Someplace Special
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Someplace Special
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Read Deuteronomy 4:9 & Matthew 5:19 ". . .make them known to your children and your children's children". Deuteronomy 4:9 The education of our children is shown here to be a command of God - he wants us to be responsible parents, adults, teachers - to assure our children and our grandchildren are taught the ways of the Lord. Bless our Sunday School teachers - I still (after ALL these many years) remember all of my Sunday School teachers and Bless them for the lessons they taught me. Matthew 5:19 says ". . . whoever teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven". I am sure the children of Grace will long remember helping Pastor Billy up from the floor after his children's sermon and having been given the opportunity as a child to assist with communion, to act as an usher and to pronounce the benediction. These little ones are our future! Prayer Dear Lord please bless all of our teachers - be they parents, grandparents, pastors or lay leaders - help us to show our appreciation of the job they do with those who will take Grace Church into the next 100 years. Amen Sue Swanson/Wittek
Read Luke 11:17 - 23 "Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them......Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your followers drive then out? So, then they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.” Luke 11:17a&19-20 January of this year I had planned to attend the Taize service at Grace for the first time. I am fairly new to this church and wanted to learn all that I can about it. Just a few hours before I was told that my 89-year-old father had died. Not quite knowing just what was happening, I found myself at church in time for the Taize to begin. I didn't know what to expect. I want to share with you what I found. Seven people other than my self were gathered in the glow of a candle lit sanctuary with a cross as the focal point along with the wise men shining to the side as though their arrival was imminent. I found peace and caring from people that really don't know me. I found God's love in the hearts of those who came. I found strength and reassurance that God had not forgotten me. I felt truly blessed to have been led to this congregation. The reading for today speaks of a united kingdom and its ability to survive. The conflict between the kingdom of God and that of the devil begins within each of us. On a minute-to-minute basis we are bombarded with negativity. That is how hard the devil has to work to keep his control. Just look at the message of the media. What about the sense of helplessness that permeates our security, both at home and around the world? Take the time to really look into the faces that you meet in a day. How many of those express depression and desperation? How many faces shine with the trust and confidence that only God's love can foster? Where is God's kingdom? Is it within you and me? Is it within the hearts of all people? If that is possible, then the battle begins with each of us. As hard as we try to protect ourselves, we are always open to the threat of one stronger than ourselves. Fear is present and where there is fear, there is no room for trust and love, God's love. Let us make the conscious effort today to invite God's presence into our every breath as He is the only ultimate protection that cannot fail. If we can unite our self with God, then we are free to join with others who have done the same. As a congregation of God's people, trusting in Him, absent of fear, and filled with His love, we can move out into our community and bring light to those who have forgotten, or have never known a life without fear. Demons can be driven out by the finger of God, then let us truly know that the kingdom of God has come to us. Thank you, God for your loving presence at Grace Lutheran Church. Prayer Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, we understand you to be united into the blessed trinity. Care for us as we struggle to unite ourselves with you and to build a congregation of caring, trusting, loving hearts who can reach out and share your love with strangers who we meet along our way. Amen Nancy Fortunato
Read Psalm 81:16 "But you would be fed with the finest of wheat.” Psalm 81:16a Every Sunday we are fed with Jesus’ body and blood which is the finest. We are fed for forgiveness and strength. Jesus told Peter to feed his sheep (John 21:15-17). He also tells us to feed his sheep. How do I feed his sheep? Do I use kind and encouraging words, do I invite others to use their gifts, do I help the hurt, lonely and hungry? When people reject being fed what is my response? I try each morning to sit and BE with Jesus. Some days we eat fish and bread together and sometimes his body and blood. It is important to take time to BE with Jesus and allow him TO FEED us so we then can FEED OTHERS. Prayer Jesus, you tell us to feed your sheep. Guide, direct and give me strength so I can feed others. Amen Penny Paschka
