March 31, 2015 PREPARE

There are so many things that we prepare for every day.  We prepare for bed or to go to work/school/the store, etc.  We prepare to go on vacations or to go into surgery.  We prepare for Easter, Christmas, birthdays, weddings, etc.  We prepare to go away or to receive guests.  We prepare for bad weather or we prepare our gardens for planting.

What is something that you have prepared for today?

Yet, even with all of our planning and preparations – no matter how much forethought and time we put into it – there are always those things that we are never prepared for.  You know what I mean – everything from unexpected illnesses or even death, loss of jobs, accidents to an unexpected visitor, a surprise party and the like.

How do we prepare for the unexpected?

While there are many things that we can do in preparation, there are just as many that we are unable to anticipate.   We would much rather have everything in our own control and power.  

As people of God, no matter what happens, we can be prepared for the unexpected.  We are given the assurance of God’s presence to be with us in all those unexpected circumstances.  We are given the strength and guidance of Christ to walk through these times.  God offers us one another as that support that we need.

We are prepared by God's grace.  We can be assured of the expectation of God's love that is never-ending.  We can expect the unexpected because of Christ who did the unexpected and rose from the dead.  This is the preparation that enables us to live amidst the unexpected.

Shared by Pastor Jen

March 30, 2015 ASK

March 30 Lenten Devotion - “Ask”

Matthew 27:17-22 ¹⁷ So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” ¹⁸ For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

¹⁹ While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”

²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

²¹ “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor.

“Barabbas,” they answered.

²² “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

Lord, bring us close to Your cross that we might know how You loved us and gave Yourself for us.

We would keep Lent, Lord, in a way that is pleasing to You.  As we follow You from the garden to Calvary, do not let us follow afar off, lest we deny You.  Help us watch and pray with You that we may not fall into temptation.

Enlighten us that we may see by faith that You knelt in prayer for us, that You, the Holy One, were judged a criminal by unholy men for us, that You suffered the whiplashes of angry sinners as our sinless Savior, that You stumbled under the cross as our Suffering Servant, that You died as the Lamb of God in our stead and for our sake.

Lord Jesus, through it all help us hear in Your prayer the single purpose for which You endured pain and death:  “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Amen

Prayer for Lent – Lutheran Book of Prayer – 1970

Shared by Arnold Schuff

March 29, 2015 WALK

Shared by Paul Doster

March 28, 2015 HOPE

....a proper grasp of the (surprising) future hope held out to us in Jesus Christ leads directly and, to many people, equally surprisingly, to a vision of the present hope that is the basis of all Christian mission.  To hope for a better future in this world - for the poor, the sick, the lonely and the depressed, for the slaves, the refugees, the hungry and the homeless, for the abused, the paranoid, the downtrodden and despairing, and in fact for the whole wide, wonderful, and wounded world - is not something else, something extra, some tacked on to the gospel as an afterthought.  And to work for that intermediate hope, the surprising hope that comes forward from God's ultimate future into God's urgent present, is not a distinction from the task of mission and evangelism in the present.

  It is a central, essential, vital, and life-giving part of it.  Mostly, Jesus himself got a hearing from his contemporaries because of what he is doing.  They saw him saving people from sickness and death, and they heard him talking about a salvation, the message for which they longed, that would go beyond the immediate into the ultimate future.  But the two were not unrelated, the present one a mere visual aid of the future one or a trick to gain people's attention.

The whole point of what Jesus was up to was that he was doing, close up, in the present, what he was promising long-term, in the future.  And what he was promising for that future, and in doing that in the present, was not saving souls for a disembodied eternity but rescuing people from the corruption and decay of the way the world presently is so they could enjoy, already in the present, that renewal of creation which is God's ultimate purpose-and so they could thus thus become colleagues and partners in that larger project.

From Surprised by hope by N.T. Wright

March 27, 2015 PAIN

“Growth Through Pain.”  “No Pain, No Gain.”  Throughout our lives we have all probably heard some version of these sayings.   As I have grown older I have come to disagree with these canards.   I do not view pain, true pain, either physical or emotional, as a vehicle for growth or increased strength.  Meeting and overcoming life’s challenges can indeed lead to personal development and advancement.  Solving a challenging problem at work, getting through a challenging financial episode, embarking on a challenging workout routine, weathering a storm that causes damage – all of these can make a person stronger and help her/him increase self-confidence.

