Someplace Special
|
Someplace Special
|
|
|
Trust Believe Faith Trust: Hope, Believe Believe: To accept trustfully and on faith Faith: Believe, Trust Read Psalm 31 “Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. Psalm 31:2 The first words of Psalm 31 are; “Lord, I trust in you.” So much of what makes us Christian, Lutheran, depends upon these words. My very good and atheist friend would ask for a more concrete explanation of my belief in God. I am tongue tied and unable to reason or rationally explain, I would not convert him or many others. Yet, I feel in the people, animals and world around me the presence of something more divine, more design, more magical and wonderful than that which can be explained by a scientific anomaly. This is a fundamental ingredient to my faith. Putting this trust into everyday living is different altogether. I grew up on phrases like “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” and “God helps those who help themselves.” On the stairs leading to the basement of my childhood home there was a sign something like this KWITURBELIAKIN it read “Quit your belly aching.” I am self-reliant, organized and value being in control. I plan ahead, make lists and schedules. As I “grow-up” each day, I find that as my life changes, there are fewer things I can control and conversely more things that control me. There is my family, parents, in-laws, friends, employers, co-workers and even people I don’t even know who have control over my life. Some I accept willingly with joy, others with resignation and still others with resentment. At times I feel lost in this world and I don’t know how I got here. It has become my most frequent prayer that I recognize and accept with tranquility the things that I have no control over. That I not succumb to resentment, that I not fight what I can’t change and that I am more able everyday to trust that God is present in my life and working for and through me. May I live the words of Psalm 31:1, Psalm 56:3, Isaiah 30:15 ( I particularly like the part about being calm) and Proverbs 3:5 (Don’t depend on your own understanding seems important to me). Prayer God, help me to go peacefully through the day, trusting in your presence. Amen Nancy DePeters
Read Jeremiah 17:8 & Psalm 1:3 “He was like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruits in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Psalm 1:3 God made us each unique and we all learn in a variety of different ways. I have learned through people and items in our world. I learned from a five year old what trust was. She was waiting for someone to pick her up from Sunday School. When asked who was coming, her reply was “I don’t know but someone will be here”. She trusted that her parents would come. I work with the developmentally disabled. I learned from my clients that it is the small things in life that really matter. A smile, laughter, and a loving touch. I learned from a spider web that I can see different things even though I walked the same path many times before. I have learned from a tree. In an office I saw a poster which I would like to share. The title is “Advice from a Tree”. “Stand tall and proud, Sink your roots into the earth, Be content with your natural beauty, Go out on a limb, Drink plenty of water, Remember your roots. Enjoy the View.” Prayer God, keep my eyes, ears, mind and heart open to the people and items so I can learn more. I give you thanks for children, spider webs and trees. Amen Penny Paschka
Read Matthew 21: 42 “The very stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner…” In this verse, Jesus uses symbolism to illustrate his position as head of the church, the foundation of the Christian faith. Evidence in the scriptures points to the beginnings of the Christian church during Christ’s life, as opposed to an organization started by His followers after Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus is the stone that has been rejected, not by actual builders, but by the religious leaders of his time. His authority comes not from the chief priests, but from one higher, the lord God almighty. When Jesus performed his ministry, he was opposed by the Jewish leaders, who were threatened by His teachings. They refused to acknowledge that Jesus came in fulfillment of the scriptures and declared his statements to be blasphemy. Yet, the Jewish leaders were hypocrites and did not act in accordance with Judaic law and their own teachings. They preached one thing and did something else. Jesus was outraged by their behavior and condemned them repeatedly for it. At one point, he referred to the priests and scribes as “a brood of vipers.” In his ministry, Jesus confronted the practices of mainstream Judaism, but not Old Testament laws. He viewed the practices as being of man, while the laws were of God. So, He defied these practices (such as ritual washing before meals and healing on the Sabbath), and the Pharisees and scribes responded by condemning Him. Although this verse was written for a different audience at a different time in history, it still has important implications today. As Jesus did, we must evaluate popular practices, as well as the actions of our leaders, whether religious or secular. Is what we are doing or what our leaders directing serving God’s will or our own? The best way I can think of to evaluate ourselves and our leaders is by the “fruit” that is produced. To paraphrase the Bible: “A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit.” So, what are the outcomes—good or bad. That should be our directive in deciding the path that we should take. Prayer Dear Lord, help us to determine the best course of action in our lives. Help us to correctly evaluate ourselves and our leaders. Enable us to know your will and to follow your path. Amen. Debra Fridman
“---I thought he was lost--and he is found !” Read Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32 “Then Jesus told them a parable” Luke 15:3b This is one of the familiar parables in which Jesus speaks of the love of God for the lost, the story of the “Prodigal Son”. Webster's dictionary says that a “prodigal son” is a repentant waster and a prodigal is given to reckless spending, is wasteful and is a spendthrift. As we read the story, we find that the “Prodigal Son” is the younger of two sons, the one who really lives up to that description. After this son has squandered all of the inheritance that his father gave him, he returns broke and repentant. He did, finally, come to his senses; or was he just manipulative ? His father welcomed him with open arms and heart and completely forgave his undeserving son, or did he continue to “spoil” him? His brother, on the other hand, was furious and apparently jealous upon his brother’s return. No love lost there, but who could blame him ? Who do you like?? Who are you like?? --The younger son, demanding, wasteful , but maybe now repentant??? --The older son, petty and angry, but maybe just wants simple justice?? --The father, not very sensible, but is he the picture of parental love?? Lost and found. Maybe that’s the whole point. Maybe that’s who each of us really are. Lost and found !, and we are always received with the words, “Thank God you’re alive, welcome home !” Prayer Heavenly Father, guide and direct me to be thankful, to be just and to be loving so that my heart and my actions will reach out and say; “Thank God you’re alive”, that God welcomes each of us into his kingdom. Give me the wisdom to hear these words, to see the way and to follow your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In His name we pray. Amen Bill Goldbach
