Lenten Devotions 2008

Christ Is Risen

Matthew 28.1-10:
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.”So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Ah, and here is fulfillment…. Do you remember the angel’s word to Joseph a lifetime ago, Jesus’ lifetime ago? When He was still in His mother’s womb, an angel said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1.20-21) I wonder how Joseph thought the fledgeling, yet unborn child would do that, would save his people from their sins? Teach them wisely? Rule them gently? Certainly crucifixion was not in the scenarios Joseph may have considered. The way Jesus came into the world and the way He went out were so extraordinary they weren’t on anyone’s radar screen. Well, no one but God’s.

The “earlier” angel also quoted from the prophet Isaiah: “‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’” (Matthew 1.23) The God who walked with his people on the road to Jerusalem, who hanged on the cross for them/for us at Calvary, wa swith Mary Magdalene and with the “other” Mary, still, on the other side of the resurrection. He is with us, still, during our fifty days of Easter rejoicing and forever more. Be on the lookout for the fulfillment of the last promise He made, as well: “…remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank You for sending Your Son, our Lord Jesus, to save us from our sins. We thank You that He is Emmanuel, God with us. We join our voices with those of the angels: Christ is risen, alleluia! He is risen indeed, alleluia! Amen!

Pastor Mary Virginia Farnham

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The Day After

Luke 23:44-49:
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The first Holy Saturday had to be the emptiest and most terrifying day in history. It is the only day where the faithful were not either living in hope of the Messiah’s coming, living with Jesus as the Savior on earth, or celebrating his resurrection and eternal reign. The Gospels say very little about what the disciples and the women who followed Jesus actually did on Good Friday night and the following Saturday. I can only imagine they gathered somewhere, in disbelief, to cry and mourn and compare stories about the last few day’s events. It was probably like one of those eighth day of the week feelings you get after a personal or national tragedy. Nothing feels right. You can’t eat, sleep or concentrate. You are too devastated to think clearly about what to do next.

I bet some of them recalled Jesus’ words about rising in three days and seeing them all again. These might have compared stories about what Jesus said would happen after he suffered. Some might not have understood or believed Jesus would rise, and became depressed and terrified that they might be killed for following Jesus. Some might have felt foolish for believing in Jesus in the first place, no longer sure that he was Messiah after all. They might have expected Jesus to leap off the cross in a spectacular manner to throw the Romans out of power and establish Israel once again as a powerful nation. I bet some of them were angry with themselves for not doing more to prevent Jesus from being captured. I bet Judas got cussed out!

Holy Trinity members who keep watch in the church between the end of Good Friday services and Holy Saturday morning might experience a taste of what it was like to be one of Jesus followers after he was crucified, but before he rose. The crowd is gone, and we are left with the silence, darkness and coolness of the mostly empty church. It is a somber time that feels unlike any other time spent in the church, where there is almost always music, praise, singing, laughter or some type of activity.

This day isn’t so dramatic for us, because we know the story has such a happy ending. We spend that time preparing for the feast of Easter cooking and decorating and coloring eggs; anticipating the smell of hyacinth in the sanctuary and hearing the alleluias. The disciples and the women were in shock during those two days, but that must have made Easter Sunday even more joyous for them.

Lord, we ponder the emptiness and loss of those hours between your death and resurrection, as your followers experienced it. May we never experience such separation from you. Amen.

Susan Ardito

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In a Nutshell

John 15:12-14:
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love no one has than this, to lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.

How appropriate a verse to be chosen for Good Friday! Several years ago as one of the Confirmation guides, I suggested that this verse in particular was essentially Christianity in a nutshell. The group I was working with at that time had previously discussed how the last seven commandments were centered upon our relationships with one another, family, friends, and neighbors. Our Lord Jesus, during his brief ministry more fully explained this to both his followers, and the Pharisees, what is meant to God our Father to be a sister, brother, father, mother, friend or neighbor to one another.

Of course, Jesus meant it in a much broader context looking out upon the spectrum of the world as a whole. How poignantly Jesus instructs each and every one of us before dying upon the cross, to accept and treat each other, even total strangers, as family.

John 19:26-27: When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son! Then he said to the disciple, “behold your mother! And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.