Read Hosea 6:6 “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice….” Hosea 6:6a The word mercy is the Hebrew word “hesed’ which means “right conduct toward one’s fellow person or loyalty to the Lord or both – the sum of what God requires of his servants.” Last year I decided to collect winter coats for kids and over the span of a couple of weeks I received 30 coats. Also last year one of our families had some personal difficulties and I asked the congregation for home furnishings and clothing for six kids. The outpouring of support was overwhelming and we ended up with far more items than we could use. In October one of our members came to me and enquired about all the extra clothing we had accumulated. She wanted to know if it was ok to start a clothing pantry to compliment our existing food pantry and of course I said yes. Single handedly she sorted clothing and on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving our clothing pantry officially opened to a steady stream of people who were in need of God’s mercy. We continue to do a brisk business with both of our pantries. There is so much need and not enough help. As I see it, God’s mercy is a two way street. God shows us mercy through his grace and we in turn share what God has given us by helping others. It is through acts of mercy that we strive to create God’s kingdom on earth. Christians should always be vigilant for opportunities to show mercy to others. Prayer Dear Lord, you have shown us your mercy the Grace of Jesus. Now we ask you to inspire us to share your mercy with others through acts of kindness. Amen Pastor Billy
Read Luke 15: 11-32 “So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20 Jesus told many parables to help His followers understand His teachings. Under Jewish law, and older son was to receive the larger share of his fathers wealth and it was not uncommon to receive it while the father was still living, When the younger son requested his share of the money, he left home, and squandered it away on frivolous living, making many wrong choices. Finally when his money was gone and he had less, than even his father's hired hands, he returned home and asked for forgiveness. I feel the important part of this story is the father's reaction to his son. How glad he was to see him, opening his arms to him, forgiving him and kissing him. Isn't this an example of how He wants us to love and forgive our children as our heavenly Father loves and will forgive us our sins, if we come to him and ask for forgiveness. Prayer Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your unconditional love for us. Help us to love and forgive others as You love and forgive us. Amen. Miriam Zilker
The New Creation Read Isaiah 65:17-18 “The new Jerusalem I make will be full of joy, and her people will be happy.” When our ancestors first arrived in the “New” World from Western Europe, they were filled with hope and anticipation. Hope for a better life, and anticipation of the unknown. When our forefathers settled in this area, they named it “New” Amsterdam. It was to be like the old Amsterdam, only better. And not only better, but richer, more vibrant and more exciting. Then they changed the name of our little part of the world to “New” York, again to instill some fond memories of their past, but also to invoke something “New”, as of yet unknown, however, certain in the fact that God had something positive in store for them. Isaiah’s words are prophetic on more than one level. His “New” Jerusalem conveys the hope we find in the grace that the Christ brought to us in everlasting life. It also infers a “New” existence, unlike anything we have ever seen or can most probably imagine. Lent brings us the excitement, the hope and the anticipation of a better life. Not only for the believers in the security of heaven, but also for us disciples right here on earth. Prayer Gracious God, help us to remember your promises of a “New” life and guide us in our daily lives that we may work to create that “New” reality here on earth. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. Jeff Storch
Read Ezekiel 47:1-9, 12 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east); and the water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. … And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah; and when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish; for this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Ezekiel 41:1, 8-9 For some reason I don’t think that Ezekiel showed up at the temple with an inflatable tube around his waist and flippers on his feet. There is that element of the unexpected in this story. For most of the book, Ezekiel the prophet is telling the people that they have sinned. Then all of a sudden he begins to tell them that they can yet have hope, but not in themselves their hope is in the one that condemns them, God. Who would expect water to flow out from under the temple; becoming a river so deep that one would have to swim through it? And who would think that the stagnant waters of the Dead Sea could be brought back to life and be teeming with fish? Yet, this water from the temple would have that power. Then again, who would have expected that God himself would have allowed the blood of his own son, Jesus, to be spilled out to save the lives of the people that rejected him? Who would’ve expected that the long awaited Messiah would be crucified? Like the water that flows from the temple the blood that flows from Jesus’ side, hands and feet has become a river that has the power to restore life every where it goes. It is an inexhaustible supply. This life-giving river flows through us each time we share the love of Christ with one of God’s children. Every one that the blood of Christ touches can be brought back to life, fresh new life. We have nothing to add, except be ready and willing to let it wash over us and make us clean. We need the blood of Christ to make us clean; there is nothing else that will. To try to cleanse ourselves with any concoction that we could make would be like trying to freshen the salty Dead Sea with salt water. In Christ, God has provided us with what we need to be made clean. Isn’t it like God to flow a river when a drop would do! Prayer Lord Jesus, let your life giving blood flow through us continuously renewing our lives and giving new life to those we meet. Amen Ron O’Hara |
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