Christianity after religion

February 22nd, Narrative Lectionary, Ashes, predictions and egos.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 22nd, Narrative Lectionary, Ashes, predictions and egos.  You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

February 22nd, Ash Wednesday.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 22nd, Ash Wednesday. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Poem for Ash Wednesday, Matthew 6:1-16

Is my hair straight?
How about this tie
     does it match
the rest of the image
    (help me)
I wish to present?
            an image
I sometimes make a show
for the world
                so busy making shows
yet
        I long for something more
        (Lord)
        I long to uncork
              that stream
        of passion
              within me
that passion
       that draws me toward the light
              and illumines
                    my innermost
                          Yes I dare let go
                                 self
        (to place)
protected now
by the walls of expectation
built on the unfulfilled dreamings
of what should be.

But there are those times
when
      for some reason
              beyond me
I live in a world filled with people
              alone
         (my trust)
and in those brief glorious moments
I become
          whole
          (in)
and cry
      for no reason
      seeing no eyes upon me
      and I Thank You
      (You)
            Lord

Opening Litany based on Psalm 51

Pastor: Have mercy on us O God, with your unfailing love and great compassion blot out all our transgressions.

Congregation: Wash away all our iniquities and cleanse us from our ever sin. For we are aware of our transgressions, the thoughts of those things that stand between us and the God who loves us are always on our minds.

Pastor: When it comes right down to it we realize that it is against God, and God only that we have sinned and done that which is shameful in the sight of God.

Congregation: Should the Lord judge us, that judgment would be justified. I have been full of myself and not God from the beginning, perhaps even before I was born.

Pastor: the Lord desires that truth would be an intimate part of who we are as the basis for teaching us wisdom that would guide our every move.

Congregation: Cleanse us O Lord with your gracious good will, wash us with your grace and we will be clean. Let us hear once again of your joy and gladness.

Pastor: Hide your face from all our sins O Lord and blot out all our iniquities.

Congregation: Create in us a pure heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within us.

February 19th, Narrative Lectionary, Transfiguration and Confession

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 19th, Narrative Lectionary, Transfiguration and Confession. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

February 19th, the Transfiguration of our Lord.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 19th, the Transfiguration of our Lord. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 50:1-6

Pastor: The Mighty Lord God speaks and summons all of creation, from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Congregation: From the Heavens above, from the holy places in our midst, the perfect beauty of our God shines forth.


Pastor: But our God does not come in silence. A purifying fire rages before the Lord as the Lord God prepares to judge both the heavens above and the earth below with righteousness.

Congregation: Gather onto the Lord all the people of God and let the heavens proclaim the righteousness and justice of our God.

The Transfiguration of our Lord Mark 9:2-9

In the Joy filled intensity of our excitement
We look up
And catch a glimpse of
      something unseen
  (This)
beyond the realm of all we know
  and feel
    and hear
beyond the encounter of those special moments in life
when every part of our existence
      is focused
on the here and now
and for a brief moment
    all is just right
beyond even the pureness of joy
that comes in the perfection of religious expression
  amid the rising voices
    and the spine tingling timelessness
  (is)
came this almost moment in time
rising from the mist
  of exhausted ecstasy
    on a high mountain top
  (My)
apart
  from the world
    seething in hunger and pain
  longing to see that to which they have turned
    a blind eye
here
  in this almost place and time
comes the light
  (Son)
that can burn through even the blindness
    of not looking
  or looking too hard
with our eyes focused on that unseen moment
that we almost notice
here at this time
the Son of God leads us down
      into
          the world around us
to see the glory of God
in the poor and lost around us
to see the pureness of unbounded timelessness
in the moment of love expressed
to one who knows not love
to see
  by not trying to see that faint glimmer
                                                  off high
                                         in the distant mist
  (Listen to Him!)
Christ
  in those around us

never sing the old songs anymore

Sunday February 19th, 2 Kings 2: Elisha replied, "I swear by the living LORD and by your own life that I will stay with you no matter what!" And he went with Elijah to Bethel. 3 A group of prophets who lived there asked Elisha, "Do you know that today the LORD is going to take away your master?" "Yes, I do," Elisha answered. "But don't remind me of it." Change comes hard. Sometimes we just want to bury our head in the sand and pretend it isn’t going to happen, at least not to us. Sometimes even when God wants to bring about change in our lives, we want to bury our head in the sand and pretend that it won’t happen, at least not now. It just seems easier to go on as we have always done, in our minds. We hear it in, but we never sing the old songs anymore, confirmation was not like that when I grew up, why do we now allow children to take communion? These are all statements about keeping the church for me and not opening it up to them, even if they are my children and grandchildren. These statements are all about staying on the mountain top in the booths rather than coming down into the dusty streets or heading toward the crosses in Jerusalem. What God wants to bring into our lives is what we were destined for from the time of our birth, a relationship with God the creator, a relationship with one another, and a relationship with the creation from which we were formed. Change doesn’t come easy, but if God is leading, it will bring you down the mountain and back to the life you have desired all along.

the cheese is gone!!!

