oooops!!!

Well folks, I just published all the 10W's for October on this blog and then had to transfer them all to the 10W blog.  I may just leave them here also.  enjoy.  In you like this format, in the future go to www.10worship.blogspot.com  and while there you can sign up to get 10W via email list

10W for October 7th, Trust, P19.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 7th, Trust, P19. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Trust in You" by Hillsong from the CD "Amazing Love"   which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 7th, the Golden Calf, P19NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 7th, the Golden Calf, P19NL. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"More Precious than Silver" by Arlen Salte and the Break Forth Band from the CD "Break Forth Vol. 2"  which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 8th, Canadian Thanksgiving.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 8th, Canadian Thanksgiving. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Seek Ye First" by Arlen Salte and the Break Forth Band from the CD "Break Forth Vol. 2"   which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 14th, Rich Young Man, P20.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 14th, Rich Young Man, P20. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"What Shall I Give" by Dakota Road from the CD "All Are Welcome"  which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 14th, Hannah's Prayer, P22NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 14th, Hannah's Prayer, P22NL. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Make Me a Channel of You Peace" by Susan Boyle from the CD "The Gift"  which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 18th, St. Luke.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 18th, St. Luke. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Reign of Healing" by Dakota Road from the CD "All Are Welcome"  which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 21st, Right and Left, P21.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 21st, Right and Left, P21. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"You'll Never Walk Alone" by the Blind Boys of Alabama from the CD "Amazing Grace"   which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 21st, God's Promise to David, P21NL

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 21st, God's Promise to David, P21NL. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Let Us Go to the House of the Lord" by the Jay Beech Band from the CD "Everyone Who is Thirsty, Come"  which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 28th, Simon and Jude.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 28th, Simon and Jude. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Peace Train" by Yusuf Islam from the CD "Majikat"  which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 28th, Healing the Blind, P22.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 28th, Healing the Blind, P22.  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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"I See Jesus in You" by Twila Paris from the CD "Where I Stand"  which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 28th, Solomon builds a temple P22NL

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 28th, Solomon builds a temple P22NL. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Everyone Who is Thirsty, Come" by the Jay Beech Band from the CD "Everyone Who is Thirsty, Come" which can be purchased HERE

10W for October 31st, Reformation Day

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 31st, Reformation Day. 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 side of this 10W blog where it says "Please Join our email list" or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"A Mighty Fortress" by John Rutter and the Cambridge singers from the CD  "Tallis, Sing Ye Heavens" which can be purchased HERE

Poem for 18th Sunday after Pentecost Mark 9:38-50

Each and every snowflake

that falls from heaven

is alike

with six sides

and a crystal structure

that reflects just so

the joy and perfection of the Creator

who created this beauty

in our world

And yet

no one snowflake

is like any other one snowflake

that falls into our world

in beauty

that reflects just so

the joy and perfection of the Creator

shining through

its own uniqueness

(be at peace)

For one snowflake to say

to another

be gone

you are not of the same cloud

or shape

(with one another)

would be to admit

that the sun does not shine

through each crystal

(be at peace)

reflecting the same

light

For one snowflake to say

to another

(with one another)

you are not of the same water

would be to say that water

is not water

For a snowflake to say

(be at peace)

the beauty of the Creator

shines uniquely in you

(with one another)

is to see God

10W for September 30th, Passover, P18NL

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 30th, Passover, P18NL. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Oh Freedom" by the Princely Players from the CD "Wade in the water, Vol. 1"  which can be purchased HERE

10W for September 30th, Salt, P18.

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 30th, Salt, P18. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Make Me a Channel of Your Peace" by Susan Boyle from the CD "The Gift" which can be purchased HERE

Opening Litany based on Psalm 19

Pastor: The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of creation. Day after day the cosmos pours forth speech and night after night it reveals knowledge. 

Congregation: The heavens use no speech, no words, no sound is heard, yet the voice of God extends from the cosmos into all the earth.

Pastor: Each day the sun shines on creation, bringing joy to all God has made. 

Congregation: It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth and joy.

Pastor: So too the law of the LORD is perfect and refreshes the soul. The guidance of the Lord is trustworthy bringing simple truth to our world.

Congregation: The ways of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the hearts of the people. The ways of the Lord are radiant, giving light to our eyes. The wonders of the LORD are forever and the teaching of the LORD form the foundation of all we do. 

Pastor: The ways of the LORD are more precious than gold, they are sweeter than honey.  But the ways of the LORD also guide our ways both revealing and forgiving our hidden faults. Making us pure through the presence of the LORD in our lives.   

