Advent 1

Sunday, December 2, 2012
First Sunday of Advent

Midweek Musings

INTRODUCTION
Advent is about the "coming days." God's people have always lived in great expectation, but that expectation finds specific, repeated enunciation in the texts appointed for these four weeks. The ancients anticipated a "righteous Branch to spring up for David." The Thessalonians awaited "the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints." Our Lord's contemporaries hoped for the time "to stand before the Son of Man." With them we eagerly await the coming days: another Christmas celebration, a second coming, and the advent of our Lord in word and supper.
Prayer of the Day (ELW)
Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. By your merciful protection alert us to the threatening dangers of our sins, and redeem us for your life of justice, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
First Reading

Jeremiah 33:14–16

In the Old Testament, "righteousness" often has to do with being faithful in relationship. God acts righteously both in punishing Israel for its sin and in having mercy. In today's reading, Jerusalem's future name—"The Lord is our righteousness"—proclaims that the Lord is even now working salvation for Israel.

¹⁴The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 25:1–10

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. (Ps. 25:1)

¹To ^| you, O LORD,

     I lift ^| up my soul.

²My God, I put my trust in you; let me not be ^| put to shame,

     nor let my enemies triumph ^| over me.

³Let none who look to you be ^| put to shame;

     rather let those be put to shame ^| who are treacherous.

⁴Show me your ^| ways, O LORD,

     and teach ^| me your paths.   R

⁵Lead me in your ^| truth and teach me,

     for you are the God of my salvation;

     in you have I trusted all ^| the day long.

⁶Remember, O LORD, your compas- ^| sion and love,

     for they are from ^| everlasting.   R

⁷Remember not the sins of my youth and ^| my transgressions;

     remember me according to your steadfast love

     and for the sake of your good- ^| ness, O LORD.

⁸You are gracious and up- ^| right, O LORD;

     therefore you teach sinners ^| in your way.

⁹You lead the low- ^| ly in justice

     and teach the low- ^| ly your way.

¹⁰All your paths, O LORD, are steadfast ^| love and faithfulness

     to those who keep your covenant and your ^| testimonies.   R

 

Second Reading

1 Thessalonians 3:9–13

Upon Timothy's report from the congregation at Thessalonica, Paul is exuberant with gratitude for them. In this passage from his letter, Paul voices overflowing thanks, joy, and blessings for the people of this growing church.

⁹How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? ¹⁰Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.
¹¹Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. ¹²And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. ¹³And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

Gospel

Luke 21:25–36

God will fulfill God's purposes and, already, hidden signs of that fulfillment abound. On that great day there will be dismay, perplexity, confusion, and terror, but God's people shall be given strength to stand boldly and receive God's promised redemption.

²⁵There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. ²⁶People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. ²⁸Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
²⁹Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; ³⁰as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. ³¹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³²Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. ³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
³⁴Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, ³⁵like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Reflection
[Joshua Brown] I’ve had a busy week, so instead of my thoughts as we begin a new church year I want to share the following column by the Reverend John Buchanan, editor of The Christian Century. His words spoke to me and I hope they provide you some meaningful insight as this season of waiting begins. – JHB

Awaiting God’s reign

Nov 28, 2012 by John M. Buchanan

The large Christmas tree in Macy’s department store in downtown Chicago (formerly Marshall Field’s) was lighted in a festive public ceremony on November 2, two days after Halloween and almost eight weeks before Christmas. The event made me think of an observation about Americans that Henri Nouwen made after he’d lived and taught in the United States for decades. We are not very good at waiting, Nouwen noted. In fact, most people consider waiting to be a huge waste of time. The culture says don’t just sit there—do something!

Patience is not one of our stronger characteristics. A flight delay at the airport, an unanticipated traffic jam on the freeway or a doctor’s appointment that leaves us too long in the waiting room can become an emotional and physical crisis, bringing with it stress, a racing heart and elevated blood pressure.

Our culture celebrates action, results and instant gratification. Relentless and highly sophisticated advertising convinces us that we deserve to have whatever we want now. As a result, Nouwen observed, waiting is an awful desert between where we are and where we want to be.

