Musings for Advent 1

Sunday, November 28, 2010
First Sunday of Advent
Midweek Musings
Reflection by Patrick McGrath

INTRODUCTION

The new church year begins with a wake-up call: Christ is coming soon! In today's readings both Paul and Jesus challenge us to wake from sleep, for we know neither the day nor hour of the Lord's coming. Isaiah proclaims the day when God will gather all people on the holy mountain and there will be no more war or suffering. Though we vigilantly watch for the promised day of salvation, we wait for what we already have: Christ comes among us this day as the word and meal that strengthens our faith in the promises of God.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. 
By your merciful protection save us from the threatening dangers of our sins, 
and enlighten our walk in the way of your salvation, 
for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and forever.


First Reading Isaiah 2:1–5
The visionary message presented in this reading focuses on a future day when God establishes a universal reign of peace. Divine decisions will make war obsolete, and the worshiping community responds: "Let us walk in that light of that Lord now!
"

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
2In days to come
the mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
3Many peoples shall come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4He shall judge between the nations,
and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
5O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk
in the light of the LORD!

Psalm (ELW) Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." (Ps. 122:1)
1I was glad when they | said to me,
"Let us go to the house | of the LORD."
2Now our | feet are standing
within your gates, | O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem is built | as a city
that is at unity | with itself;
4to which the tribes go up, the tribes | of the LORD,
the assembly of Israel, to praise the name | of the LORD. R
5For there are the | thrones of judgment,
the thrones of the | house of David.
6Pray for the peace | of Jerusalem:
"May they pros- | per who love you.
7Peace be with- | in your walls
and quietness with- | in your towers.
8For the sake of my kindred | and companions,
I pray for | your prosperity.
9Because of the house of the | LORD our God,
I will seek to | do you good." R

Second Reading Romans 13:11–14
Paul compares the advent of Christ to the coming of dawn. We live our lives today in light of Christ's coming in the future.


11Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; 12the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; 13let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Gospel Matthew 24:36–44
Jesus describes his second coming as a sudden, unexpected event that will bring salvation or judgment upon people caught up in the usual affairs of daily life. He urges people to be alert and expectant.


36But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

Reflection
Advent means “coming” or “arrival.” In the introduction to this lesson, it is said that we wait for what we already have, as Christ is here. As I reflect on this message, I wonder how often that is the case for other aspects of our lives. We wait and long for things, like material items, promotions at work, positive reinforcement, etc. Sudden, catastrophic changes in our lives result in our re-evaluation of what is important to us. Gretchen’s father was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, and we are faced with his potential passing in a relatively short period of time. It has made me look within and see that I am blessed with a wonderful, caring family, a workplace that values me and others that are employed and served by it, and a safe and warm home that is full of happiness and love.

“…you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.” I hope I will take with this experience the ability to be purposeful to see that what I have been given is a blessing, and Christ is with me in my journey.


Life is short, God's way of encouraging a bit of focus. ~Robert Brault
Visitor's footfalls are like medicine; they heal the sick. ~African Proverb

Let us pray:
For the sick and the caregivers
For those facing unexpected challenges
For all of us to appreciate the gifts that we have been given

Musings for Pentecost 25

Sunday, November 14, 2010
Lectionary 33
Proper 28
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Pastor Macholz

INTRODUCTION
The end is near. There is no doubt about it. The warnings are dire. The tone of today’s texts is ominous. But the baptized know how to live in the "meantimes." The baptized are strengthened for the living of these days in word and sacrament. The baptized rally around the invitation of the apostle: "Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right."

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without you nothing is strong, nothing is holy. Embrace us with your mercy, that with you as our ruler and guide, we may live through what is temporary without losing what is eternal, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Malachi 4:1–2a

Malachi, whose name means "my messenger," warns that the day of the Lord is coming. On that day, the evil will be destroyed like stubble in a fire, but the "sun of righteousness" will shine on those who fear God.
See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ²But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 98

In righteousness will the LORD judge the world. (Ps. 98:9)

¹Sing a new song to the LORD, who has done ^| marvelous things,

whose right hand and holy arm have ^| won the victory.