Congregation: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD my Rock and my Redeemer.

awe

Sunday September 30^th, Psalm 19: ⁹ The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. ¹⁰ They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. ¹¹ By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. We don’t do much with the word “fear” anymore in relation to God.  In many ways that is good theology, but perhaps we have lost a little bit also.  I love the text where Jesus refers to God as Abba, or Pappa, the comforting symbol of crawling up in the lap of God is filled with warmth and love.  But perhaps sometimes, it is also good to have just a bit of awe at the prospect of encountering God, and a bit of concern about being the child of God we are called to be.  Perhaps just a bit of fear, will all the overwhelming love, would provide a good balance.  Not so much because God is to be feared, but because we need a bit of the awe that goes along with God as well as the love.  So love God with reckless abandon and with all of your heart and soul and mind, but be enough concerned about pleasing God that you at least move forward in life the way you would with a parent you both love and respect. 

the way we never were

Monday October 1^st, Numbers 11: ⁴ The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! ⁵ We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. ⁶ But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!"  One of the better books I have read is “The Way We Never Were” by Stephanie Coontz (http://www.stephaniecoontz.com/).  It outlines various family structures in History and dispels many of the myths of our selective memory that tends to remember only one side of the equation and not the other. We might long for the good old days of Ozzie and Harriet and forget that in order to maintain that economic structure, vast parts of society lived in deep poverty and racism was rampant.  Here too, the Israelites remembered the leeks and onions and fish and forgot the slavery, death, and hopelessness that was the other part of the equation.  Beware of the “Good Old Days” if that is indeed what they were because along with them came the bad old days for someone else whose meagerly lifestyle allowed your good old days to exist. In churches especially, remembering the good old days is a way of locking in the hymns and worship styles of yore and locking out the next generation we lament not having in our midst.  Looking forward glorifies God.  It is full of possibilities and hope.  Looking back tends to glorify only the self that is satisfied with selective memory.  So if you must look back, do so to grasp just a hint of all the blessings God has given you, and then look to tomorrow and watch for God’s blessings to be manifest in new and glorious ways.    

Eldad and Medad church

Tuesday October 2^nd, Numbers 11: ²⁵ Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so again.  ²⁶ However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp. ²⁷ A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."  ²⁸ Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' aide since youth, spoke up and said, "Moses, my lord, stop them!"  ²⁹ But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!"  How often do we try to possess and control God’s grace?  Like the Smothers Brothers skit of old with “Mom love you best” we try to claim our exclusive right to God’s love and point out the failings of others.  Terrorists and people of hate on both sides preach “Kill the Infidel” or “Kill the Muslim terrorists extremists” and both sides fail to see the work of God in the other.  Fundamentalism of all kinds tends to create enemies of those whom God created and called our brothers and sisters.  God’s love for us is manifest best when we show love for the whole family of God.  Eldad and Medad were God’s way of moving the spirit out where it should have been in the first place, among the people and a creation called good.  It is time to open our worship experience up to the gifts of the people and it is time to take our worship experiences out into the streets and unloose the chains we use to try to bind God to our image. We need an Eldad and Medad church movement outside the walls of respectability.

spirit growth

Wednesday October 3^rd, James 5: ¹³Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.  The bottom line is that whatever you do, do it in the Name of the Lord.  If you don’t want to do it in the name of the Lord, perhaps you should question whether you should be doing it.  This week, surround everything you do with prayer and perhaps even more important, silent time to be open to the word of God.  In doing so, your life may not be better but your spirit will be.

love is the glue

Thursday October 4^th, James 5:  ¹⁷Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. ¹⁹My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, ²⁰remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. Danger here.  Sometimes we focus so much on changing someone else from their sinful ways, we are able to keep from looking at our own lives.  Sometimes we think we know the full extent of what sin is, after all we have that list from some fundamentalists group that tells us who and what to hate, and in the process forget to see the real sin by following the money to see who profits from all that hate.  Walking as a child of God is not about fixing someone else, it is about forming a relationship with someone else.  A relationship where we are as willing to hear the other persons take on our life as we are to dispense wisdom about theirs.  In the end, without love as the glue, we are only nagging and being self-righteous in the process.

beautiful day in the neighborhood

Friday October 5^th, Mark 9: ³⁸"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."  ³⁹"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, ⁴⁰for whoever is not against us is for us. ⁴¹I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.  Stop, you are not one of us!!!!  But then again, that’s only our point of view.  From God’s point of view we are all one of us.  We forget that it is God who is in control, not ourselves.  We are often the ones trying to tell God who to love and who to forgive and who to save and who to condemn, and in the midst of all the noise, we don’t hear God telling us to Love the Lord with all our heart soul and mind and our neighbor as ourselves. Are you acting like a neighbor today? 

salty

Saturday October 6^th, Mark 9: ⁴⁹Everyone will be salted with fire.  ⁵⁰"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."  Salting with fire is that deep hard look at ourselves that exposes the reality of the sin within us.  It produces character, and the character it produces is a child of God who is in love with the love of God.  And can think of nothing greater than to share that love of God with others.

