Commie God

10W for September 4th, the 12th Sunday after Pentecost, Channel of Peace.

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 4th, the 12th Sunday after Pentecost, Channel of Peace. 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 right or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking on the donation link on the right and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 119:33-40

Pastor: Be my guide in life O Lord and teach me the ways you would have me live, that I may walk by your side my whole life long.

Congregation: Help me to understand your plan for the world that with your help I may walk in your ways and take all your teachings to heart.

Pastor: Direct me in the paths of your ways for it is there I find my delight.

Congregation: Turn not just my head, but more importantly my heart toward your ways and away from selfish gain.

Pastor: Turn my eyes away from worthless things and fill my life with your word.

Congregation: May your ways be seen in this world so that you may be seen by others with the awe and wonder with which I see you O Lord.

Pastor: Remove the shyness and awkwardness that sometimes keeps me from being a child of God in this world; help me to show that all your ways are good.

Congregation: I long to walk in your ways this day O Lord, Help me each and every day to walk in your ways, for it is You O Lord who bring life to my world.

Matthew 18:15-20 P12 Poem

As I gather myself to pray
I remember those around me
those in need
who are praying also for me
and together
you and I
and we
make up the church of God
gathered in Your name
Brothers and Sisters in Christ
Children together in the family of God
no longer strangers
or lone rangers
but the forgiving and the forgiven
gathered at the table of the Lord
once again to renew our strength
for service
of You

Save Yourself??? don't think so

Sunday September 4th, Ezekiel 33: 7 "Son of man, I have appointed you as a prophet to warn the people of Israel. So listen to my message. Give them a warning from me. 8 "Suppose I say to a sinful person, 'You can be sure that you will die.' And suppose you do not try to get him to change his ways. Then he will die because he has sinned. And I will hold you accountable for his death. 9 "But suppose you do warn that sinful person. You tell him to change his ways. But he does not do it. Then he will die because he has sinned. But you will have saved yourself. The questions is, can one save one’s self if the other looses? Can an individual ever fully be content with the demise of another? Ezekiel’s message seems to be counter to the Gospel for today. Jesus’ response is to treat them like tax collectors and sinners, or like Matthew and the rest of the disciples.

economic justice fills the land

Monday September 5th, Ezekiel 33: 10 "Son of man, speak to the people of Israel. Tell them, 'You are saying, "Our sins and the wrong things we have done weigh us down. We are wasting away because we have sinned so much. So how can we live?" ' 11 "Tell them, 'When sinful people die, it does not give me any joy. But when they turn away from their sins and live, that makes me very happy. And that is just as sure as I am alive,' announces the Lord and King. 'So turn away from your sins! Change your evil ways! Why should you die, people of Israel?' In the current climate where likes of Michelle and Pat and Perry seem to claim intimate relationship with the almighty and see natural disasters as warnings from God, they see the solution to those warnings as the antithesis of community building. They tend to see the solution to be the very type of society Ezekiel was sent to warn against. When you are doing the will and work of God, community is built and economic justice fills the land. When you are doing the will and work of self, community is destroyed and money flows up out of the hands of those who need it most and into the hands of those who need it least.

the debt and we

Tuesday September 6th, Romans 13: 8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. To have a debt in Paul’s society was a source of great shame. At the same time, when you live day to day, there is always a cash flow problem. To leave a debt unpaid among the mostly poor was to take food from the mouths of another family. Paul is concerned about the survival of the community, and paying up on any debts was a way for the community to survive and someone who mooched off the others, while not to be confused with someone who is in genuine need, was a detriment to the survival of that community. Paul’s double urging is to maintain the health of the community and to deal with one another out of brotherly love. How much better off we would be if we had as our focus the maintenance of a healthy community and the caring for one another out of brotherly love. In the end, it is not about Me, it is about We.

brown bear

Wednesday September 7th, Romans 13: 11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. We have a brown bear in the neighborhood. It snorted at my neighbor a couple of days ago and when I walk my dog, she is very interested in the smells near the paths leading back into the woods. Summer is coming to an end and when I walk the dog before bedtime, I now carry a flashlight. With the bear in the area, and signs sightings of the bear being so prominent, I don’t like walking my dog in the dark. Many things besides bears can hide in the darkness. Paul goes through quite a list and it consists of greed for food and drink, greed for sexual encounter, and greed for power. These human strivings are not always seen for what they are. Most often they are under the cover of darkness and deceit. On the political sphere, games are played, on the sexual sphere, games are played, on the financial sphere, games are played, and on the personal sphere games are played. Game playing destroys community. Games have winners and losers and the ratio is never one to one, for every winner there are hundreds or thousands of losers. The solution is to bring things to the light, to bring things out in the open because it is there that things are seen for what they are. It is also in the light that we are seen for who we are, and it is in the light that there is the possibility of hope for change and reconciliation. Hidden, there are all sorts of fear and festering that can take place. Revealed, healing and reconciliation have a chance.