Yet waiting is a major biblical theme. “I wait for the Lord all day long,” the psalmist wrote. Then there’s the promise of Isaiah 40: “Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

The interesting thing about biblical waiting is that it almost always happens in situations that are bleak. People wait while they are in captivity, prisoners in a foreign land. Defeated, expelled from their homes and their beloved city, their beautiful temple in ruins, they are described by the prophet as “sitting in deep darkness.” We sing about those people and about ourselves in gorgeous Advent hymns: “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile.”

Near the end of his life Jesus began to prepare his disciples for something that was still to come. He told his followers to wait hopefully and actively anticipate the future. “Watch. Stand up. Stay awake. Be alert.” Christians trust that something is coming that is not yet fully here: redemption, fulfillment, wholeness, peace and the world as God intends it. The reign of God will be characterized by peace among nations and justice for all people—particularly for oppressed people. In this world, old and young will be secure and safe, little ones will not be shot in random street violence, people will not suffer for lack of access to adequate health care, and weapons will be melted down and recast into farm implements.

That’s why we do some serious waiting during Advent. Yes, Advent waiting is patient and unhurried, to be sure. But it is also living into the promised future. Advent waiting is gently but steadily working for the reign of God here and now. It is waiting for the birth of a child, and working for the future that that child promised and embodied and taught and lived.

Musings for Pentecost 25

Sunday, November 18, 2012
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Deb Johnson

INTRODUCTION
November begins with All Saints Day and ends in or near Advent, when we anticipate Christ's coming again. So the readings today tell of the final resurrection and the end time. In the turmoil of hope, fear, and disbelief that these predictions provoke in us, Hebrews sounds a note of confident trust. Christ makes a way for us where there is no way, and we walk it confidently, our hearts and bodies washed in baptismal water, trusting the one who has promised. The more we see the last day approaching, the more important it is to meet together to provoke one another to love.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

Almighty God, your sovereign purpose brings salvation to birth. Give us faith to be steadfast amid the tumults of this world, trusting that your kingdom comes and your will is done through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Daniel 12:1–3

The book of Daniel is an example of apocalyptic literature, which is full of strange visions and symbolism. Arising during times of great persecution, apocalyptic literature is concerned with God’s revelation about the end time and the coming kingdom of God, when God will vindicate the righteous who have been persecuted.

At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. ²Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. ³Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 16

My heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body shall rest in hope. (Ps. 16:9)

¹Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;

I have said to the LORD,

"You are my Lord, my good above all other."

²All my delight is in the godly that are in the land,

upon those who are noble among the people.

³But those who run after other gods

shall have their troubles multiplied.

⁴I will not pour out drink offerings to such gods,

never take their names upon my lips.

⁵O LORD, you are my portion and my cup;

it is you who uphold my lot.

⁶My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;

indeed, I have a rich inheritance.

⁷I will bless the LORD who gives me counsel;

my heart teaches me night after night.

⁸I have set the LORD always before me;

because God is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

⁹My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;

my body also shall rest in hope.

¹⁰For you will not abandon me to the grave,

nor let your holy one see the pit.

¹¹You will show me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy,

and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Second Reading

Hebrews 10:11–14[15–18] 19–25

Images of worship and sacrifice are used throughout Hebrews to highlight what Christ has uniquely accomplished through his death. Because we have received forgiveness through Christ’s death, we live with sincere hearts by trusting in God’s promises and encouraging love and good works from each other.

¹¹And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. ¹²But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "he sat down at the right hand of God," ¹³and since then has been waiting "until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet." ¹⁴For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. ¹⁵And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
¹⁶"This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds,"
¹⁷he also adds,
"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
¹⁸Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
¹⁹Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. ²³Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Gospel

Mark 13:1–8

In the last week of his life, Jesus warned his disciples concerning trials that were to come upon them and upon the world. He exhorts the listener: Do not be alarmed.