10W for September 29th, St. Michael and all angels.

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 29th, St. Michael and all angels. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Open My Heart To Your Love" by Dakota Road from the CD, "Break These Chains" which can be purchased HERE

 

Poem for Sept. 29th, Luke 10:17-20 St. Michael and all Angels

I saw Satan fall

screaming from heaven in unthinkable defeat

at the hands of the few

those sent from nowhere by Christ

screaming down in defeat

at the hands of the weak

made strong by the hand of God

in the name of Jesus they went out

in the name of the Son of God

they flew

in the face of evil

and won

and almost won

until the humanity shone through

in the pride of what had been done

and Satan smiled

a little longer

smiled until that day

when the one in whose name the victory was won

returns

returns and Satan will fall

like lightning from heaven

and the angels will sing

Praise

to the God of Heaven and earth

10W for September 23rd, Forgiving Joseph P17NL

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 23rd, Forgiving Joseph P17NL. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"My Heart Will Trust" by Hillsong from the CD  "Amazing Love" which can be purchased HERE

 

10W for September 23rd, Who is the greatest, P17

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 23rd, Who is the greatest, P17. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Talk about a child" by Rachel Kurtz from the CD "Recession Sessions" which can be purchased HERE

 

Opening Litany based on Psalm 1

Pastor: Blessed are the ones who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand with sinners or sit in the seat of mockers, but rather whose delight is in the ways of the LORD. 

Congregation: Blessed are the ones who meditate on the way and the word of the Lord day and night for they are like trees planted by streams of water. 

Pastor: They yield their fruit in season and their leaves do not wither.  Whatever they do, the Lord is with them and they seem to prosper.

Congregation: It is not so with the wicked!  They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Pastor: Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

Congregation: For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the ways of the wicked will perish and they will see the errors of their ways. 

Poem for 17th Sunday after Pentecost Mark 9:30-37

So innocent

So pure

The gentle face

Looks up

With a trust that has not been betrayed

And talks of purple cows

And green giraffes

This one

This little child

Understands the world in a different way

Understands that

To stop the arms race

People have to stop making arms

Understands that

Skin color

Makes a person as different as

Eye, hair, or clothes color

Understands that

Hungry people need food

Children understand these things

Because

They have not learned to be afraid

They have not learned to win or lose

They have not seen

Or believe in

The boundaries

That everyone else thinks they have seen

And believe in

For them

Life is an open book

With no writing

--no limits

and they can be hurt

but they trust in love anyway

when they hear God loves them

they just smile

and know

side note: I have cute grandchildren

innocence

Sunday September 23^rd, Jeremiah 11:  ¹⁸ Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me. ¹⁹ I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.” How often do we find ourselves just being cannon fodder in someone else’s battle?  We are called to be wise and cunning, but innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). It is a tough call.  All too often we substitute ignorance for innocence.  I have been amazed in my adult life how often a significant portion of John Q Public can be duped into voting against their own self-interest.  Taxes cuts for some on the top become fewer services for you.  Smaller government sounds like more freedom and less money taken out of our paychecks, it becomes a small decrease in some red tape for us and less regulation and much more profit for those corporation making tens or hundreds of billions.  Be as wise as serpents, but as innocent as doves.  We are not called in this world to be the doormat for someone else’s dream, we are called to be the children of God, part of the body of Christ that is whole only when the rest of the body is whole and healthy.  We are called to work for justice for all of creation not just lack of responsibility for a few. Don’t substitute ignorance for innocence.  

