10w for November 2nd, All Saints.

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 2nd, All Saints. You can listen on the flash player below. 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. The song of the week is I Was Hungry by Dakota Road from the CD All Are Welcome http://www.dakotaroadmusic.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1

10w for November 2nd, Simple Saint Healing, NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for November 2nd, Simple Saint Healing, NL. You can listen on the flash player below. 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. The song of the week is "The Healing Hand" of Jesus by the Jay Beech Band from the CD "Everyone who is Thirsty, Come" http://www.baytonemusic.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=BTM

The Simple Saints

For all the Saints from Dan Bollerud on Vimeo.

Poem based on All Saints Matthew 5:1-12

Blessed are we

Blessed in the midst of God’s love

Blessed in the midst of our world

Blessed in what we feel      

                        See

                                    Do

            Blessed

Even in the times we find it hard

To see

            The blessing

Even then

We can know ourselves

As the children of God

Especially then

We can know

            See

                        Feel

God’s presence in our lives

            Blessed

God’s love in our lives

Given by the One

Who came to save

Blessed are you

In the name of Christ

Poem based on All Saints Matthew 5:1-12

In a world that is often cruel

I find myself on the outs

Not making the buck

(Blessed are you)

not having the things

I am told I must have

To be me

(Blessed are you)

and in the fast flowing lanes of this world

I am often in the slow lane

Stopping occasionally to smell the flowers

And see the creation

God had made

(Blessed are you)

and when the bus stops

and I never get the good seat

because I am helping someone who is having trouble

with old age

or weak limbs

I wonder at those who do

(Blessed are you)

---- and Christ said

---- let the little children come onto me

---- and forbid them not

---- for to such belongs the Kingdom of God

(Blessed are you)

Opening Litany based on Psalm 34

Worship Leader: I will exult the Lord at all times in my life.  The Praise of the Lord will be forever on my lips. 

Congregation: We too will glory in the Lord.  Let all who are afflicted hear the good news of the Lord and rejoice with us as we exult the name of the Lord together. 

Worship Leader: In my time of need, when I sought after the Lord, the Lord answered me and delivered me from all my fears.  The Lord will do the same for you!

Congregation: Those who dwell in the presence of the Lord… their faces are radiant and never covered with shame.

Worship Leader: The ones that the world rejects who call upon the name of the Lord.. the Lord will be with them and help them in the midst of their troubles.

Congregation: The angel of the Lord encamps around those who live in awe of the Lord and the Lord delivers them from all the woes and cares of this world. 

Worship Leader: As we gather around the table of the Lord this day, taste and see that the LORD is good and blessed is the one who takes refuge in the Lord. 

Congregation: As the Holy people of God, we will live in awe of the wonders of the Lord, for those who live this way lack nothing of importance in this life. 

Worship Leader: the strong and mighty may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.  So come my children, listen, and learn to live in awe of the wonders of the Lord.  Whoever loves the Lord, and desires to live in the blessings of the Lord, keep your tongue from evil, your lips from telling lies, turn from evil and seek peace in this world. 

Congregation: For the Lord looks upon the righteous and hears the cries of their hearts, but the God of Grace turns a deaf ear to those who seek evil. 

Worship Leader: The righteous cry and the Lord hears them, the brokenhearted and those for whom the world has crushed their spirit wail and the Lord delivers them from their troubles. 

Congregation:   The righteous may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers them and protects them from being broken.  

Worship Leader: Evil will slay the wicked and the foes of the righteous will be condemned but the Lord will rescue those who love the Lord.

Congregation: All who take refuge in the Lord will live surrounded by the greatness of God’s grace.  

Other foods

Sunday November 2^nd, Revelation 7: "9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" Part of Jesus’ ministry on earth was to reach out and draw new people, those who had been rejected, into the kingdom.  The task of the disciples was to announce that the Kingdom was near. That message, that ministry, landed Jesus and the disciples in a great deal of hot water. By and large, the church doesn’t want new people.  I see it all the time in congregations, often what they prefer is more people who are just like them in some way, but not new people who might change the way they respond to God’s love. People tend to like the arrangement of us and them with us on the inside and them on the outside. When you start inviting the “them” in, the next thing you know the “us” have to face change. Other languages are spoken on our street corners. Other foods are cooked and served in our restaurants, other music, thoughts, ideas and problems begin to invade our sensibilities and we become uncomfortable. In order to include these “others” we have to change even though it is our church or our country. I think that was God’s plan all along. The Saints help us see that “God vision” of the Kingdom through the clouded vision of our own version of the little kingdoms where we gather for worship.  

