Hallelujah

Woke up this morning and the Leonard Cohen song, "Hallelujah" was going through my head so I played around with some advent/christmas lyrics for this rather haunting melody. If you use them, please post a comment to this blog letting me know. If you have any other ideas or lyric ideas, you can post them aslo. pd

The night was cold the air was dry
The shepherds sat beneath the sky
Wondering what the morrow would bring to you
The stars they danced the sky awoke
The heavens stirred and the angels spoke
As the angel choir sang hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The blessed one no place to stay
She laid her baby in the hay
Into the world came the child given to you
The night was still yet filled with hope
As in the distance the curtain broke
And all the heavens joined in hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The shepherds came to see the one
the hope for all living under the sun
this child held by Mary given for you
they quietly praised the God above
for showing them this gift of love
as they joined into the chorus, hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Magicians came from far away
They followed a star to find their way
It led them to the child born for you
They brought him gifts from the land afar
And praised the Lord for the guiding star
And added their voices to the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

This child destined for the cross
Hanging there holding sins for us
And only asking me to show love to you
He rose again new life to give
pleading us this life to live
just letting everyone sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Mark 13: 33-37

Advent 1

Watch!
Watch, and I stand there
waiting!
for that
----time
--------moment
when it would be fulfilled
and every life would have
that missing element
that wholeness
----and holiness
that every cell of my being
----and world
--------and universe
cries out for
----FILL ME LORD
----MAKE ME WHOLE
fill this void
----this longing
in my life
I am waiting
----(watching)
Lord. I am waiting
but the time
----(unending)
seems to be all there is
just the time
----and the waiting
--------(hurt)
----in this world
I am ready for you Lord
----(holy)
ready to see the glory
----(love)
that is you
and be taken from
all the hurt
----(this)
--------pain
----(gift)
--------hunger
----(of life)
--------and death
----(to us)
--------we have
------------(created)
------------in this life

WHEN WILL THE WAITING BE OVER?
and my eyes cleared
from having to watch

MAnger

Sunday November 30th Isaiah 64: 3 For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. 4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. The expectation of Isaiah. When God returned to earth, it would be a show of force such as the world had never seen. The sky would turn, the mountains tremble, everyone would know that God was coming and everyone would know whose God it was that was coming. God had a different idea. It was a baby in a manger. Sometimes we also want a God of Might and Anger not night and manger. Sometimes we want a God who will show all those others who is Right with a capital “R". But then, sometimes we get just a glimpse of how tough God really is. Sometimes we get a glimpse of how much harder it is to come as a loving God in a manger rather than the mighty God in anger. It is then we know that God calls us to that kind of toughness also.

back to the potters wheel

Monday December 1st, Isaiah 64: 7 No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins. 8 Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. When God seemed distant from the people of Israel, they often used the vision of God’s face being hidden. What was hidden was not God’s face but their eyes and hearts and souls, much as it is with us today. When God seems distant, it is usually because we are looking the wrong way, inward instead of outward. The solution is to stop trying to run the show ourselves and let God take control. Instead of the clay telling the potter what it should look like and function as, perhaps the clay should let the potter be the one who forms what will be. From dust we came and to dust we shall return, but in the mean time, God has been able to form that dust into vessels of beauty, if we let him. We call them the saints. God calls them the children of God. It is most of us sometimes and some of us most of the time.

Hope, amen

Tuesday December 2nd, 1 Corinthians 1: 4 I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6 because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. When we shine, we shine the light of Christ shining in and through us. I thank God for all the saints that surround my life. I thank God for simple and graceful ways God shines through you. I thank God for the grace God has given you. I thank God for the times when that grace shines through you to others as well as myself. There are times when community seems to sparkle because of this grace. As the first candle in the advent wreath signifies “Hope”, may the grace of God bring hope to the world around you, and through you, today. Amen!

