Category: Spiritual Development

YMCA Week of Prayer

Posted on Updated on by Kate Haslar

JOIN US IN A WEEK OF DEVOTIONAL ACTIVITIES!

The World YWCA and World YMCA have partnered together since 1904 to organize the
World Week of Prayer. Use this booklet and plan to join us this year, November 10–16, 2024.
You can take part individually or form a small group and work through the short devotion each
day together.

ABOUT THE THEME

The theme of the World Week of Prayer 2024 is based on the four classical elements: water, earth, fire and wind. Through the week we will explore different aspects of the elements as they are described and experienced in scripture and our daily life. The prayers offer both a reflective perspective as well as a call for igniting change.

We hope the World Week of Prayer 2024 will help us become anchored in faith, trusting God’s guidance, guided by the light as we serve with purpose and share God’s love.

There are bible readings, introductions, interpretations and applications, questions/reflection points, and a prayer of blessing for each of the six days.
Download the devotional

The Power of Belief

Posted on by Kate Haslar

A Spiritual Reflection based on John 4:46-54

Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

There is an account in John’s gospel of Jesus healing a government official’s son. What is unique about this healing account is that Jesus was nowhere near the son when he performed this miracle. That’s possibly the most incredible part of the account.  And while it’s worth noting, it’s not what these thoughts here are focused on. In the dialogue between Jesus and this official, there is a statement that might be overlooked, simply because this miracle is so extraordinary.

To set the stage of this account, Jesus returned to the area in which he performed his first public miracle, the turning of water into wine. And when he arrived, this government official heard he was near and sought him out. He found Jesus and shared with him his son’s illness, pleading with urgency for him to come to his home and heal his son because there was not much hope. In fact, Scripture says that he was very near death. Jesus listened but remained where he was. His simple response to the official was, “Go; your son will live.”

“The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” John 4:50

There are two things that jump off the page here. First, the words of Jesus have incredible power. And for us to understand the second point, we must believe that the words spoken by our Master are absolute truth and carry life-giving, transformational power. We can go nowhere else for truth. And it’s the words of Jesus that will bring not only his plan and purposes for us, but those same words, the truths we read in the gospels and in Scripture, will transform our hearts and our lives from death to life.

The second thing that we see in this simple verse is faith. It is a man’s simple belief. John records that this official “believed” the words of Jesus. He had not even yet known of his son’s healing (which is recorded in verses 51-54 of chapter four), but he still believed. That’s what faith is, and this is a beautiful picture of faith being lived out. He didn’t have to see it with his eyes before he believed it. The words of Jesus were enough for him.

The question this leads us to is this: do we believe? Do we trust that the teachings of Jesus are truth? Do we believe that his words will lead us to life? In no way can we see tomorrow, nor the plans God has for us, but we can believe. We must believe because the words of our Master are as true for each of us as they were for the official and his son. And when we respond in faith, when we simply believe Jesus, we find on the other side of our response is life.

Oh, may it be said of this generation that we “believed the word that Jesus spoke.”

“The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.”

John 4:50

Providing Hope: South Dakota Mission Trip 2024

Posted on Updated on by Kate Haslar

A team of five from the Glacial Community YMCA recently joined the National Service Project of the YMCA Alumni Association in Dupree, South Dakota. This initiative, now in its fifth year of construction, aims to create a livable community for single mothers on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The program, facilitated by the YMCA of the Seven Council Fires in Dupree, will provide three to six months of transitional housing and resources to help these young families create a sustainable lifestyle after their time at the Y.

Our Y team was part of a larger group of 24 volunteers from across the country that assisted in constructing the fourth home on the site. All week they carried lumber, measured, measured again, sawed, drilled, hammered, and caulked. In the process, they learned a lot and built lasting relationships with like-minded leaders. “From learning to use a table saw to meeting people from all over the country, including our honorary Y teammate from Italy, this trip was filled with memorable experiences,” said Pam Buss. “I’d love to do this again, or maybe even venture onto another mission trip.”

Todd Stamper observed, “It was eye-opening to see how the Lakota tribe lives, which made it very clear these homes are necessary. With anywhere from 10 to 15 people living in a single house, you can see the importance of providing a mother and child their own space, along with the opportunity to find a job and a permanent home.” 

Together the volunteers were able to move the project ahead quite substantially. Director of Spiritual Development, Bruce Osborn noted that once the project is completed, “the Glacial Community YMCA will be able to say we had a hand in providing hope for families in one of the most impoverished communities and counties in the nation.” The Y hopes to send a second team to help finish the project in the fall of 2025. 