win lose

Thursday September 8th, Matthew 18: 15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'. On the practical side…. If someone sins against you go and try to work it out, if that works, reconciliation happens. If reconciliation doesn’t work, according to Jewish law, take some others along so they can listen to both sides. Often times in the case of disputes, the truth resides not on one side or the other, but somewhere in the middle, an impartial group can help sort that out and reconciliation happens. An impartial group can hold not only the other person accountable, but can also help hold you accountable. If that doesn’t work, take it to the church and have the whole body of Christ work on getting things worked out. The goal is not vigilante justice, but reconciliatory justice, to restore the relationship between you, the other and the community. The goal is not for one to win and the other to lose, it is for harmony and the community to be restored.

pagan and tax collector

Friday September 9th, Matthew 18: 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Sometimes people and communities and movements get their undies in a bunch and no attempt of reconciliation seems to work. People become entrenched in their ways and no matter what is said or done, the other is made out to be the villain. Fox news and right wing AM radio is a prime example of stoking the fire that will build until all get burnt. When you run into a situation like this Matthew simply says to treat them like a pagan or tax collector. To Matthews audience, pagans and tax collectors had a special meaning. Matthew was a tax collector called by Jesus. The Pagans were the ones Jesus ate with, forgave, restored and went to the cross for. Pagans would be you and I. So to treat them like a pagan and tax collector is to continue to treat them as a brother or sister in Christ.

hurricanes and earth quakes

Saturday September 10th, Matthew 18: 19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." This is not about individual Christianity, me and God, kind of stuff. This is about community, prayer partners and getting together with others because each of us has the capacity to go astray if left alone. When we gather, Jesus is there. That does not mean that every gathering listens to Christ, but at least the possibility is there. And there is no greater way to build community than to pray together with Christ. When we are in sync with Jesus vision for the world where there is peace and justice for all, God gives us the insight to see how we can help bring this about. When we are not in sync with God’s vision of Peace and justice for all in this world, we end up with political comments regarding hurricanes and earth quakes.

Munchausen by Proxy

In MBPS, a caregiver deliberately makes another person (most often his or her own child) sick or convinces others that the person is sick. The caregiver misleads others into thinking that the child has medical problems by lying and reporting fictitious episodes. He or she may exaggerate, fabricate, or induce symptoms. As a result, doctors usually order tests, try different types of medications, and may even hospitalize the child or perform surgery to determine the cause. Typically, the perpetrator feels satisfied by gaining the attention and sympathy of doctors, nurses, and others who come into contact with him or her and the child. Some experts believe that it isn't just the attention that's gained from the "illness" of the child that drives this behavior, but also the satisfaction in being able to deceive individuals that they consider to be more important and powerful than themselves and exercise control by being the one who then comes to the rescue.  I wonder if there is a political equivalent to Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome?

August 28th, the 11th week of Pentecost, Break These Chains.

The following is a 10 minute worship for August 28th, the 11th week of Pentecost, Break These Chains. 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 right or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 26:1-8

Pastor: Look upon us with favor O LORD, for we have tried to lead a blameless life

Congregation: We have trusted in the LORD, and for the most part have not faltered. Test us Lord, examine our hearts and minds.

Pastor: We have been forever mindful of your unfailing love and have lived our lives relying on your faithfulness.

Congregation: We do not sit with the deceitful nor associate with hypocrites. We abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked.

Pastor: We bathe ourselves in innocence when we go before your Altar O Lord and proclaimed your praise to all the world in what we say and in what we do.

Congregation: Aware of your wonderful deeds O Lord, we love to go to your house and praise your name in all we do and say.

What the hell is Paul talking about!!!