 But “challenges” are not “pain”.  The woman with the migraine is not “in challenge.”  She is “in pain.”  The man with advanced cancer does not have “challenges” racking his body.  The parents who lost their son in a car accident are not “challenged” by the experience; they grieve and are in emotional pain.

Pain serves a very important biological purpose, and is crucial for the survival of the individual and the species.  It is through the avoidance of physical pain that we try to keep our bodies safe and expend effort to prevent injury, and thus we survive to procreate.   We let go of the hot saucepan, we don’t stab ourselves with the knife, we don’t jump off the roof, because we want to avoid pain.  The avoidance of emotional pain is beneficial as well – we take care of our family members because we love them, yes, but we also know how devastating it would be emotionally if harm were to come to them.  So avoiding pain, and learning lessons once the pain has been removed, helps us survive.  But these lessons are learned only after the pain has diminished.  I may learn  that I should not touch a hot saucepan after I have withdrawn my hand and the pain begins to subside, but while it is burning my hand I guarantee that I am not learning lessons – I simply want the pain to stop.  

Unfortunately in life, sometimes the pain cannot be stopped.  The cancer is terminal, the Alzheimer’s progresses, the daughter has died.  We are in pain, in the present, and that pain brings no lessons and no growth   It just hurts.  And no pithy saying from a bumper sticker or motivational poster will ease that pain.  What can we do?  

As Christians, we have a Savior who experienced just this kind of pain.  He was made flesh and suffered terribly during the crucifixion and the events leading up to it.  He became Man and willingly suffered physical and emotional pain not only to forgive our sins, but to be able relate to the pain we experience as humans.  We can lay our pain at His feet, surrender it totally to Him.  When He died on the Cross, He not only invited us to unburden ourselves of our sins in His name, but our pain as well.  When nothing on this Earth can relieve our pain, we can turn to Him and simply say “Please.  Take it.  I surrender it to you.”  And once the pain has been given to Him and spiritually removed, perhaps then we can grow in strength and carry on with life.

Shared by Gary Gerfen

March 26, 2015 BROKEN

                                                                                Broken

Let’s face it!  Each and every one of us at one point or another has been hurt. We are a broken people each in our own way.  Someone might have said something to you that they shouldn’t have. Or someone might not have said something at just the moment you really needed to hear it, but the words never came.  You might have had a terrible job, a bad marriage, lost a loved one to illness or have been abused by the very person you trusted.  

Jesus said from the cross; “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they are doing.”(Lk 23:34)  Jesus had been beaten and tortured in the most horrible ways, yet found love and forgiveness in his heart even from the cross.

“Look at the Cross and you will see Jesus’ head bent down to kiss you,  His arms extended to embrace you, His heart open to receive you, to enclose you within His love.”-Mother Teresa of Calcutta

In our walk towards eternity we will have times of darkness. Jesus is the light that shines into that darkness.  So, I extend to you Jesus’ invitation to enter the darkness, whatever that might be for you.  As you walk, stumble and feel your way through the dark you will find Him waiting there for you in the light.  He will shine his light into every nook and cranny, every dark corner he will find, if you invite him in.

He wants to free each and every one of us into the light.  Let your brokenness go.  Only then, with Jesus’ help, can we grow to be everything He hopes for us.  It will not be easy but will become the most rewarding moments of your life.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not defeated it.”(John 1:5)

Dear Sweet and Gentle Jesus, I’m broken and hurt. I don’t understand why these things have happened to me. Please soften my heart with the forgiveness and love you showed from the Cross. Fill me with your light so I will not carry this brokenness any more.  Help me to forgive and forget, forever. I will not look back. I want to live in this moment and walk forward towards the light of your incredible love.  Amen.                                      

Shared by Jean Schuff

March 25, 2015 DEBIT

I wrote one (prayer) that will do in a pinch:

Hi God.

I am just a mess.

It is all hopeless.

What else is new?

I would be sick of me, if I were You, but

    Miraculously You are not.

I know I have no control over other people’s

     Lives, and I hate this.  Yet, I believe that if I

    Accept this and surrender, You will meet me

    Wherever I am.

Wow.  Can this be true?  If so, how is this

      Afternoon – say, two-ish?

Thank you in advance for You company and

    Blessings.

You  have never once let me down.

Amen.

Help

We can be freed from a damaging insistence on forward thrust, from a commitment to running wildly down a convenient path that might actually be taking us deeper into that dark forest.  Praying “Help” means that we ask that Something give us the courage to stop in our tracks, right where we are, and turn our fixation away from the Gordian knot of our problems.  We stop the toxic peering and instead turn our eyes to something else: to our feet on the sidewalk, to the middle  distance,  to the hills, whence our help comes – someplace else, anything else.  Maybe this is a shift of only eight degrees, but it can be a miracle.

