Poem based on John 1:1-14

In the darkness of the eternal night

in an emptiness of void

burst forth the light

                upon all that was not

                                and became life

                and all that was

                                                is

                                                                and will be

and there was

                at this before time and place

Love

                created in its own

a universe

                born of its word

                                and living in the light of

                                                                this love

exploding onto the nothingness of all

the joy

                color

                                laughter

                                                song

that in the untouched reaches of our memory

                still sing

hammered and molded into a world

full of need

and yet longing for that love

kindled in the sweet lullaby

of a mother

in a far off forgotten place

singing

                from the untouched reaches of our memory

to the light

                created anew

from before all time and place

                in the helpless innocence

                of this

                                (Emmanuel)      

                                                child

Opening Litany based on Psalm 147

Worship Leader: Let us Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to the Lord our God.

Congregation: The Lord builds up the people of God and gathers those scattered by the deceit of their hearts and ways.

Worship Leader: The Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  The Lord creates the heavens and calls each star by name.  Great and wonderful is the Lord our God whose might and power have no limit.  The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

Congregation:  Sing to the Lord with grateful praise and make music to the Lord our God.  For the Lord covers the sky with clouds and supplies the earth with rain.

Worship Leader: The Lord makes the grass to grow on the hills, food for the cattle who graze and beauty for the birds to fly over.

Congregation: The Lord does not take pleasure in the strength of the horse or warrior, but rather delights in those who live in the awe and love of the Lord.

Worship Leader: Praise the Lord all you people of God.  For the Lord is your refuge and strength.  The Lord brings peace and satisfies the people with good things.

Congregation: The Lord our God has set the world and all that is in it in motion.  At the word of the Lord, the earth responds.

Worship Leader: The word and ways of the Lord have been given to the people of God.

Congregation: Let us Praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to the Lord our God.   

Science and religion

Sunday January 4^th, Sirach 24: Wisdom praises herself, and tells of her glory in the midst of her people. ²In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth, and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory: ³‘I came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth like a mist. ⁴I dwelt in the highest heavens. Modern fundamentalism tends to reject wisdom.  There is an unhealthy resistance to the study of evolution, and many other forms of science, both physical and social.  There is also a resistance to the critical methods of scriptural study.  And in some circles there is an anti-intellectualism that seems to defy all reason.  We can see this most clearly in fundamentalists teachings in other religions, especially Islam, but often fail to see it in our own brand of fundamentalism.  But wisdom is a gift from God.  A gift that allows us the opportunity to discover in ever widening circles, the wonder of God’s creation.  The next time you encounter anti-evolution arguments, or the substitution of it’s close cousin “intelligent design” (as if using the word intelligent makes it so) remember they are just attempts to put square pegs in round holes.  In the end they only serve to stifle the wonders of discovering God’s handiwork.  Science and religion are not at odds, they are simply two ways to look at the wonders of this world God created (through evolution) and called good. 

Lady Wisdom

Monday January 5^th, Sirach 24: ‘Then the Creator of all things gave me a command, and my Creator chose the place for my tent. He said, “Make your dwelling in Jacob, and in Israel receive your inheritance.”  In Sirach, the one speaking here is Lady Wisdom.  It was considered a gift to the people of God.  It was and is a gift to be used and nourished, a gift to be sought.  It is a gift through which the wonders of God are revealed.  No wonder Lutherans have so many colleges and schools.  We love to discover the wonders of God. Learning is a gift that keeps one in wonder and awe at the marvels of God’s gift of creation.  Learning is life long and should be life long and not just for a job.  

harmony

Tuesday January 6^th, Ephesians 1:  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴just as he chose us in Christ^* before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. Going through life it is easy to forget we are here to live and discover the wonders of a loving God.  Left to our own devices, before long we find ourselves serving ourselves first, and God and others second.  Life becomes un-easy and dis-eased.  It is that whole tree in the garden as the essence of sin thing all over again.  But in the beginning God created humanity in the image of God.  Living up to that image brings joy and peace, living up to only our image not only got us kicked out of the garden, but it brings some pain along the way even today.  Is Life a little out of sorts?  Turn back to the calling for which you were created: to live and love in harmony with the Creator and all creation.  