May we as we approach these waning days of this most meditative season,reflect upon Jesus’ words for the betterment of the community, both locally and globally.

Lord, help us to look more outwardly towards the needs of others less fortunate than we as we try to comprehend the full grace of your forgiveness through the Crucifixion and Resurrection of your Son. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Karen Kosequat

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The Night Before

Mark 14:22-25:
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,” He said to them. “I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”

Recall the feeling you have the night before an event you are dreading - perhaps surgery or a funeral. You know how that feels; you can’t sleep, you lose your appetite, you can’t concentrate, butterflies in your stomach, etc. Imagine if you knew you would die a horrible death tomorrow - as Jesus knew on Holy Thursday. As God, he was fully aware of what was coming; as a human, he could experience the pain and the humiliation. It would have been easier not to know, as we do not know how and when we will die. Jesus struggled with the anguish of waiting for it all to unravel, while praying, Father, let this suffering pass from me, but only if it is your will.

Yet knowing that his disciples would betray him, fall asleep when he needed them most, and deny him, Jesus found the love and strength to celebrate a meal with them the night before he died. He gave them his last instructions to become servants of all, to love each other, and to remember him in the breaking of the bread.

We are so blessed to carry on this wonderful tradition more than two thousand years later. Every time we approach the altar to share in Holy Communion, we are carrying out Jesus’ last wish. We demonstrate our unity as believers in his powerful message when we join together in that symbolic meal of bread and wine, body and blood. I am honored to be called to eat and drink of it, and even more so, to have the honor of serving it to many of you on Saturday night services. It represents the supreme sacrifice Jesus’ life given up to save ours. Even though we betray, deny, and fall asleep as the disciples did, Jesus invites us to eat and drink with him anyway. If you come to church tonight, think of yourself as one of the disciples on that first Holy Thursday sharing a meal with Jesus as you approach the altar for Communion.

Jesus, we remember you always in the sharing of bread and wine, your body and blood sacrificed to save us from sin. Help us to endure our sleepless nights of anguish, as you did the night before you died for us. Amen.

Susan Ardito

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Jesus Is Coming - Look Busy

Philippians 4:5-8:
Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Faith, belief in and devotion to God.

Hope, a sense that something desirable will happen.

Charity, the willingness to judge people in a tolerant manner and voluntarily give materials, money or help to people in need.

Fortitude, the strength and endurance to deal with difficult or painful situations.

Justice, fairness, in the way people are treated and decisions are made.

Temperance, self-restraint in the face of temptation.

Prudence, making sure that our resources are not spent or used wastefully or thoughtlessly.

Over the last 6 weeks of Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday, I have challenged you to try to follow the Seven Heavenly Virtues while casting aside The Seven deadly sins. Hopefully you have tried during these 40 days to live the life that Jesus encouraged.

I truly think that this passage sums up what the season of Lent is for. It is a time for fasting, prayer and worship, helping (not judging) others less fortunate, inviting people to help you (and become part of a larger community) and good stewardship toward all that God has given us. In the discipline of all these things, you can hear the still, small voice of God inside yourself and see the face of Jesus in your fellow man. You will attain an inner peace that comes from communing closer with God.

We began the week with the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem with the blessing of the palms. Now we are in the midst of Holy Week, on the eve of the Triduum, the three holy days leading up to the Glory of Easter Morning. If you have never experienced the Triduum I invite and encourage you to come and worship all three days. From the washing of feet, the celebration of the last supper and the stripping of the altar on Maundy Thursday to the betrayal and crucifixion on Good Friday and then the return of light on Holy Saturday. It is a ritual of events that allows you to focus on the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for our salvation.

Dear Lord - Thank You for this opportunity to turn to You and gaze upon Your face and listen for Your voice. Let me remember Your face and words, in good times and bad. Let the knowledge that You will always be with me give me joy and comfort, now and always. Amen.

Denise & Kyle Clayton
jcdckc@verizon.net

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Love Not Anger

Proverbs 24:28-29:
28 Do not testify against your neighbor without cause,
or use your lips to deceive.
29 Do not say, “I’ll do to him as he has done to me;
I’ll pay that man back for what he did.”