Music Everywhere

Wednesday December 3rd, 1 Corinthians 1: 7 Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. Every congregation is given the spiritual gifts it needs to be a vessel for God’s love and grace in the community in which they are planted. The roadblock most often is the way we keep pushing our perceived gifts rather than the gifts God has given us. A sailboat can fight against the wind and make some headway, but it is a thing of beauty when catches full sail and gets up on step. At that moment it becomes what it was intended to be from its very conception, and the sails and the ropes literally hum with excitement. God intends something like that for us also. It happens when we stop fighting and turn and let the Holy Spirit catch our sails. That humming we hear is the angels singing. I invite you to try Ruthie Foster, "Up above my head, I hear music in the air" from the album "The Phenominal Ruthie Foster. She sings it on this Mountain Stage link. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94756556

Emmanuel version

Thursday December 4th, Mark 1st 13: 26 "And then they'll see the Son of Man enter in grand style, his Arrival filling the sky--no one will miss it! 27 He'll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole. The expectations in Isaiah were fulfilled in the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Not by the Christ, but by all the angels who knew from before time what this event meant for the world. In Mark’s Gospel we find similar expectations. What will it be like when the Son of Man returns? Will there be the “Left Behind” scenario where only a few are chosen and the many left behind? Are the chosen only the hundred and forty four thousand, the frozen chosen, the right believers? Listen to the Emmanuel version in which a babe is born in a manger and brings salvation to the whole world. However, even with the Emmanuel version, it is always a good idea to live ready.

Bathed in love

Friday December 5th, Mark 13: 28 "Take a lesson from the fig tree. From the moment you notice its buds form, the merest hint of green, you know summer's just around the corner. 29 And so it is with you. When you see all these things, you know he is at the door. 30 Don't take this lightly. I'm not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too--these things will happen. Each of us will face an end time in our lives. Each of us is called to live a life that is ready all the time. For those who spend their time looking for signs of the end, they can find those them in one way or another each and every day in the history of humanity, and will continue to find them as events unfold before us generation upon generation. For those who live their lives bathed in the love and grace of the babe in Bethlehem, each day brings a new opportunity to live in, and show to others, God’s grace. Perhaps that is what the scriptures mean when they tell us to be ready.

live ready

Saturday December 6th, Mark 13: 32 "But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven's angels, not even the Son. Only the Father. 33 So keep a sharp lookout, for you don't know the timetable. The only time you can be pretty sure is not “the” day and hour, is the time most people agree is “the” day and “the” hour. If you look ahead and try to figure it out so you can get ready, you miss all the fun. It’s like a football player staying home and watching the game on TV so he can determine just the right time to suit up, drive to the stadium, run onto the field and win the game with the scoring touchdown. The trouble is, he has missed all the practice, all the team interaction, all the other games and even if he gets to the game on time, will most likely not be allowed to play. Don’t plan on getting ready, just live ready and enjoy the game, enjoy life.

Matthew 25:31- 46

The Sheep and the Goats

In the silence of the evening
Just before blessed sleep brings peace
The tomorrow plan begins
Mental notes
To do’s and timing
(when)
That fill the day
Bring that outgrown kids clothes to that lady at work
Struggling
Single
Three kids
And a nice card for what’s her names birthday
(did I see you)
Pick up some cans for the food drive
(hungry)
At church
And write the letter to the editor
(in prison)
On eliminating the death penalty
During my lunch
Sarah looked a bit down on Sunday
Tough times going through a divorce
Perhaps we could have her over for dinner
(a stranger)
I’ll give her a call tomorrow

Blessed be the lives too filled with grace
To notice

Now that you have, what are You going to do??

Sunday November 23rd, (Now that you have, what are You going to do??) Ezekiel 34: 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign LORD. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. It is a curious thing why the idea of building up the weak and destroying the strong and sleek is part of God’s plan. It does not fit with love your neighbor as yourself, as some of my neighbors, as well as myself, are the sleek and strong and well, maybe just a bit plump. Indeed one could argue that the majority of the Lutheran church would fit into the category of the sleek and strong and sometimes just a bit plump. One could further argue that it is not just a Lutheran trend, but rather describes Churches, schools, Synagogues, and that Holiest of American institutions, the mall. I think the discussion that follows should be how one becomes sleek and strong and sometimes a bit plump. Too often in the history of humanity the path to becoming sleek and strong is through the peril of those who are becoming rough and weak in the process. All economic systems, whether currently in vogue or not, tend to have winners and losers. What God seems to be concerned about is winners at the expense of losers. It is not a matter of what you have, it is a matter of who loses in the process, and now that you have it what are you going to do with it. Now that you have, what are You, not someone else, going to do?? We can choose to be part of the binding up and strengthening, or the tearing down and weakening. You might want to ask yourself where God stands on that issue before you act.