It may be one of those miracles where your heart sinks, because you think it means you have lost,   but in surrender you have won.  And if it were me, after a moment, I would say, Thanks.

From Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers  by Anne Lamott

March 24, 2015 FOLLOW

Each day we are challenged by things we do not fully understand. When we are in God's presence we are asked to Follow Him no matter what. During our life span we will continue to be asked to Follow and he will lead us. We need to be strong and trust in HIM  and accept what is put before us. No matter what the challenges may be. 

By doing this I do know and am very confident that EVERYTHING WILL BE OK....IF WE FOLLOW HIM. Gods blessing on all of us during this Lenten season. May we continue to FOLLOW our Lord and Savior...Jesus Christ!

Shared by Ken Mongold

March 23, 2015 TRUST

Jeremiah 31.31-34

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.

I have always been struck by the last line of this reading where iniquity and sin and held up as two different things.  and rightfully so because they are.  In the Hebrew, inqiuities would be those dumb, ignorant things that we seem to do to one another without much thought or effort.  These are the actions against our neighbors that create separation or frustrate the human heart.  Long memories recall these offenses.  Yet the word "sin" describes our condition; broken, fallen, always missing the mark.  Jeremiah reminds the people as they are going into exile that there will come a time when the communal sense of whole will supercede our own individual righteousness before God.  And may those days surely come sooner than later.  For forgiveness is needed and salvation our hope.

Shared by Marty Milne, Pastor

Zion's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Old Zionsville

Lutheran Theological Seminary @ Gettysburg '92  

March 22, 2015 DEVOTION

Wise and Faithful Guide,

You lovingly abide in my depths

And graciously guide my every step.

You lead me to ever stronger growth

and draw me more fully toward inner freedom.

I thank you today for the awesome ways

In which you constantly enter my life

And I pledge my heart to you again.

This day I renew my life’s purpose

of being faithful to our relationship . 

I give you my openness,

trusting that you will lead on paths

that are meant to help me grow. 

I re-commit my intention

to listen to you in all of life.

I promise you my daily discipleship

So that I may be an instrument of your love.

Most of all, I give you the loyalty of my heart.

May I do all in the circle of your wisdom

And learn from your dance of compassion

In every corner of this universe.

Source of Inner Luminosity,

Thank you for being a  loving radiance.

May the lantern of your perpetual goodness

always shine in me and through me.

“Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.”

(Proverbs 4:6)

Note: the “she” in this passage refers to Wisdom which is often portrayed as female.

From Prayers to Sophia by Joyce Rupp

March 21, 2015 SERVE

Our Lenten word for March 21st is "SERVE". The Bible verse, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve…” (Mark 10:45) comes to mind. When someone asks me, "why are we here on this earth?", I answer simply...."to serve Him". We are instructed to show our love for our Lord by serving others. Helping to feed and clothe the poor. Or listening to someone who is dealing with overwhelming problems. The list of ways to follow the Son of Man's example is endless.

I was once taught by a very wise Pastor years ago about the "3 T's". Time-Talent-Treasure. Perhaps you don't have a lot of money. Do you have time to sit with a dying person in a nursing home who has no family? Wow...what a gift of service! Perhaps you have a talent for building things. Put it to use even if it's instruction for the neighbor next door trying, without much success, to build a patio. Or maybe the Lord has blessed you with the funds to make things more comfortable for someone who lost everything in a fire.

Again, the ways to serve HIM goes on forever...just like his love, mercy and forgiveness. Ask Jesus to open your eyes, ears and heart to a person or cause that needs your special assistance. Serve others and you serve God.

Shared by

Wayne W. Wolf

St. Gabriel's RC Church

Elma, New York

March 20, 2015 STORY

STORY

Reflect on the following questions and share your own responses:

* What was your favorite story when you were 5?  12?  20? Today?

       * What made it your favorite?

       * Who shared this story with you?

       * Has it influenced your life in any way?

       

* What is your favorite Biblical story?  Why?

     * How has it affected your life?
     * Who might you share it with?

You are invited to share any images that come to mind in your own reflections?