When I was a child I was victim of many harmful words. Not just from the kids at school, but from my grandfather. He especially liked to say hurtful things when he thought I wasn’t within ear reach. I in turn thought that it must be okay to talk about someone I wasn’t fond of as long as they couldn’t hear what I said. I learned my lesson the hard way when the person I was speaking of heard me and continued the cycle. I then found myself the much deserving victim of another round of harmful wordplay.

The Golden Rule says do unto others as we would have them do unto us, not always a simple task. As human beings we are capable of many emotions. Anger has its way of surfacing very easily, and we want to be angry. We want to lash out. We want to hurt back. We want payback, and we want everyone and anyone to know just how angry we are despite the consequence. We need salvation. We need redemption. We need love and understanding.

Holy week has begun. On Palm Sunday we went from the procession of palms to the reading of the Passion. Jesus is betrayed, denied, beaten, and crucified. In the coming days we are going to join Jesus on His journey. We will share in the Last Supper. We will pray with Him in the garden. We will join the crowd, ordering His crucifixion. We will meet Him at the cross, our burdens bearing. As we do, take notice. No matter how painful His beatings are, how heavy the cross becomes, how blasphemous the words, Jesus will pay it all.

The resurrection is real. It really happened, and we will celebrate life. All this will happen because we have a redeemer. All this will happen because of love, the opposite of anger. Let this be a reminder that if we love one another as God loves us we will never need to say harmful words, or have the need to seek revenge. We can pay forward rather than backward.

Lord as we walk in your shadow through the darkness; let the light of Your love guide our way. Amen

Rebecca Parker
bec1971@msn.com

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True Freedom

Luke 21:8-9:
He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.

Jesus warned about deceptions but did not say when the end would come. That was not the point. His message was about the impermanance of material things. In the verses preceeding, the people were admiring the beauty of the stones that made up the temple and He said the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another. So much folly in the world is about greed for more material things: more gold; more oil; more land or whatever has current material value.

This folly, usually in the form of war and destruction, is often about desire for power over others in order to enforce one set of beliefs to replace another. History presents a long succession of wars and revolutions, cruelty and suffering. Jesus says these things must happen first. We often pray, asking God why these things must happen. Humans are flawed and commit folly because of their misplaced desires and values.

So Jesus tells us not to worry about “the end.” It is a mistake to dwell on the past beyond taking lessons from it and moving forward. It is also a mistake to be obsessed with the future. Better to pay attention to the present and be concerned with what we are doing right now, and our effect on others.

Belief in God’s goodness and love for us facilitates this kind of living. Our Faith can make us whole. When we are focused on our love of God and on our mission to do His work on earth by following His great commandment, we are living an integrated life. Our goals become clear and the superfluous falls by the wayside. We become free to live in the present and our fears diminish. This is the kind of life Jesus was suggesting to us.

Lord, as we approach commemoration of Your Son’s sacrifice and resurrection, let us be grateful and joyful for this gift of salvation.

Danielle Stanley

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You Did What?

1 John 1:8-9:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

In a different time and place …

It was not quite a public confession, but pretty close to it. We would line up and march into the Church to confession. It was a weekly occurrence.

You’ve probably seen confessionals on TV or elsewhere where you enter a booth, a partition slides open, and the profile of the priest appears. We had a few of these. But to accommodate the large number of students, these traditional confessionals were augmented by kneelers strategically placed in the open around the Church.

If luck was with you, you wouldn’t get Father M. Aside from playing golf, the only other thing I remember about him was that he yelled a lot, especially at us. On one occasion, a poor fellow sinner drew the bad lot. As he knelt in the quite of the Church with head bowed, a gruff voice chastised him loudly with “You did what?!!!”. The walk back from that kneeler in front of the class seemed like penance enough. Confession is good for the soul. Right.

Over the years I’ve grown to understand many types of sins. For instance, in a way it feels sinful just living in the excess that our country provides. An accident of birth and fortunate geography makes us and our country blessed among the world. Much like God’s love and faithfulness, we really didn’t do anything to deserve it. Maybe the more serious sin is one of omission - in not doing. All that may be needed is a kind word, a soft look, a sympathetic ear, loose change in a begging bowl. All this makes me ask “I did what?”

Dear Lord,
Thank you for your sacrifice that brought us together again in spirit. Knowing that You are ever with us, help us to live faithfully and give us the fortitude to do for others in Your name. Amen.