God's view

Monday September 24^th, Jeremiah 11:  ²⁰ O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you make righteous judgments, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you. One of my son’s favorite bands a few years ago was “Rage against the machine”.  I grew up in an era when protest songs were sung by Dylan, Ochs and Peter Paul and Mary.  Needless to say I am not a fan of my son’s genre of music.  I prefer a gentler, more witty approach with more melody and less profanity.  At the same time I applaud their existence and wonder where the rest of the protest music has gone.  It is good to let God deal with the weightier matters of justice and revenge, but to say nothing is to support the very entity of which you, and the rest of the body of Christ, are a victim.  Seeking vengeance always draws us into being perpetrators of evil, being silent victims always allows the perpetrators of evil to seek new victims.  And these victims, as well as the perpetrators of evil my friends, are your brothers and sisters in Christ.  As part of the body of Christ we are called to work for justice in this world.  As the children of God we try to take God’s view of justice for this world which sees all of creation and calls it good.  

truth

Tuesday September 25^th, James 3: ¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. A friend from college days was shocked and dismayed when a survey was taken among his fellow colleagues at law school.  Better than 90% put down their number one reason for going to law school was money.  It was a bitter truth.  Now I am not one to say that lawyers do not deserve a good income, anyone who puts in that many years of education does, but where do you draw the line between good and obscene?  The real problem is that if that is the number one motivation for so many, at what cost to the general good does it come?  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  It would be somehow pleasant to find out it was a trait only among lawyers or, some lawyers, or some kind of lawyers, but that would be far too simplistic.  I think they got 90% of that law class to admit it because lawyers are trained to tell the truth, the missing but sad detail is that were the rest of us so inclined to tell the truth, I am afraid the percentage would be the same.  

shaft of light

Wednesday September 26^th, James 3: ¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. Sometimes in the middle of fighting the alligators it is hard to remember we were sent to drain the swamp.  Keeping your eye, your heart, your soul, focused on the love of God, and letting your life revolve around that love, can get pretty frustrating at times.  It seems like everyone else is getting ahead and you are getting the shaft.  That is until you realize that what they are getting ahead at isn’t what it seems and that shaft you have been complaining about just might be a shaft of light.   

more tomorrow

Thursday September 27^th, James 3: ¹What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. I believe no one is pure evil, and I believe everyone will sooner or later come to dwell at the foot of the throne of God.  Some may seem to have a pretty long road ahead of them, but eventually, the heart will succumb to love, and faced with our own reality, we will also be embraced by the reality of God's love. How often do we find that in striving for what we think we want, we find ourselves duped into following the path to nowhere?  It is when we seek for the good of all of creation that we begin to see our part and our path in this journey of life.  Seeking only for the self makes for a pretty small world, and a pretty miserable one at that.  There is no smaller package than a person all wrapped up in themselves.  So open your eyes and your heart and let the love of God flow through you.  God’s love is like the manna of old, if you hoard it, it rots.  If you share it till it is all gone, there is more there tomorrow.  

Journey with friends

Friday September 28th, Mark 9: ³³They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" ³⁴But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.  ³⁵Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." The dilemmas of the disciples often portray the reality of the Body of Christ, the world of you and I.  How often does the desire to get ahead demand our allegiance?  We might play with the definition of ahead, we may tweak the description of the scope of our endeavors, but in the end, it is all just trying to say that here, within this defined sphere, I am at least ahead of that guy over there.  Jesus calls us to a new reality.  Unless you are all topsy tervy, you’re losing.  The first will be last and those who seek only for themselves will find a world emptied of all they truly desire.  So seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.  It is not about getting to the finish line first and alone, it is about enjoying the journey with your friends. 

a glimpse

Saturday September 29th, Mark 9:  ³⁶He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, ³⁷"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."  Children are of no earthly good! This from a man who has eight.  When they are babies, they keep you up at night, they spit up only on your good clothes, they cost a lot more than you ever dreamed of, they deposit bodily fluids on clothes, furniture, beds, bosses and relatives, and in doing so, sometimes they stink to high heaven, and they keep you from doing what you want, when you want.  When they get older, some things may change, but the cost and aggravation only seem to steadily increase.  Knowing that, as the people shake hands when they leave church, I will grab the first baby I can to hold for a while, and the strongest man in the world will be reduced to cooing and baby talk in a matter of seconds in their presence.  They are in this world to be loved, unconditionally loved, and in their innocence, they elicit from each of us, all the feelings of love we can muster.  Unless you become like one of these, innocent, loving, trusting, and drawing love from others they didn’t even know they had, kind of childlike followers of Christ you don’t quite get the kingdom of God.  But every once in a while, when you hold a baby, you get a glimpse.  

