Musings for Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Day

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Deb Johnson

INTRODUCTION

On this day the Lord has acted! On the first day of the week God began creation, transforming darkness into light. On this, the "eighth day" of the week, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. We celebrate this new creation in the waters of baptism and in the feast of victory. With great joy we celebrate this day of days, even as we begin the great fifty days of Easter. Filled with hope, we go forth to share the news that Christ is risen!

PRAYER OF THE DAY (ELW)

O God, you gave your only Son to suffer death on the cross for our redemption, and by his glorious resurrection you delivered us from the power of death. Make us die every day to sin, that we may live with him forever in the joy of the resurrection, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

FIRST READING Acts 10:34–43

Peter's sermon, delivered at the home of Cornelius, a Roman army officer, is a summary of the essential message of Christianity: Everyone who believes in Jesus, whose life, death, and resurrection fulfilled the words of the prophets, "receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

³⁴Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, ³⁵but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all. ³⁷That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. ³⁹We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; ⁴⁰but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, ⁴¹not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24

¹Give thanks to the LORD, for the LORD is good;

God's mercy endures forever.

²Let Israel now declare,

"God's mercy endures forever."

¹⁴The LORD is my strength and my song,

and has become my salvation.

¹⁵Shouts of rejoicing and salvation echo in the tents of the righteous:

"The right hand of the LORD acts valiantly!

¹⁶The right hand of the LORD is exalted!

The right hand of the LORD acts valiantly!"

¹⁷I shall not die, but live,

and declare the works of the LORD.

¹⁸The LORD indeed punished me sorely,

but did not hand me over to death.

¹⁹Open for me the gates of righteousness;

I will enter them and give thanks to the LORD.

²⁰"This is the gate of the LORD;

here the righteous may enter."

²¹I give thanks to you, for you have answered me

and you have become my salvation.

²²The stone that the builders rejected

has become the chief cornerstone.

²³By the LORD has this been done;

it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day that the LORD has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

SECOND READING Colossians 3:1–4

Easter means new life for us as it first meant new life for Christ. His resurrection reshapes the entire focus and motivation for our lives, since we are now hidden with the risen Christ in God.

So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, ³for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

GOSPEL Matthew 28:1–10

Sorrow gives way to "fear and great joy" when two women are sent by an angel to proclaim the good news: Jesus is risen!

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ²And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. ⁵But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." ⁸So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Reflection

When I received “the assignment” via email to muse on the lessons, I thought “This is easy. Folks know this story, and heck we are looking forward to the music, the flowers, the hymns we can sing with gusto, and for some something new to wear!” But alas I was called to the last verse of the Psalm “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Could this be a contradiction to these 40 days of Lent? The journey starts with a service of remembering that we are from dust and to dust we shall return. It continues and we are reminded to be contemplative. And this most holy of weeks we start our mornings in silent reflective worship and communion, to the Last Supper and the knowledge that Jesus will be betrayed, to the death on the cross, and a vigil. Let us rejoice and be glad in it? Yes, we can rejoice even in our deepest contemplation, our grief, and our loneliness. We can rejoice that we can feel them and know that we are not alone. For we know that there this too is part of the journey … just as the angel said “Do not be afraid … for he has been raised” and we are to “set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” So even in today’s contemplation, grief, fears and sorrows we can rejoice … because THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE.

As these 40 days come to an end rejoice in the story of Christ’s death, the waiting at the tomb, and of course the resurrection of our Lord.

Let us Pray

• For those who wait
• For the laughter of children these days
• For those imprisoned by self-doubt, anger, and greed
• For peace in all the world
• For our brothers and sisters who celebrate the resurrection around the world

Quote

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118: 24)

Midweek Musings for Epiphany 6

Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany / Lectionary 6

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Debbie Johnson

INTRODUCTION
In today's reading from Deuteronomy we are called to choose life by loving and obeying God. Much of today's gospel reading echoes portions of the Ten Commandments. Jesus' instructions to the crowd reveal a pattern of behavior that honors both God and the neighbor, resulting in life and health for the whole community. We, too, are invited to embrace these commandments, not out of fear of retribution, but because God has promised that to do so means life for us.

