May 9
One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us." - Acts 16:14-15 (NIV)
Have you ever heard of Lydia? Not too many have yet it is amazing when someone we aren't aware of has changed our world. Yet Lydia changed the entire world even though she was not famous, revered, or well known. It is hard to imagine what the church or Christianity would be like without her courage and faithfulness as a woman disciple of Jesus. She, along with her entire household, were the first people baptized and the first Christian European converts by the apostle Paul. Lydia, even founded the first Christian Church on the European continent which met in her own home.
In spite of dangers to herself and her family, Lydia gave refuge and protection to the despised foreign missionaries Paul, Luke, Timothy, and Silas as they began their mission journey in the hostile territory of "Macedonia," now known as northern Greece. She also successfully worked to release Paul and Silas from prison after being arrested, beaten, and jailed a few days after her conversion. She later gave generous financial and prayer support to Paul and they worked tirelessly together to bring Good News to a dark pagan world. Without Lydia's courage to be baptized and risk her life supporting the gospel, Europe may have remained a pagan world and we could all still be worshipping Zeus and the Roman gods. If you are ever discouraged or think your witness and good deeds for Christ are unimportant or making no difference, remember Lydia. Her faithfulness changed the world! So can yours!
Prayer:
Lord God,
Help me be as faithful as Lydia.
Amen.
Meditation For The Day:
Fame disappears. Faithfulness lasts forever.
Rev. Dr. Mary B Johnson - Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring Renewal (Seasonal Devotionals)
Paperback – February 21, 2017
Used with permission of the family of the late Rev. Dr. Mary B. Johnson.
Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson, D.Min., (1942-2018)
Mary was Ordained in 1975.
She served both as a Parish Pastor and in multiple Specialized Ministry Settings.
She worked on the Clinical Staff of New England Memorial Hospital and Middleton Pastoral
Counseling Center in Massachusetts and was a Director of Green Pastures Counseling Centers in N.H.
She was a state Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor,
Nationally Board-Certified Counselor (N.C.C.), and Nationally Certified Pastoral Counselor (AAPC)
and held certification as a Clinical Member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (A.C.P.E.).
She received a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Psychology and Clinical Studies
from Andover Newton in Newton, MA.
Dr. Johnson also founded Good News Specialized Ministries, Inc.
This unique ministry provided education and Clinical Christian Counseling to thousands of people over the decades and trained numerous Clinical Counselors and Counseling Ministers while offering weekly non-denominational worship services to the community for more than 20 years.
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I had the honor and privilege of working with Pastor Arnie Johnson
when I served as the pastor for the Richmond Community United Methodist Church in Richmond, NH from 2019 - 2022.
I personally have been deeply touched by Mary's writings. Her family has graciously allowed me to share them with you. - Pastor Sharon Sargent
"I always considered my ministry at Richmond as a shared ministry. Mary had the expertise that helped me function as well as I did. I received critiques on the way home after the services. I finally realized that I may have “arrived” when one day she was pleased with my performance with no critique! That took several years! So, I would love it if you would use the picture of the two of us and mention Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson as my spouse and partner in ministry, and she continued to be until the day she died, four days before the end of my appointment at Richmond." - Pastor Arnie Johnson
Rev. Dr. Mary Johnson is the author of eight other published books including:
"Activating The Power Of Pastoral Care: A Team Approach";
"Brief Devotions For Busy Lives: Daily Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter Renewal"(Vol.1-4);
"Flying Free: Transforming Grief and Loss into Renewal";
Following The Angel Trail: In The Steps Of Jesus";
"Love In Action: The Healing Heritage Of The Counseling Ministry Of The Church";
"Visions Of Hope: Voices Of Americana";
"Healing Streams: Journeys Of Healing".
She has also been published in the AAPC professional Journal "Journeys" and in the Keene Sentinel.