final vision

Monday November 3^rd, Revelation 7: 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." This is a part of the final vision in Revelation that gives us a glimpse of what a God centered world would look like. After all our wheeling’s and dealings over the ages, I think we have ask the question, how are we doing on accomplishing this vision for the kingdom in which we live here and now? This is not just a vision to read about in the book of Revelation, or to plan for in some future heaven up there somewhere. It is a vision of what we, the children of God, are to be about here and how, in this kingdom, on this earth, at this time,  with these people. There are more than a few warnings, as in the sheep and the goats, along the way that points to the consequences of not working on this vision to help keep us on the right path.  So with all that in mind, how are we doing? Personally? Culturally? Nationally? 

You are a saint

Tuesday November 4^th, 1st John 3: 1 Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are. But since the people of this world did not know who Christ is, they don't know who we are. Sunday November 2^nd, was All Saints Sunday. When you think of the saints in your life, who are they? I don’t mean the ones officially recognized by the church, I mean the ones who brought to you the reality that Jesus Love You and let you know that the kingdom is right here with you. Was it a Grandma or Grandpa? Was it an Aunt or Uncle? Maybe it was someone whose name you can’t even remember. Jesus Loves me this I know for God’s people tell me so (the song says the Bible tells us, but the reality is that it is the people of God). Most often how they tell us is not by the words they say but by the love they show. You are a saint of God in this time and in this place, what does your life show?  How does that equate to who and what you support?

next bend

Wednesday November 5^th, 1st John 3: 2 My dear friends, we are already God's children, though what we will be hasn't yet been seen. But we do know that when Christ returns, we will be like him, because we will see him as he truly is. With our children, many of us ask the question “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Perhaps we should rephrase that a bit to say “What does God want you to be when you grow up, what wonderful gifts and talents has God already given you for your journey in this life?” For the adults, what plan do you think God had for you back then and how can you get back on the path now? From where you are at now, what plan do you think God has for you now and in the future? How have you been called to go about “being” a child of God in all that it means? What we will be in the fullness of the kingdom has not yet been made known, and what we are called to be is ever unfolding before us. It is kind of exciting when you think about it. Every time we think we have turned “the” corner we find God standing at the next bend in the road calling us on. Life is full of surprises and when you ride with God at your side, they become holy surprises. Living into your Holy Surprises is the thing of saints. 

a little glimmer

Thursday November 6^th, Matthew 5: 3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. As a person gets up in years and looks back over their lives, they are sometime amazed at the times when God seemed most present in their times gone by. Often these were times when things were not going so well. Does that mean that God does not want things to go well for us? Not at all. What it does mean is that when things are going well we tend to become so busy shining our own light, we forget that Christ is the light of the world and the source of light in our lives. Sometimes we even forget that outside of ourselves there is another light altogether, a light for all people. But the darkness in our lives is just an illusion. These are simply the times when our own light is either dim or almost out. And these are the times when we can look back and see that we truly are bathed in the light of Christ all the time, throughout all of our life. We just tend to forget when our own light has a little glimmer to it.   

cared for

Friday November 7^th, Matthew 5: 7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being "care-full,' you find yourselves cared for. Love the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind and love you neighbor as yourself. This is the how we live out “the kingdom is near” in our lives.  When we care for others, we find ourselves cared for. When we, out of fear or anxiety or simply selfish pride, care only for ourselves, looking out for good old, “number one”, we find the big holes in our lives just waiting to be filled, with, …. Caring for others and in the process, God.  Kind of funny the way that works.  Loving yourself is loving your neighbor in the broadest of senses.   

learning curve

Saturday November 8^th, Matthew 5: 9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. Who was your peacemaker teacher, the one who taught you that you don’t get someone to stop hitting by hitting them? Who was your peacemaker preacher?  Your peacemaker parent?  Your peacemaker mentor?  I don’t see anything in Jesus writings about blessed are the war makers, they are the ones of our economy and our politics.  It is the peace makers who get the Lord’s attention however. I think that is because we are created in God’s image and Jesus taught us that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Our call is for peace, not war. There seems to be a large learning curve on that one. 

10w for October 26th Wisdom, NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 26th Wisdom, NL. You can listen on the flash player below. 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. The song of the week is “Hallelujah Once Again" by Andra Moran, used by permission from her album, "Little Miracles." You can find this album and others at her website, www.andramoran.com

A little Luther with your Jesus for Reformation.

