10/31/2012

10w for November 11th, Jonah and the Fish P24NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 11th, Jonah and the Fish P24NL. 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 the 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 The Lord of Sea and Sky" by Kim McLean and the Tuesday Night Prayer Group, the CD which can be purchased HERE

10w for November 11th, The Widows Mite, P24

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 11th, The Widows Mite, P24. 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 the 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

poem for 24th Sunday after Pentecost Mark 12: 38-44


each copper coin
rang
as it fell
striking the many other coins
piled
in indistinguishable heaps
in the treasury
these two coins
the least of all the coins there
danced their way down the sides of the many
made great
not by the numbers stamped in them
or from whom they came
but why
and this untold why of faith
amid the gathering of human greatness
sang up to heaven
with the simple pure joy
of a nightingale

Opening Litany based on Psalm 146



Pastor: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 

Congregation: I will praise the Lord as long as I live and will sing praises to my God all my whole life long. 

Pastor: Do not put your trust in mortals, the powers of this world, for they are no help, when their breath departs, they return to the earth like everyone else and on that very day their plans perish. 

Congregation: Happy are those whose help and hope is in the Lord our God who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them and who keeps faith for ever

Pastor: For it is the Lord our God who executes justice for the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. 

Congregation: The Lord sets the prisoners free and opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down and loves the righteous. 

Pastor: The Lord watches over the strangers and upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked the Lord will bring to ruin. 

Congregation: The Lord will reign forever and our God for all generations.  I will indeed Praise the Lord with my whole life.

fear not


Sunday November 11th, 1 Kings 17: 13 Elijah said to her, "Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.' The presence of the Lord is announced with the words “do not be afraid.”  This is a pattern that would repeat itself again and again, both in scripture and in our lives.  Another principle that will repeat itself, as if for emphasis, is the need to be a gracious person and to give to others.  Even in our times of need, and perhaps especially in our times of need, we mostly need to remember the other.  In the midst of financial difficulties faced by many in our congregation, we need to remember the many for whom Lutheran Social Services ministers, for their need is greater.  In the midst of our belt tightening which may mean going out to eat less often, we need to remember those for whom belt tightening means eating less often.  This countenance of grace and giving is a gift for ourselves even more so than for the other.  Fear Not, Don’t be afraid, the Lord is with you and will not forget you in your need.  

oil and flour


Monday November 12th, 1 Kings 17: 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah. In remembering the other, we remember the Lord who made them our brothers and sisters.  When we run away from the calling of God to care for the least, lost and lonely and focus on only taking care of ourselves, the one who is left behind, contrary to popular books, is Christ himself.  When we are giving and grace-filled followers of Christ, we become something more than just ourselves with a small “o,” in giving we become a “We” with a capitol “W.”  It is in the We that we find the presence of Christ through the ministry of others.  And as the oil and flour were not used up, so too in our giving we find the compassion of Christ is not used up.  Instead, it is enhanced and the world is a better place, closer to the heart of God.  

primary experience


Tuesday November 13th, Hebrews 924-26For Christ didn't enter the earthly version of the Holy Place; he entered the Place Itself, and offered himself to God as the sacrifice for our sins. He doesn't do this every year as the high priests did under the old plan with blood that was not their own; if that had been the case, he would have to sacrifice himself repeatedly throughout the course of history. But instead he sacrificed himself once and for all, summing up all the other sacrifices in this sacrifice of himself, the final solution of sin. Worship is often a secondary experience of the presence of God.  It may reflect some primary experience of God in our lives or in the lives of others.  Sometimes however, what it reflects is a secondary experience that for us, at one brief moment became a primary experience of God in our lives.  A primary experience is a direct encounter with God, a secondary experience is a celebration remembering that experience.  Animal sacrifice was always a secondary experience.  Since the time of Abraham sacrificing the ram instead of Isaac, it was the stepping stone that allowed humanity to grasp, even if secondarily, a connection with God as well as a move away from the earlier norm of human sacrifice.  When Christ comes into the picture, animal sacrifice is eliminated and humanity is one step closer to worship as a direct connection to God.  Revelation tells us that the final act is the Holy City come down to us with God as it’s center and it’s light.  