Monday February 20th, 2 Kings 2: 11 Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking, when suddenly there appeared between them a flaming chariot pulled by fiery horses. Right away, a strong wind took Elijah up into heaven. 12 Elisha saw this and shouted, "Israel's cavalry and chariots have taken my master away!" After Elijah had gone, Elisha tore his clothes in sorrow. Change, especially when viewed with an element of loss, can and often does bring about sorry as well as fear. Elisha would miss his old friend and mentor Elijah. Elisha would have been content to follow and never really become the Elisha God had in mind. Elisha’s journey and calling would now begin and God would open before him vistas and ministries beyond his imagination. Sometimes it is when we are cut loose, even from good things, that we begin to get our footing on what God has called us to do. Sometimes loss can also be gain and a ministry ended is just the beginning of a new ministry begun. I think that perhaps for the health of the church it would be best if we passed the torch rather than just having it pried from our cold dead hands. The church would be blessed with a melding of the wisdom of the ages and the enthusiasm of youth, and perhaps even growing in the process.

what a snappy dresser

Tuesday February 21st, 2 Corinthians 4: 3 If our Message is obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to give it serious attention. 4 All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. O that old god of darkness, what a snappy dresser. Sure wish I had cloths like that, car like that, moves like that, influence and power like that. Sure wish……………..Wait a minute, what am I saying? It is so easy to get mesmerized by all that styling. Billions are spent each year just to get us to pay attention to it and want it. Each year we hear that red, blue, green, grey, white etc. is the new black. My thirty year old ties are right in style now. Right now someone is working real hard to make something no one wants so they can make enough money to buy something no one needs because it is different from what they needed last year. God offers something different. Instead of just a change of clothes, God offers a change of heart that lasts forever. Instead of a home makeover, God offers a heart makeover, calling each and every one of us to be the child of God we were created to be. It is a change that is guaranteed to stay in style for an eternity.

all things bright and beautiful

Wednesday February 22nd, 2 Corinthians 4: 5 Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. 6 It started when God said, "Light up the darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful. That’s it! All those stories about how humanity interfaced with God, even if they didn’t do a very good job some of the time. All those stories from the Hebrew scripture were trying to tell us something besides just the cool sounding miracles and battles and stuff. They were trying to tell us that God is a God of love, and we are called to love God and to love one another. When the light first came to earth, we were created for just that, love. When I see the light in the face of Christ, I began to understand. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love you neighbor as yourself is why we were created. It’s all in Jesus’ face. Can you see it? Can you see the face of God? Can you see the face of your brothers and sisters? Can you see the face of your enemy? If not, look again, if you still can’t, you might want to spend some time in the dark and quiet, letting your eyes, ears and heart recover from all the noise your life has been filled with and tune in once again to the love of God and then look. Ahhhhhhhh! The shining face of God is everywhere!!!

can you see it?

Thursday February 23rd, Mark 9: 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Jesus crossed the reality of this world into the reality of the next. Something new was taking place. Something new was breaking into the world. Something new that was already here and the people just didn’t see it. We don’t see it today either, most of the time. That feeling that things are going to be OK in the midst of tragedy, that tingle at the sign of the true beauty of creation, that feeling of closeness and love from another human being, they all let us know in one way or another that the newness of God’s love has touched our souls. What we have to understand is that newness is only newness because we so seldom open ourselves up to that kind of love. In reality it has been around since the creation of the world. Here the chasm between God and humanity is crossed and after the flurry of the moment, Jesus brings that down the mountain into the often dusty and dirty streets of our world. The Kingdom of Heaven is near. If you are looking for Hallmark beauty and perfection, you probably missed it.

edifice complex

Friday February 24th, Mark 9: 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Peter just didn’t see the big picture. One could say he had an edifice complex. In his fear all he could fathom was a Kodak moment, to stay there and capture the essence of this glorious but transitional event. In our fear, we too just want to stay put, we want the church to be what it was when we grew up and we want it just for ourselves and people like us, and we want the God of our youth, in that order. What we don’t realize is that sometimes holding onto the image of the God of our youth can deny our youth the glory of finding the God of their youth. Sentimentality and Fundamentalism feed on that fear. We can’t really blame Peter, any of us, given the choice between sitting in the glory on the mountain top and working in the dirt down belos, would want to grab our hammer and saw and start building booths. What God wanted was for Peter, James and John to take this essence of the nearness of the Kingdom down into the world and there bring about transformed lives rather than booths reminiscent of the past. God asks the same of us, instead of focusing on the self and past memories of our experience of adoring God, focus on others and find God anew through their eyes.

listen, listen God is calling

Saturday February 25th, Mark 9: 7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Truth and wisdom start with listening. We can’t do that when we are talking. We can’t do that when we are being entertained. We can only do that when we enter into the presence of the living God and tune out everything else. We can’t stay in that place, just as Peter, James and John could not stay on the mountain top. But we must return to that place in our lives where we can connect with the transcendent and loving Christ in order to bring wholeness to our lives and the lives around us. If the wholeness that comes from connecting with the living and loving God doesn’t include the dusty streets, your still not listening.

February 12th, NL, What Defiles a Person

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 12th, NL, What Defiles a Person.  You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church. 

February 12th, Ep6, The Cry of the Poor.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 12th, the 6th Sunday after the Epiphany, The Cry of the Poor. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Poem Feb. 12th in the Narrative Lectionary Mark 7:1-23

The young child grew and blossomed
Full of love and joy
Each morning was greeted with a song
And laughter
And a glass of spilled milk
Graciously lapped up
By her best furry friend
Under her chair
And her days were filled with new adventures
Exploding her horizons
With each new discovery
And a fair sampling of dirt
Smeared from soiled hands
To now soiled clothes
Until one day
The clouds seemed to cover the sun
Differently
Than they did before
And she learned not to spill her milk
Though she never did figure out
How
To feed her furry friend
And one day
She learned something new about dirt
And where she could not play
And where she could not wipe her hands
She also learned other things
She could not do
Until one day
While sitting there sad
And very still
She learned
She was a good girl

