Blog Archives - Vernon T. Jones MTS, Spiritual Consultant, Author

Scripture Reflection: Worshiping God in Spirit and Truth!

3/31/2014

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4: 24

This verse is taken from the story about when Jesus met the woman of Samaria at the well. This is a long passage, which goes into a lot of detail about the interaction between Jesus and this unnamed Samaria woman. She ends up spreading the message that Jesus is the expected Messiah, and she in turn gets other Samaritans to come to Jesus and believe in him.

Jesus talks to her about how her ancestors worshiped would be different that he was now here. That they would not worship their Lord God on a holy mountain, nor in Jerusalem, but the worship would be in spirit and truth. That God was a spirit and had to be worshiped differently. On our spiritual pilgrimage, we can worship God in most anyplace, but according to this passage, because God is a spirit, our worship is to be done from our spiritual side and in truth! Vernon T.

Prayer: God of spirit, may my worship and praise to you be done in spirit and in truth!

Scripture Reflection: Hope That Does Not Disappoint!

3/27/2014

“And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Romans 5: 3-5

In our life today it is easy to become burdened with events happening around us and in the wider world. Because of our modern communications, what occurs halfway round the globe becomes instant news for us. We can learn about many things so quickly and with overwhelming detail, that often we may feel as though we can’t handle all of it. Years ago it could take days if not weeks to learn about what happens elsewhere. After a while we may be tempted to lost hope about our own future and the future of humankind.

However, the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans wants us to know that hope can still be there for us and for humankind. This hope doesn’t come from any earthly source, but through the love of God given to us by the Holy Spirit. This hope doesn’t disappoint us nor is it subject to the ups and downs of human life. When you hear of things in the world that pull you down, may your spiritual practices allow you to see the hope that is there in God’s love! Vernon T.

Prayer: Loving Lord, please give me the hope that is needed to daily walk in your light, that does overcome the dark portions of this earthly journey!

Scripture Reflection: Complaining!

3/24/2014

“‘I [The Lord talking to Moses] will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water came out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Exodus 17: 6

In Exodus 16 and 17 we have the Israelites getting upset and then they start complaining to Moses about not having any food and water. Even though God brought them from Egypt and had Moses leading them to the promised land they were unhappy. Moses at one point mentions that they were ready to stone him. How would you like to have been Moses, for no matter how much had been done for the people, it never seemed to be enough? Does this remind you of people you know today, or how our so-called modern society functions, basically what have you done for me lately?

In this journey, called our Spiritual Pilgrimage, we too may have times when we want to complain and whine to anyone who will hear us. That is why having spiritual practices give us the space and time to let it all hang out with God. These practices wouldn’t remove us from all of the challenges we face, but as this verse shows God will be there with us. Vernon T.

Prayer: Forgiving Lord, please help me to be able to see you in front of me, in all of my life’s situations!

Ministry Update

3/20/2014

This past Monday I was the speaker for St. Paul’s Religions Study group. The title of the discussion was “A Spiritual Journey of Many Paths.” I talked about how the Baptist, Catholic, and Lutheran faith traditions have influenced my spiritual development. It was fun doing this presentation for it allowed me to reflect on how so many people, communities, and life events have impacted me and are still a part of me today. A nice group of people was there and they seemed to enjoy the evening. Vernon T.

St. Paul Religion Study Group

3/20/2014

Words of Comfort—Psalm 121!

3/17/2014

I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and for evermore.

Ministry Update:

3/13/2014

Ministry Update:

Again I want to mention for my local friends that on Monday, March 17, the Religions Study group of St. Paul will have me as guest speaker. The title of the discussion will be “A Spiritual Journey of Many Paths.” I will talk about how the Baptist, Catholic, and Lutheran faith traditions have influenced my spiritual development. The public is welcome to join us in the Multi-Purpose Room at 7:00 p.m., as the Religions Study group seeks to understand how we are all connected beyond our apparent differences. Hope to see you there!

Scripture Reflection: A Time of Distress!

3/10/2014

“Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.” Psalm 32: 7

As you know having a prayer life of some type is one of the main aspects of this spiritual pilgrimage. No matter if only two minutes a day, up to several hours a day, turning our thoughts and mind to God and God’s will in our lives is so important. Having a relationship with anyone requires time, energy, and effort.

Psalm 32: 7 notes that when the faithful pray to God that in a time of distress the waters will not reach us. In my NRSV Study Bible the footnote about mighty waters indicates that it refers to a familiar image of trouble that threatens to overwhelm an individual. Many scholars believe that having a strong prayer life will not keep us from having problems, and we can suffer just like anyone else. However, we can be strong in our belief that God’s love will surround us and walk with us through the valley times of our lives. Blessings on your prayer time! Vernon T.

Scripture Reflection: Listen to him!

3/6/2014

“This is my Son, the Beloved, with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” Matthew 17: 5b

Here we have Jesus with his three of his closest disciples, Peter, James, and John on this mountain top experience, that is normally called the “Transfiguration.” At this time Jesus’ face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. However, with all of this excitement, God only wants the three disciples to just listen to Jesus.

Listening is an important step on our spiritual journey. After we listen—really listen and focus on what we have to learn, this knowledge will cause us to change. This change will continue as long as we are on this path, and will allow us to see this life differently. Blessings on your spiritual pilgrimage as you try to listen! Vernon T.

Ministry Update:

3/3/2014

For my local friends on Monday, March 17, the Religions Study group of St. Paul will have me as guest speaker. The title of the discussion will be “A Spiritual Journey of Many Paths.” I will talk about how the Baptist, Catholic, and Lutheran faith traditions have influenced my spiritual development. The public is welcome to join us in the Multi-Purpose Room at 7:00 p.m., as the Religions Study group seeks to understand how we are all connected beyond our apparent differences. Hope to see you there! Vernon T.