Sunday August 28th, Romans 12: 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Think about this list from Paul. Verse 9, religious right and tea party all the way……. But wait! Verse 10, well they could be talking about us, the religious elite who have all the right answers and have earned every bit of grace we have unlike some others. Verse 11, o yeah!! That’s us the religious right because it certainly is not the Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians or Presbyterians. Verse 12, Oh Yeah!! Defiantly the religious right, upbeat music, prosperity gospel, we have it right and they have it wrong, defiantly the religious right. Verse 13!!!! What the hell is Paul talking about!!! What if the world did just that? What if the world loved that which was sincere, chose good over evil, loved and honored one another, was alive in Christ and filled with hope and prayer, practiced hospitality and cared for those in need? What if? What if congregations did that even a little bit? What if? Most people reject Christianity because it deals with hot button issues rather than love issues. We are more concerned with who someone loves than with how someone loves. But what if?? The New Enthusiasts in Christianity has verses 9-12 down, us mainline protestants, not so much. Verse 13, we understand it even if we don’t practice it so well. Perhaps we could have a synthesis, a little evangelical fervor, a little mainline protestant understanding. Then we could be the church!!!!

now the tea party, Sarah, Rick and the religious right are beginning to sweat

Monday August 29th, Romans 12: 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. OK, now the tea party, Sarah, Rick and the religious right are beginning to sweat. What if we lived together as brothers and sisters, even with those who do not agree with us, or with whom we do not agree? Is that possible in the real world, or only as a figment of Paul’s imagination? Can life produce such harmony or should we just give it up and go to war, and stop every proposal Obama presents, even if it is something we agree with? The tea party is the ultimate form of stealth racism and partyism. Where would God have us go in times of conflict, to the negotiation table or to the battlefield? We as a people, created in God’s image keep going to the battlefield saying the negotiation table doesn’t work. And as long as we never really give it a try it in any sustained way, we prove ourselves right, and God wrong. God however has another idea.

we have met the enemy

Tuesday August 30th, Romans 12: 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, “says the Lord. F Buechner talks about “anger” in wishful thinking by saying something like this: Of the seven deadly sins, anger is perhaps the most fun. to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain your are given and the pain you are giving back. To let grievances long past roll of your tongue and look forward to the bitter confrontations yet to come. To savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back. In many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is what you are wolfing down is yourself, the skeleton at the feast is you. The cartoon character Pogo tells us that we have met the enemy and he is us. Walter Wink warns us to not become that which we hate. Paul says to not take revenge but leave room for God. And still, well over half of our nation’s budget is tied up in some form of war spending and all hell breaks loose when we talking about trimming it even a little. Some people never listen, they are making too much money.

Bomb them with food

Wednesday August 31st, Romans 12: 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Paul gives us a “how to” on how to live as a child of God in this world where not everyone is our friend. And even when we think we have some hope to be buttheads with the heaping coals line, we are called to understand that that was the normal way of carrying the hot coals one needed to get a fire going to cook a meal for friends or family, it was not a revenge statement at all, it is a statement of helping the enemy to provide for their needs. I wonder if Romans 12 will make it in any of the political speeches from either pulpit or politico? Bomb them with food and watch the war end. Naaaaaaaaaaaah, no money in it.

Pick up your cross and let’s get going.

Thursday September 1st, Matthew 16: 21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" So close Peter, Sooooo close, Peter almost had it didn’t he? Just last week he represented the disciples by saying that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. In doing so he, standing in Caesarea Philippi at the foot of the power that destroyed the temple in Jerusalem, standing in the town named after the power of war and the power of Caesar also known as the son of god, Peter spoke for the disciples in his proclamation of faith. Now, unfortunately he seems to speak for most of us. You don’t really need to do that Lord. I think you can bypass Jerusalem, I think you can let me walk on water, I think you can turn these stones into bread if you are hungry, I think you can wow everyone with stunts, I think you can have the whole world (if only you will….) I think you can be a follower of Christ and fit in worship whenever it is comfortable for you….No!! Says Jesus. Pick up your cross and let’s get going. There is work to do

not the last temptation of Christ

Friday September 2nd, Matthew 16: 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." This is not the last temptation of Christ; that is yet to come. Jesus puts it into perspective with the call to get behind me Satan. How often do we tell Satan to get behind us? How often do we let Satan take the lead and tell us that being a Christian is OK, but there is no need to get all that excited about it? In C.S.Lewis’ Screwtape letters, C.S.Lewis as the voice of the devil does a great job of letting his minions know that you cannot actively tear one away from following Christ, all you will get is resistance. The way you tear them away from following is to set the thought in their minds that religion is not something to get all that wired about. To let them know that it is OK make time for Jesus when you have the extra time and money, to convince them that occasional attendance at worship is OK. In time, it all seems less important and Satan is no longer behind, but in the lead.

pick it up

Saturday September 3rd, Matthew 16: 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. OK, let’s get this straight. God loves you, you are saved through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Now to make life meaningful for you and for those around you, pick up your cross. You know what I mean, it is right there with you all the time weighing down your sub-conscience. It is what you think you can walk around, talk around, think around and live around your whole life long. It is Your cross, and to pick it up and walk with it is to give this life, here in the already not yet, meaning. It is to understand that life is just a little less without it.

