Reformation Reflections

Sunday, October 31, 2010
Reformation Day

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Ken Klassen

INTRODUCTION
On this day we celebrate the heart of our faith: the gospel of Christ—the good news—that makes us free! We pray that the Holy Spirit would continue to unite the church today in its proclamation and witness to the world. In the waters of baptism we are made one body; we pray for the day that all Christians will also be one at the Lord's table.

Reformation Day
By the end of the seventeenth century, many Lutheran churches celebrated a festival commemorating Martin Luther's posting of the Ninety-five Theses, a summary of abuses in the church of his time. At the heart of the reform movement was the gospel, the good news that it is by grace through faith that we are justified and set free.

Prayer of the Day (ELW) (Alternate)

Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic church. Fill it with all truth and peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in need, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First Reading

Jeremiah 31:31–34

The renewed covenant will not be breakable, but like the old covenant it will expect the people to live upright lives. To know the Lord means that one will defend the cause of the poor and needy (Jer. 22:16). The renewed covenant is possible only because the Lord will forgive iniquity and not remember sin. Our hope lies in a God who forgets.

31The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt — a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 46

The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. (Ps. 46:7)
1God is our ref- | uge and strength,
a very present | help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the | earth be moved,
and though the mountains shake in the depths | of the sea;
3though its waters | rage and foam,
and though the mountains tremble | with its tumult.
4There is a river whose streams make glad the cit- | y of God,
the holy habitation of | the Most High.
5God is in the midst of the city; it shall | not be shaken;
God shall help it at the | break of day.
6The nations rage, and the | kingdoms shake;
God speaks, and the earth | melts away. R
7The LORD of | hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob | is our stronghold.
8Come now, regard the works | of the LORD,
what desolations God has brought up- | on the earth;
9behold the one who makes war to cease in | all the world;
who breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the | shields with fire.
10"Be still, then, and know that | I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted | in the earth."
11The LORD of | hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob | is our stronghold. R

Second Reading

Romans 3:19–28

Paul's words stand at the heart of the preaching of Martin Luther and the other Reformation leaders. No human beings make themselves right with God through works of the law. We are brought into a right relationship with God through the divine activity centered in Christ's death. This act is a gift of grace that liberates us from sin and empowers our faith in Jesus Christ.

19Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For "no human being will be justified in his sight" by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21But now, apart from law, the righteousness of God has been disclosed, and is attested by the law and the prophets, 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. He did this to show his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed; 26it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies the one who has faith in Jesus.
27Then what becomes of boasting? It is excluded. By what law? By that of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.

Gospel

John 8:31–36

Jesus speaks of truth and freedom as spiritual realities known through his word. He reveals the truth that sets people free from sin.

31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." 33They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, 'You will be made free'?"
34Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Reflection
"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free", is certainly one of the more recognizable statements of Jesus and yet it is seldom attributed to Him or even to the bible. I remember seeing it chiseled in a marble over an archway at a college I once visited. It was implying that this college will teach you the truth and as a result you will be free. I've heard it used in the context of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Print the truth or speak the truth and you will be free. This isn't what Jesus had in mind. Jesus is speaking about the slavery of sin (v 34) and that He offers freedom from the bondage of sin (v 36). This is good news, but there are a couple conditions to be met before we come to the freedom from sin part. We must know the truth. And to know the truth, we must become Christ's disciples. And we become His disciples when we embrace His teaching. Embracing Christ's teaching is more than just studying and learning, it is doing and being. Christianity is a life style and therein we find the freedom.

Prayer
Dear Jesus, help us to know the Truth, to be your disciples, to live in you and in your Word. Help us not to just listen to the Word, but to live the Word. Lord, we ask you to set us free, to live in your Truth.

Musings for Pentecost 22

Sunday, October 24, 2010
Lectionary 30
Proper 25
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost

Reflection by Gary Lazenby

INTRODUCTION
Genuine repentance and pretentious piety stand in stark contrast in the gospel and all around us. All creation stands in need of God’s forgiveness. Keep the faith. God’s people—"all who have longed for his appearing"—shall be accounted righteous for Jesus’ sake. Our God is merciful to sinners. For all this the assembly glorifies God forever.

Prayer of the Day (ELW

Holy God, our righteous judge,
daily your mercy surprises us with everlasting forgiveness.
Strengthen our hope in you,
and grant that all the peoples of the earth may find their glory in you,
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Jeremiah 14:7–10, 19–22

In a time of drought, the people pray for mercy, repenting of their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They appeal to God to remember the covenant, to show forth God's power, and to heal their land by sending life-giving rain.

