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50th Anniversary Devotional

We need your help to create our first Christ United Daily Devotionals in honor of our 50th anniversary. We’re excited to put into print the collective love, wisdom, and faith of our community and share it with others.We pray that through these devotionals, we can give thanks to a God who is present in moments of lament, comfort, celebration, doubt, and joy.

We’re thankful for your contribution as a part of our Christ United community. Happy 50th Anniversary, Christ United!

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Follow the below template when writing your devotional.
  2. Include your name, email, and phone number. Your name will be the only piece of information printed in the publication.
  3. Submit your devotional by July 30th in one of the following ways:

*Please note that not all submitted devotionals will be included in the book due to length. Clarity and format edits may occur.

SUBMIT YOUR DEVOTIONAL

TEMPLATE + EXAMPLE – 1

 

SCRIPTURE: (1 – 3 Verses)

for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7

DEVOTIONAL: (200 Word Limit)

When I feel like things in the world are falling apart, when I feel isolated and cut off from what seems like what should be happening – I like to revisit some of my favorite books (as well as scripture). Books that I’ve read and reread a thousand times. For some folks this is a favorite movie or an album of music, for some, it’s a practiced recipe of some long passed family member. For me, it’s Harry Potter.

I’ve read these books all the way through (via audiobook) a minimum of once a year for a good while now. I find them calming and full of spiritual inspiration. Not only because I know what is going to happen next in a story all about courage, friendship, struggle, and redemption. But, because I have done this same reading so many times throughout different seasons of my life that these books, in and of themselves, have been there for me during times that I thought would surely be my most difficult ever. (such drama)

By revisiting them, I am reminded of our God-given resilience and provision. It allows me to remember: I made it through that past season, I had enough courage then, and I can make it through this one as well. Someday I’ll be back at a place where things are different, and this will, one way or another, be a thing of the past.

I hope you take time soon to revisit something that comforts you and reminds you of God’s provision like Harry Potter does for me.

PRAYER: (50 word limit)

Creator God, thank you for the courage to keep going on days when we feel like the world is dark and unfriendly. Thank you for those little joys like our favorite books, movies, and food. Help us not to take them for granted, and to remember them as your gift to us each and every day. Amen.

YOUR NAME (and contact info in case we have questions)

Ashley Danner


SUBMIT YOUR DEVOTIONAL
TEMPLATE + EXAMPLE – 2
SCRIPTURE: (1 – 3 Verses)

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

DEVOTIONAL: (200 Word Limit)

The emotional pain and grief that we all experience after a loss, whether it is the loss of a loved one, the loss of a relationship, or simply the loss of what our lives used to be, can be overwhelming at times. Our feelings of sadness, frustration, and even anger can threaten our sense of well-being and sometimes make us feel like it’s too much to endure.

And yet, even in these challenging situations, God is still at work. In my role as Care Ministry Director at Christ United, I’ve seen how God works through others who have faced devastating losses and uses these experiences as sources of emotional healing to others facing a similar loss. One example is a parent who had lost a child and who eventually came to a place where they were able to console and comfort other parents facing the same loss. The power of God’s Spirit was evident in the way they took their grief and turned this into a wonderful care-giving ministry to others.

Just as God walks with us in our grief and sadness, so do others who allow God to work through them to be a source of comfort and healing.

PRAYER: (50 word limit)

God of all grace and power, thank you for sending others into our lives to be your presence of love and hope. May you help us to also be your messengers of hope to those who are hurting and need a caring friend. Amen.

YOUR NAME (and contact info in case we have questions)

Rev. Mike Flynn