7th Sunday after Epiphany Mark 1:40-45

Standing alone
  in the far off corner of the world
    stood
        the messiah
The Chosen one
Who
Would lead the people on to
  a newness
beyond
their ability to see
and yet standing there
  with the hurting ones
    (if it be your will)
  who saw
if even for a brief moment
a wonder
    in this one called Jesus
    (you)
who in the powerlessness of humanity
  Shattered
    (can make)
the chains of those who could see them
the chains visible
  in the sores and blood
    the rejection and death
        (me clean)
of all
but seen only by the many
who hurt enough to care
  or cared enough to hurt
        and be made whole again
by the grace of God
  among us
and the void that was filled
in the lives
    made empty
spread
        (it is my will)
to all the land
  and people
    and time
with the message
          (be clean)
that the Christ was here

Abana & Pharpar

Sunday February 12th 2 Kings 5: 11 But Naaman stormed off, grumbling, "Why couldn't he come out and talk to me? I thought for sure he would stand in front of me and pray to the LORD his God, then wave his hand over my skin and cure me. 12 What about the Abana River or the Pharpar River? Those rivers in Damascus are just as good as any river in Israel. I could have washed in them and been cured." I want to be healed, but on my terms, my place and my timing. The trouble with things like arrogance, pride, and self-righteousness is that they are very good gate keepers. They don’t keep us safely within their confines however, within our confines we are stuck with our greatest enemy, ourselves. What these self-imposed gates do is keep others safely away from us, and in the process life changing grace safely out of our lives. Elisha no doubt could have used the Abana or the Pharpar rivers. It wasn’t about the magic of any particular river; it was about the willingness of ones faith to break down our own fences in life, the ones we hide behind thinking we are safe. Our economy has taken many hits, from a long, protracted and unnecessary war in the Middle-east and a long protracted war on the Middle Class at home. The war over there allowed and covered at the same time, a major and unregulated shift of wealth to the top of society at the expense of those at the bottom and middle. Now those at the top are trying to hang on to their wealth while those in the middle and bottom are trying to hand on to their lives. In the process, all are erecting their safety fences which only exacerbate the problem. God calls us into loving and trusting relationships. When we feel insecure or out of control, we erect fences thinking we are safe. But in the end we find that with every fence we erect, Jesus and God’s Grace, are on the other side. What hang-ups do you have that keep that grace at bay?

smooth skin

Monday February 13th 2 Kings 5: 13 His servants went over to him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. So why don't you do what he said? Go wash and be cured." 14 Naaman walked down to the Jordan; he waded out into the water and stooped down in it seven times, just as Elisha had told him. Right away, he was cured, and his skin became as smooth as a child's. I am sure that if Naaman was upset that Elisha didn’t come out to meet him, and that Naaman was upset that he was asked to wash in what he considered the wrong rivers, he surely was not happy when his servants pointed out the error of his ways. Naaman was a proud man. That was his downfall. Sometimes when we cross the boundary walls of our own pride we find remarkable results. In our current economic difficulties, is perhaps the boundary of pride also keeping us from a solution? Throughout the scriptures we are called to create and live in a just society, where no one has too much, no one has too little and everyone has enough. It is almost impossible for those with too much to either recognize or admit they have too much, or do anything about it. It is often up to those in society with too little to make the noise and bring about the change needed, the change that will benefit those with too much as well as those with too little, that is what the occupy movement is all about. We too need to hear the voices of those around us, especially those who find themselves outside of our self-defined boundaries. We need to hear those voices for the healing of us all. Naaman had to cross national boundaries to get to where Elisha was, but the more difficult was crossing the boundary was imposed by his own arrogance. The same is true for us.

only got a T-shirt

Tuesday February 14th 1 Corinthians 9: 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. The prize is not the gift of eternal life, that one is up to God and is a matter of grace. In trying for the prize that is already ours as a gift, eternal life, the prize most of us miss is the joy of the journey. We are all invited to enter the joy of the journey right here and right now. Live surrounded by the knowledge that salvation is yours. Live surrounded by the saints from races, colors, creeds, faiths, and orientations that God places before us every day. We are all invited to live our lives surrounded by the knowledge of the grace of God that saves us all. We are all invited to live our lives immersed in God’s presence which is with us always. We can always choose to skip life until the end and hope we can still hop on board. You might get a T-shirt, but you have missed the joy of running together with that great cloud of witnesses.

how to win the race

Wednesday February 15th 1 Corinthians 9: 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. Being a Christian is more than just hanging out watching others being Christian in this world. Being a Christian is more than just some crown at the end of a journey avoiding the least, lost and lonely, and Jesus. Being a Christian is wearing and sharing the crown of God’s Grace each and every day of your life, knowing that sometimes the crown looks and feels an awful lot like a cross. At Christ Our Savior Lutheran we state that we are inspired by God’s love to Gather to Grow through God’s Grace. That growing takes place in community. Solo Christianity is simply watching the superbowl of Christianity from the sidelines even though you are all suited up and ready to go. Suiting up is what happens at our baptism. That growing in God’s Grace is the result of some input and effort on your part as well as input and interaction with others. Which Bible study or small group are you a part of today? Which one is God calling you to start and lead? Who are those watching from the sidelines that are just waiting to be invited for a good run? If you are watching from the sidelines, what fearful fence is keeping your there?