focus on making things better, not just less awful

Monday November 24th, (focus on making things better, not just less awful) Ezekiel 34: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? 19 Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet? I grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, as such I have studied at least to some degree the social interaction of cattle. They do not impress me as being smart. They will trample and relieve themselves in the water hole so long as they can get a drink of clean water now. Concern for the future, or for others, is non-existent. I have witnessed the larger stronger calves with a budding horn take a running start and knock the younger weaker calves flat in order to get more food now. I confess that it roused in me such anger that in using a stick to control the situation our family ended up with veal in the freezer. We can excuse them as being dumb animals, but what excuse do we have when humanity does the same? It is not a new problem; Ezekiel witnessed the same 2500 years ago. On an individual basis we seem to be able to grasps the idea that we are social beings and decisions and behavior within a family affect others in that family, but to we carry that same wisdom into the world, into the market place, and into the church? When moving headquarters off shore for tax purposes, when moving jobs overseas for economic purposes, when shopping in the big store rather than the locally owned for convenience, are we not doing the same as those cattle? How we live in the world is not just about “us” in a personal view, it is about “US” in a God view. And although I regret the veal situation, sometimes anger, and the resultant positive action associated with it, is the proper catalysts for change.

the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God's people

Tuesday November 25th, (the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God's people) Ephesians 1: 18 My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God's people. This is Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus and it is God’s prayer for us. God intends for all of us to be filled with the light of God’s love so much that it can’t help but to spill into the hearts and world around us. God intends for each and every one of us to become so fully aware of all the glorious blessings that surround each and every one of us that there is no choice but to share those blessings with others. It is through blessings shared that we truly begin to see, know, and experience the blessings in our lives. It is my prayer for you that you will truly develop a mindfulness of all the blessings God has given you through the sharing of these blessings with others as God leads you to do. May our church be a place of blessings overflowing into the world around us. Amen.

We are the Church

Wednesday November 26th, (We are the Church) Ephesians 1: Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22 God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is Christ's body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything. We have been using music from “The Jay Beech” band in worship for a while now it is a wonderful gift to the church. Not only is the music excellent and fresh, but the presentation format (music book with both full accompaniment and melody only bulletin format, CD with melody line, guitar, C, Eb and Bb instrumentation, etc) speaks to the needs of the church rather than some antiquated need to sell a book for every pew (Learn from this Augsburg/Fortress) One of the favorite songs to end a service with is called “The Church Song,” by Jay Beech, ©1988, the words are as follows. We are the church, the body of the Lord, we are all God’s children and we have been restored. The church is not a building where people go to pray; it’s not made out of sticks and stones, it’s not made out of clay. You can go to worship but you cannot go to church, you can’t find a building that’s alive no matter how you search. The church is not a business, a committee or a board; it’s not a corporation for the business of the Lord. The church it is the people living out their lives, called, enlightened, sanctified for the work of Jesus Christ. We are the church, the body of the Lord, we are all God’s children and we have been restored. (www.baytonemusic.com) Note: this song is part of the “one body alive” and is also found on the CD rom which is well worth the price to any church.

we become more graceful as we become grace filled

Thursday November 27th, (we become more graceful as we become grace filled) Matthew 25: 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' First let me wish you a very blessed thanksgiving. We are saved by the Grace of a Loving God. Because of that gift of grace, our hearts are changed, our lives are changed, who we are is changed and we become more graceful as we become grace filled. As our lives are changed by this loving grace, we become more graceful to the world around us, and believe me, it shows. Showing grace no longer becomes a matter of what we do, it is simply a matter of who we are. As is the case with most children of God throughout the world, the grace we are shown by a loving God comes to us through the lives changed by a loving God. We simply pass it on because true grace from a loving God can do no other. When grace truly become part of who we are, others tend to notice even if we forget.