unrestrained faith

Wednesday January 7^th, Ephesians 1: With all wisdom and insight ⁹he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.  Each day we have the opportunity to use the gift of wisdom to discover the wonders of God’s love for us.  Either that or find some new way to make a buck at someone else’s expense.  I thought the financial crisis of 2007/8 had shown us the folly of unrestrained greed and unregulated free market, but now we find legislation pushed through with the budget that opens that door all over again.  Now that your retirement has been refocused by free market greed, perhaps it is time to refocus your life in something that can’t be ripped off.  Might I suggest a bit of unrestrained faith instead. 

stop fighting it

Thursday January 8^th, John 1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. We, and all that is, all that ever was and ever will be, are here because God had a plan from before time.  Essential elements of that play have to do with loving, caring, growing, and forgiving.  Somehow we found ways to usurp that plan, or so we think, for a while.  In the end God’s plan will prevail, in this earth and in your life.  Time to stop fighting it.  If sometimes life seems too hard, you might want to try to go with the God flow. 

what will be

Friday January 9^th, John 1: What has come into being ⁴in him was life,^* and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.  By Friday, we will be gaining a little better than two minutes a day of daylight here in Anchorage.  In Alaska there is an excitement when you start to perceive the days getting longer.  There may be ice and snow outside, but the garden catalogues already are calling.  Christ came to bring that kind of hope into the world.  No matter the reality of what is; with Christ, there is also a great deal of excitement over what will be.  

the face of God

Saturday January 10^th, John 1: 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own,^* and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.  There is a sign on my door, it shows a picture of Jesus and asks the question, “how can we worship a homeless man on Sunday and ignore one on Monday?”  How can we worship Christ on Sunday and not see Christ in the eyes of our brothers and sisters the rest of the week?  How can we turn our eyes so toward the self that we fail to see God in the other?  How can we turn our eyes so toward the self that we find ways to justify the other as not really being our brother or sister and therefore drop bombs and send in the drones, or justify torture, or shoot rockets in the Holy Land, kill with machetes and starvation in the Sudan, and on and on and on?  How can we?  Let this coming year be the beginning of a time when all humankind can see in one another, the face of God and begin to put an end to all war.

10w for December 28th, and now we three, NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for December 28th, and now we three, 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 for the day is: Glory to the Love, by Dakota Road from the CD Love Can Break Through http://www.dakotaroadmusic.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1

10w for December 28th, Holy Blessings, C1.

The following is a 10 minute worship for December 28th, Holy Blessings, C1.  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 for the day is:Angels we have heard on High, by Dakota Road from the CD Love Can Break Through http://www.dakotaroadmusic.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1

Opening Litany based on Psalm 148

Pastor: Praise the LORD from the heavens, and in the heights above.  Praise the LORD, all angels and heavenly hosts.

Congregation: Praise the LORD, sun and moon and shining stars. Praise, you highest heavens and waters above the skies.

Pastor: Let everyone and everything praise the name of the LORD, for the LORD spoke and they were created. The LORD set them in place for ever and ever and gave a decree that will never pass away.

Congregation: Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding.

Pastor: Praise the LORD you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds.

Congregation: Praise the LORD all you kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and maidens, old men and children.

Pastor: Let them praise the name of the LORD, for the LORD alone is exalted; and the LORD’s splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

Congregation: The LORD has raised up for all people a voice through the praise of the saints, and the people close to the heart of God. Praise the LORD.

Poem based on the presentation of our Lord Luke 2:22-40

I sit and wait

wait for when the time will be

that I too may know Lord

that I too may feel

                        may see

what this life is all about

the reason for our life

and why we are here

to see, know, feel the existence

of every person’s struggle

called life

some search the mountains

some the valleys

some search for the truth in their heads

some in the cosmos

in the end they all

we all

wait

until

we have exhausted all our own

(Lord)

looking no more to our selves

our books

our minds

our cosmos

or the other among us

(not let thy servant)

finding nothing

(depart)

to see the all

(in peace)

among us

Emmanuel

celebrating or stressing

Sunday December 28^th, Isaiah 61: ¹⁰I celebrate and shout because of my LORD God. His saving power and justice are the very clothes I wear. When we are caught up in the saving power of God, we are no longer caught up in that never-ending cycle of trying to “do” what is right.  Rightness becomes more a matter of who we are.   It is a matter of our very being.  When you are caught up in the saving power of God, what we do is celebrate.  There is no time for judging others, there is no time for warfare, there is no time for anything other than celebrating God’s presence in your life with all that you think do and say.  Your life itself becomes a celebration.  Life is not perfect, there are bumps and dips and deep valleys yet to cross, they are filled with the pain we foist upon ourselves and the pain foisted upon us by others and the world.  But even there in the midst of the valleys, we know that we are not alone, that light still shines in the darkness. The Christmas rush is over, are you celebrating or stressing today?  

