Sermon Texts
Nativity of our Lord, December 24-25, 2020
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Service of Lessons and Hymns
First Lutheran Church, Port Wing and Messiah Lutheran Church, Washburn
Welcome to a Christmas like no other. Even during a global pandemic, we can still worship Christ, the newborn king! In the story of Christ’s birth, the evening sky is bright with the heavenly host singing, “Glory to God in the highest.” Amid our broken world we proclaim the prince of peace is born among us. God comes to us in human flesh, in Christ’s body and blood, so we may be bearers of divine light to all the world. Let every heart prepare him room. Heaven and earth sings as the Holy Spirit moves in our hearts. This bulletin will be used and perhaps modified for the pre-recorded on-line service, parking lot service, and a shorter service at The Oaks and Northern Lights Nursing Home by Skype.
Dick Olson: The grace of the child born for us and the joy of the son given to us be with you all. And also with you. We pray, you made this holy time shine with the brightness of the true Light. Grant that here on earth, by the power of your Holy Spirit, we may walk in the light of Jesus’ presence and in the last day wake to the brightness of his glory, Amen.
Lesson: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 Christ’s birth and kingdom foretold
Hymn: “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful” ELW #283 LBW #45 sung by Jack Gunderson
Hymn: “Joy to the World” ELW #267 LBW #39 sung by Jack Gunderson
With eyes wide open and our ears on edge,
We look for shepherds and listen for the songs of angels.
In the light of winter’s moon, with the Southern Cross lighting the way,
We gather outside the church doors, wondering when we will return.
With folks and friends we love, with strangers we have just met, we gather this year
Through technology, and yet we are together through God’s uncontainable presence.
Call to Reconciliation This is the time we are reminded God loves to be with us. Yet all too often – by our choices, our words, our silence – we choose not to be with God. Join me as we pray at this holy time to the One who was born to gift us with mercy and hope.
Prayer for Forgiveness This would have been the year we were going to carol more, visit more, and
hug more, but we didn’t. This was going to be the season when we spent more time with others, but instead we spent less. This was going to be the Christmas when we took more time in personal prayer
and devotion, but some of us did less. Forgive us for what we have done and left undone. Forgive us for not loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. And draw us closer to the baby born not into wealth and power, but into poverty and weakness. Draw us to the One who loves unconditionally and welcomes all. Draw us to the One who drew near to us. Silence
Assurance of Pardon Into the valleys of our death, Jesus comes with life; into the shadows of our world, Jesus brings light; into the brokenness of our lives, Jesus brings forgiveness and peace. Thanks
be to God for the gift of the Baby of Bethlehem, who brings joy and peace to us in these moments of forgiveness and in all the days to come. Amen. © Thom M. Shuman
Lesson: Luke 1:26-38 Angel Gabriel salutes Mary
Hymn: “Angels we have heard on high” ELW #289 LBW #71
Children’s Time: “The Sheep Song” Words and Music by Jon Hove
“Away in a Manger” Duet by Karen Anderson and Pastor Nancy
John 1:1-20 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth. 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. From the Message: 1-2 The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. 14 The word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding--
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God, This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, has made God plain as day.
Let us pray: Dear Word made flesh. By the power of your Holy Spirit, cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us this day. We ask a special blessing on all those who dwell in the little towns of Port Wing, Washburn, and bless all those listening to these words. Be near us Lord Jesus, we ask you to stay close by us forever and love us we pray. Amen.
Our prayer started with this phrase, “Dear Word Made Flesh.” Take this phrase and couple it with the song title, What Child IS This? Christmas makes the most sense to me when, I hear the words in that carol, “This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing.” This is Christ the King of Love! “Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding… the silent Word made flesh is pleading.”
This song was written centuries ago. I do not know what the song writer was thinking, so let us imagine today. What might the Word made flesh be pleading? My guess is that Jesus is pleading to us to realize that Christmas is LOVE as our bulletin cover states.
What would the world be like if we could love more like the way Jesus loved?
In Dana Benson’s new Advent devotional book, The Greatest Gift, Jesse Tree Advent, The story of Christmas starts at the very beginning, Dana writes this from Dec. 21, “Can you feel it? All around us, people are preparing for something. It’s Christmas. It’s Jesus. Always has been, always will be. Look around- lights, presents, food, sharing, caring; this time of year brings out the best in people. Our hearts think of others as we connect with family and make ourselves available to help others. It really is beautiful. And all this preparing was and still is preparing the way for the Lord. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could harness the excitement and love of Christmas all year long? Preparing our hearts, reaching out to others, caring and sharing? We can, and we must…”
Dana and I talked about these words. She graciously let me be a second set of eyes for her writing. In my attempt to edit, maybe my attempt to make it more real, more relevant, I wanted to add a line to December 21 and Dana talked me out of what I wanted to do. Her reason was pretty cool. I wanted to add that it is much harder to reach out this year, during a global pandemic. I suggested to Dana, “What do you think about us naming what is the truth right now about the pandemic, even though we did mention the global pandemic in an earlier page?” I do not have Dana’s exact words so I am roughly paraphrasing, but she said something like the following to me, and I had to stop in my tracks and say, “Wow, Dana… your answer is… so Faithful!” Filled with faith.
“Yes, I get it. I know about the pandemic for sure, but, I don’t want to give any of the readers the slightest reason, to doubt what God can do. Even during this pandemic, who knows, maybe even MORE during a pandemic, rather than name how it has dampened our spirits, let’s not give that space in this book. Rather, let us give God space for what God can do and for what God is doing NOW right now. There still are efforts being made to share love this season. I just don’t want to limit or take away from what God can do and what God is doing.”
So, as I read December 21 devotion again, not as an editor, but as a person coming empty, asking God’s spirit to teach me, I recalled her faith. Dana’s faith felt humble like Mary and big like Jesus all at the same time. Let’s not limit what God can do even now. I still remember the phone call with Dana talking about how to possibly edit the Dec. 21 reading. I asked her, “What is behind your passion for Advent and your passion for this book?” She had time to talk that morning. I won’t go into all the details, but she did give me permission to say that her passion for Jesus started when she was a child. Parts of her childhood were very difficult. She did get to attend church and Sunday School and learned that God was with her always. She memorized some church songs. So, especially during the hard times, she never felt alone. To this day, it is a burning passion that Dana does all she can to help kids know that they are not alone, that God in Jesus and Holy Spirit are always with us.
God did not take away the hard stuff, but helped her get through it. She wants everyone, especially kids, to grow up knowing they are not alone. She realizes that once her own children leave home, that she has no control over what might happen to them, so she feels the best thing she can do is equip them with faith in a God who will never fail them. Thank You Dana!
In verse 2 of “What Child is This” is the line Nails, spears shall pierce him through
Nails, spear shall pierce him through…. WHY did Jesus have to die such a violent death? Because of the bigness of the faith Jesus had, and in his context, his big love got him killed. It is sort of like Dana saying, let’s not give power away to forces that hold us back. Jesus gave no power to the religious leaders of his day. Jesus gave no power to the political leaders of his day. These groups saw how Jesus upset the political hierarchy, through treating all people with equal love and dignity. Jesus totally broke sacred religious codes when he touched and healed lepers, talked with women, ate with tax collectors and sinners. Together, these powerful groups plotted successfully to have him killed because he loved too much.
He only was LOVE and in being LOVE, he showed that not even death would stop Jesus.
Love won with Jesus. Christmas is Love.
I was so struck in reading John 1 again. Pesky words get missed. This time I felt the Spirit using a yellow highlighter. In these ancient words from the gospel of John came such universal all-encompassing love. In the day of Jesus, this was Love of the leper, tax collector, and in our day, we get to fill in the blank. What child is this? This This is Christ the King of Love, whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.
We now hear Hans Veenendaal sing What Child Is This.
The Prayers We pray for Christ’s light of life to take flesh in the church, the creation, and all people.
Silence
We bring to the manger our longing for the visible unity of the church of Jesus Christ, that undivided it proclaims the one whose birth brings good news of glad tidings to all people.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We bring to the manger hope for the well-being of creation, that very soon, through a vaccination and ongoing careful behavior, we may once again gather together and share Christ’s peace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We bring to the manger a vision of the reign of the Prince of Peace, that the nations, tribes, and peoples of this world will see and cherish in each other the divine spark of God.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We bring to the manger concern for those who have no place to lay their heads and for those who dwell in the shadow of loneliness, despair, illness, or death and all we name before you. Silence
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into your outstretched arms, O God, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Jesus Christ, the light and life of the world. Amen.
And now may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. And also with you.
Offering Prayer: You came as a baby to a manger. You slept on straw and greeted shepherds. You come again in bread and wine. Remind us how good you are at blessing ordinary things. Through these gifts, help us bless the lives of others with your strength. Amen.
P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you
P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give God thanks and praise. P: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our savior Jesus Christ. In the wonder and mystery of the Word made flesh you have opened the eyes of faith to a new and radiant vision of your glory, that beholding the God made visible, we may be drawn to love the God whom we cannot see. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: O holy, holy, holy One, your lordship we confess with high hosannas, Lord, draw nigh, Your holy name we bless!
Words of Institution and the Lord’s Prayer
O Lamb of God, the sin of all, you fully take away. Have mercy on us, Lamb of God, And grant us peace, we pray.
“Oh Holy Night” sung by Jon Hove
“The Birthday of a King” sung by Jack Gunderson
Post Communion Prayer: In this meal, O God, we are renewed in soul and body. May your body and blood strengthen us in our calling to serve you, and help us proclaim the news of your redeeming love to all. In your name we pray, Amen.
Luke 2:1-20 Jim Swanson reading at First Lutheran Church
Lighting of Candles and Singing of Silent Night
Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav'nly hosts sing, Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
Silent night, holy night! Son of God, loves pure light
Radiant beams from your holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at your birth, Jesus, Lord, at your birth.
May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ Child. Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen.
Piano by Karen Anderson, Sue Grube and Owen Polifka. Fiddle by Hadley Stockwell
This pre-recorded Christmas Eve service can be viewed by going to www.firstlutheranportwing.com, www.messiahofwashburn.com or Facebook. Watch the children’s video – the live nativity scenes are amazing!
We offer two ZOOM events on Thursday, Christmas Eve and possibly one live event on Christmas Day
**At 6:30 pm we can ZOOM to sing Silent Night and light candles together. ZOOM ID# 856 2352 2028, PW-Silent. We can also participate by calling 312 626-6799, same ID, PW-176790. Tune to MN Public Radio (104.7 and 89.9) at 6:30 pm to hear Silent Night. Pastor is hosting the ZOOM. Call 715 209-1100 for help.
**At 11:00 pm we can ZOOM and watch the pre-recorded worship service together. ID # 854 1443 5302 password-Christmas, or call 312 626-6799, same ID, PW-179110377.
Christmas Day worship at the Washburn Elementary School Parking Lot at 10:30 am. We will decide by 7:00 am on Christmas Day whether or not the weather will be good enough. Call 715-373-5378 to confirm.
Thank you to Anchor Wallace for use of this bulletin cover image.
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Sunday, December 20, 2020 - Fourth Sunday in Advent - Pastor Dale P. Chesley
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Let us confess our sin: Gracious God, have mercy on us. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone. Uphold us by your Spirit so that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For these holy houses, and for all who offer their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen
Please join me as I pray the prayer of the day. The Lord be with you. Let us pray: Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. With your abundant grace and might, free us from the sin that would obstruct your mercy, that willingly we may hear your redeeming love to all the world, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 7:8-11, 16
A reading from Second Samuel:
8Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 16Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.
Word of God. Word of life.
SECOND READING: Romans 16:25-27
A reading from Romans:
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith--27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
Word of God. Word of life.
The Holy Gospel according to Luke, the first chapter.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God." 38Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
The Gospel of the Lord.
WILLING
A man was on a business trip in the south during the Christmas season and he noticed what he thought was a very unusual practice with the manger scenes. Many of them had firemen figures where in the north it was usually wise men. So, while at a local restaurant he asked the waitress about the firemen because he’d never seen that before. The waitress shook her head with a discussed look on her face and said, “You northerners don’t read the Bible do you? It clearly says in the Bible that the wise men came from afar.”
As you know, we of the north do read our Bibles and are taken in, challenged and amazed with the kind of scripture we read today about the young girl named Mary. Mary, living in Nazareth of Galilee had a visit from the angel Gabriel. Plans were already made for her to marry a man named Joseph so she wasn’t exactly a single girl. Scholars tell us that she was most likely very young, maybe even 14 years old. All the indications we have suggest that she was not part of a wealthy family. It is likely that her dreams for the future were mostly about Joseph and the children God might give them and the life they would be able to make together.
But suddenly there was this angel. The angel was calling her “favored one!” And she did not understand why. Such a greeting should have been for someone important, someone with royal blood or religious standing or even someone rich. She had to wonder why an angel was calling her “favored one.” She pondered what sort of greeting this was. There had to be a significant time of silence. Angels seem to be comfortable with silence. Yet the angel must have been anxious with the news. The angel had a message to share that was of the most important words ever spoken. He started with “Do not be afraid.” (How many of us need to hear that? It is not just angels that scare people. And our fear goes way beyond pandemic fear. The world is full of fear.) She did not need to be afraid because she had found favor with God. We know nothing about anything she might have done to earn favor with God, but that isn’t what the angel said, the angel said that she had found favor with God. In other words, the favor was in God, not in what she had done. The favor was happening in God and was given to her in a wonderful gift of grace.
Right away the angel told her what this favor meant. It meant “And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” I can imagine the music from the old TV show “Mission Impossible” playing and the words, “Your mission if you choose to accept it…” The next words are where the heart and soul of this scripture is: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
We can say that this story is more about the baby who will be born than about Mary. He is the reason for the angel’s visit. He is the One who will be the Savior. The world had been waiting for his arrival since the first sin. But the mission was going to be accomplished in such a way that he was to become flesh and so for that to happen involved the body of a woman. He was to be born into this world in the way humans are born. So an angel was visiting Mary with news of the plan of God so that she could know the will of God and be part of what God was doing in real time. The person of Jesus, the events and actions of our Savior, from his birth to the cross and the resurrection, are for all time. They are a present tense to every generation because he is the fulfillment of the promise of God, yet it happened at a particular time in history and happened in the lives of real people.
That is one of the reasons this comes home to us in such a powerful way. This is a message to the real world. It is mean for our coronavirus world that has so many other things wrong in it. It is meant to give hope for all of humankind. It is all about Jesus!
Yet, it is also about Mary. Here before us is a demonstration of how God works. God uses flesh and blood people. We often speak of “God’s work, our hands.” There is plenty of mystery here and yet there is nothing mystical about a pregnant woman and all the realities that brings to her life. Many of you listening today have had babies. As special as the birth is of one’s own baby, the birth of babies happen all the time. It’s as common a thing as there is. There are over seven billion people living on this planet right now, each one came into this world through some kind of birth process. The unique part of this story is that while Mary was being asked to do an ordinary thing, who she was to give birth to was extraordinary. For her pregnancy was to be caused by an overshadowing of the Holy Spirit so the child born would be holy and called the Son of God.
It sounds impossible. It sounds like trouble. Who is going to believe it? What dangers might there be in such a thing? The social stigma. The heart of Joseph. The disappointment of other family members. Was this a good time for this to happen for Mary? It was God’s time and with God, it was Mary’s place to simply trust. What a great demonstration of how God works in the world. The message is for real people as the Word becomes flesh, the promise of God is born a human. And a young girl, loved and cherish by God as God’s own daughter is asked to take on a lifetime role of mother for this one who was called the Son of God.
It has all the marking of a fantasy novel and it feels like it is too good to be true. Or could it be as Frederick Buechner writes, “Maybe it is too good not to be true!” This is God at work! This is the foundation that the Church has been built on. God creates and redeems the world so there is a word of salvation for you and me.
This word comes home to us in two ways. First it stands as the proclamation of what God has done in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It calls us to focus on who Jesus is and what Jesus has accomplished and how we are a part of this wonderful gift of salvation. It is a gift of grace that God gives through faith. It is a message for the ages that comes to each of us that through the work of the Holy Spirit and through the surrender of faith, by virtue of our baptism, we receive from God what only God can give.
Yet, this word is received by us in a particular time in history and it is meant to give us life in Jesus’ name. And this life is not just about the next life, a life in heaven, but is about life today. It is called eternal life for we believe it goes way beyond the beating of our hearts but it is something that grabs us in faith to make the difference in who we are today and what we do and how we live in this world. Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Mary said, “Let it be!” Mary said that she would grow that baby in her body and give birth to the Son of God. Mary said that she would be mother to him in all the ways it means to be mother. She would bear both the joy and the grief that this meant. She would live it out in her moments of time in the real world.
We were visited by the Holy Spirit in our baptism. A pastor doing angel’s work, made an announcement that we were sealed by that Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. It is another way of saying that we are favored and so our bodies belong to God and God’s purposes. In the Holy Spirit, Jesus is born by baptism, not from our bodies but to our bodies. His life, his eternal life, is given to us that we might be like Mary in using our bodies for God’s purposes. It gets lived out in the moments of our days, in real time, in real air, in real relationships. And so we participate like Mary in bearing the Son of God to the world.
Each day, we are invited to speak the words, “Let it be with me according to your word.” And from there, our lives are all about being the message of salvation that has been given in Jesus Christ our Lord, Son of God and Son of Mary. Most of us have never been visited by an angel but because Mary was visited, we too walk in the light of the salvation that is ours because of Jesus. We live on this earth and someday in the forever, as the very children of God. Amen
Hymn
Please join me in confessing our faith using the words of the Apostles’ 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 sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
With the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God’s creation.
Lord God, we pray that you will open our hearts to the call you are giving us. Show us how we can live in a way that bears the person of Jesus Christ into the world. Let us be like Mary, who said “let it be with me according to your word” when you invite us to the work of your kingdom. Come to us, Lord Jesus, that your life might be visible in who we are and what we do. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus, we pray for your world and our nation. Open a healing light that will bring us through this pandemic. Keep us safe and healthy and use the new vaccine to protect us from this deadly virus. Give us hearts like Jesus that we might do all we can to love our neighbor before we love ourselves. Take away from us everything that is sinful and destructive in our communities. Surprise us with your blessing as you state your claim on us. Make baptism our way of life as we live the grace you give us. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit, fill your Church with yourself. Empower us for prayer, for action, for change of heart, for passion full of love and with clear vision for your will. Hear the names we speak before you, those who need healing and hope for whatever is happening in their lives. ….. Heal our bodies even as you heal all of creation. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Trinity, capture us with your grace that we might be instruments of that grace. Use us to reach out to all around us with a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a welcoming smile and with your great love for each one. Empower our congregations to be the Church of Christ on this earth. Continue to prepare our hearts for your coming. Don’t let us miss it, Jesus. Let us be ready to receive the joy of our God. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen
We look to Jesus who has fed us on God’s Word to now feed us with his own body and blood.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Please join me in our 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
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Please join me in sharing the bread and the wine. Share with each other and if you are alone, then speak the words of grace to yourself:
The body of Christ, given for you / the body of Christ, given for me. Amen
The blood of Christ, shed for you / the blood of Christ, shed for me. Amen
The body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Let us pray. Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one heavenly food; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
I will leave you with a poem from one of my seminary professors, the late Gerhard E. Frost.
The Movement of Grace
Like ocean waves,
beating against wet rocks
and washing miles of shore,
so the “blessed” bear in upon me.
In them God’s mercy comes,
and always there’s more!
This is the movement of grace,
always toward me.
The inheritance seeks the heir.
It is a loving plan,
God’s plan for me,
his purpose to pursue.
I run after the good,
but the best runs after me.
The Hound of Heaven is on my trail.
(I hear the “blessed,”
and in them the baying of the Hound.)
“The only thing there’s enough of,”
and it seeks me,
not it, but he;
He seeks me; a gracious plan.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen
Be open to the voice of God calling you to action as you carry on to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God.
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Sunday, December 6, 2020 Prayers this week include
Joe Bailey from First Lutheran in Port Wing is doing very well, recovering from open heart surgery, hopes to be home by Sunday. ADD Willard Ogren, Joyce and Dave Olson
Messiah: Bev Dehn knee surgery, Melinda Merrill hip surgery, Barbie Nicols
COVID is so very real right now:
Shirley Eid died on Saturday, November 28 at 4:17 am from COVID complications
All grieving the loss of Messiah’s beloved member, Don Jenicek who died Thanksgiving Day
Now, words of Confession and Forgiveness: Together we honestly and humbly confess that we have not always lived as God desires. Silence. Loving God we confess that we are held captive by sin. In spite of our best efforts, at times we go astray. WE have not always welcomed the stranger; not always loved our neighbor, we have not been Christ to one another. Restore us, O God. Wake us up and turns us from our sin. Renew us each day in the light of Christ. Amen. People of God hear this good news: by God’s endless grace our sins are forgiven, and we are free, free from all that holds us back and free to live in the peaceable realm and reign of God. May we be strengthened in God’s love, comforted by Christ’s peace and accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Of the Father’s Love Begotten sung by Hans Veenendaal
1-Of the father’s love begotten ere the worlds began to be he is Alpha and Omega he the source, the ending he, of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see, evermore and evermore.
2-Oh, that birth forever blessed, when the virgin, full of grace, b the Holy Ghost conceiving, bore the Savior of our race. And the babe, the world’s redeemer, first revealed his sacred face, evermore and evermore. 3-This is he whom seers in old time chanted of with one accord, whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word; now he shines the long expected; let creation praise its Lord ever more and evermore. Amen.
Isaiah 40:1-5 Comfort comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low, the uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the lord shall be revealed and all people shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4 who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. 6 If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation. NRSV
2 Cor 1:3-7 The message3-5 All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.6-7 When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it. Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
Let us pray: Dear God, we humbly admit that most if not all of us long for comfort during this global pandemic. What kind of comfort do you have for us this day? Show us yourself. Show us your comfort. Amen.
We lit the second candle on the Advent wreath and it is often called a candle of peace, but because it is a global pandemic, I am going to call today’s second candle a candle of comfort. Taken from ancient words from prophet Isaiah. Comfort O comfort my people says your God. AND Isaiah 66:13 as a mother comforts, so I will comfort you
A bit of history about when this Isaiah passage was first written. In the year 587 BCE, Babylonian armies destroyed Jerusalem including the temple, This forced many of God’s people, the Israelites, to live in exile, to live not in their own land, but in captivity. These ancient words, first were referring to people who were longing for COMFORT. In these words, we find the heart of God, a longing to bring us home. “Comfort, comfort…”
When we read the Bible, we pray that it becomes a living word and we read it fresh and new. So today, what feels like captivity to you? What kind of captivity and pain are people experiencing in 2020? PAUSE Where are needs for God’s COMFORT? And how can we help? You might be surprised to know you are helping through your contributions made to the ELCA! Within our ELCA we have an organization called Lutheran Disaster Response LDR.
LDR helps those affected by hurricanes in the US and globally. We help people in South Sudan, and those affected by the Middle East and European Refugee Crisis. We help migrant children.
In the US, the LDR helps people who are seeking comfort after the losses due to Wildfires, Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding. And, the LDR helps people locally and globally who are affected by COVID-19
NOW PAUSE People who suffer with depression have told me on more than one occasion, that it hurts doubly to hear about those who have lost everything due to a disaster, because then the thought comes. I should be grateful; why can’t I kick my depression? I have more than so many. I am here today to say to you: PAUSE To God YOUR need is real. If you or someone you love feels the crushing pain of depression and anxiety, overwhelming grief, THAT pain is equally important, real to God. Where-ever you are today, hear anew words Comfort and realize it is God’s desire to offer comfort to all of the above mentioned.
And hear words from Acts 9:31 They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. I will end by reading some of 2 Cor again, from the Message translation: All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel who comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it. AMEN.
Comfort, Comfort Now My People ELW 256 sung by Jon Hove from First Lutheran in Port Wing
1“Comfort, comfort now my people; tell of peace!” So says our God.
Comfort those who sit in darkness mourning under sorrow’s load.
To God’s people now proclaim that God’s pardon waits for them.
Tell them that their war is over; God will reign in peace forever.
2-For the herald’s voice is crying in the dessert far and near,
Calling us to true repentance, since the reign of God is here.
Oh, that warning cry obey! Now prepare for God away.
Valleys, rise to greet the Savior; hills, bow down in humble favor.
3-Straight shall be what long was crooked, and the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble as befits God’s holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord now on earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token that God’s word is never broken.
