2022-2023 Harmony Ministries Staff Devotions #1 of 33

Dear Blog Reader,

This is a new series of articles in my too-long-inactive blog. It was originally written and presented to the Faculty and Staff of the Harmony Christian School in Middletown, New York. Harmony Christian School is one of the major ministries of Harmony Ministries, also located in Middletown, New York.

The Harmony Ministries website can be found HERE 

and the website for Harmony Christian School is HERE

You can also find us on Facebook at Harmony Ministries and Harmony Christian School

,,,and on YouTube at Harmony Ministries on YouTube

Each Monday this year, I intend to share with you some of my favorite Bible verses/passages, particularly in the context of you and I being part of the same ministry staff here at Harmony Ministries.

This morning I’m going to start with my “Life Verse”: John 3:30

John 3:25-30

Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness--look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The who who has the pride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Let’s take some time to consider what it is that each of us is seeking to accomplish here at Harmony Christian School. For some of us...

• It’s a job; 

• the schedule is nice; all the holidays, snow days, 2 months off in the summer; same schedule as your children

• It’s a steady, if modest, paycheck

• You’re gaining experience in your field; maybe working toward certification

Whatever your reason for taking this job, though, this is true for all of us: We are workers together in this part of the Kingdom of God.

To be successful, I believe it’s necessary to get myself--my ego, my ambitions, my pride--OUT OF THE WAY so that Christ can get the attention.

In short, He must increase, but I must decrease.

Are You a Teacher? You are!

NEW! Now you can LISTEN to this article, read by the author. Click HERE: The Scrawling Shepherd reads "Are You a Teacher? You Are!"


Teaching? Yeah. This week I've had a recurring thought. I am a teacher. It isn't simply my occupation, my job. It's a large part of my identity. In fact, it doesn't even matter if I don't have a classroom right now. Or whether or not I have a class roster, or an attendance book, or even a grade book. I am a Teacher. And, (this is really what has me thinking HARD), because I AM a teacher, IF I AM TALKING, I AM TEACHING. Corollary: EVEN IF I AM NOT TALKING, I AM STILL TEACHING. Now the question is less about WHO am I teaching, and more about WHAT am I teaching? If anyone reads my posts on Facebook or other social media: what are they learning FROM me? What are they learning ABOUT me? It's quite astonishing to think that I learn a lot about people by what they post, share, like on Facebook. Makes me stop and think about what I post, share, like on Facebook. Right?

If I encounter someone OUT THERE, in the world outside my four walls, what am I showing them? Am I showing them Fear? Am I showing them that I am foolishly disregarding all advice about limiting my social interactions, maintaining a safe distance? Hopefully, with a smile and a wave and a nod, and maybe, if we're both moving slowly enough, a friendly exchange of some words.

Hey, think about those people who are your students. I spent some time recently with one of my grandsons. He doesn't watch the news. He doesn't know about COVID-19 or social distance or any of the other things that most of the rest of us are thinking about, talking about, worrying about. Whenever I'm around him, I'm definitely teaching. And, strange as it may sound, today, he was teaching me, too. Life is still happening. It's different right now. For sure. It's almost the end of March as I'm writing this. April Fools Day is just a few days away now. It's going to be April, and really Spring! The sun is going to shine. The temperatures will get warmer. And this present thing will eventually be over, and the next thing will begin.

May my teaching reach beyond this present grim moment and look ahead to the time after this time. There's a lot more to learn, and a lot more to teach.

Class dismissed.

30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 30: Influencers

Today, on this last day of the original challenge/exercise, I am expressing my thanks to God for all of the men and women that He has used in my life to influence me over the past 50 years. Some have been in my life the entire time, and others have passed through more quickly. Still others simply brushed past me and jostled me as we passed.

I have in mind today those who were, have been, and are “live” players in my life, including mentors, teachers, leaders, and friends whose voice I have heard and whose touch I have felt. I am also thinking, however, of those who have stirred me without knowing it. Some, even, have influenced me even after they have departed this life. Not in some eerie, ghostlike phantasm but in the form of the words that they left behind, written down on pages for anyone to read.

“No man is an island,” John Donne said. The man that I am today, and the man that I shall become, has been and is being shaped and fashioned by a host of influencers. It is quite likely that, if you are reading this, to have been, you are, and/or you will be one of the influencers in my life. Thank you, and thanks be to God for you.

Technorati Tags: Influences,Influencers,Thanksgiving,Thanks,Thankfulness,Mentors,Teachers,Leaders,Authors,Writers

30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 23: My Family Heritage

Today I am writing to express my thankfulness for the heritage of my family-on both sides--of Christian faith and service for Christ. You might say that vocational Christian service (notably, pastors and Christian school teachers/administration) is our "family business."

For many years I have known about my father's side of the family, the Ashleys. My dad had two brothers, both of whom are pastors. My dad trained to be a funeral director after coming home from World War II, so the natural family joke was "two to get ready and one to go." In my generation, there are (out of 12 children) four pastors and three Christian school teachers/administrators. While we weren't pushed into ministry, I have no doubt that our family's heritage helped to make vocational ministry a viable option.