March 19, 2015 SAD

Luke 6:21 Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

God’s love does not always take the sadness away but God’s love soothes our broken heart and eases our pain. Our sadness is but a tiny teardrop compared to the infinite ocean of God’s living water. In sadness, we think we are all alone. However, God’s love comes in and we find we are always loved and never alone. In sadness, God’s love never leaves us or forsakes us. In sadness, our future looks bleak, but in God’s love, our future is bright and gleaming. In sadness, we think there is no hope. However, God’s love lifts up our spirit and shows us His hope is infinite.

Shared by Georgina Marek

March 18, 2015 PRACTICE

In high school, my afternoons were full of practice - band practice, drama club practice, even math team practice. Practice was the way that we learned how to do things the right way until they became a familiar and comfortable part of our experience. The more we practiced, the more we could concentrate on what we were doing (how the music sounded, the meaning of the play, etc.) rather than how we were doing it (did I get the fingering right on that last note?) We made lots of mistakes, but repeated practice evened out the bumps and we developed more expertise.

My doctor "practices" medicine. What comes to mind when I say that is "I sure hope it's not because she needs to learn what she's doing!" And that's not the reason. In this sense "practice" means to apply in a practical way what was learned in medical school, as an intern, a resident, etc. She has gone beyond those early times of learning to do things right and is now putting those skills to use in helping her patients.

As Christians, we have a number of faith practices - in 2000, the ELCA introduced a program that highlights seven practices: invite, pray, study, worship, give, encourage and serve. Our faith practices also have two sides. Through them we learn about God's love and gift of life and salvation through Jesus. They provide the vehicle for us to grow in knowledge, understanding and strength of our faith. And as we mature as disciples, they also provide the way for us to apply our faith in being the hands and feet of God in this world, caring for other and being good stewards of creation. Through both aspects of faith practice, we grow closer to God and more aware of God's presence and action in our lives.

"Christian practices are not activities we do to make something spiritual happen in
our lives. Nor are they duties we undertake to be obedient to God. Rather, they are
patterns of communal action that create openings in our lives where the grace, mercy,
and presence of God may be made known to us. They are places where the power of
God is experienced. In the end, these are not ultimately our practices but forms of
participation in the practice of God."

- Craig Dykstra, Presbyterian minister and professor of theology

Shared by MaryBeth Commisso

March 17, 2015 HUNGER

Hunger in the literal sense is unknown to you and me. In a world
where thousands starve to death every day, we live surrounded by plenty.
With full bellies we watch the T V footage of Third World children with
their bellies swollen, their legs and arms like sticks, eyes vacant in their
ancient faces, and may God have mercy on us as a nation, as a civilization,
as whatever it means to call us Christendom, if we do not find some way
to wipe their hunger from the face of the earth. And may God have mercy
upon us too if we fail to recognize that even in the midst of plenty, we have
our own terrible hungers.

We hunger to be known and understood. We hunger to be loved. We
hunger to be at peace inside our own skins. We hunger not just to be fed
these things but, often without realizing it, we hunger to feed others these
things because they too are starving for them. We hunger not just to be loved
but to love, not just to be forgiven but to forgive, not just to be known and
understood for all the good times and bad times that for better or worse
have made us who we are, but to know and understand each other to the
point of seeing that, in the last analysis, we all have the same good times,
the same bad times, and that for that very reason there is no such thing in
all the world as anyone who is really a stranger.

From Secrets in the Dark (p. 256) by Frederick Buechner

March 16, 2015 WANDER

According to the dictionary, to wander is to move about aimlessly without plan or fixed destination; to ramble; to roam; to lose one’s way; to drift away from a subject.

When I first chose the word “wander” my mind wandered.  I kept thinking about all the places I could go with this word.  We all know the story from Exodus where Moses and the Israelites wandered through the wilderness for forty years.  They knew they were headed for the promised land but there was no straight path and many distractions on the way.

The first thought that popped into my head when I saw the word wander was the hymn we sing the Sunday after Christmas, “I wonder as I wander”.  This hymn makes us wonder about why Jesus was sent here to save poor ordinary people when He could have anything He wanted “cause He was the King!”

Another hymn I accidently came across “Our Father We Have Wandered” tells how we have lost our way and have realized that we need to turn back to the Lord.  It goes on to realize that we will be welcomed back no matter how far we stray.  Just as the father welcomes his errant son back in the story of the prodigal son.

Most of us experienced our mind wandering.  When we are alone and relaxed sometimes we start thinking of things that have no relation to what is going on at the moment.  Some may call it day dreaming.  I often solve problems this way – your mind is cleared of thought that get in the way.  There is nothing wrong with this.  Sometimes I think we should take the time to wander – memories of the past hold answers to some of today’s problems.