Just live it

Friday November 28th, (Just Live It) Matthew 25: 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' When one is saved by a loving graceful God they often become a grace filled person. As you live a grace filled life, it is not something you think about, it is not something that saves you, is it not something you must, should or ought to do, it is simply who you have become and continue to become in ever new and changing ways. When one is outside of this grace, we ask questions like what must I do to be saved. When one is filled with grace, that is no more a question than a salmon asking if it should spawn and if so what stream it should take. It is simply a matter of going and living your life filled with the grace of God, and letting that grace flow through you to the world around you.

Do you see the need or the cost?

Saturday November 29th, (Do you see the need or the cost?) Matthew 25: 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' If your focus in life is on yourself, not God, there is no amount of “doing” that will change you. That is because what needs to change is not what you do, but who you are. With un-grace filled eyes, you can look around, but you just don’t see the need, only the cost. With grace filled eyes you see the need, and you know the cost has been paid already.

Dreams

What if the NY Times had the headline, "Iraq War Ends" Check out this adobe file of the NY Times: http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1112/nytimesparody.pdf

Advent & Christmas worship ideas!?!?! Anyone!!!

I am always looking for good Advent & Christmas worship resources, perhaps others are also. If you have some good resources, thoughts, ideas, etc for Advent & Christmas worship, send them to me by posting a comment below (click on "Comments") and I will post them on upcoming entries for others to see.

Thank You
Pastor Dan

11.16.08 preface

It is indeed right and salutary that we should at all times and in all places offer thanks and praise to you Dear Lord, creator of all the earth. You have given us the gifts of the kingdom and call us to live lives of joy as we celebrate these many gifts. You have given us the task to bring the news that you have overcome death and the grave for all humanity, and have given us forgiveness and the gift of life eternal with all the angels of heaven. We therefore come before you with the whole Church on earth and all the hosts of heaven praiseing your Name and presence in our lives and joining together with the unending hymn:

11.16.08 prayer of the day

Righteous God, our merciful master, you own the earth and all its peoples, and you give us all that we have. Inspire us to serve you with justice and wisdom, and prepare us for the joy of the day of your coming. You give each of us gifts to share and use in the Kingdom and call us to enjoy our life on earth by using these gifts to the fullest. Bless us this day in our worship as we celebrate together our walk with you this week. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen!!

11.16.08 offertory prayer

Dear Lord, You have offered each and every one of us Talents and gifts to use in the bringing of the Kingdom of Grace to this world. Walk with us each day was we discover these many gifts you have given us and as we help others to discover their gifts for the Kingdom. Please bless this offering we bring back to you, but a small portion of all you have given us. Amen!

And on the way out of town.....

Nov. 10 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve is refusing to identify the recipients of almost $2 trillion of emergency loans from American taxpayers or the troubled assets the central bank is accepting as collateral.

Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said in September they would comply with congressional demands for transparency in a $700 billion bailout of the banking system. Two months later, as the Fed lends far more than that in separate rescue programs that didn't require approval by Congress, Americans have no idea where their money is going or what securities the banks are pledging in return.

full article at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aatlky_cH.tY&refer=worldwide

Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

Gifts abound
Filling our lives will all the love God has for us
Here take it
Live it
Use it
And experience
Feel
Taste
The joy of living connected to the living
Loving
Caring
And yes, forgiving
God
But what if…………….
I might misuse
I might make a mistake
Maybe God made a mistake
What if I do something wrong
Better to do nothing than something wrong
Wrong………
Sin boldly
Live boldly
Use every bit of every gift God has given you
Mistakes are part of the process
The fun
The joy of living
And learning
Your light will never shine
Buried in the ground
Combined with thousands of other lights
It can illumine the world
Put that shovel down
And live in love
For love
With love
And laugh with joy and with God.

Happy Birthday Martin

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday dear Martin

Happy Birthday to You

Today is Martin Luthers 525th Birthday, born in 1483. Along with your evening prayer, lift a stine of good ale and sing happy birthday to the old lad.