Just recently, however, I discovered that this legacy is also in my mother's ancestry, also. In fact, about 3 years ago I discovered that I am a direct descendent of Rev. Obadiah Holmes (1607-1682). Rev. Holmes was born in Northern England in around 1607, and traveled to New England in 1639, arriving in Salem, Massachusetts along with his wife Catherine. (You can read more about him here: http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sam/obadiah.html )

Obadiah is significant in church history, especially among Baptists, because he is believed to be the first Christian to suffer persecution because of the convictions of his faith here in the "new world." This persecution came in the form of a public beating--30 lashes with a three-stranded whip. What strikes me as both strange and sad is that the reason for this persecution was that Holmes, a Baptist in his convictions, was persecuted at the hands of the Puritan Christians that held the power and influence in his town. Thus, he became the first Christian to shed blood because of his faith here in the New World. He did not die as a result of his beating, of course, and he went on to become the second pastor of the First Baptist Church in America, succeeding Dr. John Clarke as the pastor of the Baptist church in Newport, Rhode Island. He remained in that pulpit for 30 years, until his death in 1682.

When I learned the story of Rev. Obadiah Holmes, and learned that he is my great (x12) grandfather on my mother's side of my family tree, I felt, and feel, an overwhelming sense of connection with this man who, for 30 years nearly 330 years ago, had essentially the same "job" as I have today, preaching and proclaiming the same gospel message, and seeking to make disciples for Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this heritage of Christian service in my family, going back into the far distant past. Thank you for their example to me, and for the encouragement that it brings.

30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 19: My Pastors

Today in my thoughts of thankfulness marches a squad of remarkable men. These men have little in common in their outward appearance. Some are tall, some slim, some erect, some bent over. Some are smiling and cheerful in their countenance, while others wear a grim visage.

These men are my Pastors. Each one has had the role of shepherd in my life, and I render honor and respect to every one of them. Some taught me by their words, some showed my by their example, and a few did both consistently. Some little part of each one of these men has molded and shaped the person I am today, and the person I am becoming. I liken them to the tools a master craftsman carries in his toolbox. Each tool has a particular purpose and is used to accomplish a particular task. The hammer is used to drive nails home and to tap the chisel. The file and the rasp are used to shape and smooth. The screwdriver is used to...well, anyway,  the sandpaper and polishing cloth are used to smooth and finish the job. God has used each of the men on my list to do in my life what God knew needed to be done at that time in my life. I thank God for these men, and for those who are still living and serving God, I honor them and pray for their continued fruitfulness. This list is generally organized in chronological order.

Pastor Jack Beukema, First Baptist Church, Afton, NY
Pastor Howard Carlson, First Baptist Church, Afton, NY
Pastor Louis Caruana, First Baptist Church, Afton, NY
Pastor Ken Rogers, Berean Bible Church, Greene, NY
Pastor Joseph Mugglesworth, Lehigh Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA
Pastor Tom Rauch, Lehigh Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA
Pastor Ken Wilcox, First Baptist Church, Bristol, PA
Pastor James Bates, Mansfield Baptist Church, Port Murray, NJ
Pastor Don Stone, Victory Baptist Church, Berlin, Germany
Pastor Mike Peper, First Baptist Church, Aston, PA
Pastor Bruce Baker, Immanuel Bible Church, Campbell Hall, NY
Pastor Cam Thompson, First Baptist Church, Newburgh, NY

And, in a unique ministry to me,

Pastor Don Ashley, Scipio Community Church, Scipio Center, NY and Highland Bethel Evangelical Mennonite Church, Fort Wayne, IN.

Thank you, Pastors. God has blessed me through your ministry.

30 Days of Thanksgiving, Day 18: Goshen Christian School

Today I am thanking God for the students, teachers, staff and parents that shared their experiences with me at the Goshen Christian School from 1997-1999 and 2009-2010, during the 3 years that I taught Bible at the school. In my first at-bat, I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Bible classes (and threw in a Health class and even P.E.) In my second at-bat, I taught 7-8th grades, and 9-11th grades.

During these years at the school, I made some great friendships with a group of very professional educators. These teachers did not limit their lessons to their students or their classrooms--they all taught me as well. They welcomed me into their circle and never made me feel like an outsider, and treated me as a valued colleague.

I enjoyed the classroom experience and the challenge of bringing timeless truth to eager young minds, and even a few not-so-eager young minds. From time to time, I think of those mornings on bus duty, greeting students as they arrived for the day, and those afternoons, sending them on their way.

The clock does not turn backward, and days gone by are gone. So, I thank God for the Goshen Christian School, and I thank God for memories, so that gone does not have to mean forgotten.

Father, please bless my friends from Goshen Christian School today--teachers, staff, parents and students--wherever they find themselves. They are under your watchful Eye and protective Hand, I know. Thank You.