Hallelujah

The following are a new set of Christmas words to the song Hallelujah  by Leonard Cohen.  If you wish to get some cords and piano music to go with it click here:

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;

An angel chorus singing Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

The blessed one, no place to stay.

She laid her baby in the hay--

Emmanuel come to the world for you.

The earth was still, yet filled with hope

As in the night the curtain broke

And all of heaven joined the Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

The shepherds came to see this one

New Hope for all born in God's son,

This child now cradled by Mary giv'n for you.

They quietly praised the God above

For showing them this gift of love,

They joined the chorus, shouting Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Magicians came from far away;

Followed a star to find their way;

It led them to this infant born for you.

They brought him gifts from lands afar,

They praised the Lord for the guiding star;

They added their voices to the Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

This child, who, destined for the cross

Forgives the sins of all of us,

While only asking me to show love to you.

He rose again new life to live,

Still pleads with us this life to give

Inviting all to join the Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

December 4th, Advent 2, Jeremiah in the Narrative Lectionary.

The following is a 10 minute worship for December 4th, Advent 2, Jeremiah in the Narrative Lectionary. 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.

December 4th, Advent 2, Make Straight the Paths

The following is a 10 minute worship for December 4th, Advent 2, Make Straight the Paths. 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.

Poem; Advent 2 Mark 1:1-8

Make straight the paths

Prepare the way

the Lord God is come

to you

            to me

to the people and creation

to set right

and make righteous all

the Lord has made

Prepare your hearts

Prepare your world

the heavens will open

and the Lord will appear

to humanity waiting and watching

for the one who will make all things right

Look upon your neighbor

            the child

                        the world

and see

the coming of the Lord.  

Comfort Ye and Fear Not and know that Emmanuel is with you

Sunday December 4th Isaiah 40: 1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. Comfort my people. This is the message of the Lord to a people living in the depths of darkness. When the angels came to the shepherds to announce the birth of the Christ Child, there first words were fear not. When the angel came to Mary to announce that she would be carrying the Christ child into this world, the first words were, fear not. This message of Isaiah, which comes not only to the people of his day, but to you and I is do not live in fear, but know of God’s love for you, and live in the comfort of knowing God’s love for you will never die. Often we hear the message of the Lord’s second coming as one of fear. Will you be ready? Two going up a hill and one’s left standing still, I wish we had all been ready. Will you be left behind? These are all messages of fear and control, not assurance and comfort. They are used more to build churches and media empires than to convey the message of God. What will it be like when Christ returns? I don’t know, no one does. The first coming was predicted with the words Comfort Ye, and was announced as the babe in Bethlehem with the words fear not. So in the midst of your dark days, hear the words, Comfort Ye and Fear Not and know that Emmanuel is with you.

Christ is coming and is already here in your hearts

Monday December 5th Isaiah 40: 9 You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!" 10 See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. All too often the messages the world hears from the church are messages of judgment. All too often the messages the world hears from the media, even in times of economic distress, is who cares, just spend and you will feel good, at least for a while. Our calling as the children of God is to let the world know the real message of Christmas is the message of God in Christ coming into the world. This is a message of one who longs to carry us in his arms and hold us close to his heart at all times and in all places, especially when things fall apart and terrorists and pirates and falling economies besiege the world. This is a message of one who leads gently those who are fragile or have young. This is a message of God’s love and Grace. Our call is to shout that message of Grace from the mountain tops, don’t let the doom and gloom, you better watch out you better not cry you better believe things only our way, crowd win the day. Our calling is to let the world know of God’s love in the face of all those who wish to destroy the message and turn it into judgment, death, destruction and profit. Spread the Good news that Christ is coming and is already here in your hearts, and spread it as Good News.

daily expect the day of God, with eagerness.

Tuesday December 6th 2 Peter 3: 12 Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day-- 13 but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness. Spending all your energy getting ready is vastly different from living a life being ready. We are called to be ready for God not get ready for God. What does that entail? It entails loving God with all your heart, soul and mind and your neighbor as yourself. If you are busy doing that, you won’t even notice all the hype about when the second coming will be. But then, it wouldn’t really matter anyway. It is a small transition from the Kingdom of God in your heart to the Kingdom of God in heaven. Maybe they are even the same place. So, daily expect the day of God, with eagerness.