From Old Lutheran (http://oldlutheran.com/news/11_10_08_ML525/ml525.html): Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany. In 1525 he married Katharina von Bora. About marriage Luther wrote "My Katie is in all things so obliging and pleasing to me that I would not exchange my poverty for the riches of Croesus."

To Celebrate Martin's Birthday, we are releasing a limited run of Katie Luther Bobble Head Dolls. We expect these dolls by the middle of January and will ship them to you in time for Katies 510th birthday on January 29, 2009.

Gratefulness calendar: http://www.gratefulness.org/calendar/detail.cfm?id=171&d=all

11.10.08 fast facts

In 2007, an average of 26.5 million people per month utilized the Food Stamp Program.

Ho-Hummers are not big trucks

Sunday November 16th, Zephaniah 1, Ho-Hummers: 7 Be silent before the Sovereign LORD, for the day of the LORD is near. The LORD has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated those he has invited. ' The biggest threat to Christianity is not Islam or evolution or atheism or liberals or neo-cons or the so called homosexual agenda, it is Christians who are complacent. God can work through all the others, but someone who is complacent, is, in the midst of their seeming complacency, very busy keeping God at bay. When God takes hold, changes take place. Those changes might not be the Muslim becoming Christian or the evolutionists supporting ID or the atheists outwardly turning to God or the homosexual becoming somehow straight, as if that were possible or even desirable, the change that takes place is much deeper than that, it is in the heart and therefore in the very essence of who this person is who is grabbed by God. It’s the Ho-Hummers who seem to be the most slippery and most of us some of the time and some of us must of the time are Ho-Hummers.

What's on your calendar??

Monday November 17th, Zephaniah 1, What's on Your calendar??: 13 Their wealth will be plundered, their houses demolished. They will build houses but not live in them; they will plant vineyards but not drink the wine. When Christ returns, how much of our “stuff” will be really be important? If you were to write your own obituary, what would be in it? Would you write about your car or house or boat, or would you write about those you love and how you showed that love, received that love, lived that love? Most of us all the time, and all of us most of the time, spend our time on pursuits that in the end, matter little. If you consider what you would want on your obituary, what comes to the surface as priorities in your life? Have you thought about living into those things? What’s on your calendar?

Go for the fun now!

Tuesday November 18th, 1 Thessalonians 5, Don't put off the fun until the end: 1 Now, brothers and sisters, we do not need to write you about times and dates.2 You know very well that the day the Lord comes again will be a surprise, like a thief that comes in the night. Well, the Left Behind series is waning in popularity, but the dispensationalists are still alive and well. I find it interesting to watch all the clamor over when the second coming is going to happen. People study and study the Bible for clues, and friends of mine have moved to Wales, I assume because they consider that the end of the earth, to wait for the rapture. I guess they missed this verse. It is not a matter of figuring out when it will be so you can get ready, it is a matter of being ready, remember the maidens and their oil lamps from last Sunday? Anything else is just trying to cheat, and quite frankly it doesn’t work and that seems like an odd approach to anyone who takes the Bible seriously. When will Christ come again? When you least expect it, which means you can probable take all those predictions and mark those times off as when it is least likely to occur. So take the joy now, live the joy now, follow Christ now, allow your life to be changed now, live as a child of God now. Don’t put all the fun off until the end. (maybe those who are trying to predict when the Lord will come are doing so because they don’t think being a Christian is very much fun. Sorry to hear that!?!)

Who are you??

Wednesday November 19th, 1 Thessalonians 5, What are you talking about??: 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in darkness, and so that day will not surprise you like a thief.5 You are all people who belong to the light and to the day. We do not belong to the night or to darkness.When you walk with God it is not a matter of getting ready, it is a matter of being ready. How do you know when you are ready?? When others point out that you are the kind of person who loves God with all your heart and loves your neighbor as yourself, and you are not sure what they are talking about. Then you know that for you being a Christian is not something you do, it is something you are.