calls us forward


Wednesday November 14th, Hebrews 9: 27-28Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences. Christ's death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation.  Animal sacrifice was given in atonement for sins.  Christ’s ushers in salvation for all of humanity and the calling to live boldly as the saved and forgiven children of God.  With all the emphasis some churches place on holiness and righteousness, one would think they believe they have the power to reject the gift of grace, the gift of God.  I suppose they can do that to some degree, but in the process all they accomplish is living a life of fear, hoping to please God.  They miss a life of living in the knowledge of God’s love and forgiveness as God calls us forward to live as the forgiven and blessed children of God.    

big bucks


Thursday November 15th, Mark 12: 38As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."  I heard an interesting sermon while on vacation a couple of years ago.  It was at an ELCA church and the text was the disciples arguing who was to be the greatest.  The basic premise of the sermon was that Jesus was a good leader who set them straight, therefore what the text calls for is good leaders, therefore, what we are called to do is support policies and systems where CEO’s are making the big bucks.  Needless to say, I don’t agree.  We have way too many examples of groups like Goldman-Sachs looking for ways of making a quick buck at the expense of the widow’s houses.  The drive for the quick buck at the expense of others has become for some the American way and was a major issue in the latest political campaigns.  It is not American, and it is not new.  These scoundrels were around in Jesus’ day wrapped in the flag of the church.  Jesus called them out for the health of the community as well as the health of their very souls.  The church should continue to do nothing less.  

lives of the rich and famous


Friday November 16th, Mark 12: 41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.  Jesus was not a fan of “the Lives of the Rich and Famous”.  He knew all too well the costs exacted on society for lives such as this.  Child poverty is more widespread in the United States than in any other industrialized country; at the same time, the U.S. government spends less than any industrialized country to pull its children out of poverty. Into this comes the push to do less for the children of poverty in order to provide more for those who benefit.  In order for some to have a lot, others must have a little.  Jesus was concerned for the least, lost and lonely. This story is the church’s call to do the same and not fall for that old argument that the wealthy pay so much in taxes already, remember, according to Jesus, the poor did and do pay more, much more. 

cream


Saturday November 17th, Mark 12: 43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."  It is not the amount, it is the heart.  When we give out of our abundance, it is just a little cream off the top, when we give from the heart, it is nourishment for the soul.  We are saved by grace tis true, but as we mature we find that it is in living that grace that we find our joy.  

10/29/2012

10w for November 4th, Elijah and the Widow, P23NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 4th, Elijah and the Widow, P23NL. 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,"Restore to Life" by Dakota Road from the CD "Boundless Love" which can be purchased HERE

10w for November 4th, New Commandment, P23.

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 4th, New Commandment, P23. 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,"New Commandment" by Desert Rain from the CD  which can be purchased HERE

10w for November 1st, All Saints Day.

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 1st, All Saints 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,"Lazarus Come Forth" by the Jay Beech Band from the CD "One Body Alive"  which can be purchased HERE

Poem for All Saints Sunday John 11:1-53


Life, Death
in the span of things
they are all part of the one
all part of who we are
Life limited to the here and now
Death, beyond that
and loved still
by a God who loves on this side of the grave
and beyond
Come Out Lazarus
Come out that the world may see
not so much one risen
but the one for whom
rising and living and dying
are all part of love
May the love of Christ
be with you now and forever more
Amen!