unclean, unclean

Thursday February 16th Mark 1: 40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus, don’t touch that man, Jesus, he is unclean. If you touch him, you will become unclean. It is not only wrong, it is illegal. Remember Leviticus 13:45-46, The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, "Unclean, unclean." he shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. OK then, so much for all the laws and all those rules, and rubrics and fences and boundaries, and borders we put in place to keep others at bay. Neither Jesus nor the leper listened to the conventional wisdom of the day. They both cross boundaries that were not meant to be crossed. Sometimes crossing those boundaries is crossing from unfaith to faith, from unlove to love, from fear to hope; from self-reliance to relationship, etc… sometimes crossing those boundaries is what is needed in order to see the love of God that surrounds us. What boundaries do you have in place, who is out there and what are they trying to tell you? Every people boundary in your life has Jesus on the other side. Open the door let in those kept out by those fences so meticulously maintained by our satanically inspired prejudice. In our political rhetoric of hate the gays and love god all that God and the world hear is hate God.

expectations

Friday February 17th Mark 1: 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 "See that you don't tell this to anyone. There were expectations of what the Messiah would be like and do. Jesus did not want the newly healed and whole leper to go and tell others so the word would not get around that the Messiah was in town. Once the word got around, Jesus’ ministry would be hampered by other people’s ideas of what a messiah should be. Jesus wanted him to go back to the church that had rejected him and show them the expanse of God’s Grace as a healing measure for the church as well as himself. Jesus did not want him to be excluded from the worship communities because of their prejudice against what they considered clean and unclean. Jesus does not want to be excluded from our worship communities by what we consider clean and unclean. Everyone, then and now, would come and see only what they expected to see, nothing less, nothing more. The message of Jesus’ healing ministry could end up being just another roadblock keeping the boundaries of expectation in place. Jesus did come to tear down every and any boundary, mental, physical, social, righteous and religious we put in place to try to feel safe in an unsafe world. The world will however will never be safe until we dispense with the boundaries and replace them with welcome signs.

cat out of the bag

Saturday February 18th, Mark 1: “45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. The cat was out of the bag and the Messiahship of Jesus was being defined by exactly what everyone expected, no more and no less. Jesus continued to heal and minister to all who came out, outside the border fences of society and expectation, to him. Sometimes we find ourselves boxed in, surrounded only by expectations, laws, rules and outside grace. When you find yourself in this situation, reach out to those who are trying to fence you in and heal also, tear down the fences, confront the evil, change the expectation and welcome Jesus to the process of welcoming the enemy. Sometimes it is just that reaching out that is in and of itself the boundary crossing, and those on the outside who are precisely what is needed to extend ministry, grace and forgiveness on the inside that has grown so stale.

February 5th, NL, Rejecting and sending at a cost.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 5th, NL, Rejecting and sending at a cost.  You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

February 5th, Ep5, Healer.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 5th, Ep5, Healer.  You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

The presentation of our Lord (2) Luke 2:22-40

I sit and wait
wait for when the time will be
that I too may know Lord
that I too may feel
may see
what this life is all about
the reason for our life
and why we are here
to see, know, feel the existence
of every person’s struggle
called life
some search the mountains
some the valleys
some search for the truth in their heads
some in the cosmos
in the end they al
we all
wait
until
we have exhausted all our own
(Lord)
looking no more to our selves
our books
our minds
our cosmos
or the other among us
(not let thy servant)
finding nothing
(depart)
to see the all
(in peace)
among us
Emmanuel

The Presentation of our Lord Luke 2:22-40

in the midst of our rituals
made up of what we feel
and our understanding
of what and who God is
we sometimes encounter
in spite of all that we place in the way
God
pure and simple
shining like a ray of joy
into our hearts
and our rituals
Our understandings
make sense in a new way
for we have seen
seen the one promised
to save the people
and bring life to the world
Anna and Simeon came to such a moment
a pureness of time
wrapped in a blanket
helpless
and they felt complete
so now dismiss you servant in peace
allow not this moment to lapse into a memory
for my eyes have seen salvation
prepared for all people
A light to guide all nations
for the glory of Your people
the memory
the moment
the world
Alive
and remembered.

February 2nd, The Presentation of the Lord.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 2nd, The Presentation of the Lord. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

5th Sunday after Epiphany Mark 1:29-39

Into this world came the Christ
    Immanuel
casting out evil
  which had for so long dominated the very life
    of all who lived and breathed
in this perfect creation
  now soiled
    for too long
      for anyone to remember
He came
  casting out and making whole
        again
  (help)
the people struggling to see
the other side
  of this existence
the other side
  into a world of what is
    from the beginning of time
Jesus came and healed
  (our eyes)
those who suffer
--what they need not suffer
that they may become
  that which they are
    and are called to be
As the hopeless encircled this power
      Christ
in hope
and felt the Power
  of God
    in
      that place
        (see)
in their lives
  to far removed from the perfection of the universe
    to know
  (the glory)
      that it is once more
          here
in this place
in this timeless moment
      within the limits of our lives
Here
With the sick and the poor and the despised and the lovely
Here
In a new way for all time
Changing the changeless lives
  (that is)
now
  (Christ)


note: expand the photo and see all the places we see Christ

Lift your eyes

Sunday February 5th Isaiah 40: 26 Lift up your eyes and see. Who has made these stars? It is the One Who leads them out by number. He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of His strength, and because He is strong in power, not one of them is missing. It is the Lord God who is the master hand behind all of creation. It is the Lord God who calls us all to come before the Lord and worship. We don’t all worship in the same way. We don’t all use the same name when we worship. Sometimes we are even silly enough to think that our way of understanding God and our way of worshiping God is right and everyone else, or at some of them, are wrong. That is like one of your children telling you that you must love some of your children and are not allowed to love some of your other children. God must just smile and wonder when we will all grow up and understand that God loves all the children of God. When we look at creation through our eyes, we see only that which surrounds our small limited view, and sometimes not even all of that. When we look at creation through a God’s eye view, it is quite a different picture. It is a picture of all of creation that God created and called good. It is a picture of all people created in the image of God being called Good by the God who created them. Our calling is to think globally or perhaps even cosmically, and act locally. One way is to introduce more global music in your worship. Today on this Super bowl Sunday, many will gather in the living rooms and cheer on their team. There may even be super bowl parties where some cheer and back one team and others at the same party cheer the other team. When it comes time to dig into the chips and dip and hot wings, we all gather around the same table. Can’t we do the same in our faith.