Instead of careful, you need to be care-filled.

Wednesday December 7th 2 Peter 3: 14 So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. 15 Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation. What God is interested in and predestined for, is the salvation of humanity. The sending of Jesus, the cross, the waiting for us to get our act together and live in peace as the children of God, this is all part of God’s desire to save all of humanity through grace. All those end time prophecies are just trying to throw you off your game. If all that God talk in the world doesn’t fit into loving God and loving others it is just a distraction. Instead of living trying to get your life right before God, live your lives as the saved and blessed children of God. You will still make mistakes, lots of them, but the message of the angels to those awaiting the coming of the Messiah were, fear not. Along the way it may require a bit of what Luther referred to as Sin Boldly, but Rejoice more Boldly still. It is better to mess up trying to live as a child of God in this world and having to seek forgiveness than it is to not mess up because you are being too careful. Instead of careful, you need to be care-filled.

Let your life be a preparation

Thursday December 8th Mark 1: 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"— 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, We too are called to be the messengers calling to the world to prepare the way of the Lord. It is time to set aside all conflict and strife. It is time to set aside all hatred and greed. It is time to view friends and neighbors, enemies and acquaintances as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is time to finally beat those swords into plow shears. It is time to prepare the way of the Lord by turning this Christmas season into a season of love and forgiveness. It is time to prepare the way of the Lord in what we do, not just in what we say or spend. Let your life be a preparation for the coming of the Lord, in your life and in the world.

Speak up, Act out, and Prepare the way.

Friday December 9th Mark 1: 7 And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. The very essence of sin in this world is the desire to be like God (that garden tree stuff). It is our not so subtle way of trying to be in control and therefore not letting God be in control of our lives that is at the basis of fear and control in this world. John got that. As powerful as John was with a following far greater than anything Jesus had in his lifetime, John continued to see himself as a servant of God and one who was sent to prepare the way. Preparing the way is our calling also. Prepare the way in your heart through prayer. Prepare the way in the world by telling others of God’s love. Prepare the way in the world by working to implement just systems where there are fewer victims and fewer big winners. Prepare the way by speaking up and correcting the Christian message in love, especially when it is misused to further the way of hatred, war and fear. Prepare the way by bringing the message of Grace into a world that all too often sees and hears the Christian message as one of hate and self-righteousness. Speak up, Act out, and Prepare the way.

finally hear the message

Saturday December 10th Mark 1: 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." John baptized with water to cleanse our hearts. Jesus calls us to a baptism with the Holy Spirit that not only cleanses, but changes and fills our hearts with love and grace. This is not a one-time dunking, but an ongoing day after day renewal upon renewal journey. Go forth from here and spread the word of God’s love and grace in what you say and in what you do. Prepare the way this Advent/Christmas season with acts of love and the promotion of peace and justice in the world. Prepare the way until the world finally hears the message to fear not.

November 27th, First Sunday in Advent, Narrative Lectionary, Return to the Lord

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 27th, First Sunday in Advent in the Narrative Lectionary, Return to the Lord. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 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.

November 27th, First Sunday in Advent, All is Ready Now

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 27th, First Sunday in Advent, All is Ready Now. 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 80:7-15

Pastor: Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

Congregation: You liberated your people from slavery in the land of the Pharaohs. You gave them a great land and a great calling, just as you have given us a great land and a great calling. You blessed them with abundance as you have blessed us with abundance.


Pastor: Why then O Lord have you broken down the walls so that all who pass by may pick its grapes? Why O Lord do you let the wild things and insects ravage and feed upon the abundance you have blessed us with?

Congregation: Return to us, God Almighty! Look to us from your heavenly realm and watch over this blessing you have planted, the children of God you have called your own, and help us in turn Return to You as the cornerstone of our lives.