Prayer of the day for Sept. 16th Narrative Lectionary

Dear Lord, as you promised Abraham the blessings of descendants without number, so to you bless us with blessings without number.  Open our eyes and our hearts to see each day the abundance of your love poured out for us and to live each day as a blessed child of God.  Amen.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 22 for Sept. 16th in Narrative Lectionary

Pastor: I will declare your name to my people O Lord and in the assembly I will praise you. 

Congregation: Let all who live in awe of the LORD, praise the holy name of God. All the descendants of Jacob and Israel, all the peoples of the world Praise the Holy name of God! 

Pastor:  For the Lord has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted ones but has listened to their cry for help.

Congregation: From you O Lord comes the very essence of my praise in the great assembly before all who live in your grace I will fulfill my vows. 

Pastor: The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will live forever in a life of praise. 

Congregation: All the ends of the earth will remember God’s loving grace and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before the Lord, who is ruler of all.

 

Pastor: All the blessed of the earth will feast and worship, All mortals will bow before the Lord of all creation. 

Congregation: We will use the blessings of this world are to serve the Lord so that all future generations will know of the righteousness the Lord has done. 

10W for September 21st, Matthew, Apostle and Evangelists.

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 21st, Matthew, Apostle and Evangelists. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Sanctuary" by WOW Worship from the CD "Sanctuary" which can be purchased HERE

Poem for Sept. 21st, St. Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist Matthew 9:9-13

Called from a life despised

A life in this world

Not of religious training

But

As part of the system

That continues all the evil within us

The quest once again for power

Just one more piece of that fruit

Offered to all from Eve

To you and I

Called now to a different life

Called to be at the center

Of a revolution

To be at the center

Of bringing new life to all

Being at the center

Of religious training

Free from all the bounds of this world

And the systems

That draw us one against another

Called to follow Jesus

Despised by many for this call

And there reap the anger

Of a world challenged

A world brought screaming to new life

Baptized in the pool of forgiveness

That challenges us all

To be

A new creation

10W for September 16th, God's Promise to Abram P16NL

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 16th, God's Promise to Abram P16NL. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Be Thou My Vision" by Fernando Ortega from the CD "Hymns of Worship" which can be purchased HERE

10W for September 16th, Get Behind Me, P16

The following is a 10 minute worship for September 16th, Get Behind Me, P16. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY. You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. The song for the day is,"Saviors Song" by Dakota Road from the CD "All Are Welcome" which can be purchased HERE

 

Poem for 16th Sunday after Pentecost Mark 8:27-35

Your life

that precious gift of God

Lived out in so many ways

Here

In this place

Lived with joy

And pain

Love and sadness

It is ours

This gift

Until we hold so tightly

That our vision fades and we see

Only this

----(take up thy cross

----give of the one gift

----that seems most precious)

life

we see on the leaf

the fuzzy green worm

content

living on all God has given it

living

content

within the boundaries of its life

happily seeing no more than

the next leaf

until

an end comes to all that is

within its boundaries

and it finds itself hanging there

a lifeless form

from which will emerge

a new life

that will soar on the winds

life

within your boundaries

confined

willing to take up the cross

to follow

without feeling the confines

of this world

knowing

the gift has been given

of new life

beyond the boundaries. 

Opening Litany based on Psalm 116

Pastor:  I love the Lord because the Lord hears my voice, my cry’s, my prayers for mercy and bends down to listen. I will therefore pray as long as I have breath!

Congregation: Death wrapped its ropes around me and the terrors of the death overtook me. In the midst of this mess I saw only trouble and sorrow, but then I called on the name of the Lord: “Please, Lord, save me!”

Pastor: How kind and good the Lord is! So merciful, this God of ours!

Congregation: The Lord protects those like me, those of childlike faith, for I was facing death, and the Lord saved me. The Lord let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me and has saved me from death, tears, and stumbling.

Pastor: So let us walk in the Lord’s presence as we live here on earth!

Congregation: Because I believe in you O Lord, I will come before you and admit that there are times when I am deeply troubled and in my anxiety I cry out to you from the depths of my soul.

Pastor: What can we offer the Lord for all the Lord has done for us?

Congregation: We will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name, we will keep our promises to the Lord in the presence of all his people.

Pastor: The Lord cares deeply for the loved ones who suffer, O Lord, we are your servants, your children, for you have freed us from our chains.

Congregation: We will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving, calling upon the name of the Lord and will fulfill our vows to the Lord in the presence of all people.  Praise the Lord!!

Pastor: Welcome to Worship at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Congregation: Where we are Inspired by God’s Love to Praise, Nurture and Serve and where we live out that mission when we  Gather to Grow through God’s Grace.