Lifted up

Monday February 6th Isaiah 40: 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak. The world tends to beat those on the bottom down. The Lord lifts them up with wings like eagles. Where does the church stand? When I support one group who find themselves rejected by a portion of society, I receive support from many who take the same view. When I support all people who are rejected by a portion of society, I pretty much torque off everyone. It is alright as a pastor to support gay rights in the eyes of some, but many of those who support you on gay rights don’t want you to support union rights, or abortion rights, or voting rights, or the right to assembly. In God’s eyes, the lowly are lifted up. That does not mean that they are not held responsible for their own prejudices and attitudes and behaviors, it simply means they are lifted up to be as responsible as anyone else. For we all, ALL, fall short of the glory of God, but no one falls short of the grace of God. So as Jesus put it to Peter, but you, who do You say I am, in your words, in your deeds, in the way you spend your money, in the people and projects you support, who do you say Jesus is? When we are focused on that, we are less focused on the possible shortcomings of others.

Messenger

Tuesday February 7th 1 Corinthians 9: I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. The trouble you can run into with reading Paul is that you can get the superhero version of what it means to be a Christian. The Lord does not call us to be a servant to everyone. The result would be that we wound end up doing nothing. You can relate to some people, but even Jesus only had 12 disciples. The more honest you are with yourself, the more you can relate to others. God is not after a superhero in the kingdom being a servant to all and saving the whole world. God is after an honest person who can be the messenger of God’s grace to others with whom you identify. View God’s grace globally, and act on God’s grace locally.

Enjoy

Wednesday February 8th 1 Corinthians 9: 22 When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. 23 I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings. Someone who is really dealing with issues can spot a fake a mile away. Who do you have common ground with? With whom are you comfortable relating? These are the ones to whom you are called to minister. These are the ones God has placed before you for a reason, and there are more than enough for a lifetime. That doesn’t mean you do not concern yourself for the needs of others with whom you have little in common. As a matter of fact, your concern for those with whom you have little in common may be the very thing you share with those in which you do share commonality. The family of God is about community, relationships, honesty, healing and wholeness, and seeing one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is not about superhero’s who do it all, it is about communities who support all.

Mission

Thursday February 9th Mark 1: 30 Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. Jesus mission was to bring wholeness to those he came in contact with. Simon’s mother-in-laws place of honor as the senior woman in the household was to serve the guests who came into her home. That may not be the same thing we honor in our day and age, but for her, being able to serve her guests meant that her honor was restored. Her healing was complete and so was the community in her ability to serve. Jesus also helps us in our mission. We are all called to minister to others by restoring them in the community and in their relationships and in their honor. Sometimes that restoration means ministering to others and sometimes it means being ministered to. When we build bridges, we have to remember that the traffic goes both ways in a healthy community.

Sabbatical

Friday February 10th Mark 1: 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Even Jesus took some time off in his ministry for quiet prayer. It is an important lesson for all of us. Take some time for yourself, time to just be alone with yourself and God, time to refresh, a mini sabbatical. You wouldn’t drive your car without filling up the tank and changing the oil when needed, so too, you need to fill up your spiritual tank and take time for prayer to keep life running smooth. Without it you are doing no one that much good. With it you are refreshed and all those around you will benefit. Jesus took his mini sabbatical where he was at, and in preparation for moving forward. Sabbaticals are to help us move forward, not simply restore what was. Most churches fight over that issue after a pastoral sabbatical. Perhaps what is needed is a series of mini sabbatical’s in a congregation all focused on how to move forward into the land of the unchurched and unwelcomed. For a mini sabbatical, try going to www.10worship.blogspot.com and sign up to receive a mini sabbatical a couple times a week by signing up to receive 10W via constant contact email, or text 10w to 22828 to have it emailed to your smartphone.

Refreshed

Saturday February 11th Mark 1: 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. This is what happens after a sabbatical. Refreshed, Jesus travels to the surrounding villages and brings renewed faith, hope and wholeness. Pastors and parishioners; take time to refresh yourself, not only for your sake, but also for the sake of all those around you. Congregations, take time to refresh yourself, not just for your sake, but for the sake of those around you. How many of your hymns are less than 10 years old? How many greater than 50 years old? Now turn on any radio station in your area and what do you hear? Are you moving forward, or are you circling the wagons? If all you are doing is circling the wagons, your congregation is getting ready to die. It is only when you reach out to the mission field that life comes to those within and those you meet along the way.

10w for January 29th in the Narrative Lectionary, Unlikely Healings.

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 29th in the Narrative Lectionary, Unlikely Healings. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

10W for January 29th, the fourth Sunday of Epiphany, A New Teaching

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 29th, the fourth Sunday of Epiphany, A New Teaching. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 84

Pastor: Wherever you are O Lord Almighty, beauty surrounds you. My soul yearns, even feels faint when I sense the presence of the Lord.

Congregation: Our hearts, our very being cry out for the presence of the Living Lord.