Prayers of Intercession
God of power and might, comfort your people and come quickly to this weary world. Hear our prayers for everyone in need. Silence Faithful God, you teach us to wait for you with faithfulness and patience. Sustain and support us in our doubts and questions. Nurture our faith as we discern and enact your mission. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer. Steadfast God, you never tire of seeking justice. Where people suffer from discrimination, judgement, and injustice, speak words of truth and comfort. Lead us toward a world where faithfulness will sprout underfoot and righteousness rain down from above. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Lord God you ask us to make uneven ground smooth. Make even the disparities between your people. Sustain and support people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Accompany disability advocates who work for a world accessible to all. Teach us to celebrate the great diversity in our midst. Lord in your mercy. Tender God, you know sorrow and joy alike. We pray for those in our families and congregations who are not joyful in this holiday season. Comfort those who grieve, be a companion to all who are lonely, tend those who are sick or struggling with depression, and gather all people in your healing embrace. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Eternal God, we give thanks for the saints who have gone before us including those we have most recently lost including Don Jenicek and Shirley Eid. Make their generous lives an example for all. Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. And now may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. And also with you! Let us share Christ’s peace-imagining the day when we will return to passing peace in the flesh! Now, Words of Institution and Holy Communion. The Lord’s Prayer. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks Be to God! The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his fact shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you and give you peace. In the name of the Father. Son and Holy Spirit, Amen
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Sunday, November 29, 2020 - First Sunday in Advent
Prayers this week include
Joe Bailey from First Lutheran in Port Wing. Open Heart surgery on Tuesday, Dec. 1 in Duluth.
Messiah: Bev Dehn knee surgery, Melinda Merrill hip surgery, Barbie Nicols, healing
COVID is so very real right now:
Shirley Eid died on Saturday, November 28 at 4:17 am from COVID complications
All who are grieving the loss of Messiah’s beloved member, Don Jenicek who died around 2pm on Thursday. Moment of silence to offer individual prayers for comfort.
Now we will hear Jack Gunderson/Owen first Advent song Light One Candle
Now, words of Confession and Forgiveness: Together we honestly and humbly confess that we have not always lived as God desires. Silence.
Loving God we confess that we are held captive by sin. In spite of our best efforts, at times we go astray. WE have not always welcomed the stranger; not always loved our neighbor, we have not been Christ to one another. Restore us, O God. Wake us up and turns us from our sin. Renew us each day in the light of Christ. Amen. People of God hear this good news: by God’s endless grace your sins are forgiven, and you are free, free from all that holds you back and free to live in the peaceable realm and reign of God. May you be strengthened in God’s love, comforted by Christ’s peace and accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Isaiah 64: Oh that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence. (Show up and do something!) In Isaiah 64 we find a big lament that ends with vs. 8 Yet O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Dear God, from ancient times when this was written, until right now, this present moment, people have been pleading with you to come down to us. We beg you now, come to us, Oh God. Come to us. Amen.
We are not alone when we beg for God to come to us. This plea is in our songs:
O Come O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear. V2-O come O Wisdom from on high embracing all things far and nigh, in strength and beauty come and stay, teach us your will and guide our way. Refrain: Rejoice Rejoice Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
We are not alone when we beg for God to come to us. This plea is in:
-O Little town of Bethlehem, v 4 last line O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel.
-Away in a Manger: v3-Be near me Lord Jesus I ask you to stay, close by me forever and love me I pray. In our table prayer: Come Lord Jesus, be our guest. Come God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, Come!
We beg God to come, and I am here to tell you God is here- Our part is to pray. Pray with me:
God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, help me believe that you are here right now. I give myself to you. I willingly climb into your lap. Help me rest in your loving arms. Amen. Pause.
This time of year, may we remember 3 promises:
#1-God came to us in the baby Jesus. Small, vulnerable, unexpected
#2-AND God has not stopped coming to us. WHERE
Sometimes God comes to us, still, in small, vulnerable, unexpected ways
For example: Every time YOU reach out to another in love, God comes to that person, through YOU! What small things can we do in love this week that show our trust that God is with us and for us? Pause
Pr. David Lose suggests: One sacrifice we make right now is: not gathering with others when doing so risks spreading the coronavirus. YOUR Not Gathering is one way of Loving others. And, know it IS a sacrifice.
3-Third promise: Whenever and wherever we act in love, God is present.
God continues to give us God’s self. One way to respond? Climb into God’s lap and rest.
You’ll next hear the song, “In the bleak midwinter”
Sing along with Hans and especially note- the writer of this hymn realizes we often feel very inadequate, what can I give God? We learned today, we can do any act of LOVE and God is working through us,
And in this song we surrender and say, “God I give you my heart.” Amen. Let us sing.
1-In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone,
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, lo-ong a-a-go.
2-Heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God almighty, Jesus Christ.
3-What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man I would do my part,
Yet what I can, I give him, give my heart.
Oh God, tear open the heavens and come quickly to this weary world. Hear our prayers for everyone in need. Silence
We pray for all ministries where people are fed, clothed, visited, advocated for. Open our hearts to your call for justice, peace and healing. Attune us to the needs of the world as you draw near. Silence Thank you for hearing us O God.
We pray for our planet in need of restoration. As we view the stars and moon in these days around the full moon, draw us to you, O God. Renew our commitment to love and care for Mother Earth. Open our eyes to the ways we may be contributing to polluted waters, thawing ice, blazing fires, swelling floods and long lasting droughts. Silence Thank you for hearing us O God.
We pray for those who are in crises, for those without homes facing severe weather, for those who are unemployed or underemployed, for those in poverty, those facing hunger. Use us to help. Remind us that we are all in this together. Your face is in each person. Silence Thank you for hearing us O God.
We pray for those who live with depression, anxiety, chronic pain, addiction and other invisible illnesses. Show us how to ease their suffering. And we pray for all who are most recently added to our prayer chain: Melinda Merrill, Bev Dehn, Barbie Nicols, Joe Bailey, Shirley Eid and all others we name before you. silence Thank you for hearing us.
We give you thanks for the lives of those who have died, most recently we give thanks to you Oh God, for Don Jenicek. A beloved father, husband, grandfather, in-law, neighbor and friend. Bring your comfort to all who are grieving this huge loss and all other losses. Silence. Thank you for hearing our prayer, O God.
Draw near to us, O God. All these things and whatever else you see that we need we ask in your name. Amen.
And now, God’s peace be with you. Share peace.
Words of Institution. Holy Communion. Benediction
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Sunday, November 22, 2020 - Christ the King Sunday
Prayers this week include Don Jenicek, Bev Dehn knee surgery, Melinda Merrill hip surgery
Call to Reconciliation When we remember our mistakes and careless words, we have trouble looking God in the eye. But God gazes at us with mercy and love, waiting to forgive us. We confess our struggles to be faithful Jesus followers. We are called to be emptied for those who struggle, but at times we focus only on the poor choices THEY make. Have mercy on us. Open our eyes to your kingdom in our midst, so we might discover that your day of hope and grace has already come in Jesus. Silence This is the good news: God intends for us to find life, to embrace hope, to receive forgiveness through Jesus. The end of our journey is not rejection and emptiness, but the fullness of grace and hope in God. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven. Amen.
1-The Lord’s My Shepherd I’ll not want. He makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me the quiet waters by.
He leadeth me, he leadeth me the quiet waters by.
2-Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale, yet will I fear no ill;
For thou art with me, and thy rod and staff me comfort still;
For thou art with me, and thy rod and staff me comfort still.
Matthew 25 Let us pray: Dear God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, teach us to be like Jesus. Teach us to go off to the mountain or wilderness often to have quiet time alone with you in prayer. With this discipline, develop within us a wellspring from which we can draw upon no matter what the storm. A wellspring of amazing love and grace. Deepen our faith, o God through this global pandemic. Amen.
Today is called Christ the King Sunday. In the church year, today is like Dec. 31st in the regular calendar. Today is the last Sunday of the church year before the FIRST Sunday in Advent. Please be sure to come back next week for lighting of the first Advent candle which we will do every week, so Nov. 29 is the first Sunday in Advent. and this Sunday is every year called Christ the King Sunday. Christ is not a picture of what the world calls a King. Christ’s Kingdom and Kinship and Christ’s reign is almost directly opposite of how the world defines kingdom. I say that all the time, but how can you and I get this in an even deeper way? I am praying there are a few new things to share with you so that we are ever more willing to be counter cultural, the way Jesus wants us to be.
Where your attention goes, your energy flows is a slogan that reminds us that we can re-direct our thoughts. I will give two examples that have nothing to do with Christ the King Sunday, but they will help illustrate the concept. We are not our thoughts, by the way. Sometimes the thoughts that come into us are just no good, so we have to say to them, “Hey you thought, I am not going to give you any attention!”
If a loved one gets COVID-19 we will spend some time trying to figure out, how did they contract the disease? Was it that sniffly person in the grocery store? Was it at the gas station? Was it through an asymptomatic person? Who gave my loved one Covid? Where the attention goes the energy flows. I use this example because someone recently said to me, “If we spend too much time wondering who, and putting our attention on being mad or blaming them, we end up forgetting the loved one who is sick!” Where the attention goes the energy flows. With COVID 19, let’s direct our thoughts mostly if not solely on praying for our loved one to get better. And, let’s say, without any intention, our loved one got the disease from an asymptomatic friend. That person already feels badly, Let’s send everyone prayers of LOVE and let’s direct our thoughts and prayers to love and healing.
Where the attention goes the energy flows. In Al-Anon we are always re-directed to talk about ourselves and not the addict or drinker. What happens when we spend a lot of time trying to figure them out, or trying to change them? We could go crazy. Al-Anon totally uses this principle. Let’s direct our attention and energy on you. How are you doing? Where the attention goes, the energy flows.
On Christ the King Sunday, we focus on Christ as the King of Love. But, we might forget and put our attention on Jesus and wish he was all powerful, wish he might swoop down with an army, wish he would strong-arm more. But this kind of POWER OVER is the way the world defines power. Jesus is the suffering servant and is the one who teaches to love all, even enemies.
Christ the King Sunday is an amazing way to end the church year because it emphasizes how radical Jesus is. “My kingdom is not of this world,” says Jesus. Pray like this “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.” The Kingdom or Kingdom of God is actually a mindset, or a state of consciousness. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is near you, the Kingdom of God is within you!
Jesus demonstrated living in this total state of relationship with God where he had daily alone time, Jesus prayed daily alone with God, and then balanced his life with living one of service. So much so that he said in today’s gospel, when you live a life of service and you don’t even know you are doing it, when it becomes natural to Feed the hungry, Visit the lonely Clothe the naked, Visit those in prison. When it becomes second nature to do these things, these acts of service, you are inheriting the Kingdom. Because in that humble service, you are actually loving God, serving God feeding Jesus. The face of Jesus is in everyone, so of course the face of Christ will be in the lonely person.
Christ the King Sunday, we pray to direct our attention to this King of Love who lives inside of us. The king of Love my shepherd is whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine forever. Let us sing the song The King of Love…
1-The King of Love My Shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine forever.
2-Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, but yet in love he sought me,
and on his shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing brought me.
Prayers: Merciful God, much like dividing sheep and goats, we are tempted to encourage division and judgement among other people; change our hearts to see the value of each and every human life you have created and guide us toward reconciliation with one another through Jesus Christ. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Exhausted spirits and weary bodies and minds are all too common, gracious Lord; grant us the patience and strength we need to continue adapting to this new “normal” and surround us with your presence so that we know you are with us no matter how challenging things may become. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. God of creation you have given us all that we need–we thank you for your generosity and we celebrate the gifts we have been blessed with. During this week of thanks, make us mindful that we have also been called to be a blessing to others, sharing what we have so that no one goes without. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. For all who are ill, grieving, hungry, lonely, those facing addiction, pain, warfare, or abuse, and for all others who are suffering in any way including…we ask for the comfort only you can provide, loving Jesus. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Loving God, we give all these prayers to you, trusting in your mercy and grace. AMEN. God’s peace be with you all. And also with you! Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
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Sunday, November 8, 2020
All Saint’s Worship During a Global Pandemic
Our HOPE is in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
Sunday, November 8, 2020 (Rev. Thom Shuman liturgy)
Blessed are those who care for the vulnerable, for they create new communities.
Blessed are those who miss dinner in order to care for the forgotten, for they shall be filled with the manna of hope.
Blessed are those who are compassionate, even with those who rub them the wrong way, for they will be cared for by others.
Blessed are those who look out for their neighbors, for they live next door to God.
Blessed are you when others mock you, point at your mask, think you are foolish for keeping your distance, caring for others, for then you know you are a sibling of Jesus.
Blessed are all those who model faith for us in these uncertain days, weeks, months.
All Saints Prayer Dear God, we long for a saint to ease the ache in our emptiness, and then a young child hands us a handmade card. You surround us with saints in every moment, even these uncertain, confusing ones, if we but open our eyes to see. We hope to find a saintly ear, and then a friend whispers, ‘I will listen.’ We seek a saint who will overturn injustice and a tired woman sits at the front of a bus. You surround us with saints in every moment, even these days which never seem to end, if we but open our hearts to see. We hunger for a saint who will feed our hunger for gentleness, kindness & civility and a neighbor packs sandwiches filled with these gifts. We want saints to take away our worries, and a grandparent laughs and pulls us up into their lap to smother us with kisses. You surround us with saints in every moment, even these times which seem overwhelming, if we but open our souls to pay attention. Oh God, it is your HOPE which wipes away every tear, your GRACE which restores our souls, your MERCY which makes us one with you. Open our hearts & minds. Amen.
Hymn: For All The Saints ELW 422
1-For all the saints who from their labor rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!
3-Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine, we feebly struggle, they in glory shine:
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleluia! Alleluia!
6-But then there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of glory passes on his way. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Call to Reconciliation and Forgiveness God’s Table is for everyone, no matter how old or young one is; for those we think of as saints, and those we know are foolish, because we look in the mirror. For God knows that we all try, and no matter how many times we mess up, God will forgive us, quickly and mercifully. Silence
We find our way as we seek God. Overwhelmed by loneliness, we are heard when we cry out. Stumbling over our foolish choices, we find mercy when we tell all to God.
We’re no different from all we call saints, for they found life in the mercy and grace of God. We are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Matthew 5:3-11
Sermon Title: “Blessed are those who mourn”
Dear Jesus, upon our initial reading of the beatitudes, we might want to argue with you and say, I am NOT Blessed when I am grieving and crying over the many losses we are having in life right now. I am not blessed, Jesus, what are you talking about in these verses? But, Come Holy Spirit, help us dive in. Show us, bring us into the mind of Christ. Help us imagine, what the message in these verses could be. Please show us. Amen.
Today we will look at Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. This is from the sermon on the mount, the ESSENCE of Jesus’ teaching to his inner circle, his disciples. The beatitudes are most likely not given all at the same time. It is more likely that Jesus gave a long talk on each line of the beatitudes. And Matthew 5-7 is most likely a condensing of a teaching of Jesus that might have taken several days, maybe even a week-long teaching on the mountain top. At least, hours of heart to heart conversations
Two General Facts about The Beatitudes
1-At first, in the English translation, these lines sound like the “blessing” only comes in the future. But these lines when looked at in their original language suggest (in the Greek/Aramaic) this means “O the blessedness/bliss of the person here and now,” not glowing hopes of future. Something into which we have already entered. O the bliss of being a Christian here and now.
2-Blessed comes from the Greek word Makaria which means happy BUT not as we use the word. Today in our English language happiness is dependent upon circumstances. Fickle-unsteady For example. I am happy if my candidate wins. I am heartbrokenly sad/loses. JOY (or blessedness) is independent of life’s circumstances.
Christian blessedness is untouchable. No one will take your joy away from you.
Beatitude Joy seeks us through our pain. Sorrow, loss, and grief are powerless to touch this kind of joy. The blessedness is above circumstances. Let that sink in for a lifetime. Hold it. No one can take away your relationship with Jesus which is 24/7, the Jesus who breathes into us. All we are asked to do is receive. Peace I give to you.
When we look at “Blessed are those who grieve, you are comforted,” Bible scholar William Barclay-suggests that this could have at least three meanings.
1-OUR personal sorrow. 2-The pain and sorrow of others. 3-Sorrow for my sin.
1-Our personal sorrow: Blessed is the person who has endured sorrow. Sorrow moves us to compassion. Sorrow can bring people together, takes us out of ourselves and moves us to care for another. Shows the kindness of our fellow humans. AND sorrow can show us as nothing else can the comfort and the compassion of God. When things go well it is possible to live for years on the surface of things but when sorrow comes we are driven to the deep things of life. POEM “I walked a mile with Pleasure, she chattered all the way, But left me none the wiser for all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow, and never a word said she, But, oh, the things I learned from her When Sorrow walked with me!”
2) Blessed are those who are desperately sorry for the sorrow and suffering of this world. Jesus asks us to be detached from a lust of possessions, but we are never asked to detach from people and the world’s suffering. Hunger, sickness, nakedness, aloneness, Blessed are you when you do care for those who suffer. Blessed are you when you care for the needs of others.
3) Blessed are we when we grieve and morn over our own brokenness, our own sin, our own separation from God. Jesus says, Repent, Turn around, Daily confess and receive God’s new view, God’s forgiveness. Blessed are we all when we make confession and forgiveness a daily prayer as we pray in the prayer of Jesus, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of those who sin against us.”
Blessed are we when we acknowledge our own part we each play in the world’s problems. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Blessed are we when we stop blaming and finger pointing. Humbly confessing and saying God I am sorry for my sin. Paradox abounds.
Our next song is Blessed are you. We will spend the next week on these lines in the beatitudes. For today, all we can do is pray, God, help me trust that you are truly on to something and if I yield to you, then no matter what the outward events, you say that here and now, we can live with HOPE. HOPE in you. Amen.
Hymn: Blest Are They #728
1-Blest are they, the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of God. Blest are they full of sorrow; they shall be consoled. Refrain: Rejoice and be glad! Blessed are you, holy are you! Rejoice and be glad! Yours is the kingdom of God.
3-Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs. Blest are they, the pure of heart; they shall see God. Refrain.
4-Blest are they who seek peace; they are the children of God. Blest are they who suffer in faith; the glory of God is theirs. Refrain
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The God of all people be with you. May God be with you as well.
We unite our hearts. And lift our hearts to the One who fills them with grace.
On this day of remembering all the saints who helped shape our lives, (pause to remember) we join in singing with glad songs: Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to God forever and ever, Amen.
Though you alone are holy, you are still the God who leans over to wipe the tears of this pandemic from our hearts. We are blessed that Jesus has come to share your love and hope with us. We have no idea what the future will hold, but trusting that it will hold the life and grace which was poured on Jesus, we share the mystery we call faith: Because Christ died, we have life; Because Christ was raised, we have the hope of resurrection; Because Christ is our guide, we are led to the waters of life.
And when we gather with those from every nation, those from all tribes and peoples and languages, especially those who have gone through this pandemic, washing their hands, wearing their masks, setting aside their PPE, as we will all be with God, no longer isolated or quarantined, but worshiping day and night, together with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Words of Institution Lord’s Prayer
Sending Let us be God’s saints this week.
Not because we are special, but because we are called to care for those whom the world has tossed aside. Let us go now to serve with Jesus this week.
Not because we are better than those around us, but because we are called to humble ourselves in serving those whom society has forgotten.
Let us go now to journey with the Spirit this week.
Not because we have the inside track, but because we have all lost our way,
but hand in hand will be led to God’s heart. Amen.
Matthew 5:1-11 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Blessed are those in emotional turmoil: they shall be united inside by love. Healthy are those weak and overextended for their purpose, they shall feel their inner flow of strength return. Healed are those who weep for their frustrated desire; they shall see the face of fulfillment in a new form. Aligned with the One are the mourners. They shall be comforted. Tuned to the Source are those feeling deeply confused by life; they shall be returned from their wandering. Matt. 5:4 from Neil Douglas Klotz, Reflections on the original meaning of Jesus’s words.
From The Message
3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even! —for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. The Message
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Sunday, October 25, 2020 - Reformation Sunday
Readings for Sunday, October 25, Reformation Sunday
Jeremiah 31:31-34 Romans 3:22-27 John 8:31-36
The Children’s Message was little Kate and Emma Myers reading these words from a children’s book about Martin Luther: Martin Luther didn’t like what the church was teaching about faith and good works. He especially didn’t like the teaching that Christians could go to heaven faster by paying money to the church So he wrote down 95 theses explaining his disagreements, then shared them for others to read. Not everyone agreed w Martin Luther’s ideas. They were so mad that they brought him before the Holy Roman Emperor and asked Martin to take back everything he’d said. But he refused and stood by his beliefs. ML inspired a reformation of the church. Many women and men followed in Martin’s footsteps by introducing new ideas and big changes. Even today, Christians reform the church as we read the Bible, listen to the Holy Spirit, and follow Jesus in faith.
How to handle failure Let us pray: Dear God, Could it actually be true that we could live life FREE in your grace? And could this freedom FROM sin, set us free FOR love, love of God, love of self and love of neighbor? Show us this day. Amen.
Last Sunday’s theme was perseverance and I looked at three people who lived with such deep perseverance: Niles Eilertson, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and John Lewis. Originally, with today’s theme, how to handle failure, I wanted to look at RBG and John Lewis again. But, since today is Reformation Sunday, always the last Sunday in October, let us look at Martin Luther and how he dealt with failure.
Martin Luther (ML) was a failure in the eyes of his dad. Luther failed by giving up his law school studies. He had plans to be a lawyer; a career would have been very nice to care for his parents. ML went to Latin school at age 5, showed these signs that book learning came extremely easily to him. Learning languages came to him, as a gift. For those of us who see learning a second language as difficult, we can really see, he had that gift as well. But, ML was traveling during a thunder and lightning storm and thought he would die, decided to pray, “God if you spare me I will give myself to you.” He was spared, did not die, so entered training to be a monk, and eventually a priest in the Catholic church. His father was so disappointed in his son. You are giving up a great career to do what? Be a priest? Family Failure.
Spiritual failure. With many subjects including religion, we hear the main lines about the subject and think we understand it and it is only one way. Luther entered the religious training with the message that God is an angry God who demands perfection. So Luther felt like a total failure spiritually. “I am not worthy of this angry God, and there is no way I can be sinless. It is actually a dreaded religion-following a God we cannot please.” Martin Luther had these reoccurring thoughts: I am a spiritual failure before God. I will never be good enough. He handled this despair by digging into scripture, discovering things no one was teaching. Salvation is God’s love coming down. We all are sinners. None of us are worthy based on our actions deeds and thoughts. God’s love and grace are free for everyone. We can stand tall in God’s love, all because of God. Confession and Forgiveness rituals all have a similar ending line, “By God’s grace&power, I now declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins.”
ML started to see God not as angry judge but loving forgiving God. In his heart as mentioned in the Jeremiah text, God wants to give you in your heart this close relationship that is not at all about your deeds. The AHA in Jeremiah is God is already in our hearts. We are born in God. And, ML found his most significant AHA in Romans 3:23 There is no distinction since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are justified by his grace as a gift through Jesus
By reading the New Testament, Luther came to believe that, “I am not a slave to sin, I am a sinner for sure and will be until the day I die, but I live in Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who is in me, and I am in Christ.” Words from John also were strong for ML. If the Son makes you free you will be free indeed. Living for Jesus, Jesus as our rock is above all. Jesus gave ML such freedom, that he was willing to die.
Church Failure: The religious leaders of the day were teaching things ML could not agree with. So on October 31, 1517, he wrote 95 sentences with ideas to REFORM the church. He felt FREE to criticize those in power, so much so that he was willing to die. Freedom in Christ is not a little thing. I cannot recant, is what Martin Luther said before the high power of his time. I will end today’s message with you, personally, during an election year, a global pandemic for starters. How do you define failure?
-if your political candidate does not win, how do we handle that failure?
-if you or a loved one gets COVID, this is a failure in our own health, or our loved one’s health? How do we handle it if we got it because someone else failed to take precautions?
As a pastor, what do you think I am going to say? It may sound naïve and simplistic, but God, Jesus & Holy Spirit are not leaving after the presidential election. God is still with us, so, re-claim your first allegiance is to God, and trust in God. Vote, for sure, and then. Put God first. Jesus is our rock and Jesus cares about our country. ML knew the religious powers of his day were totally in collusion with the political powers. They were one, actually. He went against both powers and almost lost his life. Because with Christ in him, that is all that mattered. For him to live is Christ, to die is gain.