Another aspect of wandering is noted in today’s young adults.  They wander away from the church and its structure as we know it and it’s upsetting to those of us brought up in a religion oriented society.  While they are seeking something they don’t know where to do or sometimes what to do.  Some go astray and take the wrong path but many are led back and end up wandering home.

Lord, let us wander but lead us back to you and rejoice that we are found again.  Amen.

Shared by Dorothy Kafalas

March 15, 2015 LIFTED

LIFTED

Love Lifted Up

Have you noticed the types of phrases we use when describing something wonderful? I catch myself saying things like being ‘over the moon’ or ‘on cloud-nine.’ A friend talks about being in the ‘seventh heaven!’ Now, that admission may say a lot to both of us, but I can’t help thinking that our deepest experiences are those that have a power to lift us up. Such experiences take us out of ourselves. They uplift us and we perceive things differently.

Jesus is always inviting us to see things differently. When Nicodemus sought out Jesus, he was in the dark — both really and symbolically. He couldn’t see clearly. In the years that followed this late night conversation, Nicodemus became a follower of Jesus and, step by step, was drawn to see things differently. At last he finally did see. When at the end, Jesus was really and truly lifted up, Nicodemus was not too far away.

When we meditate on the crucifix and participate in the Eucharist we also see Jesus lifted up. Perhaps today as I lift my eyes to see him, I might ponder on the mystery of suffering and exaltation and wonder at the love that is lifted up and draws us ever closer, uplifting us as well. (Sister Kathryn Williams)

Shared by Lynn Byrnes

March 14, 2015 GUIDE

A friend has a guide dog.  She is blind, but her constant companion allows her to “see.”  He keeps her safe, steers her away from obstacles that could trip her up, shows her where and when to walk.  I’m amazed at the relationship these two have – it is one of complete trust.  She never doubts him.  And he is always there to keep her safe.  One is never without the other. 

My prayers often include prayers for guidance, and usually come at times when I feel that I cannot see the path ahead, when I’m afraid of unseen obstacles that could trip me up.  My prayers for guidance often come when I’m feeling alone, or afraid – when I feel that God is far from me.  It’s those times that I want a guide dog of my own who will lead me along the right paths to the green pastures and still waters. 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all have guide dogs who would bump up against our knees when we have a difficult decision before us, pushing us in the right direction?  Or when worries overtake us and we lie wide awake in the middle of the night, if that guide dog would snuggle into us, assuring us that everything will be alright?  Or when our hearts are breaking, when we feel we can’t go on, when tears fill our eyes so we can’t see where we are going, wouldn’t it be great if that guide dog would nuzzle into us, sharing warmth and love, and lead us right to the place we need to go?

We do in fact have a guide dog who leads us.  A guide dog who walks beside us to places we may not be sure about, but who never abandons us, never leads us astray.  We simply need to lie back and trust that our guide – our God – will always be there. 

In those times I have trouble seeing what lies ahead, or which path I should take – when I am afraid, or my heart is breaking – my prayer is often this poem by Denise Levertov, calling me to simple trust.  God will always be there.

The Avowal

As swimmers dare
to lie face to the sky
and water bears them,
as hawks rest upon air
and air sustains them,
so would I learn to attain
freefall, and float
into Creator Spirit’s deep embrace,
knowing no effort earns
that all-surrounding grace. 

  

Shared by Pastor Joanne Stewart,
                  pastor at  the Lutheran Church of the Incarnate Word (Rochester, NY)

March 13, 2015 INHERITANCE

“Believe in a love that is being stored up for you like an inheritance, and have faith that in this love there is a strength and a blessing so large that you can travel as far as you wish without having to step outside it.” 
― Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

March 12, 2015 HEALING

To heal means to restore to health and soundness; to set right, as to heal a rift between friends or nations.  The most potent meaning is to restore a person to spiritual wholeness.  The physician with his medicines is dedicated to healing the body; the psychotherapist is trained to heal the mind.  The omnipotent and most loving healer is God: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16]

As a consequence of sin, we are afflicted with anxieties and fears, and most grievously, suffer estrangement from God.  Jesus, sinless himself, offered himself as the sacrifice for the atonement for human sin.  His suffering on the cross healed us from the effects of sin, healed the estrangement from God, allowing us to live righteously.  “He himself bore our sins in his own body on the cross,  so that, free from sings, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.  For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardians of your souls [1 Peter 2:24-25].  What greater forgiveness, healing, and love could we ever experience!