⁷Although our iniquities testify against us,
act, O LORD, for your name's sake;
our apostasies indeed are many,
and we have sinned against you.
⁸O hope of Israel,
its savior in time of trouble,
why should you be like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler turning aside for the night?
⁹Why should you be like someone confused,
like a mighty warrior who cannot give help?
Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us,
and we are called by your name;
do not forsake us!
¹⁰Thus says the LORD concerning this people:
Truly they have loved to wander,
they have not restrained their feet;
therefore the LORD does not accept them,
now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins.
¹⁹Have you completely rejected Judah?
Does your heart loathe Zion?
Why have you struck us down
so that there is no healing for us?
We look for peace, but find no good;
for a time of healing, but there is terror instead.
²⁰We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD,
the iniquity of our ancestors,
for we have sinned against you.
²¹Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
remember and do not break your covenant with us.
²²Can any idols of the nations bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?
Is it not you, O LORD our God?
We set our hope on you,
for it is you who do all this.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 84:1–7

Happy are the people whose strength is in you. (Ps. 84:5)

¹How dear to me ^| is your dwelling,

O ^| LORD of hosts!

²My soul has a desire and longing for the courts ^| of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh rejoice in the ^| living God.

³Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest where she may ^| lay her young,

by the side of your altars, O LORD of hosts, my king ^| and my God.

⁴Happy are they who dwell ^| in your house!

They will always be ^| praising you.

⁵Happy are the people whose strength ^| is in you,

whose hearts are set on the ^| pilgrims' way.

⁶Those who go through the balsam valley will find it a ^| place of springs,

for the early rains have covered it with ^| pools of water.

⁷They will climb from ^| height to height,

and the God of gods will be ^| seen in Zion.

Second Reading

2 Timothy 4:6–8, 16–18

The conclusion of this letter to a young minister offers a final perspective on life from one who is now facing death. Though others have let him down, Paul is sure of his faith in the Lord, who has stood by him and lent him strength.

⁶As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
¹⁶At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! ¹⁷But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Gospel

Luke 18:9–14

The coming reign of God will involve unexpected reversals of fortune with judgment rooted in mercy. Jesus tells a parable in which the one who humbles himself is exalted and the one who exalts his own righteousness is humbled.

⁹He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' ¹³But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."

Reflection

Jesus paints a vivid story of two men at prayer in the Gospel lesson. What’s the point he wants us to learn? Jesus warns us about the danger of despising others. Contempt is more than being mean-minded. It springs from the assumption that one is qualified to sit in the seat of judgment and to ascertain who is good and just. The tax collector was deemed by some to be unworthy of God’s grace and favor. In today’s society, who are the “tax collectors”? Who are the ones who assume that they are qualified to sit in judgment of others? Cable news and the internet have been tools used recently to name those that are not worthy of God’s grace and favor. The Supreme Court is wrestling with a case of free speech when protesting at military funerals. Jesus’ parable speaks about the nature of prayer and our relationship with God. It presents both an opportunity and a warning. Pride leads to illusion. Humility helps us to see ourselves as we really are and it inclines opens us to God’s grace and mercy. God cannot hear us if we despise others. Do you humbly seek God’s mercy and do you show mercy to others, especially those you find difficult to love and to forgive?

Prayers

• For those who pray to God with humility.
• For those who pray to God with justification and pride.
• For those who are told through words and actions that they are not worthy of God’s grace and favor.
• For those of us who welcome all to the table.

Quote

“The churches must learn humility as well as teach it.” George Bernard Shaw

Musings for Pentecost 21

Sunday, October 17, 2010
Lectionary 29
Proper 24
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Pastor Macholz

INTRODUCTION
Pray always. Do not lose heart. This is the encouragement of the Christ of the gospel today. Persistence in our every encounter with the divine will be blessed. Wrestle with the word. Remember your baptism again and again. Come regularly to Christ’s table. Persistence in our every encounter with the divine will be blessed.

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, martyr, died around 115
Ignatius was the second bishop of Antioch in Syria, the city where the name "Christians" originated. Ignatius is known to us from his letters, which encouraged Christians to live in love, yet stand firm in true doctrine.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

O Lord God, tireless guardian of your people, you are always ready to hear our cries. Teach us to rely day and night on your care. Inspire us to seek your enduring justice for all this suffering world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Genesis 32:22–31

Returning to the home he had fled many years before after stealing his brother's birthright and his father's blessing, Jacob wrestles all night long with a divine adversary who ultimately blesses him and changes his name to "Israel," a name that means "he wrestles with God."

²²The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²³He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. ²⁴Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. ²⁵When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. ²⁶Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." ²⁷So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." ²⁸Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." ²⁹Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. ³⁰So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." ³¹The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 121

My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth. (Ps. 121:2)

¹I lift up my eyes ^| to the hills;

from where is my ^| help to come?

²My help comes ^| from the LORD,

the maker of heav- ^| en and earth.

³The LORD will not let your ^| foot be moved

nor will the one who watches over you ^| fall asleep.