So on this Reformation Sunday during a global pandemic, let us reread some of these key passages such as Jeremiah 31: “I will put my law within them. I will write it on their hearts. I am your God.” God is closer than ever during this pandemic. God is here now in you. And with God fear is diminished. I will end with a story that gives us hope. I will end telling you about something The Pope recently said. He said it, knowing that some in the Catholic church would be delighted and others would have stern criticism for him. Pope Francis became the first pontiff to endorse same-sex civil unions in comments for a documentary that premiered Wednesday, sparking cheers from gay Catholics and demands for clarification from conservatives, given the Vatican’s official teaching on the issue.
The papal thumbs-up came midway through the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered at the Rome Film Festival. The film, which features fresh interviews with the pope, delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said. “You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.” As much as we are sad we cannot worship in the building and might not be able to worship in the building for quite some time due to COVID, please tell God all of your sadness and pray pray pray, Dear God You are all around us, in me. Come fill me. Amen. Think of the words and melody of this familiar hymn: The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord! (the church is not the concrete building as much as we all miss it!) Our one foundation is In CHRIST. In Jesus.
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Sunday, October 18, 2020
Perseverance Sermon for October 18, 2020
Ephesians 3: 17-19 17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; 18-19 and may you be able to feel and understand, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.
Colossians 2:7 Let your roots grow down deep into Christ and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Gospel Lesson - The wise man built his house upon the rock. From Jesus to you: Matthew 7:24-27
These words I speak are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words a few times and don’t work them into your life, you are like a foolish carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.
Let us pray: Dear God, the house built on sand was not able to withstand, not able to persevere, not able to hang in there when life’s storms came. But, the house built on the rock remained standing after the worst of storms. Show us how to build our lives upon the rock of You so that our roots grow deep, and we can persevere! In your name we pray, Amen.
Don’t you just love the above three scripture passages about perseverance? (Jesus talking about building a house on a rock, and then the two passages from Ephesians and Colossians.) It is a true joy to ponder these ancient texts. May these words stay with us and in us! It is also a joy today to talk about three people. I am definitely the student today and not the teacher. I have not had nearly the difficulties that so many other people have had. I am inspired to hear about how other people have learned how to stay with a cause for the long haul, no matter how hard things get.
Take a moment and reflect upon your own life. What hardships have you endured? death of a loved one, health issues, not able to walk, or hear well, or hear at all, not able to see, addiction, your own or others. You might ask yourself, “What kept me going?”
And now, we will hear stories from Niles Eilertson, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and John Lewis.
I talked with Niles on the telephone this past Thursday. He gave me permission to share the following love story which started when Niles was a high school Junior and Mary Ann was a Freshman. Niles was elected to be Winter Carnival King. He needed a date. He saw this really cute Freshman who then became the Winter Carnival Queen, because Niles asked her out, their first date! They were married in 1961. Niles had four years at Michigan Tech, and time in the Army overseas. He fought in the Berlin crisis.
Mary Ann was diagnosed with MS when she was in her 20’s. Her MS progressed so eventually she became a resident of Northern Lights Nursing Home and stayed there for 18 years. I asked Niles, “When people have loved ones in a nursing home, sometimes they visit sparsely, maybe monthly, and some visit weekly. How about you?” Niles visited his spouse every day he was in Washburn. He would get there between 6-7 pm, and stayed until around 10. They talked and watched TV. Niles had a van that could accommodate Mary Ann’s wheel chair so they did many trips. They followed their daughter’s sports career. They attended so many home volleyball home games that coach Wendy Meriotto had a special spot in the bleachers near the bench for Mary Ann. They took drives, visited relatives, and went to concerts in Duluth.
Then, I said, “Wow, this is such dedication, Niles. I don’t know how to ask, but what was behind this kind of dedication and perseverance?” His answer came within a half of a second. “Because I loved her. You know those wedding vows, in sickness and in health?” I’ve always wanted to talk with Niles about his wife, and never got up the courage to ask. Don’t you wonder, who else has a story like that? Let us look for stories like this one in the days ahead. For now, let’s move on to talk about…
Ruth Bader Ginsberg. What fueled her perseverance in advocating for justice for women? I hoped to read that her Jewish faith helped her, but I learned something else. Ruth’s mother died of cancer 2 days before Ruth graduated from high school. In keeping with Jewish custom of the time, Ruth was not allowed to say the mourner’s prayer for her mother as part of a minyan or quorum required for public prayer. Only men could be counted for a quorum, a tradition that has since changed in Reform and Conservative Jewish traditions.
And, even though Ruth graduated at the top of her Columbia Law School class, no law firm who would hire her because she was a woman.
By the time she was in her early 20’s Ruth was given two very powerful messages: men have more value than women in her religious faith tradition. And, men have much more value in the world of work.
What gave Ruth the perseverance to work decades for gender equality? Her personal experience of huge inequality was the fuel for her to care not only for gender equality, but also equality for minority groups, immigrants, the disabled and others. Even though she rarely attended synagogue, Ruth loved Judaism’s concern for justice and was shaped in the crucible of its minority status. Her Jewish identity formed her. Ginsburg grew up in the shadow of World War II and the Holocaust which left a deep and lasting imprint on her. “She saw being a Jew as having a place in society in which you’re always reminded you are an outsider, even when she, as a Supreme Court justice, was the ultimate insider,”
What was one more thing that helped her? Ruth listened to her mother’s advice, “Yelling is not going to bring people to your table.” She found that getting angry was a distraction, that took her off course, and lessened her effectiveness. It was as if she was thinking: “Not getting hired by ANY law firm in 1959 hit me hard. I decided to not get angry, but rather become the best law teacher I could be. Already in college and law school, I realized that as a woman, I simply would have to study harder than my male classmates, that was a given.” The blessing was that she loved studying. She realized with dogged persistence, she could make a difference. And what a difference Notorious RBG has made.
Lastly, we will talk about former congressman John Lewis who called the right to vote sacred. Even though the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, people of color were still denied the right to vote. To get the attention of this injustice, a march was planned from Selma to Montgomery which takes 5 days to walk. On Sunday, March 7, Lewis and 625 mostly all Negros started the march. They began at Brown Chapel, AME Church. At 2:18 pm they silently walked from Sylvan Street to Alabama Avenue to the Pettus Bridge. At the crest of the Bridge Lewis looked out and saw a posse of deputies.
The marchers were clubbed down. Lewis was hit in the head so hard he thought he would die. He was in the hospital for a while, but not deterred. Through many acts of bravery, including a stirring speech by President LBJ, the group marched again, this time with protection from the law. On March 21, 14 days later, John Lewis was at the front of the line, leading people to march for the right to vote. This took deep commitment and perseverance.
Lewis’s deeply religious family encouraged him to attend a college for pastors in Nashville, TN. 300 miles north of rural Alabama sat American Baptist Theological Seminary. Lewis was described as a very studious person, he wanted to learn. Both John and Ruth at very young ages, used the gifts they had. Both Short! Ruth and John did not excel on their tall stature. “I cannot stand out due to that, but I will do what I can with what I have.”
What gave John Lewis his perseverance? Same, a deep knowing that justice is not happening and I want to do what I can. There is still this kind of discrimination, tho, for people of color to endure. In 2020 after Lewis died, a 70-year-old Georgia state representative, Tommy Benton, said, “Lewis’s only claim to fame was he got conked on the head.” Other criticisms were uttered about Lewis. But I want to end today with words said at Lewis’s funeral by former President George W. Bush:
“John and I had our disagreements of course, but in the America John and I believed in, differences of opinion are inevitable. Differences of opinion are elements and evidence of democracy in action.
We the people, including congressmen and presidents, can have different views on how to perfect our union, while sharing the conviction that our nation, however flawed, is at heart a good and noble one.
We live in a better United States because of who John Lewis was and what he accomplished;
because of his abiding faith
in the power of God,
in democracy
and the power of love to lift us all to a higher ground. The story of John Lewis that began in Troy, Alabama is not ending. He lives forever with his Father in heaven and lives forever in our hearts. May we all continue walking, and acting justly, loving mercy and kindness and walk humbly. May God Bless John Lewis.”
We’ve just heard three stories of perseverance. What fueled Niles? Love. RBG and Lewis were both fueled by their deep experience of being discriminated. Justice denied fueled them.
And now I ask you, what will give you perseverance during this global pandemic?
As your pastor, I am praying that you will say you get your strength and fuel from Jesus as you grow your roots down deep into God’s love. Let me repeat Eph 3:17-19. Amen. Let us pray…..
Dear God, Wisdom, compassion, love and understanding please fill us with these. Within our circles of loved ones, help us to love for the long haul with persistence and compassion.
Dear God, help us remember a time when we have either experienced discrimination personally or seen it play out for another. Renew our passion and fuel to be agents of equality justice and love.
Dear Jesus, help us build our faith lives not on sand, but on you, the solid rock. Help us spend more time with you in reading and prayer. Teach us through this global pandemic. When it is over, by the creative Holy Spirit, may we be able to say, “Our love has grown larger for God, for ourselves, for others and for the world.” Amen.
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Sunday, October 11, 2020
ELCA Liturgical Celebration and Reconciliation of
American Indian/Alaska Natives
First Lutheran, Port Wing and Messiah Lutheran, Washburn, Wisconsin
October 11, 2020
CALL TO WORSHIP
The Spirit of God be with you. And also with you.
Come, let us worship the Creator with hearts open to all peoples,
where pride and prejudice once dwelt;
Let us worship Creator with minds open to the wisdom of Native peoples,
where listening and respect once had no place.
Let us honor the One who freely gives by showing honor
to those who were once and still remain oppressed.
Let us worship the God of diversity,
who made the world in colors, in seasons, in endless variety;
Who created the diversity of the earth's peoples in His image.
All were created to honor one another
and in so doing the Creator honored.
Let us honor Him today by reflecting in our worship
and in life His image -- love. Amen.
PRAYER TO THE FOUR DIRECTIONS
Creator, the strength of the people, we honor you. Listen to the thoughts of your people.
Together let us respect the truth of your spirit and care for your Creations to the east, to the south, to the west and to the north. Together let us live by the ways you have entrusted to us. Within the circle of life. Come Great Spirit as all are gathered in your name.
We face East: To your symbol color gold,
The place of dawning, there is beauty in the morning,
there the Seeker finds new visions as each sacred day is born.
All who honor life around them, all who honor life within,
shall shine with light and glory when the morning comes again.
And we pray, Come Holy Creator’s Spirit, Come
We turn to the South: To your symbol color red,
In the South, the place of growing there is wisdom in the earth,
Both the painful song of dying and joyful song of birth.
As the earth gives up her lifeblood so her children’s hearts may beat.
We give back to her our reverence for the holy ground beneath our feet.
And we pray, Come Holy Creator’s Spirit, Come
We turn to the West: To your symbol color black,
The place of seeing, there is born a vision of the servant of the servants,
who proclaimed The Gospel to us.
Guide us at the end of each day and fill us with your peace.
And we pray, Come Holy Creator’s Spirit, Come
We turn to the North: To your symbol color white,
We look to God our Creator who cleanses our earth with snow, wind, and rain.
To Jesus who fills us with the wideness of mercy and grace and lovingly embraces all the people.
And the Holy Spirit who comes to inspire us.
And we pray, Come Holy Creator’s Spirit, Come
Creator, you bent the earth like a bow Until it was one, round, shining planet.
At your word the land was drawn into mountains and deserts, Forests and plains;
The waters were gathered together into rivers, lakes and seas.
Many times, when people crossed these seas from other lands They broke the circle of your creation
By their greed and violence And they shattered the lives of others.
Creator, renew the circle of the earth
And turn the hearts of all people to one another;
That we and all the earth
May live and be drawn toward you
Through the power of your Son,
Who lives with you and the Holy Spirit
In the circle of the Trinity, forever One. AMEN (by Pastor Joan Conroy, Oglala Sioux)
GATHERING PRAYER
Creator, to you we give thanks in all you bring And ask for your guidance as we prepare
To open our hearts and minds. Within this sacred circle, Jesus Christ is our center
In all we do. Help us to speak with honor and respect to All people and be open to the teachings we are given. As we walk this sacred journey together with our relations,
Open our eyes to understanding, and the strength to Truly see the way to live with compassion, love and grace, for with your Spirit we can face the winds together. Amen.
A reading from Isaiah 40.29-31 29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
WOV 779 On Eagle’s Wings 1-You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in this shadow for life, say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!” Refrain: And I will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of my hand. 3-For to the angels God’s given a command to guard you in all of your ways; upon their hands they will bear you up, let you dash your foot against a stone. Refrain
The Holy Gospel according to John 17:20-23 “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Message: Elder Wisdom, The following notes are from our guest speaker,
Denise Sweet who shared with us these “universal expressions of a system of beliefs”
The Earth is our Mother. The Sky is our Father. Every being, both animate and inanimate, is a child of this universe.
We cannot deny or rise above that parentage. We can try but no good will come of that denial or resistance to the truth.
Harmony and balance is present everywhere in creation. So is chaos and turbulence. They can exist simultaneously in the greater scheme of things. We understand this.
Creator is vast and human beings often struggle with this fact. We simply do not have the capacity to fully comprehend the Supreme Being of all living things. It is difficult to fully grasp the immensity of energy, light and love that is bestowed upon us by the Creator. We don’t know and we should not care that we don’t know. No good will come of individuals insisting that their explanation or their version ought to be defined as the Truth, capital T. A Great Mystery and we are OK with that! Among over 500 nations of Indigenous people in North America alone, there are an equal number of distinct languages- languages that tell their own versions of their Origin Account or Creation Story. Over 500 different stories about how the world came to be. Native people accept the concept of simultaneous creation; that is, creation sprang forth from numerous locations, not a single occasion. We respect the version among the Iroquois of The Woman Who Fell From The Sky as much as the Anishinaabe hold dear the Emergence Account from the waters.
All things being equal, Women and Men are to be respected for their leadership, roles, and responsibilities. However, women are the center of the cultures. No one questions that. The Northern Cheyenne say that a nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground. Then it’s finished. No matter how brave its warriors, no matter how strong their weapons.
We must keep our homes sacred. We need a place that is free of ill-will or danger. Our hearts cannot thrive under the threat of violence. Likewise, we must always receive visitors with sincere hospitality. We give them the best food, the most comfortable chair, the warmest bed, even if we have to sleep on the floor. When we send them on their travels, we pray for their safe travel and ask them to come back soon.
We live our lives in a good light, striving to be examples of sincere empathy and compassion. In doing so, it is not our place to eradicate evil. We must never let evil draw us into itself, to consume us. Overcome evil with good.
We must live our lives in terms of the 7th Generation. Children are our sacred promise. My grandson-how much he loves his native language. We make decisions by consensus as much as possible. We try to govern ourselves as to what is right and wrong. We work together and make a big effort to listen to marginalized voices. We want to be of one mind. Repeat Number One: The Earth is our Mother, the Sky is our Father. If we love the sky, the waterways, all living beings. If we love this Earth, the earth will love us back.
WOV 748 Bind Us Together Bind us together Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together Lord. Bind us together Lord; bind us together in love. There is only one God. There is one Creator, There is only one Body; that is why we can sing. Bind us together Lord, bind us together Lord, bind us together in love.
CREED STATEMENT
We believe in Creator, Father-Mother Spirit, who called the world and all that is in it, into being, who spoke the creative-forming word, and all came forth who created women and men and set them free to live in love, in obedience to the will of supreme love and in community with all.
We believe in Creator, Son and Brother, who, because of love beyond our understanding, love for creation, entered the world to share our humanity, to rejoice and to despair; to set before us the paths of life and death, and walk them with us; to be rejected and die, but finally to conquer death and bind the world to himself for all time.
We believe in Creator, In-Dwelling Spirit, who invites us into community, that we may through faith and that community of oneness, experience uplifting and sustaining grace; that we may fulfill our human responsibility to reach out to our neighbor, whoever that may be; that we may rejoice in the constant nature of creation and the wondrous joy of life itself.
We believe in Creator, whose word teaches us that all things grow together, the Circle of Life; that the paths of life and death, good and evil, too often come together, that choices are not clearly defined; but that we confidently and responsibly tread the path we choose and only the true One can be our judge.
We believe in Creator, who is present and working in this world through all creation. AMEN
(Lutheran Church of the Wilderness Liturgy, Bowler WI, Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation)
Creator and Redeemer, As we approach you in prayer, Make us walk in beauty and balance.
Make us open our hearts and minds. Make us speak the truth. We pray first for your Community, the Church, The Body of Christ. We pray for all our relatives in the circle of life, throughout all Creation;
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God:
An excerpt from the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery from the Churchwide Assembly in 2016. “To repudiate explicitly and clearly the European-derived doctrine of discovery as an example of the “improper mixing of the power of the church and the power of the sword”, and to acknowledge and repent from this church’s complicity in the evils of colonialism in the Americas, which continue to harm tribal governments and individual tribal members.
Christians have often focused on what separated them from Native people rather than looking for what united them. Their failures to find a uniting front resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Native people and the forced assimilation of people. We deeply regret the decisions that resulted in these atrocities. Following the 2016 Resolution we affirm that our congregation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will eliminate the doctrine of discovery from its language and programs, electing to practice accompaniment with native peoples instead of a missionary endeavor. We pray that our partnerships are mutually enriching.
O God of mercy, we lament that even good actions of reform and renewal had often unintended negative consequences.
We bring before you the burdens of the guilt of the past when our forbearers did not follow your will that all be one in the truth of the gospel. Teach us and show us the way.
We confess our own ways of thinking and acting that perpetuate the divisions of the past. As communities and as individuals, we build many walls around us: mental, spiritual, physical and political walls that result in discrimination and violence.
Forgive us, Lord. Teach us and show us the way.
Christ is our peace, who breaks down the walls that divide, who gives us, through the Holy Spirit, ever-new beginnings. Teach us and show us the way.
In Christ, we receive forgiveness and reconciliation and we are strengthened for a faithful and common witness in our time. Teach us and show us the way.
We pause now to add our own prayers, either silently or aloud.
Creator, you made the world and declared it to be good:
The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air,
The fragrance of the grass speaks to us;
The summit of the mountains, the thunder of the sky,
The rhythm of the lakes speaks to us;
The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning,
The dewdrops on the flower speak to us.
But above all, our heart soars, for you speak to us
In your Son, Jesus Christ,
In whose name we offer these prayers. AMEN
As a community let us embrace the ongoing work of reconciliation.
God makes peace within us. Let us claim it.
God makes peace between us. Let us share it.
Let us make reconciliation visible by greeting each other as a sign of God’s peace, love, forgiveness and grace. The peace of our Creator be with you in all things. We give thanks to our Creator.
You are invited to share peace with a smile and/or peace sign during this COVID time.
A reading of the names of those in the parking lot today.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Spirit of God be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Grandfather, you have called us to honor presence of your Son in this feast of sacred food and drink. We are honored also by your invitation and we wish to bring the gift of ourselves to you in joy.
THE LORD’S PRAYER And now we say the Nez Perce version of the Lord’s Prayer:
Oh Great Spirit, You are our Shepherd Chief, In the most high place whose home is everywhere, Even beyond the stars and moon. Whatever You want done let it be done everywhere. Give us Your gift of bread day by day. Forgive our wrongs as we forgive those who wrong us.
Take us away from wrong doings. Free us from all evil, For everything belongs to You. Let your power and glory shine forever. Amen (Written by Hattie Corbett Enos -Nez Perce Elder)
So, come to this table,
You who have much faith and you who would like to have more.
You who have been to this sacrament often,
And you who have not been for a long time.
You who have tried to follow Jesus, and you who have failed.
Come. It is Christ who invites us to meet him here.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
1-Let us break bread together on our knees
Let us break bread together on our knees
When I fall on my knees with my face toward the rising sun
Oh Lord, have mercy on me.
2-Let us drink wine together on our knees.
DISTRIBUTION
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER Jesus Christ, our leader, you are the Son of the Creator. We will live as you have taught us. We will follow your commandments. Watch over us. Speak to us from the trees, from the grass and herbs, from the breeze, from the passing rain, from the passing thunder and the deep waters. Before us there is beauty, behind us there is beauty. Allow us to walk a long life in happiness, completed in beauty.
Creator together our breath is a prayer to you. As we prepare to leave this sacred space, give us your peace as our time together in this sacred and holy space is done. Grant us rest on this earth, and give us rest we get to heaven once our time on your wondrous Creation is finished. AMEN
Great Spirit, our Creator God, look upon these faces gathered in holy community together and send them anywhere you would have them go, so that they may embody the word of reconciliation through their actions. Walk with them so that they may face the winds of change and walk the good road.
Enlighten them. Sustain them. May God our Creator be with you this day and always.
Go in peace. Thanks be to God.
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Denise Sweet has offered to lead us in a Talking Circle for ongoing conversation. Join Denise and Pastor Nancy on Zoom on Wednesday, October 14, 6:30-7:30 pm
Zoom ID is 842 0416 7394
PW 646974
Or call 1 312 6266799
Call Pastor at 715 209-1100 if any questions
WOV 779 On Eagle’s Wings 1-You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in this shadow for life, say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!” Refrain: And I will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of my hand. 3-For to the angels God’s given a command to guard you in all of your ways; upon their hands they will bear you up, let you dash your foot against a stone. Refrain
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Sunday, October 4, 2020 - "Lord, make us instruments of your peace."
Good Morning! This is for Sunday, October 4. I cannot thank you enough for being with me through the internet or written sermons during this global pandemic. Your efforts to stay connected with God-time either alone, or with someone, is so great. Thank you. And pray with me right now, Dear God, help us get through this pandemic even stronger in our faith in YOU, and our faith that your presence is uncontainable, and we CAN be a body of Christ through your Holy Spirit. Amen. Church leaders are saying that since COVID, we do get to be together with folks from anywhere, other states like Hawaii and Alaska, and even other countries! So to you all, Thank you. We are the body of Christ together.
Today is first Sunday in October. Traditionally we commemorate St. Francis. We often “Bless Animals” and talk about St. Francis. We pray the prayer attributed to St. Frances: Lord, make us instruments of Your peace; where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine master, grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. In your name we pray, Amen. Let us all commit to praying this prayer daily from now until November 3, and beyond.
Title of today’s message is: Lord, make us instruments of your peace
Scripture for today’s message comes from the beatitudes listed in Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. In Neil Douglas-Klotz’s book Prayers of the Cosmos, Reflections on the Original Meaning of Jesus’s Words are these ideas about Matthew 5:9 Blessed are those who plant peace each season; they shall be named the children of God. Healthy are those who strike the note that unites; they shall be remembered as rays of the One Unity. Aligned with the One are those who prepare the ground for all tranquil gatherings; they shall become fountains of Livingness.
Integrated are those who joyfully knit themselves together within; they shall be stamped with the seal of cosmic Identity. Healed are those who bear the fruit of sympathy and safety for all; they shall hasten the coming of God’s new creation. And, Romans 12:18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
What happens in America every four years? Presidential Election. This has been true forever, right? Reminisce about all of the presidential elections. I will give you the name along with the year he became president: 1929-Herbert Hoover, 1933 Franklin Roosevelt, 1945 Harry Truman 1953 Dwight Eisenhower, 1961 John F Kennedy, 1963 Lyndon Johnson, 1969 Richard Nixon, 1974 Gerald Ford, 1977 Jimmy Carter, 1981 Ronald Reagan, 1989 George Bush, 1993 Bill Clinton, 2001 George W. Bush, 2009 Barack Obama, 2017 Donald Trump. Images come to you, right? “Oh yeah, I remember when so and so ran against so and so…”
This year is an election year. Maybe more heated than ever, but, we do expect it by now, don’t we? Yard signs, exaggerated promises, and sadly, exaggerated slander. Many say: “I can’t take any more of this. I can’t wait until it is all over.” And, “If the other side wins, I don’t think our country will survive.” Come back to scripture please: Blessed are the peace makers. As far as it depends on you, live peaceably. Lastly, pray this prayer daily: Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Wedge issues are designed to divide us. When candidates are campaigning, they often talk about issues. Sometimes, these issues have been crafted so that just by saying a word such as abortion or homosexuality, these complex situations become wedge issues designed to split us apart, to get people to take sides. When, in reality, if people sit down and talk about the complexities, when people hear real-life stories, they quickly find that these situations cannot be boiled down to a sound-bite of good or bad.
Consider the possibility, that we are not as divided as a country as those who make the ads, (those who offer opinions on TV, radio and in print) would like us to believe. In fact, we have real life examples of people who have vastly differing political views getting along. I’d like to highlight some of these leaders. Two parishioners asked me to lift up leaders in today’s world who can inspire and give us hope that no matter where you stand politically, you do not have to stoop to cutting and tearing down the other. Most currently, we as a nation have grieved the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) who died on Sept. 17 and U.S. Congressman John Lewis who died on July 17.