To maintain this relationship and new life with God, we have responsibilities.  We must see ourselves as we truly are, “warts and all”.  “If we say we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we live and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself in the light, we have fellowship  with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” [1 John 5:6-8].  Are we waling in the darkness of sin and self-interest?  Are we walking in the light of the presence of God?

To live righteously we must obey God and when we stray we must repent and ask for forgiveness.  We must love God and therefore love one another.  To help us in our spiritual journey we need the support of a community of believers.  Healing and forgiveness eliminate the barriers between God and ourselves, restores our relationship  with God, and allows us to walk in the light of the presence of God.

Shared by Joan Bradley

March 11, 2015 BEAUTY

Beauty surrounds us. We are more attuned to the lovely than the lousy by our very nature bestowed to us by our Heavenly Father. For me, the word evokes music, of course, from the slow cantabile of a Mozart violin concerto to “in the beauty of the lilies” in the Battle Hymn of the Republic. That line reminds me that the glorious birth of our Lord was a beautiful event with stars, songs, warm animals, and adoration by shepherds, Magi, loving parents. We look to these things and not the musty stable, damp cave, rough linen, and hay. And yet there is beauty in all these things as well. Stalactites in a cave, the smell of fresh hewn wood, the photo-micrograph of a simple bacterial cell.  Nature is redolent with beauty: stars in the heavens, the fragrance of blossoms, the songs of birds and insects.

Let us remember the beauty in all things is a precious gift from God. There is a matchless beauty in the blood from the crown of thorns and in the nail-pierced hands and lanced side. That is the beauty of divine grace. Nothing is more beautiful than our “Beautiful Savior”’s  love and redeeming sacrifice for us all. We are richly blessed in all things.

Shared by Dr. Franklyn Commisso

March 10, 2015 RENEW

Shared by Sue Brown

March 9, 2015 ABIDE

Abide

Merriam Webster defines abide as a verb meaning:  to accept or bear, to stay or live somewhere, to remain or continue.

While these three seem a little different in nature, they can all apply to Jesus’ words in John 15:4 “Abide in Me and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless if abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me.”

 

What does it mean for Jesus to abide in us?  It means that Jesus accepts us, exactly how we are with all of our faults and shortcomings, his gracious love comes to us as a gift and an invitation.  Jesus is present in all of creation and so he is with us, here, today, in every place that we find ourselves, in every interaction that we encounter, Jesus is with us.  Jesus does not leave us, even in our darkest times, even when we turn away from him, Jesus abides, he accepts us, bears us and continues to be present for us.

 

What does it mean for us to Abide in Jesus?  For us it can be more of a challenge.  To abide in Jesus means to give ourselves over to Jesus and his plan and presence in our lives.  Each day we have to accept Jesus as our savior.  We do this in the ways that we live our lives as reflections of him.  When our response to the love that we receive is to turn that love toward others and to live in the way that God commands, we are abiding in Christ.  It is the sin that is present in the world that can keep us from abiding in Jesus. Each day we have to actively engage to abide in Jesus. 

 

Lord, we thank you for the gift of your Son who abides in each one of us even in our sinful nature.  As he abides in us, send your Spirit to guide us and strengthen us to abide in him each day as we seek to participate in your creative mission in the world.  Amen.

Shared by Dawn Morello

March 8, 2015 WATER

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)

“Water” is vital for life. We can’t live without it. It is used in our daily lives for cleaning, drinking, bathing, washing and food preparation. It is also used for transportation, cooling, agriculture, recreation, food processing, and extinguishing fires, to name a few. It covers 71% of the Earth’s surface. We tend to take for granted that everyone has clean water available but in 40% of the world, people still do not have safe drinking water. 

The Bible and water are very much connected. Water is referenced over 700 times in the scriptures. In biblical times, water was a blessing, used for purification and cleansing as well as associated with chaos and death. God saw the wickedness of humans with their evil thoughts and violence. He was sorry he made humankind and decided to wipe the earth clean. God asked Noah to build an ark.  Once the ark was ready and loaded with Noah, his descendants, and the chosen animals and birds, God flooded the earth of evil.

At the wedding at Cana water was used in the first miracle of Jesus as he transformed water in wine to reveal his glory and his disciples believed in Him.

(John 2:1-11)

Water was used when John baptized Jesus in the Jordan.  As he came up from the water the heavens were opened and a dove, the Spirit of God, descended on Him and a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased”. (Matthew 3:13-17)

Water is still used today in Baptism to symbolize our total trust in and reliance on Jesus Christ.  We are baptized into His death on the cross and are no longer slaves to sin. When we are raised out of the water we are raised to our new life in Christ to be with Him forever. It is the first step on a life-long journey of faith. We are reborn daily in Christ, forgiven our sins and shown God’s grace.