²O LORD, you have made ^| known your victory,

you have revealed your righteousness in the sight ^| of the nations.

³You remember your steadfast love and faithfulness to the ^| house of Israel;

all the ends of the earth have seen the victory ^| of our God.

⁴Shout with joy to the LORD, ^| all you lands;

lift up your voice, re- ^| joice, and sing.

⁵Sing to the LORD ^| with the harp,

with the harp and the ^| voice of song.

⁶With trumpets and the sound ^| of the horn

shout with joy before the ^| king, the LORD.

⁷Let the sea roar, and ^| all that fills it,

the world and those who ^| dwell therein.

⁸Let the rivers ^| clap their hands,

and let the hills ring out with joy before the LORD, who comes to ^| judge the earth.

⁹The LORD will judge the ^| world with righteousness

and the peo- ^| ples with equity.

Second Reading

2 Thessalonians 3:6–13

Some members of the Thessalonian community, because of their belief in the nearness of Christ's return, had ceased to work, living off the generosity of other members of the community. Paul warns them bluntly that if they want to eat, they need to work.
⁶Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, ⁸and we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. ⁹This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. ¹⁰For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. ¹¹For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. ¹²Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. ¹³Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right.

Gospel

Luke 21:5–19

As history moves toward God's fulfillment there will be frightening signs and events. Before the end, believers will draw strength from their relationship to God and shall be given the words they need to testify and to endure without fear.
⁵When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ⁶As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down. ⁷They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" ⁸And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and, 'The time is near!' Do not go after them. ⁹When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately. ¹⁰Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; ¹¹there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. ¹²But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. ¹³This will give you an opportunity to testify. ¹⁴So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; ¹⁵for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷You will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Reflection

You can tell Advent must be near, the lessons in the lectionary turn toward end times, dire predictions and the impending reign of God breaking into the world. They speak of uncertainty, anxiousness and for some, hopelessness. I read Gospels and lessons such as these and say to myself “It’s hard to get happy after that!”

Yet, the Gospel is not about getting happy so much as it is knowing that we are getting right with God through the merits of Jesus Christ and because of his grace and love, we have nothing to fear; not even a hair on our head will perish! Think about it!

I often do on the worst of days, when things seem to be collapsing about me, when I think that just as I thought it couldn’t get any worse it does and when I say I can’t take any more and I do. The single thing that keeps me going is the hair on my head. Not really, it’s the knowledge in faith that I will not perish because God stands firm. It’s the realization that the One who calls me claims me and keeps me in safety and love.

On the best of days it’s cause for celebration, on the worst of days….even more so!

Let Us Pray

To know the ever-present love of God

For civility among elected leaders

To understand more deeply what it means to be disciples of Christ

For all who mourn the loss of a loved one

With thanksgiving for those who celebrate hopeful transitions

Quote

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly. Anonymous

Musings for All Saints Sunday

Sunday, November 7, 2010
All Saints Sunday

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Ann Patterson

INTRODUCTION
In holy baptism God makes saints out of sinners. In holy communion God forgives the sins of all the saints. In the assembly today we give thanks for all the saints "who from their labors rest," who have fought the good fight, who have gained the crown. In the same breath we petition our God for the strength to hear and to heed the admonitions of the Lord Jesus in today’s gospel. Recalling that we have been sealed by the Spirit and sustained by the Savior’s body and blood, we keep on keeping on as God gives us breath, to the praise of God’s glory.