Stay with me please. Hold the scripture as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with one another. I’ll first talk about RBG and her relationship with Justice Scalia. They were complete and total opposites ideologically. At times they read each other’s briefs and arguments. And, they so highly disagreed, at a higher level than most of us can even think. And then what? They still respected each other, found other things they could agree upon: Music, Food, Travel. The two along with their spouses had many meals together and truly cared for each other for decades. Listen to a few quotes:
RBG: It was my great good fortune to have known him (Scalia) as a working colleague and treasured friend.
Scalia: She likes opera and she’s a very nice person. What’s not to like, except her views on the law?
Scalia’s son tells this story. One year Scalia gave RBG two dozen roses for her birthday. The son asked his dad why. Scalia replied, “Some things are more important than votes.”
RBG: I disagreed with most of what he said, but I loved the way he said it.
And perhaps something more telling than anything is how we can be as a country. Listen to these amazing statistics when voting in these two Supreme Court Justices.
One is known for way liberal views, one known for more conservative views and still:
In 1986 Scalia was confirmed by a 98-0 vote and Ginsburg was confirmed in 1993 by a 96-3 vote. WOW-This is how we can be! Lord make us instruments of your peace…
Another leader is U. S. Congressman John Lewis. It was a global pandemic, and with so much in the news, his passing came and went, but alas, we have the internet. So just this week, I watched some of his funeral. And I want to quote to you some of what former President George W. Bush said at John Lewis’s funeral. I loved it because today we honor St. Francis and his love of animals, not just pets, but animals of all kinds.
President Bush started his remarks at John Lewis’s funeral talking about John as a very young boy. John Lewis’s job was to tend the chickens. Now from President Bush: “Called to be a minister at a young age, John fed and tended to his chicken’s spiritual needs. John baptized, married and preached to those chickens. One night, when he learned that it was chicken for supper, young child, John, refused to eat one of his flock. This was his first act of nonviolent protest! John later said that his first congregation of chickens listened to him more closely than many of his colleagues in congress. But John grew up and saw his role as preaching the gospel, the good news of Jesus that asks us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly.”
President Bush said a lot of really great things in his six-minute eulogy, and ended with this, “John and I had our disagreements of course, but in the America John and I believed in, differences of opinion are inevitable, differences of opinion are elements and evidence of democracy in action. We the people, including congressmen and presidents, can have different views on how to perfect our union, while sharing the conviction that our nation, however flawed, is at heart a good and noble one. We live in a better United States because of who John Lewis was and what he accomplished; because of his abiding faith in the power of God, in the power of democracy and in the power of love to lift us all to a higher ground. The story of John Lewis that began in Troy, Alabama is not ending. He lives forever with his Father in heaven and lives forever in our hearts, so that we all continue walking and acting justly, loving mercy and kindness and walking humbly with our God.
May God Bless John Lewis.”
These two modern day leaders lived out of their faith. They both knew by heart the scripture from the OT book, Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” This scripture guided them so deeply. Please join with me and pray that you can also be a leader in these weeks now before the presidential election. Amen. Now “Lord make me an instrument of your peace” sung by Nan Faith singing in her apple orchard.
Prayers Holy Communion Benediction Be a peacemaker
Announcements of upcoming Sunday sermon topics:
October 11- Guest speaker Dee Sweet tells us about Native American spirituality and values
October 18 Things take time. Scripture and stories of how RBG and John Lewis kept going for decades on the slow path to change.
October 25 How to handle defeat Scripture and stories of how RBG and John Lewis handled many defeats. November 1 Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson
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Sunday, September 27, 2020 - "Blessing Hunters, Gatherers and Anglers"
Welcome to a very special service. Today I am filming this on the land of someone who owns lakeshore property, so you can see and hear the lake right in front of me.
Dear God, we commit this service to you. And we gather to celebrate our baptisms, renew our vows, and welcome our newest member, Jane Elizabeth Myers. May all our words, thoughts, song and silence bring you glory this day. In your name we pray, Amen.
Bless all who GATHER
Genesis 1:11-13 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
Praise and Thanksgiving ELW 689 LBW 409
1-Praise and thanksgiving, God we would offer, for all things living, created good;
Harvest of sown fields, fruits of the orchard, hay from the mown fields, blossom and wood.
2-God bless the labor we bring to serve you, that with our neighbor we may be fed.
Sowing or tilling, we would work with you, harvesting, milling for daily bread.
3-Fa-ther, providing food for your children, by Wisdom’s guiding teach us to share,
One with another, so that rejoicing, with us all others may know your care.
For the Beauty of The Earth ELW 879 LBW 561
1-For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth over and around us lies;
Refrain: Christ, our God, to thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise.
2-For the wonder of each hour, of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light; Refrain
4-For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above; for all gentle thoughts and mild. Refrain
Bless all who FISH, men and women, girls and boys
John 21:3-6 “I’m going out to fish,” said Simon Peter. They said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
The gospel of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let us pray:
Dear God, You came to love, heal and forgive. We actually don’t read too much about you being here to help us catch fish! But today, we hear about an abundant catch. What’s going on? Come Holy Spirit Come! In your name, Amen.
When you first hear this story from the Bible, you might wonder. “Is Nancy going to tell us that if we take Jesus in the boat with us, we will get more fish?” It is a funny question, and you are already HOPING that is not what I am going to say! If I said that we are having a bless the hunters, gatherers and anglers service so that they all can be more successful and have better crops and larger catches, it starts to sound like, asking for a blessing is equal to making God sort of like a genie in a bottle!
I LOVE this Bible story – so we can really look at who God is and what is prayer.
IN a way, I run a risk every time I say, “Do you have any specific prayer concerns?” And to go a little deeper, let’s really look at today’s service. It is not unlikely that some might say to me:
“Well, Pastor, yeah please pray that I catch a lot of fish, Get my deer on the first day, that my nephew gets his deer, that our garden is plentiful Please pray that we are spared from this hail storm that is predicted.” So far, these prayers sound understandable…right?
Or what? Do you see where I am going… Who is God? What is prayer?
In scripture we know… God invites and desires and wants us to pray: Jesus prayed! In so many scriptures, we are encouraged to: ask seek knock! Call to me and I will answer…. So God desires a 24/7 relationship with us for sure.
What is prayer? It is God’s invitation to us to stay in relationship with God. Prayer is where we listen, we are silent, we pray the way Jesus prayed which includes, “Not my will, but Your will be done.” Prayer is sometimes defined in acronyms: ACTS adoration, confession, thanksgiving & supplication, or PRAY-praise, repent, ask, yield. Is it OK to ask God to help us catch fish? Sure. As long as we realize that prayer is much more than that.
And if not a genie in a bottle, who is God? I invite you to join me in being humble. Let us consider that we will never be able to contain or totally define God. For today I offer to you this broad idea. God is the source of love. God has many names. As Christians, we say God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. In our scriptures God is described at times as a mother, a redeemer, a lover, a protector, comforter, good shepherd and as I give you this partial list, you are thinking, “Oh yeah, God IS uncontainable, and the descriptive words are endless…”
Today’s Bible story seems to go amazingly well with the scripture text that Bishop Laurie selected to include at the end of her Sept 24 letter from 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
The message of Jesus, who died on the cross is the power of God. God has power for sure. Is it the miraculous power to drum up a large catch of fish? I will not say no. However, the power of God, is so much more. And as mentioned in 1 Corinthians, the power of God is seen in Jesus, who died for us. And why did he die? Because he loved so much, loved too much, loved everyone, so much so that the religious and political leaders could not handle him! So much so that they successfully plotted to have him murdered, on a cross.
There is power in this relationship we are invited to have with Jesus. But it is not power as defined by the world’s standards. The power of giving our lives over to Jesus is a power that allows us to die to ourselves, to die to our ego. To pray daily, “If it is your will, if it pleases you, But, not my will, YOUR will. God, I really don’t know what the best thing is. What I do know is that I want to please you.”
We can BLESS the hunters gatherers and anglers today for sure.
God Bless All of you who do these things. May you have a bountiful harvest, a good hunt and lots of fish.
What if, though, there is a more powerful thing that happens when you Hunt Fish and Gather, even more spectacular than something measured in numbers? This question reminds me of a story I heard from Jared when he said he and Sarah like it that we get to have baptism on the same Sunday we are blessing the hunters, anglers and gatherers. I asked him why. Jared said something like this:
“Well, in baptism, we are going to be looking at our child, Jane. And Pastor, I’ve got to tell you, as a parent, when we see our children, as tiny babies and in each stage of growing up.
We see God.
We see a miracle.
We are brought to tears.
And when I hunt in a deer stand, and it is still, quiet, only me and nature
I see God
I experience God in nature so profoundly…
God is present in a powerful way, in a beautiful way
Creation leaves me speechless…
Back to the gospel, the new disciples get skunked in fishing. Jesus sees them, tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. They then get such a load of fish that they are worried their nets will break, their boat might sink. Yes, it is a great catch. What happens next in this story? Not too far after this great catch, Jesus tells them, “I will make you fishers of men. If you follow me!” Amen.
Song WOV #817 You Who Come Down to the Lakeshore
1-You have come down to the lakeshore, Seeking neither the wise or the wealthy,
but only asking for me to follow.
Chorus: Sweet Lord, you have looked into my eyes; kindly smiling you’ve called out my name.
On the sand I have abandoned my small boat; now with you, I will seek other seas.
2- You know full well what I have Lord: neither treasure nor weapons for conquest,
just these my fish nets and will for working. Chorus
3- You need my hands, my exhaustion, working love for the rest of the weary,
a love that’s willing to go on loving. Chorus
Bless all who HUNT, women and men, girls and boys
Genesis 27:3 Now then, get your equipment, your quiver and bow, and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. WOV #780 What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine
1-What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms.
CHORUS Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
2-When we hunters go, in the field to hunt, leaning on the everlasting arms
We find God in-the, sun, stars, air and trees
Leaning on the everlasting arms. CHORUS
The service of Holy Baptism for Jane Elizabeth Myers
Holy Communion - Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Announcements *Sunday, October 11 is our next outdoor worship service
9:00 am Washburn Elementary School Parking Lot & 10:45 am Port Wing Town Hall Pavilion
Near Indigenous People’s Day, we take October 11 to celebrate Native American wisdom from guest speaker Dee Sweet, a retired, tenured university professor who recently moved to Bayfield. She will tell us about Native American values and spirituality. Her message will be online also.
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Sunday, September 20 text from the online version
Good Morning! Thank you for being with me! A few announcements:
Covid Safe Outdoor Services:
Sundays in Sept. 27
First Lutheran - Port Wing Pavilion, Town Hall, 10:45 am
Messiah – Washburn Elementary School parking lot 9:00 am
Theme: Bless the Hunters Sunday at both services, and at Messiah, Baptism of Jane Myers
Both church councils met past week. Both are taking these next weeks to write a detailed plan for in-house worship with all precautions. Please call me 715 209-1100 or a council member should you want to give us your input. We want to hear from you. Clergy Zoom yesterday, ELCA churches from Superior, Poplar, Bayfield and Ashland… all over the map! All praying to hear God’s voice of wisdom, compassion, love and understanding.
There IS Holy Communion today- PAUSE to get bread and wine or juice. Holly Communion by the internet is not our first choice. Uncontainable presence of Jesus. Remember that word. Jesus is with us in the bread, in the wine!
Greeting May the God who created space and time, journeyed with us in human form, and travels with us still, be with you all. And also with you.
Matthew 20:1-16 in The Message. God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work.
3-5 “Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.
5-6 “He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’
7 “They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’“He told them to go to work in his vineyard.
8 “When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’
9-12 “Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’
13-15 “He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’
16 “Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”
Title of today’s message is “Generosity of Thought”
Let us pray: Dear God, transform us by the renewing of our minds. In your name we pray, Amen.
Transform us by the renewing of our minds. This line comes from Roman 12:1 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed…Be changed! Wow.
I was changed on Tuesday of this past week. I was transformed. My mind was changed by someone who practiced this thing I am calling Generosity of Thought. Here’s what happened. I read this article:
GREEN BAY, WIS. (AP) — Catholic dioceses across the state are lifting the Sunday dispensation which means parishioners are once again obligated to attend Mass.
Catholic churches lifted the obligation and stopped holding in-person Mass when coronavirus cases started growing in mid-March. Masses were once again held in-person at 25% capacity in June, but the dispensation was still in place. The dispensation officially ends mid-September.
The diocese says there are circumstances when it’s OK not to follow the obligation including when someone is ill, is taking care of someone who is ill, there isn’t room to safely worship, or if a person has grave fear of contracting COVID-19.
Rev. John Girotti of the Diocese of Green Bay says the obligation is a gentle nudge to return to church.
Girotti says the Diocese of Green Bay has two main reasons why the time is right for Catholics to return to church. One, the diocese believes it knows how to keep people safe from the coronavirus and the other is the need to worship together, he said.
“Six months is a long time and we need to get back to it,” Girotti said.
Precautions that have been in place throughout the pandemic remain. People should social distance, every other pew is blocked off to help with that, and people are urged to wear masks.
After reading this article, I asked my running buddy Teena Racheli, what is this about? I have never heard of mandatory church attendance!
She said something like this, “I could give you a cynical answer or a tender answer.” As a former Catholic, as one who grew up Catholic, said Teena, and I’m pretty sure it is still this way, for many Catholics, receiving the Mass from a priest is absolutely holy. In this tradition, it cannot really be replaced. The six months is just too long.
As I reflect upon her tender, caring, generous words, I am still transformed. And, I also notice, if I hang on to her explanation, I don’t have room in my brain to go to cynicism. And, now with time, I realize, “Of course, what Teena said is true at least some of the time.” The other reasons could be partly true also for some, and so what? If I only focus on how it is still not safe to come into the church building, then I am not being generous to this group – even if I don’t necesarriily agree with what they are doing.
I am thrilled to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. THRILLED. And, all of us know at least one Catholic, right? Most Catholics we know, know at least one Lutheran, right? How do we hold people of other denominations? How do we want to hold each other? I am going to exaggerate to make a point.
Do we want to have the things that stand out in our minds, the things that keep us apart, such as “Oh those Catholics, I’m still mad at them because someone shamed me because I ate meat on a Friday. I am going to hold on to that one thing and still be mad. Or, “Those Lutherans xyz I am going to hold on to that and…”
OR, do you pray to be transformed by the renewing of your mind and say something like, “Oh yeah, there are differences in all of the Christian denominations. Big Differences for sure. But today, I choose to focus on my favorite Catholic friend and focus on the big fact that we both believe in and love Jesus. Amen. I choose to stay there.
Well, this sermon called Generosity of Thought is based on Matthew 20:1-19. Especially the last line Hear it from The Message “Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous? Here it is again, The Great Reversal many of the first ending up last and the last first.” (Or Why are you envious in NRSV.)
We read this together at text study also on Tuesday. One said, “This last shall be first stuff I like the part where the last gets to be first, especially when I am toward the last. But if I happen to work hard and actually get to be first in line, THEN, I am not so fond of this concept.”
Another said, “This great reversal that we find in the way Jesus often teaches, is probably meant to help us get unstuck. It might be meant to help us feel uncomfortable. I almost think Jesus wants us to feel uncomfortable… with this story, so that we can be…
What? Transformed! By the renewing of our minds.
How can it happen? Even to take the story totally literally and make it modern day and personal. YOU, you yes you, you who are listening, and me, N. Let’s put this story on ourselves today. Berry picking. Larry Jorstad still has a few black berries and he wants to get them all picked today. Some of you run over to his orchard and you agree on the wage. And then we notice that Larry has more folks coming and we also noticed that a few came just before 5pm. Larry had a payday party in his yard. The folks who worked an hour got what seemed like a LOT of money… And by the time we all got paid, we heard that everyone got the same amount!
What is the generosity of thought attitude? What is the almost more normal, knee jerk, way of the world, culturally accepted attitude? Larry, that isn’t fair! You are not fair. Shame on you.
During the pandemic, we have to do life differently. We are not in a big group in the church building, so we can either say that isn’t fair and be totally bummed, OR let us have a generous thought and think differently. Let us take the hand of cards we are dealt and go deeper in our faith during the pandemic. Let us go deep into this scripture right now along with me.
Join my colleague who humbly said, “I don’t think I let my world be turned upside often enough.” We all had a house, a car, a bed, we all had plenty of material wealth. And, we wondered, what else does this story mean?
What is it that some workers were ready to work at 8:00 am, and a few workers didn’t get there right away? What is it that some said, “No one would hire us?” Let’s ask God’s Holy Spirit, what in the world is Jesus telling us this story? Is it also about grace? How do we live? Do we always have choices? Are we going to go to default thoughts, YES, we are. And that is why we live daily close to God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit and we pray: Transform me today.
And, help me truly desire to follow the 8th commandment. In the meaning of the 8th commandment, we are to see everyone in the best possible light. So, at least for some of the workers, they wanted to work, but no one would hire them! And, why can’t we be happy when people receive generousity?
Right now in this political climate, there are families being torn apart, friendships, etc. Do not go there. Resist. Hear these words from 1 Peter, “4: Stay wide awake in prayer. Most of all love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless, cheerfully. Be generous w the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words, If help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in all through Jesus and Jesus will get all the credit as the One mighty in everything, encores to the end of time. Oh yes. Friends when life gets really difficult don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead be glad you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process with glory just around the corner.”
It is a pandemic. It is an election year now in the last weeks before a vote. It is wild fires. It is you name it. Join me in going deeper. And if we are accused of being fools for Christ, be happy. Take the high road this political season. REFUSE to lose a friendship over this. Say I love you no matter what.
Back to my friend Teena’s words: “I could be cynical right now or I could be tender.” We all have this same choice minute by minute. What lens do we choose to see the situation? And, without the Holy Spirit breathing and filling us, I think it is safe to say, our knee jerk, “un-prayed-up” response is to say the rude thing, the self-serving thing, the cynical thing.
Join me this week, to listen more. And speak less. And may we be caught praying before we speak. May we be caught praying before we write back a Facebook reply. May we be caught praying for wisdom, compassion, love and understanding before we do anything. And may whatever we do in word or deed, may we do everything in the name of the lord Jesus. Next week we read in Phil 2, Jesus… we do things in his name, the one who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but humbled himself… Amen.
The next song is from Sara Thomsen. Wisdom, compassion, love, understanding, Come be in my heart….
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Worship Service from Sunday, September 13, 2020
From First Lutheran in Port Wing - Amy Beckman is a faithful viewer. She asked to have Clayton Beckman mentioned today. He died about one year ago. We send our love and prayers to his wife Louise, and all family and friends of Clayton.
And from Messiah: Grieving the loss of Dale Anderson. Walking Memorial Service to honor Dale Anderson, Thurs., Sept. 17, 1pm, @Birch Haven & Kreuser Clinic parking lot. After the short service, people may walk or drive a route Dale faithfully traveled. Bring a lawn chair. Participants are asked to wear masks and physically distance. Thank you.
Rev. Mark Ricker, 13 days in ICU, over 6 weeks in hospital. Came home last Tuesday. Recovering and thanks everyone for their prayers! Sounded really good in spirits.
Church councils meet this week
Messiah on Tues at 6pm by Zoom
First on Thurs at 9am by Zoom
Covid Safe Outdoor Services:
Sundays in Sept. Sept 13 and 27
Messiah – Washburn Elementary School parking lot 9:00 am
First Lutheran - Port Wing Pavilion, Town Hall
Today’s service is called A Service for Students and All Other Travelers on the Journey of Life
(some parts of today’s service are from Sundays & Seasons, copyright 2013 Augsburg Fortress)
There IS Holy Communion today. Either use your own bread/juice OR ask an usher for individually wrapped elements.
Greeting May the God who created space and time, journeyed with us in human form, and travels with us still, be with you all. And also with you.
ELW 732 I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold. I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well: I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk till rising sun. I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.
Let us pray: O God, our beginning and our end, you kept Abraham and Sarah in safety throughout the days of their pilgrimage, you kept the children of Israel in love, as they lived through 40 years in the wilderness, and by a star you led the magi to the infant Jesus. Protect and guide us and our students as we begin this unprecedented school year. Teach us all to continue growing, so that by the end of this global pandemic, we can say we learned new ways to do justice, new ways to practice kindness and new ways to walk humbly with you. Make our ways safe and our homecomings joyful. In your name we pray, Amen.
Psalm139:1-12 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in! Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute—you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, God even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.
Plans and Preparations Ephesians 6:13-17 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
Dialogue and Prayer What should we pack as we begin our journey? What should we bring along?
The word of God to illumine our path. The light of Christ to show us the way.
The gifts of the Spirit to share with those we meet. The love of God to be our compass and guide.
Let us pray. Oh God, You are the source of all our beginnings. As we plan for our journeys, strengthen us through your word. Orient our lives toward Christ, the bright Morning Star. Send your Holy Spirit as our companion along the way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
ELW 866 We are marching in the light of God, we are marching in the light of God. We are marching in the light of God. We are marching in the light of God. We are marching, we are marching, we are marching WOO, we are marching in the light of God. We are marching, we are marching, we are marching WOO, we are marching in the light of God. We are praying, dancing, singing.
Setting Out Genesis 12:1-9 God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. 2-3 I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.” 4-6 So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound.
Dialogue and Prayer
God called to Abraham: “Go! Set out! And I will bless you.”
God calls to us: “Come! Feel the water on your head!”
Hear the promise of new life. “Spread my love through all the world.”
Let us pray. God of beginnings, You called Abraham and Sarah, leading them to unknown places. You are also calling us now to unknown places with life situations we have never before experienced. In the waters of baptism, you claim us and send us out as your children. Wash us with your grace and shower us with your spirit, so that we journey into the world overflowing with your love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
On the Road Mark 1:35-39
While it was still night, way before dawn, Jesus got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, “Everybody is looking for you.” Jesus said, “Let’s go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I’ve come.”
Dialogue and Prayer On the Galilean road, Jesus stopped to reflect and pray
We, too, long for rest and a balm for our souls
Seeing those in need, Jesus healed, taught and fed.
We are called to live as servants, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Holding the children close, Jesus blessed them;
for to such as these the kingdom of heaven belongs.
On the road to Bethlehem, the true light came into the world.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory.
Let us pray. God of incarnation, You entered our world as a tiny baby and you journey with us through each stage of our lives. Be with our children, and especially our students, teachers and all decision makers. Help us all grow in your love. Guide us all as the years and decades pass. Send us in the light of your grace and truth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
When the Way Becomes Hard Matthew 16:21-28
Dialogue and Prayer We side with Peter and say It is enough O Lord.
The troubles of life overwhelm our spirits It is enough, O Lord.
The way seems too dark; the valleys too deep It is enough O Lord.
God, please rescue us from despair, grant us strength, and open our hearts and minds to hear you say
“You are beloved, my precious child. I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Let us pray. God of our sorrows, during this global pandemic, out-of-control wild fires and racial unrest, when the daily reports are often more bad news, the road seems long, lonely and treacherous. Comfort us in our despair, guide us through the wilderness, and enfold us in your loving embrace. Grant your mercy and peace to all those in need this day. We take a moment of silence to name specific concerns: (pause for a brief silence) In your name we pray, Amen.
Wherever you are on life’s journey Romans 12:9-21 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help the needy; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
Message- “God Wants Us To Get Along” is the title of my message based on Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who are rejoicing, grieve with those who grieve.” We won’t spend much time this morning on the rejoicing part. I want us to bond together and grieve at some of what is happening in our world. When we ache and grieve together, sometimes, the burden becomes lighter.
Where do we weep and ache? Four places National Tragedy of September 11, Wild Fires, Illness, Discrimination. Let’s pray that we get closer together as a country when we grieve together.
-September 11, 2001. Where were you? Church attendance for a while increased. Interfaith activities grew for a while. Muslims who practiced the peaceful religion were being asked to speak. Education heightened with Muslims telling us, “Please do not make the false assumption that our religion is mainly about terrorism.” A Christian who comes to an abortion clinic and kills the doctor, Are all Christians like that? No. Christians are embarrassed, ashamed that the gunman calls himself a Christian. This national tragedy gave us something to gather together for, for healing.
-Images of Wild Fires These images bring us together as a country, right? We ache. We all ache to see someone who lost a home, lost a loved one, lost pets. This brings us together, we grieve… and also, our humble gratitude grows… and some who are able send money for relief to organizations such as Lutheran Disaster Response.