Dennis Dodds
ddodds@aliciasystems.com

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Empty Hands, Full Heart

Ecclesiastes 5:15:
Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.

We are born with a few basic needs: Love, nourishment, shelter and knowledge. We also develop needs to accomplish, to create, to accumulate. Any of these needs can become distorted and blown out of healthy or useful proportion. Anything can be taken to extremes. I don’t need to elaborate on this, though I could go on and on with examples. You can take each need and imagine the scenarios. We can all see examples of the results from reading the tabloids, watching television, and by observing life closer to home.

A happy life is a balanced life where all the basic needs are met and then the developed needs are met in such a way that all aspects of our daily lives work in harmony to bring about that which is good. I think most would agree that this would include peace and love within the family; caring and kindness to our neighbor; and social justice beyond that. This is just a starting point which expands to so many areas such as responsibility to the environment.

When we entered this life, those who loved us, nourished us, sheltered us and taught us, provided our first experience of God’s presence, His goodness. This was the joy of our newly awakened soul. To the measure that we use our gifts to extend this goodness to others, we echo God’s creation. This is our primary job here. It is really all that we can have that will make us happy.

As we pass out of this life, we take nothing in our hands. How would we like to be remembered? By our net worth? By our celebrated achievements? By other beings’ memories of how we loved them, helped them in times of need or sadness, or how we encouraged them to become the person they aspired to be?

Dear Lord, let the ideals of simplicity and balance that we recognize in nature, your beautiful creation, be the patterns for our lives, so that all striving to fulfill our personal needs becomes a harmonious effort toward the good of all.

Danielle Stanley

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Positively

James 3: 5-6:
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Our Confirmation Connection Youth have been preparing lately by studying the Ten Commandments according to Luther’s Small catechism. The fifth commandment was more recently the one the group analyzed You shall not murder aka Thou shalt not kill. The youth had the opportunity to listen to a professional guest speaker from within our congregation comment on positive and negative ways to communicate with others.

One of the points being made that evening is that we often belittle another individual with the way we communicate with one another. It was interesting to hear the speaker discuss how it is seldom the words we speak, rather how those words are presented to another individual whether by tone of voice, facial expression, or body language that convey the true or underlying meaning of the message. Put another way, think before you speak!

She very convincingly expressed to her audience that the attitude is everything when communicating, the more positive, the better! I believe the very same lesson is taught again in James. Choosing positive words, thoughts, expressions, and actions in our daily communications with others (accentuate the positive) can go a long way.

At this present moment, sitting by myself at my classroom computer, I am staring at a poster for the Personal Empowerment Course offered the high school students in this building entitled Barriers to Communication. Attitude, vagueness, poor timing, sarcasm, misinterpretation are all mentioned in the poster. Another poster in the same classroom in Spanish describes Empatia (empathy) ponerse en el lugar de otra persona (put yourself in another person’s place). And yet another poster in Spanish is entirely filed with palabras positivas (positive words) such as bravo, formidable, incredible, maravilloso, gracias. ( bravo, great, incredible, wonderful, thank you).

As we continue our Lenten journey this year, prayerfully, and with God’s grace, may we remember to begin and end each remaining day with the positive flame of the Holy Spirit upon our tongues and within our hearts and minds.

Lord, help us to remember to obey all of the many teachings of your commandments as we call upon the Holy Spirit to touch us with his flame each and every single moment of each and every single day. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Karen Kosequat

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Be Prepared

Matthew 24:36:
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

I can recall three dates in my lifetime when the world was sure to end. July 20, 1969; January 1, 2000 and June 6, 2006. July 1969 was the date men first walked on the moon. The millennium was another popular event for doomsday prophets. (There are records that Armageddon was also predicted in the year 1000 and 1500.) June 6, 2006 was selected regarding the mysterious 6-6-6 of Satan. In the course of recorded history, there are more than 60 other events where either scientists or religious scholars predicted the last day with great certainty. Clearly, they were all wrong.

