Jesus was anointed to preach “good news” (Luke 4: 18). What good news would you or I like to receive from God today? I turned to Proverbs 3 for July 3. Proverbs 3:3 assures us, “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” I find it comforting that God does not require great knowledge and intelligence, great wealth and tithing, nor great deeds of bravery in the face of war. Love and faithfulness focus on our response to the challenges of the moment. Perhaps it is the challenge of keeping my eyes on God who helps me forgive and forget the imperfections of others and myself and the God who helps me persevere when I am so weary and tempted to give up. For me, today, I am grateful for that good news I can focus on before I think about the rest of Luke 4. “Favor in the eyes of God” results from the love in my heart and the faithfulness of my hands. Lord, help me today to be loving and faithful that I might gain favor in your sight. Blessings.
Anointed
July 2, 2020It seems rather poetic that as we draw near to July 4 and all the celebrations of our “independence” that I have been challenged to read Luke 4:14-21 each day this month and ponder the different ways the passage touches my heart, soul. Luke records Jesus quoting Isaiah 61, “the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news.” Isaiah feels “anointed” by God to share his message, that Jesus said was fulfilled in him, and which the church uses today to cry for justice.
It seems to me today that one of the difference between the Declaration of Independence that professes the belief that all people are created equal “with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness…” and our Luke text is the word “anointed.” The Declaration is a statement of belief agreed on by our founding fathers and that we are still trying to work into reality. But the good news being preached is an anointment, is a message sent from God, about a fact that happened. Both documents have very similar themes but “anointing” implies divine authorship. It talks of a reality that we may not experience but which is true and backed by a God who has the power to make it happen. Anointing is mentioned 168 times in the Bible.
Baptism is a kind of anointing, marking a child with the sign of the cross, affirming God’s declaration of faithfulness to that child, sealing a relationship. God holds on to that child and to me even when I am weak, confused, doubting and He is creating the conditions that follow. Jesus affirms, “today this scripture is fulfilled.” Perhaps as we prepare for the celebrations of this weekend and all the fireworks and concerts, we could take some time to ponder the freedoms we have in Christ. I am so faithful that my freedom of faith is “anointed” and sealed with the cross and secure for eternity. I look forward to the freedom of worship on Sunday that our government allows, even if we are sheltering! Amen! Blessings.
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STUDY 12 Daniel 6:1-18
July 1, 2020
Daniel, an Israelite captive taken to Babylon, has distinguished himself in his studies, exerted his identity through a successful diet plan, but then twice interpreted dreams for the king. Las week he read the “handwriting on the wall” literally for the king predicting the downfall of the kingdom and indeed that night Darius overthrew Belteshazzar. Daniel must be definitely “mature” now and climbing the political ladder. He is one of three presidents of the kingdom and headed to be number one over the whole kingdom. Few of us have experienced that kind of public success.
- Remember a time when you felt you were doing a job well. What did that look like? ______________________________
- Was there a flip side of the success, the cost of success unseen to others? __________________________________
- Were there spiritual disciplines you had in place in your life that nourished you during this time? _______________________
6 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, stationed throughout the whole kingdom, 2 and over them three presidents, including Daniel; to these the satraps gave account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. 4 So the presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. 5 The men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”
- The writer credits “an excellent spirit was in him (Daniel).” What might that have looked like? ___________________________________________________
- How would you have credited your success? ____________
6 So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.
- We would not approach a leader today giving godly stance ie pray to the leader, but a leader might be approach on the basis of his pride. What laws might be passed today that would be labeled “treason” if broken? __________________________
- Do we have any laws that we consider unchangeable? ____
10 Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. 11 The conspirators came and found Daniel praying and seeking mercy before his God. 12 Then they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, “O king! Did you not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human, within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions?” The king answered, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.”