Poem for 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Mark 12:28-37


The two are one
there is no greater
than this
to love God with everything in you
and
your neighbor as yourself
this (these)
one (two)
bring all the love of God
proclaimed daily in the Shama
all the love of God
acted in the lives of the people
all the love of God
lived in the nation
all the love of God
preached to the people
all the love of God
done
to us and for us
to turning
to one side
--or another
and seeing each time
anew
the face of God


becoming a saint


Sunday November 4th, Isaiah 25: 6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine- the best of meats and the finest of wines.  In God's world, there is no lack.  In our world, there is lack in the midst of plenty.  Over 45000 people die each year because of the lack of health care and the political rhetoric is that we need to get rid of a very watered down public healthcare program and turn it back over to private industry to make more money and turn more people away.   One would hope that in the whole history of humanity we would "get it."  One would hope that following the teachings of Jesus, Christians would "get it."  I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said "When Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for them, I don't think he meant to kill them."  The irony is that in so many ways we don't get it, or choose not to get it.  You would hope that with this vision of God's hope for the world, we would "get it" and get on-board with the idea of loving one another.  Some do "get it" and we call them saints.  They are the ones who take salvation by grace and respond as grown-ups, and show grace in return.  The rest are moving further and further from the vision of God's reality and anyone who dares to preach it or teach it is accused of class warfare or politicizing religion.  Awareness of the class warfare that is already going on is the first step in getting on board with God's vision for all of humanity.  It is a step toward becoming a saint to someone in this world.  

all wars are civil wars


Monday November 5th, Isaiah 25: 8 The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.  The tears will be wiped from all faces, not just our faces, not just the faces of those who agree with us, not just from the faces of those who look like us, not just from the faces of those who worship like us, but all faces.  What does that say for our culture that wants to paint “others” as evil, or is so willing to go to war and kill to get what they want?  The so called evil ones, and the war dead, theirs and ours, are our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Those without health care are your brothers and sisters.  Those whose jobs have been sent overseas are your brothers and sisters.  We are called to be part of the process of wiping away their tears, anything less is causing them.   It starts with recognizing that we are called to love one another and that all wars are civil wars because all men are brothers.  

to hell with the rest of you


Tuesday November 6th, Isaiah 25: 9   In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; We trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."  In whom do you trust this day?  That which you put your trust in is your God.  What do you trust, what issues do you fight for, they are your gods.  God calls us to love one another, which is a very broad definition.  But loving one another is not just about nice feelings, it is a verb, it is what you do and how you do it.  Do you support some kind of universal health care for your brothers, or does the god in your wallet not let you.  Do you support the right of corporations to buy elections or the rights of individuals?  Are you decisions made on what is best for Me or what is best for We?  Are you willing to live your life as part of the Body of Christ or is it all about my personal relationship with god and to hell with the rest of you?  

new heaven and new earth


Wednesday November 7th, Revelation 21:   1-5 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  This is the final vision in scripture, a vision of God bringing peace and healing to all of humanity, a vision of God coming down to us.  This is the vision of where God is leading us to this day.  This is where we as the children of God should be busy going, the image of the church we should showing the world.  As you go forward in life, work toward God’s final vision of a world at peace, with food and health care for all.  A place where all are welcome and there are no barriers to keep others out or to keep us away from one another.  A place where a world of have’s and have not’s is not acceptable and a place where instead, the love of God is the guiding principle.  Let us build this world together.  

final vision


Thursday November 8th, Revelation 25: 6   He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."  He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. God’s vision for the world from beginning to end unfolds in these few pages.  It is a vision of the presence of God among all people.  It is a vision of all people coming together and living together in peace.  It is a vision of healing for all people.  It is a vision of inclusion for all people.  The gates are open to all and all are welcome, come eat, you who have plenty and you who have nothing, come eat together, live together, worship together.  It is a far cry from the political policies that want to cut some people out and make huge profits for others. Let us all come together and work toward God’s vision for all of humanity.  

how deeply


Friday November 9th, John 11: 34 He said, "Where did you put him?" "Master, come and see," they said. Now Jesus wept.  The Jews said, "Look how deeply he loved him."  Others among them said, "Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man."   The saints in our lives are the ones who have brought us the vision of God.  They are the tellers of stories and the prayers of prayers.  Lazarus and Jesus were friends.  Stories and love filled their times together.  When he died, Jesus wept as much for the pain of missing him as he did for the lack of future vision and faith of his friends and family.  Life in this world is not eternal and even after Lazarus was raised by Jesus, he later died.  Life in this world is short.  Be thankful for the saints that fill your life with stories, prayer and love.  Be a saint for someone else.  May it be said of you someday, “look how deeply they were loved.”