-Illness can bring us together. Not always, but by now many of you recall what I read 2 weeks ago. Michele Wheeler struggled with cancer for 9 years. At a cancer benefit, she looked around at the people who rallied for her and for her family, and she wrote this in her book: The Throbbing Moon & The Three Season Tango A new book by Washburn’s Michele Wheeler who died in June, 2020, after a 9-year cancer battle. She wrote this after attending a benefit event in her honor: “…living in this community means respecting each other just as we are. Before we are boss or employee, before we’re Republican or Democrat, before we’re mine supporters or fighters, before we’re black or white or red or any shade of brown, before we’re male or female, we’re all just people. And we have much to offer each other through the common threads of our joys & pains, in our fears & hopes. I felt tightly woven into the fabric of us, wrapped up and held by it.”
LASTLY, when we witness Discrimination Just last night, Thursday, Sept 10, program on WPR, talking about The Green Book. African Americans were interviewed about what it was like to drive while being black. They told stories of being pulled over for no reason. As I listened to these stories their pain of discrimination was something I could totally feel.
Dear God, help us bind together and grieve together. Then, help us do what we can to end discrimination in our own circles and beyond. Amen.
Dialogue and Prayer based on John 14-15
Do not let your hearts be troubled. We believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
I go to prepare a dwelling place for you You are the way, the truth, and the life.
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you Lord, we abide in your love.
You know the way to the place where I am going Jesus, lead us in the path of your peace.
Let us pray. God of resurrection, neither death nor life will separate us from your love. Walk with us through this wilderness. Remind us that as we live in the moment with you, we can claim that this too, some day, will pass. Strengthen us to follow the way of the cross and bring us at last into the joy of your heavenly kingdom. In your name we pray. Amen.
Blessing of One Another Wherever you wander, no matter how dark the night, may the love of your family and friends, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the power of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Go with God’s blessings. May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. And also with you. Share peace with your smile, air hug, and peace sign!
Words of Institution and The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer after Communion: Loving God, by your Spirit we are born anew, and you nourish us like newborns with this holy food, by which we grow to become more and more like you. Give us grace to live as your risen daughters and sons, shining in the world with your compassionate light, until you gather all creation to the table where Christ reigns in glory forever. Amen.
Blessing: The Lord watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth forever more. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
ELW 543 Go my children with my blessing, never alone. Waking, sleeping, I am with you, you are my own. In my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever. Go, my children, with my blessing, you are my own. Go in peace. Christ goes with you. Thanks Be to God!
Announcements
*We are glad you are worshiping with us today! If you are looking for a church home or would like a pastoral conversation, let us know by giving your contact information to an usher or the Pastor.
We all want to help the next generation come to know and love Jesus” safely during the pandemic. We encourage all to renew the commitment to have home devotions using the Faith Five format. Call Pastor at 715 209-1100 if you know someone who needs raking or window washing for a future event. Dear God, HELP! Many of us don’t know what to do. We want our children safe and yet, we also want them to grow in socialization. We want growth in faith too, this year. Come Holy Spirit, Come lead and guide us. Remind us that even though we don’t know what the future holds, we do know WHO holds our future. Grant special peace to all school leaders, teachers, students and parents. Keep our hearts and minds stayed on you. Guide us and give us peace that passes all understanding. Thank you Jesus! Amen.
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Sunday sermon, August 30, based on Romans 12: 9-21
Dear God, With your unconditional love, grace and mercy as our guide, and by your power, show us and help us grow in loving our neighbor, loving those whom we agree with as well as those with whom we disagree. Show us the way of love. In your name we pray, Amen.
Imagine the recipients of this letter to the Romans. In 49 AD Roman Emperor Claudius expelled Jews, including Jewish Christians, from Rome. While all did not leave, many did. When Claudius died and they returned, Jewish Christians found a church now run by Gentile Christians, whose numbers had increased. Tensions were inevitable. It is highly likely that there was us versus them thinking, tribal thinking. Perhaps the Jewish Christians thought they were better than the Gentile Christians. Is being divisive a new thing? No. Since the beginning of recorded history, we have humans who are so tempted to split into camps. Some say that when we do this, we are living actually in an illusion of being separate. But, the reality is that we truly are all one.
And Paul, knew it was his calling to preach to these Christians and beg them to start getting along. To stop the infighting. We can imagine Paul saying, “We are called to be ONE in Christ, which actually starts with everyone dying to ego, dying to self. May we take the mantra that Paul encourages, “I have been crucified with Christ, the life I now live is IN Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” This idea of dying to self is also evident in today’s gospel lesson when Jesus invites us into this paradox, “When you lose your life for Jesus, THEN you will find real life.”
Racial inequality, Global pandemic, Selecting the next President; Fires and Flooding; Attitudes about the pandemic (open or close); Attitudes about current protests, police and racial inequality. What if we regular humans agree on more than is highlighted on the news. For example, almost everyone agrees burning down a grocery store is NEVER a good thing. Almost everyone agrees that to rent a house, sell a house, or give a job to the white person instead of the black person JUST because someone is white is not equity.
In Romans chapter 12, we are given timeless guidelines to use in Every Issue we face and we can pray, “God, help me respond in a way that pleases you.” What are the guidelines? The writer sums it up by saying, “Run for dear life from evil. Hold on for dear life to good. There will always be evil forces that pull us down and forces for good that help us take the high road.
For starters, let’s describe good and evil. Evil can be defined by words such as wicked, painful, malicious, harmful, disastrous, oppressive, slanderous and life-sucking. Good can be described with words such as commendable, proper, desirable and beautiful. In the Bible being good could mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit’s fruits such as: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, generosity, and self-control. It could mean following the Ten Commandments. All to say, when we wonder “How Then Shall We Live?” we need look no farther than to Romans 12 for these timeless ideas which I will boil down to six ideas.
1-Don’t quit. Pray all the harder. Don’t quit following Jesus. Do not be sucked into following the current culture. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind as we heard in Romans 12:2 last week!
2-Help the needy. Redirect our thoughts and ask often, “Who is negatively affected by COVID, and how can I help?”
3-Be inventive and creative in hospitality If enemy, someone form the oppo political party is hungry, feed! Be creative with this political tension. Creative w pandemic like parking lot radio church; going to the nursing home and visiting a loved one through windows! During COVID, let us be creative and look for new ways to connect.
4-Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who are rejoicing and grieve with those who are grieving.
5-Find beauty in everyone instead of demonizing. In the book, Jesus Outside the Lines, a way forward for those who are tired of taking sides, Theologian R.C. Sproul believed that we chose God only because God first choses us. Billy Graham has a different view of salvation and he believes that God choses us based on God’s prior knowledge that we would someday choose God. So, these two preachers disagreed on a rather significant issue. One time when Sproul was giving a talk, someone asked, “Do you think you will see Billy Graham in heaven?” Sproul paused and said, “No.” Everyone gasped. Then he said, “I won’t see him because I think he will be higher up on the throne of heaven than me.” Yay! It was as if he was saying, “I disagree with Billy Graham on X, but all in all I do see the good in him for sure.” May we all try hard to find beauty in everyone.
6. In today’s divisiveness, what will bring us together? Sadly, sometimes terrible tragedy opens our eyes in a new way. Getting a cancer diagnosis, where everything changes, is so amazing and beautifully captured in Michele’s new book. Picture a packed building you’ve been a part of for someone’s benefit meal. This one was at the Four Corners Bar.
The Throbbing Moon & The Three Season Tango A new book by Washburn’s Michele Wheeler who died in June, 2020, after a 9-year cancer battle. She wrote this after attending a benefit event in her honor: “…living in this community means respecting each other just as we are. Before we are boss or employee, before we’re Republican or Democrat, before we’re mine supporters or fighters, before we’re black or white or red or any shade of brown, before we’re male or female, we’re all just people. And we have much to offer each other through the common threads of our joys & pains, in our fears & hopes. I felt tightly woven into the fabric of us, wrapped up and held by it.”
Sunday, August 23, 2020 Title: Many, yet one in Christ, Christ, our rock! Thank you all so much for hanging in there and watching worship or reading these sermons. Just this week Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson sent an open letter to churches. She said that maybe almost everyone is getting tired of COVID, and longs to go back to the church building, longs to hug, longs to see loved ones. Then she said, well, perhaps this is like God’s people in the wilderness. And if we are sad, it is OK to write a new PSALM and pray to God, “How Long, Oh Lord?” She also encouraged everyone to take a breath and try to see the long view. “God was with the Israelites in the wilderness. God was with us before the pandemic. God is here now. We are in the midst of a crisis. This pandemic is inconvenient for some but it is life-threatening for many.” What we all can do is to go directly to God and pray. We can together keep our eyes on Jesus. We can remember that when we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit is praying in us and for us.
A few announcements this morning.
Don Jenicek is healing, keep him in prayer for ongoing healing.
Ongoing healing for Jack Evanow, Barb Swenson and Jack Gunderson
Dale Anderson is now in a Birch Haven facility in Ashland, hoping that with rehab he can get back to his Washburn place. He was having some falls, so needed more care.
Jack Peterson is now in Northern Lights Nursing Home
All who are recovering from COVID-19, all front line workers.
Call 715 209-1100 to add names to this online prayer list.
There is Holy Communion Today, pause to get bread and wine for those who need.
Isaiah 51:1-3 1-3 “Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living
and committed to seeking God.
Ponder the rock from which you were cut,
the quarry from which you were dug.
Yes, ponder Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who bore you.
Think of it! One solitary man when I called him,
but once I blessed him, he multiplied.
Likewise I, God, will comfort Zion,
comfort all her mounds of ruins.
I’ll transform her dead ground into Eden,
her moonscape into the garden of God,
A place filled with exuberance and laughter,
thankful voices and melodic songs.Romans 12:1-8 Place Your Life Before God So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.
6-8 If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
Let us pray: Dear God, help us look to you, our rock. Even though it feels almost impossible, you ask us to be one in you. Show us how. In your name we pray, Amen.
Members of Messiah and First Lutheran council all received a rock from me this past week. On the rock are these words, Many, yet one in Christ. In today’s scripture readings we get a rich picture of Christ as our rock from Isaiah 51 and then in the Romans 12- You are the body of Christ with many members, and the members have differing gifts. Many gifts, yet one body.
On the rock, many, yet one in Christ. These word are on a what? A piece of paper? No, a rock! Rocks are FUN! And what else? Rocks are solid. Rocks can be Very Old, and rocks endure. We sing the old hymn, “On Christ the solid rock I stand.”
In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, if you think of time in a linear sense, then you would say that Jesus is not born yet when these ancient words were written, so how can this rock be a symbol of Jesus? Well, we read in John 1 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word became flesh.” So Jesus is God in the flesh and God has been with us since the beginning, therefore Jesus also, has been with us since the beginning of time. We can see Jesus in this passage from Isaiah as we read scripture through a lens of Jesus, in the beginning, the Word made flesh.
“Look to the rock from which you were hewn.” And then we read from Romans 12… From the many diverse people we are called to be one. And we are diverse, aren’t we? We were raised differently. Had a variety of kinds of parents. Some of you were raised with parents telling you almost daily that “you are loved-we love you.” Some of you listening hardly ever heard any word of praise from your parents. And, some of you had an absent parent.
From birth on up, our childhoods are vastly different. This matters. We are all here today unique, diverse, and from the Romans writer, we also all have different gifts. In Romans and Corinthians and other places, our uniqueness is never hidden. We are a diverse set of people. Yet, as followers of Jesus, the almost impossible task is always set before us. Be one in Christ. Many, yet one in Christ.
How? Well, one of the best ways is to take Romans 12:1-2 seriously and to memorize it. I appeal to you, do not be conformed to this world, be be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may discern God’s will.
What does it look like to be conformed to this world?
What does it look like to be transformed by the renewing of our minds?
Well, THAT is our mission, our purpose as Jesus followers. We wake up every day and pray,” God, change my heart O God make it ever new, change my heart of God help me be like you.” Every minute of every day, God, transform me from how I want to be on my own, and how I really want to be, and that is filled with you.”
Recently my spiritual director taught me a simple, yet powerful exercise. Let’s do it now. Breathe in the fullness of God. Take a moment right now, close your eyes. Envision all the qualities of God to fill you including: wisdom, love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, generosity, self-control and more. Wow, Breathe in the fullness of God. Exhale all the ways the world’s culture tries to pull you down, fill you with anxiety, fear, anger. Exhale. Continue to breathe in the fullness of God. We are transformed. Our minds will and can be transformed.
I am saddened by how easy it is for humans to judge each other, criticize and hurt. Tell me the last time you were hurt by someone. Someone yelling at you or saying something in a scolding tone. If you can’t think of the last time it happened. Praise God!
Well, recently, I had a very critical, judgmental, sarcastic thought, ready to sling it at someone. I caught it, praise God! Breathed in the fullness of God and for that moment, I felt transformed. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world. Right now, this world includes so much inflammatory speech, on both sides of the political aisle, and this kind of slander and lying will be in the air waves every day until November 3.
Please join me in memorizing Romans 12 vs 2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Let God transform you today by Breathing in the fullness of God.
One more thing, as if this is not enough, because it is, but in today’s gospel, Matthew 16: 18 Jesus says to Peter, “On this rock I will build my church. Peter, you are a rock.” Jesus says this to a person who also did what? In Peter’s humanity, Peter totally denied Christ. Peter lied and said three times, “I do not know Jesus. I have never been associated with him.” Then, after the resurrection, Jesus sees Peter in his fullness and sees the God in him. “On you will I build my church.” Do you need to be perfect to follow Jesus? Obviously not. Just live a forgiven, thankful, grateful life. Jesus then said to Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Let us live into this life-changing, life-giving faith, and claim with joy, “Yes, we are many, yet ONE in Christ.” Amen.
Holy CommunionSunday, August 2, 2020THANK YOU always for worshipping with me.
Through God’s Holy Spirit, we are still the body of Christ. We are together in Spirit. THANK YOU ALL!
First Lutheran: Tremendous thanks to Vicki Jardine-Tobin, Vicki is the daughter of Bucky and Faye Jardine. Vicki is up visiting and also doing online teaching for Centrailia College in Olympia, Washington. Last week Vicki played the piano and her daughter Danielle Tobin sang “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” They are singing for us today also. Thank you!
Loved ones recovering with COVID Jane from Neenah is now home from the hospital and
Mark Ricker, formerly from Ashland, still in the hospital off a ventilator. Sally R and Mary W’s brother Clair is home from the hospital after a time due to COVID.
Messiah: Keep Jack Peterson in prayer and loved ones, now in Northern Lights
Barb Swenson took a fall, she is asking us to keep her in prayer for healing from her fall injuries.
I’m on vacation, Pastor Dale leads worship. In case of pastoral emergency call
Pastor Neal Milam at 715-813-9046 SAM Mary Meriotto at 715 209-0900
Holy Communion today, pause to get bread and juice or wine.
Title of today’s message: Take what you have and do something you can do! Feeding5000
Call to Worship (Based on Isaiah 55 and Matthew 14 written by Rev. Thom Shuman)
All who are thirsty, come! God is the fountain for our lives. All who are hungry, come!
Jesus feeds us with goodness and grace.
Rich and poor, young and old, neighbor and guest, come!
The Holy Spirit gathers everyone around the Table.
Prayer Oh God, at times we try to distance ourselves from you, and even then, you spread a picnic of grace, waving us over, with a big grin on your face. Your compassion is spread over our brokenness like jam over toast. When we get in a sweat over whether or not we can meet all our self-imposed expectations, you wipe our faces, hand us a cup of cool water, and whisper, "Relax. I've taken all that off your shoulders!” We rejoice in your gifts which are ours and we cannot thank you enough. Amen.
Call to Reconciliation
God is not mean-spirited or vengeful. God is gracious and merciful, always willing to listen to our prayers, and to heal our hearts. Join me in a prayer for forgiveness: Oh God, We don’t have enough to end all hunger; but forgive us, when we forget that very little can do so much by your presence and power. Silence
Listen! Come to the One who covers us with compassion, who feeds us on grace and mercy. We are so grateful this day, that you have forgiven us. Sometimes we pray forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us, without realizing what we are saying. Today, Now, help us offer your grace and forgiveness to everyone we meet. Amen.
Matthew 14:13-21 Title: “Take what you have and do what you can do” based on Matthew 14 The Feeding of the 5000 Let us pray: Dear God, the feeding of the 5000 is a story that amazes us. Tell us something new today about how you see the world and what you want us to do. In your name we pray, Amen.
There is a word in the Jewish faith called midrash. Midrash is when people talk about a scripture text and offer many ways of interpreting it. Another way to read Bible stories is to think there are not many possible meanings, but only one right way to interpret a story. Then, people could start arguing – Did Jesus really turn a small meal into enough to feed over 5000? I don’t want to argue, do you? So, let’s do midrash today and imagine that there are all sorts of ways this story could be taken. For example, one common interpretation of this s tory is that God takes a little and uses it in big ways.
Two stories that illustrate this idea of take what you have and do something with it are from Stacy and Noreen. Ashland’s UU pastor, Stacy Craig spent time in Jamaica as a college freshman in an exchange program. Her task was to create an environmental education curriculum for a VBS. Living alone in a Jamaican village, she was given foreign food such as dark green callaloo, wedges of pumpkin, ackee fruit, green bananas, corn meal, mango & limes. But she did not know how to prepare these foods and started losing weight. A Jamaican woman invited her over and taught Stacy how to cook these foods. That meal began a friendship. Stacy moved in with this family and learned to cook. The eating and fellowship was holy and sacred; a memory she will never forget.
Experiences like that formed her reading of this Bible story of feeding the 5000. Stacy’s midrash way of hearing it was: Like a bunch of mango, limes & weird fruit, Jesus took a few fish and loaves, and demonstrated what happens when food is shared. Those in the crowd caught on and reached into their supply and did the same. Where there was scarcity at one moment, there was actually a feast the next moment, when everyone shared what they had brought! Each one in this multitude of people took action. The act of offering the small thing made a huge difference. Wow, thank you Stacy!
In today’s story there is a point when the disciples say basically, “Lord, send them to town so they can find a McDonalds.” And Jesus says, “No, I am not sending them away, You feed them. You do it.”
You do it! As I looked at people from Northern Lights and The Oaks on the SKYPE screen, I want to guess that perhaps all of you have done some sort of hosting or feeding in your lifetime. You have been the one feeding or serving food. AND in the eyes of God, if you are now the one now who is receiving food from others, Jesus sees this as one big circle. God, Jesus and Holy Spirit are not keeping track of who is giving and who is receiving!
My last story is about Noreen, the owner of CoCo Bakery in Washburn. Someone said they are furnishing a lot of bread for food shelves now, more than ever. It was a rumor, so I called her to see if it was true. Noreen had time to talk so she told me the long story of why they give away so much. By the way, the rumor is true.
When in her 20’s she would hear the national and international news, worry and wonder, “What can I do to help?” She saw how a national disaster for example can lead one to throw up one’s hands and say, “I am too small. I can’t change anything.” But the idea came to her that YES, I have the power to do something in my own little corner of the world.
Today, Noreen, in her 50’s runs CoCo’s bakery. They closed several months during pandemic, now open again. Their motto seems to be “Let’s do what we can do here and now.” She saw that CORE is giving away food to 50 families per week. Noreen asked her staff if they would be willing to work longer and bake extra bread. They said yes. So, now her bakers are working 9-10 hour days instead of 8 hour days, baking, cooling, slicing and bagging enough bread so that Co Co gives about 100 fresh loaves of bread to 50 families per week.
When an employee says, “I watched the news last night and I am aching for Florida, or Portland or Palestine.” Noreen will say, we can’t do much to change what is happening in those places, but we can do things here and now. She even boils down her advice to something really basic: “Vote, feed your pets, and bake bread.”
Take what you have and do something you can do. What if we apply this idea to a startling fact about Wisconsin? BEFORE the pandemic, 1/3 of Wisconsin households struggle to pay for basic needs (info from the United Way of Wisconsin study based on 2018 data.) Of course, this is worse now. How do we hear this? One way, is, well that is too big of a problem. It is like feeding the 5000. Send them to town to McDons. What did Jesus say? No, you do it. What is in your supply? Here are a few ways you can use the “two fish and five loaves of bread” here and now
Some of you listening have a garden. Perhaps one day per week in August, Messiah can offer a free food table. OR bring it to The Brick, or another food shelf.
Another thing you could do is to learn about how our government handles poverty and hunger. In fact, during this election year, I have a challenge for you and me. There are forces out there pulling us apart, pitting one political party against the other. If you identify with a particular political party, then, FIND someone you respect from another party and ask him/her to tell you about their party platform regarding hunger and poverty. There are for sure people who devoutly follow Jesus on both sides of the political aisle, who want to help feed the hungry. Find out their political party’s philosophy on how to care for the hungry and poverty in general. Come to the conversation with an open mind. Leave behind your pre-conceived notions of what you think the other party stands for and let someone tell you his/her view. Join me in not letting outside forces tear our country apart during this election year. Feeding the hungry is firstly a Jesus issue and concern. That is why Christians, no matter their political affiliation, can unite on how important it is for us to care for the hungry, the naked, those in prison, those sick, those lonely, least, last and lost. Let us UNITE on how this is a call to all followers of Jesus. Amen? Amen.
And, believe it or not, maybe one of the biggest things we ALL can do no matter if we are at Northern Lights, The Oaks or a parking lot, maybe one of the biggest things we all can do is to be open to RECEIVE. Words sometimes used during Holy Communion, are these: “Christ comes to us in, with and under the bread and wine to nourish our faith. We share in a sacred meal that spans all time and space. We commune with the saints who have gone before us and with other Christians around the globe who gather at our Lord’s table. The uncontainable presence, grace, love, forgiveness and mercy of Christ come to us in simple bread and wine.”
Don’t you love that phrase, “the uncontainable presence, grace, love forgiveness and mercy”? Since Jesus is uncontainable, then during a global pandemic when we practice safe Holy Communion, we can still share the body and blood of Jesus by SKYPE even! The presence of Jesus is not to be contained within a building!
Receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. RECEIVE… and then, we go to love and serve. Think back to the story of the loaves and fishes. The disciples say Send them to town, we can’t do it. Jesus says, No, You do it. I will add You do it WITH Christ in and through you. Amen!
ELW #515 Break now the bread of life
1-Break now the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, as once you broke the loaves beside the sea. Beyond the sacred page, I seek you, Lord;
my spirit waits for you, O living Word.
2- You are the bread of life, dear Lord to me, your holy word the truth that rescues me. Give me to eat and live within your love; teach me to love your truth, for you are love.
3-Oh, send your Spirit, Lord, now onto me, That she may touch my eyes And make me see. Show us the truth concealed within your Word, And in your book revealed we see your will.
Prayers
You take resources that appear to be meager, bless them, and there is plenty. May we trust that what you bless and ask us to share with others is abundantly sufficient. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Help us hear the anguish of those who cry to you in suffering. Show us how we can help the hungry in our community and beyond. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bring wholeness and healing to those who suffer in body, heart, soul, and mind (especially Jane Mark, Jack, Jack and Barb). Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You freely offer your amazing grace, mercy and forgiveness. Give us such welcoming hearts that our words and actions may extend your love to all whom we encounter. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You gather your saints as one, united in the body of Jesus. Bring us with all your saints to the heavenly banquet. We remember with love and thanksgiving the saints we have known (especially…). Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. In certain hope that nothing can ever separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you through Jesus, Amen. May God’s peace be with you all. And also with you!
Holy Communion
ELW #471 1-Let us break bread together on our knees. 2x When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me. 2-Let us drink wine 3-Let us praise God together on our knees.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
July 19, 2020 Sermon TextTheme: Dear God, guard our hearts, open our hearts, and change our hearts to be more like you.
Prayer of Confession and Forgiveness
ELW #801 Change my heart O God: make it ever true. Change my heart, O God; may I be like you.
You are the potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me: this is what I pray.
Change my heart, O God; make it ever true. Change my heart, O God; may I be like you.
Dear God, open our hearts to receive your amazing grace, mercy and forgiveness. Then, use us to be vessels of your grace to all the people we encounter. In your name we pray, Amen.
Call to Worship Psalm 86:11-17
O God, teach me your way, that I may walk in your truth;
Give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
I give thanks to you, O God, with my whole heart, And I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me…Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me; Give your strength to your servant;
Save the child of your serving girl. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Dear God, ever widen our hearts, ever change our hearts. Make us more like you. Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us. Melt us, Mold us, Fill us, Use us. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Amen.