Shared by Joanne Icken

March 7, 2015 FAITHFUL

Faith – No Magic Charm

Does enjoying my faith imply protection from the slings and arrows of outrageous  fortune?  No.  It did not stop my husband from dying prematurely.  It did not stop a careless truck driver from going through a red light and nearly killing me.  

My faith is not a magic charm, like garlic to chase away vampires.  

It is, instead, what sustains me in the midst of all the normal joys and tragedies of the ordinary human life.  It is faith that helps my grief to be creative, not destructive.  It is faith that kept me going  through the pain at the very portals of death and pulled me, whether I would or no, back into life and whatever works still lied ahead.

From Glimpses of Grace: Daily Thoughts and Reflections from writings by Madeleine L’Engle

March 6, 2015 JOURNEY

“The path of life is a journey, like a cold winter day or a warm summer night."

Shared by Rosanna Tempel

March 5, 2015 HOME

HOME

Six years ago this month I bought my first house after 30+ years of parsonages and apartments.  I use the word "house" and not "home", because every place I lived in became my home, whether I owned it or not.  I had been thinking about "home" for several years before that. What is home?  What does it mean to be "at home?"  Is home a specific place or a state of mind?

I found some help with these questions from a couple of people whose works I admire.  In a  beautiful chapter in his book, Learning to Fall, The Blessings of An Imperfect Life, Philip Simmons writes about his house, and others in his New Hampshire town, most of which are never really finished.  He sees these unfinished houses as a symbol of our unfinished lives - with always something more to be done, projects underway, plans for future improvements - all delayed by lack of money or time or motivation or health or something else.  We get used to this state of incompleteness, or unsettledness, and for Simmons that's not a bad thing.  "Only so far as we are unsettled is there any hope for us. Let us remain unsettled, therefore, in order that we may truly live." (44). The present moment is all that we have - that is the unfinished house in which we live.

 According to Servite Sister Joyce Rupp, our pilgrim hearts are always on a journey, as we make our way home to God.  In this life we are all "on loan" to each other, and we cherish this life, and all that comes with it - but it is not our final destination.  There is a restlessness in our spirits that longs for the home of God's heart. Knowing that we are  "on loan" to each other, we take this journey together - and as with any journey, we enjoy the scenery, and the company, even as we anticipate the destination.

I am glad I bought my house, with its abundance of joys and challenges. It makes me feel more settled in my work as an interim pastor. And yes, I have a list of projects that will probably never get done. But whether I live here for one more year, or 20 more, I know that I'm still a pilgrim, and part of me will always be unsettled.  The words of St. Augustine come to mind here:  "You have formed us for yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

May your Lenten journey be truly blessed!

Shared by Pastor Jerrie Shepard Matney, Baptist interim ministry

March 4, 2015 NEW

You are the God who makes all things new.

We gladly raise our voices and move our lips

    to acknowledge, celebrate, and proclaim

           your staggering newness.

As we do so, we hold in our hearts

    deep awareness of all the places where your newness

                                    is no visible, and

                                    has not come.

     Our hearts link to many places of wretchedness

             short of your newness.

             We picture our folks at home,

                sick, in pain, disabled, paralyzed

                 and no newness yet.

We know up close the deep wretchedness

    of poverty, of homelessness, of hunger

     and no newness yet.

Move our hearts closer to the passion of our lips.

Move our lips closer to your own newness.

Work your newness in hidden, cunning ways among us.

Move us closer to your bodied newness in Jesus,

      newness of strength come in weakness

       newness of wisdom come in foolishness.

Draw us from the wretchedness we know

      to his scarred, bloody wretchedness

      that is your odd entry of newness into our life.

We pray in the name of his suffering newness.  Amen.

From  the book Awed to Heaven, Rooted to Earth: Prayers by Walter Brueggemann

March 3, 2015 DREAM

DREAM 

Believe in the beauty of your dreams. I feel this is a concept to live for in your life. If you cannot conceive of a single dream or goal, you are not then able to strive for anything. 

Just this past week, I heard a motivationalspeaker, Hill Harper, who is now best known as an actor on CSI but started his career in Harvard Law School, played basketball with Barack Obama long before he became famous as a president and Harper has started his own foundation under the concept of "Manifest your own Destiny". 

