Daily devotionals
reflections with Boston Ave
Reflections
Our daily devotionals are available here, as well as via email, Facebook, and Instagram. These daily reflections from our clergy, staff, and members can help serve as a source of inspiration, contemplation, insight, and guidance to help you think deeply, grow spiritually, love generously, and deepen your faith.
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From Our Readers
Our daily devotions often inspire me in surprising ways. It is terrific to start my day with this gift from others and think “I needed that”.
Rick
I enjoy, learn from, am inspired by, and am provoked by the devotionals – I like them. I have mentioned many times that Belynda, for example, makes observations then draws them into context as a tenured minister would -delivering wonderful ideas every time I read them. I read each one every time! Thank you!
Myers
The daily devotions mean a few things to me. They come early when I am preparing to face a tough day of caregiving, reminding me to be open to spiritual care and to pray! That calms my fears. Then I feel so loved by my church family! That feels so good. You are there …. for me. It’s like a friendly visit to my home and a hug.
Sherry
I appreciate how much work and effort go into posting the daily devotionals each day. I do try and read them daily and I enjoy hearing devotionals from staff and members of the church.
Brandi
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Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Saturday, September 23
Pride and Honor
by DeLynn Fairless
Proverbs 29:23 "A person’s pride will bring humiliation, but one who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor."
In the Shakespearean comedy “Much Ado About Nothing”, the lead character, Hero, is a young maiden who upholds her honor through obedience to her father, loses her honor by the deceit of false impurity, and regains it by another form of trickery. In those times, men, whose honor was built on their successes at war, could restore it with a duel. Women, whose honor was built on purity, fidelity, and obedience, could only rely on an honorable male to defend her, if it was even possible. This construct between the sexes is similar in Biblical times, but hardly relevant today.
This day and age, familiar slander and deceit is even more swiftly spread through our technological advances. And the purpose for trickery, deception and manipulation has not changed; whether in the Bible, a Shakespearean play, or our lives today: to benefit the manipulator, or the one being manipulated. Unfortunately, the latter purpose seems to be true only a fraction of the time. But why? Instead of searching for someone’s honorable qualities by giving them our time, we quickly jump to conclusions based on screen-delivered first impressions. Pride is an ugly manipulator from within and wears the mask that we often present to others from the safety of our handheld device.
So how do we become “lowly” as Proverbs 29 suggests? Exactly that: we put God above all others, and others above ourselves. Honoring thy neighbor is only achieved if we take the time to truly know them and being brave enough to let them know the real us.
Editor's Note: Tulsa Theater Works Fall Lab is ongoing. Classes run Sept 5-Nov 9th. For more information: www.bostonavenue.org/tulsa-theatre-works-fall-lab-performance/ ... See MoreSee Less
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Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Friday, September 22
Be Kind, Be Kind, Be Kind
by Rev. EvaMarie Campbell
Often, people tell me they associate me with this phrase, “Be Kind, Be Kind, Be Kind.” While I thank them for their kind words, I remind them of the importance of being kind. I know it’s easier to be kind to those we know and love, and at times it can be hard to be kind to those we don’t know.
Recently, I had a person I didn’t know “Be Kind” to me in a very stressful situation. I had some damage done to my van by a person experiencing a mental breakdown. A woman (I will call her Adah) who works downtown had witnessed the whole event and was even able to catch some of it on video with her phone.
I was called outside to handle the situation. Adah was in the parking lot waiting to meet me. She let me know that she had already called the police and they were on their way.
As we were waiting, Adah told me what she had seen and heard, and we shared contact information so she could send me the video she had taken.
It was when she turned her phone around to input my information that I noticed she had a pop socket on her phone that said, “Be Kind.”
What are the odds of that?
I was helped by a person I did not know who also has as her focus to “Be Kind.”