Reformation from Dan Bollerud on Vimeo.

10w for October 26th & 31st, Reformation.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 26th & 31st, Reformation. You can listen on the flash player below. 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. The song of the week is “A Mighty Fortress" by John Rutter and the Cambridge singers from the CD "Tallis, Sing ye heavens"  http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1116556/a/Sing,+ye+Heavens%3A+Hymns+for+All+Time.htm

Opening Litany based on Psalm 46

Psalm 46

Worship Leader: It is God who is our refuge and strength and our ever-present help in times of trouble, therefore we will not live in fear.  For even though the earth may give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, even if the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging, we will not fear. Our God is with us, our refuge and strength is ever-present with us. 

Congregation: In Revelation there is a river whose streams bring life and joy to the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. God is within this Holy City, this dwelling place of God with us, and she will not fall. 

Worship Leader: God brings help to us at the break of each new day and though nations may be in uproar and kingdoms may fall God is still with us and ruler of all. 


Congregation: The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.  Come one and all and see what the LORD has done in our lives and in the lives of all the people of the earth. 

Worship Leader: The Lord brings wars to an end.  The Lord breaks the bow and shatters the spear destroying all the instruments of war, and then says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Congregation: We will exalt the Lord our God among all the nations of the earth, for the LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our strength.

Worship Leader: 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 this calling when we  Gather to Grow through God’s Grace.

Poem based on 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.

Poem based on 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

God’s grace

Sunday October 26^th, 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, especially Islam which is facing the scourge of ISIS and other fundamentalists ideologies, that the word of God’s grace may spread through them also.  

again

Monday October 27^th, 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 our 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 loves 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 need to see you again next week.  

for all humanity

Tuesday October 28^th, 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 29^th, 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, 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 taking care of our own needs, and that at least temporally helps us feel better. We find that the surface at least is 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 October 30^th, 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.  

free indeed.

Friday October 31^st, 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 systems of 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.  

be free,

Saturday November 1^st, 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.  

David & Bathsheba

David and Bathsheba from Dan Bollerud on Vimeo.

10w for October 19th, Paying Taxes.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 19th, Paying Taxes. You can listen on the flash player below. 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. The song of the week is “Hearts full of Gratitude" by Bryan Sirchio from the CD "Something Beautiful for God"  http://www.sirchio.com/index.php?page=cds&viewas=list

10w for October 19th, David & Bathsheba, NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 19th, David & Bathsheba, NL. You can listen on the flash player below. 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. The song of the week is “Healer of my soul" by John Michael Talbot from the CD "The Ultimate Collection"  http://johnmichaeltalbot.com/complete-discography

Poem based on Matthew 22:15-22

What is this

In God we trust? Stuff

As if

We really trust in god

My party yes

The army yes

As long as they don’t question me

The people, yes

As long as they vote the right way

But

In god

We trust

The next thing we know

God

Will be asking us to love

Loving God I understand

Getting all gushy inside

Letting the high waft over me during worship

Getting excited as hating the sin

And loving the sinner

Under the condition of the sinner giving up

Sinful ways

And seeing the world as I do

Because I am Right

But loving others as ourselves

That only work when they

Become

Like

ME

The perfect example of god’s perfection

By my standards

In this world

In God we trust?

Only on the coin my friend

Only on the coin

Forget it man

No way

I mean

That would mean change

Not just who is in charge

But how we do things

We would be forced to face

Honesty

Integrity

No way will that work

No way will in God we trust work

In this world

In What god do we trust?

Self?

Time?

Talent?

Self preservation?

What god do we trust in?

Give me the coin

Oh

I see

In God we trust

In GOD

We are asked to

Set the priorities

In our life

Set the priorities

That will guide us

And live

In God

Trusting

In that God we claim to trust

Opening Litany based on Psalm 96:1-13

 

Pastor: Sing to the LORD a new song; let all the people of the earth sing a new song unto the Lord. 

Congregation: We will sing praises to the Lord and proclaim the salvation of the Lord all our days.  We will proclaim the glory of the Lord to all the nations and the Lord’s marvelous deeds to all peoples. 

Pastor: For the Lord is great and worthy of praise above all gods.

Congregation: Our idols in this world are only that, just idols, but the Lord God created the heavens and the earth.  Splendor, Majesty and Glory surround the presence of the Lord. 

