Edward and/or Elliott

Christ in our Home (CIOH) is a "devotional" booklet of scripture based thoughts and prayers. It comes out four times a year. There's one for October, November and December and another one for January, February and March. We have multiple copies here at church. Pick one up if you like. If you can't find one, let the office know.

Many people from our church use this booklet as a way of connecting with God's Word on a daily basis. Another popular day-by-day devotional is Our Daily Bread. That one is available online.
Added Saturday: A third is Portals of Prayer, also online.

The CIOH daily scriptural thoughts and prayers are based on the scriptures we read at church the next Sunday. For example, this week's devotions are based on the scriptures for the Second Sunday in Advent.

I was having breakfast today with a member of our church and the reading for today came up in our conversation. Since CIOH is not available online, I'm reproducing today's devotional below following the internet posting guidelines of the publisher, Augsburg-Fortress. Today's specific thoughts come from the Psalm assigned for this Sunday, Psalm 85:1-2,8:13.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other (Psalm 85:10).

Edward would rather be right than be liked. He was concerned for truth, even at the expense of other people's feelings. Edward didn't waste time with niceties. He was honest, even blunt, with others. He never considered compromising "just to be nice," because it would not be truthful or fair.

For his brother, Elliott, honoring other people's feelings was more important than proving himself right. Elliott, who would rather be friends than fight, often conceded an argument he was winning.

Their parents admired both Elliott's compassion and Edward's devotion to justice. They also wished that Elliott would be able to stand up for himself, and feared that Edward's relentless pursuit of truth would keep him from having lasting friendships. Their parents hoped their sons' qualities would "rub off" on one another.

Psalm 85:10 envisions the day when righteousness and peace are no longer in competition, when steadfast love and faithfulness embrace. The psalm hopes that God's vision for the world, linking justice and compassion, will "rub off" on us.

CHRIST IN OUR HOME is published quarterly by Augsburg Fortress,
copyright 2008. This specific day's devotion was written by Pastor
Julie A. Kanarr, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church,
Port Angeles, Washington

The prayer concern at the bottom of the CIOH page is for "your families." Let's pray that we will be both truthful and kind in all of our families, and in the family of the church. Our Lord's way of forgiveness, coupled with total honesty, shows us how to do both.