“In a world where you can be anything Be Kind.” ... See MoreSee Less
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Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Thursday, September 21
Don't Stop Them
by Belynda Clanton
Some of the staff of the church have been working on our PQ or Positive Intelligence. We have been learning to tap into the sage intelligence part of our brain rather than the judge side of our brain. The voice of the Judge keeps judging everything we do. It tells us all of the negative things we have done and reminds us of all the times that we should have or could have done better. This is the side of the brain all of us know well.
During one exercise we were asked to study a childhood picture of our own self. As I studied my picture, I re-connected to all of the potential and gifts I had as a child. I saw how hopeful, curious and excited I was. I was eager to reconnect to that person. That child is still inside of me. I thought about how I could be nicer to that child who is inside of me.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all share the story of the children being brought to Jesus. The disciples in each book of the Bible told people to STOP bringing the children and in each scripture, Jesus replies, “Don’t Stop Them.” He goes on to say the kingdom of God is for people like these children. I believe God always sees us as the child we are. He sees the child with limitless potential and accepting faith. In each gospel story, Jesus reaches out to the children. He hugs them and blesses them.
One of Boston Avenue’s CORE values is that we believe “everyone is a beloved child of God.” I encourage you today to find a childhood picture of yourself. Look at it and remember the child that you were and still are. On this day, imagine the child inside each person you meet. Today, offer grace and kindness to the child in you and the child in the other.
Scripture: Luke 18:16 "...Let the children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these the kingdom of God belongs."
Prayer: O God who sees the child inside all of us. Help us remember who you made us to be. Regardless of what has happened, regardless of mistakes, regardless of what our judge says, You still see our child. We may think our child is hidden from you, under countless coats of mistakes and the smeared paint of wrong turns, but it is not and for that we are grateful. We can feel your hug and unconditional love. Amen. ... See MoreSee Less
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Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Wednesday, September 20
Quilting For Others
by Judy Rowell
I don’t do needle work, I have almost no hand/eye coordination, so my early adulthood was a misery of people trying to convince me that I would just LOVE counted cross stitch or embroidery or macrame if I just tried it again. I did not. So, while most of my friends in the 1970s were quilting and sewing, I wasn’t.
Quilting was a skill that both of my grandmothers possessed, and I love the quilts handed down to me from them. Today, two different stories about quilts came to my attention. When something like that happens, I start trying to pay attention.
One was of women in a church whose ladies quilted together; all food and drink was forbidden near the quilt, but one cheated. She spilled coffee and seeing no one else around, fled the scene.
The next day people were exclaiming about the miracle of the quilt. The stain, that had appeared without explanation, looked like Jesus. People started coming from all over to see the holy quilt and she finally had to confess. The pastor said he was relieved to be done with the pilgrims, but said, it is a shame that people will travel miles to see Jesus in a quilt, but won’t go across the street to help their neighbor.
The other story was of the fabric in a quilt. It is all kinds of fabric usually, some new, some old, some of one color, some of another, some larger than others, some smaller, some stiff and some soft. But it is, like us, all fabric, cut from His cloth. And all in the same quilt.
Think of all the beautiful quilts you have seen; we used to have them hanging from our second-floor walkways. We do quilting for others such as the Stork’s Nest, Trinity Woods, Exodus House, and Circle of Care. I love the symbolism from the stories and hope next time you look at a quilt you will give some thought to His fabric.
1 Cor. 12:12,14 "There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ...So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts." ... See MoreSee Less
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Beautiful story!
My quilts tell many stories. I know when each quilt is not perfect, it represents each of us. However, the finished quilt is always as it should be.
Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Wednesday, September 20
Quilting For Others
by Judy Rowell
I don’t do needle work, I have almost no hand/eye coordination, so my early adulthood was a misery of people trying to convince me that I would just LOVE counted cross stitch or embroidery or macrame if I just tried it again. I did not. So, while most of my friends in the 1970s were quilting and sewing, I wasn’t.
Quilting was a skill that both of my grandmothers possessed, and I love the quilts handed down to me from them. Today, two different stories about quilts came to my attention. When something like that happens, I start trying to pay attention.