Pastor: Even the birds of the air have found their home in you O Lord, A source of comfort and safety where the young may be raised in confidence.

Congregation: Blessed are those who dwell in your presence O Lord for they are ever praising you.


Pastor: Blessed are those whose strength is in the Lord and whose hearts journey with the Lord, for even when they pass through the dark times in life, the presence of the Lord will make it a place and source of life.

Congregation: Hear our prayers O Lord God Almighty and be our comfort and safety. Let you Holy Spirit watch over us and guide us to always walk in your presence.


Pastor: Better is one day in your presence than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in comfort in the tents of the wicked.

Congregation: For the Lord our God is the light of the world and our protection. The Lord bestows favor and honor for those who walk in the presence of the Lord. Blessed O Lord are those who trust in you.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 111

Pastor: Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the presence of all the gathered saints.

Congregation: Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them, deeds glorious and majestic.

Pastor: The Lord’s righteousness endures forever for the Lord has caused his wonders to be remembered by all people.

Congregation: the LORD is gracious and compassionate providing food and remembering the covenant forever.

Pastor: The Lord has shown the people God the power of mighty works and has given them lands to work, enjoy and live on.

Congregation: The works of God’s hands are faithful and just and the Lord’s precepts are trustworthy and steadfast for ever and ever,

Pastor: In faithfulness and uprightness the Lord provided redemption for all people and ordained the covenant forever – Holy and Awesome is the name of the Lord.

Congregation: Walking in the ways of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and all who follow the ways of the Lord have good understanding. To the Lord our God alone belongs eternal praise.

The presentation of our Lord (2) Luke 2:22-40

I sit and wait
wait for when the time will be
that I too may know Lord
that I too may feel
may see
what this life is all about
the reason for our life
and why we are here
to see, know, feel the existence
of every person’s struggle
called life
some search the mountains
some the valleys
some search for the truth in their heads
some in the cosmos
in the end they all
we all
wait
until
we have exhausted all our own
(Lord)
looking no more to our selves
our books
our minds
our cosmos
or the other among us
(not let thy servant)
finding nothing
(depart)
to see the all
(in peace)
among us
Emmanuel

The Presentation of our Lord Luke 2:22-40

in the midst of our rituals
made up of what we feel
and our understanding
of what and who God is
we sometimes encounter
in spite of all that we place in the way
God
pure and simple
shining like a ray of joy
into our hearts
and our rituals
Our understandings
make sense in a new way
for we have seen
seen the one promised
to save the people
and bring life to the world
Anna and Simeon came to such a moment
a pureness of time
wrapped in a blanket
helpless
and they felt complete
so now dismiss you servant in peace
allow not this moment to lapse into a memory
for my eyes have seen salvation
prepared for all people
A light to guide all nations
for the glory of Your people
the memory
the moment
the world
Alive
and remembered.

4th Sunday after Epiphany Mark 1:21-28

What are you doing here?
--came the scream of those who knew
--knew
----of this teacher
--------in fear
Why have you come
--at this time
--------and in this place
--to
the ones who know not who you are
or could care less?
Jesus. You are wasting your time
--on these souls who come here only to play
-------at religion
-----------life
play
--as if they think they know what they are doing
play
--as if they think they care
with that look of astonishment on their faces
--they pay you honor
but we know
--we know
-----who
---------is in charge here
-----who
---------calls the shots
---------and controls the lives
---------and allows them to play at their games
-----------that they think is life
it all works so well
this game
----life
------religion
So what have you to do with us
--Jesus of Nazareth?
Would you destroy all this?
Would you destroy the life these people have built
------------just for your kingdom?
Jesus!
--you are getting too close
--this is not the game we expected
--(silence)
but where are we to go
------Holy One
do you really think they will follow you?
and the people were amazed
--at the new teaching
----and authority
------that even the unclean spirits obey

Cartoon by David Hayward, www.nakedpastor.com

stepped on the toes of those in powe

Sunday January 29th, Deuteronomy 18: 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. The prophet is one who comes from the people and is able to read the signs of what is happening around them and then speak truth into misguided perception. The special character of a prophet is that he or she is chosen by God and the words they speak are inspired by God. There have been many throughout the history of the world that claim to do just that. There are many today who in one way or another also lay claim to speak the word of God. One must ask the question, do they speak a word of love and grace in the midst of power and greed? Do they speak a word of forgiveness in the midst of pain? Do they speak for the needs of the least, lost or lonely to the power structures that create the least, lost and lonely in this world? Or do they speak of power and maintaining the political status quo? If it is status quo they are after, they don’t speak for God. In the Gospel for today, God’s word brought healing into a hurting world. Most often that healing had social and economic manifestations that were not welcomed by all. If it was only the body that Jesus healed, he would have lived to a ripe old age, but he also pointed out the systems that created those in need of healing and thus stepped on the toes of those in power.

death is not always physica

Monday January 30th, Deuteronomy 18: 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.' It even seems as if God has lightened up the threats in post resurrection times. Those who preach the prosperity gospel or the word of law and judgment on others not only live, in many cases they and their congregations prosper. The world and large congregations are their reward. The prophets of God have always spoken over against the powers that be, in favor of the needs of the least, the lost, and the lonely, and often find themselves in on the outs with the rank and file of their communities. But death is not always physical and sometimes the death of the soul is more painful.