Prayer of the Day (ELW)

O God, the strength of all who hope in you, because we are weak mortals we accomplish nothing good without you. Help us to see and understand the things we ought to do, and give us grace and power to do them, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading

Deuteronomy 30:15–20

The Lord sets before the people of God a clear choice. Life and prosperity will come to the faithful; loss of the land will be the consequence of disobedience. Choosing life entails loving the Lord and holding fast to him. Life in God's presence presupposes the promise made to the ancestors.

¹⁵See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. ¹⁶If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. ¹⁷But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, ¹⁸I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. ¹⁹I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, ²⁰loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

Psalm (ELW)

Psalm 119:1–8

Happy are they who follow the teaching of the LORD. (Ps. 119:1)

¹Happy are they whose ^| way is blameless,

who follow the teaching ^| of the LORD!

²Happy are they who observe ^| your decrees

and seek you with ^| all their hearts,

³who never do ^| any wrong,

but always walk ^| in your ways.

⁴You laid down ^| your commandments,

that we should ^| fully keep them.

⁵Oh, that my ways were made ^| so direct

that I might ^| keep your statutes!

⁶Then I should not be ^| put to shame,

when I regard all ^| your commandments.

⁷I will thank you with ^| a true heart,

when I have learned your ^| righteous judgments.

⁸I will ^| keep your statutes;

do not utter- ^| ly forsake me.

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 3:1–9

Human leaders in the church are not the ones who control ministry. Rather they are fellow workers who belong to God, the one who truly controls and continuously empowers the ministry of the church.

And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. ²I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, ³for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? ⁴For when one says, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," are you not merely human?
⁵What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. ⁶I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. ⁷So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. ⁹For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.

Gospel

Matthew 5:21–37

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts his followers to embrace standards of righteousness that exceed legal requirements and traditional expectations.

²¹You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder'; and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' ²²But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. ²³So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. ²⁵Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. ²⁶Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
²⁷You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' ²⁸But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.
³¹It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' ³²But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
³³Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.' ³⁴But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. ³⁷Let your word be 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, No'; anything more than this comes from the evil one.

MUSINGS

For those who are curious as to who gets what to write about each week, I think it is pretty random. Kristin asks if we are interested in continuing, we say yes or now, and she then sends us a schedule. Someone it seems that I get these to think on at the most opportune times. So this week, you get my musings! I am writing this while sitting in my parents living room on a trip to California having made the trek this week for the funeral of my Uncle, Uncle Bud. The second verse of the old Testament references observing the commandments and the one that comes to mind today is to "honor your mother and father". Yes, even as adults it is important to remember this commandments as they are still our parents! In the Gospel Jesus tells us that we are to make right with our brothers and sisters. Sometimes this too is difficult! Family is central to who we are and as we follow the command of God ... to LOVE one another then we will trive and grow. And knowing that FORGIVENESS if part of love. That we will mess up even when we love and we need to be forgiven. And the others will mess up and we need to FORGIVE.

LET US PRAY

For parents and children to love and forgive

For brothers and sisters to love and forgive

For those living in communities and countries where civil unrest is presnt

For warmth in the cold

For courage to step out in faith

" If we really want to love
we must learn how to forgive"
Mother Teresa

Musings for Pentecost 4

Sunday, June 20, 2010
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Midweek Musings

Reflection by Deb Johnson

INTRODUCTION
This Sunday’s texts paint startling pictures of the horrific—the demonic—nature of sin. The church’s repeated celebration of the holy communion counters that tragic reality in a continued showing forth of the death of Jesus "until he comes." It is a dramatic declaration of "how much God has done for you."

Prayer of the Day

O Lord God, we bring before you the cries of a sorrowing world. In your mercy set us free from the chains that bind us, and defend us from everything that is evil, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

First Reading Isaiah 65:1–9

The prophet announces God's impatience. The people's self absorption is idolatry, and images from pagan worship fill this reading. Like a vintner who crushes the grape to release the wine, God will use Israel's exile to establish a new community of the faithful.