The very attempt to predict the date and time is arrogant in light of the words of Matthew 24:36. Similar language appears in Mark 13:32 and Luke 12:40. Even Jesus and the angels do not know the exact time that God will establish his kingdom as it is meant to be for eternity. To think that we can read the Bible like a spy novel and figure out the specifics is absurd. It seems every time there is a natural disaster, a war, or a corrupt political leader, there are heretics who insist that they have the mystery all figured out. I guess they have the inside scoop that even Jesus wasn’t privy to!

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus teaches us to always be prepared for his return since we do not know when it will occur. We are advised to live our lives as though each day might be our last. There are signs that Jesus gives us to predict the end times wars, famine, earthquakes, family strife, but these events have occurred throughout history and are likely to continue until peace is finally established through God’s eternal reign. All we can do is cling to our faith, and demonstrate our love for God and neighbor as we were instructed to do. Exactly what will happen, and when it begins is for God alone to know.

God, only you know the day, the hour, and the events you have planned for your creation. Give us wisdom and discernment that we might recognize false prophets. Help us to be prepared for the time when you do come again. Amen.

Susan Ardito
Seven7seas7@yahoo.com

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The Power of Forgiveness

Luke 17:3-4:
3 Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.

If you have not yet heard of the movie, you will. Winning the Best Documentary 2007 at the Sun Valley Film Festival, The Power of Forgiveness is now a 78 minute DVD. A shortened one-hour version is scheduled to be broadcast on PBS later this month. The film explores forgiveness through the perspectives of faith traditions and proven health benefits, using stories from the heart of Amish country, Ground Zero, Northern Ireland and beyond. It features renowned Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, and Nobel peace Laureate Elie Wisel among others. Special advance screenings have already been shown at Virginia Tech, the United Nations, the Washington National Cathedral and dozens of communities nationwide.

I just know Jesus would get a kick out the press release which says: The broadcast is only one part of a national outreach effort that includes a community conversation campaign, a dedicated website, a national screening tour and the companion book with the same title from Fortress Press. The focus is on the emergent understanding of contemporary clinical and academic research that shows forgiveness is validated as having real potential for personal and spiritual transformation. I can just picture His face.

In fact, I think Jesus would get a kick out all this hoopla surrounding the business of forgiveness, even though He is not collecting the royalties. The Bible is the best-selling book in the world year after year, since forever. Yet, still we struggle a bit with forgiveness the first time someone offends us, let alone the seventh, so I, for one, will be keeping an eye on my TV guide, and hoping for a miracle, for me and for this broken world.

Loving God,
Thank you for the precious gift of your Son, who so generously and tirelessly forgives, so that I may be in a right relationship with you. Help me to share that gift of forgiveness with the patience and love that He has shown me. Amen.

Linda S. Magill
lindabythesea@yahoo.com
P.S. Check it out: www.thepowerofforgiveness.com

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Look Inside

1 John 1:8-9:
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Not too many of us claim (to ourselves) to be without sin. We know that as humans, we have built in weaknesses. For example, we become defensive out of fear and that leads to behaviors that fall short of Christ’s directive to “love one another.” We may perceive that others are doing better than we are because they may have greater incomes, more opulent homes or even multiple homes and fancier cars and just more everything. This may make us feel that we are less – less talented, less intelligent, less ambitious and then less valuable. Then what happens? We begin to judge and to find fault with others to justify what we see as our own failure. Many times, the thing we find faulty in others is the very weakness to be found in ourselves. It can be quite embarrassing but it’s a good way to find out what our own faults are.

Sometimes the weakness we criticize in another happens to be our strong point. We are proud of our strength in this area and it becomes an opportunity for us to feel really good about ourselves to compensate for other areas where we know we are not strong or successful. It may not be a bad thing to feel strong about a good quality, but if we find ourselves judging, it would be a good idea to turn it around for a good look at what’s behind the judging. What is bothering me or making me feel less, that I have to criticize. What little fear is nudging me and affecting my ability to love my neighbor?

Through prayer, we can face our faults, see our sins for what they are and partner with God to forgive ourselves. Yes, we beg God’s forgiveness and His goodness fills us with gratefulness and resolve to try again; to do better next time. We use our faith in God’s goodness to also forgive ourselves, which means to truly interiorize our cleansing from sin and believe that we will succeed next time in loving our neighbor by doing good.

Lord, you are faithful and just. Let me know my faults. Help me to avoid doing harm. Give me confidence to do good.

