Psalm 19 is the inspiration for a familiar hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth.” The lyrics begin:

These words from the hymn are familiar to many of us. They express wonder and awe at God’s creation. We all have sunrise and sunset moments of awe, seasonal moments of awe, and weather moments of awe.

But in these dissonant times, more often I find myself turning inward and seeking messages of certainty and validation through my friends on social media and texts. I forget that we humans are a microcosm in time, and that we exist in a world created by God, a world of oxygen that allows me to breathe in and out, a world of gravity that allows me to move in predictable ways, a world of taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell.

I live in a senior community, and all our residents are blessed to receive a daily email from a neighbor, Bob. Bob is a man of science who seeks beauty in the natural world and photographs it. Over the years he has helped me see anew the glory that is all around: in the snowflakes of winter, tiny flowers in groundcovers, Lenten roses, the first daffodils and crocuses, the swelling buds on trees, the fungi that explode into mushrooms, and yes, even the exquisite beauty of dandelions. Bob sends a photograph and provides both scientific and historical information and makes us see things new.

And recently, our adult Sunday school class enjoyed a presentation on a book titled The Power of AWE.

AWE stands for Attention, Wait, and Expand. The author promises that investing one minute a day in the immediate moment will ‘”overcome burnout and anxiety, ease chronic pain, and bring clarity and purpose.” That’s a large order! But essentially, it’s what my neighbor Bob does when he creates an AWE moment with his emails. I now search daily for the AWE in my world. A friend and I have expanded AWE to AWES by adding the word SHARE. In this way we create community and joy each day.

And in this way, we see again that the earth is the Lord’s and that we must care for God’s gift and work as stewards of God’s creation. When we stop and pay attention to the birds, insects, water, and plants that inhabit this beautiful world, we realize that we must be better stewards of God’s creation.

Dear Lord, who has set your glory throughout the heavens and the earth, open our senses to your glory and create in us a sense of awe. Help us to become true stewards of your creation, not just consumers. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

This devotion was written by Laura Derr and read by Judy Wilson.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

And let’s hear that in The Message Version of the Bible...

The Message version of this scripture clearly points out how we must behave toward other people. And, friends, that sounds like a fine plan!

Jesus said, “LOVE one another” and we sometimes find that so hard to do. We see LOVE as a feeling we must have and we just can’t feel LOVE for that bad person, that one hurting others. Thank God, this Message version clarifies how we are to LOVE those difficult people...

We don’t have to feel all that warm and fuzzy LOVE for everyone! We have to treat people with kindness, stop talking bad about them, stop condemning them, pray for them, help them when we can. And when we can’t physically help them, pray for them generously.

I know my day would feel the presence of God’s LOVE a lot more often if I practiced this advice full-time instead of slinging angry thoughts and words out into my sphere of influence. What if we band together as Christ followers and help others more often, through our thoughts, prayers, words, and actions? Let’s work to LOVE our neighbors as Jesus advised and let’s stop judging and condemning.

Dear Lord, it’s so hard to control our thoughts, words, and deeds when we are constantly bombarded with bad, sad news and negative commentary from dozens of sources. Help us to turn oY and tune out much of the chatter. Help us to find and commit to quiet, reflective time in your presence. Help us to treat all people with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness – just as you do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

I'll be honest with you. The first time I really sat with this passage, the question Jesus asks made me a little uncomfortable. Not because it seemed cruel — but because I recognized myself in the man's answer.

Jesus walks up to someone who has been ill for thirty-eight years and asks, "Do you want to be made well?"

Which sounds almost absurd. Of course he does. What kind of question is that?

But notice what the man says. He doesn't say yes. He explains why healing hasn't happened yet. He's got the whole system figured out — the pool, the stirring of the water, the people who get there ahead of him. Thirty-eight years of the same obstacle, recited like a script he's memorized so well he's stopped hearing it.

Jesus asked if he wanted to be healed. The man answered with his limitations.

I don't say that to be hard on him. Thirty-eight years is a long time. Long enough for a situation to stop feeling like a situation and start feeling like an identity. Long enough for the waiting to become its own kind of life.