14 When the king heard the charge, he was very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went down he made every effort to rescue him. 15 Then the conspirators came to the king and said to him, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16 Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!” 17 A stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
- Daniel prayed three times a day for “mercy.” What drives us to continual prayer? __________________________________
- A “stay of execution” was not possible. Just Mercy is a book these days turned into a movie about life on Death Row. Perhaps the verdict is “operation,” or “pay the bill,” or what? ________________
- The king’s prayer is, “May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!” What is your prayer request today? _____________
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Power-full or Power-less
July 1, 2020I woke up this morning in tears. Last night a friend called and after a misunderstanding hung up on me. I am crushed and feel “powerless” this morning. So as I opened my Bible to read again Luke 4:14-21, I was struck by the first sentence that says Jesus returned to his home area in northern Israel, Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.” Power is actually a big word in our culture right now as we talk about justice and inequality so that some segments of society have power and others do not. Fourth of July will be celebrated with powerful fireworks celebrating our independence from one of the most powerful countries in the world at that time. Illness has given institutions the power to reformat services as I had a doctor visit over the phone yesterday. I did not need to stick out my tongue or have my blood pressure taken! Power, what is it?
To my surprise the Webster’s first definition does not deal with a source of energy ie that I receive power from without. The first definition is “ability to produce an effect”, secondly “authority”, thirdly “political control or influence”, fourthly angels, fifthly mathematical powers that indicate multiplication, and not until definition six do I find “a source or means of supplying energy.” As I ponder my late night discussion, I realize I feel powerless by all definitions of power.
Proverbs 1 turns the reader away from the desired outcome of powerful actions. Fools are enticed into company with people who promise wealth and prosperity and success but that becomes a trap that ruins them. Rather, the writer challenges us to focus on wisdom, on the fear of the Lord that leads to knowledge, discretion, guidance and understanding. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” This does not mean I am right and I will probably have to eat humble pie today to repair a valued friendship but it does mean I have a source of help outside myself, that breathes into my life and will help me navigate turbulent waters. I do not know your challenge as you face today but I pray you walk with the awareness of the power of the Spirit who cares for you. Blessings.
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“It is written…”
June 30, 2020Luke 4:17 tells of Jesus entering the synagogue of his hometown, Nazareth, being handed the scroll of Isaiah and finding the place where “it is written.” My mind grabbed this phrase and immediately pondered which movie I had heard it from, making it famous. Going to the internet that knows all (???) I discovered there is an international TV channel called It Is Written done by the Seventh Day Adventist. Slumdog Millionaire also has it in its credits so giving hope to many born in the slums that life can get better. But Quora found my memory:
“It was originally a quote from Pharaoh in The Ten Commandments, and the statement meant: I said this with my authority as absolute ruler. Therefore my minions will write it down as law, remember it, and enforce it. The movie achieved almost total penetration of American culture so that the phrase entered the vernacular as a way of semi-ironically affirming that you really mean the thing who you just ordered…’so let it be written, so let it be done.’”
The fact that something is written down and recorded gives added credibility to the speaker. Can you hear yourself saying, Now where did I read, where was it written? Jesus did not quote from memory but “found the place where it is written,” adding authority to what he was about to say.
On Sundays, after our confession/forgiveness, the unloading of our hearts as we enter holy time and space, we do introductory praise but then we start with reading Scripture, reading “where it is written,” and the preacher normally speaks on those writings. We even stand for the reading of the Gospel, showing respect that the Gospel are the words of Christ. Jesus is the “living word”, “the Word made flesh” and is somehow alive in the written word.
So how does that impact my life today? When was the last time when I searched God’s word for “where it is written” for guidance for an issue I was facing? Do I believe with the Pharaoh that the written word is there with the authority of the God of the universe and with full expectation that I obey? Hmmmm. My husband and I debate about “law” as rules to be enforced or guidelines to be followed. How we understand the tone perhaps reflects on how we understand the character of the person speaking. The pharaoh speaks with command in his voice but I try to focus on a God who speaks with love in his voice as his written words are giving us advise on how to have an abundant life. Lord, let us hear your word and focus on your love today. Blessings.