“the Glacial Community YMCA will be able to say we had a hand in providing hope for families in one of the most impoverished communities and counties in the nation.”

We’d love to hear your Y story!

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All Things New: Holy Week Devotional

Posted on Updated on by Kate Haslar

This time of year before Easter is celebrated as Lent in many Christian traditions. The last week before Easter is called Holy Week. These days leading up to Easter are about remembering, renewal and redemption.

Explore Holy Week with our All Things New, Holy Week Reflections for the Whole Family.

Get a hard copy at the Y or download the pdf.

DOWNLOAD ALL THINGS NEW

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

-2 Corinthians 5:17

Treasures of the Heart

Posted on by Kate Haslar

Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

Ralph Waldo Emerson, a poet and essayist in the 17th century, said, “Beware what you set your heart upon. For it shall surely be yours.” It is amazing how the heart drives our emotions, our will, our passions, and our desires. When you truly set your heart to something, you find that your motivation will soon follow. So beware, as Emerson says, because as your heart is stirred and motivated, so go your feet.

The heart is a central theme in the teachings of the Bible. Many times, throughout scripture the heart is used to serve as a measuring stick of our commitment to God. For example, with all our heart we are to love and serve God (Dt 6:5). The condition of our heart is reflected in our words and our actions (Matt. 12:34). And we find that our priorities are revealed by the motivations of our heart. Many of Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 can be traced back to the condition of our heart. In the middle of that sermon, Jesus tells us these words, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

What is it that you treasure? What do you find yourself thinking of when no other task is demanding your attention? If you could follow your heart today, where would it lead? The answer to those questions will determine your treasure. Jesus taught us to not put our attention toward those things that don’t really matter in the long run; the things that will break, that will run out, or that someone can take from us. Instead, He taught us to put our focus on the things that matter in eternity; relationships, time, service, and the things that you really can’t put a price tag on. As we share our faith in Christ through our actions and our words, we are training our heart to value the eternal treasures. And we will find that the things of the world that are only temporary will soon become less attractive and will not captivate our attention like they once did.

It’s not wrong to have things in this world. But when we allow them to become our treasure, the purpose of life, we have lost focus on the kind of life that Jesus came to show us. And by allowing ourselves to be led by those temporary treasures we will soon find that it will only lead to a disappointed and discouraged heart, an empty life. Retraining the heart to value things of eternal significance is not easy, but it is possible. It’s done one choice at a time. And it starts with your choices you will make today.

"The heart is the happiest when it beats for others."

- from God’s Little Instruction Book 

Cast Away

Posted on Updated on by Kate Haslar

A Spiritual Reflection
Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

The apostle Peter was a fisherman. It was his career. More than that, it was his life. I imagine that, like most people who enjoy fishing, he was on the water most mornings as the sun would rise over the horizon, getting a head start on the day. For Peter, most days looked the same. Same rituals. Same boat. Most likely saying hello to the same fishermen as he prepared his nets for the day. He knew the routine and he knew it well.  Except for one day when a stranger strolled by on the shore and called for his attention. This is the day that would change this fisherman’s life forever. In a quick exchange of words, Peter came face to face with not only his humanity but Jesus’ divinity. And Peter, from that day forward would no longer be a fisherman of fish, but of men and women. He left his boat, his way of life, and gave all to follow this Rabbi, Jesus.

There are many things we can learn from Peter. Some of the things we learn from his recorded failures, but some are valuable lessons from who he was created to be – a fisherman. In his writings to the Christians who had been scattered throughout the region, Peter urges them, among many other exhortations, to live for God, to be submissive to the authorities appointed by God, and to be living stones and a holy priesthood. He taught what it meant to suffer for doing good and to live clear-minded and self-controlled lives. But it was one of his encouragements that captures the attention of all of us who know Christ and live in this world, surrounded by pain and difficulties.  It is in the closing verses of his first book that we find this simple command, “Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” (I Peter 5:7).

I used to fish occasionally. My idea of casting involved holding a rod and reel in my right hand and with a simple, fluid motion, springing from my elbow and wrist, I would throw my line into the water. Simple. So, when I read that verse above, I imagine the easy, peaceful task of casting a line into the water. But Peter, through his life and writings, gives us a completely different image. Have you ever been to the coast and watched a fisherman cast a net? It is a full-body movement. The leg muscles, back muscles, and both arms are engaged. Springing from a low position to a fully extended one, the fisherman hurls the net out over the water, hoping the net will unfold in mid-flight, landing perfectly on its surface. And it’s not just a one-time action. This continues all day until the fisherman has caught their limit. It must have been an exhausting way to earn a living for Peter. But the imagery his livelihood gives us, matched with his words, is priceless. 