And if I'm being honest, I've done the same thing. Maybe not with physical illness, but with other things I've carried a long time. Old wounds I've tended so carefully started to feel like they belonged to me. Patterns I've complained about for years without ever quite deciding to change. Grudges that have become such familiar furniture that I've stopped noticing them.

Jesus's question has a way of cutting through all of that. Do you want to be made well?

Not "can you be made well." Not "here's how the healing works." Just — do you want it? Because wanting it, really wanting it, means being willing to let go of the story you've been telling about why it hasn't happened yet.

The man at the pool didn't get a chance to answer. Jesus didn't wait. He just said: Stand up. Take your mat. Walk.

Which is its own kind of grace. Sometimes Jesus acts before we've fully sorted out whether we're ready.

But the question still hangs in the air for the rest of us. Do you want to be made well from whatever you've been lying beside for longer than you'd like to admit?

It's worth sitting with. Really sitting with. Because the answer might be more complicated than we expect.

Lord Jesus, you see us where we are, and you know how long we've been there. Give us the courage to want healing more than we want our explanations. And when we're not sure we're ready, come to us anyway. Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Cliff McCartney

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Welcome to the Saturday episode of the Grace for All podcast. Thank you for joining us today. Saturday is a special time when we take a few moments to review the scriptures that we have cited in the episodes this week.

If you missed any of those episodes, you might want to consider listening to them today. And even if you heard them all, there may be one that you might want to listen to again. We hope that each of these scriptures and podcasts will bring you a full measure of joy, peace, and love.

Now, let's listen to the scriptures that have been on our hearts this week.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

I love the imagery of this Psalm. It includes three of my favorite things in nature: the ocean, the rivers, and the mountains. I have often heard people ask others which they prefer, the seaside or the mountains. How could we possibly choose? Both are beautiful and unique!

I try to make at least one trip to the beach each year. My favorite time to go now is Fall. The weather is still warm, but the beaches are much less crowded when children are back in school (unless you happen to hit Fall Break week!). The view and the breeze renew my spirit. It’s hard for me to relax and sit still in my real life, even now that I am retired, but when I’m sitting by the ocean, I can relax and watch and listen to the crashing waves, or watch the sun gradually disappear below the horizon, filling the sky with brilliant colors, and feel at peace with myself and with the world.

The same is true of the mountains. Sitting by the river, just listening to water pour over rocks and the breeze whistle through the trees, is so relaxing for me. When we lived in Middle Tennessee, too far from the mountains for my liking, my work place parking lot was bordered by old, tall pine trees. I often walked out in the afternoon to the sound of the wind whistling through the pine needles and the sweet smell of evergreen. I would pause and begin to leave the stress of the day behind. It wasn’t my beloved Great Smoky Mountains, but the beauty was there.

This verse reminds us to rejoice in God’s creation. Along with oceans, rivers, and mountains, we can sing together praising God and thanking him for giving us a beautiful world in which to live. But first we must be mindful of these gifts. We are not thankful for the things we take for granted and barely notice. Sometime our lives are so rushed and frantic that we are consumed with a to do list and filled with guilt when everything does not get checked. God does not want us to live this way. I hope you can take time to notice, appreciate, and be thankful for the gift of God’s beautiful creation. Be still and listen for the clapping and singing in nature.

Thank you, God, for the beauty of our world. From the mountains to the rivers and oceans, we are surrounded by evidence of Your love for us and Your creation. May we not take it for granted but rather be good stewards of Earth and continually thankful for its many gifts.

Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Pat Scruggs.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Several years ago, I was heading up a USAID project in Southern Africa and I found myself in Mozambique at an agricultural experiment station. The grant I had contained little room for unplanned expenses. But with that grant, we trained more than 15,000 farmers in Lesotho, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe and greatly improved corn yields for those farmers.

But on this day, I needed to go to another location. I found a minibus going that way, and I paid the equivalent of about $5, and got in. Occupancy should have been twelve, but I counted more than 20 people. It took us 5 hours to go about 130 miles.