Advent 1 Mark 13: 33-37

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

Right with a capital “R"

Sunday November 27th 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. This is 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 tremble and know that God was coming and everyone would know whose God it was that was coming. God however had a different idea. Instead of might and awesome power, 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 the loving God Immanuel, and Oh 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, the toughness that can only come through gentleness.

pottery class

Monday November 28th,, 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 imagary of God’s face being hidden. What was hidden however 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 at some shiny new thing. 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. Our job is to not fight what we were called to be. From dust we came and to dust we shall return, but in the meantime, God has been able to form that dust into vessels of beauty, function and form, which is what happens when we let God be God. It is when someone lets God be God in their lives that we call them the saints. God simply calls them the children of God. It is most of us sometimes and some of us most of the time.

through you

Tuesday November 29th,, 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, it is the light of Christ shining in and through us. I thank God for all the saints that surround my life. I thank God for the 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 to myself. There are times when the community seems to sparkle because of this gift of 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!

Everything you need

Wednesday November 30th, 1 Corinthians 1: 7Therefore 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 as a community of faith. 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 God’s leading and turn and let the Holy Spirit catch our sails. That humming we hear is what some would call angels singing.

Isaiah Expectations

Thursday December 1st, 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! 27He'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, God with us version in which a babe is born in a manger and brings salvation to the whole world. This is the way God acts in the world. However, even with the Emmanuel version, it is always a good idea to live ready.

whose you are.

Friday December 2nd, 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. 29And so it is with you. When you see all these things, you know he is at the door. 30Don'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 a life of being ready all the time. For those who spend their time looking for signs of the end, they can find 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, it may be in God’s word, but it is not God’s way. 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 others, God’s grace. Perhaps that is what the scriptures mean when they tell us to be ready. Perhaps that is what the King was referring to in Matthew 25. When you live in love, you live ready and most the time are not aware of it. It is no longer a matter of what you do, it is a matter of whose you are.

enjoy life

Saturday December 3rd, 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. 33So 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 of the Lords coming, 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 of living as a child of God now. 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.

November 24th, Thanksgiving Day, U.S

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 24th, Thanksgiving Day, U.S.. 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.

November 20th, Christ The King Sunday

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 20th, Christ The King Sunday. 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

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

Luke 17:11-19 Master heal us, almost

Jesus, Master, have mercy on us
Heal us and forget us
A bit of a show
For all to see
Something we can tell our friends
And it will give you a few points in the process
Jesus
Almost master
Heal us
So we can go about our way
Doing what we want
With no thought of you
(your faith)
Except the story of the day
When you healed us
Except for that one
Outsider
That Samaritan
Who broke ranks
and was healed
(has healed)
It was a good thing to do and all that
But really
Has he no self
Self
Self Respect
To go groveling like that
All Jesus did was say
go to the priests
Show yourselves
(you)
Nothing new here
Same ol’ same ol’
Does he really want us to worship
Thank
Him
For doing nothing?
Thank Him
(and saved)
For our religion?
(you)

Opening Litany based on Psalm 95

Pastor: Come People of God, let us sing for joy to the Lord and bring forth a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.

Congregation: Let us come before the Lord with thanksgiving, music and song, for the LORD is the great God and the above all gods.

Pastor: The Lord holds the whole world in his hands, the depths of the earth, the peaks of the great mountains, the seas teaming with life and the very ground on which we walk and grow our food. The Lord God has made them all.

Congregation: Let us bow down in worship and kneel before the LORD our Maker; for the Lord is our God and creator of all, we are the people of God living in the beauty of this creation of God under the presence of our God's creating love and care.

Pastor: Hear the words of the Lord, let the spirit of the Lord guide your ways and your thoughts. Do not harden your hearts or close off your ears to the love and word of the Lord as did our ancestors long ago, for they tested the Lord even after being witnesses to the mighty acts of God's salvation.

Congregation: Lift your anger and judgment from us O Lord though we daily go astray from your ways. Bring us again to the hope of your salvation so that we may indeed sing for joy to the Lord and bring forth a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.

Opening Thanksgiving Litany based on Psalm 65

Pastor: Praise awaits you O Lord our God for to you our vows will be fulfilled. To You O Lord who answers prayers, to You all people will come.