Today, we will be talking about the heart. We will look at physical and spiritual dimensions of the heart. The physical heart is an organ and a muscle. It pumps blood. In fact, you can actually and literally feel your heart beat right now by taking your pulse. Do you feel that beat? Wow! This is the force of life within you. We need to especially guard our physical hearts during COVID. If we have any type of pre-existing heart condition, or respiratory problem, COVID could be especially dangerous. Dear God, help us guard our hearts!
The word heart is used over 800 times in scripture. The word heart seems to be used to describe how it is with our soul. A hardened heart, a heart of stone, these hearts sound closed. A tender heart, one that is touched and warmed, these hearts are opened. Dear God, teach us to open our hearts. Hearts can be: stone, tender, closed, open, warmed, touched, broken!
Reflect upon your own heart. Has it ever been closed to anyone? Or hardened? A person perhaps that bugs you? A group of people? We can pray daily, Lord, soften and open my heart toward this person, this group, this issue, etc. We like ourselves better when our hearts are open and softened, right?
When has your heart been warmed or touched? One time a grandfather was talking with his grandson. The grandson said he knew of a classmate who did not seem to have very much food at home, or even blankets and warm winter clothing. This grandpa’s heart was touched and that was many years ago. Now, there are several folks who routinely care for this family. Someone heard of all the financial burdens due to COVID and dropped off cash to the church. She said, “Please, use this for someone during COVID.” Her heart was open to the upcoming needs. Someone learned of a homeless person. His heart was touched and realized the person was as hungry for human contact as for food so he took him to the Time Out for breakfast. You have a story when your heart was touched and you were moved to compassion. This sounds like God’s Spirit moving, doesn’t it?
I want to tell you about Pedro Arrupe’s heart. He was born in 1907 and died in 1991. He decided he wanted to be a medical doctor. After three years of med school, his heart was deeply touched by seeing what he described as a miraculous healing. Pedro left school and joined the Jesuits, became entirely committed to serving others. Eventually he was sent to Japan as missionary. On the day the atomic bomb fell, Father Pedro was serving in a Hiroshima suburb. Using his former medical training, he rallied people to help him set up a makeshift hospital. With each person who came ravaged by the bomb, he was clear that he was giving medical care to Jesus himself. “When you see anyone naked, hungry, lonely, a stranger or sick, you are serving me,” says Jesus.
Something else happened to Father Pedro while living in Japan. He learned to practice Zen meditation and incorporated this type of mind quieting into his Christian faith. He learned to balance doing with sitting still. It was also probably heart healthy for him to meditate!
Something heart healthy happens when our helping is seen as “I see Christ in you,” and, “The God in me greets the God in you.” We are equal in this journey. “Today I may give you medical care. Tomorrow you may give me an equally meaningful gift. We walk alongside each other humbly, together with God.” Life-giving transformation is much more likely to happen. Something heart unhealthy is more likely to happen when we are doing good deeds FOR someone else. It is a recipe for burn- out if I start seeing that helping is all about me, as the big helper. Even with scoundrels, Christ is in this person. On our own, loving and helping get difficult, but miracles most likely happen, if it is not us, but Christ in us, loving Christ in others.
I will return to Pedro’s heart, but first want to look at this year’s 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act. I may have a mental disability you can’t see such as: schizophrenia, depression, anxiety. I may have a physical disability you can’t see such as fibromyalgia. I may have a physical disability you can see. I may be in a wheel chair. I might lose my sight, my ability to see, hear, speak, to name just a few of so many disabilities. In a flash, any one of us could have something happen to us. As followers of Jesus, we are called to see the face of Christ in everyone, and to stand with and walk alongside our brothers and sisters with disabilities. I wonder what would happen if we started to pray, “Dear God, open my eyes and heart to truly see what the town looks like for those who use a wheelchair.” We would start really looking at sidewalks and buildings where there is no access. Jesus calls us to notice.
Jesus says when you are walking along side anyone who has any kind of ailment such as hunger, nakedness, etc. You are walking alongside Jesus. Father Pedro gave medical care to Jesus when he was caring for the Japanese.
We pray, dear God help me walk alongside, especially with those who are lonely, left out, lost, least of these. Right now in the whole world, people of color are telling us that for centuries they have been left out, lonely, last, and the least of these. And still today, statistics after statistics in 2020 tell us that people of color continue to have inequality. COVID affects communities of color in disproportionately higher numbers of deaths, unemployment, poverty, food scarcity, housing insecurity, education disruption, reduced access to healthcare, and increased acts of violence and racism.
Both of our ELCA leaders, Presiding Bishop Eliz Eaton and our local Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson are asking me to bring these inequities to my parishoners, so that we can pray, “Open our hearts.” Why do these disparities continue? God, open my heart to stay with this discomfort, so that I feel discrimation, so that I am tender and open. I’m currently reading a book called “Waking Up White.” In this book, the author is waking up to what life is like when one is born into the majority culture, when our parents raised us with mostly white doctors, nurses and teachers; when text books have mostly white faces.
With classes taught by trained diversity leaders, with diverse students in her classes, and with exercises, this author tells us her journey from ignorance to awareness. She shares that race truly matters a lot in how one sees the world, in one’s ability to get ahead, in one’s confidence level, and on and on.
I will close this message by talking again about Father Pedro’s heart. His leadership came to an end in 1981 when a massive stroke left him paralyzed and mute. In resigning as Father General, he offered this prayer: “More than ever I find myself in the hands of God. This is what I wanted all my life from my youth. But now there is a difference; the initiative is entirely with God. It is indeed a profound experience to know and feel myself so totally in God’s hands.”
All of his years standing in solidarity with the poor, with oppressed, in his case, along with his Zen meditation, he opened his heart so much so that when he lost his ability to speak and move-his words were of gratitude to God. Isn’t this amazing, what happens to us as we live with open hearts. Wow. Amen.
Sing:
O Christ, Your Heart, Compassionate
1-O Christ, your heart, compassionate, bore every human pain.
Its beating was the pulse of God; its breadth, God’s vast domain.
The heart of God, the heart of Christ combined in perfect rhyme
To write God’s love in human deeds, eternity in time.
2-As once you welcomed those cast down and healed the sick the blind
So may all bruised and broken lives through us your help still find.
Lord, join our hearts with those who weep that none may weep alone,
And help us bear another’s pain as though it were our own.
3-O Christ, create new hearts in us that beat in time with yours,
That joined by faith, with your great heart, become love’s open doors. We are your body, risen Christ; our hearts, our hands we yield
That through our life and ministry your love may be revealed.
4-O Love that made the distant stars, yet marks the sparrow’s fall,
Whose arms stretched wide upon a cross embrace and bear us all;
Come, make your church a servant church that walks your servant ways, whose deeds of love rise up to you, a sacrifice of praise!
Sunday, July 12, 2020 Sermon TextMatthew 13:1-9, 18-23 At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” 18-19 “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. “The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” The Gospel of the Lord Thanks be to God!
Dear God, farmers and gardeners tell us that soil matters! Today, you are telling us that soil matters, and even more, you tell us that you scatter yourself to all kinds of soil. You are such an extravagant and gracious God! Lord, let our hearts be good soil! Amen.
Some call this story the Parable of the Sower. Some call it the Parable of the Extravagant Farmer. Is this about your heart as good soil? Is this about the farmer who is so extravagant with seed, that the seed goes everywhere, as in maybe not a frugal farmer, but an extravagant farmer? Is it primarily about people or about God? Sermons have been given using this text with focus on one, the other or both. I’ll go with both but not in an equal way. How we live our everyday lives will be freer and more joyous, when our primary focus is always on God and God’s extravagant grace that is extended to the poorest soil as well as the good soil. In text study this week, one of the wise, retired pastors said, “I wonder if remaining humble might be a good starting place. If we are convinced that our hearts have only good soil, we might delude ourselves into thinking that we are a “pretty good person.” Before we know it we might find ourselves judging others as wrong, and the way we do life as better/right.” Let’s be humble and realize that we have all four types of soil in our hearts. There are times when my heart is like the soil on a road-this is when I am not able to let God’s word of love and grace in due to perhaps feeling unworthy, OR, feeling like I don’t need it! There are times when our hearts are like gravel, and our faith has no roots so when trouble comes, our faith shrivels. There are times when the cares of the world have a higher priority than God! And then, we can pray that by God’s grace there are times when our hearts are good soil, when God is able to produce abundant fruit in us! We pray for this!
So, let’s have our umbrella in this gospel text be that this story is primarily about God’s extravagant grace that always goes everywhere. This text is primarily about God, AND…
If you and I have any choice in how we live our lives, repeat, if we have any choice in how we live our lives, THEN, how do you want your heart to be? What kind of soil would you like to be? I will exaggerate to make a point. How do you WANT to live your life? A life that seems to have a lot of FRUIT?
You might say, yes Bible study and prayer are good, but I miss the real life connections with people during COVID. They say the truth will set you free, so indeed, acknowledge this BIG loss and sadness that COVID has put on us. AND, to be safe, we won’t have as much people contact for a while. But, could now be a time that your roots grow deep into God – in your personal prayer time and study? We could use COVID to let our roots grow deep into God – in our personal prayer time and study. A parishioner put it this way to me and I quote: “Now might be the time to sit and develop our personal selves with those around us. We can be in line with the church goers of centuries ago when caring for one another was paramount. We would do well to treat our friends and neighbors as our ourselves-gathering on the phone, praising Jesus, asking others what it is that we might help with.” Based on what this parishioner said, now is a time to grow in our relationships with God and each other. For sure, try to have Faith Five with either someone on the phone OR with a person under your roof. Most of you reading this have at least a bit more time now, during COVID!
All to say, will you recommit to your daily personal time of prayer with God? If you are already reaching out to people by phone, Way To Go! And if you do not have the names of some people you connect with weekly to say How are you doing? Please start, with even one.
Let us pray: Dear God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, help me accept this global pandemic as something that helps me get closer to you and closer to one another. HELP US not squander this unique opportunity. In the many names of God we pray, Amen.
The next hymn: Hear Jon Hove sing: Lord let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your word. Lord, let my heart be good soil, where love can grow and peace is understood. When my heart is hard, break the stone away, When my heart is cold, warm it with the day. When my heart is lost, lead me on your way. Lord let my heart, Lord, let my heart, Lord, let my heart be good soil. ELW #512Good Morning This text is for Sunday, July 5. THANK YOU always for worshipping with me. Through God’s Holy Spirit, we are still the body of Christ. We are together in Spirit. I hope you all had a good 4th of July! Special welcome to friends in Minnesota, Hawaii, California & Texas. ALL of you!
Announcements include something from Washburn: Keep the family and friends of Michele Wheeler in prayer. She died at age 46, after 9-year battle w cancer.
Holy Communion today, pause to get bread and juice or wine.
Prayer of Confession/Forgiveness Dear God, you led your people from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. We confess to you, Oh God, any enslavement we might have to anything that prevents us from being the community of love and respect you want us to be. Help us be open to receiving your amazing grace, mercy and forgiveness. Then, use us to be vessels of your grace to one another. In your name, Amen.
Matthew 11:28-30 Contemporary English Version and The Voice (also, you heard Kate & Emma sing this)
If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.
Put My yoke upon your shoulders—Appearing heavy at first, my yoke molds to your body.
Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest, for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
Dear God, here we are, in a parking lot when we have a perfectly wonderful church building down the road. Indeed, we are living through such amazing times. We might be feeling weary. Weary of trying to not get COVID-19! Weary of trying not to be a silent carrier of COVID-19. Weary of something we see or hear in the news. Weary. Oh God, you know our needs, even before we speak. With new, fresh ears, help us Hear YOU calling us, each one of us, to Come to you and to receive the REST that only you can give. In your name we pray, Amen.
I hope you all heard Pastor Dale’s sermon from last week. My mom and I watched Pastor Dale while I was visiting her. She said it would be nice for all churches to have another pastor once in a while. It gives everyone a new perspective. I have a quote from his sermon I’d like to share. Dale was talking about how Jesus’ followers are all called to welcome people the way we would welcome Jesus.
A quote from Dale: “You can be a liberal and treat others like you want to treat Jesus. You can be a conservative and treat others like you want to treat Jesus. Personally, I believe we will get our best results if by some miracle we could join together in our welcoming. I think Jesus would be really pleased if we could step outside our labels, be creative, compassionate & loving by asking new questions and taking new approaches. This will signal to the world that we belong to Jesus before we belong to anything else.” End. Belonging to Jesus is a unifier. Let’s claim this truth.
In Matthew Jesus says Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you REST. Take MY yoke upon you, Learn from Me, Jesus, For Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. Jesus says, “My yoke is easy. My burden is light.” Wow. What makes you tired? Weary? What causes you to feel heavy?
Between now and November, many of us will feel weary because of the political landscape, with Americans trying to decide who is the better presidential candidate. On the day after the presidential election, the winners and losers will have huge emotions.
Almost for sure, by November we will be exhausted. Not just tired-but, bone tired. Some will have created a way to love each other. Others will decide they can’t even talk with each other. I invite you to join me right now in prayer: Dear God, help me follow you, and LOVE all people, regardless of political opinion. Help us hold close our dear friends & family members. Help us show by our words and actions that we follow you.”
What would Jesus want? So often, Jesus focuses on relationships. Jesus prays to his Father “God, make them one, O God. Reconcile them all.” Jesus totally understands how difficult it is for people to get along, how tiring it can be. Jesus is talking to people who are tired as recorded in Matthew: “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden.” Who are the weary today?
This list is endless! As has been said before, even during COVID-19, we are not all in the same boat. Some are minorly inconvenienced by COVID. Others truly are feeling like they are on their last rope. No job in sight, family relationships so strained because of the intense time staying safer at home. We hear that for some reason COVID 19 has disproportionately affected communities of color in deaths, unemployment, poverty, food scarcity, housing insecurity, education disruption, reduced access to healthcare, and increased acts of violence and racism.
How would you describe the weariness you feel? A few have told me that theirs is not so severe, but they still feel something now that they did not feel before.
The ONE thing I hope you take away from today is that Jesus knows YOUR weariness. Exactly. Precisely. Jesus knows YOUR weariness. I love this and hope you know it. When people from MLC and FLPW collectively decide to care for someone who is in need, it is tapping into this idea that Jesus cares for everyone… and begs that we do the same. Jesus wants us to not do FOR others as much as to walk and be together. BE together in the walk of faith. “Share one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ!”
Close with two stories (online version has two stories-the outdoor worship on Sunday will have only one story, a repeat of Pastor Dale’s)
First, I want to repeat Pastor Dale’s story about the college student who walked into a packed church., still on the theme from last week, that Jesus desires we truly welcome everyone. If you already heard this, I am not even apologizing! It is totally worth repeating, and as stories go, my version will vary slightly from how Dale told it.
Source of this story? Dale read it on the internet! (ha). Eduardo was an exuberant college student with wild hair, holes in his t-shirt and jeans, and often walked barefoot. While in college he learned about Jesus and became a very enthusiastic follower of Jesus. One Sunday morning, Ed decided he wanted to attend a worship service and worship Jesus with other followers. Not having a car, Ed found the church nearest to campus and entered the building a few minutes after the start time. The church was packed. It was one of those churches where everyone really dressed up to attend. Attendees wore three piece suits, dresses, hats, you know. So, in walks Ed with his usual clothing and bare feet. Since the place was packed he entered, walked down the center aisle looking for a spot, and could find none. So he plopped down, sitting in front of the front pew, on the floor.
The head usher, a very stately man in his 80’s, (3-piece suit) with the help of a cane, did what he needed to do. He walked down the center aisle, and all eyes were on him. Some figured he would maybe need to ask the college kid to move. To the surprise of the congregation, instead, this elderly man who walked with a limp, made the huge effort to bend down, then sit down and he worshipped alongside the college kid. They both sat on the floor for the rest of the service.
The pastor of that church and all the congregation could not help but see this. The pastor said, “What you hear from me today, you will most likely forget. But what you saw here today you will remember forever.”
Why did Pastor Dale tell this story in his sermon last week? Why is it worth repeating? Well, one reason could be that we all have ways of responding and reacting that are almost expected. In this story, if the stately elderly man, who grew up with church being rather proper, if he would have not been able to shake free of how church is supposed to be, he might have not been able to see that welcoming was truly what Jesus wanted.
The story illustrates you and me. How we might act to something new. And, how Jesus through the Holy Spirit, can take over, and transform us. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit in us, will and can and desperately desires to move in us to always do and say the loving thing. Even, and maybe especially, Jesus wants us to do the unexpected loving thing. As said earlier in this sermon, during the next 4 months, maybe daily, we will have a choice to do and say the expected thing, perhaps the expected party line.
Wow, how super cool if we keep this story in our hearts and minds. What would Jesus have me say and do to the wild haired, bare-footed college kid? What would Jesus have me do and say? What is my knee jerk response compared with the radically new and loving response that Jesus calls us to have?
If you are alone, take time to memorize this question by yourself. If you are in the car with one other person, tell them, this question so that it becomes part of our lives. What is the radically new and loving response Jesus calls us to have? Amen? Amen…
Online version has this as the ending story. I will close by summarizing a movie! The story is from a movie called
American History X, staring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. Norton plays a white supremacist. In his out-of-control hate, he kills three black men who are hijacking his car. While he is in prison for his crime, he is forced to do laundry detail with a black inmate. Derek learns so much in prison from fellow inmates, that by the end of his time in prison, he has had a true transformation. He has no desire to take part in the white supremacist gang any more.
Derek has a younger brother who has been watching and hearing from his brother in prison. Also a skinhead, white supremacist, the younger brother is still not convinced, and acts out in school. One of his teachers is the same teacher Derek had. As extra credit punishment for acting out, this teacher asks Derek’s younger brother to write a paper about how Derek changed. I’ll end with the last paragraph from that paper.
“So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned. My conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it. My brother says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best, so if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong: then a quote from Abraham Lincoln, from the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln’s first inaugural address, the eve of the civil war… "We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature." Amen.
We will continue worship with these prayers:
Prayer for All People God, You are the source of human dignity, and it is in your image we are created. Pour out your spirit of love and compassion.
Enable us to reverence each person, to reach out to anyone in need,
to value and appreciate those who differ from us,
to receive the gifts offered to us by people from other cultures.
Grant that we may always promote justice & acceptance
that ensures lasting peace and racial harmony.
We pray for the world, our community and ourselves.
Bring your ongoing healing hand to Karleen Tjepkema, Don Jenicek, Eva Livingston and all others we name before you (pause).
Bring your comfort to all who are grieving the most recent loss of Washburn’s Michele Wheeler, wife of Jon and mother of Kaitlin and Lily. Lord in your mercy
Help us remember that we are one world and one family. Amen.
from Australian Catholic Social Justice Council
Prayers during a global pandemic
Loving God, If we are ill, strengthen us. If we are tired, fortify our spirits.
If we are anxious, bring your peace that passes understanding.
For exhausted parents, students, teachers, front line workers, caregivers and all, restore, comfort and refresh us. Help us always hold fast to the good, And see the good in others All this we pray in your name, Amen.
May the peace of the Lord be with you all. And also with you!
Holy Communion and closing blessing.
*Extra versions of Matthew 11:28-30- Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble.
And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.
The Message Hear this invitation from Jesus: Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
Sunday June 28, 2020 Pastor Dale P. Chesley
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Let us confess our sin: Gracious God, have mercy on us. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone. Uphold us by your Spirit so that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, the will being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen
Our hymn of praise in the words of hymn #880 in ELW:
O God beyond all praising, we worship you today and sing the love amazing that songs cannot repay; for we can only wonder at every gift you send, at blessings without number and mercies without end; we lift our heart before you and wait upon your word, we honor and adore you, our great and mighty Lord.
Then hear, O gracious Savior, accept the love we bring, that we who know your favor may serve you as our King; and whether our tomorrows be filled with good or ill, we’ll triumph though our sorrows and rise to bless you still; to marvel at your beauty and glory in your ways, and make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise.
Please join me as I pray the prayer of the day. The Lord be with you. Let us pray: 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
Romans 6:12-23
A reading from Romans:
Do 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.
Word of God. Word of life.
GOSPEL: Matthew 10:40-42
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew, the 10th chapter:
[Jesus said to the twelve:] "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."
The Gospel of the Lord.
MATTHEW 10:40-42
WELCOME
Before I retired, I made a habit of telling a joke to start my sermons. Since I am recording this sermon without a congregation, I figured I’d best not tell a joke because there would be no laughter at the end. Then it occurred to me that it wouldn’t be all that different from what I am used to. So today I am starting with a true story. It happened when I was in grade school on a farm in Iowa.
A group of us walked to the neighbor’s property to experience the banks of the Des Moines river. While there, a large Canada Goose flew by, flying close to us and down the length of the river. My brother had never seen one before so he asked what it was and was told that was a Canada Goose. When we went home, he ran ahead. When we got to the house, my mother was wondering what it was that we saw. When we told her, she began to laugh. She said that my brother had come in all excited about the bird we had seen but forgot what it was called. Then, after a moment, he said, “I remember now, it was a Mexican Duck!”
I was amazed at the logic of his mistake. It was named for a bordering country and it was a bird that had similar traits. It was an honest mistake. He had the right idea but it was the wrong animal.
Being a pastor in the Church for over 40 years has taught me that we often make a similar mistake. We hear the commands and the invitations of Jesus and in our zeal to obey, we take actions that are a Mexican Duck when Jesus was talking about a Canada Goose. We get a sense of what he is saying but at the same time we change things just enough that though similar to what he has called us to do, we end up doing something very different, not what he called for at all.
Growing up on a farm I often had to deal with fences. Fences on farms have basically two functions. They are there to either keep something in or to keep something out. The same fence does one or the other depending what direction one approaches it from. A fence between two pastures keeps your cows in and the neighbor’s cows out.
On the farm this is a good thing. In the Church, the fences we build often do the opposite of what Jesus invited us to do. Our fences often act more to keep certain people out which can be a problem if we take today’s Gospel lesson seriously. It is very hard to welcome people with a fence. Our danger is for us to hear Jesus call us to welcome others and then we, in willingness to obey, decide it is our job to decide who to welcome and who to not. That’s how this becomes a Mexican Duck. For centuries, the Church has drawn circles, or we could say fences that define who is in and who is out. If we take seriously what Jesus says in our Gospel lesson, he is suggesting that if we draw our circles or build our fences to keep anyone out, then Jesus will always end up outside the fence. It is very hard to be the Church if Jesus is kept outside the fence.
The terrifying part of this is when we make a mistake like my brother did. All along we feel we are doing just what Jesus wants and what a sad thing to discover that we were close but missed the mark. The biggest witness to the fact that this has happened is in the fact that Jesus prayed that all his followers be one and yet we as a Church, and by that I mean the body of all who believe in Jesus as Lord, we as a Church have hundreds of denominations where membership defines who is in and who is out.
Many of the denominations believe that others are followers of Jesus but instead of recognizing that there is only One Church, we have our fences up and our pride and our feelings that we have it more right than the rest and some think all the rest of us are of the devil and not even part of the Church. Jesus invited us to welcome all who act in his name. This failure is a big sorrow in the body of Christ.
But we know that Jesus wants us to welcome many others, even those who don’t embrace his name. We are to welcome the stranger, to pray for the enemy, to feed the hungry, to tend to the sick, to visit the prisoners, to clothe the naked, give water to the thirsty, to help the poor and we know the list goes on and on. Jesus says that when we welcome others, he notices and he makes note of it. In the Gospel he speaks of rewards but we know this isn’t about earning favor for our salvation but about living in a way that pleases the one who loves us the most. Rewards in the kingdom are not about gathering crowns or metals but about the relationship of love we have with our Lord. When we please someone we love, that is itself the reward!
Now, if you are big in one of the political parties, by now you have been wondering when I am going to turn political in this sermon. Immigration shouts to be addressed and you know what you want me to say according to your affiliation and you are ready to be angry if I say it wrong. Besides that, everything we have heard about racism begs to be addressed for so much of the heart of racism has to do with not welcoming others. Jesus would understand racism from the context of the times he lived on this earth as a Jewish man but he also fought very hard against such things. Stories like the Good Samaritan give us a pretty good feel for where he comes from on such an issue. He spent lots of time with people the religious power brokers of his time would have nothing to do with and that is part of the reason they wanted to kill him.
The issue here, though, the issue here belongs to Jesus. As a result it belongs to us. When Jesus challenges us to welcome all others, he doesn’t ask us to decide who we feel is acceptable and who isn’t. Jesus makes it clear that he is the one who defines that. So, the issue does belong to Jesus; is defined by Jesus; is called to our attention by Jesus; and it is Jesus who expects us to respond according to his will and not our own.