Danielle Stanley

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Ecclesiastes 7: 14:
When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.

Considering all people I’ve known who believe in God, most fall into one of two categories:

1. Those who praise God when things are going well, and blame God when things go wrong.
2. Those who ignore God when things are going well, and seek God when things go wrong.

My behavior tends more toward #2 than #1. I often forget how blessed I am, and fail to thank God who has provided me with so much peace and happiness in my life. My nature since childhood has been to strive for independence and self-reliance. This can slowly drift into a sinful tendency to think that I don’t need the help of God or others in my life. I’ll quickly remember who is running the show, however, when things take a turn for the worse. I learn my lesson the hard way each time a crisis arises, and I reach out to God and my family or friends. Thank God, they haven’t turned their backs on me, as I probably deserved. As it’s been said “God should be your steering wheel, not just your spare tire.”

I’ve known fewer people who tend toward #1. This typically comes out when there is a senseless crime such as a school shooting or a tragedy like September 11th. How can God let this happen? Some may hold the same grudge against God for far lesser problems such as a lost job opportunity or a failed relationship. In these cases, there is no consideration that God may have another plan, and the person becomes angry and bitter. It was recently reported that even Mother Theresa expressed some doubts about her faith in God after seeing the dire poverty and suffering in India for so many years.

The good news in this, is that God realizes that whether we seek him or blame him in a time of trial, we are acknowledging his power, and affirming our faith. He will forgive us for our doubts and our frustration. Jesus himself cried from the cross “My God, why have you forsaken me?” We know the end of that story. The suffering was not for naught. God created Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and one would be meaningless without the other.

God, thank you the blessings of a good day. Give us the strength to endure the bad days. May our joys and our struggles be a part of your plan for us. Amen.

Susan Ardito
Seven7seas7@yahoo.com

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Children of God

Matthew 28:19:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”

The little white card distributed at a meeting by Lutheran Brotherhood reads,

When you wash your face
remember your Baptism.
(Martin Luther)

This seems to be a wonderful way to begin and end each day, and keeps you mindful of your basic identity - a child of God.

Holy baptism is administered with water in the name of the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptism into the name of the triune God involves teaching the doctrine and meaning of the Trinity. The baptized are welcomed into the Body of Christ, the community which lives from “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit”.

Today, there are slightly more than 5 million baptised members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Lutherans are usually baptised when very young and don’t retain memories of the event. We do, however, remember the baptisms of our own children and children of the congregation. Therefore, we need to take seriously the promises made for the infant by the sponsors, or by those witnessing a baptism. “To bring the child to worship in God’s house, and teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments.” As they get older, we are instructed to see that they have a copy of the Bible and read (or to be read to) from it regularly, provide for the instruction in the Christian faith, “so that they may lead godly lives.” This is quite a commitment, and probably not followed through in most cases. How many children even know who their Godparents are, and how many Godparents follow up on the promises they made? Congregations are encouraged to appoint a member of the congregation as sponsor. This person serve as a mentor to the growing child and encourage participation in Sunday School, church activities, and eventually, Confirmation, which is now commonly called “Affirmation of Baptism”.

Older children and adults who have never been baptised are to be given instruction in the faith prior to the ceremony. This instruction does not end at baptism, but requires life-long learning, to continue to emphasize the ministry and mission of the community. Baptisms are traditionally performed at the beginning of a regular worship service, at a font in the midst of the congregation, by having water poured generously on the head of the candidate. Some congregations who are renovating or building choose to incorporate a font with flowing water or even a pool large enough to allow for immersion. The location of the font within the church building should express the idea of entrance into the community of faith, and should allow ample space for people to gather around. Such occasions as the Vigil of Easter, the Day of Pentecost, All Saints’ Day, and the Baptism of Our Lord are sometimes chosen for the celebration of Holy Baptism. Giving lighted candles to the parents and marking the sign of the cross on the child’s head with oil have become part of many ceremonies, but it is the water and the word that make this event one of the two Sacraments in the Lutheran church.

In Luther’s small catechism, he reminds us,

“Baptism is not water only, but it is water used together with God’s Word and by his command.” (Matthew 28:19). It is not water that does these things, but God’s Word with the water and our trust in his Word. Water by itself is only water, but with the Word of God, it is a life-giving water which by grace gives the new birth though the Holy Spirit; by the washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit, which God poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by God’s grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. This is most certainly true.”