backyard

Monday December 29^th, Isaiah 61: ¹¹The LORD will bring about justice and praise in every nation on earth, like flowers blooming in a garden. First let us understand that justice is not another name for things done our way.  Justice is a two edged sword and cuts both ways.  We still live in a world of nations.  God’s vision is a world filled with the children of God who see beyond borders.  We are called to live in this God world where we recognize others as sisters and brothers in Christ.  We are called to recognize that we live in a world of injustice and then are called to try to do something about that.  True justice would mean that we would have less, so that others could have more.  True justice would not focus on tax breaks for the wealthiest among us while cutting programs that benefit the least of these.  God’s justice means caring for all of God’s creation, not just our backyard.  

papa

Tuesday December 30^th, Galatians 4: ⁶Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."  The view of God up to the time of Jesus was of a majestic God far off in the heavens.  Jesus is God’s revelation for humanity, Immanuel, God with us.  What Jesus revealed to us about God is that more than anything else we are called into a relationship that compels us to call out “Abba”.  Another word for Abba is Papa.  We are not called into a relationship with a God before whom we are to grovel and try to please, we are called into a relationship with a loving God to whom we can go with all our lives and whom we try to please out of response to living in this loving relationship, albeit not very well.  An Abba is someone on whose lap you sit.  Abba is someone who washes off your wounds and puts on a Band-Aid and kisses your woes and makes them better.  Abba is someone you can bring all of your problems and thoughts to and know you will be heard.  Abba is someone who lovingly stops you when you are getting yourself in trouble, or sometimes steps back and lets you get into trouble and then helps you set things right, but either way it is done out of love.  Jesus tells us that the majestic Lord God Almighty, creator of the heavens and the earth, is Abba, papa, and loves us dearly. 

Welcome

Wednesday December 31^st, Galatians 4: ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.  How will you celebrate the coming of the New Year?  The tradition is to celebrate with wild abandon and regret it the next day.  But you are different; you are a child of God and are loved because of who we are, even if you do celebrate with a bit too much wild abandon.  We are not loved because of all the wonderful things we do, just as we are not “not loved” because of all the garbage we pull in life.  We are loved because we are the children of God and we are loved as one would love your own children.  Yes that means that sometimes the love must come in the form of tough love. Sometimes that love comes in the form of stepping back and letting us find out for ourselves why what were told what not to do is a good idea to not do.  We are the children of God in all that means.  Welcome to the family. And you might think about spending this New Year’s Eve in celebration of all the wonders God has given you in 14 and in anticipation of all the ministry you will be called to do in 15.

perfect

Thursday January 1^st, Luke 2: ²⁷That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, ²⁸Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, ²⁹"Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, ³⁰I have seen the Savior  ³¹ you have given to all people.  ³²He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!" The New Year has started, where is the Spirit leading you?  Simeon had a longing for the presence of God in his life.  When the promise came, all of life was complete, all of life made sense.  Jesus calls you this year to have a similar longing for God in your life.  A longing that will not stop, or let anything get in the way of a relationship with God.  When that happens, everything else will just to fall into place.  That doesn’t mean that everything will be perfect, it does mean that everything that is important is in place.  From that vantage point, the love flows.  What are you searching for that would make your life complete?

change

Friday January 2^nd, Luke 2: ³³Joseph and Mary were amazed at what was being said about Jesus. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, "This child will be rejected by many in Israel, and it will be their undoing. But he will be the greatest joy to many others. ³⁵Thus, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul." When Jesus came into the world, the spiritual forces knew this world would not be the same.  When Jesus comes into our lives, they also do not remain the same.  Change does not always come easy, or without resistance.  Sometimes the presence of Jesus provokes strong reactions.  Mary, as the mother of Jesus would feel that pain of those reactions also, the sword would pierce her very soul.  In the midst of the pain, from the cross, Jesus would turn to her and say, looking at John, behold your son, and to John, behold your mother.  In the midst of the pain, even there, there was compassion, there was love.  Change, from God, does that.