August 24th, the festival of Bartholomew, Apostle.

The following is a 10 minute worship for August 24th, the festival of Bartholomew, Apostle. 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 right or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828.

John 1:43-51 St. Bartholomew, Apostle

out of a world of doubt
crashing through
with words still on his lips
of a culture well worn
a people nurtured at the hand of God
and yet
a culture shed at the words of knowing
history set aside
for the sake of all time
       (Rabbi)
and all people
called out of a life
of known
to a life of unknown
       (You are the Son of God)
that would bring all life
to a newness
promised from before all time
       (you are the King of Israel)
for all people

August 21st, the 10th week of Pentecost, He is Lord.

The following is a 10 minute worship for August 21st, the 10th week of Pentecost, He is 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 right or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828.

10th Sunday after Pentecost Matthew 16:13-20

You are the Christ
The Son of the living God
and upon this confession
the Church will be built
upon this confession
the foundation of the church
Stands
All of heaven
all of hell
hinge on that simple creed
Who do you say He is
in your heart
with your words
        I believe in God
        The Father Almighty
        Creator of Heaven and Earth
with your heart
        and in Jesus Christ
        God’s only Son
         Our Lord
Kingdoms rise and fall
Worlds become and end
and yet all of life stands on that simple
Who do you say I am
in your life
in your heart
in your voice
and confess the God of Love

Opening Litany based on Psalm 138

Worship Leader: I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will praise you before all the little gods of this world to let them know that You O Lord are the center of my life.

Congregation: I will worship you and praise your name O Lord for all your unfailing love and faithfulness. 

Worship Leader: When I called upon the name of the Lord, I felt peace, an answer, and emboldened in my walk with God.

Congregation: May all the powers of this world praise you O Lord and may we all join is singing of the greatness of the Lord. 

Worship Leader: Even in the mightiness of the Lord, the Lord looks kindly upon the lowly, but takes notice of the proud from afar.

Congregation: Though I walk at times in the midst of trouble, the Lord looks kindly upon me. The Lords presence protects me from the things of this world that would do me harm.

Worship Leader: Your love O Lord endures forever and you will not forsake the work of your hands.

Congregation: I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will praise you before all the little gods of this world to let them know that You O Lord are the center of my life.

end up less than

Sunday August 21st, Isaiah 51: 4 "Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: The law will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. When we speak of justice we speak of more than simple equality, which always ends up being less than equality. Justice is more than fairness, which always ends up being less than fair. Justice is more than caring, which ends up with a narrow focus of who we care for and how we care for them. Justice is about caring about the other enough to want to what is best for the other, through the others eyes. It always involves more than equality, more than fair and more than caring. Justice means knowing that without the other living up to the potential God has called the other to be, you are less than God has called you to be. Equality, Fairness, Caring, ask the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Justice answers, “No, You are your brother’s brother, your sister’s sister” It is what is meant to be a child of God. It is the opposite of cutting programs so the wealthy can keep their tax cuts.

to bring or demand justice?

Monday August 22nd, Isaiah 51: 5 My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. When we think of God’s justice we tend to think of bringing someone else to justice rather than bringing justice to someone else. The first is often just thinly veiled revenge and usually turns around and bites us in the behind. The second calls us to action and sacrifice. It usually turns around and blessed us, our children, and our children’s children. Our tendency to go for the first rather than the second shows our lack of trust in God and God’s ways. God’s justice will come into this world and into our lives, we need to decide if we want to be a part of it or not. Our current public conversation seems to based on scarcity and the concern that others will take it from us. The angels come and announce, Fear Not, and announce the Gospel and call us to live it. Living the Gospel means living for and working for and promoting policies that are in line with God’s Justice. God’s is concerned with bringing justice to us. God’s answer to bringing us to justice is called grace.

you stink!

Tuesday August 23rd, Romans 12: 4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So much for the American spirit of rugged individualism. Part of the problem faced by America today is the move toward the pseudo-individualism. We hold up the façade of making it on our own, and damn those who dare ask for my tax money or government handouts while turning a blind eye to our interdependence. We drive on our roads to work in a big corporation that gets government contracts or tax breaks to produce a product that is helped to be safe and saleable by government regulation. All the while we are looking down our noses at someone just wanting some food for their children. It is not someone else that cuts us off from the body of Christ, but rather own actions and desires and pseudo-individualism. Paul points out in some rather graphic ways just what happens when we do fool ourselves into the notion of rugged individualism, we not only die, we send out a bit of a stench in the rotting process. A so called self made man stinks in more than one way.