If we define ourselves as liberal, conservative or independent, those labels give us a philosophy by which we approach an issue. We have a particular way of coming at a problem. Whatever label we attach to ourselves, we have no options concerning who Jesus is and the fact that this issue belongs to Jesus. He has commanded us to deal with the issue. We are to welcome others. So often it is in the way we deal with the issue that the politics come in. What I am saying is that we have no choice but to welcome others if we are going to welcome Jesus. How we welcome others might differ from person to person and from philosophy to philosophy but as followers of Jesus we gage our actions according to the way we would treat Jesus.
You can be a liberal and treat others like you want to treat Jesus. You can be a conservative and treat other like you want to treat Jesus. The same is true no matter what label you use. And personally, I believe that we will get our best results if by some miracle we could join together in our welcoming. I think Jesus would really be pleased if we could step outside our labels, be creative and compassionate and loving by asking new questions and taking new approaches that signals to the world that we belong to Jesus before we belong to anything else.
I want to leave you with a story I am borrowing from the internet, that I believe illustrates what Jesus is getting at in our Gospel lesson:
His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very exuberant. He became a Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it. One Sunday Bill decides to go worship there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his holey T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already begun and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The sanctuary is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now, the people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.
Bill gets closer and closer to the front, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down and sits on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.
About this time, from the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward the young man, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid worshipping on the floor of his church?
It takes a long time for the man to reach Bill. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The minister can’t preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.
And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, “What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.”
What a wonderful story of welcoming. May we get it right, you know, the Canada Goose instead of the Mexican Duck. May this be our story as we reach out to welcome Jesus in others because he has so wonderfully welcomed us. Amen
Please join me in confessing our faith using the words of the Apostles’ 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 sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, we pray that you will do your work in our hearts. We are not always willing or ready to welcome others, especially certain others. Give us hearts that are shaped by you that we might see all others through your eyes. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus, we pray for our world and our nation. Guide us through this pandemic. Keep us safe and healthy. Show us the light we need to see in order to deal with the ugliness we call racism. We pray for just laws that are enforced justly. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit, fill your Church with yourself. Empower us for prayer, for action, for change of heart, for passion full of love and with clear vision for your will. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Trinity, capture us with your grace that we might be instruments of that grace. Use us to reach out to all around us with a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a welcoming smile and however you might be pleased to use us in your name. Amen
We look to Jesus who has fed us on God’s Word to now feed us with his own body and blood.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Please join me in our 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
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Please join me in sharing the bread and the wine. Share with each other and if you are alone, then speak the words of grace to yourself:
The body of Christ, given for you or the body of Christ, given for me. Amen
The blood of Christ, given for you or the blood of Christ, given for me. Amen
Let us pray. Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one heavenly food; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
I will leave you with a poem from one of my seminary professors, the late Gerhard E. Frost.
Toughest Fact
Morning has broken, long shadows are receding; time for today’s resolution.
With the Spirit’s help, I will remember that the toughest, most resilient and tenacious, most stubborn and unyielding fact that I’ll encounter this day is the eternal and all-embracing love of God.
Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen
Be gracious and welcoming to all as our way to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God.Sunday, June 21, 2020Thank you for worshiping on internet. Since COVID we are the body of Christ in a new way! New setting, today I am filming inside First Lutheran Church and reading scripture at Siskwit Bay.
Port Wing news: Keep loved ones of Connie Williams in prayer grieve that loss.Karleen in prayer for healing of her arm bone, check up, and needs to wear the cast for at least 2 more weeks… she said prob best since she IS in the garden..
Messiah: Don Jenicek is doing very well-thanks you all for your prayers-running after his grocery cart – so thankful.
FOUR Group Announcements:
1-Please call me or one of the council members. I will give you their names. We truly want to hear from everyone regarding how you see God leading us. How is God leading us during this global pandemic? Where do you see God in these weeks when we have not been in the building? Each council member has received a DRAFT proposal as to church re-entry criteria. Both church councils will vote this week, MLC on Tues, FLPW on Thurs. Read Names Now!!
2-Be sure to watch today’s children’s sermon. Three actors. PN, Lois AND Gifty Cook, 7th grader
3-Happy Father’s Day!!! All who give fatherly love! Today’s sermon time to recall two memories of father: a high memory and a low memory. My mom never even met her father, so if that is your story, then pick a high and lo memory of a man who was important to you growing up.
4-Next Sunday, pastor Dale Chesley – and next Sunday special children time with Gifty Cook!
Thanksgiving for Baptism and readings from Romans and Matthew
Dear God, Move us this day, closer to you, & closer to one another. Disturb us if we are getting too comfortable, & if instead we enter this day with anxiety, bring your beautiful comfort into our hearts, Amen. On this Father’s Day, if you are a father, or with a father, Thank You for being you!
Today, we are going to talk about what it means to follow Jesus and use the idea of fatherhood for a way to enter in. Take a moment now to thing of a great memory of your father, and a not so good memory. If you don’t have a father, then think of someone who was important to you growing up. As we reflect, we get a glimpse into how complex life is. I’ll share my two memories, not so much for you to get to know me, but for you to start realizing – maybe all of us have at least one thing painful from our past. Now as part of the body of Christ, in God’s arms, speak of your pain. Notice is there is still forgiveness and healing needed and see that living and following Jesus is how we can fully live, no matter what our past.
Following Jesus often starts with our baptism, “In baptism our gracious heavenly Father frees us from sin & death by joining us to the death and resurrection of Jesus.” Faith includes Death, Dying and Comfort!
It seems as if Jesus asks us to live with this mantra: I am crucified with Christ. The life I live is no longer mine, but Christ who lives within me. I have died to self. Galatians 2:20.
In today’s lesson Jesus says, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” A recent Richard Rohr online devotional had a similar message: “Our deepest freedom rests not in our freedom to do what we want to do, but rather in our freedom to become who God wills us to be. As followers of Jesus we are invited to live with daily death to self, compassionate reaching out to those in need, always praying, God not my will, but your will be done”
Jesus’ words in The Message: “If you don’t go all the way with me through thick & thin you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you will never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me you will find both yourself and me.”
So, To follow Jesus, we must die to ourselves daily, that is challenging, right? Then, as if Jesus knows we are saying, yeah but C’mon, what else? In Matt 10: 29-31, Jesus also tells his followers about comfort: “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
God knows the hairs on your head, so God knows and cares for you intimately. Comfort at the highest level, if/when we truly let it in. From Message: “What is the price of a pet canary? Pennies. God cares what happens to the canary even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you down to the last detail even numbering the hairs on your head. You are worth to God more than a million canaries.” His eye is on the sparrow, so I know God’s watching me.
What does it mean to follow Jesus? Die to Self. AND, allow yourself to be comforted. If you are in pain, anxious, worried, STAY with this comforting passage, because there are times in our lives when all we can hold is God’s grace, mercy and comfort. And I mean that. But, if you also want to have some challenge, then, let’s ask this Q: What could it mean to follow Jesus during our current COVID-19 crises and the global movement for full equality? I wonder, in particular, how do we die to ourselves right now? What I’m going to say next might be a stretch here, are you ready to stretch?
Last Sunday Rev. William Barger gave a powerful sermon. In it he said that marginalized people are tired of dying. “Too much dying!” Is this understandable? There are people in this world who have less power, the ones Jesus is always caring for, those with little or no voice, those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison. For people in this group, the poor for example, who have higher cases of COVID and their rates of death are higher. THIS group has had too much dying!
And I want to suggest that what if those of us who identify as people of some privilege, what if WE need to DIE a little bit MORE? To what might we need to die when Jesus asks us to die to self? Wow… What if white, main stream, Christians need to die to our privilege? What if we pray daily for one month, Dear God, show me how I might have privilege? Show me how perhaps I might be fragile in my whiteness.
And, to what else shall we die? I want to end with a practical idea. Following Jesus is not always in doing the big things. Giving a cup of water to someone thirsty makes a difference for sure. AND, dying to self could mean for us to wear our masks! Wow. I have heard this a LOT and confess still don’t really get it. BUT, I got it a bit more from Barbie Nichols. She has pre-existing health conditions and lives with chronic pain. If she got COVID, Barbie is rather sure she would die. So, when she allows herself to finally get out of the house and do a grocery shopping trip, if she sees someone without a mask, then she gets worried/terrified! What might God be saying to us through these words from Jesus in Matthew 10? Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. And during a global pandemic, wear a mask. Amen? Amen. We will continue our worship with prayers for the people: Let us take a few moments to pray for our world, our community and ourselves.
Then, Holy Communion.
And in dedication to Ethel Waters
His Eye is on the Sparrow
Why should I feel discouraged (down)
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow (down)
And I know He watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches I know He watches
I know He watches me I sing…
Sunday, June 14, 2020Music by Jack Gunderson and Owen Polifka - ELW Hymn 698 How long O God…
Thank you for worshiping on internet. We are the body of Christ in a new way! New setting, today I am filming inside Messiah Lutheran Church. Next week I will film inside the church at Port Wing! Thank you to musicians! Owen Polifka and Jack Gunderson. Thank you to 4 teens from Messiah Bas, Bev, Kaija and Iley.
Port Wing news: Keep Karleen in prayer for healing from a fall and broken bone close to her wrist.
Messiah: Don Jenicek is having a procedure on Thurs, cardioversion, to get heart back in sinus rhythm. Florida travelers safely home, Tom & Wendy Murphy, Bob and Linda Bodeen traveling this week from Florida back Wisconsin.
Today our focus is remembering The Emanuel Nine. Last August at the ELCA national assembly, voters passed a resolution-All ELCA churches should remember on June 17, 2015 nine people from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, So Carolina were murdered while they were having a Wed. night Bible study.
With all the protests around the world for racial equity, today seemed fitting to commemorate The Emanuel Nine. Today’s overall theme is for us to follow Jesus and be Stewards of God’s DREAM. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said and many of you know this by heart: I have a dream that my 4 little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. On August 28, 1963 this was part of King’s speech given as the culmination of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial, 57 years ago.
All ELCA churches were given materials to commemorate the Emanuel Nine. You will be hearing from four of Messiah’s teenagers reading. But before I turn the service over to the teens, I want to do something to help us TRY to understand the unspeakable trauma of having 9 church folk be shot dead while having Bible study. We all still see it as unbelievably shocking, but how can we have true empathy?
Empathy for someone else’s trauma might start by remembering our own trauma. Since I have been here now, almost twelve years, I know that a number of you have lived through horrible trauma. Anyone who has anything to do with law enforcement (yourself, your spouse, your child, your friend) has seen horror and experienced things that most of the rest of us cannot imagine. To all in law enforcement Thank You For Serving.
I am deliberate in saying thank you. Why? I know how easy it could be to throw out all priests and pastors because some priests and pastors have molested children. The majority of priests, pastors, and law enforcement people go into these fields because they want to help people. These fields are called the helping professions. Washburn has a young man, Jake Anderson, who recently became a police officer. I asked him why he selected this as his career. He answered, “I want to help people.”
This comparison is valid. What makes people so angry about a church person who molested a parishoner is when the report is made and nothing is done about it. People in higher up positions turn a blind eye. Then the problem becomes a system problem. See where I am going? Back to commemorating The Emanuel Nine.
Many of you have had at least one deep trauma story. People who serve in law enforcement have maybe one per day! Thank you all who are serving or who have served. Others of you watching have had a murder in your family or you know of someone who was murdered. This is deep trauma you will never forget. Others of you have had a child die. This is trauma you live with for the rest of your days.
The truth is that I have not had a deep trauma like you have had, period, so I must listen to you and listen to others with an open mind, and TRY to understand. One thing I know for sure, and others of you can join me in this – many of us have NOT ever had to worry whether or not we might get picked up by a cop because of the color of our skin.
No, when I see the blinking lights behind me and I have seen those blinking lights behind me, 100% of the time, I know why the lights are blinking-because I was speeding. But now I am digressing.
The ELCA has asked churches to remember The Emanuel Nine, Nine black church folk who were killed by a self-professed white supremacist. To try hard to see what that would feel like, join me in experiencing Two made-up stories. Pause your device and say to yourself or to someone in your house, Pastor Nancy is about to tell made-up stories. OK? What I am about to say are made-up stories.
I do NOT have anyone’s permission to tell these stories. I have made them up. My sole purpose is for us to enter in to the experience of the church where nine were murdered.
Here is version one of two made-up stories: The first story is from First Lutheran Church in Port Wing. First Lutheran Folks recently received a newsletter and one photo was of a group of 8 women who are members of the Ladies Aid Group. I’ll list their names in order of how they were sitting in that photo taken a year or so ago: Laurie Perkins, Eileen Mackay, Judy Evanow, Sue Luoma, Bonnie Anderson, Karen Anderson, Laurie Guscinski and Sue Anderson. Pastor Nancy joined this group for lunch. Let’s call them the First Lutheran Nine. The fictional story is: A black person entered that restaurant and shot them all dead. Pause
Made-up story number two. At Messiah there is a group who meets on Tuesdays at 1:30 pm (until COVID-19 that is). They met with pastor Jerry Lamb, met with Pastor Ron Hanson when I was on sabbatical, met with me for quite a while, and now they are meeting with Pastor Don Nickolson. This is made up story number two. On a certain Tuesday Pastor Don met with eight others for Bible study. I’ll give their names in the order in which they sat at the oblong table. Dona Copperud, Shirley Midthun, June Steel, Lorraine Young, David Brately, Dave Emsh, Melinda Merrill, Janice Allen and Pastor Don. Let’s call them the Messiah Lutheran Nine. The made-up story is: A black man entered this group and asked if he could join for Bible study. The group was gracious and kind, welcomed him in and then he shot them all dead.
I have read that it is hard for people with white skin to enter in to what it is like to be black in America. I think that is really true. But, we can find ways to try. Deep trauma paralyzes us for a while. Some never recover. As followers of Jesus, we either deny faith because the pain keeps us from even reaching out. OR, some get closer to Jesus and beg for help, for community, and for comfort.
Traumatic wounds were reopened when we saw George Floyd murdered. There has been a global response. The majority of protestors want racial equality, zero police brutality and zero racial profiling. Can we all agree with these desires?
The preacher King was inspired to have his dream because he saw it as God’s dream of full equality. If you adopted a black child, you are more aware of this tension. But, please pray with me, and join in feeling trauma today. Join in commemorating the Emanuel Nine and pray along with me: Dear God, show me, open me up abit more to what your will is for us at this moment. Show us your will. Show us how we all can be vessels of your amazing grace individually and as congregations. Amen. We now join four teens from Messiah
The first Reader is Kaiju The Witness of the Emanuel Nine: A Litany of Remembrance for Their Vocations The “Emanuel Nine,” were gifted, loving & faithful people who spent their last moments in Bible study. They leave a legacy of grace, resistance, family, and faith. Gracious God, we remember their lives and witness and we are called to a wider understanding of the Spirit’s work in the world.
They were preachers: Open us to receive the good news of Jesus Christ. They were students: Kindle in us a desire to learn and grow in your ways. They were teachers: Instill in us a passion to share the wisdom of Christ. They were coaches: Accompany us as we strive to run the race set before us. They were mentors: Inspire us through the wise counsel offered by others. They were leaders: Embolden us to seek out the best in others. They were musicians: Attune us to the sounds of your creation. They were poets: Reveal your truth in language we have yet to discover. They were barbers: Shape us as attentive caregivers to those around us
I am Iley and will be an 11th grader this fall
They were custodians: Protect those whose work ensures our safety. They were bus drivers: Carry us as companions in life’s journeys. They were veterans: Remember those who risk harm for the sake of others. They were librarians: Write on our hearts and minds the wisdom of the generations.They were advocates: Call us to speak and act on behalf of those who are silenced. They were public servants: Show us how to love our neighbors as ourselves. They were legislators: Inscribe your laws of love and justice on our hearts.
In lives of faithful dedication, your servants Clementa, Cynthia, Daniel, DePayne, Ethel, Myra, Sharonda, Susie, and Tywanza lived by your promises, sharing their gifts with those in their families and communities. May we not forget their lives, taken too soon. In the years to come, let us share their names and their witness, so that the world comes to know of your spirit at work in and through them. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
My name is Bas and I will be a 10th grader next fall A Litany of Remembrance for the Emanuel Nine We remember that they lovingly welcomed the stranger into a Wednesday-night bible study—they sang, they prayed, they gathered to study the word of God. We remember. We pray for the continual presence of God’s peace; may it comfort and surround the families of the nine who were slain. We remember.
We pray for the church leaders, the community of Charleston, and all who continue to grieve—trusting that God will continue to unite us in the work to end racism and white supremacy, so that we may be witnesses of Christian unity. We remember. We remember the legacy of the Rev. Pinkney and his fight for racial justice for his parishioners and his community. Let us not only be moved by emotion but also be moved toward action. We remember. Help us remember and confront our history of racial injustice. We must not forget the crimes committed against humanity in the name of Christ: the land theft from and genocide of indigenous peoples and the enslavement of black bodies that built this nation. We remember.
My name is Beverly and I will be a 10th grader next fall Help us remember the policies and practices that excluded Chinese immigrants and forced the internment of Japanese Americans. We remember. Help us remember the exploitation of migrant farm workers from Latin and Central America and the separation of families at the U.S. southern border. We remember. Help us remember the black lives lost at the hands of law enforcement: Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Ahmaud Arbery, Renisha McBride, George Floyd, and many others, known and unknown. We remember. As we remember, Oh God, help us see that we are all connected. Help us continue to see that when one part of the body of Christ suffers, we all suffer. Help each one of us find ways to live out your dream of full equality. In your name we pray, Amen.
We will continue worship this morning by reading scripture: Ps 13:1-2 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Ps. 22:1-2 My God my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from healing me, from the words of my groaning, o my God I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night but find no rest. ELW Hymn 698. V 4 how can we hope How can we sing O God set free our voice to name the sorrows, name the pain that we might yet rejoice V 5 How long o God the psalmist cries a cry we are invited to make our own, though we are lost alone afraid our God will lead us home.
Let us pray Dear God, we thank you for giving us stories, sermons, all sorts of communications from people of faith reminding us that when one person suffers, we all suffer. God, only through your power of your HS, only by your power, can our eyes be opened. Open us up, to suffer with, and then to act. On our own, we have many reasons why we can’t help. Break in, break through and touch us and move us. Amen.
How long must I rest in this sorrow? Ahmaud Aubrey was just shy of his 26th birthday. Men infected by the COVID 1619 virus killed him. COVID 1619 affects the eye and brain, so that when a person with COVID 1619 SEES a person with more melanin in their skin, lies start infecting the brain!
It took ten weeks for the arrest to be made-and that was due to a cell phone video. The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III from UCC Trinity Church, on the south side of Chicago, created a sermon and titled it A Requiem for Ahmaud Aubrey, The Cross and the Lynching Tree. I am taking some of his sermon and sharing it with you today. Otis Moss introduced the problem of racism with a term: COVID 1619. LIES about skin color happened big time in 1619 when the lie was: “We can get free labor if we get black skinned people from Africa to do our work. We will dehumanize them solely based on their melanin. If your melanin is darker, then you are not human. I can own you.” This is such a lie.
Next big lie, in 1800’s after the so-called freeing of slaves, after the civil war, then a huge lie was perpetuated through movies that portrayed dark skinned people as criminals, and people who were more prone to violence than white people. We still believe the lies. We cover up the truths such as, “This country was built by many black skinned people and their brilliance, their perseverance.”
A black man, Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down by whites. This crime was not even in the news until a cell phone video finally made its way. His murder does not matter. The facts that our history is filled with cases of the wrong person going to jail and being executed. His skin color. Watch the movie, Just Mercy for example.
But right now, will you humbly, and without knowing for sure the next step, will you join me in praying,
Dear God, show me where I have benefitted from my white privilege. God, show me where I have white fragility and where I am not able to admit my racist thoughts.
On Wednesday, 77 area ELCA pastors and I listened to two ELCA leaders of African descent at our national headquarters. They both said the same thing. We cannot do the work of racial equality alone. Actually, this is YOUR work to do. Dismantling racism as an elective or a requirement? I found a book w this title from one of my sem classes. There have been classes on racism for decades and to a black person, the progress feels too slow. The killing of George Floyd felt to many as the straw that breaks the camel’s back… How long, Oh lord, how long must I wait for equality and justice. As a followers of Jesus, and called to be your pastor, is racial equality right now in June of 2020, is this an elective topic or a required topic? Well, let us ask together and let us use Jesus as our guide…If followers of Jesus are called to be like Jesus and look after the ones considered the least of these; to care for those in prison, the hungry, the naked, the thirsty; to care for those most vulnerable; to find where injustice is and then to do justice work, OH MY! As followers of Jesus, and in the spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Lutheran King-It was his faith that compelled him to work for equality. Equal pay for equal work. Discrimination in work, hiring, voting. King saw it all. People believing lies and making lies seem like truth. King was assassinated in 1968. Now in 2020, we have a global pandemic and by now you have prob heard this COVID 19 has disproportionately affected communities of color in deaths, unemployment, poverty, food scarcity, housing insecurity, education disruption, reduced access to healthcare, and increased acts of violence and racism. Over 50 years have passed since King and his nonviolent protests, and we still have work to do. OK, is racial equality an elective or a requirement for Jesus followers? Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to lead us in answering. I love how Otis Moss said that the slaves even tho many could not read, they hear enough about Jesus, that they identified with him. They saw Jesus as disinherited. Jesus as lynched. Jesus as one who suffered unjustly, and clung to Jesus and sang many songs that lifted them. Holy Communion
Music by Jack G & Owen Polifka “We shall overcome”
Sunday May 31, 2020 Pentecost SundayGood Morning! Thank you so much for making time to be part of this body of Christ. All of us are together through the Holy Spirit. We are from FL AZ & MN- maybe more!
Messiah news: Keith Holm & Marlys Olson are home in Washburn Three Announcements: There is Holy Communion today. There is a Lois the Lamb children’s sermon today and I hope you watch. Next Sunday please tell me if you’d like me to say Happy Anniversary to you or a loved one. Call me at 209-1100 or email me at [email protected].
The following responsive reading is inspired by Rev. Thom Shuman Living Liturgies
No flowing fabrics of red hanging from sanctuary ceilings, yet this is still the day we celebrate God’s breath.
On this day, staying at home, we invite the Holy Spirit of new life to breathe upon us!
Through technology, we gather with one another.
On this day, we envision all who remain sheltered in place, safe in God’s grace.
There will be no birthday cakes, no balloons released, yet in the days to come, we continue to speak of God’s love and the Spirit’s peace for all.
So even apart, people know they are not alone, so when the day comes, and we know it will, people will find a community awaiting them.
A spark is all we need this day, Imaginative God, to light our quarantined aloneness so we can burst into brighter light to those around us. You bring life and grace to us, and to the whole world.
A word is all we need this day, so we can be the voice of all forgotten by the world, so we can be the voice of equality, to melt hearts hardened by prejudice, so we might speak in that still, small voice, and be those who live out, your radical and full acceptance to everyone we meet.
A soft, gentle breeze is all we need this day, a breeze that will stay quiet, and peaceful, and still until the day comes (and it will) for us to become a storm of hope to clear the despair from all our neighborhoods and lands. Give us Yourself this day, Oh Holy Spirit. Amen.
Call to Reconciliation Yes, we remain isolated, yet, we pray together:
O Pentecost’s Spirit – if only we could tell of your wonders in our lives, yet air waves are filled with anger, bitterness, and political arguments. If only we could pour you out on all who are lonely, afraid and worried about tomorrow, but we are kept inside our doors.
O Holy Spirit, you continue to move, to live, to breathe upon us with your mercy and your grace. Now, in this moment, breathe your hope and peace, upon us, so we might be the balm for all the anger around us. Now, in the moments and days to come, continue to breathe your love upon us, and the whole world, so collectively, we might transform grudges into generosity, foolishness into common sense, and rejection into being as welcoming as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Silence
Listen! It may not happen with a mighty wind, but with a soft whisper. But this is our Pentecost. This is our reminder that God forgives us and fills us with all things new.
Thanks be to God! God gives us new hope in endless days of despair, new joy in never-ending moments of grief, and new life when we seem to have lost even the simple ability to breathe – this day and in all the days to come. Amen. Amen. May the Spirit of Pentecost touch you this day. May the soft, gentle breeze of love fill your hearts. May the words of Pentecost offer you new songs.