The Thing of Miracles

Thursday November 20th, Matthew 25, The thing of miracles: 14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. Life is not fair so it seems. Not everyone is blessed with all the talent in the world. Each one of us has gifts for the kingdom however, and they become gifts for us too when they are used. It is when we use our talents along with others gifts, that we realize the strength of our gift. Carbon is not very strong. Even iron is not that strong. But carbon and iron together make steel which is a whole other ball game. Now we find that carbon, when used and worked into “Bucky Balls” or “Bucky Tubes” is even stronger than steel. Carbon left to its own, well, how many times have you broken a pencil lead. So it is with the talents God has given each and every one of us. By themselves they are a gift. When used, whether by themselves or in conjunction with the gifts of others, they become the thing of miracles. God invites you to join the fun.

Rusty?

Friday November 21st, Matthew 25, Are you a bit rusty?: 16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. The first two put their talents to work for, and in the kingdom. The third one played it safe and no one knew he had the talents or gifts. I can imagine that after all that time in the ground, the talent was not only worth no more than before; it was a bit rusty too. That seems like a good metaphor for what happens to the gifts God gives us. Use them or lose them.

Forgive or coax

Saturday November 22nd, Matthew 25, Jesus would much rather forgive than coax: 24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ Luther said to sin boldly, but rejoice more boldly still. The gifts God gives you can not be broken, but they can be misused. As a matter of fact, they are probably misused most of the time. But it is not misuse that is the problem, it is lack of use. So, love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself, in whatever way your God given talent leads you. And if you make a mistake along the way, that is much better than erring on the side of caution. In fact, Please make mistakes, lots of them. At least it shows you are trying. In the kingdom, it is much better to screw up trying than to really screw up by not trying. Jesus would much rather forgive than coax.

Mission Accomplished

One thing the Bush administration wanted to do was to overturn the New Deal and shrink the government to a size it could be drowned in a bathtub (Norquest: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20010514/dreyfuss).

Another goal was to get 'western big oil back in control of some of the production in the Mid-East. With the financial crisis and Shell contracts, maybe George really can stand in front of his "Mission Accomplished" banner after all!

BAGHDAD, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The head of Iraq's parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee said on Saturday he was concerned about a lack of transparency in a flare gas contract which the government has signed with oil major Royal Dutch Shell (nyse: RDSA - news - people ).
Shell is finalising details of the multi-billion-dollar plan, a joint venture with Iraq's state-run Southern Gas Company, before a final agreement is signed. An initial deal was signed in September.

Shell says the deal gives the joint venture a monopoly over all of the natural gas collected as a by-product of oil production in Iraq's rich southern oil fields in Basra.

Some Iraqi politicians have expressed alarm that such a deal could be signed without any tendering process.

'There hasn't been much transparency in this agreement,' Ali Hussain Balou, head of the Oil and Gas Committee, told Reuters. 'Shell signed this agreement with the ministry ... They did not give a chance to another company. We want to know why.'

full story at: http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/11/08/afx5668167.html

wwjd - those pesky monks!!

JERUSALEM — Israeli police rushed into one of Christianity's holiest churches Sunday and arrested two clergyman after an argument between monks erupted into a brawl next to the site of Jesus' tomb.

The clash between Armenian and Greek Orthodox monks broke out in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, revered as the site of Jesus' crucifixion, burial and resurrection.

The brawling began during a procession of Armenian clergymen commemorating the 4th-century discovery of the cross believed to have been used to crucify Jesus.

The Greeks objected to the march without one of their monks present, fearing that otherwise, the procession would subvert their own claim to the Edicule _ the ancient structure built on what is believed to be the tomb of Jesus _ and give the Armenians a claim to the site.

The Armenians refused, and when they tried to march the Greek Orthodox monks blocked their way, sparking the brawl.

full story at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/09/monks-brawl-at-christian_n_142453.html

Message from ELCA's Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson

November 5, 2008

Presiding Bishop’s Statement on 2008 Presidential Election

Americans have chosen a new president in an historic election. I congratulate Senator Obama on his election to our nation’s highest office, and express gratitude to Senator McCain for his continuing commitment to public service. I commend both for participating in our nation’s democratic process, which serves our venerable tradition of the peaceful transfer of power.

