Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
July 3, 2025
Matthew 5:13

You might be expecting a little meditation on our nation’s independence considering tomorrow is the fourth of July, however, I have been redirected through the prompting of the Holy Spirit to share with you a little sprinkle of salt.

Our text for today reads; “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be trampled underfoot”. This has always been a bit of a mystery analogy for me in that I wasn’t sure how salt loses its saltiness. I understand Jesus using this metaphor to teach his disciples to be bold and very present to help, to heal and to be known for their faithfulness. Still, I needed a little help, so I read an article from Dr. David Turk which I will summarize; What was commonly known as ‘salt’ during the time period of Jesus’ ministry, was really a white powdery substance gathered from around the Dead Sea that contained some sodium chloride, but also other substances as there were no salt refineries at the time. The sodium chloride was the most soluble of the combined substances and therefore, would very easily be washed out. What remained was nothing more than road dust (“Sermon on the Mount” study by John Stott- Lifeguide Bible Study pg. 59).

Since there was no refrigeration during the time of this teaching, this salt was used to preserve food, in other words to keep it from rotting. There’s a thought. Rotten things in and of this world contaminating people and Jesus says that his followers are to share the truth and reveal what is rotten so that we all might live the Kingdom way and thrive.

I’m thinking of the little girl with the umbrella on the box of salt in my cupboard, you might have one too. The words on the box include; “When it rains, it pours”. I guess you could say for the Christian, we should be quite salty.

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
June 25, 2025
Psalm 95: 1-2

Today I spent several hours with a friend who needed encouragement. She was saying goodbye to a relative she hadn’t seen in a while and had recently passed away. Going to the funeral home has become more of an occurrence in my life these past few years and I knew it was very hard for her, so we went together. After some tears, she agreed for us have a meal together and do a bit of grocery shopping, which always seems to help her feel better.

It’s funny how helping someone else actually picks up your own spirit. I guess I hadn’t noticed that I have felt a bit down myself. I brought a devotional, “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young and we sat after lunch praying, reading and rejoicing. Psalm 95 from the devotional from today reads; “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song”. So, we did. We sang “This is the Day the Lord has made”, and a regular Sunday favorite; “The Doxology”. Before long, we were laughing and smiling and praising God from whom all blessings flow.

If you are having a bit of a low time, try singing to the Lord. Look again at Psalm 95:1-2, and Psalm 118:1; “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever”. Perhaps you could use a dose of “This is the Day the Lord has made” and if you know it, “The Doxology”;

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen”.

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
June 18, 2025
Psalm 100

My granddaughter is the inspiration for our meditation today. We went to the Golden Arches for some fun food and I allowed my kiddos to order for themselves. We weren’t at the table enjoying our treat for very long before she says in a very whiney voice; “But I want some of bubby’s chicken nuggets”. To which I responded; “God tells us not to want what other people have, but to be thankful for what we already have, and especially when we receive what we originally asked for” (I explained that the bible word for this wanting is called coveting). Yeah, no, she wasn’t remotely concerned what God says, she was just wanting. I will be blessed to share the day with them tomorrow, and among many things we will talk about the ten commandments, and sing songs of thankfulness and incorporate a bit of history as it will be Juneteenth.

How often are we adults prone to want and less prone to give thanks, I would say pretty often. Our Scripture for today is Psalm 100; “Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are His; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

I will close with a prayer written by Herbert Brokering from his book; “Cat Psalms, Prayers my cats have taught me” (pg 61); “Oh God, My soul is thankful. I cannot thank you enough for all there is for me. I wish I could thank more and ask less. I give thanks immediately, or later, or sometimes never. But I am thankful. When I give thanks, I belong. Thanking reminds me that you care about me, love me. Thanking shows me I have more than enough. When I thank, I also say ‘please’. Thank you for this, please keep it coming. O God, you have seated me at a very great table, a table that never goes empty. My soul gives thanks, for there is always more, so many second helpings. Dear God, there is room for others at that table. When I give thanks I will pass it on, I will share”.

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
June 12, 2025
John 3:17, Romans 8:1-2

Cicada -“Any of various insects of the family Cicadidae. With a broad head, membranous wings, and in the male a pair of resonating organs that produce a high pitched drone” (Websters II University Dictionary). That’s right, we have been listening to the high-pitched drone of Cicadas for weeks. Only when the weather is cool or rainy do we get a reprieve at our house from this male dominated screaming, or my husband would say;” singing to find a mate”.< p>

Perhaps God just wants me to learn how to “Be still and know that He is God” even in the midst of such noise. Whatever the reason; “All creatures great and small, the Lord God made them all”, so I will thank Him for his creation and trust Him to complete what He needs to do with these very unusual, almost prehistoric looking little bugs.

How about you? Do you have noise in your life that makes you feel a little cranky? Maybe it’s someone else’s noise, or it could be you have noise you have created in your mind. I’m thinking of a song by Megan Woods; The Truth. These words fit pretty well here; “When I feel that there’s so much noise living rent free in my head, Heaven finds me in a still small voice and it sounds like grace instead…” Yep, that’s the ticket; Grace not condemnation. John 3:17 reminds us; “For God did not send Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved”. The Apostle Paul echo’s this in Romans 8:12; “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death”.

So, if you find yourself in the midst of noise that is not helpful, take a breath, thank God for the gift of eternal life in Christ and for His quiet, still small voice in the Holy Spirit that, if you listen to Him, can bring you peace.

AMEN and Pray on!