Unwrapped love


Saturday November 10th, John 11: 44 Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face.  Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose."   Lazarus’ body was bound in the wrappings of death, and the call of Jesus was to unwrap him.  This was not and is not a task for Jesus to do it, but for us to do.  Our calling in this life is to unbind one another.  Jesus’ words were, You do it, You Unwrap him and let him loose.  There are times when our souls and our friend’s and neighbor’s souls are wrapped in the trappings of death, and they too need to be unwrapped.  What is it that is binding your soul?  What saints are helping you to unwrap it?  How can you help someone else unwrap their death wrapped souls?  Live as a Saint of God this day and help someone unwrap their death wrapped soul.  

10/22/2012

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 1, Reformation Day John 8:31-36


The little child cried
Looking at the father
And the spilt milk
--one
----more
------time
cried for fear that she had again offended
simply by being
--the
----little
------child
and the fathers arms went around her
and held her
and loved her
loving not the spilt milk
but cleaning the mess
and drying the tears
in love
you are my child because of who you are
and who I am
and in trying not to spill the milk
you live out what my child is
and does
soar my child
soar with the freedom
that comes with knowing who you are
soar with the freedom
to spill milk
and know who you are
soar to the freedom of love
that together
we may soar

Poem 2 Reformation Sunday John 8:31-36


It is not a matter of belonging
not a matter of doing
or doing better
Christ has come into this world
and saved us
and called us to be
the children of God
not to be saved
but
because we are
God has loved us
Christ has saved us
we are now called to run
and enjoy
and be
the children of God.
That’s Grace.






grace may spread


Sunday October 28th, Jeremiah 31: "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD ,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,"  As the children of God we all come before the Lord in the fullness of who we are and are loved by the fullness of who God is.  All people will know the Lord and God will be the God of all people, from the least to the greatest.  We may know the Lord by different names and in different ways, but as the children of God, deep in our hearts we all “know” the Lord.  Look around you today and celebrate all the wonderful and not so wonderful brothers and sisters you have in this world.  Celebrate the different faith traditions, not just different forms of Christianity, but all the different faith traditions that worship God by so many different names and ways, they too are your brothers and sisters in the spiritual journey called life.  Then pray for them.  Let’s admit that we still live in a world where people of faith still fight with and try to destroy other people of faith and that is not the will of a God who created all and called it good.  So today, pray for those of other faith traditions, that the word of God’s grace may spread through them also.  

next week


Monday October 29th, Jeremiah 31: "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."  We each come before the Lord with lots of baggage.  One of the biggest obstacles in our walk with the Lord is our inability or our unwillingness to see the garbage and therefore our unwillingness to accept forgiveness for the very thing that holds us down in life.  Sometimes that is because we don’t look deep enough.  Most often it is because we look with self-imposed blinders on.  For humans as well as business, self-regulation is just another name for not looking too deep.  What we lose in the process is the gift of the knowledge of our forgiveness.  We walk around weighted down with that bag of garbage slung over our shoulder saying, “what garbage?”  Our life is weighted down and we don’t even know it. But deep down we are aware of that bag of garbage but just refuse to acknowledge it.  God love us, and hates to see us suffer.  So bring your personal garbage to church, cast that sack over the communion rail and open your hearts to receive. This is the body of Christ, broken for you.  This is the blood of Christ shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this in remembrance of me….   Then dance down the aisle with your feet a little lighter and that weight off your shoulder, at least for now.   We’ll see you again next week.  

ability to believe


Tuesday October 30th, Romans 3: 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  Two uses for the law, one is to help create an orderly society where people can go about their lives for the most part, two, is to convict us of our culpability in the sins of this world and drive us to the cross where we find forgiveness.  It is at the cross where we find Christ and forgiveness.  It is at the cross where we look around and there discover our brothers and sisters who we had thought were enemies.  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus; it also comes through the faith of Jesus. It is a gift because even the ability to believe is a gift from God.  It is gift, pure gift, so leap for joy, rejoice, offer the gift to others, celebrate, pray and sing.  For the Lord has come and has brought the gift of grace, forgiveness, life and love for you and for all humanity.  