The truth we learn from Peter here is that our cares in this life can be tiresome to carry around.  And our “casting” them on our Lord has to be a complete action. It is as if when we throw them off our shoulders and onto Christ’s, we can do it with full confidence that He is able to catch them. And by doing so, we are set free from the webbing, the netting that our cares bring with them. That webbing can trip us if we’re not careful. If we leave them at our feet, we’ll stumble over them and fall. Peter teaches us to start low and with our full body strength, cast them on Jesus. By doing so, your cares are completely taken away.  Jesus is now your burden bearer.  And He is strong enough to carry them. 

So don’t carry your troubles around on your shoulders any longer. Pick them up, give the world a wooohooo! and cast them on the shoulders of the One who can handle them.

Why?  “Because He cares for you.”

I Peter 5:7

Strengthening Communities for 179 Years

Posted on by Katie Anderson

This month, we think back on our beginnings as an international organization – On June 6th, 1844, the YMCA was founded by George Williams and 11 other young men, who held a meeting in London that would lead to the founding of the YMCA. For 179 years, the Y has worked to strengthen communities –creating the first group swim classes, spearheading the first English as a Second Language (ESL) class and addressing chronic disease through programs like the Y’s Diabetes Prevention Program.

You might enjoy watching a brief, three-part video series on our history. These videos were produced a couple years ago by Dr. David Newman, a pastor of a church that meets in a Y in Ohio and who loves the YMCA and its history.

The Reason Why Part 1
https://youtu.be/Ebwt69__pZc

The Reason Why Part 2
https://youtu.be/_nqVZk40AfA

The Reason Why Part 3
https://youtu.be/nJO-t9oOYOE 

Because He’s God

Posted on by Katie Anderson

Written by Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

A Spiritual Reflection

If you are a reader, you understand how sometimes a word, or a sentence can simply jump off the page, as if you have never read it before. And when that happens with Scripture (a rather common occurrence for me), I usually learn a new principle of the Christian life, gain a deeper understanding of Jesus, or discover a truth that I’ve never considered before.

Let me give you an example. There are many interpretations of who Jesus was when He walked on the earth. Some would say He was the perfect picture of God’s grace. Some might point to his compassion as his defining characteristic. While others would say Jesus was a man who loved all. These are all true, but there are many pictures painted in Scripture of just who this Jesus was and is. While this article is not meant to dive into all the details of who Jesus’ character, let me share one of the instances in his ministry that jumped off the page for me this morning.

In Mark’s gospel there is a story recorded of one of the many times the religious leaders of the day were seeking to find guilt in Jesus, to accuse him of breaking one of the many laws that were established by the Jews, his own people. It was the Sabbath and a man came to Jesus with a need for healing. For the Jews, it was unlawful to do anything on the Sabbath, the day of rest. Jesus asked the leaders, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” Mark goes on to say that Jesus, “looked around at them in anger,” and was “deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (Mark 3:1-6).

What jumped off the page as I read that account this morning is Jesus’ anger. How can Jesus, full of grace, love, and compassion be angry? How can he be so upset at these people and still love them? He can because He’s God. No way am I able to express both love and anger in the same breath because I’m not capable in my finite mind and heart. Those emotions just don’t seem to go together. And you probably struggle with it too. And here’s another reality of that account. More times than I care to mention, I am like those leaders and Jesus looks at me and is “deeply distressed at (my) stubborn heart.” Can you relate? If you are honest, you probably can.

When Jesus looks at his creation, I think he experiences quite a few emotions; love, compassion, care, grace, mercy, long-suffering, and so much more of those feel-good ways our culture interprets who he is. But let’s not forget that he also feels anger and distress when he sees us pursuing our own ways, straying from his perfect plan, or celebrating anything contrary to his ways. And even in that anger, because he is God, he loves. It’s just who he is. How will you respond to his love for you today? Maybe we all should do so with a change of heart.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” -Colossians 3:1

YMCA Sends Missions Team to Mexico for 5th Service Trip

Posted on by Katie Anderson

Pictured from right to left, in front row: “in selfie” Bruce Osborn (Director of Spiritual Development), then Dave Wasserman, Brandon Davis (EV Short Term Missions Director), Azumi (EV Teen), Savannah Wasserman, Stacie Gorecki. Back row: Jasmine Martinez, Jaime Wasserman, Kim Osborn, Eden Wasserman, Kim Holt.