Key point to his talk was though he could have been a well paid corporate lawyer, he followed his dream of acting to become a happy, productive, successful individual in life This is a great concept to live by since you then have control over your life's journey that will twist and turn based on the choices you make, but they are your choices alone. I am a firm believer in individual choice as nobody else can stand in your shoes and know what you as an individual is facing, though input and guidance is useful. 

The first line of this paragraph is attributed to another great individual, Eleanor Roosevelt, "believe in the beauty of your dreams". 

How does God fit into this concept for life? 

I believe God presents opportunity in his own way and the bible is useful in giving guidance by examples and literature, but ultimately, the individual must choose their own path for life. Having a life long dream and finding a way to fulfill it, leads to a better individual and better community experience in the end. I even believe that most individuals lives could at some point today in our world qualify for additional chapters in the bible if we could still add to it...being relevant today as it was then in many ways...the future really does belong to those that believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Shared by Heather Coyle

March 2, 2015 GO

I was invited to take a walk and photograph things that were imperfect, or ugly, or hard.  Then to pray, reflecting on these images, to see if I could find the beauty or the grace hidden within them.  Then compose a “Beatitude” or blessing.

It was winter and very cold when I came upon this wooden walk through some wetland.  It was icy, slippery. Some brave soul had walked this way before me, leaving just enough traction for me to very tentatively take a few steps into nature’s wilderness. 

After prayer and reflection I wrote “Blessed are the pioneers who make a way in the wilderness and create footprints for future generations to follow.” 

Like so many before us, we have been invited to “go.”  Sometimes that is pretty scary, as we don’t know what lies ahead. The pathway is not always easy.  But unlike Abraham and Sarah, we know that Jesus has walked this road before us…. even through suffering, betrayal, and death.  And so with gratitude and faith we take a step into the world… trusting in God’s future.

Pastor Marie C. Jerge, Lutheran pastor and former Bishop of Upstate NY

March 1, 2015 WORSHIP

WORSHIP

We need not hide ourselves from you,

before whose justice no one can stand.

Your mercy was proclaimed by the apostles and the prophets,

and shown forth to us in Jesus Christ.

You give your law to guide us,

and you promise new life for all,

That we may live to serve you among our neighbors,

in all we say and do.

(above from the “Book of Common Worship” 1993. p. 135.)

It is commonly believed that worship of God in the earliest Christian churches took place in homes (house churches).  People gathered as communities of faith where they could and did experience God through varied and regular practices. They shared meals, baptized new adult members (after a lengthy time of teaching and testing), read Scripture, listened to God speaking through one another, experienced healing, and prayed and sang hymns of praise and thanksgiving together.

While some of these rituals were not necessarily worship of God per se, the total sum of them were understood as means for Christians to serve the Divine One. This was their context for worship as God called them together in those days. What similarities and differences do you see in the early church compared to our context today?

As we consider worship, we read that some of the earliest acts of worship of God mentioned in the Hebrew Bible really were quite striking. We see rather ordinary people living out their often ordinary lives who, after seeing or hearing from God by way of messenger or sign or wonder, fall face down in shock, reverence, and awe. Somehow they know that their lives are never to be the same again and transformation takes place. Life is no longer just about them and what they want. Confidence is increased, sight is given or restored, healing takes place, and there is newfound hope and mission - both for themselves as well as their families. Somehow it is also God’s plan that through them the whole world be saved. God is glorified in these responses and true worship happens.

In these ancient stories we see that lives truly were transformed as hearts and minds were slowly and sometimes even quickly changed. Rather than being paralyzed by doubt or held nearly as captive to fear, they were instead in the process of learning to trust more in God and have faith in his love and grace extended. Have you ever experienced anything life changing like this?

The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes Christian worship as, “the reverent homage paid to God in Christ in the context of a Christian assembly.” At Trinity we gather each week to partake in practices and rituals very similar to those of our ancient spiritual ancestors. In all that we do as our worship (both inside as well as outside the church building), we remember times and places where God has revealed himself in the past and we are led to respond with obedient living in the present. God in Christ is lifted up in word and song, and we resume our far lower and more rightful place as humble servants who seek justice for the weak in the world.

In all of this, that is, as we encounter life’s many sacred times and places both near and far, what we are really doing is letting our response to God help us “reactualize” those moments in our own imaginations in the present. This is what I think it means to have truly worshiped God versus merely going through the motions. And so let us pray that God will enable our deepest and most sincere worship in this season of Lent. Amen.

Shared by Michael Boyd