Christ gave his life so that “We” might have life

Tuesday January 31st, 1 Corinthians 8: 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. The unfortunate tendency throughout history is for individuals to turn their focus inward toward their individual rights and away from the needs of the community. One could say it all started with that tree in the garden thing. The whole “government is not the solution, the government is the problem” focus of the last several decades is an example. It denies the fact that, in essence, we are the government and our abdication of that responsibility does not usher in some great society, but rather open the gates to the robber barons like those of the late 20th and early 21st century. Our children may not exactly thank us as they pay off the debt of those who have gained so much. In a true Christian society there would be no need for taxes because every individual would gladly give, to the best of their ability, for the needs of the whole. But we all know that doesn’t work in church and it certainly doesn’t work in society. In reality everyone tries to get by with contributing the least they can get away with for the needs of the whole while padding the needs of the one who happens to be themselves. In the midst of all the greed going around, personal, corporate, and governmental, we are called through scripture to set aside some of our desires for the sake of the whole. We are constantly being called to move from the needs of the “Me” to the needs of the “We.” Christ gave his life so that “We” might have life. What are you willing to do?

Christ calls us to a world of “We”

Wednesday February 1st, 1 Corinthians 8: 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. That which you do onto the least of these, you do onto me is the way Jesus put it. We have seen how tax cuts for the rich and benefit cuts for the poor may have been good for a few, but the other 99% of us didn’t do so well. Now is the time to go the other direction and the pushback will be mighty. The occupy movement is just starting to make inroads into this Biblical reality. The temptation is that we too can be part of the 1% is great, and many have succumbed to its allure in the past. Christ calls us to a different reality. Christ calls us to a world of “We”, not “Me.” It is a call for all of us, rich and poor, to live our lives as the generous and grace filled children of God for all the children of God, anything less is only slow suicide.

how much would God get?

Thursday February 2nd, Mark 1: 21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Jesus was not talking about head knowledge; he was talking from heart knowledge. What Jesus presented in scripture is how we are called to love one another, not just with words, but with our deeds and social structures. I can teach you about God but I cannot bring you into a relationship with God, that one is up to you and Jesus. Like any relationship it takes work, and attending worship when convenient won’t make it any more than talking to your spouse whenever you get around to it will work for long. We all know how it works, it is not rocket science. We put our time and our energy into what is important to us. If you did a time management schedule for one month, how much would God get? What have you done today to build that relationship? If you put that amount of time into your love relationships, how long would they last?

perhaps Jesus won’t notice our own denia

Friday February 3rd, Mark 1: 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" The unholy one encounters the Holy one in the Holy place. Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves that it is not just “us and God” up in the heavens somewhere floating in a blissful relationship as the whole world goes to hell in a hand basket. There are others to contend with in this world, and we are called to love them also. The evil spirits knew who Jesus was long before Peter ever exclaimed; “you are the Christ the son of the living God.” The evil within each of us keeps us at bay with the Holy one lest we are tempted to be more than merely occasional worship attenders. We don’t talk much about evil spirits in our day and age. We talk about personal responsibility; a person is bad because they choose to be bad, is how the common wisdom goes. It gives us a little breathing room from the reality of our existence. If only we can point the finger at someone else, perhaps Jesus won’t notice our own denial. Jesus had a way of seeing a child of God in every person. Perhaps we should try that a bit more of that, starting with ourselves and extending into the world around us.

go and do likewise

Saturday February 4th, Mark 1: 25 "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." Jesus didn’t kick the evil man out of the synagogue; he kicked the evil spirit out of the man and welcomed the man into the community of faith. His concern was for who the person was, a child of God, not who he seemed to be, an evil possessed person. The small healing that day was the demon possessed man. The larger healing was the community who had labeled his as such. Perhaps our calling is to do the same in our congregations and in the world around us. In another place Jesus told us to love our enemies. Go and do likewise.

21 years ago today

‎21 years ago today Iran released the hostages. Reagan had won the election. On the day of his inauguration, January 20th, twenty minutes after he concluded his inaugural address—the Islamic Republic of Iran announced the release of the hostages. The timing gave rise to an allegation that representatives of Reagan's presidential campaign had conspired with Iran to delay the release until after the election in order to thwart President Carter from pulling off an "October surprise" by negotiating the release of the hostages and winning the election.

According to the allegation, the Reagan Administration rewarded Iran for its participation in the plot to continue to hold the hostages by supplying Iran with weapons via Israel and by unblocking Iranian government monetary assets in US banks.

After twelve years of mixed media attention, both houses of the US Congress held separate inquiries and concluded that the allegations lacked supporting documentation.

Nevertheless, several individuals—most notably former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, former Naval intelligence officer and National Security Council member Gary Sick; and former Reagan/Bush campaign and White House staffer Barbara Honegger—have stood by the allegation. There have been allegations that the plane crash the killed the Portuguese Prime Minister, Francisco de Sá Carneiro, in 1980 was in fact an assasination of the Defence Minister, Adelino Amaro da Costa, who had said that he had documents concerning the October surprise conspiracy theory and was planning on taking them to the United Nations General Assembly.

10W for January 25th, the Conversion of Paul

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 25th, the Conversion of Paul. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

10W for January 22nd, Narrative Lectionary, the Gerasene Demoniac

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 22nd, Narrative Lectionary, the Gerasene Demoniac. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

10W for January 22nd, Epiphany 3, Follow Me

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 22nd, Ep3, Follow Me. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 67

Pastor: May God be gracious to us and bless us, and may the face of our God shine us so that the ways of the Lord may be known on all the earth, the salvation of the Lord known among all nations.

Congregation: May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

Pastor: May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.

Congregation: May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.


Pastor: The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.


Congregation: May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

Pastor: May God bless us still in the months and years ahead, so that all the ends of the earth will live in awe of the Lord God Almighty.

