Midweek Musings
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Second Sunday in Lent
Reflection by Pastor Macholz
INTRODUCTION
Though we sometimes doubt and often resist God's desire to protect and save us, our God persists. In holy baptism, God's people have been called and gathered into a God-initiated relationship that will endure. Lent provides the church with a time and a tradition in which to seek the face of the Lord again. Lent provides another occasion to behold the God of our salvation in the face of the Blessed One who "comes in the name of the Lord."
Prayer of the Day
God of the covenant, in the mystery of the cross you promise everlasting life to the world.
Gather all peoples into your arms, and shelter us with your mercy, that we may rejoice in the life we share in your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
First Reading Genesis 15:1–12, 17–18
God promises a childless and doubting Abram that he will have a son, that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars, and that the land of Canaan will be their inheritance. Abram's trust in God is sealed with a covenant-making ceremony, a sign of God's promise.
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." 2But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3And Abram said, "You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir." 4But the word of the LORD came to him, "This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir." 5He brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your descendants be." 6And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7Then he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess." 8But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" 9He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." 10He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. 17When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.
Psalm Psalm 27
In the day of trouble, God will give me shelter. (Ps. 27:5)
1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom then | shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I | be afraid?
2When evildoers close in against me to de- | vour my flesh,
they, my foes and my enemies, will stum- | ble and fall.
3Though an army encamp against me, my heart | will not fear.
Though war rise up against me, my trust will | not be shaken.
4One thing I ask of the LORD; one | thing I seek;
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life; to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek God | in the temple.
5For in the day of trouble God will | give me shelter,
hide me in the hidden places of the sanctuary, and raise me high up- | on a rock.
6Even now my head is lifted up above my enemies | who surround me.
Therefore I will offer sacrifice in the sanctuary, sacrifices of rejoicing; I will sing and make music | to the LORD.
7Hear my voice, O LORD, | when I call;
have mercy on me and | answer me.
8My heart speaks your message— | "Seek my face."
Your face, O LORD, | I will seek.
9Hide not your face from me, turn not away from your ser- | vant in anger.
Cast me not away—you have been my helper; forsake me not, O God of | my salvation.
10Though my father and my moth- | er forsake me,
the LORD will | take me in.
11Teach me your | way, O LORD;
lead me on a level path, because of | my oppressors.
12Subject me not to the will | of my foes,
for they rise up against me, false witnesses | breathing violence.
13This I believe—that I will see the goodness | of the LORD
in the land | of the living!
14Wait for the LORD | and be strong.
Take heart and wait | for the LORD!
Second Reading Philippians 3:17—4:1
Although Paul's devotion to Christ has caused him to be persecuted, he does not regret the course he has taken. Writing from prison, he expresses confidence in a glorious future and encourages other Christians to follow in his footsteps.
Chapter 3
17Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.
Chapter 4
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
Gospel Luke 13:31–35
Neither Herod's plotting nor Jerusalem's resistance to maternal love will deter Jesus from his sacrificial mission.
31At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." 32He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.' 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
REFLECTION
When I encounter Abram in scripture I often tend to be too hard on him. After all, here’s a giant of the faith, a patriarch of Israel and one whose name quickly became know and remains know to this day by the three major faiths. He seems from time to time to whine a bit and maybe I’m too hard on him because he reminds me of me.
Yet, as I read again the section of Genesis assigned for this Sunday I gained a new respect for him all over again. Not once but twice in what appears to be fearless fashion, he confronts God on the reality in which he finds himself after God has made promises that Abram does not see fully realized. I admire someone who is able to stand up for what they believe is right and due them and I’m not sure I could have stood up to God as Abram did.
Why, when I was growing up I had such a fear of God I was afraid at times that God was going to strike me down for what I said or did or thought; not a healthy way to grow in the faith. Abram reminds me again that God is open to and in fact invites us into conversation, even if it is of a confrontational nature.
Lent seems to me to be such a time; to confront God in honesty and openness and engage in the conversations about our understanding of faith and life and God’s work in the world. I know that from time to time we all ask God what the heck God is doing and why and what for and while we don’t get answers we perhaps begin to see within ourselves the discernment we seek.
I encourage people to be honest and open and direct with me, do we think God asks for anything less? Abram is a good model, I want to grow up and be just like him (in some ways).
LET US PRAY
• For those seeking healing and hope
• For a way to find bipartisan support in Congress for those issues that affect the populace of this country
• For the leaders of this congregation, that they might be bold and visionary in their leading.