Keep a smile on your face

Wednesday August 24th, Romans 12: 6-8 If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. Doing the kingdom work is simple. God gives you the tools, the talents, the time and calls you to simply use them for the kingdom. Sometimes we think that somehow We need to teach God how to do it better. Humanity has had that trouble since the first bite. God smiles when God hears us do the “me do it” routine the same way we smile when our young one does it. It is when we forget to smile and laugh at ourselves for our tendency toward the grandiose that we get a bit dangerous. There are too many serious Christians who are neither serious nor Christian.

Amo

Thursday: August 25th, Matthew 16: 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Caesarea Philippi was in the midst of a very pluralistic society, culturally and religiously. When you state your beliefs here, you are not necessarily surrounded by like minded friends and family. The movement from what others say to what we say, is the movement from living in your head to living in your heart. Most of us live in our heads most of the time. It is safer and requires less commitment. But then, most of us fall in love. From that time on we live at least part of the time in our hearts, we say things like “I do” and “You are the Christ.” These are the statements and times that change lives. These three remain, faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love. Another way to look at it is, Amo Ergo Sum …. I Love, therefore I am.

Who do You say

Friday August 26th, Matthew 16: 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ the Son of the living God." For Peter to say to Jesus, “You are the Christ” is not only moving from head to heart, it is also saying that Caesar, the empire, the state, and all who represent power in this world are not the Christ, and therefore not in charge. During Peters day, saying that Jesus is the Christ was an act of sedition. Peter is laying it on the line. To say Jesus is the Christ with your heart as well as your head means you take the teachings of Jesus seriously. Love your enemy, pray for those who persecute you, care for the least, lost and lonely, seek justice, don’t be obsessed with power, give of yourself, seek first the kingdom. Who do You say Jesus is with your head????? Who do You say Jesus is with your heart????? Who do You say Jesus is with your actions?????

binding and loosing

Saturday August 27th, Matthew 16: 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Peter received the Keys to the Kingdom, and with it the responsibility to use them wisely. We too through our baptism into Christ have received the Keys to the Kingdom and with it the responsibility to use them wisely. When called to use them remember, if you forgive the sins on any, they are forgiven, the same as if Christ himself forgave them. Whatever you bind, or hold onto, or refuse to forgive, you are still holding onto. It’s not a matter of the other receiving forgiveness or not, it is a matter of whether or not we participate in the joyful experience. Whenever you use the keys to lock the door, Christ is on the other side.

August 15th, the Festival of Mary, the Mother of our Lord.

The following is a 10 minute worship for August 15th, the Festival of Mary, the Mother 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 right or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828.

August 14th, the 9th week of Pentecost,Even the dogs.

The following is a 10 minute worship for August 14th, the 9th week of Pentecost,Even the dogs. 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 right or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828.

Mary, Mother of our Lord Luke 1:46-55

Sing of the Joy that has come
Sing in the hearts of all the people
that now is the time
and the place
for the greatness of the Lord
to come to the people
Sing for the mighty of this world
given new life
toppled from their self made towers
of pride and anxiety
Sing for the powerful of this world
who have been given new life
brought down from their mighty thrones of power
with eyes opened wide toward Christ
seen face to face
in the eyes of poor and hungry
Sing for the humble
in the new hope that life brings
in a world that offered no hope
and Sing for the hungry
who hunger no more
but who are filled with good things
with life
and hope
alive in the one carried in the womb
of Mary
to a world never the same again
a world
filled with Song
Sing of the Joy that has come
Sing in the hearts of all the people
that now is the time
and the place
for the greatness of the Lord
to come to the people

9th Sunday after Pentecost Matthew 1:21-28

She looked up and said Daddy
I love you
and I knew there was depth that was unsurpassed
She loved
not out of need
not our of want
but out of the depth of her life
Oh to have love like that
deep total faith
and adoration
The woman knew
That even with the expected words of the time
She knew that love and adoration
and faith
She knew this Jesus was the one
the Holy one
who could being life
in the midst of her death
and Jesus looked at her
breaking through
theology and tradition
and said
to this child of God
marginalized by our insecurities alone
You of great Faith
Go in the Peace
You bring to this World
For all to see

Opening Litany based on Psalm 67

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

Congregation: May the peoples praise you, O 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 all the nations of the earth.

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

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

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

Maintain Justice and do what is right.

