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Glorify God in Your Body

6/30/2022

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“Or do you not know that your body is a temple [sanctuary] of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body.” I Corinthians 6: 19-20

These two verses come at the end of a passage written about the Apostle Paul where he talks about glorifying God in one’s body and spirit. He wants his readers to know that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, their body is a gift from God, and not something that they own; for they were bought with the price of Jesus’ sacrifice, and that is why God should be glorified in their bodies.

The implication is that because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we should treat our bodies with respect and attempt not to do anything that would cause them any harm or to abuse them. That is something that is both easy and challenging to do. We probably all know what should be done to take care of our bodies; eat right, exercise, get enough rest, stay away from food or anything that could bring harm to our bodies with overuse, or using too much of any additive stimulant that has adverse side effects, etc. However, because we are all imperfect humans, we fight in maintaining a healthy balance in this regard. Nonetheless, if we can try to visualize that the Holy Spirit is in our bodies, and that we are the temples for this Spirit, it may help us treat our bodies better.

This is an area that I have battled my entire life. Even though I can be disciplined in certain areas of the care for my body, like with exercise, certain foods have been my downfall countless times in my life. Sweets and foods loaded with carbs/fats are my downfall. This is something that I have prayed about and also thought about how to handle in many different ways. Sometimes I am okay for a while, but it is still a real struggle for me.

No matter what your situation is, in caring for your body, on your spiritual pilgrimage may you feel the Holy Spirit within you, and may that presence help to glorify God in your body! Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2022 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Being Strengthened and Encouraged in Our Life’s Journey

6/23/2022

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“There they [Paul and Barnabas] strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.’” Acts 14: 22

We have Paul and Barnabas traveling from city to city proclaiming the good news and causing many to become disciples of Jesus Christ, then they returned to Antioch and spoke these words. They wanted the disciples to be strengthened in their souls and to be encouraged in their faith. Think about the times when you have been strengthened and encouraged by people around you, and when you were able to do the same for others.

This has happened many times in my life, and one of the major times was after my late wife’s second surgery to remove a brain tumor. After this operation Judy couldn’t talk, walk, or move her right side. She spent twelve weeks in two different hospitals and a nursing home recovering from the effects of the procedure, having radiation, and relearning her life functions again.

Needless to say, that was a very trying time for my family and me, I was with her every day for some period of the day during that time, and thus grew extremely tired and became emotionally drained. Even though it was very demanding, we were nevertheless strengthened and encouraged by the many people who prayed for us, visited us, called us, sent us cards, gave us meals, and were there to support us and help us in any way that they could.

That experience certainly changed me and caused me to see so many things in life differently. I know that I am more empathic to others who go through something similar. I will always remember those who aided us and became God’s love for us. Without this love and compassion that time period would have been even more challenging and lonely.

May you also be like Paul and Barnabas and our friends and family and strengthen the souls of others and encourage them in their faith, so that they can feel God’s love through you! Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2022 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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A Prayer for Discernment

6/16/2022

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“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart to revere your name.” Psalm 86: 11

Discernment comes to us in many forms, and often comes in ways that may be hard for us to see. We are all called by God to fulfill some part to bring about God’s kingdom into our present time. We all have certain gifts and talents that others don’t have, and thus it is important for all of us to seek how those talents should be used and set about using them. A prayer like this verse, is a good one to use to begin looking for how your gifts might be used.

My late wife, Judy, went into a Catholic Religious Order to become a nun right after high school. She joined the Humility of Mary Order (often called the Blue Nuns), for that is what she thought God was calling her to do at that moment. She felt that being a nun was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. This Order taught her in K-12 years in school and she became very close with them.