We look to the future as a nation troubled by economic crisis and continuing wars. Such complex realities call for both humility and ingenuity. In the midst of these challenges, we as Lutherans also look to the future as a community of faith and a people of hope. We bring to the public square a longstanding and effective commitment to serve our neighbors and a conviction that government is instrumental in God’s purpose for humanity when public officials work for justice, peace, order and the common good.

Scripture is clear about what should matter to us as Christians in public life: hospitality to strangers, concern for people in poverty, peacemaking and care for creation. From these core biblical values, I appeal to President-elect Obama to establish the following priorities for his administration:

• 
  a response to the current economic crisis with special focus on low-income people
• 
  a robust diplomatic effort to restore U.S. credibility abroad
• 
  a fulfillment of the promised U.S. funding share of the Millennium Development Goals
• 
  strong support for alternative energy research to end our dependence on oil and establish a new green economy
• 
  fair and humane immigration reform
• 
  serious re-engagement with a peace process for Palestinians and Israelis

I call on all members of this church to join me in committing to work with this new administration across the broad spectrum of our Lutheran partnerships and networks. Remain active in public service, be in conversation with each other and within your communities on these issues, and engage members of Congress and this administration through this church’s advocacy ministry. Pray for President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Biden, and their families, and for their work and service on behalf of our country.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson

Presiding Bishop

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Matthew 25:1-13

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Being ready
Is different
That getting ready
In the Rapture Racket
Everyone waits for the end
Missing the joy of now
Lamps ready waiting for the day
Nothing in them
Empty
Grey
Others fill them day by day
Never knowing any other way
Helping neighbor
Caring for earth
Praying for enemies
And bringing to birth
The kingdom among us
Full and alive
Just the way life is lived
Not just a moment to strive
In the end
Never realizing
The ones raptured off
Miss the bridegroom

Water flows down hill, a plumber should know that

Sunday November 9th, Amos 5: 18 Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD ? That day will be darkness, not light. 19 It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Ahh, the Rapture, I can’t wait until it comes taking out all those who don’t see things the way I see things. Won’t it be glorious?!? Here Amos warns the people of Israel that they might want to think about what they wish for. In the recent campaigning there have been all sorts of word games. Spreading the wealth so it goes up is called cutting taxes and spreading the wealth so it flows down is considered socialism. Amos was warning a society where the wealth flowed up that when the day of the Lord comes, they would find themselves carried on that upward current up a creek without a paddle, or perhaps even more ominous, without a relationship with God. The day of the Lord is coming with or without your calling for it, but it might be best to be careful what you wish for. And make sure things flow in the right direction. You would think a plumber would know that!

irrigation system

Monday November 10th, Amos 5: 21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! To quote William Sloane Coffin, it is one thing to stand with the prophets of old and call for justice to roll on like a river and righteousness like an ever flowing stream, it quite another to design the irrigation system. Do we sometimes enter our sanctuaries and make a beautiful noise onto the Lord so we don’t have to hear the cry of the poor? Do we sometimes focus on atrocities over there so we don’t have to face the growing needs right here? Do we spend more on military than on aid and diplomacy because it is more efficient at creating a better world, or because connected contractors find it easier to make money off death than off life? These are questions to ask in, and outside our worship. We are saved by grace but unchanged worship with unchanged lives is an abomination to the Lord. Sometimes we need to get our hands dirty and dredge the irrigation system so the justice and righteousness reaches all.

Surrounded by Saints

Tuesday November 11th, 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-14 And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don't want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus. Last week we honored the Saints in our lives, for most of us these are the dear departed who brought us the Gospel, the good news that we are loved by God. My parents passed away about a year apart, it was a couple of years before I reached the point where I no longer walked to the phone to call them, or when it rang, wondered if it was them, or perhaps just turned, heard a song, saw a flash of light that stopped me short with the feeling of their presence. For the most part that feeling is gone now after ten years plus. But sometimes I wonder, is it gone only because my intellect has overcome my spirit? The good news in Christ is that the grave has not overcome and that we are surrounded by the saints at all times.

Time? aUI?

