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Learning to See as God Sees

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While I prepare these devotions each week, I am also praying over the texts for sermon preparation. This week I have been praying over and studying these texts: 1 Samuel 16:1‑13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8‑14; John 9:1‑41 During Lent, we often pray for clearer vision—eyes to see God, ourselves, and our neighbors with honesty and grace. The scriptures for this week invite us into that kind of seeing. They remind us that God’s light exposes what is hidden, heals what is broken, and calls us into a new way of living. Seeing as God Sees (1 Samuel 16:1‑13) When Samuel is sent to anoint the next king, he looks at Jesse’s oldest son and thinks, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord” (1 Samuel 16:6, NRSVue). But God gently corrects him: “the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (v. 7). David is chosen not because he looks the part, but because God sees something deeper. God’s anointing rests on those who are...
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Light in Our Darkness (John 9:1-41, part 2)

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The narratives in John’s Gospel are lengthy, so I am breaking them up into two parts when they come up in the lectionary. Today we continue our look at John 9 . Yesterday we looked at the encounters and conversations that we encounter in John 9. Today we look at some of the themes. Lent calls us to confront darkness—within and around us. John 9 masterfully weaves themes of blindness and sight, light and darkness, sin and restoration, inviting us to see ourselves in the story. 1. Blindness vs. Sight (John 9:39–41) The chapter’s core question isn’t “Who sinned?” (v. 2) but “Who truly sees?” The blind man moves from physical darkness to spiritual sight: he worships Jesus (v. 38). The Pharisees, though physically sighted, are spiritually blind, trapped by rigid tradition. True sight begins when we admit, “I don’t see everything.” 2. Light vs. Darkness (John 9:4–5) Jesus declares, “We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As lo...
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Encounters That Open Our Eyes (John 9:1-41, part 1)

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John 9 is one long story told through a series of conversations. Each one reveals something about Jesus, something about the people around him, and something about what it means to grow in faith. As we walk through these interactions, we begin to see how grace works—quietly, patiently, and sometimes in ways that surprise us. Let us look deeper into this story where physical blindness reveals deeper truths about faith, fear, and authority. Let’s walk through four key encounters: 1. Jesus and the Blind Man (John 9:6–7) Jesus heals a man born blind by making mud with saliva, anointing his eyes, and sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man obeys without hesitation—and receives sight. Notice Jesus’ compassion: he initiates healing before the man even asks. This isn’t about merit; it’s grace in action.  2. The Healed Man and the Pharisees (John 9:13–34) The Pharisees interrogate the healed man, dismissing Jesus as a “sinner” for healing on the Sabbath. The man’s testimo...
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Walking as Children of Light (Ephesians 5:8–14)

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“For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’” Ephesians 5:8–14 (NRSV) Paul’s words remind us that discipleship is more than believing—it’s living differently because of what Christ has done for us. Once, says Paul, we were   darkness —not just walking in it, but part of it. But now, through Christ, we are light. Lent invites us to remember that transformation and to ask whether our lives still reflect that new reality. Lent invites us to be honest about the shadows in our lives—the habits, fears,...
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Restored, Empowered, and Sent (Psalm 23)

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Psalm 23 is a passage loved by so many. It is heard so often. It is often one of the first passages of scripture we commit to memory. There is a real danger of overfamiliarity with this text. Do we repeatedly read it (or hear it) with our own preconceived expectations of what it is going to say to us? Because we do know it so well, might we be approaching it with a spiritual blindness? We don’t have the space to look at the psalm line by line, but let’s focus on a theme that connects to this week’s other texts for the Fourth Sunday in Lent this week. How do we learn to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us afresh as we read or hear a familiar text? Let’s try this: let’s consider some of the key phrases in Psalm 23. For example, in verse three what does it mean that the Lord “restores my soul” and “leads me in right paths”? Let’s consider them one at a time. First, the phrase: He restores my soul. God brings about a renewal or revitalization of the inner self, reflecting the ...
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God Looks on the Heart (1 Samuel 16:1–13)

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Today we begin by looking at this week’s Old Testament text ( 1 Samuel 16:1–13 ). It talks about how we look at others and how different that is from the way God looks at others. Do you sometimes make snap judgments about people by: the way they dress? the way they talk: their grammar, their accent, the way they pronounce words? whether they are overweight or underweight? Sometimes the way we judge people is so quick and so shallow that we hardly notice we are doing it. We size people up by what we see—how they look, how they speak, how confident they seem. But Scripture reminds us again and again that God sees differently. Consider this old description: “ A man small in size, bald‑headed, bow‑legged, in good bodily condition, with eyebrows meeting and nose somewhat hooked. ” Not exactly the picture of a great leader. It is a description of the Apostle Paul from the  Acts of Paul and Thecla.  Even the Bible says,  “ His letters are weighty ...
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Come and See: Living Water and Living Witness

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Today's post consists of my notes for a sermon I preached August 25, 2013 at Kitty Hawk UMC. John 4:5–42 She lives in a small town, the kind where everyone knows everyone else’s business—and often adds their own opinions to it. We can picture her walking through the dusty streets, feeling the weight of the whispers. Years of broken relationships, painful choices, and sideways glances have taught her how small towns can turn gossip into a prison. So, she learns to schedule her life around other people’s routines. When the women of Sychar go to draw water early in the morning, she waits until the noon sun burns hot, when no one else is there. It’s not just about water—it’s about avoiding shame. It’s about living an invisible life, excluded and exhausted. Many of us know something about that. We may not draw water from a well, but we know what it’s like to feel outside the circle—to carry things we hope no one else notices. Lent is a season when those quiet, hidden wounds come to ...
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