She was in the Order for more than two years, and the time was a very good one for her, for she grew spiritually and in many other ways. However, as time went on, she knew that this wasn’t what she was called to do for all time. She left the Order, but she continued to discern her call as a disciple of Christ and continued to use her talents. Besides helping our family and me grow in our faith she also was deeply involved in Christian education in her local parish. Her entire life became a witness of God’s love to those around her and she discerned God’s call throughout her life

Discernment comes to all of us daily. May you be open to where it may be leading you; it could take you to places that are totally new and different for you! Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2022 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Faith Community

6/9/2022

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“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10: 24-25

This passage is often quoted to encourage people to worship regularly with a faith community. From my own personal experience, being connected to and involved with a worshiping community has been an important part of my spiritual pilgrimage. Over the years communities I have attended have been a support and help for me. I realize that there are no perfect faith communities, just as there are no perfect people. All of the communities have had aspects that I didn’t like or care for, but in most cases the good have outweighed the bad. My family and I have been formed and blessed by several, and here are a few of them.

Jerusalem Baptist Church in Youngstown, Ohio was the cradle where my faith formation began. While attending Youngstown State University, I also became involved in its Campus Christian Fellowship. Being a part of this organization and others on campus enabled me to participate in an environment whereby people from different faiths, backgrounds, and cultures could come together in unity.

Following my marriage to my late wife Judy, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Pickerington, Ohio was the faith community that nurtured my family for a number of years. As I moved around the country on corporate moves, my family was also involved in several other Catholic churches. I later joined Epiphany Lutheran (ELCA) Church, also in Pickerington, where I once again became involved in various ministries.

Other faith communities were Bethany Lutheran Church in Louisville, Kentucky where I was their Worship Leader and Spiritual Consultant as well as Christ Lutheran Church, also in Louisville, where I served as Director of Small Group Ministry. The two churches that Shirley has served as Pastor has contributed to my walk as well, St. Paul Lutheran Church in Louisville, Kentucky and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Alpena, Michigan. After we moved to Colorado, we joined Lutheran Church of Hope in Broomfield, CO, which continues to support and nurtured us.

I would encourage all of you to try to find a community that can help you on your faith journey. In one’s spiritual pilgrimage it is vitally important to be part of a faith-filled community. If you are a part of one that works well for you that is wonderful. Some of you may have even been hurt by a community and could find it hard to join another, however, if you aren’t part of one, try to find an open, loving, and supportive body that is best for you! Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2022 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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The Spirit Speaking Through Us

6/2/2022

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“When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10: 19-20

This passage is recorded after Jesus talks about his twelve disciples going out to the Gentiles to proclaim that the kingdom of God had come near. He gives them instructions for the journey and warns them that they may be handed over to the authorities, in which case they should not worry about what to say, but that the Holy Spirit would give them the words to speak.

On our spiritual pilgrimage, the Holy Spirit can guide and comfort us when we are open to receiving the help. It can also speak through us, when we are called to witness to our faith, and when we are called to proclaim that the kingdom of God has come near.

Once, I was fortunate to lead two Lutheran (ELCA) Synod workshops on the topic of discipleship, one in Michigan and one in Indiana within a few weeks of each other. For both workshops I had a handout with a presentation that I could have given. However, the sessions were right after lunch and people had listened to speakers all morning, and I thought that it would a challenge to keep their attention. After a brief overview, I asked them to quickly read over my handout and come up with topics that they wanted to hear versus what I thought they wanted to hear.

In that way they were more invested in the discussion, and we let the Holy Spirit guide what would be covered. It could have been a risk on my part to do it this way, because you never know where the discussion would go. I still had to keep things under control and moving in these cases, but I trusted that what would be covered was what the people needed to hear.
Both breakouts seemed to go well and those who attended appeared to get something out of them.

May you be open to the Holy Spirit giving you guidance on your daily walk and when you are speaking about your faith or proclaiming the gospel message. It takes courage to trust and to give up some control of the situation, but that is what Jesus asked his disciples to do, hopefully you can do the same when the time is right to do so! Peace, Vernon T.

Copyright © 2022 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved

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Glorify God in Your Body

Being Strengthened and Encouraged in Our Life’s Journey

A Prayer for Discernment

Faith Community

The Spirit Speaking Through Us

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Glorify God in Your Body

​Being Strengthened and Encouraged in Our Life’s Journey

​A Prayer for Discernment

​Faith Community

The Spirit Speaking Through Us

Author

Archives

Categories

Being Strengthened and Encouraged in Our Life’s Journey

A Prayer for Discernment

Faith Community