Sunday August 14th, Isaiah 56: 1 This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed. Maintain Justice and do what is right. These are Great words to live by, as individuals and as a nation. All too often however they are used only on the other among us, or the other apart from, us. They are seldom used for introspection. Any good therapists will remind you that one can only control one’s own actions, not the actions of the other. The words do not pertain to the other, but always pertain to the self, whether that self be individual or corporate. It is not a call for someone else to maintain justice, it is a call for us to announce, proclaim, show, demonstrate, live in such a way that others see that the kingdom is near, that salvation is close at hand. We are not saved by what we do, but not doing what we should be doing, like practicing justice in our lives, sure can lead us down the wrong path. Each and every day, ask yourself, how am I showing that the Kingdom is near? Each and every week ask your church, how are we showing that the Kingdom of God is near? Every Sunday in the Lord prayer we call upon our Lord. God in Heaven, Holy is your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done here and now as it is in Heaven. What we call for when we call for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven is for God’s justice to be done on earth, through us, as it is in Heaven. We have called for the kingdom to be near, now we are called to be the kingdom in action.

smackdown

Monday August 15th, Isaiah 56: 8 the Sovereign LORD declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered." Who are the others that are being gathered, and by what means are they being gathered? Many Christians consider themselves as the others who are being gathered through Christ. But is that the end of God’s mercy and justice and gathering in this world? Is it not possible that others, many others, even all others, will be gathered through that same grace that gathers the community of Christ followers? Is God’s grace limited by our definitions, assumptions and ego’s? Is not the Lord who declares that I will gather still others none other than the Sovereign Lord who created all creation and called it good? In a smackdown between the Sovereign Lord and some joker who has a bad haircut and a TV or radio show, I go for the Sovereign Lord who declares, I Will gather still others. In the meantime, I will live as if “still others” includes all others in this creation called good.

God loved his family

Tuesday August 16th, Romans 11: 1 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. The promise has been made to Abraham and to all the children of Abraham, I will be your God, and you, plural, will be my people. It is not a rejection by the sovereign Lord, it is acceptance, it is Grace. Grace for Paul, Grace for you and me, Grace for the Israelites and Arabs, the easterners and westerners, the northerners and the southerners, the proclaimers and deniers, the good, the bad and the ugly, the gay the straight, all saved by grace. Not rejected, just a bigger family than you could ever have imagined. God did not reject his family. God loved his family, the people of this earth who were created in the image of God and called good.

religious fundamentalism makes you unclean.

Wednesday August 17th, Matthew 15: 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' We can at least control to some degree what goes into someone’s mouth. There are food standards and controls that do a pretty good job most of the time. We can have our rituals and traditions, which can be rich in meaning and history, which can help us connect to the love of God, which can convey comfort and grace and forgiveness, but in the end of the day, they are all only tools. We cannot control what comes out. In the long list Paul gives of what comes out, we tend to focus on the sex. As we focus on sex, we can pick out individuals guilty of one perceived evil or another, and feel comfortable with our scapegoats. The focus on sex is a way society avoids dealing with the more weighty issues of justice and mercy. It is what comes out of a persons mouth that makes them unclean. It is the rhetoric that degrades individuals or groups that makes them unclean. It is the laws passed to support the very rich at the expense of just about everyone else that makes you unclean. Often it is the concern for making everything clean in your point of view, the very thing of religious fundamentalism, that makes you unclean.

Ryan budget that will wreak havoc

Thursday August 18th, Matthew 15: 17 "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' “19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' The laws of what was clean and what was unclean governed all aspects of life. That may seem silly to us now, but we tend to do the same thing only more subtly. We eat bacon and ham because those prohibitions were from another era in the Old Testament, but claim the same set of laws as proof that God condemns homosexuality. Many in the tea party claim allegiance to their Christian faith while supporting the Ryan budget that will wreak havoc on the least, lost and lonely, which Christ reminds us is the same as doing it onto him. The disciples were not long from learning from the outsider, the Canaanite woman, that what was unclean was their quick willingness to condemn her as unclean.

not yet!!!!!!

Friday August 19th, Matthew 15: 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." We are dealing with record runs of red salmon this year. It seems as if everyone is gone fishing on the weekends. Today’s gospel is sort of a fishing story. Have you ever gone fishing? Jesus has just finished “the Kingdom is like” discourse where the mustard, leaven and net are equated with the kingdom in that they are common, unclean, and get into our lives. Jesus just finished demonstrating the Kingdom in the feeding of the 5000 where a little goes a long way when there is sharing and people are not worried about what is clean and unclean. Jesus just rescued Peter from sinking like a rock when he tried to play god and walk on water, teaching him it is not about playing god, but about being there for one another. Now in today’s gospel we have this outsider woman, this Canaanite woman, this unclean woman who is not of the faith or the family or the tribe, and she comes crying. You can just read Jesus’ mind, not yet, not yet, don’t pull up yet. The disciples ask to have her sent away, she is annoying, she is other, she is unclean. Jesus responds with a justification for injustice and judgmental cruelty by narrowly interpreting his mission as only to the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus sweetens the pot by referring to her as a dog, a dirty, disgusting, not one of us, dog. In Jesus mind the continues with, not yet, not yet………… let the bait sit there a little bit longer…… let the disciples grab the bait and swallow it…. not yet!!!!!! (continued on August 20th)

Pull up Now!!!!!