• For visitors to worship with us and for ourselves, that we might welcome them with open arms, hearts and minds
• That we might be open to growth and change in our ministry and lives
QUOTE
Faith is better understood as a verb than as a noun, as a process than as a possession. It is no-again-off-again rather than once-and-for-all. Faith is not being sure where you’re going but going anyway. A journey without maps. Tillich said that doubt isn’t the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Musings for Lent 1
Sunday, February 21, 2010 First Sunday in Lent
Reflection by Gary Lazenby
INTRODUCTION These forty days called Lent are like no other. It is our opportune time to return to the God who rescues; to receive the gifts of God's grace; to believe with the heart and confess with the mouth the wonder of God's love in Jesus; and to resist temptation at every turn. This is no small pilgrimage on which we have just embarked. It is a struggle Jesus knew. It is a struggle Jesus shares. The nearness of the Lord, in bread and wine, water and word, will uphold and sustain us.Prayer of the Day (ELW)
O Lord God, you led your people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide us now, so that, following your Son, we may walk safely through the wilderness of this world toward the life you alone can give, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
First Reading
Deuteronomy 26:1–11
The annual harvest festival, called the feast of Weeks, provides the setting for this reading. This festival celebrates the first fruits of the produce of the land offered back to God in thanks. In this text, worshipers announce God's gracious acts on behalf of Israel.
When you have come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. 3You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, "Today I declare to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us." 4When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the LORD your God, 5you shall make this response before the LORD your God: "A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, 7we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me." You shall set it down before the LORD your God and bow down before the LORD your God. 11Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.
Psalm 91:1–2, 9–16
God will give the angels charge over you, to guard you in all your ways. (Ps. 91:11)
1You who dwell in the shelter of | the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of | the Almighty--
2you will say to the LORD, "My refuge | and my stronghold,
my God in whom I | put my trust."
9Because you have made the | LORD your refuge,
and the Most High your | habitation,
10no evil | will befall you,
nor shall affliction come | near your dwelling.
11For God will give the angels charge | over you,
to guard you in | all your ways.
12Upon their hands they will | bear you up,
lest you strike your foot a- | gainst a stone.
13You will tread upon the lion | cub and viper;
you will trample down the lion | and the serpent.
14I will deliver those who | cling to me;
I will uphold them, because they | know my name.
15They will call me, and I will | answer them;
I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue and | honor them.
16With long life will I | satisfy them,
and show them | my salvation.
Second Reading
Romans 10:8b–13
Paul reminds the Christians at Rome of the foundation of their creed, the confession of faith in the risen Christ as Lord.
8b "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Gospel
Luke 4:1–13
After being filled with the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus is led in the wilderness. Through his responses to the temptations of the devil he defines what it means to be called "the Son of God."
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the
wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. 3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread." 4Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone.'" 5Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And the devil said to him, "To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours." 8Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" 9Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,' 11and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" 12Jesus answered him, "It is said, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 13When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Reflection
By definition temptation is something that appeals to us. Was Jesus truly tempted? How could the Son of God be tempted by something that is potentially sinful? How can good Christians of today still be subjected to temptation? All of us have certain desires, wants, and needs just like Jesus. These are legitimate and not sinful. How then do they become sinful? The temptation was that Jesus used his miraculous powers to provide for himself. Jesus chose a pattern of life where he would always use his God-given powers for others, never for himself. That tells us something profound about the Spirit-filled life. Do we seek our own advantage? Do we want things for ourselves that others cannot have? Do we use the powers that God has given us – physical, financial, mental, spiritual – for ourselves or for the well-being of others in the community? That is the struggle (the temptation) of today at Atonement. Do we take care of ourselves before others? The direction of the Congregation is clear. Our gifts are to be shared with others. We will not be tempted!
Let us pray for:
People rebuilding Haiti
People who give freely of their time and talents to help others in need
Atonement’s leadership
Leaders of our local, state and national communities
Leaders of the ELCA
Quote:
“I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it.” Mae West
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Epiphany 5
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany / Lectionary 5
MIDWEEK MUSINGS
Reflection by Joshua Brown
Introduction
The fifth Sunday after Epiphany continues to highlight unlikely instruments and circumstances appointed to reveal the glory of the Lord. “Who will go for us?” queries the voice of the Lord. A man of unclean lips, a former persecutor of the
| Prayer of the Day (ELW) |
Most holy God, the earth is filled with your glory, and before you angels and saints stand in awe. Enlarge our vision to see your power at work in the world, and by your grace make us heralds of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
| First | Isaiah 6:1–8 [9–13] |
Through a vision in the temple, the eighth-century prophet Isaiah is called by God to announce judgment against
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. 2Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 3And one called to another and said:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
4The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. 5And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
6Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." 8Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!" 9And he said, "Go and say to this people:
'Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.'
10Make the mind of this people dull,
and stop their ears,
and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
and turn and be healed."
11Then I said, "How long, O LORD?" And he said:
"Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is utterly desolate;
12until the LORD sends everyone far away,
and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.
13Even if a tenth part remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak
whose stump remains standing
when it is felled."
The holy seed is its stump.
| Psalm (ELW) | Psalm 138 |
I will bow down toward your holy temple. (Ps. 138:2)
1I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with | my whole heart;
before the gods I will | sing your praise.
2I will bow down toward your holy temple and praise your name, because of your steadfast | love and faithfulness;
for you have glorified your name and your word a- | bove all things.
3When I called, you | answered me;
you increased my | strength within me.
4All the rulers of the earth will praise | you, O LORD,
when they have heard the words | of your mouth.
5They will sing of the ways | of the LORD,
that great is the glory | of the LORD.
6The LORD is high, yet cares | for the lowly,
perceiving the haughty | from afar.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you | keep me safe;
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies; your right | hand shall save me.