Wednesday November 12th, 1 Thessalonians 4: 15-18 And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master's word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they'll be ahead of us. How far ahead of us? Where? We often get hung up on time, sometimes even trying to explain eternity to children or others. Heaven for all eternity?!! What does that mean? For us humans, in our limited dimensions of existence, we have a tough time thinking outside of time. Perhaps eternity is not the elongation of time (A in the language of aUI) but perhaps the absence of time. (anyone else remember Dr. John Weilgart?)

take the grace and run

Thursday November 13th, Matthew 25: 1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to wait for the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The five foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they did not take more oil for the lamps to burn. 4 The wise bridesmaids took their lamps and more oil in jars. What is the oil? Is it faith? (a gift from God?) Is it works? (go buy some for yourselves?) Or is it perhaps something less specific? Is it perhaps the totality of our relationship with God and all that that entails, prayer, changed lives, good works, faith, Bible Study, awareness of Grace, worship, community, caring, Praising, Nurturing and Serving? If so, then how does one let the oil run out? As we take the grace of Reformation Sunday and run, we might want to stop and think about that.

check the oil

Friday November 14th, Matthew 25: 6 "At midnight someone cried out, 'The bridegroom is coming! Come and meet him!' 7 Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.8 But the foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 9 The wise bridesmaids answered, 'No, the oil we have might not be enough for all of us. Go to the people who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' Each of us reaches a point where the “oil” of life is needed. It is seldom an expected time. Our calling is not to get ready, but to be ready. How you may ask? Maintain the relationship. How you may ask? Well, think about it. If you talked to your spouse once in a while, came home once in a while, had intimate time together once in a while, but spent most of your time, focus, energy down at the local watering hole, how long would the marriage last? If your spouse has any self esteem the answer would be one month. If your spouse has good self esteem it would be considerably less. Where do you spend your time, energy, focus, conversation, and intimate connections? Better check the tank for oil.

Plug in

Saturday November 15th, Matthew 25: 11 "Later the others came back and said, 'Sir, sir, open the door to let us in.' 12 But the bridegroom answered, 'I tell you the truth, I don't want to know you.' 13 "So always be ready, because you don't know the day or the hour the Son of Man will come. I tend to be a universalist, if we are saved by grace then grace it is, and not something conditional under my control. However, that line, “I don’t want to know you” Ouch!!!! What have we missed in life to hear that? What joy, hope, meaning, completeness, contentment, peace, …… have we missed in life to hear that? Heaven begins here and now, so does Hell. Sometimes we are so busy tapping in the noise of this world we miss that, but what more could life be? If life is fizzling, you might try plugging back into the source of life. And fill your tank while you are at it.

Let Justice roll down, just not to them

In the Amos text for this week we are asked to let justice roll down like an ever flowing stream. Good words, but it is quite another thing to talk about how the irragation system is designed. Does it flow down in such a way only those who can afford it, thereby flowing right past the ones who need it? Do we find new and inventive ways to look good while playing the same old game of disinfranchising the least, lost and lonely? Please read the following article and click on the link at the end to hear the commentary by Rachel Maddow.

Maddow rightly notes the long wait times at early voting stations — and worries not only about what that bodes for election day, but about who is getting disenfranchised because of it:
This is a poll tax.

How much do you get paid for an hour of work? Do you have the kind of job that would be delighted to give you an hour, a half-day, a whole day off work because you were waiting in line at your precinct? Even if it won't cost you your job, can you afford to not work those hours? Are you elderly or disabled, do you not have the physical stamina for this kind of exertion? This is a poll tax... Who is not in those lines — because they can't afford to be?

"What does it cost you to wait eight hours? Is this the way our democracy works now? We're a country where only people who can afford to give up 20 percent of a week's pay are allowed to vote?"

Never mind that there are forces at work trying to deliberately disenfranchise voters — "Democrats vote on November 5th" anyone? — but the fact that this is still going on after the horror shows of 2000 and 2004 says a lot about just how far the election-day process in this country hasn't come. Check out here smart — and important — video commentary at the following link : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/03/rachel-maddow-decries-lon_n_140455.html