I got the seat on the hump next to the driver and had to put my arm around him so I could breathe. The bus was hot, everyone was sweaty, and the smell of the disinfectant used to clean wounds was thick. Many on the bus had bandages on extremities and eyes. But everyone had a smile.

The driver said that just about all the passengers were going to a hospital for surgery or follow-ups, Many made the trip weekly. The road was awful. The potholes were huge and could be more than 4 feet deep. We hit one and had to sit on the edge of the pothole and to wait for the water to evaporate so the engine would start. The temperature climbed past 100..

I was hungry. My breakfast had been gone for hours. In my backpack I had two packets of cookies.. I got a package out, opened it, and then handed them back to the seat behind me. I did the same with the other package. I had just given away all of my food and had kept nothing for me.

Soon there was a tap on my shoulder and a small bag of potato chips to share, some salty crackers followed, and some homemade food and there were always smiles and thank you’s given. Then one of my cookie packets came back with one cookie left in it. The lady behind me took it out and handed it to me. And then the other one came back with one left, and it was handed to me. The kindness brought tears to my eyes.

I have so much to learn. And that day I learned the lesson Mom and Dad tried to teach me. If you put others first, good things will happen.

Dear Lord, help us to remember that practicing generosity is what you expect of all who walk with you. Amen.

This devotion was written by Neal Esh and read by Jim Stovall.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

This encounter between Jesus and an invalid man happened at a healing pool, where the man in question had been coming daily for 38 years, waiting his turn for some miracle. He never (apparently) asked for help or tried doing anything except lying there waiting, miserable and self-pitying.

After listening to his excuses, Jesus didn't scold him but commanded him to take up his mat and walk.

We are told in the verse that follows that the man "at once picked up his mat and walked."

How many of us are similar to that man? We lie here in our misery, waiting for someone to help us, but never picking ourselves up and taking action to walk out of our misery, to break that bad habit that we have worn for years, to change directions, to choose a new path.

Jesus can and will help us to overcome our afflictions, but we must change, we must get up and walk away from our hurts, habits, and hangups. Jesus will help, but he expects us to do our part. When we do, like the invalid man, who "at once picked up his mat and walked," we can walk too!

We can walk away from excuses, from self-pity, from fear, with Jesus' help.

If you need Jesus' help in your life, please pray with me…

Dear God, if I have things I need to change in my life, please show me the way. Help me to change my habits and to pick myself up and walk a new way. In Jesus' name we pray. AMEN!

This devotional was written and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.

Hello, and welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. I’m Grace Jonas, the reader and writer of today’s devotional, which I’ve entitled “Let Heaven and Nature Sing”. Thank you so much for joining me today!

When I was younger, I remember a song from either Vacation Bible School or a Children’s Play containing the lyrics “I’m not gonna let the rocks cry out for me” and “I’m not gonna let the hills bow down for me” in reference to praising God. I remember as a child, these lyrics seemed silly to me, which, even as an adult, they still seem a bit silly. But, not for the reasons you may think.

After all, the lyrics to the well-loved hymn “Joy to the World” contain the lyrics “let every heart prepare Him room, and Heaven and nature sing.” And refers to fields, floods, rocks, hills and plains repeating the sounding joy.

When I was young, I could not put a finger on why I thought the lyrics to that children’s song sounded silly to me, but now analyzing the lyrics to this hymn and this verse hand in hand, I know why that is: there are several hymns and church songs referring to creation singing of God’s love, but specifically in this context when we refer to creation, we refer to beings such as rocks, oceans, and other landmarks. In my mind, I feel this goes to show that while, yes, we shouldn’t let the rocks cry out for us or the hills bow down for us, we should fill the Earth with songs of worship and let all features of God’s wondrous Earth be alive with praise in harmony with our own.

Dear God, while we may believe the only things that can sing your praises are the beings with voices, help us be reminded that there is a beautiful Earth surrounding us that you painstakingly created that we should rejoice and be worship in harmony with. May we always love and appreciate the Earth you have created and fill it with the songs of your praise. In your name, amen.

This devotional was written and read by Grace Jonas.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.