Saturday August 20th, Matthew 15: 25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." 27 "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. Not yet!!!! Make the bait a bit more attractive, it is not right that you, a dog, a bitch, should get anything from the kingdom, it is only for those who are clean. The disciples are saying in their heads, Yahhhh! Jesus you tell her, now you are finally getting it right. Who does she think she is, this foreigner, this pagan, this dog……… Her response, even the dogs get the crumbs, even the undeserving is saved by grace is exactly what the kingdom is all about. NOW!!!!!! Pull up Now!!!!!….. and the hook is set. The disciples are caught in their own narrow kingdom view. As Jesus reels them in, he emphasizes the point, woman, you have great faith. In contrast to Peters little faith doubting statement, IF, then let me walk on the water like the gods do, this dirty dog, unclean, common, foreign, pagan, woman, gets the kingdom. Great is her faith, healed is her daughter, and a little sorer and wiser are the disciples. The Kingdom is like…….

10W for August 7th, the 8th week after Pentecost, Water Chaos.

The following is a 10 minute worship for August 7th, the 8th week after Pentecost, Water Chaos.. 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 right or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 85:8-13

Pastor: I will listen to what the LORD says; for the Lord promises peace to all people and will not lead them to folly.

Congregation: Surely the salvation of the Lord is near to all who live in awe of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord will be near them. 

Pastor: It is in the presence of the Lord that Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Congregation: It is in the presence of the Lord that faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. 

Pastor: The LORD will indeed give what is good to all people and in due time our land will yield its harvest.

Congregation: The righteousness of the Lord goes before the children of God and prepares the way for the Lord to walk them.

8th Sunday after Pentecost Matthew 14:22-33

Lord help me to see
help me to have faith
to see the wonders you have for me
to be with me as I walk in this faith
be with me and give me strength
wisdom
understanding
that I might not fall
and fear
when the troubles of life
surround and dash me
from all sides
give me the faith to know
in my very heart
that in you
All will be Well,
All will be Healed
All will be Peace
Shalom
in the midst of the seas
be with me Lord
show me your hand that has never left me
help me to open my eyes to your grace
and help me stand
and walk on the path you have set before me
to reach the other side
and find there
the Kingdome waiting

Elijah pity party

Sunday August 7th, 1 Kings 19 : "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 10 Elijah replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" When we run from the path the Lord has set before us, we are always called back unto that path. We don’t always hear the call. Sometimes we are too busy with our own noise to hear it. Sometimes our noise comes in the form of a boast, sometimes a defense, and sometimes a pity party. Elijah was having a pity party, and if one ever deserves a pity party, Elijah would fit the bill. But God had other ideas in mind for Elijah, and God has other ideas in mind for us in this world. Look at all I have done is all too often the cry, but it is not enough. Look at what God has done and is calling us to do is more of the driving statement for the children of God. It is also important that God does not always or often appear in the big and the mighty way. God does not come to Elijah in the adrenalin pumping storms just as God does not always come to us in adrenalin pumping highs. It is often the still small voice, and it is that voice that always sends us out into the world, away from our own pity party.

Go back the way you came

Monday August 8th, 1 Kings 19: 14 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 15 The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. No matter how much the world seems to hate us from our point of view, God always sends us back out into it to do the work of the kingdom. Walking in the ways of God are seldom the same as walking in the mountain tops experiences of our lives. Walking in the ways of the Lord are not religious highs any more than they are drug highs, for in the end the both simply end up as addictive behaviors that is more about self than other. Having Jesus is not the latest designer drug, it is work, and the work is out there in the world where from which we have often retreated. The work of the Kingdom is often back to our roots, because who knows them better than we do. God knows the danger we face. God will be with us in the midst of that danger, pulling us up when we sink. That does not mean we are invincible like some superhero come to save God’s reputation. Instead, God is more interested in saving the lives of those God has created and called good while society has condemned and called bad. They might not be people you like, but we are called to get over it and get into God. I am reminded of Alice. At 92 she would often lament the passing of her dear husband who 20 years after his passing, she loved deeply and thought about every day. She would often break into tears and wonder why God would not answer her prayers to simply take her so she could be with her dear friend and husband. She would go on and on for several minutes like this, tears streaming down her face. Then, she would break, look up, wipe her tears and say, “but God hasn’t taken me yet so I guess there is still work for me to do, so let’s get at it!!” Both the Gospel and reality were alive in her statement.

