[Psalms 91-95 / Proverbs 19 / Luke 8:22-25]"In stormy times, how do you act in faith? How do you have the fearless ability to look at the storm and not be so scared?" This is Tim Keller's opening question in this 5 minute video devotional from the series  called "Trusting God in Difficult Times."One of the gifts of the past couple of months is the fantastic material that many teachers and organiza...  Read More

[Psalms 86-90 / Proverbs 18 / John 8:31-32]Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Jn. 8:31-32How do we live free from fear or guilt?I have a friend who remains remarkably resilient even in the most anxious and demanding times. He described once what he would do whe...  Read More

Thank you Anthony Spain for this Saturday music devotional:Watchman, will the night soon pass? (Isaiah 21:11–12)One of the great things about being a musician is sometimes, after all the hard work that is shared with others, events happen that are unexpected and will always be remembered. One of my most memorable moments happened while conducting one of my favorite passages in Lobgesang (Song of P...  Read More

[Psalms 71-75 / Proverbs 15 / Ephesians 2:1-10]I’m not sure if you have ever opened up the Presbyterian Book of Order. It’s the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), alongside the Bible. There is a great deal on polity and discipline, but the real gem is the book of worship. Since we are considering worship, and especially personal worship this week, I thought I’d share this paragraph:W-1...  Read More

We have been reflecting on worship all this week, and most of us are used to the idea of morning devotions. I wonder how familiar you are with praying at different hours of the day -- midday, at the end of work or evening?This past Christmas, David's sister sent us the book Every Moment Holy, a collection of liturgies written by Douglas McKelvery. There are liturgies (prayers & readings) for diffe...  Read More

[Psalms 61-65 / Proverbs 13 / Ephesians 6:10-18]Guest devotional this morning! My friend Rev. Michael Neelley, who preached for us here at West Side last fall and is a pastor at Tierra Nueva, uploaded this devotional. Since our theme this week is worship, and worship is not simply rationale or emotional but also spiritual — well, this seems a good morning to have a guest devotional. Mike speaks ab...  Read More

[Psalms 56-60 / Proverbs 12 / Ephesians 1:3-14]“Oh God, to know you is life. To serve you is freedom. To praise you is the soul’s joy and delight.” – St. Augustine How is praise going for you these days?We are reflecting on worship all this week, and praise is an essential part of that personal worship. In the Psalms this morning, there is praise for God’s character:I will praise you, Lord, among ...  Read More

[Psalms 51-55 / Proverbs 11 / Isaiah 65:17-25]Our theme this week is worship — believing that during this COVID-19 pandemic we are invited back to the training ground of personal worship. We have an online group here at West Side (in Realm) that shares posts on what we are reading at home. Tiffany shared a post on the book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. If you’ve read it, maybe you...  Read More

[Psalms 41-45 / Proverbs 9 / Numbers 6:22-27]It’s often called the priestly blessing (in Hebrew tradition the Birkat Kohanin) - the blessing that Aaron, the first High Priest, was given to speak over the children of Israel (Num. 6:22-27). This is most often the blessing I’ll use at the end of worship, and always at the end of every class I taught as a professor. As a child I loved the phrase, “lif...  Read More

[Psalms 36-40 / Proverbs 8 / Isaiah 30:15-18]I asked a friend the other day how it was going. “It feels like Groundhog Day...” (Remember the film? Bill Murray’s character is trapped in a life loop, with the same day repeating over and over and over...) One of the Moms involved with our MOPS group said her bed is like an iPhone charging pad - she lays down on it every night to recharge then gets up...  Read More

[Psalms 31-35; Proverbs 7; 1 Peter 3:18-22]I've had a longing for poetry lately, and remembered one of my favorite poems from Denise Levertov. Since we are still in Easter season, I'll share it with you this morning. Levertov is reflecting on the traditional 'Harrowing of Hell' -- the rescue of the souls who died before Jesus' birth, an event referred to in the reading from 1 Peter. And here is wh...  Read More

[Psalms 26-30; Proverbs 6; Luke 6:20-22]“There is a hunger abroad in our time, haunting lives and hearts. Like an empty stomach aching beneath the sleek coat of seemingly well-fed culture, it reveals that something is missing from the diet of our rational, secular and affluent culture.” Marjory ThompsonFood is a curious thing during this COVID-19 Outbreak. There are the Facebook groups on what we ...  Read More