welcome to the light


Wednesday October 31st, Romans 3: There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  We sometimes lose our focus on the word “all” in that all have sinned and fallen short part.  There is a human tendency to point to the other when it comes to the concept of sin and at least on the surface think we have done our job.  If we do acknowledge our sinful part the at least in the back of our minds we think that perhaps they have sinned just a bit more than we have.  In the realm of this world of self-help we find that we are all quite capable of, it, at least temporally helps us feel better. We find that the surface is at least clean. That is until we step into the light.  In the light, all our attempts at rationalization, scapegoating, and other means of self-help salvation are seen for what they really are, simply a wipe of the surface without getting any deep cleaning done.  In the light of Christ however, not only can they be forgiven, but more importantly we can also be forgiven.  And what we need forgiveness for most is thinking that it is primarily the “they” in this world that need to be forgiven.  Christ has come, welcome to the light.  

priceless


Thursday November 1st, Romans 3:  27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.  Faith is a gift, pure gift.  Salvation is a gift, pure gift.  Seeing one another as brothers and sisters in Christ—priceless.  

over the rail


Friday November 2nd, John 8:  31 Jesus told the people who had faith in him, "If you keep on obeying what I have said, you truly are my disciples. 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."    33 They answered, "We are Abraham's children! We have never been anyone's slaves. How can you say we will be set free?"  Hell is truth seen too late.  Hell is going through life hiding those bags of personal garbage in the closet hoping no one sees them.  In the process we are missing the opportunity of being free through the forgiveness that comes from Christ.  We all manufacture the ropes that bind us, the illusions that hold us down.  Most of the time what binds us is the tendency of keeping our head in the sand and not seeing the other in this world.  Some of the time our sin is looking around and not seeing what we don’t want to see, our participation in the sin we have created in the world around us.  These forms of blindness all bind us to the garbage in life.  Christ calls us to bring the garbage to the altar and throw it over the communion rail and give it to God.  Then you will be free indeed.  

free indeed


Saturday November 3rd, John 8: 34 Jesus replied: I tell you for certain that anyone who sins is a slave of sin! 35 And slaves don't stay in the family forever, though the Son will always remain in the family. 36 If the Son gives you freedom, you are free!  Hanging onto the law, we all fall short.  Putting our trust in grace, we all have the freedom to live as a child of God.  Judging others is a way of invoking the law on the “them” of the world while not even seeing the judgment it pronounces upon ourselves.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used the words, you have heard it said of old, but I tell you……  He then would proceed to radicalize the law, to point out how futile it is to claim the law as the basis of your salvation.  Those who live by the law, live by deceit and the ones most deceived are themselves.  So turn to Christ and be free, and then you will be free indeed.  

10/15/2012

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 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 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

poem for 21st Sunday After Pentecost Mark 10:35-45


With each crashing wave along the shore
The water swirls
Around the outcropping of rock
Slowly eating away at its structure
Until
It consist only of the sand
Moving
And reshaping itself again
With the help of the waves
Along the beach
Smooth and gentle to walk on
Each grain
Once a part of a great structure
Now toppled by time
So too with the great structures
Of this world
Once powerful protectors of separation
Supported on the fears
Of those it is intended to serve
Only to end up
In time
A pinnacle
Surrounded by the sands
Until it too topples by its own weight.
In Christ there are no pinnacles
No outcroppings that stand above all others
Only the sands
Washing upon the shore
Supporting one another. 

Opening litany based on Psalm 91



Pastor: Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: who alone is my refuge, my place of safety; my God in whom I trust.

Congregation: For the Lord will rescue you from every trap and protect us from that which brings death. Our Sheltering God will cover us with her feathers and shelter us with caring and protective wings. The faithful promises of God are our armor and protection.

Pastor: Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday for though a thousand may fall at your side or ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you for you are never alone. Open your eyes and see how those without the knowledge of God feel so alone at these times.

