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

[Psalms 21-25; Proverbs 5; Hebrews 7:23-25]Spiritual FellowshipToday's devotional is a video reflection on the spiritual fellowship that we enjoy with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit when we pray in Jesus' name. Our spiritual fellowship with one another begins in our fellowship with God in Christ.Praying with you today,Pastor Laurie...  Read More

[Psalms 16-20; Proverbs 4; Revelation 21:4-6]Good Monday morning, this beginning of the fourth week in the Easter season — remembering that even now the tomb remains empty, Jesus continues his mission of making all things new. Along with the readings from Psalms and Proverbs for this date, enjoy this poem from Malcolm Guite:Easter 2020And where is Jesus,this strange Easter day?Not lost in our lock...  Read More