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" ²Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."
³When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished? ⁵Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. ⁶Many will come in my name and say, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray. ⁷When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. ⁸For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

Reflection

     The readings this week look toward the end of time.  Is that really so bad?   After the news of the last few weeks I think the end of time and living not in the world as we know it would be more joyous (remember the word from All Saints Day:  God will wipe away our tears, the feast on the mountain top). I am often dismayed as I read the headlines, when I listen to snippets of what is happening in the world, and yes, am caught by the stories on the early morning news.  I am still reeling from the negative comments made during the campaigns, and I cringe when I hear myself thinking and saying something negative about myself and others.  We live in, contribute to and are a broken world. 

     “I can relate to those scatter pieces on the tabletop because my life is made of much the same.  Bits of hurt tossed here and there, dreams shattered” says Holley Gerth (2012, p 19).   Yet she goes onto write what she hears as God’s response: “I [God] think in a completely different way.  I took what was perfect, my Son, and made him broken so that you could be whole. And because you belong to him, your brokenness can bring healing to others to.”  (p.20).

     We don’t have to wait to the end times for all to be whole.  Through God’s forgiveness and grace we begin anew, again and again and again and again.   We live in today’s time and we can move from brokenness and anger and despair.  We can move toward wholeness, faith and hope.  “Yes, with God’s help” and yes, as a community. 

     Let us not worry about the future.  Let us not ignore today and push aside what is wrong to talk only about the glory that awaits in the end time.  Let us live today with God’s love and hope and forgiveness. Let us be ripples of love and hope, rather than separation and anger. Yes, with God’s grace and help. 

Let us pray

·         For broken relationships, that healing may be found

·         For the children in our midst that we focus on their strengths and potential

·         For safety of workers in our communities, around the worlds, and especially our service members.

·         For the dormant season of winter, that the earth be renewed and readied for spring

·         For ripples of hope that they circle the globe

Musings for Pentecost 24

Sunday, November 11, 2012
Lectionary 32
Proper 27
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Pastor Macholz

INTRODUCTION
Widows are visible everywhere in today's readings. Jesus denounces those scribes who pray impressive prayers but devour widows' houses. He commends the poor widow who in his view gave far more than the major donors. Jesus doesn't see her simply as an object of compassion or charity. She, like the widow of Zarephath who shares her last bit of food with Elijah, does something of great importance.

Martin, Bishop of Tours, died 397
Martin's pagan father enlisted him in the Roman army. Approached by a beggar, Martin cut his cloak in half and gave part to the man, whom he later understood as representing Christ. He asked to leave the army, but was jailed instead. After his release, he became a preacher, and later a bishop.

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, teacher, died 1855
Kierkegaard was a Danish theologian whose writings also gave rise to the modern philosophy of existentialism. He frequently attacked the complacency of the state church of his day, as well as its desire to be accepted by polite society rather than be a stumbling block.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

O God, you show forth your almighty power chiefly by reaching out to us in mercy. Grant us the fullness of your grace, strengthen our trust in your promises, and bring all the world to share in the treasures that come through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

1 Kings 17:8–16

This chapter begins the story of Elijah. God sends a drought on Israel because of the sins of King Ahab. This passage depicts God’s saving acts not only on behalf of Elijah, but also on behalf of those who are associated with the prophet, even a foreigner, the widow of Zarephath.

⁸Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ⁹Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you. ¹⁰So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink." ¹¹As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." ¹²But she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." ¹³Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son. ¹⁴For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth." ¹⁵She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 146

The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down. (Ps. 146:8)

¹Hal- ^| lelujah!

     Praise the LORD, ^| O my soul!

²I will praise the LORD as long ^| as I live;

     I will sing praises to my God while I ^| have my being.

³Put not your ^| trust in rulers,

     in mortals in whom there ^| is no help.

⁴When they breathe their last, they re- ^| turn to earth,

     and in that day ^| their thoughts perish.   R

⁵Happy are they who have the God of Jacob ^| for their help,

     whose hope is in the ^| LORD their God;

⁶who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that ^| is in them;

     who keeps promis- ^| es forever;

⁷who gives justice to those who are oppressed,

and food to ^| those who hunger.

     The LORD sets the ^| captive free.