Opening litany based on Psalm 89

Psalm 89

Pastor:  I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; Letting all generations know of the faithfulness of the Lord. For the love of the Lord stands firm forever, on earth and in the heavens.

Congregation: The Lord made a covenant to Abraham and to David that the heavens and the earth will be blessed through them for all generations.

Pastor: Let the assembly of Holy ones in the heavens praise the wonders of the Lord.

Congregation: For who in the heavens above and on the earth below is like Lord God Almighty, surrounded by majestic wonder and faithfulness.

Pastor: The Lord God Almighty rules over the surging seas, stilling the raging waves, and rules over the surging peoples, stilling those who rage against your people and against the heavens.

Congregation: For you O Lord have created all that is with your mighty hand.  The heavens are yours and yours also is the earth. 

Pastor: Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne O Lord, love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are those who sing praises to Your Holy Name and walk in the light of your Presence, O Lord.  For they rejoice in your name all day long and celebrate your righteousness with their lives.

Congregation: For you are the glory and strength of those who walk in your presence, indeed you are their shield O Holy One over all the earth. 

Poem based on 4th Sunday in Advent Luke 1:26-38

Mary! Mary!

And the voice was so soft

--Gentle

that she could not be sure

if this was a dream that had awoken her

--so gentle

Mary!

Awake my child

Awake to the promise

-----(Hail Mary)

given to you from of old

in the promise passed on

-----through Abraham

--------Isaac

-----------David

Men of Greatness

-----------and blessing

gone now

---except for the promise

---and the history

-----of God

---------acting in this world of humanity

past

--present

-----and all that is to come

focused now

--on this

-----one

--------innocent

------------young maiden

(full of grace)

from this part of the world so far from all

----that is considered greatness

----by all who are considered great

softly the voice speaks

Mary!

And the dream that has been dreamed

By all people

In every time

Has come

--------(the Lord is with you)

sprung from the loins of no man

is the one who is to come

carried safely now in the womb of

the one

---innocent

------child

to save

all

that the people of power and greatness have dreamed of

for themselves

carried safely now

--to bring light and hope to all people

God breaking forth in gentleness

And greatness

In a new way

Aided by just this one

-----(I am the Lord’s servant)

-----------innocent

-----(May it be with me as you have said)

---------------------child

ancestry

Sunday December 21^st, Luke 1: 26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. When we trace the lineage of Jesus back to David through the ancestry of Joseph, we honor the traditions of humanity and what the world views as great.  That greatness is impressive and contains some wonderful examples of men of great walking with God. God chose a slightly different route however, Mary, whose lineage is not known at all.  In choosing Mary, we are left with Jesus’ greatness coming from God, not lineage or pedigree or education or maleness or anything having to do with human honor, prestige or power. Just like today, all attempts to corral or control Jesus fail. From the very beginning of the birth of Jesus, God’s plan was God’s plan and  continues to be God’s plan and has nothing to do with humanities grasps at greatness. Books and movies like “The DaVinci code” which still plays regularly on the movie channels, attempt to bring Jesus down to a purely human level. Others attempt to make Jesus so Holy so as to strip all humanity from him on the one hand and sing “Jesus is my boyfriend” praise songs on the other, stripping him of his true God given holiness that came through suffering. What came from Mary was a gift from God, and a gift for you and I and all humanity. Emmanuel means God with us, not just God with me.

Mary’s gift

Monday December 22^nd,  Luke 1: The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Highly favored!! What had Mary done to make her highly favored? She was not a prophetess, a preacher or a poet; she was just a young maiden of no great lineage from nowhere.  And when we say young, we mean probably around 13 or 14 at the time, with Joseph being much, much older.  Not the stuff of the family values crowd.  The term translated into English as virgin is more accurately translated as a young maiden who may or may not even be virgin as we would use the term. Just a young maiden of no virtue other than that she was chosen by God. When it comes right down to it can any of us claim anything more or anything less? All the greatness we create, all the good we do, all the wealth we have simply comes to us as a gift from God and all too often in the case of power and wealth, the manipulation of situations that create victims of other children of God. There are times when we get a glimpse of Mary’s response in our own lives and in those times we tend to use all, or at least some of these many gifts for the Kingdom. Those are the few times that we can almost see the shimmer of Heaven off in the distance and hear the angels sing. Perhaps it was Mary’s gift of the willingness to be an open, giving, willing child of God that is the real gift.  Perhaps that willingness and do God’s calling in life is a gift we can bring to humanity.  Watch out humanity, it is from this simple willingness that the Messiah comes into the world. 