Further, Luther writes,

“Baptism means that our sinful self, with all its evil deeds and desires, should be drowned through daily repentance; and that day after day a new self should arise to live with God in righteousness and purity forever.”

Baptism is not just an occasion to dress up the baby and have a party, nor is it simply a “naming ceremony”. Baptism is a solemn sacrament. It is the presentation of this new life to God, and the acceptance by God of this new soul into the priesthood of all believers.

Martin Luther’s Morning Prayer:

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doing and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend my self, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen

Rosemary Siniger

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A Will for Good

Luke 17:11-18:
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

To educate yourself for the feeling of gratitude means to take nothing for granted, but to always seek out and value the kind that will stand behind the action. Nothing that is done for you is a matter of course. Everything originates in a will for the good, which is directed at you. Train yourself never to put off the word or action for the expression of gratitude. Albert Schweitzer.

Albert Schweitzer’s quote about gratitude is unusual, because it places focus on the motives of the person whom should be thanked rather than on the recipient of the kind deed. What motivated Jesus to stop in the middle of his journey and cure ten lepers anyway? Did he just feel sorry for them? Did he know that this, and other miracles he performed would establish the church for the next two thousand years? Did he know that that church would save us all, not just the ten lepers? In that regard, we should thank Jesus for healing those lepers, too. They were part of the story that ultimately saves us from death and the devil.

If we don’t recognize our gifts from God, and the motives of the giver, we are behaving like the nine ungrateful ex-lepers. God stands to gain nothing by blessing us with the beauty of nature, our families and friends, our health, our food, our country, clean water, a warm bed, modern medicine, the thousands of inventions we use everyday, and the intelligence and creativity of those who invented each of them. God’s gifts to us originate in a will for good, directed at us, as Schweitzer said. We did nothing to earn them, so we should not take our blessings for granted.

Schweitzer is a good example of a man who dedicated his life to helping others, with little expectation that they would be capable of returning the favor. He worked at a missionary hospital in what is now Gabon, Africa and donated money to establish a hospital there. Wonder how many of his patients thanked him?

Dear God, thank you for the many blessings you have given us. Forgive us if we neglect to say thank you. May we learn to be like the 1, not the 9. Guide us, that we might be kind to others strictly out of a will for good directed at them. Amen.

Susan Ardito

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Appreciate Each Day

Romans 10:9-10:
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

As Lutherans, we believe that Jesus was sent by God to bring about our salvation as a gift, free and clear, not in exchange for good works but simply as saving grace through Faith. As a child accepts gifts happily and openly without any sense of shame or obligation, so we must become as children to graciously accept and welcome this great gift from God.

Remembering the quote, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief,” we would do better not to trouble ourselves with doubts about our faith. We may not always recognize our faith because we may not “feel” it at the time. Why not just accept it as a given since God wills us to have Faith and He can have anything He wills. Go from there. Feelings come and go. Air surrounds us whether we can feel it as a breeze or not. We love and desire to do good in our lives and this is proof enough.

Christ was sent to teach us His one commandment: love one another. He taught us by example. He demonstrated “the way” we must live. He emptied Himself and gave His life. When we are mindful, we recognize our actions as either meeting the standard, or failing to do so and this recognition becomes our confession. It is a constructive kind of shame which moves us to improve; to do better next time. This teaching of Jesus is part of that saving grace which propels us to do God’s wor on earth. We believe in the resurrection of Jesus and also in the resurrection of goodness in us every time we try again to obey His great commandment. The good works that show how we love one another are not the dues to earn grace, but are certainly a result of that grace.

Lord, please let me, each day, appreciate that I am saved.

Danielle Stanley

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Making Peace

Ephesians 2:11-18:
Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men) remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

The news this week is filled with stories about the ongoing violence in the Middle East. This is in stark contrast to the words Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians shortly after the death of Jesus. Christ came to unite Jew and Gentile through his message of peace and reconciliation, but thousands of years later, the hostilities continue.