8You will make good your pur- | pose for me;
O LORD, your steadfast love endures forever; do not abandon the works | of your hands.
| Second | 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 |
Paul delivers in a nutshell the story of the gospel that was given to him. In the lineage of the Christian faith, we have received the good news of God's love from generations of believers before us, and we continue to tell this story to the world.
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, 2through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you — unless you have come to believe in vain.
3For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the
| Gospel | Luke 5:1–11 |
Jesus' teaching of God's word has begun to draw great crowds. For Simon, James, and John, Jesus' teaching inspires hospitality, then obedience, and then risk. After Jesus' creative power is revealed, fear and amazement lead these three fishermen to leave everything behind in order to become apostles.
Once while Jesus was standing beside the
Reflection
Our society has taken the word extreme to the extreme. What started as a description for daredevil sports has permeated everything from beverages, to music, to technology, to politics. In fact a quick Google search revealed at least two “Extreme Jesus” websites and a number of books, columns and blogs . The zealous use of extreme has nearly driven the words connotation from indicating something beyond normal limitations to indicating something pushed so far beyond any reasonable limitations that it deserves its own special category.
Today’s lessons contain just a few of the Bible many extreme examples. Isaiah’s fear of God’s extreme power, the psalmist song in praise of a God above all other gods, the extreme grace that converted the Apostle Paul, and the extreme abundance of Jesus’ miracle all point to an extreme God. A God that exists beyond even the wildest reaches of our imaginations or the deepest depth of our understanding. The extremity of God’s awesome and limitation defying power sets God apart above all creatures of this world and the next.
But God chooses to express extremeness not only in phenomenal acts of cosmic power but also in acts that contradict and confound human expectations in extreme ways. God calls a frightened man of unclean lips as a prophet and personally answer the call of the lowly. God choose a pack of peasant fishermen as disciples and converts a prosecutorial adversary into a singular force in the expansion of the infant church. Why else would God take these extreme actions if not to demonstrate an inordinately extravagant abundance of grace?
Each new day we encounter the remarkable grace of God that exist beyond human reason and convention. If we can reflect and disperse even a fraction that grace we will have brought this world one step closer to the extreme vision God has for the world to come.
Quote
“I would rather feel things in extreme than not at all.” ~ Bonnie Raitt, American Singer/Song Writer
The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible. ~ Arthur C. Clarke, British Science Fiction Writer
Prayer Concerns
· For all those in need of food, water and medical care in
· That the life of Ansgar, Bishop of Hamburg, and missionary to
· For all servants who have departed this world in peace. May their eyes behold God’s salvation
Monday, February 1, 2010
Epiphany 4 Musings
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany / Lectionary 4
Midweek Musings
Reflection by Elizabeth Ovando
Introduction
The glory of God is often revealed when and where it is least expected. God uses our lips to declare that glory, inexperienced and hesitant though they may be. God uses our love to demonstrate that glory and so urges us to exercise it. God uses Jesus of
| Prayer of the Day (ELW) |
Almighty and ever-living God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and love; and that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
| First | Jeremiah 1:4–10 |
God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet and consecrates him in the womb. Jeremiah's task is to preach God's word in the midst of the difficult political realities of his time, before the Babylonian exile. He is to make God known not only to
4Now the word of the LORD came to me saying,
5"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations."
6Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." 7But the LORD said to me,
"Do not say, 'I am only a boy';
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
8Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the LORD."
9Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me,
"Now I have put my words in your mouth.
10See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to pull down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant."
| Psalm (ELW) | Psalm 71:1–6 |
From my mother's womb you have been my strength. (Ps. 71:6)
1In you, O LORD, have I | taken refuge;
let me never be | put to shame.
2In your righteousness, deliver me and | set me free;
incline your ear to | me and save me.
3Be my strong rock, a castle to | keep me safe;
you are my crag | and my stronghold.
4Deliver me, my God, from the hand | of the wicked,
from the clutches of the evildoer and | the oppressor.
5For you are my hope, | O Lord GOD,
my confidence since | I was young.
6I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother's womb you have | been my strength;
my praise shall be al- | ways of you.
| Second | 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 |
Christians in
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.
| Gospel | Luke 4:21–30 |
People in Jesus' hometown are initially pleased when he says that God will free the oppressed. Their pleasure turns to rage when he reminds them that God's prophetic mission typically pushes beyond human boundaries so that mercy and healing are extended to those regarded as outsiders.
21Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 22All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?" 23He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, 'Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at
The Reflection
The second lesson and the Gospel seem to be an odd pairing for me. 1 Corinthians 13 is often heard at weddings and speaks of love but the Gospel tells the story of Jesus facing hostility on his return home. I started to reflect on the Gospel and the earthquake in
One of the signs for LOVE in ASL is expressed as a hug for yourself. Cross your right and left arm in front of you and hug them close to your torso. Then take that hug given to yourself, open your arms, go in peace to serve the Lord and ask that your arms be used to bring love to those who need it most.
Pray for:
§ The people of
§ Families impacted by mental illness
§ Those working to rebuild
§ Teachers, educators and their support staff
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