say yes

Tuesday December 23^rd,  Luke 1: 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The understanding of the day was that when and if an Angel visits you, you just know the rest of your life is going to be a bit different, out of your control, or most likely, very, very short. All your plans are out the window and you are now either on a mission or shopping for a gravesite. I suppose you could say no, but Jonah among others would advise you against it. What lies before you is nothing less than an adventure. My son has a tattoo of Calvin and Hobbes going on an adventure on his back.  Like Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit, what lays beyond that horizon can only be guessed at, and even then you will be wrong for the most part. All you know is that it will be an adventure and you will most likely not be alone during this, or any adventure that involves a calling from God.  For some it may be exciting, for others scary, and yet, somehow the thought of staying home and watching reruns on the tube just does not sound all that appealing anymore. So get out there and have an adventure with God, say yes to the call, or at least a strong maybe.  You will not be alone, no matter what evolves, God will be with you.  

remaining anonymous

Wednesday December 24^th, Luke 1: 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." If someone in Mary’s position was to be found to be with child, it would be a disgrace to the family and she would most likely be killed to maintain her families honor.  Even with the Angel saying “fear not” I have to believe that what we do not read about in these stories were the inner thoughts and a great deal of fear on Mary’s part. Not only was she going to be in a family way, the child she was carrying would change the world, so much for remaining anonymous and living out a nice little life in the “burbs.” But, Like Mary we are all asked, in spite of our fears, to get down on our knees saying “yes” to God, remembering that fear is the opposite of faith.  Then as we are packing, we begin to see what direction our lives will take?  For some it is a once in a lifetime thing, but for the truly brave of heart and strong of faith, go for it.  Open each day with your willingness to say, I am the Lord’s servant.   

plan

Thursday December 25^th, Luke 1: 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" First, a very merry Christmas to all.  We, like Mary at first see limitations, God sees possibilities. To Mary’s credit, she only saw the limitations for a short while, while most of us only see the limitations and are ruled by the limitations most of our lives.  What are the possibilities in your life? What are the self-imposed limitations that are holding you back? Where is God in the midst of it all? Hannah, Rachael, Elizabeth, Mary, they all saw the limitations at first, but it was looking back that they were able to see God’s blessings revealed in God’s plan put into action by their saying yes.  Going along with God’s plan made the blessing real to them.  Going along with God’s plan makes the blessing real for us also.  This Christmas season, give yourself the best gift of all, ask God to help you find your part, your journey, your adventure,  more in God’s plan than in your own plan.  And may the blessing of the Christ Child walk with you every inch of the way.  

wings

Friday December 26^th, Luke 1: 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. That overshadowing, what comfort. When you think of overshadowing, think of a hen with her young chicks protected under her wings.  There is a church in the shape of a teardrop overlooking Jerusalem with the mosaic on the altar of a hen with her wings spread out, protecting her young.  Overshadowing means comfort, protection, warmth, love, safety and companionship. It is what gets us ready for ministry in the real world. It is what gets us through the day.  It is what accompanies us during our ministry in the real world. It is what comforts us in the midst of ministry and life in the real world. At those times when we need it most, and are open to it, the Holy Spirit covers us with her wings and overshadows us with the love of God. Is there any ministry task that is beyond us with overshadowing on our side? When we pray for someone, we cover them with our wings, which in turn are covered with the grace of God.  

servant

Saturday December 27^th, Luke 1: 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. I can think of no greater prayer than this, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be with me as you have said.” Keep this prayer on your lips and in your heart as you go into the new world into the New Year. Be open to what God has called you to be, and is calling you to do. Be open to the wonders beyond the horizon. Be open to giving beyond graciousness. Be open to all the wonders God has in store for you if you but just open your heart to being the Lord’s servant. May it be with you as God has said!!!! Now pray with me, ”I am the Lord’s servant, may it be with me as you have said.”

10w for December 14th, Bruised Reed, NL

The following is a 10 minute worship for December 14th, Bruised Reed, 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 for the day is: Rebel Jesus by Dakota Road from the CD Love Can Break Through http://www.dakotaroadmusic.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1

10w for December 14th, Prepare the way.