⁴Behold, the keep- ^| er of Israel

will neither slum- ^| ber nor sleep;

⁵the LORD watches ^| over you;

the LORD is your shade at ^| your right hand;

⁶the sun will not strike ^| you by day,

nor the ^| moon by night.

⁷The LORD will preserve you ^| from all evil

and will ^| keep your life.

⁸The LORD will watch over your going out and your ^| coming in,

from this time forth for- ^| evermore.

Second Reading

2 Timothy 3:14—4:5

Paul continues his instruction of Timothy, his younger colleague in ministry, by emphasizing the importance of faithful teaching despite opposition.

Chapter 3

¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

Chapter 4

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: ²proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. ³For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, ⁴and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. ⁵As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

Gospel

Luke 18:1–8

Jesus tells a parable of a hateful judge who is worn down by a widow's pleas. Jesus is calling God's people to cry out for justice and deliverance. For if an unethical judge will ultimately grant the plea of a persistent widow, how much more will God respond to those who call.

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. ²He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. ³In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' ⁴For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" ⁶And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? ⁸I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Reflection

Ever wrestled with God? OK, that was a rhetorical question. I think it is safe to say that all of us have at various points in our lives. We ask questions for which we seek answers and more often than not don’t receive them. Why did they have to die? When will I find a job? Why me? Why now? What do you really want me to do, I can’t believe it’s that!? What does grace truly mean?

You can add questions of your own with some ease I would guess. Yet sometimes I wonder if it’s not so much that we wrestle with God as that God wrestles with us. Is that possible? At the Jabbok he wrestled with Jacob whose name, because of his persistence, was changed to Israel. God wrestles with us at the crossings of our lives as well, not to beat us into submission but rather to help us understanding that God is in control and if we let God be God we can move forward in trust and hope.

Wrestling with God is a good thing for when we do we walk away with a blessing and not a limp. Ask the tough questions, push the limits and know that God is ready, willing and able to respond in helpful fashion.

Let Us Pray

For an openness to ask the tough questions

That all who mourn might be comforted with the promise of the Gospel

To be light in the darkness of this world

For generous hearts and lives

For all who serve in our armed forces

Quote

People wrestle with God for one of two reasons:

1. They don't know God's will and are trying to find it.

2. They know God's will and are trying to decide whether or not to do it. Kent Crockett

Musings for october 10

Sunday, October 10, 2010
Lectionary 28
Proper 23
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Deb Johnson

Sharing Enough
What does “contentment” feel like? This is a difficult question in our current culture. When surveys have asked “How much is enough?” responses have consistently been “Twenty percent more than I have now.” If that is true, how do we break the endless circle that this leads us toward—it is always “twenty percent more.” We are told over and over every day—“You don’t have enough…What you have is fragile and could be gone at any moment…You have to go get more!” These messages come from a world focused on scarcity.

Prayer of the Day
God of abundance, you have poured out a large measure of earthly blessings: our table is richly furnished, our cup overflows, and we live in safety and security. Teach us to set our hearts on you and not these material blessings. Keep us from becoming captivated by prosperity, and grant us in wisdom to use your blessings to your glory and to the service of humankind; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:11-18
11Take care that you do not forget the LORD your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. 12When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, 13and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, 14then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, 15who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, an arid wasteland with poisonous snakes and scorpions. He made water flow for you from flint rock, 16and fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you, and in the end to do you good. 17Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." 18But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, as he is doing today.

Psalm 24:1-3
The earth is the LORD's and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
2for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.
3Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?

Philippians 4:12-13
12I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Luke 5:1-7
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.

Reflection

There is a saying that "we spend the first 50 years collecting stuff and the next 50 getting rid of it." Having reached that point in my life I must admit that I fell to that adage. The rummage sale ended less than a week ago and I already have two boxes set aside for next spring! Now this reflection really isn't about personal confessions, but I would like to share with you what I have discovered. I have fewer things around me ... in the house and in the office. And, I enjoy my time in those spaces more. It is in the openness of space that I feel most comfortable.

The other evening I stopped by a friend's house. They had put it on the market and did what the realtor advised: put things away, less on the walls, no knick knacks. Buyers like to feel the open space.

During these days of stewardship conversations we are called to reflect on the gifts that God gave us. These are gifts not intended to be hoarded yet shared with others.

Jesus went to one of the boats ... went away from the crowd. It was there that he found the silence from which to teach the crowds.

Jesus too pulled away from the crowds ... to teach them from a pace of simplicity.

In the simplicity of life, we can learn from Jesus ...

It is in the simplicity of life that our nets are filled ... not with more stuff ... but rather with more life.

Quote:

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Prayers

For children who are separated from parents because of military deployment

For strength and healing of those we name in our hearts and on our lips

For courage to say no

For courage to live simply

For communities that struggle to live in peace