Each Wednesday, a devotion is posted here, sent via email to our email list and also posted on our Facebook page. If you would like to be part of our email list please contact the church office. In addition, check out past Devotions on our Facebook page.
I often receive feedback that the devotions are rich in content and are complex. Reading devotions whether short and concise or longer and complicated should never be read once quickly. All types of devotions should be read multiple times using contemplation, reflection and pausing. In those spaces of contemplation and reflection we experience the Holy Spirit interacting with us. Sometimes, individuals will reach out and provide their thoughts and reflections on their devotion. My intent has always been to create a dialogue. So read these in the way that best works for you to experience the Holy Spirit and create a dialogue with others in our community.
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Dear St. Andrew’s UMC Community….
Today we pause and consider what it means to be in a full and complete relationship with God.
Sanctuary
1 Timothy 5:22(c)
The song "Sanctuary" reminds us that to be in full relationship with God, we need to be a sanctuary that is pure and holy.
O(h) Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true;
With (And in) thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You.
Being pure and being a sanctuary is difficult in this world. The food we eat, the visuals we watch and the words we read are most likely not pure. For me, sometimes they are the farthest from pure. From eating processed foods, to watching movies of justice that are really just lots of violence wrapped up in a cool story, to reading stories borne of this world’s fascination with the battle between good and evil, being pure seems distant. And yet we are called by God to be pure. What would this world be like if everyone chose to be pure in mind, body and spirit?
Take a moment and slowly and deliberately read the following:
O(h) Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true;
With (And in) thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You.
What word or words do you connect with and why?
Take a moment and slowly and deliberately read the following:
O(h) Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true;
With (And in) thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You.
What images do these words create for you and why?
Take a moment and slowly and deliberately read the following:
O(h) Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and holy, tried and true;
With (And in) thanksgiving, I’ll be a living
Sanctuary for You.
What feelings surface when you read these words and why?
What do you need to change, revise or give up in your life to be this living sanctuary everyone is called to be?
Dear God, thank You for creating me to be a pure sanctuary for You. Dear Jesus, thank You for teaching me how to be a pure sanctuary for You in this world. Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for always supporting me in my journey to being a pure sanctuary for You. Amen.
To read more about the history of the song go to:
- https://hymnstudiesblog.wordpress.com/2021/03/04/sanctuary/
- https://songscoops.blogspot.com/2020/04/sanctuary-jw-thompson-and-randy-scruggs.html
(Image from: https://ar.inspiredpencil.com/pictures-2023/sanctuary-nature)
by Dave Piltz