Pastor: Let all the peoples in all the nations of the earth ascribe to the Lord the glory and honor due the name of the Lord of all creation. 

Congregation: We will worship the Lord with praise and say to all people, “The Lord Reigns” For the justice of the Lord will be established over all the earth. 

Pastor: Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad, let the sea resound and all that is in it.  Let the fields be jubilant and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.

Congregation: Let all creation rejoice before the Lord who comes to judge the earth and all people with righteousness and loving kindness.  

Ruthie Joy

Sunday October 16^th, Psalm 96: 1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.  2 Sing to the LORD, praise the Lord’s name; proclaim the Lord’s salvation day after day.  3 Declare the Lord’s glory among the nations, and the marvelous deeds among all peoples. Do you go through the day singing or at least humming to yourself?  I do and it drives my wife nuts.  I don’t actually sing or hum, which might be part of the problem, I sort of breathe the melody, forming different notes in my head, and making an annoying sound in hers.  Once she knows I am singing and not having a heart attack, she is better with it, and I can go on in my joy.  It is sort of like a meditation; a mindful presence; letting the words, the sounds, the thoughts, and the being, swirl around in my head in prayer.  Sing to the Lord a new song, an old song, any song that tells of the wonders of the Lord.  And spend your day, living in prayer and mindful presences with your God.  It is not a matter that God is not always with you, quite the opposite, but music in your head is sort of like reaching up and taking God’s hand as you walk through the parking lot of life and experience the Joy of being connected.  For a little musical version of this try the following by Ruthie Foster.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl3xuJ0DWQY&feature=related

learn to live

Monday October 17^th, Isaiah 45:  1-7 God's Message to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he took by the hand To give the task of taming the nations, of terrifying their kings— He gave him free rein, no restrictions: "I'll go ahead of you, clearing and paving the road. I'll break down bronze city gates, smash padlocks, kick down barred entrances. I'll lead you to buried treasures, secret caches of valuables— Confirmations that it is, in fact, I, God, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name. Cyrus was not a man of God, Cyrus was an opportunists.  God however used Cyrus and led him to bring freedom to the Israelites held in captivity in Babylon.  Whether you believe in God or not, God is in charge, even of you.  God’s plan will prevail in the world and in your life, end of story.  There are failings and wonderings in our lives for sure, but ultimately God is in charge and even the nastiest dirtiest rotten thing that can happen is not beyond God working with you to turn to the good.  Many of the psalms and praises about a coming savior in the Old Testament are not about Jesus, they are about Cyrus and were later reinterpreted to be about Jesus.  So if God can use Cyrus, and if so much of the Old Testament praise is heaped on Cyrus, why do we have such trouble honoring those who, by our standards are outside our understanding of the faith, for their faith?  Perhaps it is because in the back of our minds, we might just think we are still in charge.  Ha!! Fat chance!!!  God is in charge!  Our job is to learn to live with that and celebrate it.  When we do, we get a glimpse of Heaven.   

what would others say

Tuesday October 18^th, 1 Thessalonians 1: 7 You became an example for all the Lord's followers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 And because of you, the Lord's message has spread everywhere in those regions. Now the news of your faith in God is known all over the world, and we don't have to say a thing about it. I wonder if they became an example because of what they thought, what their theology was, what they said, or what they did?  Given those choices, my money would be on what they did.  After all we say and do it is what we do that is read by most people.  Being a child of god is about changed lives, not changed thoughts or changed theologies.  And changed lives are what others see.  It is the deeds that people read.  In reading your life, what would others say about you or about your church?  What would cause someone to say about your church, because of you, the Lord’s message has spread and God is known all over the world?  What is stopping you from being that change?

the big “G.”

Wednesday October 19^th, 1 Thessalonians 1: 9 Everyone is talking about how you welcomed us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living God. Most of us want our idols and our gods (small “g”) in this world.  The only trouble is that if we have our idols, all we have is our gods, not our God.  God is about changed lives, gods (small “g”) are about small lives that remain unchanged and a world that remains unchanged around them.  So welcome others and in doing so, help them and you turn away from idols and little “g’s” into the changed lives of the big “G.” 