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Stiff-necked
June 29, 2020Tomorrow is the last day of June!!! Today after reading Luke 4, I continued with Prov. 29:1, “A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without remedy.” “Stiff-necked” draws to mind the many times the prophets lamented over “stiff-necked” and stubborn people they prophesized to. I reflect, are there areas in my life where I am stiff-necked and refuse to accept rebuke? The easiest place to ponder in my life that is probably symptomatic of my personal dynamic is to ponder the blood sugar reading on Monday morning. If the number is elevated then I know I have not lived properly the day before. No exercise? Too much sugar? Easting a sweet offered so as not to offend the host? Too much stress? I can analyze. I can rationalize. I can explain. I can even agree but if I do not change my behavior, problems await. Psalm 29 opens, “Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty-ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.” David starts by placing his eyes on God, by crediting God with the strength to face his day. As Jesus entered the synagogue in Nazareth, on the Sabbath, as was his custom, he is handed the scroll – the Word. As I come to the end of June, as I start my day, where do I find my strength to receive the rebukes I need to hear to correct my ways? I fear if I look to my own heart and insight, I will rationalize away the truth of my stiff-necked-ness. If I look to culture, I will dissolve action in debate over the best solution. Hand me the “scroll” of the Word of God that I might ascribe to Him the glory and strength He is due and which I need to humble myself before. Blessings as you face your challenging areas today!
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Pentecost 4 June 28, 2020 “Welcome”
June 27, 2020Prelude: We Have Come into His House and Gathered in His Name, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiJ0AdA05Ow
Call to Worship:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, +one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation. Amen
Confession and Forgiveness:
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God, whose steadfast love is everlasting, whose faithfulness endures from generation to generation. Amen.
Trusting in the mercy of God, let us confess our sin.
Reconciling God, we confess that we do not trust your abundance, and we deny your presence in our lives. We place our hope in ourselves and rely on our own efforts. We fail to believe that you provide enough for all. We abuse your good creation for our own benefit. We fear difference and do not welcome others as you have welcomed us. We sin in thought, word, and deed. By your grace, forgive us; through your love, renew us; and in your Spirit, lead us; so that we may live and serve you in newness of life. Amen.
Absolution: Beloved of God, by the radical abundance of divine mercy we have peace with God through ☩ Christ Jesus, through whom we have obtained grace upon grace. Our sins are forgiven. Let us live now in hope. For hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Gathering Hymn: Baptized and Set Free, ELW 453,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts8A1t6p2nc
Greetings: The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. And also with you.
Kyrie:
Have mercy on us, Lord, and hear our solemn prayer. We come to hear your living word; it saves us from despair.
Have mercy on us, Christ, and wash away our sin. Pour out your grace and make us whole that new life may begin.
Have mercy on us, Lord, make sun and shame depart. Renew us with your saving pow’r, create in us new hearts!
Prayer of the Day:
O God, you direct our lives by your grace, and your words of justice and mercy reshape the world. Mold us into a people who welcome your word and serve one another, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Selection of the Faithful: Take My Life That I May Be, ELW 685,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHnIsuyeXMw
HEARING GOD’S WORD
First Reading: Jeremiah 28:5-9
5The prophet Jeremiah spoke to the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord; 6and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfill the words that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7But listen now to this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
Psalm: Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
1Your love, O Lord, forever will I sing;
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2For I am persuaded that your steadfast love is established forever;
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
3“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4‘I will establish your line forever,
and preserve your throne for all generations.’ ”
15Happy are the people who know the festal shout!
They walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.
16They rejoice daily in your name;
they are jubilant In your righteousness.
17For you are the glory of their strength,
and by your favor our might is exalted.
18Truly, our shield belongs to the Lord;
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Second Reading: Romans 6:12-23
12Do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
15What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification.
20When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21So what advantage did you then get from the things of which you now are ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Alleluia. (1 Peter 2:9)
Gospel: Matthew 10:40-42
[Jesus said to the twelve:] 40“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Children’s Sermon: Zacchaeus Song from his story in Luke 19:1-10. (Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. And as the savior passed him by, he looked up in the tree. And he said, Zacchaeus you come down for I’m going to your house today.)