I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask,
to be found by those who did not seek me.
I said, "Here I am, here I am,"
to a nation that did not call on my name.
²I held out my hands all day long
to a rebellious people,
who walk in a way that is not good,
following their own devices;
³a people who provoke me
to my face continually,
sacrificing in gardens
and offering incense on bricks;
⁴who sit inside tombs,
and spend the night in secret places;
who eat swine's flesh,
with broth of abominable things in their vessels;
⁵who say, "Keep to yourself,
do not come near me, for I am too holy for you."
These are a smoke in my nostrils,
a fire that burns all day long.
⁶See, it is written before me:
I will not keep silent, but I will repay;
I will indeed repay into their laps
⁷their iniquities and their ancestors' iniquities together,
says the LORD;
because they offered incense on the mountains
and reviled me on the hills,
I will measure into their laps
full payment for their actions.
⁸Thus says the LORD:
As the wine is found in the cluster,
and they say, "Do not destroy it,
for there is a blessing in it,"
so I will do for my servants' sake,
and not destroy them all.
⁹I will bring forth descendants from Jacob,
and from Judah inheritors of my mountains;
my chosen shall inherit it,
and my servants shall settle there.

Psalm Psalm 22:19–28

In the midst of the assembly I will praise you. (Ps. 22:22)

¹⁹But you, O LORD, be not far away;

O my help, hasten to my aid.

²⁰Deliver me from the sword,

my life from the power of the dog.

²¹Save me from the lion's mouth!

From the horns of wild bulls you have rescued me.

²²I will declare your name to my people;

in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.

²³You who fear the LORD, give praise! All you of Jacob's line, give glory.

Stand in awe of the LORD, all you off- spring of Israel.

²⁴For the LORD does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither is the LORD's face hidden from them;

but when they cry out, the LORD hears them.

²⁵From you comes my praise in the great assembly;

I will perform my vows in the sight of those who ^| fear the LORD.

²⁶The poor shall eat ^| and be satisfied.

Let those who seek the LORD give praise! May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD;

all the families of nations shall bow ^| before God.

²⁸For dominion belongs to the LORD,

who rules over the nations.

Second Reading Galatians 3:23–29

For Paul, baptism is a powerful bond that unites people not only with God but with other believers. Those who call themselves children of God experience a transformation that removes prejudices of race, social class, or gender in favor of true unity in Christ.

²³Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. ²⁴Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, ²⁶for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. ²⁷As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.

Gospel Luke 8:26–39

Jesus' mission includes foreigners, and his authority extends to the casting out of demons. Some who witness Jesus' work are seized with confusion and fear, but the man who was healed is commissioned to give testimony of God's mercy and power.

²⁶Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. ²⁷As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. ²⁸When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" — ²⁹for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) ³⁰Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. ³¹They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss.

³²Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. ³³Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. ³⁵Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ³⁶Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. ³⁷Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. ³⁸The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ³⁹Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you. So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

Reflection

Sometimes I am never quite sure what the lessons for the week mean. As I read and read again, I seek “insight”. So over time, I wait, wonder, and start anew. This time two phrases popped out: “Here I am, here I am.” and “In the midst of the assembly I will praise you.”

Here I am. Here I am, Lord, here I am. In my office is where I am. In the garden pulling weeds, mowing the lawn and trimming a tree, here I am. Walking the dog, washing the car, eating with friends, here I am. What is wonderful is that it is in all of these places and in all of these interactions, wherever I am, there is God also. Lord wherever I am … is where I am … Lord, use me as an instrument of your peace.

I, the Lord of sea and sky

I have heard my people cry

All who dwell in dark and sin

My hand will save.

I who made the stars and night

I will make the darkness bright

Who will bear my light to them

Whom shall I send?

I the Lord of snow and rain

I have borne my people's pain

I have wept for love of them

They turn away.

I will break their hearts of stone

Fill their hearts with love alone

I will speak my word to them

Whom shall I send?

Here I am Lord

Is it I Lord?

I have heard you calling in the night

I will go Lord

If you lead me

I will hold your people in my heart.

I will hold your people in my heart...

In the midst of the assembly I will praise you. As Lutherans the concept of “praise” is sometimes something someone else does in an assembly. Can you imagine it, raising your hands and saying “praise the Lord” … at the end of a hymn shouting “Amen?” I have a hard enough time praising God with others, let alone in an assembly. So where do I start? Praising God in writing for the wonders of the world, for the heart of another, for time, for rain, for friends, for music, laughter, a faith community. Its my way to move from the cognitive to the affective praising!

Here you are … praise God! Wherever you are, stop and praise God.

Let us pray

For those seeking healing and restoration.

For the damaged waters of the Gulf.

For those who travel these days and those charged with providing safe journey.

For laughter, tears, joy and sorrow.

For children waiting adoption.