Vernon T. Jones MTS, Spiritual Consultant, Author - Vernon's Blog

Reflection: Jesus Prays for his Disciples and for Us!

9/21/2017

In the John Chapter 17 we have Jesus praying for his disciples. He prayed for them because he was about to leave them, and he wanted his Father to be with them. Just as Jesus prayed for his disciples he continues to pray for all of us today. Jesus is a model for us to follow. Praying for those you love or who are in need is something that all of us on this spiritual pilgrimage should take very seriously and try to do daily.

During my prayer time I have a list of family members, friends, church members, and situations around the world that are prayed for. Holding others up in prayer can cause us to reach out beyond ourselves to walk with others during their challenging times. Just as God through the Holy Spirit walks with you daily, you can walk with others as well. People do realize that they are thought about and loved when they know they are being prayed for.

Be creative in the ways that this can be done. During the year I place the Christmas cards that we have received in a basket, and every couple of days I pull a card. The family whose card is pulled is prayed for during meal times, and when Shirley and I pray together before we start the day. During my jogging time, I also have a list of people that are prayed for. Of course we can pray for others anytime, in the shower, in a car, on a walk, etc. Get in the habit of praying for others on a daily basis.

Just as Jesus prayed for his disciples and he continues to pray for us, please find ways to pray for others. May this practice help you in your spiritual journey to become a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ!

Loving Lord, please help me to pray for those that I love and for those in need, and may this practice open my heart and soul to be able to receive more of your infinite grace, love, and mercy! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2017 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Scripture Reflection: Have No Fear!

9/14/2017

Vernon T. Jones and Judith A. (Buonavolonta) Jones

"It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31: 8

These words were from Moses to Joshua as the nation of Israel was preparing to go into the promised land. They were words that would give them the faith to trust that the Lord would be with them in this new place. Part of the challenge of being on this spiritual pilgrimage is that we also may be asked to go to a new place, or be guided to step out in faith to enter a different phase in our lives or be asked to take a risk. Passages like this one may help us to move forward. When I was younger, I was asked to do something similar.

My late wife and I met while we were students at Youngstown State University, in Youngstown, Ohio. I grew up in Youngstown, and Judy was from a town less than 60 miles away. Neither of us had ever lived anywhere else but that part of the country. When we finished our degrees, we had hoped to find jobs in the area, and we were willing to stay around, because both of our families were near. However, over time, nothing else came up, but then I was offered a job with a national insurance company. In order to take the job, we would have to move far away.

Thank goodness Judy was willing to take the risk to move far away from our families. I am not sure if I wasn’t married to her would I have been willing to move away by myself, or if I had been married to someone else would they be willing to make the move. Judy had an open and trusting inner spirit which was beneficial to me then and countless times later on.

The company moved us to Denver, CO, which was great place to train for the new job, but a huge step for both of us, because we would be so far from our family and friends. Of course the move worked out for us. Thank goodness we were willing to make the move, in hindsight it doesn’t seem like a really big deal, but at that point in our lives it was a tremendous step with many unknowns!

Please be open to what God through the Holy Spirit may be asking you to do next on this journey, it may involve risk, it may take you out of your comfort zone, and it may take you to places you have never been before. The important thing to remember is that the Lord will go before you, and will be with you and will not fail nor forsake you. May you have the faith to trust in these promises of God to be with you!

Gracious Lord, help me to trust in your words of comfort, that no matter what I may be asked to do that you will go before me, and will be with me every step of the way! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2017 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Scripture Reflection: God’s Grace!

9/7/2017

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them-though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe." I Corinthians 15: 10-11

Think for a moment about events in your life when you have been given something that you didn’t expect, or been given time to complete a project or assignment that you didn’t think you would be granted, or allowed to move ahead with something that you didn’t think you would be permitted to finish. All of these examples and many more that you could think of, are all forms of grace in one way of the other. Grace is about getting something unexpected or undeserved.

In my own life I have been shown grace countless times for various reasons, and hopefully I was aware of this and able to acknowledge how fortunate I was then. I remember when I was going to college part time and working full time that I was shown my share of grace. A couple times I thought I was able to take more courses then I should have taken and had a very hard time keeping up with all of the course work.

At the same time my grade point average was lower then it should have been and I was subject to being put on probation. At one point one of my professors showed me tremendous grace by working with me to keep my grade point average high enough to continue in school. However, I didn’t learn my lesson then and later on was put on probation. Over time I realized that I had to slow down and deal with what I could handle. I did get off of probation, and completed my course work to earn my degree. But a lot of people helped me and grace was shown me in many different ways.

Please be encouraged that the grace that was described in this passage is still very much available to us today, when we come before God with a sincere and contrite heart. May you like the Apostle Paul be able to state that the grace from our Lord was not given in vain!