The following is a 10 minute worship for December 14th, Prepare the way.  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 for the day is: Come O Long Expected Jesus by Dakota Road from the CD Love Can Break Through. http://www.dakotaroadmusic.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1

Isaiah 40

Pinky Friedman interviews people on the street regarding their Mission Statement


Isaiah 40 from Dan Bollerud on Vimeo.

Poem based on John 1:1-18 2nd Sunday after Christmas

before all time and being

before the light and darkness

was the God of creation

---- the Alpha

before all worlds

---- and Omega

once again in the timelessness of god

who for a brief moment

-------- in this place

-------- this time

Lived among us

the Word and the work of God

uniting

again and always

the Creator and the Creation

the Word and the Work

in one

the Christ

Emmanuel

Opening Litany based on Psalm 126

Psalm 126

Pastor: When my life changed, when God came into my life and turned it around, I was like one who had just entered a dream. 

Congregation: When our lives were changed, when we allowed God in, we could not stop from laughing; our very being was filled with joy. 

Pastor: Our friends looked at us and knew something was different.  Those who knew us well and who knew the Lord said, the Lord has done great thing for them, and together we rejoiced. 

Congregation: Restore our ways O Lord; direct our lives to the paths you have chosen.  Like a river in spring, may your blessings fill to the brim the blessings of your presence in our lives.

Pastor: May those still in sorrow experience shouts of joy.

Congregation: May those who go into the world in sorrow be filled with your love and bring that fruit of your blessing home to friends and family.

mission

Sunday December 14th, Isaiah 61: ¹The Spirit of GOD, the Master, is on me because GOD anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners.  In Luke 4:14-20 we read where Jesus began his ministry in Nazareth reading from this section of the scroll of Isaiah.  One could call it Jesus’ mission statement, and by association as the children of God, our mission statement.  Christ is coming, that we know, but what should we do in the mean-time while we wait and live life?  How should we live this life that has been sanctified by the grace of a loving God?  Should we live it by bringing good news to the poor, healing the heartbroken, and working to free all those who are bound by whatever it is they are bound by?  These are the marks of the saints who seem to “get it”.  In the simplest terms, we are called to love God and love others.  The “Others” in this statement defined as whoever God places before you or on your heart this day.  Those at the bottom need it more than those at the top and in order for both to get help, the ones at the top should be helping the ones at the bottom, for in doing so, both are blessed.  We often confuse Jesus message with our own agendas and that often times gets us in trouble as we step outside of the simple message to love God and love others, and end up primarily loving ourselves and the others who are like us.  This Christmas, follow the mission of Christ and let God be God. Love others, in what you say and in what you do, and let the others be whomever God places before you each day.  That is your mission as a child of God. 

integrity

Monday December 15th, Isaiah 61: ⁸"Because I, GOD, love fair dealing and hate thievery and crime, I'll pay your wages on time and in full, and establish my eternal covenant with you.  ⁹Your descendants will become well-known all over.  Your children in foreign countries will be recognized at once as the people I have blessed." Power works in solving the problems of this world and in our lives in the short run.  At this point internationally we are reaping the results of power trying to solve problems, financially and politically and it is not a pretty sight.  In the long run, integrity wins the day.  If you treat others fairly, that will be remembered, not just for a generation, but for generations.  Short term solutions tend to result in long term problems.  Fair treatment does not always get the results you want when “you” want them, it is a gift however to your children, your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren.  On the other hand, our short term solutions have left our children mounds of debt and distrust and a planet in dire straits.  Short term power solutions, like chocolate, sure seem good, but in God’s time and in God’s mind, honesty, integrity and fair dealing win the day.  

everyday.

Tuesday December 16th, 1 Thessalonians 5: ¹⁶Always be joyful ¹⁷and never stop praying. ¹⁸Whatever happens; keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do. Never stop praying!  That doesn’t mean you need to walk around with your hands folded all the time.  Instead of seeing this as a calling of something to strive for, think of it as a statement of what is a reality.  Perhaps it is a calling to recognize that everything we think do and say is a prayer and then asking ourselves if this is a prayer we want to be praying right now.  This can come in the form of both blessing and curse depending on what we are thinking, doing and saying.  Try it for one week, be aware of all you say and do as a prayer and see what affect it has on your life.  Then start living life, all of life, as a prayer everyday.  

why me?