Congregation: When we were overwhelmed by our sinful ways and lives without meaning, you offered forgiveness and purpose.


Pastor: Blessed are those the Lord has chosen to be the people of God. As we live our lives near to your calling we find our lives filled with good things from your holy realm.

Congregation: In our times of need you answer our prayers with awesome righteous deeds.


Pastor: You O Lord are the hope of all the ends of the earth, of all lands near, and all lands far off. You O Lord are the one who formed the seas and the mountains of the earth, calming the chaos of the roaring waves as well as the turmoil of the nations.

Congregation: The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.


Pastor: You care for the land you created for us. You water and enrich it abundantly.

Congregation: We will care for this creation you have given us sharing the abundance of its harvest. For you O Lord drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften this gift of creation with showers and bless its crops for all people.


Pastor: You Crown the harvest time with your bounty, the carts overflow with abundance.

Congregation: The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; surely we will join with all creation and shout for joy and sing.

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

Sunday November 20th, 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 on the plump side as well. 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 institution, 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. In our climb to the top, there are many unseen victims. All economic systems, whether currently in vogue or not, tend to have winners and losers. What God seems to be concerned about in this text is those who are 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 of you getting what you have. Another very important question is 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 those issues that stand before you before you act.

focus on making things better, not just less awful

Monday November 21st, 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? This is the part of the text that is not included in the revised common lectionary. I also feel it is one of the most graphic depictions of the issue and therefore include it in these meditations and in the reading for Sunday. 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. 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 on the ground in order to get more food now, or perhaps just to keep the weaker one from getting their fair share. I confess that one time it roused in me such anger that in using a stick to control the situation our family ended up with veal in the freezer. I sometimes wonder if God also gets angry at our trampling of the weak and hungry just to get more of what we already have too much of. We can excuse the cattle 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 do 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? Are we not feeding our own desires without awareness, or a care, or how it affects others or in the long run, the society in which we live? How we live in the world is not just about “us” with a small “u”, it is about “US” in the most plural of all views, Gods 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 22nd, 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. We are called to hear the music of God’s love and grace and dance in such a way that the world around us catches the spirit and dances with us. 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, and may we dance! Amen.

We are the Church, the body of our Lord

Wednesday November 23rd, 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 with which 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.
We are the church, the body of the Lord,
we are all God’s children and we have been restored.
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.
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 business, a committee or a board;
it’s not a corporation for the business of the Lord.
We are the church, the body of the Lord,
we are all God’s children and we have been restored.
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. You can order We are the church here (http://store.baytonemusic.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=BTM&Category_Code=CHURCH) but I would suggest you treat yourself and the whole congregation by ordering Everyone who is Thirsty, Come. Order the book, CD and CD-rom and bring life to your worship. (http://store.baytonemusic.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BTM&Product_Code=01001-3&Category_Code=SNGBKS)

we become more graceful as we become grace filled

Thursday November 24th, 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.' 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. It shows because showing grace is no longer becomes a matter of what we do, it is simply a matter of who we have become through the gift of God’s grace. 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 and become part of the process because true grace from a loving God can do no other. When grace truly becomes a part of who we are, others tend to notice even if we forget. When they notice they begin the spirit dance as well. So listen to the music of God’s grace and dance, soon you won’t even notice you are dancing, you have become part of the rhythm and the world sings because of it.

Just Live It

Friday November 25th, 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 26th,  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.

we recall the courage

This Veterans day let us recall the Memorial Day Prayer by William Sloane Coffin.

Gracious God, whose own Son's term of service to humanity was so full that its brevity was no distress, we call to mind on this Memorial Sunday those who will not grow old as we are left to grow old, those whose lives were too brief for us but long enough, perhaps, for thee. Forgive us that they died so young because we were too unimaginative, too imperious, too indifferent, or just too late to think of better ways than warfare to conduct the business of the world. Gratefully, we remember the generosity that prompted them to share the last of their rations, the last pair of dry socks, to share in the course of one hour in the foxhole more than most of us care to share with one another in a lifetime. And we recall the courage that made more than one of them fall on the grenade there was no time to throw back.