Lord of love, help me to come before you asking for forgiveness for all my shortcomings, knowing that your infinite grace will be given me and that your love will surround me! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2017 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Scripture Reflection: The Lord Listens!

8/31/2017

Shirley and Vernon T.

"For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my cry of supplication. In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer me." Psalm 86: 5-7

This short passage places a real importance on being heard. Words like call, ear, listen, cry, and answer, indicate that the writer is confident that what they will be saying will be heard by the one being addressed and that their pleas will be answered. I have often said that a person who had good listening skills was well on their way to having good relationships with anyone that they were involved with.

Before going to Trinity Lutheran Seminary, for more than twenty-seven years, I worked in the insurance industry, primarily in marketing. One of my main tasks was visiting the agencies that sold insurance for the companies that I worked for. For me to be effective in what I did I had to be fully aware of what was being said. On those calls I had to be a good listener to what were the concerns and issues that were raised so that I, could correct any misinformation that was out there, help to solve any service problems, uncover why our products were not being sold, or deal with any number of assorted things. If I couldn’t clearly understand what was being communicated I couldn’t fully address what was needed to be done with the agency or with my company.

Of course good communications are vital in any relationship, in a marriage, in family situations, in communities, in work environments, in governments, among nations, etc. This passage lets us know that God is also a good listener beside being forgiving and abounding in steadfast love. When we come before the Lord with our prayers and supplications they will be heard, especially in our day of trouble. May you be bold in speaking to God about anything that you need forgiveness for or help with, knowing that when you call you will be heard!

Lord of steadfast love, help me to come to you knowing that you are the listener of everlasting love, and you welcome and hear my prayers and will answer them in your own time and fashion! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2017 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Scripture Reflection: Praying Without Doubt

8/24/2017

Vernon T. and baby Kevin!

"But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord." James 1: 6-8

As young parent I was very nervous about how to deal with a new born, for our first baby seemed to be so tiny and helpless. Overtime I got used to holding, feeding, and changing her. As I have gotten older and more used to being around babies, I have grown in my enjoyment in holding infants and being around young children. Part of my wonderment came about after my late wife’s battle with brain tumors, and when I learned more about how marvelous our human bodies are and how they function, and partly because of the new life that newborns represent to God’s creation.

Something that also helped me with this was one time I read that a baby can feel when they are being held by someone who is nervous or afraid of dropping them. Thus, often when a stranger tries to hold a new born, the baby can sense the fear and begin to cry. But then if they are held by someone who is secure in holding them, there is less fear and the baby is not as prone to cry. In the same way God knows when we are timid or doubting with our prayers.

This passage lets us know that God wants us to have faith when we pray, never doubting that we are being heard. Our faith is in the fact that we trust God will always hear our prayers and is full of love and only wants the best for us. What happens from our prayers may not be what we want or expect, but our faith and trust are in God, and not our prayers or our own effects. Thus, we are to ask in faith, trusting that what comes will be from our God who only wants the best for us and therefore we can’t pray in doubt that we will not be heard at all!

Gracious Lord, help me to not be timid, afraid, or doubtful in my prayers to you, knowing that you always hear me, and that the Holy Spirit will help me and provide what I need for my spiritual pilgrimage! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2017 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Reflection: A Road Less Traveled

8/17/2017

Normally you can find me jogging several times a week, which includes a prayer routine that has changed over the years as has my spiritual practices. My jogging has allowed me to see things that one might not have been able to see unless they were out and about in the morning. This has let me see all kinds of wildlife, met some neat people that are out at the same time, and witnessed some awesome sunrises, the whiteness of freshly fallen snow, growing vegetable gardens, and beautiful flowers. Thus I try to go out in all of the seasons of the year, including the winter months with its cold and snow.

Over the years I have been learned how to jog on certain kinds of snow, however, ice and hard-packed snow cause me to stay inside or to jog very carefully. One thing that I have found when the snow has been around for a while is that on certain roads that I use, the edges are not as packed down as the middle part of the road, and thus isn’t as slippery. Therefore I generally have better traction on the part that is less traveled.

You might try this concept when you are beginning or enhancing your spiritual practices. Just because some learned spiritual writers or your friends suggest a certain method as a way to get involved in these practices doesn’t mean that they are right for you. Please be encouraged to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and come up with some routines that work for you. It just may be a method or manner that others may not have thought of before, or in essence a road less traveled.

You may come up with something that offers more traction for you, just as jogging on the edges of the snow-filled roads provides a better grip for me. Be open and creative, and not afraid to step out in faith, if that is where you feel you are being lead. The main thing is to start your rituals or continue them being open to change as you are being guided!