One was of women in a church whose ladies quilted together; all food and drink was forbidden near the quilt, but one cheated. She spilled coffee and seeing no one else around, fled the scene.
The next day people were exclaiming about the miracle of the quilt. The stain, that had appeared without explanation, looked like Jesus. People started coming from all over to see the holy quilt and she finally had to confess. The pastor said he was relieved to be done with the pilgrims, but said, it is a shame that people will travel miles to see Jesus in a quilt, but won’t go across the street to help their neighbor.
The other story was of the fabric in a quilt. It is all kinds of fabric usually, some new, some old, some of one color, some of another, some larger than others, some smaller, some stiff and some soft. But it is, like us, all fabric, cut from His cloth. And all in the same quilt.
Think of all the beautiful quilts you have seen; we used to have them hanging from our second-floor walkways. We do quilting for others such as the Stork’s Nest, Trinity Woods, Exodus House, and Circle of Care. I love the symbolism from the stories and hope next time you look at a quilt you will give some thought to His fabric.
1 Cor. 12:12,14 "There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ...So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts." ... See MoreSee Less
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Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Tuesday, September 19
Is There a United Methodist Way of Life?
by Rev. David Wiggs
I recently read a new book by United Methodist Bishop, Kenneth H. Carter, Jr., "Unrelenting Grace." Reverend Campbell has recently led a study of the same book. Every delegate to our recent Oklahoma Annual Conference in May received a copy.
It is under 100 pages yet offers much wisdom. Bishop Carter outlines three key themes or core values: grace, connection, and holiness as descriptive of a United Methodist way of life.
On grace he writes: “We are in a lifelong journey...grounded by grace in a calling to become more faithful like Christ.” (p. 16)
On connection he writes: “First, we were created for relationships, and we flourish when we are in connection with each other. Second, we were created by and for God, and we desire communion with God.” (p. 23)
On holiness: “When Wesley says that there is no holiness but social holiness, he is saying there is no way to fulfill the great commandment apart from connection…Holy living is a set of practices that puts us in a place to mature.” (p. 83)
Then he suggests the trouble in our denomination is not that we disagree on these important doctrines or values. He suggests the problem is our opinions. He says we all love our opinions but the “church’s unifying foundation is not your opinion or mine. The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord.” (p. 17)
On institutions: No one loves institutions, and yet we need the goods and benefits that institutions provide…” (p. 56)
Toward the end of the book, he puts the three core values into practices. He says welcome unconditionally, walk together, and worship constantly. He suggests these can move us beyond the disruptions we are all living through to a more productive future.
He concludes, “If we commit ourselves to these spiritual practices, if we are faithful, our life together will be fruitful. And where there is faithfulness and fruitfulness, there is unity.” (p. 87)
He uses this prayer from our Communion liturgy: Make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world. Amen. ... See MoreSee Less
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Great read & I have passed mine on to other friends.
Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Monday, September 18
Practiced But Not Pondered
by Angelyn Dale
Eleanor of Aquitaine was an amazing woman in any time, but particularly so in her part of history. She first married King Louis VII and became Queen of France, but her marriage was annulled by the Pope after 15 years and 2 daughters. (Tricky today, but common then when women failed to produce sons.) She then married King Henry II and became Queen of England. Throughout her life, she was the Duchess of Aquitaine, which made her a powerful ruler in her own right. After Eleanor led a revolt and was captured and imprisoned in 1173 by her husband Henry, author Sharon Kay Penman writes the following about
Eleanor’s faith:
"Her religious faith had been the conventional kind, practiced but not pondered.
She had dutifully attended mass, delivered alms to the poor, made generous
donations to abbeys like Fontevraud, and felt that she had kept up her end of
the bargain."
