida is a quaint little town on the east coast of the Sunshine State with beautiful beaches. I should know…

I was born in Ft. Pierce, Florida.
Ft. Pierce, Florida was my home for the first nineteen months of my life.
My dad met my mom in Ft. Pierce, Florida at the “McCrory Five and Dime” store, which my dad owned.
My mom and dad were married in Ft. Pierce on November 8, 1958.
I was the first baby baptized at the new church development, which my parents helped found called the Indian River Presbyterian Church.
I have been asked all my life where I was born and rare was the occasion when I did not have to explain where Ft. Pierce is located. (“Just ten miles south of Vero Beach… You know…Dodgertown!”)

All that has changed now…
Now, everyone in the world knows about Ft. Pierce, Florida.
Now, I have to share my aforementioned history and affection of Ft. Pierce with the one who shot enough people dead to be the worst mass shooting in the history of the United States.

Forty-nine hearts, forty-nine families have been pierced by a man from Ft. Pierce.
Not to mention the wounded, the survivors and those of us whose hearts have also been pierced by the horror of this nonsensical tragedy.

SeeingGodatWorkEveryDay…

Upon hearing the news of the shooting at The Pulse in Orlando and the carnage found therein, my mind and heart immediately went to the historic hymn,
This is my Father’s World.

It’s always the third verse where my heart is riveted upon…

This is my Father’s world. O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

Echoed through my spirit are those words, “though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”

Furthermore, “Jesus who died shall be satisfied and earth and Heav’n be one” sticks like crazy glue to my mind.

The Orlando Shooting is wrong on every level.
God is still the ruler on every level.

The prophet Isaiah wrote six hundred years before Jesus appeared on the scene these words…

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Because Jesus was pierced, his loving pulse came to a crushing halt.
Through His resurrection his pounding pulse of love proclaimed victory!

In Orlando, The Pulse was pierced by an individual from Ft. Pierce.
If we can become united as “One” in our prayers, in our outrage of such horror, in our reaching out in love to all our brothers and sisters, no matter ours or their orientation, race or creed… The Pulse, although pierced will keep beating new life for generations to come. Perhaps then and only then can we proclaim victory as the last three lines of verse three are fulfilled…

This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done:
Jesus Who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and Heav’n be one.

SeeingGodatWorkEveryDay…
Laugh often, Cry aloud for those mourning and Fear not!
David!

David@seeinggodatworkeveryday.com

Words

Keep Calm and Use your words

Thursday’s Thoughts from Pastor David

Once again Thursday is upon us and I am struck today by the concept of “words”…

As my good friend Jeff Patterson always says, “Words have meaning…”

I have been struck as of late how often words have offensive meaning.

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All Stirred Up

Palm Sunday

It is the Thursday before Holy Week!

What has become known as Palm Sunday is three days away.
On that day Jesus will make his Triumphal entry!
Five days later he will be dead…
Seven days later he will be alive!

He knows this…
He knows this is going to happen…
He has known this his whole life long.
Jesus was born to die…
For me
For you
For us
For the world
So that…
We can live
We can rejoice
We can love
We can live eternally with Him!

Ever wonder what drove Jesus to follow through with His calling?
Just look in the mirror…
You’ve been staring at the reason for your whole life.

Jesus’ triumphal entry created quite a stir in the whole city…
“And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up…(Matthew 21: 10)

I wonder if the entry of Jesus into this world from the heavenly kingdom…
I wonder if the entry of Jesus into your world…
I wonder if the entry of Jesus into your heart, your consciousness, your mind, your conversation, your life…
Creates a stir…

When was the last time you got all “stirred up?”

I bet if you take an hour to ponder the question the people of Jerusalem asked on that first Palm Sunday you would get all stirred up too.

Here is their question:
“And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up saying, “Who is this?”

Make it your question today…
Make it your quest today to find the answer…
And when you do…
Watch the pot of your life get stirred!

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21: 9)

Hosanna! Hosanna!

SeeingGodatWorkEveryDay…
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

David@seeinggodatworkeveryday.com

iWitness March – Now available

iWitness March

Join Author and Pastor David Dendy on a unique thirty-one day journey through the month of March, seeing God’s handiwork each and every day while at the same time applying appropriate scripture passages to engage, stretch, challenge and encourage you in your daily walk with God.

Available on Amazon in Paperback and Kindle format.