The kingdom is never about God and I

Tuesday August 9th, Romans 10: 5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," It is not through the road of a righteous high that you find God, it is not through a road of ascetic deprivation that you find God. Both of these approaches are about you. Ways that are about you are by nature self-absorbed and not about God. Ones walk with God is about recognizing the Kingdom is near, God is with you. The Kingdom is in your heart and in your mouth, and the Kingdom is in the heart and mouth of those on the other side of life and the other side of the world. The kingdom is never about God and I, it is always about God and the universal we. God and I is about ignoring one of the central tasks of being a child of God, to bring the good news to others in word and in deed. Until you bring the Gospel out there, you never quite find it in here.

refined and sent

Wednesday August 10th, Romans 10: 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." If you trust God you will not be put to shame for your self-absorption, instead, you will be refined and sent out into the world where you will find the Kingdom is already here with you. For the Kingdom is not about a me, it is always about an us. The Kingdom is the recognition that God has created all that is and has called it good, and that includes your own heart and soul as well as the heart and soul of every other bloke you find out there on your journey. Our job as the children of God is to help others find the good within, the Kingdom within, and in the process open our eyes to the Kingdom within us. When you find the kingdom in others, it is then you will know there is no East or West, no North or South, no Slave or Free, no Gentile or Jew, no Black or White, no Gay or Straight, no Red or Blue, no……………for all are on in Christ Jesus.

spirit driving you

Thursday August 11th, Matthew 14: 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. In Matthew 4 we hear: 1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." In Mark’s version, the spirit doesn’t lead Jesus out into the desert, but rather drives Jesus out in the desert to be tempted. Here, in Matthew, Jesus drives the disciples out into the chaos of the world, exemplified by the sea, to be tempted. The temptation is not being tempted by the ungodly, but being tempted to avoid those whom they view as ungodly. Go to the other side, go to the gentile side, and see if God is not there also. In Matthews’s time the church was struggling with the chaos of defining who was in and who was not in the church. Matthew tells this story to let them know that the Kingdom is in the chaos of out there, not in the safety of in here. Where is the Kingdom Chaos in our day? Is the church safely tied up to shore or out in the world announcing in word and deed that the Kingdom is near? This section in Matthew began with, “the Kingdom is like…..the unclean mustard, the unclean leaven, the unclean pearl, the unclean net and the unclean crowds gathered to hear the word and eat. Now the disciples are being sent into the unclean world on “the other side”. What do you call unclean? Look again, it just might be the Kingdom is calling and the spirit driving you and your church out into the world to truly find the kingdom!!

walk on water like a god

Friday August 12th, Matthew 14: 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." 29 "Come," he said. In a first century understanding, it was only the gods could defy the rules of nature. Adam and Eve were tempted and ate of the tree of knowledge to become like gods and as a result only found they were naked and out of the garden. Gilgamesh traveled to Apsu the underground ocean to pluck the tree of life and become like a god, only to find the serpent had taken it. The tempter said to Jesus, If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread and eat. Peter says to Jesus, If it is You tell me to come to you, allow me to defy the laws of this world, and walk on water like a god. Jesus gives him his shot and then is there to pick him up when he falls. If we want to go that way, the way of being a mini-me-god Jesus also gives us our shot. Just make sure you are wearing your asbestos lined survival suit, the chaos is deep and the fire is hot.

Reality check,

Saturday August 13th, Matthew 14: Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Reality check, Peter, even as dynamic a child of god as you are, you are not a god. There are two possible ways to look at this, either Peter is greater than you or I and can at least take a few steps on water, or, even when we get too big for our britches and think we are gods and can defy the laws of nature, God comes along and saves us. The first was is only an attempt to prove once again that if only you had enough faith, you could beat the game and become some sort of minor mini-me-god. The second way is simply a reminder that even when we are most foolish, God does not abandon us. Mostly what God has to save us from, is ourselves. What Peter finds is that when he climbs back in the boat headed for the other side, when he goes about the task God has set before him to bring the good news to the people out there, the chaos calms. What is the task God has set before you? How are you avoiding it by trying to play god? You can often tell when someone is trying to play god, when righteousness has slipped across the line into self-righteousness when they try to be too religious.