Congregation: If we make the LORD your refuge and the Most High our shelter, no evil will conquer us; no fear will come near our home for we will be surrounded by angels who will protect us wherever you go.

Pastor: They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. The LORD says, “I will rescue all whom I love and will protect those who trust in my name.

Congregation: The Lord says that when we call the Lord, the Lord will answer. “I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation,” declares the Lord.

trodden and trodding


Sunday October 21st, Isaiah 53: 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  Handel Messiah comes to the point of near perfection in presenting this text. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5LriRAk5to) It real life, the drama continues.  In spite of all our attempts to save ourselves as the expense of others, in the end, it is Christ, often looked down on, and trodden upon in the form of the poor huddled masses, that saves us. After all our attempts, after all our destruction of one another for the sake of our own advancement, it is Christ, and Christ alone who saves us.  What we have rejected and replaced with all our anxiety is the joy of the journey.  Look to the down trodden, especially the ones you are trodding upon, for they are the presence of Christ for your journey with Jesus today.  Walking with Christ is walking with the victims of yesterday’s journey with an eye towards tomorrow’s community.

fair game


Monday October 22nd, Isaiah 53:  6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. The scape goat was the one on which the sins of a tribe or village were placed and then the goat was sent out into the wilderness where it was fair game for the predators.  Such an example is used to foretell the coming of the savior.  On him, On Jesus, was laid the sins for us all because after all of our bravado and desire to be in control, we could not do it.  Salvation is a gift, pure gift.  Seeing our sin opens our eyes to the gift of forgiveness, the gift of life we receive.  Closing our eyes to our own culpability closes our eyes to our salvation and the shining love that has come into the world.   Closing our hearts to the other in their time of need of grace has the same effect as closing our eyes.  In doing so we shut ourselves off from accepting the love of God. 

set apart

Tuesday October 23rd, Hebrews 5: 4-6 No one elects himself to this honored position. He's called to it by God, as Aaron was. Neither did Christ presume to set himself up as high priest, but was set apart by the One who said to him, "You're my Son; today I celebrate you!" In our baptism, we too are set apart for service in the Kingdom. You are mentioned by name and then the congregation joins in; we welcome you to the Lord’s family; we receive you as a fellow member of the Body of Christ and worker with us in the Kingdom of God. We are the collective voice of God saying, You are our child, whom we love; with you we are well pleased, and with you we will journey through life together, brothers and sisters in Christ. We welcome you as a fellow sojourner as we live out God’s calling for our lives at this time through our combined ministries at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church. You are called by God…. Now what is God calling you to do?

rule number one


Wednesday October 24th, Mark 10:  35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."  36"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.  37They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." Have your kids ever come to you with a similar question?  If they haven’t yet, they will.  When it happens, try not to laugh.  I wonder if Jesus had trouble not laughing.  We want you to do whatever we ask!!.  Yah, Right.  In the end our vision of a vending machine god will fall by the wayside.  But even now many preachers put forth the vision that with the proper prayers, proper lifestyle, proper giving, it can all be yours….. and if you act now, it will be given to you by grace……  Those trained in neither theology, logic nor basic skill of understanding often fall for it.  In the end, they too are all saved by grace, not because of, but in spite of their efforts.  Rule number one… God is in charge.  Rule number two… read rule number one.  

grace and grandeur


Thursday October 25th, Mark 10:  38"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"  39"We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."   Yes the kingdom will be ours with all its glory, grace and grandeur.  It is free, but it is not cheap.  It will cost you your ability to have life solely on your terms, but in the end what you get is life, real life.  It comes as a free gift of God and comes with a life of service.

power down


Friday October 26th, Mark10:  41When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you.  I sometimes think the ten were indignant because they thought James and John had gotten to Jesus first with a request they all had in mind.  We live in a power down world.  But the counter cultural ministry of Jesus came to bring us a grace down world.  Power down structures send the blessings up to those at the top and the responsibilities down to the victims at the bottom.  The Grace down world of Jesus sends the blessings down and the responsibility up.  It may seem counter intuitive, but it is the definition of love.  

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