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/iWitness-March-challenge-ourselves-everyday/dp/1530152461/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1456012790&sr=8-4&keywords=david+dendy

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/iWitness-March-challenge-ourselves-everyday-ebook/dp/B01C0VHN4M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456012881&sr=8-2&keywords=david+dendy+in+kindle

I am honored to continue the “iWitness” monthly devotional series with the newly published “iWitness March”…

Have a blessed filled day!
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

David@seeinggodatworkeveryday.com
www.daviddendy.com

Alone

 

alone

It has happened to me.

It has happened to you…

We have been sent to the corner of the room…
We have run off to the bedroom…
We have jumped in the car and pealed out of the driveway…
We have put on the “earbuds”…
We have shut the door to our office…
We have taken the long walk…
All of that and more to do and be just one thing…
ALONE!

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Seeing God at Work Every Day – The Forty Day Challenge

Joshua at Book Signing

OVER 1,000 SOLD!!!
Looking for a inspirational way to prepare your heart and mind for the 40 days leading up to the Cross and Resurrection (Lent)? Look no further!
Seeing God at Work Every Day – The Forty Day Challenge provides an “everyday” approach and look at the handiwork of God in our lives each and every day. With an interactive journal approach, the 40 day challenge engages the mind and heart on this journey!
Special shout out to the Reverend Keith DeVries, pastor of Carmichael Presbyterian Church in Carmichael, CA as his whole church is embarking on this 40 day journey together! Thank you!

To order go to: www.daviddendy.com

Enjoy the journey!
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

David@seeinggodatworkeveryday.com

iWitness February

iWitness February photo

I am very pleased to announce the publishing of “iWitness February”, a daily devotional for the month of February designed to stretch your imagination and assist in seeing the handiwork of God at work every day in everyday life with everyday people..

Available in Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/iWitness-February-challenge-ourselves-everyday/dp/1523387211/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1452791114&sr=8-4&keywords=david+dendy

Available on Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/iWitness-February-challenge-ourselves-everyday-ebook/dp/B01AL5SLQS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1452791281&sr=8-4&keywords=david+dendy+kindle

May you have the distinct privilege and joy of seeing God’s majestic handiwork each and every day!

Grace and peace,
Laugh often and fear not!
David!

 

Grant

serenity_logo_black_blue_11

One of my best friends in the whole wide world has a son named Grant.
Grant is an awesome tennis player!

Grant’s parents named him Grant because they came out to visit me and my wife when we lived in a town called “Grants Pass.”

Supposedly, President Ulysses S. Grant passed through there one time. So… naturally the people decided they should call that particular area of southern Oregon, “Grants Pass.” (Other Oregonians call it Grass Pants!)

I bought my first bicycle with a banana seat and U-shaped handlebars at a department store in Atlanta, Georgia called “Grants.”

The ever profound and soul searching song “Broken Hallelujah” is sung by Amy Grant!

Back in 2001, with my hip hairstyle, while sitting at a sidewalk cafe in the ski resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho two sisters (ages 9, 17) approached me with pen and paper in hand asking me if I was indeed Hugh Grant!

Making my way through seminary would have been much more difficult had it not been for the number of generous “grants” I received through some wonderful scholarship opportunities.

As you can tell, I love the noun and more specifically the verb – “grant”

SeeingGodatWorkEveryDay…

I love the verb “grant” the most when the word “God” is in front of it.
Special thank you to American Theologian Reinhold Niebuhr for putting those two words together in the most eloquent way.

I have had a rather trying week and the way Reinhold uses the phrase “God grant” has become a mainstay for people like me everywhere who have a trying day, or week, or month or year or life… I am honored to share with you what Reinhold wrote after penning “God grant…”

God grant me grace to accept with serenity 
the things that cannot be changed, 
Courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

These inspired words are commonly known as the “Serenity Prayer.”

I call it the “Grant” prayer…
There’s more than “serenity”…
There’s courage
There’s wisdom
There’s sin
There’s trust
There’s surrender
There’s God’s will
There’s happiness
There’s forever…
And then, there’s Amen!

And for some glorious reason when I utter the word, “Amen”, peace hovers and then descends upon my soul!

I guess maybe that’s why they call it “The Serenity Prayer.”
Such Serenity May God
grant…

SeeingGodatWorkEveryDay…
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

David@seeinggodatworkeveryday.com
www.daviddendy.com