SERMON
Discipleship Part 3! Two weeks ago. Jesus, moved by compassion sends out his disciples and us, two by two. We are his method, the messengers of the news that the kingdom of heaven is near. God is not sitting up in heaven, waiting for us to earn our way to him. We do not go to Him, He came to us in Jesus Christ and has opened the door to relationship. Now as his messengers, you and I extend that invitation of relationship to all people. This is revolutionary to all religions! Last week, we reflected on the implications of being sent. The reality is the kingdom of heaven will clash with the kingdom of this world and we will be caught in the battle. People were created with free will and have choice. As messengers, our responsibility is not to save them, that was done by Christ on the cross, but to faithfully proclaim the truth. God wants to be in relationship with people like you and me. God cares and shares the rules of the game that are different than the rules of this world. Loving the enemy, turning the other cheek, forgiving are just not the answer in the news today. The right thing to do is to pick up our cross, the hard thing, and refuse our inborn self centeredness. WHEW. What more is there to say? The last three verses of this talk are our text for today and talk about the rewards of being a disciple of Jesus.
Verse 40 shares, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” Let me hand you a personal letter from “the boss.” I think we use the phrase, “Don’t kill the messenger.” The person’s response to the content of the letter is really a reflection of the person’s response to the sender, not to me the carrier. God steps between me and that other person because the message is from God and I am only the messenger. The need to ask for forgiveness is not my words but God’s. I do not think that erases my responsibility as the mail person. Friendly, approachable mail people are far more attractive than grumpy mail people that throw the letter at a person. The truth is we are the messengers. So perhaps the first question facing us today is to ask how our “approach” is working? Are we focusing on getting the message across or are we focused on being liked? Are we focused on ourselves?
Let’s put some flesh on this. The Zacchaeus song we sang is built on Luke 19:1-10 What do we know about Zacchaeus? He was short, the chief tax collector and wealthy. He had little reason to need Jesus and good reason to believe that Jesus would never visit him. Too much past, too much baggage. But he was curious so he climbed a tree just to get a glimpse from afar, from a safe social distance. Zacchaeus is confronted by a moment of truth. Jesus wants to visit him. Zacchaeus has to make a decision about whether he is going to welcome Jesus into his life. The Bible says he “welcomed him gladly.”
As Jesus’ messengers, we represent Jesus and people must decide if they want to welcome us and we have to decide if we are going to share the good news. A moment of truth. My imperfections and the imperfections of the other are not important. Our excuses of being too short, too wealthy, or an outcast don’t matter. The question is the openness of the heart to receive the message of Jesus or share it.
The first part of verse 41 shares, 1Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward.” This is a little complicated. The prophets often seem to get a questionable welcome, especially when speaking truth to power. The prophet by definition is “prophesizing,” speaking God’s words and if what they say does not come true, they are killed. Like the disciples they were representatives for God.
I think of the story of the widow of Zarephath. There was drought and she went out to collect wood for her last meal with her son before they would starve to death. She was expecting death. Instead she met Elijah, a prophet from “the other tribe” (for she was Sidonian, living in the Phonecian coast and Elijah was from Israel.) who requested a drink of water and a piece of bread. 1 Kings 17:7-16. This was a moment of truth for the poor widow. How would she welcome the visitor? She had nothing the world would feel is necessary for a proper welcome. She had no husband to entertain him. She lived in poverty and probably had social rules about welcoming strangers. But she did. She shared her little and was rewarded with food to the end of the famine.
The prophets often found themselves in difficult situations but people who helped the prophets were rewarded. Perhaps we can read into this that as hard as it is to be the messenger of God’s words, the outcome for the person who receives the message is blessing.
The second half of verse 41 shares, “and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous”. This verse makes me think of Acts 10, Peter and Cornelius. Let me start by saying that we are only righteous because of Christ. None of us are righteous in and of ourselves, Rom 3:16 All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As we become part of the body of Christ, his righteousness is credited to us. This a bit of a theological debate about baptism but the base line is that we are not righteous ourselves. We are the recipient, the messenger of righteousness.
Peter and Cornelius are found in Acts 10. Cornelius is a Roman centurion, a god-fearing man living in Caesarea, praying and an angel comes and tells him to invite Peter who is visiting in Joppa. Meanwhile Peter is in Joppa, resting on a housetop, dreaming of a sheet being lowered from heaven full of animals and being commanded to eat. As he ponders the implications of the dream, Cornelius’ messengers arrive and invite Peter to meet with Cornelius. What a beautiful picture of the moment of truth involved in welcoming. Despite racial differences, despite social differences, despite the religious difference, Cornelius opens his house to Peter. He even invites all his own relatives, believing Peter is the true representative of God. Peter, on the other hand, must open his heart and break the social norms of his faith to meet with “a gentile.” This welcoming moment is pivotal in the story of Christianity. Cornelius and his household open their hearts to faith, experience the Holy Spirit, believe and are baptized. Peter returns to Jerusalem and is confronted for his actions. The young church struggles to understand but opens its door to the Gentiles. We are the inheritors, perhaps the reward of this welcome.
So let’s step back and try to get the big picture. As we are sent forth as disciples, representative of God, given a message to deliver to people we encounter, the “welcoming moment” is crucial. I must choose if I will be transparent and represent all God has helped me to be or will I put on my mask to protect me from the potential rejection I anticipate might happen? Likewise the other person must decide his or her welcome, can the person meet me with an open heart? Does welcome depend on my ability to impress you with who I am or is it an openness to heart to truth. I may be too short, have a shoddy past, be poor on the verge of starvation with no resources or I may be endowed with the status and wealth of this world but regardless of my “baggage”, will I open my heart to the message brought by a disciple, a sent one. Good news is like a glass of cold water on a hot summer day.
The reward: the other is blessed and their lives are turned around. Zacchaeus shared his wealth. The widow of Zaraphath and son were saved in the drought. Cornelius and his household believed, were baptized and the Christian church opened its doors to the Gentiles. It is possible we will be rejected, even killed but they do not reject us but He who sent us. They can kill the body but they cannot kill the soul. And ultimately I long to hear when I meet my Lord, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter in to your Father’s delight.” Amen!
Hymn of Day: All Are Welcome, ELW 641, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbyZQnPw-wk
The Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of s ins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Or you can listen to the Creed in vocal form: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuDI-sk2nJU
Prayers of Intercession
Called into unity with one another and the whole creation, let us pray for our shared world.
God of companionship, encourage our relationships with our siblings in Christ. Bless our conversations. Shape our shared future and give us hearts eager to join in a festal shout of praise. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of abundance, you make your creation thrive and grow to provide all that we need. Inspire us to care for our environment and be attuned to where the earth is crying out. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of mercy, your grace is poured out for all. Inspire authorities, judges, and politicians to act with compassion. Teach us to overcome fear with hope, meet hate with love, and welcome one another as we would welcome you. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of care, accompany all who are in deepest need. Comfort those who are sick, lonely, or abandoned. Strengthen those who are in prison or awaiting trial. Renew the spirits of all who call upon you. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of community, we give thanks for this congregation. Give us passion to embrace your mission and the vision to recognize where you are leading us. Teach us how to live more faithfully with each other. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
God of love, you gather in your embrace all who have died. Keep us steadfast in our faith and renew our trust in your promise. Hear us, O God. Your mercy is great.
Receive these prayers, O God, and those too deep for words; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Peace: If you are worship with someone else, turn and share, “The peace of Christ be with you always.” Response, “And also with you.” You might use your finger to mark you children or loved one with a cross on their forehead. If you are practicing social distancing, put your palms together blessing of them. Peace!
SHARING GOD’S MEAL
Offering Prayer: God of goodness and growth, all creation is yours, and your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. Water and word, wine and bread: these are signs of your abundant grace. Nourish us through these gifts, that we might proclaim your steadfast love in our communities and in the world, through Jesus Christ, our strength and our song. Amen.
The Great Thanksgiving:
The Lord be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We left them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give our thanks and praise.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Communion: I invite you to talk a little piece of bread and eat it. Christ is as close to you as the bread in your mouth and stomach. Always remember. Now take a sip of your drink. Christ is as close to you as the blood in your body, strengthening you. Always remember.
Prayer after Communion:
God of the welcome table, in this meal we have feasted on your goodness and have been united by your presence among us. Empower us to go forth sustained by these gifts so that we may share your neighborly love with all, through Jesus Christ, the giver of abundant life. Amen.
THE SENDING
Blessing: Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. God, the creator, ☩ Jesus, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the comforter, bless you and keep you in eternal love. Amen.
Sending Hymn: Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life, ELW 719 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myAMX7XFjnY&t
Dismissal: Go in peace. Christ is with you. Thanks be to God.
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Direction
June 27, 2020“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit…” starts verse 14 in Luke 4:14-21. If Jesus is God then why does Luke point out that he was returning to his home area in the “power” of the Holy Spirit? One Bible study technique is to read a different translation to shed light, or a different perspective. We believe the written Word is a breathing document that can be translated into any language and speak to people. The words themselves are not sacred as in the Q’ran resulting in Arabic as the universal language but the God who inspired the writing is holy. Reading a different translation is like talking to a different witness at the scene who might put a different twist on the incident. The reader in prayer goes to God then to seek truth. Anyway, I checked with the New English Translation. The NET, one of the more recent translations starts verse 14 with, “Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit,…” No big difference but there is a footnote after Spirit. “Once again Jesus is directed by the Spirit.” Power of the Spirit could be understood as directed by the Spirit. Luke goes out of his way to make clear that Jesus is moving in conjunction with the Spirit, the Trinity. Perhaps because tomorrow we will yet again talk about being sent as disciples, Christians as representatives of Jesus, I ponder the implications of Jesus being directed by the Holy Spirit.
Trinity, three in one, is a concept that is hard to explain but core to Christianity and we see it here. The implication is that the Godhead is united in what is to follow, a team. Jesus is not on assignment “earth, salvation’ while God runs the world. Jesus, the reality of God made visible and working within our human (God/man) system, is now stepping into what is to unfold. Perhaps we might also say that if Jesus, the man, was needing the power of the Holy Spirit to lead him, how much more do we need to spend time in prayer, the Word, worship seeking God’s guidance in a situation! Thirdly, again the reality that our God is able to come to us and be real to us is presented. We do not climb to God. He is able to come to us. We are teams and do not stand alone. We are instructed, not needing to be brilliant and come up with a solution. And God comes to us because he cares.
I do not know where you will be led today but I do know you do not go alone. The power of the Spirit is there to direct your paths. You need not be alone. Blessings!
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Posted by srwantabee
Prophecy
June 26, 2020In Luke 4:14-21 Jesus enters the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown and “the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed him.” Isaiah is the first major prophetic book in the Old Testament. Isaiah lived about 700 BC and according to Isaiah 1:1 prophesied during the kingship of four Judean kings, possibly for 64 years. Scholars have debated just exactly how the book of Isaiah was put together but Jesus used it for his platform. Isaiah’s wife was called “the prophetess (8:3)” and they had three sons.
So did Jesus request the scroll of the prophet Isaiah or did he plan his journey to be in Nazareth, knowing Isaiah was the given book to be read? We do know that after Ezrah, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, a system of reading Holy Scripture was established even as our Sunday texts are uniform in all Lutheran churches and mainline churches and Catholic churches around the world each Sunday. The scroll is handed to Jesus. I hear in this that Jesus, knowing his heritage, knowing his destiny did not choose to speak “out of the blue” but tied his message to a historical prophecy. He did not claim divine inspiration for something new but embedded himself in God’s continuing story being unfolded in Scripture and history.
The scroll of Isaiah, with verses sung in Handel’s Messiah, that is quoted multiple times in the New Testament, is put into the hands of Jesus and is available to me in the Bible. How does that touch my heart this morning? The continuity of God’s story, God’s word, God’s continuing communication with us touches my heart. In our world today where we “surf the web,” “channel hop” on media to find entertainment, God’s consistent message and multiple attempts to reach me are very touching. I fret when my prayers are not answered instantly and in the way I want them answered but these words encourage me that our God does not give up and is working in ways I cannot hope to understand and in ways I cannot see. I do not know where you are feeling called to stand up and speak, but sharing the truth of God’s consistent love is a good place to start. May God bless your encounters today and give you voice!