John Christian Frederick Heyer, died 1873; Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg, died 1719; Ludwig Nommensen, died 1918; missionaries
Heyer was the first missionary sent out by American Lutherans. After teaching at Gettysburg College and Seminary he was assigned to the Andhra region of India. A worker among the Tamil people on the southeast coast of India, Ziegenbalg was opposed both by local Hindus and by Danish authorities who favored a different missionary style. He was known for caring about the welfare of the whole person. Nommensen was born in northern Germany and was sent to Sumatra as a Lutheran missionary. Working among the Batak people, he translated the scriptures into their language, and honored their native culture.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Almighty God, you have knit your people together in one communion in the mystical body of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow your blessed saints in lives of faith and commitment, and to know the inexpressible joys you have prepared for those who love you, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

First Reading

Daniel 7:1–3, 15–18

The book of Daniel was written in the second century B.C.E., when the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes was severely persecuting the Jews. Daniel's vision of the four beasts serves to proclaim the message that human kings will come and go, but the kingdom will ultimately belong to God and to God's people.

In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: ²I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, ³and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. ¹⁵As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. ¹⁶I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: ¹⁷As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever — forever and ever."

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 149

Sing the Lord's praise in the assembly of the faithful. (Ps. 149:1)

¹Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD ^| a new song,

God's praise in the assembly ^| of the faithful.

²Let Israel rejoice ^| in their maker;

let the children of Zion be joyful ^| in their ruler.

³Let them praise their maker's ^| name with dancing;

let them sing praise with tambou- ^| rine and harp.

⁴For the LORD takes pleasure ^| in the people

and adorns the ^| poor with victory.

⁵Let the faithful re- ^| joice in triumph;

let them sing for joy ^| on their beds.

⁶Let the praises of God be ^| in their throat

and a two-edged sword ^| in their hand,

⁷to wreak vengeance ^| on the nations

and punishment ^| on the peoples,

⁸to bind their ^| kings in chains

and their nobles with ^| links of iron,

⁹to inflict on them the judg- ^| ment decreed;

this is glory for all God's faithful ones. ^| Hallelujah!

Second Reading

Ephesians 1:11–23

After giving thanks for the faith of the Ephesians, Paul prays that they might understand the wisdom, hope, and power of God that is embodied in Jesus Christ.

¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.
¹⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. ²⁰God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²²And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Gospel

Luke 6:20–31

In echoes of the prophet Isaiah and Mary's song of praise, Jesus reveals surprising things about who enjoys blessing and who endures woe. He invites his disciples to shower radical love, blessing, forgiveness, generosity, and trust, even to enemies and outsiders.

²⁰Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
²¹"Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
"Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
²²Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
²⁴"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
²⁵"Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
"Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
²⁶Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
²⁷But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

REFLECTION

At first reading, Mark 6:21-23 appears to be a listing of people whom God means to particularly bless. Those who are hungry will be filled. Those who grieve will be comforted, and those who are reviled on account of their faith will be rewarded in heaven. Conversely, misfortune will be visited upon those happen to be rich, well-nourished, or capable of enjoying a good laugh. Is this another example of Jesus rejecting the world's values? Is he just reaffirming that in the new upside-down kingdom of God, the first shall be last?

Perhaps another way to look at the passage is that God's grace is given freely to his children whatever their status, and whatever the degree to which their lives are in disarray. No matter how poor or despised or overwhelmed by sadness we are, we are welcome to share in the blessings of the Kingdom. Unlike the world the disciples inhabited, this new sphere does not belong to the rich and powerful. In Christ’s Kingdom, God’s blessings are available to all.

Jesus probably further unnerved his disciples when he revealed just how transformed this topsy-turvy Kingdom will be. Christians need to behave in a spirit of love even to their enemies. We're asked to turn the other cheek to those who would hurt us. If someone begs for our coat, we are to give our shirt as well. Change indeed.

LET US PRAY:

• For those who lack hope enough to answer God’s call
• For the sick, the dying, and the grief-stricken.
• For the hungry, the homeless, and the lost
• For caregivers all over the world

All people who are happy have God within them Paul Coelho