Read Luke 13:6-9 "Jesus spoke this parable, a man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it. He said to the keeper of the vineyard, "Look you-for the last three years I have been coming looking for fruit on this fig tree and I am still not finding any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the ground? …"Lord," he answered him, "let it be this year too, until I dig round about it, and manure it, and if it bears fruit in the coming year, well and good; but if not, you will cut it down." Luke 13:6-9 The dictionary defines a "parable" as a brief story teaching some moral lesson or truth. Parables were used by the teachers, and scribes and is a low form of speech adapted to the ignorance of the great mass of mankind. Jesus chose this form of teaching the people who were spiritually blind and deaf. The parable attracts, and if understood, is remembered, yet sometimes the meaning is lost to understand a parable it takes more than reading them once. It requires knowledge of the situation, spiritual discernment, taste, fact, and an open mind willing to receive what Jesus has to say. This parable has often been called "The parable of the Barren Fig Tree". I have also seen it titled as "The Gospel of the Other Chance and the Threat of the Last Chance." This particular parable illustrates to God's patience The fig tree had been given three years to bear fruit, but had not given any fruit, but was given another year to produce. God has provided everything for us to bear fruit, to serve. Should we not produce, we are given a second chance. It is always Jesus' way to give a man chance after chance. Further, the parable teaches that nothing which only takes out, can survive. The fig tree was drawing strength and sustenance from the soil; and in return it was producing nothing. That was precisely its sin. The parable makes it quite clear that there is a final chance. But we are also told that if we refuse chance after chance, if God's appeal and challenge come again and again in vain the day comes, not when God has shut us out, but when we by deliberate choice have shut ourselves out from God. God saves us from that. Prayer Almighty God, creator and keeper of this world and all that is in it, Help us, we pray, to know the duty you have assigned to us and to so live our lives that the world may be a better place for all your creatures, In the name of Jesus. Amen. Skip Zilker
Read Luke 4:24-30 “..the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. The got up, drove him (Jesus) out of town, and took him to the brow of a hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. But he walked through the crowd and went on his way “ Luke. 4:28-30 Several years ago as we were returning from vacation, we stopped in a small over crowded beach resort town in Canada for a late lunch and site seeing. After lunch we walked around the town until we came upon a crowed street corner. In the middle of the crowd was a young man dressed unlike the rest of us vacationers. In one hand he held a Bible and in the other he clinched a cross (for courage I supposed). I don’t remember the exact text he was using for his sermon, but I do remember that it was from Corinthians. His sermon dealt with the injustices of society. An Amos text would have been more suited to his sermon, but that’s the preacher in me. As he preached, many in the crowd became uneasy about his words of condemnation and grace. They started to curse, call him names and encourage him to get off the street and return to wherever he came. This young man, although appearing nervous, was unfazed by the harsh words from some in the crowd and continued to preach the Gospel. This young man’s experience and the text for today reminded me that there are so many people who do not desire to hear the Gospel because it makes them uncomfortable. I know there are times when I am preparing for a sermon, I moan after reading the text because I realize there are some who are not going to like what the Gospel has to say. Nonetheless, as Jesus has taught us, the Gospel must be proclaimed – the seeds of grace must be sown even at the risk of being “driven out of town (or from a street corner or pulpit) to the brow of a hill and thrown down the cliff.” The Gospel can be both a cuddling teddy bear and a savage beast. The Gospel can be comforting as well as challenging. I believe it is the calling of all Christians to proclaim the Gospel through as many mediums as possible regardless to the threat. If one none-believer comes to believe or if one who has a question finds an answer, we will have lived out our responsibility to proclaim and teach the Gospel. The challenge for us is to be more like Jesus and the young man on the street corner unfazed by deaf ears and angry voices in opposition. We, too, can walk right through the crowd on our way. Prayer O Lord, grant me the strength, courage and wisdom to proclaim and teach the Gospel in the midst of hostilities. Amen Pastor Billy
Read Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, I will tell you, not seven times, but seventy –seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22 Jesus, through out the entire New Testament, spends quite a lot of time on the subject of forgiveness. Why do you think this is so? Forgiveness is not just a act of releasing someone from a debt that is owed but also a state of mind and heart. Saying to someone else other than say your own family, “hey that’s OK you are forgiven”, takes an understanding of what God has done for you. We as Christians are always taught that the Grace that God shows us is soooo not deserved . But as we learn Gods love for us outweighs anything else. What is it that we do or say that makes God feel this way about us? Absolutely nothing, we can not do anything or say anything to earn this grace[ forgiveness] . So I feel that it is Jesus’ constant reminder to us about all these different examples of how to be forgiving are a lesson that we need to think about and incorporate this into our daily lives. When we are told in this lesson to forgive our brother seventy-seven times or seventy times seven, this is not what Jesus is trying to tell us that this is how many times we should be forgiving, but He is telling us to always be willing to forgive. If we remember always that God has forgiven YOU, then when your “brother or sister in Christ” needs your forgiveness you will give it freely and willingly. Prayer Father please make our Hearts soft and open so that when our brother or sister comes to us and asks us to be forgiven that we freely and willingly give it to them. Father, I also ask that you soften our hearts to forgive our brother or sister even before they would ask for forgiveness, so that any anger we would have towards them cannot fester in our hearts and make us cold and callus. Amen Thomas A Gardner Sr. |
|
Send mail to
webmaster@gracelutheranbuffalo.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