Lord of all creation, help me to strive for your kingdom on a daily basis, and may that striving allow me to try new and challenging ways to take part in prayer and the other spiritual practices! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2017 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Scripture Reflection: No More Tears

8/10/2017

"They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7: 16-17

In our modern society some of us may think that people who cry may be thought of as weak for some reason. Some people can cry for most any reason, and others find it hard to do so. I know that for most of my adult life I generally didn’t cry except for major things, like the lost of a loved one. That all changed for me after I went through my late wife’s battles with cancer and her time being under Hospice care.

Judy had two operations to remove brain tumors, but after awhile the tumor came back, and there wasn’t anything else we could do, so we went under Hospice care. We cared for her at home until she passed away. That entire experience caused more changes in my emotional and mental state then I care to think about and therefore I cry a lot more often now than before that period. It doesn’t have to be anything sad, if it hits me the right way I tear up. I feel things more deeply then before and this causes me to become more emotionally then I used to be. Whenever I feel anguished about something that is happening to someone in my family, a close friend, or it may be even something going on in another part of the world, I can easily tear up.

That’s who I am now. However, this passage gives anyone who trusts in the promises of the Lord God, hope, that all of our tears will be wiped away. That we don’t have to remain in our current state or condition. On your spiritual pilgrimage may you feel that hope coming from God that the future is in the Lord’s hands and not in our hands or the hands of any other human!

Lord of all hope, help me to trust in your promises that all of our tears and pain will be taken away, and may that awareness influence how I live today and interact with those around me! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2017 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

Vernon’s New Book now available in the Kindle Edition!

8/3/2017

My latest book, Nourishment for the Spiritual Pilgrimage is now available from Amazon in their Kindle Edition. The site's link is at the top of this page marked Amazon's Kindle Editions.

My first book, Discipleship, is also still on sale through Wipf & Stock, and Amazon in their Kindle Edition.

Many thanks for all of your support. Peace, Vernon T.

From Wittenberg to Rome Presentation!

7/31/2017

Last Wednesday Shirley and I gave our first presentation in commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. We shared pictures, videos, and memories from our recent pilgrimage to Germany and Italy. We had a good turn out, and those who attended seemed to enjoy our talk!

We will do it again on Wednesday, August 16 at 1:00 p.m. in St. Paul’s Multipurpose Room. If you couldn’t make the first one, hope to see at the second one. Peace, Vernon T.

Reflection: God’s Kingdom Expressed in our Present Day

7/27/2017

One of the first public messages that was recorded at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry was when he said "the kingdom of God has come near." Thus when Jesus came he established the kingdom of God here on earth into this time and place. When Jesus gave us the words to what has been called the Lord’s Prayer, he told us to pray "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Additionally, we are also to pray for and do our part to continue to bring about God’s kingdom into our present day. We take part in doing this when we strive for God’s kingdom and are guided by the Holy Spirit to do what we think is God’s will.

There are times in life when it is really apparent that God’s kingdom is present. Shirley and I have been fortunate to be a part of something special when she was called to be the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Alpena, MI. In this town there is a group of churches that have lived out a little bit of how God’s kingdom can look in this present age as they join together to take part in various activities. This group was formed and operating before we got to Alpena and have several functions that they take part in doing the year. However, the most unique event is when they have midweek Lenten worship services.

Each Wednesday during Lent the services are rotated from church to church, they start with a simple soup and bread supper, which is followed by a worship service with a different clergy person preaching each week. It is truly neat and wonderful to have so many faith traditions coming together to break bread and have worship together.

We get to visit the churches, hear different speakers, and take part in a variety of worship styles. Even though each week the format is unlike the previous week, the worship is centered around praising God, and being in fellowship with other believers. Each year a specific Lenten theme is used for all of the services and the sermons delivered are based on that theme. In my mind this is a real example of having God’s kingdom be in this time and space.

The churches that are involved in the movement here are from the United Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Episcopal, Lutheran (ELCA) and Roman Catholic faith traditions. I realize that Alpena isn’t the only place that this is happening, and in fact there are probably many other places that are more diverse then the churches mentioned here. I would also say that those too are examples of God’s kingdom being present here and now. Being ecumenical in today’s world may indeed involve being part of events that include a wide range of faiths and religions.

On your spiritual pilgrimage look for places and events where you can sense that God’s kingdom is present, and where God’s will is being done and people from many faiths, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds come together for a common purpose, rejoice and praise God for being able to witness and take part in that wonderful movement!

Lord of all creation, help me to be open to those events around me that show your kingdom is present, and your will is done, and guide me to share this experience with those I meet today! Amen. Vernon T.

Copyright © 2017 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved