MonroeOHUMC

Thursday, April 10, 2025 Scripture: John 12:7–8 Devotion: Jesus says, “Leave her alone. She bought this so she might keep it for the day of my burial.” In other words, her offering is not just beautiful—it is timely and prophetic. Mary may not have fully understood the depth of her act, but she responded to what she saw in Jesus with all she had. She gave her love now, not later. And Jesus honored it. In church communities, we sometimes wait too long to affirm someone, to give generously, to worship deeply. What if we didn’t wait? What if we honored people while they were still with us, worshiped with abandon today, and showed our love before it’s too late? Action Steps: Write a note to someone who has impacted your spiritual journey. Give it to them today. Make a donation or gift to someone in need now—don’t wait for the “right” moment. Express gratitude to God today with your full heart—through song, writing, or stillness. Prayer: God...

  Wednesday, April 9, 2025 Scripture: John 12:4–6 Devotion: Judas criticizes Mary’s generosity. “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?” But John notes his motives weren’t pure—he didn’t care about the poor, he was looking out for himself. Sometimes critiques of the church come from genuine places. Sometimes they come from fear, envy, or self-interest. Either way, Jesus doesn’t let criticism derail love. He defends Mary’s act and affirms her place in the story. Church can be different when it resists the temptation to perform or to please every voice. It can be a place of honesty, where both motives and actions are examined in light of love—not efficiency, power, or appearances. Action Steps: Reflect: Where in your life is fear disguised as criticism or judgment? Name it gently. Offer encouragement to someone who’s doing something bold or different, even if you don’t fully understand it. Choose to listen to someon...

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 Scripture: John 12:1–3 Devotion: Mary’s act in John 12 begins simply: she takes a pound of perfume—nard, imported, costly—and pours it on Jesus’ feet. Then, with no words, she wipes them with her hair. The house fills with fragrance. This is a moment of embodied worship —a love that doesn’t need words, a presence that lingers. In a world that often demands productivity and proof, Mary gives us a picture of presence and attention. She recognizes something sacred in Jesus and chooses not to miss it. Sometimes we think church must be loud or busy to be meaningful. But maybe a truly different kind of church smells like devotion—like the lingering scent of love poured out without expectation of return. Action Steps: Light a candle or diffuse a fragrance and sit in stillness for 5 minutes. Let it be your quiet offering to God. Do something with your hands today—clean, serve, or create—as a prayer in motion. Leave space in yo...

Sunday, April 6, 2025 Scripture: John 12:1–8 Devotion: Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrives in Bethany. A dinner is held in His honor, and Mary does something unexpected. She pours out expensive perfume—worth a year’s wages—on His feet and wipes them with her hair. It’s an extravagant act of devotion that others criticize as wasteful. But Jesus receives her offering as beautiful. What looks like excess to some is, in His eyes, the natural response of love. Mary is doing more than an act of kindness—she is preparing Him for burial, though she may not fully realize it. She chooses presence over practicality, love over logic. This moment invites us to ask: What if the church looked more like this? A place where love was poured out freely, where people were honored, and where no offering of the heart was considered too much? Mary's worship was not in a temple—it was in a home, around a meal, in a moment of intimacy. Action Steps: Reflect: When have you felt safe enough...