Wednesday December 17th, 1 Thessalonians 5: ²³I pray that God, who gives peace, will make you completely holy. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept healthy and faultless until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.  Sometimes our spirits, souls and bodies take a beating, and sometimes our bodies lose the battle.  A dear departed friend of mine, Glenn Growth, when talking of his cancer said the following: “The way I see it, we read that in the beginning God created order out of chaos, and ever since then we have been expecting order to be the norm.  I have come to realize that chaos is the norm and that every day I have lived without cancer is a blessing.  The question is not why me? It is rather, why not until now.”  Sometimes real peace only comes after a life well lived.  I pray that God who gives peace, will make you so completely open to the holy that you become aware, even if ever so slightly, that all of life is a blessing to be lived.  

blocking the light

Thursday December 18th, John 1:  ⁶There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. ⁸He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.  We are called to be like John in at least one way, announcing that the Kingdom is near.  But then sometimes we get a bit enamored with our own light.  We start shining it around and feeling good about everything we can accomplish in life.  In time we all learn, often the hard way, that in order to truly see our light shining, we need to be standing in the dark.  Instead of a flashlight, God gives us mirrors.  Sometimes the mirrors are used to show us who we really are, sometimes they are used for reflecting the light of Christ into the darkness.  God loves us either way. But if your mirror is only used for grooming, making yourself look good, you might have trouble seeing your true self because you’re blocking the light.  You might not even know you are standing in the dark.  

center-line.

Friday December 19th, John 1:  ¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.   That is all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time.  Being a child of God is a gift of grace, not birthright.  Receiving God into your life is not something you accomplish or find, it is simply a gift of grace.  There are many who do not know or want God in their lives, what of them?  God loves them too.  They too are made in the image of God.  They have just chosen not to accept the gift of grace for right now which again reflects the reality of some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time.  God will continue to love them, and you and I until they/we do love in return.  There are many who follow spiritual roads that do not include Christ as the center-line.  Don’t worry, Grace will find them in the long run, in this life or the next.  Jesus always seemed to be finding examples of faith on both sides of the road and even down some of those side roads that seem so far from the center line.  Perhaps we could find encouragement and understanding there too.

potholes.

Saturday December 20th, John 1:  ²³John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.' “ Get the road ready.  Get your life ready.  Get the world ready.  The Lord is coming soon.  When a king would come for a visit to a small town, everyone got to work fixing up the roads as a sign of welcome and honor.  John is announcing that it is time to start fixing the roads in our lives because the true King, the Messiah, is coming.  Some are busy fixing the roads, others are too busy standing around telling others how to fix the roads.  All the ones standing around produce are potholes.  As you fix up the roads in your life in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, watch out for the tendency to produce those standing around pietistic potholes.   

Esther

Esther from Dan Bollerud on Vimeo.

10w for December 7th, For Such a Time as This, NL.

The following is a 10 minute worship for December 7th, For Such a Time as This, 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 for the day is: Go Tell it on the Mountain by Dakota Road from the CD Love can Break Through http://www.dakotaroadmusic.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1

10w for December 7th, Prepare the Way, Advent 2.

The following is a 10 minute worship for December 7th, Prepare the Way, Advent 2.  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 song for the day is: Love can Break Through by Dakota Road from the CD Love can Break Through. http://www.dakotaroadmusic.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=4&pg=1

Poem based on Advent 2 Mark 1:1-8

Make straight the paths

Prepare the way

the Lord God is come

to you

            to me

to the people and creation

to set right

and make righteous all

the Lord has made

Prepare your hearts

Prepare your world

the heavens will open

and the Lord will appear

to humanity waiting and watching

for the one who will make all things right

Look upon your neighbor

            the child

                        the world

and see

the coming of the Lord.  

Opening Litany based on Psalm 85

 Pastor: You O LORD have shown favor to the land and restored the children of God.

Congregation: You have forgiven our greed and all our sins and set aside your wrath and anger.  Restore us again O God our Savior. 

Pastor: Will you hang onto your anger O Lord from generation to generation?  Will you not revive us again so that we may rejoice in you?

Congregation: Show us your unfailing love O Lord and grant us your salvation.  Call us again into your fold and open our hearts to your word in the coming year.  

Pastor: The Lord promises peace to all people, so do not turn to folly.

Congregation: Surely the salvation of the Lord is near to all who walk in the ways of the Lord so that the glory of the Lord may dwell in the land. 

Pastor: Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. 

Congregation: The LORD will indeed give what is good and the land will yield its harvest. The Lord’s righteousness sweeps into the land and prepares the way for the coming of the Lord.