In February 2023, the Glacial Community YMCA sent a team of nine people to Puebla, Mexico, as part of a mission trip partnering with the orphanage, Esperanza Viva. This was the YMCA’s fifth team to go and serve in this capacity, an outreach and service trip that first began in 2018.

Esperanza Viva, a ministry of Living Hope International, is an orphanage/youth home in Puebla, Mexico that currently provides shelter, family, healing, and hope to approximately 100 children living there.

The Y team’s week consisted of morning service projects around the campus, meals, crafts and recreation with the children, cultural activities as a team, learning more about the ministry of Living Hope International, and relationship building with both children and staff. Trips usually last 8-10 days and include some sightseeing time as well.

In 2020, the YMCA commissioned then-employee, Karlee Webb, as a full-time missionary from their staff to go and serve in the ministry of Living Hope, residing in Puebla at Esperanza Viva. The YMCA at Pabst Farms is proud to be among a select few YMCAs that have commissioned, sent, and helped support a missionary to serve full-time in this modern era.

“The Y has continued to send teams to serve, love, and build relationships within the ministry of Living Hope and Esperanza Viva, because these experiences are life-changing. The children love interacting with teams, and our volunteers are deeply impacted by that love as they serve and care,” said Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development for the YMCA.

The YMCA offers missionary opportunities multiple times a year, to both members and community participants, as well as their staff members, with trips seen as unique opportunities in leadership development.

The YMCA also partners with the Y-USA and other YMCAs around the country to help support the mission of the Y in Valparaiso, Chile. Past trips to Chile have included service projects, community outreach, teaching seminars, program development and support of their George Williams School.

Osborn adds, “The days are long for our team members during the week, but the work is rewarding. It is a recipe for a radical shift in the priorities of life, and one that I wish everyone could experience.” To learn more about the YMCA’s mission and service work, please visit https://www.glcymca.org/mission-trips-service/.

Blameless

Posted on by Katie Anderson

Written by Bruce Osborn, Director of Spiritual Development

A Spiritual Reflection

A high-profile court drama, played out on most all major news outlets, ended yesterday. The verdict was given and a man was pronounced guilty of the murder of two of his family members. I wasn’t there to hear either side of the case. So, all I have to go on is what was reported. And the end result of the cases presented was a man pronounced guilty.

It brought back memories from a few years ago when I served on a jury.

Guilty was also the verdict handed down from that jury, a jury in which I was a member.  The case?  A difficult story of a young man, who seemed to have started with all the finest of intentions, but ended up guilty of a crime he never imagined he was capable of committing.  And because of poor decisions, his life was forever altered.  Tears shed, a family left in disbelief, and broken pieces of a life lay scattered along a path of deception and constant surrender to the wrong influences. 

That’s usually how it happens.  One decision, seemingly insignificant, leads to another, and before we know it, we find ourselves in a place we never thought possible.  Looking back, it’s easy to see the crossroads, the danger signs placed in plain view, warning us to stay straight.  But many times, we ignore those warnings and continue to chase our own desires, our own passions, thinking that all will turn out okay.  One wrong turn leads to another, and before we know it we’ve lost our way and we’re in a place we don’t need to be.  Choices. We make them every day.  Some good.  Some not so good. 

I can’t tell you how many choices I’ve made that I wish I could revisit.  I am guilty, and most likely you can relate.  We’re guilty.  Maybe not to the degree of the young man on trial, but our actions have been offensive to those closest to us, and more importantly to our Savior.  And our choices have put us in places we never should have been.  We are all guilty of the spiritual cancer of sin. Romans 3:23 says we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s best for us.  And that cancer eats away at our spiritual life, to the point that if we let it go unchecked, unconfessed, we die inside.  And we soon learn that the separation it causes between us and God is too much to bridge on our own.

Oh, but there is hope…

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”– I John 1:8-9

Yes, there is hope for all who will trust in the One who became the once-for-all sacrifice for sin.  Apart from the cross of Jesus Christ, and our faith in Him, we have no way of approaching a holy God, no possible way of shedding our guilt.  No works of our own, no philosophy, no religion, not by science or reasoning will we ever gain His acceptance.  But by His grace, through our faith, and our surrendering to His authority over our lives, we can confidently know we belong to Him.  And when we arrive at that place, when we have said yes to His invitation, we are pronounced blameless!  He becomes our defense, our advocate (I John 2:1) to the Father.  No more guilt!  Simply defined, that’s grace.  And it’s all because of the work of Jesus on the cross, not my work.  That’s my hope!  And it can be yours too!

The jury is in.  Innocent is the verdict for all who are in Christ.  Go ahead, live free!

“He (Jesus) will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God, who called you into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.”  -I Corinthians 1:8-9