willing to share it

Thursday October 20^th, Matthew 22: 15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion?  Strange bedfellows!! The Herodians were the supporters of the Roman occupation and were in favor of paying the tax, the Pharisees were popular with the people because the resisted paying the tax.  Strange bedfellows and opposites united for a common purpose, to keep up the fight and get rid of the rabble rousing new guy.  It is unclear who does the talking, but it also matters little, they are both trying to butter Jesus up for the kill.  Jesus is a threat to both their power bases.  Their questions remind me of the political discourse where someone is asked a question and gives an unrelated political spin as an answer.  Jesus, and the Kingdom of God offends both sides, just as the church should be willing to offend both sides of the political spectrum in today’s world.  What is your opinion as a child of God?  Are you willing to share it?

what de Bible

Friday October 21^st, Matthew 22: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"  18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?  Take one hot button issue, add two opposite parties and one question, and you have potential trouble. Jesus responds with trouble of his own by naming what is happening, letting a little Gospel light shine on the dark and murky intrigue.  How often do we try to trap Jesus by claiming him for one side or the other in a hot button debate?  Jim Wallis has a book and a blog (http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics) “God’s Politics, how the right gets it wrong and the left doesn’t get it” where you can get a bumper sticker that says “God is neither a Republican or a Democrat.”  Bob Marley, the father of Ragee once said, "Me don' understand politics, me don' understand big words like "democratic socialism." What me say is what de Bible say, but because people don' read de Bible no more, dey tink me talk politics. Ha! It's the Bible what have it written and it strong, it powerful."  Perhaps we need to “name” what de Bible say a bit more in our lives and let its strong and powerful message ring out into a world enamored with hot button arguments.  For a little Bob Marley and the Bible try: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/davebulow/wow/artist_bob_marley.htm

In God We Trust

Saturday October 22^nd, Matthew 22: 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, 20 and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?"  21 "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." O my, how we hate to pay taxes.  But name me one politician who has actually cut taxes.  There have been politicians who have shifted taxes from the poor to the rich and from the rich to the poor, from local to national and from national to local, from government funded to private funded and from private funded to local funded, but no one has ever actually cut the cost of a civil society.  When you cut everyone’s taxes all you are doing is cutting services.  When you insist on tax cuts for the wealthy, it is so they will support your campaign for re-election and the poor pay the price in cut services.  So let’s finally cut the b.s. about cutting taxes and talk about what it cost to maintain a civil society.  Let us talk about a society where roads are built and maintained, where children are educated and to what degree that would be a benefit to society, where health is maintained and to what benefit to society and how, where military is maintained at what level and for what purpose and at what cost to society and why.  Let us have real conversations about real societal needs.  Our currency has the words on it, “In God We Trust.”  Until we get to that point, all the rhetoric is just b.s.

10w for October 12th, Blessed Journey, NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 12th, Blessed Journey, NL.  You can listen on the flash player below. 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. The song of the week is “Traveling Mercies" by Bryan Sirchio from CD "Something Beautiful for God" 
 http://www.sirchio.com/index.php?page=cds&viewas=list

10w for October 12th, Banquet Time, P18.

The following is a 10 minute worship for October 12th, Banquet Time, P18. You can listen on the flash player below. 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. The song of the week is “Let us Go to the House of the Lord"  by the Jay Beech Band from the CD "Everyone who is thirsty, Come"  http://www.baytonemusic.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=BTM

You've gotta serve somebody

Joshua, gotta serve somebody from Dan Bollerud on Vimeo.

Poem based on Matthew 22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

This gift of life

So busy

I have to slop the hog

Walk the dog

Wash the car

And drive very far

So busy

With this life you have given me

I just don’t have time

To live it

There is church work to do

Have to bring others into

My

Fold

I don’t have time

But thank you very much

Some other time perhaps

But who are all these people sitting in my pew

And how did they get in

And the music is different

Pot luck food not the same

I don’t know why you made life so hard Lord

Too much to do

I have to get ahead if I am to enjoy

This gift

Of life

Opening Litany based on Psalm 23

Pastor: There are times when we seem almost blind to the blessings that surround us.  In the midst of our fear, our pain, our complacency, we either don’t see or don’t care about the 

Lord’s presence in our lives.  But then something happens, the scales fall from our eyes and 

we see what has been there all along. 

Congregation: The LORD is our shepherd, we shall not be in want for the Lord makes us 

lie down in green pastures, and leads me beside quiet waters. The Lord restores my soul 

and guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

Pastor: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, 

for the Lord is with me; The Lord’s guidance comforts me.

Congregation: For the Lord prepares a table before us in the presence of those who would 

harm us. The Lord provides us with all we need and our cup of blessing overflows. 

Pastor: Surely goodness and love will follow us all the days of my lives,

Congregation: And we will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.