Grant, O God, that they may not have died in vain. May we draw new vigor from past tragedy. Buttress our instincts for peace, sorely beleaguered. Save us from justifications invented to make us look noble, grand and righteous and from blanket solutions to messy, detailed problems. Give us the vision to see that those nations that gave the most to their generals and least to their poor were, throughout all history, the first to fall. Most of all, give us the vision to see that the world is now too dangerous for anything but truth, too small for anything but love. Through Jesus Christ our Savior, who became what we are to make us what he is. Amen.

Happy 528th

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Martin, Happy Birthday to you.  Let us all raise our steins and Concord book for Martin Luther's 528th birthday.

Inside Job

Study guide: http://www.sonyclassics.com/insidejob/_pdf/InsideJob_StudyGuide.pdf

November 13th the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, Buried Treasure

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 13th the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, Buried Treasure. 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.

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.

Ho-Hummers

Sunday November 13th, Zephaniah 1: 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 creationism 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 other hot button issues we sometimes think are so important, but someone who is complacent, is, in the midst of their seeming complacency, very busy keeping God at bay. When you let God take hold, changes take place. Those changes might not be the Muslim becoming Christian or the evolutionists supporting creationism or the atheists outwardly turning to God or the homosexual becoming somehow straight, as if that were possible or even what God finds 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 concerned with the hot button issues and keeping God at bay by keeping these non-issues alive and in the spotlight. It is also the Ho-Hummers who are most slippery when it comes to be grasped by God. Ho-Hummers include most of us some of the time and some of us most of the time.

What's on Your calendar??

Monday November 14th, Zephaniah 1: 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? When others remember your legacy what will it be? Would you write about your car or house or boat or bank account, 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?

Don't put off the fun until the end

Tuesday November 15th, 1 Thessalonians 5: 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. The Left Behind series has all but disappeared from the reading lists of Christians, but the dispensationalists are still alive and well. Harold Camping has predicted the end several times in just the last year and there is still talk of the world ending at the end of 2012 which in theory the Mayans predicted though they couldn’t see their own end coming. 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 story of the maidens and their oil lamps? It is a matter of being ready, not getting ready. Anything else is just trying to cheat, and quite frankly it doesn’t work. Trying to figure out when the end will come just 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 the end is least likely to occur. Christians take the joy now, live the joy now, follow Christ now, allow their lives to be changed now, live as the children of God now. Christians 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!?!) It is not a matter of getting ready, for in doing so you miss the point, it is a matter of knowing God loves you and living that each and every day.

What are you talking about??

Wednesday November 16th, 1 Thessalonians 5: 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 in one way or another point out that you seem to be 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 and the doing just flows from that. It’s like, I love my wife and how I act toward her, how I live my life in this world, reflect that. If on the other hand I feel I have to prove to her that I love her, something is amiss in our relationship. If you somehow feel you have to prove to God you love God, something is amiss and you are working too hard hiding that part of your life you do not want to give over to God.

The thing of miracles

Thursday November 17th, Matthew 25: 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 each and every talent in the world. Each one of us has gifts for the kingdom however. They become gifts for us as well as for the kingdom when they are used. It is when we use our talents and gifts along with the talents and gifts of others 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 different ball game. Carbon left to its own is rather brittle and soft, how many times have you broken a pencil lead. You can use your talents and your gifts all by yourself and come up with some wonderful things like carbon, when used and worked into “Bucky Balls” or “Bucky Tubes” is even stronger than steel, but still even they are rather useless all by themselves. 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 and to reach out, serve and incite miracles.

Are you a bit rusty?

Friday November 18th, Matthew 25 : 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 also a bit rusty. That seems like a good metaphor for what happens to the gifts God gives us. Use them or lose them. If they are a bit rusty you need to clean them up and rub them with a bit of prayer and start working them. Then the fun begins.

Jesus would much rather forgive than coax:

Saturday November 19th, Matthew 25;  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 cannot 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, get up, dust off your knees, laugh and continue on your way. Making mistakes 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.

My Name is Mary