Congregation: May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

The Conversion of St. Paul Luke 21:10-19

In the name of Christ
We will all be remembered
not because of our greatness
but because
the little we have done
was done in the name of Christ
When all the world comes crashing
down on all sides
even then
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
When great armies come
and take the land
with power and might
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
When all others fall away
and we stay
in love
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
And in the end
Paul looked back
and saw the word of Christ
Spread throughout the land
unbounded by the divisions that power makes
and knew
what was done was in the Name of Christ

3rd Sunday after Epiphany Mark 1:14-20

The time is fulfilled

    into this world

        ripped apart

    by timelessness entering in

comes the news

the time is fulfilled

    (repent)

and with that this carpenter from Nazareth

reaches in into this place

    and time

and calls out to

come

    follow me

Simon and Andrew

    dropped

    the net of labor

toiled over by so many

in favor of wonders

    at hand

        (repent)

leaving behind a life

looked down on by some

    and admired by others

for one of joy

and lust for the many headed wonder of newness

out of the heat

            (and believe)

    of this world

and into the perceived pursuit

        of all that is wonder

            joy

                peace

joined by others

who only make

    the fever pitch of excitement

        closer to a reality only dreamed of

                (in)

with little thought

to the demands

    that would be placed on them by love

as they tried to present

                    (the Gospel)

the good news

My rock and my salvation

Sunday January 22nd, Psalm 62: God is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. In the midst of difficulties that naturally come your way in life, there is one thing we can hold onto in the midst of the darkness, and that is Christ. All the advice, self-help, supplements and gurus, though not bad, never seem to cut the mustard when it comes right down to it. That doesn't mean that walking with Christ will result in everything working out as we want it and that life will be a bed of roses. It does mean that where ever we are in life, whatever befalls us in life, Christ is there with us. There is common saying, "God never gives you more than you can handle." This saying is a comfort only for the person saying it. Those hearing it often see their life falling apart and when someone tells them this it leads them to believe it is all a dirty rotten curse, not gift from God. The reality is that life sometimes hands us some pretty rotten stuff. To be honest, there are times when we contribute quite significantly to the trouble we find ourselves in. In the midst of that, trouble from afar or trouble you created all by yourself, or something in-between (which is often the case) you are not alone. You are surrounded by the children of God and supported by God who is your rock and salvation. Let the people of God in and hold fast to message of God they bring. It won't make all the bad stuff go away, but it will keep you grounded on that rock, the foundation of love in this world and in your life.

Running on empty

Monday January 23rd, Jonah 1: 1 One day long ago, GOD's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: 2 "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." 3 But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from GOD. Nineveh is an ancient city near the present town of Mosul in Iraq. Jonah did not want to go there. He did not like the people in Nineveh and they most likely would not have liked him. Sometimes God leads us to go to places and to do things we don’t want to do. It is not about being mean, it is about growth within the kingdom and within ourselves. God had compassion for all of creation, including this little part of the world called Nineveh. Jonah could only see what he thought he saw and was not able to see the potential God could see. A people created be God and called good, in spite of their wayward ways, just like in our lives. Sometimes we need to follow God’s leading in spite of our opinions. What if we say all of creation as a gift from God? With that image of God, could you invade Iran? Iraq? Pakastain? Labor unions? LGBT’s? Lob missiles into Israel? Our God view affects our world view. Thus far in the history of humanity we have been a dismal failure in this area, perhaps hope is on the way. Perhaps we can learn this without ending up smelling like fish.

When God calls, just go

Tuesday January 24th, Jonah 1: The men tried rowing back to shore. They made no headway. The storm only got worse and worse, wild and raging. 14 Then they prayed to GOD, "O GOD don’t let us drown because of this man's life, and don't blame us for his death. You are GOD. Do what you think is best." 15 They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down. 16 The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of GOD. They worshiped GOD, offered a sacrifice, and made vows. 17 Then GOD assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the fish's belly three days and nights. Keep in mind, Jonah was going where God wanted him to go whether he wanted to go there or not, and the others in the boat were beginning to learn something about this God they didn’t know very well. The result was worship. When we follow God’s leading there is salvation all around. Now the fish thing, it makes a good story. When it comes to fish, people are always making good stories. The point is that even nature responds when God’s love shows up. Jonah got to Nineveh after three days up to his neck in fish guts and Nineveh experienced new life. Jonah also experienced new life (eventually) and even the sea was revived and calmness restored. Jesus rose from the grave after three days and the world experienced new life, the children of God experienced new life, and all of creation was revived and restored. God does that. God brings new life, sometimes whether you want it or not. When you follow God’s leading you begin to see it all around you.

Do you really want to go through that again?

Wednesday January 25th, Jonah 1: 10 Then GOD spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore. 1 Next, GOD spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." 3 This time Jonah started off straight for Nineveh, obeying GOD's orders to the letter. Sometimes it takes an experience we can’t forget to experience the one who is with us always. Some hear the still small voice of God and respond with here I am, send me. Others require a 2x4 upside the head and sometimes it takes more than one time, before they start listening to the God who has never left their side. It might take a lifetime, but eventually everyone goes in the direction God wants us to go. Sometimes these unforgettable experiences are thrust upon us as a gift. Those are the times we respond with joy. But most often we have a tendency to create some interesting predicaments for ourselves as we try to avoid going the direction God wants us to go. God works through these predicaments also. If we would just do what God wants us to do in the first place life would be a lot easier. But as we look back over our life, we see that God can even take our detours and turn them into ministry and a good story to tell. When you retell it, try to keep the fish the same size as the original.