This description of Eleanor’s faith is worrisome. Haven’t we all known people whose faith is similar to Eleanor’s? Faith practiced perfunctorily in public; attending church, participating in mission projects as long as they aren’t too tedious, pledging to the church and its programs as long as the resulting financial squeeze isn’t too tight? Haven’t we all, at least, had periods in our lives when our faith was perfunctorily practiced, but not pondered deeply? A faith not clutched closely to us with fervor, not practiced with passion and joy, but just another item to be checked off our internal “I am a good person” checklist? Not only do we shortchange God when we merely parade our shallow faith in public, but we also shortchange the people around us who might be inspired by our truly acting in Christlike ways out of love, not hubris.
Finally, we are also shortchanging ourselves by not living lives filled with gracious moments of joy when we devote our prodigious energies to drawing closer to God. Hopefully, it won’t take more than a decade of imprisonment by an angry spouse [Spoiler alert – Eleanor is finally released in 1189 when Henry dies and her son becomes king.] to lead us to a productive faith that is not only practiced, but also pondered deeply in our hearts. ... See MoreSee Less
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Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Sunday, September 17
Boston Avenue Faith Formation Teachers
by Evelyn Caruso
Have you ever wondered what goes into preparing a lesson plan for Children’s Sunday School or for Adult Education classes? Well, there is a team of dedicated individuals that meet and take time to prepare all the materials, books, reserve the rooms, make the signs for each class, and zoom links. I have taken a few of these classes and they never disappoint. We learn something new, and it gives us the opportunity to grow spiritually in our lifelong journey.
If you have never taken an adult class, I encourage you to do so. Check out the Adult Discipleship Classes for the Fall 2023 booklet available at Bishop’s Hall and the Welcoming tables. I am very grateful for the group of faith formation teachers at Boston Avenue, their work is important, and it doesn’t go unnoticed.
If you have children, they also receive age-appropriate lessons that will help them through adulthood. Kind and thoughtful individuals are most likely recipients of a nurturing environment. The best a parent can do is bring their children to a place where not only do they learn about God, but they can have some fun. I passed by a classroom one time, and they were laughing so hard, and enjoying themselves.
You may recall, there was a very nice song the children sang with their xylophones on Sunday, August 27th, an encore presentation was requested, the words go with the scripture below:
"Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action." I John 3:18
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for all the dedicated faith formation teachers at Boston Avenue, give them wisdom, energy, and health to fulfill their task. We pray for all who take the classes, for all the families of the children and for those who come as visitors. Amen. ... See MoreSee Less
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Your Boston Avenue #DailyDevotional, Saturday, September 16
Third Grade Bibles
by Hope Wiggs
It is my favorite time of year! The temperatures are starting to drop (a little), children are back to school, and everything is pumpkin flavored! At Boston Avenue, this also means it is almost time to gift our third graders their new, engraved, and likely first, Holy Bible.
This is a long and rich tradition at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church. On Third Grade Bible Sunday every year, children come up to the altar railing and are presented their Bible. There are often children who come to receive their Bible at the same altar as their parents or grandparents did many years ago. It is a beautiful visual representation of a way we pass on the Christian faith.
Receiving a Bible is a grand milestone in a young person’s faith formation journey. You can see the excitement on their faces after being presented the Bible in front of the congregation. As they walk back to their seats, they are often giddily flipping through the pages pointing to the books they recognize and intrigued by the colorful maps of the Holy Land. It is such a scared gift to witness a young person’s curiosity about God’s Word.
If you are able, please be in attendance in person at 11 o’clock on September 17th to witness this sacred occasion. Be part of the community that will continue to surround these Third Grade children as they continue on their faith journey. Please pray for them that they may be true disciples who walk in the way that leads to life.
Prayer: Dear Wonderful God, thank you for the beautiful gift of Christian community. Help us to live out our membership vows to uphold the local congregation with our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness and be with us as we celebrate the newest generation of our congregation. Amen. ... See MoreSee Less
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And Samantha Devlin took my 3rd grade Bible to camp with her the first time she went. We LOVE 3rd grade Bible Sunday around here.
Love this service
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