It is hard to imagine what it was like to be a Gentile in the days BC. Simply by your heritage, you were not one of the chosen ones, and there was nothing you could do to change that. As a Christian, it seems unbearable to imagine that God played favorites the way he seemed to in some of the Old Testament stories. The along comes Jesus, who calls all to be united through the cross. Jesus died to save all sinners those with citizenship in Israel and the foreigners, as well. Now that all have a way to the one true God, shouldn’t the fighting and hostility cease? Oh, if all men could believe in Jesus’ message, than yes, yes, it would. But sadly enough, not all have accepted this invitation, or not all have heard the call.

Sharing the good news is forbidden in many countries in the world, and those who challenge this have been martyred. There is no perfect unity of all men in Christ, and the division lingers and grows even stronger. Men continue to fight over the earthly Jerusalem, and neglect the truth that God’s kingdom is not on this earth. Isn’t 31.7N and 35.1W is a rather small boundary for God’s kingdom?

God of heaven and earth, grant us the peace your Son died to establish among all people. Protect those who suffer under the burden of war. Bless those who risk all to share your word where it is not welcome. May we all someday be united in you. Amen.

Susan Ardito

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The Money Tree

Luke 12:32-34:
32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Sometimes we might kid ourselves that because we’re not wealthy, Jesus must be talking about sharing something else - time or talent, maybe. That would be easier. Yeah, that would work, we tell ourselves. But not today. Today he is calling us to the joy of sacrificial giving. Giving up some of our stuff - ouch!- or our daily trips to Dunkin Donuts; maybe giving a healthy chunk of our income tax return, perhaps, and make an investment in the kingdom. Thy kingdom come, we pray, but what are we giving to grow the kingdom here, on earth? Or are we praying that Thy kingdom come just for us?

For all the mighty oaks and redwoods, beautiful birches and willows that grace creation, God did not see fit to create a money tree. The money, it seems, He distributed rather disproportionately, trusting the HAVES to share with the HAVE-NOTS. So, Mom was right. Money does not grow on trees. We work hard for it and when we share it, it comes from the heart, and the heart goes with it. You must admit, that is a far more interesting, creative and purposefully designed plan than money trees.

A few years ago I was working with Lutheran Social Ministries of NJ. I began with an eye-opening tour of their 30 sites around the Garden State - including womens and mens shelters, affordable housing developments, immigration and refugee offices, nursing homes and the Lutheran Home for Children. I delight in knowing that when I place my offering in the plate, it is blessed and multiplied with the offering of 10,721 other ELCA congregations to help the HAVE NOTS here in NJ and around the world. Through my offering, my heart is with them. They will probably never meet me, but they WILL meet Jesus, and that is what growing the kingdom is all about. Who needs a money tree?

Oh, Lord,
Accept my investment in the Kingdom, I pray. It seems quite generous until I consider that it is only a small portion of all that you have given me, and only 10 percent of what the IRS returned to me. Still, I know in faith and confidence, that you will bless and multiply my offering and use it to make Thy kingdom come for those who are still waiting for you in the dark. Amen.

Linda S. Magill
lindabythesea@yahoo.com

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Father Know Best

Philippians 1: 9-11:
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ— to the glory and praise of God.

The Apostle Paul prayed that we may grow in knowledge and insight so that we can discern what is best. Wow!

Talk about an active faith walk. Not only should we continually grow in understanding but then we have to discern what’s best.

I’m not sure that I have more than a moment or two of insight a week. As for discernment, I can barely discern sour milk from fresh, let alone the subtle shades of motivation within the human heart.

Despite my personal lack of Emotional Intelligence, Paul calls me, and all Christians, back to our duty. We are called to learn, not just while we’re children, but for our entire lives. Paul prayed that our insight would run like still waters, deeply.

Can we, this Lenten season, rededicate ourselves? Can we promise ourselves and our Savior to learn, to discern, to listen to the small, quiet voice of the Spirit as we pray?

O Lord, As we race through this Lent,
Let us be filled with the fruit of righteousness.
As we run towards the bright Easter Sunday dawn,
Let us see the Promise fulfilled by the empty tomb, an empty Cross.
Remind us that our lives are lived in Your service just as Your life was given in sacrifice for our sin, to Your Glory and Praise from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen

Dennis Blazak
joyjoywrld57@msn.com

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