Weekly Meditation with Pastor Edith
June 5, 2025
Acts 2:14, 38-41

Today’s meditation could be titled: “Peter Pipes Up” because it is within the reading for today that we find a very fearful and reluctant Peter from the time of the crucifixion of Jesus to a bold and powerful preacher Peter on the day of Pentecost. After the giving of the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire that enabled the Disciples to speak in languages they had never been taught, which spoke the Gospel to the many different countries that were represented that day, Peter pipes up.

Our text reads; “Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “’Fellow Jews and all of you wo live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say….Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call’”. With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, ‘Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.’ Those who accepted his message were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day”.

What an amazing day that must have been. Max Lucado shares this; “The divine timing was precise. Now with the sacrifice of Christ accomplished, Now, with the tomb of Christ vacated. Now, with the person of Christ ascended to heaven’s throne. Now, with the apostles gathered in one place in prayer, awaiting the power of the Spirit. Now, with representatives of at least fifteen nations gathered in one city…It was time” (“Help is Here” pg. #119). Talk about a captive audience.

You see, “The Holy Spirit turns common folk into uncommon forces” (“Help is Here pg. 123). Every one of us has a story to tell, things that God has brought us through that is unique to each individual. If you feel weak in your ability to boldly share your story, ask for help. The help of the Holy Spirit is indeed here. Like my grandson recited for me today at our “Oma’s Bible Camp” (aka: Summer days with Oma), he recited his life verse; Proverbs 3:5-7: “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”. Trust in the Lord, and he will guide you through the power of his very present help, the Holy Spirit. I am praying to be more willing to pipe up like Peter did. How about you?

AMEN and Pray on!

Worship Wednesday with Pastor Edith
May 21, 2025
Gen.6:5-8, 7: 11-12, 8:13-17, 9:12-16

Last evening, I received a very timely blessing from the Lord, maybe some of you got one too. I had been working for several hours prayerfully putting together a funeral service for a dear friend who passed away a few days ago. I was his Deli Sandwich maker at a nearby food mart for nearly 10 years and after that I was his pastor for 14 years. So much going through my head, so many fun memories and several sad ones too. When I finished reading and re-reading and praying over the service, I saved the document and shut down my laptop. I didn’t realize how stiff I was from sitting so long, so I got up and walked around stretching. When I got to our patio door to go out, I saw a beautiful rainbow arching over the corn field in back of our yard. Wow! God knew I needed another reminder of his provision and promise.

The book of Genesis includes the story of Noah and the great flood which resulted in God’s provision and promise. God was very grieved over the wickedness of mankind that He made in his own image only to see them live without care for Him or for one another: “So the Lord said,’ I will wipe mankind, whom I have created from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them’. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:7-8). God opened up the floodgates of the heavens and rain fell for forty days and nights (7:11-12). “By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth…by the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry. Then God said to Noah, ‘Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives [along with all the living creatures]” (8:13-17). God had provided for Noah and his family for more than a year, because that’s how long they had been confined to the ark. We often think it was only 40 days and nights, but you have the count the time of the waiting, the rain, the flood, the receding of the waters and the drying of the ground. That’s a long cruise.

God then gives them the promise; “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life” (9:12-15).

Seeing the rainbow at a time of my grieving, felt like God was reminding me that He has a plan and He is still working the plan. I love the idea that God put a rainbow together as a reminder to him and all humankind that He would not flood the whole earth again. Even God needs a reminder when people and things are out of control. Let’s give thanks to God for his reminders, and then remind someone else that He still loves them and has a plan for them too.

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation aka: Worship Wednesday with Pastor Edith
May 14, 2025
Galatians 6:9-10

I was attending a meeting of a newly formed helping ministry this morning and boy, was I blessed. So many ideas, so many opportunities to help and encourage people in our community that are too often overlooked, or, simply taken for granted. I was inspired by the Upper Room devotional for today and shared part of it with the folks in attendance, and I would like to do that for you this evening.

Galatians 6:9-10 reads: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers”.

Wow! That was what our meeting was all about. That’s what the church is all about, or at least supposed to be. Good to be reminded, don’t you think?

I will close with the chorus of a song we sang at our meeting which was inspired by what I just shared with you. The song is titled “Here I Am Lord”: “Here I am, Lord. It is I Lord. I have heard You calling in the night. I will go, Lord, If you lead me. I will hold Your people in my heart”.

AMEN and Pray on!

Midweek Meditation with Pastor Edith
May 7, 2025
Psalm 118:13-14

The Psalm today is one of the Hallel Psalms that were sung in Jewish families on the night of the Passover (Hallel means praise). There are six: Psalm 113-118. The Psalm I am quoting from today was very likely sung as the farewell hymn Jesus sang with his disciples on the way to Gethsemane and Calvary (notes from Halleys Study Bible).

I am pondering verses 13-14 of Psalm 118 as I think about some of the conversations I’ve been privy to today. It seems lots of people feel pushed around, or ill spoken of by those close to them. My heart hurts for anyone who is experiencing this, whether in my sphere of influence or those dealing with poverty, hunger and the effects of war or other tragedies. Then, as I was driving home from some visits today, I heard part of a song by Brandon Lake; “Hard fought Hallelujah” (I think that is the title). In this song, he sings with passion how many times life is just so hard that he struggles to raise his hands in praise because even in the troubled times he knows that the Lord has a plan and He will see it through. Here is part of the chorus; “I bring my hard fought, heartfelt, been through hell Hallelujah. My storm tossed, sails torn, story to tell Hallelujah”. (Listen to the song by clicking the image)

Perhaps you are feeling a bit tossed around today, or maybe you know someone who is going through some tossing. Consider praying the words of our text today and take a moment to sit in the presence of the Holy Spirit who can bring the peace that is desperately needed.

“I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (Psalm 118:13-14)

AMEN and Pray on!