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Posted by srwantabee
Study 11 Daniel 5
June 25, 2020Daniel and his three friends are carried from Jerusalem as captives by the Babylonians, and later chosen to be educated in Babylonian culture. They are not prophet, priest, or king but ordinary people like us, working out their faith in the work place. Daniel is assigned to the group of wise men and we see him successfully interpreting dreams by King Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar’s (506 – 549 BC) first dreamt of an enormous statue with a golden head, the Babylonian empire. The King did not understand God’s sovereignty implied and had a huge golden statue made of himself. Hence the three friends in the fiery furnace. Next the King dreamt about a great tree that was cut down for 7 years. Again only Daniel of the wise men can interpret the dream. Daniel again warns the king that the king will develop boanthropy, experience himself as an ox, until he acknowledges God’s sovereignty. And so it happened. Between Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, time passes and a new king is in power. Chapter 5 opens, possibly 15 years later with another king, King Belshazzar, having a terrifying experience. No longer is it a dream. No longer is it private but in public. Again there is no understanding of the experience. The Queen remembers Daniel and Daniel’s advice is sought.
- Do you remember a time when your advice was misunderstood, perhaps a teenager consistently wanting to do it “my way.” Perhaps we have had the experience with an elder entering dementia. The struggle over the car keys is real! Can you identify with an experience like that? __________________________________
- Describe the feelings that accompany an experience of rejected advice. __________
- Let’s read this next story, noting the role of:
- King Belshazzar_________________________________
- Queen_________________________________________
- Partyers________________________________________
- Daniel__________________________________________
5 King Belshazzar made a great festival for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.
2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the vessels of gold and silver that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
- Do you think it is significant that articles dedicated to worship in the Temple in Jerusalem were used in a public drinking celebration?
- How would you describe “desecration”? ____________________
- Often we think of desecration as a violation of our personhood as our sense of public sacred places or things is not strong. Perhaps our recent demonstrations ring a bell here as places we love have been “violated.” Do you have words for such an experience?_________
5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners; and the king said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me its interpretation shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around his neck, and rank third in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.
- Perhaps you are familiar with the story but what might be a message you could receive you that would terrify you? Death of a spouse in a car accident? Diagnosis of disease? Bank crash? ____________
- A finger writing on the wall, terrified the King. What might be a modern day equivalent? __________________________________
10 The queen, when she heard the discussion of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall. The queen said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts terrify you or your face grow pale. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who is endowed with a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father he was found to have enlightenment, understanding, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”
- The queen, the wife of the king I am assuming, is an unlikely person to enter with words of direction. It reminds me of Balaam being spoken to by his donkey (Numbers 22) or the servant girls telling Namaan’s wife (2 Kings 5) about Elisha being able to cure his leprosy. Have you ever been surprised by sage advise from an unlikely source?______ Did you follow it?
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, “So you are Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard of you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that enlightenment, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and tell me its interpretation, but they were not able to give the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you are able to read the writing and tell me its interpretation, you shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around your neck, and rank third in the kingdom.”
17 Then Daniel answered in the presence of the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless I will read the writing to the king and let him know the interpretation.
- King Belshazzar does not seem to know his chief wise man? Perhaps Daniel feels “forgotten,” “overlooked” or “erased.” Perhaps the others did not want to look ignorant again. Perhaps Daniel had aged and stepped down from his responsibilities. In any case, I suspect we can identify with the feeling of being forgotten. Describe_________________________ Daniel’s response to the King seems a bit sharp.
18 O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed those he wanted to kill, kept alive those he wanted to keep alive, honored those he wanted to honor, and degraded those he wanted to degrade. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he acted proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his glory was stripped from him. 21 He was driven from human society, and his mind was made like that of an animal. His dwelling was with the wild asses, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and sets over it whomever he will. 22 And you, Belshazzar his son, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this! 23 You have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your very breath, and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honored.
- How would you describe the trajectory of Nebuchadnezzar’s life?____ How would you describe the trajectory of your life?___________________
- How has King Belshazzar gone astray?________________________
- Are there ways in which you could improve in honoring God? _______
24 “So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; 28 peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he should rank third in the kingdom.
30 That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
- Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin. “God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. You have been weighed in the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” This time there was no one year lull between prophesy and reality. That night King Belshazzar was killed and the great Babylonian empire came to an end. Pretty heavy. What lesson might we learn from this chapter of Daniel that could apply to our lives in 21st century USA?
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Posted by srwantabee
On the Way to Wonder 