⁸The LORD opens the eyes of the blind;

the LORD lifts up those who ^| are bowed down;

     the LORD ^| loves the righteous.   R

⁹The LORD cares ^| for the stranger;

     the LORD sustains the orphan and widow,

     but frustrates the way ^| of the wicked.

¹⁰The LORD shall ^| reign forever,

     your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. ^| Hallelujah!   R

Second Reading

Hebrews 9:24–28

The letter to the Hebrews describes Christ as a high priest who offers himself as a sacrifice for our sin. Christ does not die again and again each year. He died once, is alive with God, and will reveal himself on the last day.

²⁴For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. ²⁵Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; ²⁶for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment, ²⁸so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Gospel

Mark 12:38–44

After engaging in a series of public arguments with religious leaders in the temple, Jesus contrasts the proud and oppressive ways of those leaders with the sacrificial humility and poverty of the widow.

³⁸As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! ⁴⁰They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
⁴¹He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴²A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. ⁴³Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. ⁴⁴For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Reflections

Below are some collected and connected thoughts I pulled together last week while working on this week’s sermon. Hope they are helpful.

Roberta A. Bryant, writing for Feasting on the Word, offers that the exegetical perspective has two focal points that play off of one another. The first is a warning by Jesus against religious hypocrisy. It is a warning directed against anyone who professes to be faithful but possesses an elitist attitude and implements its tangible, unfortunate manifestations.   The other item Jesus covers is the one seen as an example of exemplary trust. “Over against demonstration of unsympathetic religious elitism stand simple acts of genuine trust in God. This widow ‘represents the opposite end of the spectrum from those who have the ‘best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets.’”

Robert Nishioka, also writing in FOTW offers these thoughts. “In the second section (of this pericope) Jesus comments on a widow giving two small coins to the temple treasury. Some may read this passage as Jesus commending the widow for her sacrifice, but those who read the text carefully realize that Jesus does not do this. Rather, he simply tells his disciples that the two small coins she gave are worth more than the gifts of the rich persons who gave much more money but sacrificed very little.”

In her book “Amazing Grace”, author Kathleen Norris writes about her struggle with the word “righteous.”

The word “righteous” used to grate on my ear, for years I was able to hear it only in its negative mode, as self-righteous, as judgmental. Gradually, as I became more acquainted with the word in its biblical context, I found that it does not mean self-righteous at all, but righteousness in the sight of God. And this righteousness is consistently defined by the prophets, and in the psalms and gospels as a willingness to care for the most vulnerable people in the culture, characterized in ancient Israel as orphans, widows, resident aliens, and the poor.”

Norris goes on to remind her readers that much of the fabled wrath of God in the Bible is directed against those who preserve their own wealth and power at the expense of the orphan, the widow, the resident alien, and the poor.

Focusing for a moment on the widow, Pete Perry, in FOTW suggests that “if….Jesus is in fact holding this widow up as a model for giving, then a key detail must be noted:  Jesus calls his disciples to notice that this widow gives all that she had-literally, “the whole of her life” She gives her whole life to something that is corrupt and condemned, namely the temple.

Moreover, this is the last scene in Jesus’ public ministry. From here all that remains in Mark’s telling is the temple discourse and the passions narrative. So this widow offers a glimpse into what Jesus is about. He is on the way to giving “the whole of his life” for something that is corrupt and condemned; all of humanity, the whole world.

Let Us Pray

That God might help us to see, understand and appreciate the abundance that fills our lives

That we might use our words to help and heal and not tear down and tear apart

For all those who seek healing and life

For the ability to give thanks even in the midst of challenges and struggle

That we might learn to give freely of all that has first been given us.

Quote

"I was just a child," related a retired Baptist preacher, "when one spring day my father called me to go with him to old man Russell's blacksmith shop. He had left a rake and a hoe to be repaired and they were ready, fixed like new. Father handed over a silver dollar for repairing them but Mr. Russell refused to take it. 'No,' he said, 'there's no charge for that little job.' But father insisted. And if I live a thousand years," said the preacher, "I'll never forget that great blacksmith's reply. 'Sid,' he said to my father, 'Can't you let a man do somethin' just to stretch his soul?'"