A reading of ACTS chapter 2. Let us PRAY: Let us pray: Come HS Come Energize and renew us! Especially during this global pandemic and deep racial inequality, show us how the life and death of Jesus, can bind us together. Amen. Let’s look at a few things from the first Pentecost. I got many ideas for today’s message from Rev. David Lose, and thank him for his insight. He is Sr. Pastor of Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in the Twin Cities. I would like to watch his sermon for this Sunday and hear his words of lament and hope as all in the Twin Cities are reeling from the devastation there.
Looking at Acts chapter 2, this is a DIVERSE group of Jews with different languages and customs. They are from all over the world. Yet, they had a unified message. They ALL spoke about God’s deeds of power. Speaking a unified message, this kind of unity from such a diverse group of people is only possible with the Holy Spirit. In U.S. we have one main language, and we can hardly agree on anything!
Specifically, what was the Holy Spirit message? The message was about the crucified Christ. Our Beautiful Savior who was crucified, WHY??-Jesus included Everyone, was so impossibly loving, who always took the side of the most vulnerable (not the powerful) and who was crucified in Weakness & Shame!
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, he makes our sorrowing spirits sing. Jesus shines brighter Jesus shines purer His beauty is his selfless solidarity with underdog!
Let us never separate the boldness of the apostles from weakness of how God through Jesus came to suffer, rather than wage a war and to offer GRACE and Mercy rather than judgment. What if the BEST chance a group of DIVERSE people can unify is when we BOND together through our shared humanity/need/mutual woe. We rally when we are at our best, filled w compassion! We bond together through sharing what we have in common. For examples, we realize that we are all in this thing called life together. We wake up and get some “aha’s”! Aha, I could be the one who got cancer. Oh, I could have just as well been born a person of color. If I were born into the world with different circumstances, I could be homeless right now. When we see the world through the lens of a crucified Christ who loves everyone, we are invited to be like Christ and always have solidarity for those who are hurting.
A most recent example is how this community rallied around 11-year-old Eva with her cancer diagnosis. Come Holy Spirit, may the desire to walk with those who are having a hard time grow in all of us. In 1 Corinthians Paul says something similar. In the body of Christ, we have many hugely diverse parts, but we are called to see ourselves as ONE body of Christ. Vs. 7 says to each person is given a gift of Holy Spirit For The Benefit of ALL, the whole diverse body. Again, Impossible is made possible only by the Holy Spirit. The spirit helps us use our GIFTS for the good of the community! How does Holy Spirit help us be ONE body, unified, in mission? One way is when we pray daily to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit: Love Joy Peace Patience Faithfulness, Generosity, Gentleness, Kindness, Self-Control. God does the impossible through the Holy Spirit.
Two more seemingly impossible things for humans today. It seems as if Christian churches are having a hard time being unified in how and when to open doors! And even much more serious than that, we as followers of Jesus right now are grappling with how to be unified in dealing with racial inequality. The riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul are being led by those who live out of town. Some of them identify with hate groups including white supremacy groups. Opinions are wildly DIVERSE on almost any issue; however, what is our true calling and compass as followers of Jesus? We are called to be humbly open to the Holy Spirit so our words and deeds witness to Jesus. And then we must remind ourselves of who Jesus is. Jesus is the one who came in weakness, identified regularly with the outcast, and shared God’s love for all with a particular concern for the most vulnerable.
It is almost impossible to identify regularly with those who are left out, discriminated against, the most vulnerable… Almost impossible! And yet, we can identify. Maybe all of us have felt discriminated against at least once. And at least once, probably all of us have acted in a discriminatory way. Right now the groups who are vulnerable and discriminated against include People of Color and those who are most susceptible to becoming ill from the coronavirus. It is almost impossible to keep them in our lens. We will fail, we do fail, but please on this Pentecost Sunday, join me in saying a simple prayer: God I recommit to following you. I recommit to inviting the Holy Spirit to empower me to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus. Amen. Thank you.
Prayers for the World, Our community, ourselves. Holy Communion-Sending Hymn Blest Be the Tie That Binds. Words in verse 3 go with 1 Cor 12:26. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it. If one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. V. 3 We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear, and often for each other flows, the sympathizing tear…Thank you once again for worshipping today, and envisioning us humbly as the body of Christ. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Sermon for May 24, 2020 Good Morning! Thank you so much for making time to be part of this body of Christ. All of us are together through the Holy Spirit. We are from FL AZ & MN.
First Lutheran in Port Wing news: Memorial Day video honoring veterans, go to portwingwi.com. One of the newest local veterans who died last fall was Brandon Anderson, Karen Anderson’s grandson and the headstone will be put on his grave this weekend. He died from illness at young age, leaving a wife and two small children. This Memorial Day weekend we remember loved ones.Messiah news: Keith Holm is traveling this week and Stewart Holman greets everyone. For today, those who have the internet can watch a full worship service with a sermon by Bishop Laurie Skow Anderson. My message today is about church re-entry. I filmed this message on Friday morning, May 22.
I want to tell you all about the two church council meetings we had this week. As I tell you, you will hear two words that are not often used when talking about church councils: One hundred percent and unanimous. On Tuesday, May 19 Messiah’s church council met with 100% attendance on Zoom. On Thursday, May 21 First Lutheran’s council met with 100% attendance on Zoom. Both groups started with this prayer: “O God, you have called us to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus. Amen.”
Both groups discussed when will it be safe to go back to worship in the pews? and How? We reflected on two pieces of info: *The May 13 WI Supreme Court Ruling that struck down Gov. Ever’s more cautious approach
*Out of town tourists who come for Mem Day Weekend and all summer
When we open our worship doors-can’t tell out-of-towner with no symptoms, “You’re not welcome!”
If an out of towner with no symptoms worshipped and sat in our enclosed space for 60 minutes, even with masks and 6-ft apart, we know the worst case scenario is the oldest person in the building gets COVID and dies. Hindsight is 20/20. We don’t get a second chance, so we are taking it slow. Who will clean & disinfect? Who will enforce the 6-feet? Who will keep reminding the pastor to step back?
Members of both councils voted unanimously to NOT re-open until we have at least a couple of weeks to watch for the COVID numbers. Messiah revisits the re-entry conversation on June 9, First on June 18. What I am asking all of you- please pray a lot on how we move ahead. On Thursday afternoon I joined area ELCA pastors on a Zoom meeting for at-risk pastors who are age 60 and over, or have pre-existing health conditions. Bishop Laurie led the group. Church re-entry has become a source of division at some churches.
As a diverse body of Christ, we know it is unlikely we will see this exactly the same, BUT, please hold high prayer for unity as we are in this long pandemic haul together. Acknowledge that we have never done this before. With heightened anxiety, we are NOT at our best. Even when we are at our best, it is hard for many of us to live with differening opinions. We must keep calmly talking. I am going to list the names of council members and ask you to call them and tell them your thoughts. Hold these two scriptures in your heart. John 17:11 Jesus spoke to his followers THEN and NOW: Now I am no longer in the world but they are in the world and I am coming to you. Oh God protect them in your name that you have given me so that they may be one, as we are one. Jesus wants us as a body of Christ to be one, to be in union.
1 Peter 4:5 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Keep alert Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour Resist him, steadfast in your faith for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore support strengthen and establish you to God be the power forever and ever. Amen? Amen. We are in this together. We want to hear from you all. Thank you and good bye! Call pastor nancy at 715 209-1100
Sermon for May 17, 2020 Good Morning! Thank you so much for making time to be part of this body of Christ. All of us are together through the Holy Spirit. We are from Florida and Arizona, Minnesota. Keep Keith Holm in prayer as he starts his journey home tomorrow from Tucson, Arizona.
Announcements: Happy Birthday Marlyce Olson, on May 11.
Pastors received a letter from our Bishop and she has asked us to get this information to all of you. Posted on both church websites and Facebooks. I will read it to you now too.
Dear friends in Christ, On May 13, 2020, the Wisconsin Supreme Court lifted the WI Dept. of Health Services’ Safer at Home extension. However, nothing has changed in our level of concern about contracting and spreading the coronavirus via worship and other gatherings in our churches.
The court decision was based on a contested legal point, and not on any change of the need for caution and safety that the pandemic has brought upon us. Counsel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a wide range of additional medical experts, the ELCA’s guidelines, and other government entities continue to stress the need for restricting all gatherings to under ten people and attendant safeguards such as distancing, masks, etc.
In the midst of confusion after the court’s ruling, we ask that you remain steadfast in taking precautions to not contract or spread the virus. Please follow the counsel and recommendations stated in the May 12, 2020 ELCA document, Considerations for Returning to In-person Worship.
We in the Church need to continue to be guided by scripture, our theology, and the best scientific knowledge we can gather. As our state is divided, we stand in unity to prioritize the safety and the well-being of all of our members as we continue in community.
Yours in Christ Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson and 5 other area Bishops.
Call 715 209-1100 If you have an announcement. Holy Communion today so you might want to pause your device and go to the kitchen to get bread, wine, juice or water.
This week on Tuesday, the Messiah church council meets by zoom at 5:30; First Lutheran on Thursday, so if you have any concerns, please call me or council presidents Ken at 774-3424 or Jerod at 685-8020
Children’s sermon is about Psalm 23 vs 4 Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and staff thy comfort me.
Words of Thanksgiving for Baptism which include, “Bathe us in your forgiveness, grace, and love. Satisfy the thirsty, and give us the life only you can give.”
John 14:15-21 Jesus said to disciples “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who keep my commandments are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” The gospel of the Lord.
Dear Jesus, Especially, this day, tell us about the Advocate, your Holy Spirit in us and with us right now. Show yourself to us this day. Amen.
Let’s do something together. Make the sign of the cross. What do we say? Father Son and Holy Spirit. Three in one. Jesus said, “I am in the father and you in me and I in you. And, I must go, but will not leave you orphaned. I send you the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.” What does all of this sound like? Union with God, in a divine dance, almost. In this small piece of scripture, we hear of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Today, we will focus on the Holy Spirit, the Advocate Jesus promised his followers 2000 years ago and still promises us today. The power that the Holy Spirit gives you and me is life changing. We can thrive rather than survive, as we live and breathe and move in God through this Holy Spirit. Pray as often as you can, “Come Holy Spirit Come. Melt me mold me fill me use me. Spirit of the living God fall fresh on us all.”
I so badly want you to hold this sermon in your heart all week. You can best remember 4 great things about the Holy Spirit with the acronym R-A-C-E. In Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.”
Lifting out the phrase Let us run the race that is set before us. Let us run the race – metaphor for let us live our lives centered in God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us run the race. RACE. Our lives could be called a race to the finish, starting now until the day we die.
I like all the images that come up with the word race. For me, I have dabbled in running most of my adult life. I have run 13 marathons. In 2018 I ran the Whistle-Stop half. And on Thursday of this week, I tried to run two miles and it took every ounce of energy I had. My running is ten times better when I have a running buddy. Someone who runs alongside me. The Holy Spirit could be called your person who is alongside of you 24/7!
Then I could not help think of the life journey of my friend who lives in a wheel chair. And I could not help but think of Eva Livingston. And, of course, each one of you listening to me, please think of your own life and the race that is set before you.
Ryan, Eva’s dad, and I talked yesterday. Ryan said that his eleven-year-old daughter who recently lost her arm due to cancer, is doing most of the things she was doing before her surgery. And she has a pretty good attitude. Ryan and his family continue to feel the power of God’s Holy Spirit through all those who hold them in prayer.
You have a race, which is your life. Please renew your commitment to live your life w the Holy Spirit. What does this Holy Spirit bring to our lives? The Spirit reminds, advocates, counsels & comforts & encourages
R – The Holy Spirit REMINDS us of all Jesus taught. The HS is this still small voice that reminds us of our identity. You are my beloved child with whom I am well pleased. You are a beloved child of God. HS REMINDS us to love. HS reminds us that this question what is the most loving thing to do in this instant. Indeed, there are other voices clamoring for our attention. Some of these voices are downright lies. Be still and know that God’s voice is this HS who REMINDS you of all the things Jesus taught.
A – The Holy Spirit is often called an Advocate. The HS advocates for us. What does that mean? An advocate is one who pleads your case, intercedes and stands up for you. Wow.
C – The Holy Spirit is called a comforter and counselor. What does that look like? Well, when was the last time you felt you needed a hug, you needed comfort? When was the last time you desperately begged for help, advice and wisdom? Of course there are times when another human is what we think we need. But, there are times when there is no human around, right? Come Holy Spirit Come, Guide me, comfort me. Wrap me in your loving arms. Please Help! And then wait. Begging is OK. Come HS Come please bring me your comfort and your guidance.
E – The Holy Spirit encourages us. When was the last time you felt down in the dumps? Depressed? As has been said before, if we wonder about our mental health, we should seek professional help. Clinical depression and anxiety is totally on the rise during this global pandemic. Interestingly counselors often ask their clients about their spiritual life. As part of a package toward mental health, is included develop a spiritual life. Start breathing. And as you breathe in, include this one prayer into your day and notice what happens. Come Holy Spirit Come. I am so discouraged right now. Help me please.
Now, guess what? Followers of Jesus are given the Holy Spirit. The HS advocates for us so that we can do it for others. So that we can be a whole group who help, comfort, encourage counsel and lift up others! Wow, that is the body of Christ at our best. Praying that we together can be a whole group who lives together in a circle. At 10:00 am you might lift someone else up, and by 7:00 pm tonight, you might be lifted up by someone else!
On the Saturday before mother’s day, Carol Salminen and I were lifted up by two little girls, age 4 and 6. Kate and Emma created mother’s day cards for two women who are not biological mothers. But I want to guess it was God’s Holy Spirit moving – to encourage women. Carol and I were so very lifted up!
God’s Holy Spirit is moving and the still small voice is always present. Pray with me to be still enough every day, every hour, every minute to hear this voice that reminds us we are beloved children of God, that advocates for us by standing up for us and alongside us, that Comforts, Counsels and Encourages. Amen? Amen. I ended last week’s message by extending two of the Confirmation homework assignment to all of us. 1-Look for God this week. And do the Faith Five… I will keep that challenge to you, with this new piece. Look for God this week in ways you see the Holy Spirit active. Keep your eyes wide open and you will see. Amen.
After the sermon, we shared Prayers of the People: Pray for the World…. leaders, those in all countries suffering from COVID, and other concerns
Your community…. and both church councils as we discuss church re-entry. If you watch the news, you know that as a country we are divided on how to re-enter. Churches are not all on same page. Pray with me that somehow we can come to consensus at both churches Messiah and First. Pray for church councils… Your personal prayers-Pass the peace-Holy Communion
Sermon for May 10, 2020 Mother’s Day and Good Shepherd Sunday
Good Morning! Thank you so much for making time to be part of this body of Christ. All of us are together through the Holy Spirit. We are from Florida and Arizona, The Texans are now home! Another state I forgot to mention last week is Georgia! Lorraine Young’s baby sister Sandy calls Lorraine up and plays the sermons on her Georgia computer so Lorraine can hear the Messiah and First Lutheran sermon. How creative! Also, thank you to my best girlfriend Jodi Rogness who listens with us from St Louis Park, MN.
Announcements: Pastor Ron and Connie Hanson-Pastor Neal Milam Jack Evanow from First Lutheran, will have a surgery, delayed now until July 6, keep him in prayer Call 715 209-1100 If you have an announcement. Holy Communion today so you might want to pause your device and go to the kitchen to get bread, wine, juice or water. Thank You to our volunteer singers, Jon Hove from First Lutheran and Jack Gunderson from Messiah. Mary Childs from Port Wing has been putting this all together. We need another person to film. Call me if you can help out.
Mother’s Day AND Good Shepherd Sunday
Hymns today: The Lord’s My Shepherd and The King of Love, My Shepherd Is
Children’s sermon is about Psalm 23 and be sure to watch if you can. Lois the lamb had an accident during the children’s time, but Lois tells us that she is fine today. She did not get hurt.
Words of Thanksgiving for Baptism which include, “Bathe us in your forgiveness, grace, and love. Satisfy the thirsty, and give us the life only you can give.”
John 14:1-3, and 14:25-27 Dear Jesus, you tell us “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.” IF ever there was a time to hear these words it is today, this 8th Sunday of not being able to gather together. For some, their 8th week without a paycheck, for others, their 8th week of home schooling. We wonder, when will things go back to normal? Speak to us anew about your desire to calm our troubled hearts. In your name we pray and say amen together. Amen.
Does this John 14 sound familiar? We hear this scripture read at funerals, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.” Used at funerals, the line in my father’s house there are many rooms (dwelling places or mansions) is used as comfort, referring to heaven. We hear about dwelling places (rooms or mansions). Dwelling places is the term that best matches the intended meaning from the Greek. Jesus is telling his disciples and is also telling us that he and God, together with the Holy Spirit, are all three inviting us to dwell in them and they in us. This is about a present day, intimate relationship. Jesus is talking about living our lives centered in God.
At the time Jesus spoke these words, what was going on with his listeners? Well, last week the followers of Jesus heard that if they confessed Jesus as the Messiah they would be “put out of the synagogue.” Later in John chapter 10 many of the Jewish people would not believe and wanted to stone Jesus. The followers had reason for troubled hearts. They were starting to realize: “Our own faith tradition is not accepting him. In fact, there is a plot going around to KILL our Jesus.”
Jesus knew his followers. He knew their potential for good was huge. He also knew they were human and could also reject or deny him too. In John 3:38 Jesus told Peter that before the cock crows you will have denied me three times. I have never noticed the placement of this verse before. Jesus says to Peter, “By the way, you do not realize it now, but you are going to betray me. But, do not let your hearts be troubled.” This set up feels almost impossible. I highlight it because it is also true today. Jesus already knows even before we screw up, that eventually we will and we do screw up.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God…” Believing in God would not be new, since many of these followers were of the Jewish faith. So, believing in the God of Abraham Isaac & Jacob, was easy to do. Now add, believe in me. The disciples were beginning to see that they were faced with a choice. The disciples probably thought: “Jesus is asking me to believe in him, but he is also saying he will die, be killed.” And, with all of this as a backdrop, Jesus says, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.
There is an important point I must make about the phrase: Do not let your heart be troubled. Recently I read an article about something psychologists call toxic positivity. During this global pandemic there are messages on the internet such as: Keep your chin up. Be happy. This too will pass. Find the good. If I suffer from anxiety or depression, these soundbites actually make me feel worse! It is normal and perhaps essential to allow yourself to feel the trouble at least for a while. Do not stuff your troubled feelings. Bring those troubled feelings to God. And hear Jesus tell us from Matthew 11:28 Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened. I will give you rest. Jesus knows our emotions and wants us to come to him as we are.
Drama, anxiety and knowledge that by the end of the day, I just might make a life mistake… This context is hopeful to me. Why? I have a feeling you know why. Not everyone, but quite a few people during this global pandemic, are having some drama and anxiety. Some of us have started out our day OK, but by the end of the day, many of us have screwed up at least once. Are you with me?
Taking the ancient words of Jesus to our current day setting, allow yourself to hear Jesus say to you: Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.
How do we experience this love & care of Jesus NOW, today? One way I have permission to share: For the last three weeks, I’ve been leading a Faith Five by Zoom with Messiah parents of 8th graders on up. This week we looked at John 3:38. I had the rich opportunity last week of zooming with some folks and at the end after we did Faith Five, they gave me their prayer concerns listed here: “Peace of mind and peace in my heart, said one person, and that somehow we can realize and look for any good that might be coming out of this global pandemic.” The rest of the group heard that prayer and I think we all said, Yes, that is my prayer too. I pray for peace, yes, and calm. May I be able to live into the verse BE still and know that I am God. Another said Go easy on myself, forgive myself, maybe God, help me lower my expectations. I added a concrete prayer, God help me with time management – I wish I could accomplish more. These heartfelt prayers have stayed with me and I am going to guess as you hear them, you are saying, Me too. I want those things.
Then the group discussed the homework assignment for the Confirmation students. Take this week and ask the question Where is God? And be as open ended as you can be. The first week, these kids listed places they found God. One found God right before bed, in doing prayers. They saw God in some unique nature scenes.
I end today’s message by extending two of the Confirmation homework assignment to all of us. 1-Look for God this week. And I know that this last thing I want to ask you to do might be getting old. 2-Please have at least one family gathering OR if you live alone, have at least one phone call where you discuss God. You could ask Where did you see God this week? Or do Faith Five… Parents have shared with me this week that it is not an unrealistic request from a pastor. Thank you for saying that! Parents told me: “When we have done the Faith Five, it settles us down, helps us share some quality stuff. We want to keep doing it!” Great! Let us all recommit for this week, and our verse is “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.” Amen? Amen.
After the sermon, we shared Prayers of the People: Pray for the World…. leaders, those in all countries suffering from COVID, and other concerns Your community…. Jack Evanow, and both church councils as we discuss church re-entry. If you watch the news, you know that as a country we are divided on how to re-enter. Churches are not all on same page. Pray with me that somehow we can come to consensus at both churches Messiah and First. Pray for church councils… Your personal prayers-Pass the peace-Holy Communion
April 26, 2020 sermon honoring Earth Day
A reading from Genesis 1:1-5, 20-26, Genesis 2:15
Let us pray the prayer attributed to St. Francis: “Lord make us instruments of your peace…
This is Pastor Nancy. So good to be with you. As has been said before, now, during Safer at Home, we are still connected. We are all connected by God’s Holy Spirit, through technology. And, sermons are not about the preacher, but about us as a community. I can’t hear you say Amen, but I envision hearing you. I can’t see you falling asleep either, but I will be mindful to not get too long winded or boring! God help us.
Let us pray: Dear God, in these unprecedented times of COVID-19, we come before you to worship you. May our ponderings this morning bring us closer to you and closer to each other in this community of listeners. Then, Oh Lord, we pray collectively for our planet, Mother Earth. You gave us this planet to love, and all that is in it. How shall we love you particularly in these days? Show us and help us. Amen.
Early this year, Rachel Bauman, pastor at St. John’s United Church of Christ on Madeline Island reached out to area clergy wondering if any of us would want to join in honoring Earth Day. What a joy to meet with like-minded fellow clergy. A similar group of clergy met to discuss bringing Kent Nerburn to this area. Congregations are pooling resources. Now Kent is planning to come on Sept 13, (not May 3 as originally planned before COVID-19.)
This group includes faith leaders from Bayfield Presbyterian, United Methodist, ELCA and the Unitarian Universalists. All of these denominations have given a lot of thought to taking care of the earth. In fact, if you like this topic of Caring for Creation, then I encourage you to go to these other church websites to view their Earth Day worship services. Pastor Rachel on Madeline Island gave her Earth Day sermon on Sunday, April 19. She said many amazing things in her sermon. Two that really struck me were some fascinating facts about what is happening to our earth and our animals due to so many people in so many countries living in quarantine. Due to the lesser amount of traffic, we have less carbon emissions and less vibrations. According to a couple articles Rachel researched, there are less deaths in China and mother whales have less stress. Rachel got some of her facts from (April 2, 2020) The Atlantic magazine article, “The Pandemic is Turning the Natural World Upside Down,” and sections from Rebecca Solnit’s book, Hope in the Dark. Listen to her whole sermon for sure.
Ashland’s Unitarian Universalists also had an Earth Day worship highlighting three teenagers who offer their thoughts about how to honor the earth.
The basis of my sermon today will be from Pope Francis! Thank you to Linda Jorgenson who gave me a copy of Pope Francis’s Encyclical on Climate Change & Inequality, On Care for Our Common Home, which came out five years ago. I’m struck by his passion and so thankful for the many faith leaders like him who are calling us to take earth care very seriously.
Pope Francis highlights Saint Francis of Assisi, the Pope’s namesake who is called the Patron Saint of Ecology. Francis was a 12th century lover of the natural world. Ancient scripture texts informed St. Francis and can still inform us today. In the preface of this book, writer Naomi Oreskes says Pope Frances has two overall themes: Interconnectedness and Denunciation. Interconnectedness meaning that we are all interconnected, not just all humans on the globe, but all plants, animals, rocks, and humans, ALL interconnected.
Pope Francis talks about denouncing parts of modern life that have led to our current predicament. One thing you and I are invited to denounce on this Earth Day, is a misinterpretation of Genesis 1:26 and 28 which has been used to grant humans dominion over the earth. Nothing new, Christians using scripture to justify their actions. “Nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures.”
The Pope then highlights Gen 2:15 which tells us to till and keep the garden of the world. Tilling refers to cultivating, ploughing or working. Keeping means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Scripture offers no warrant for misuse or destruction of nature. We are to denounce the attitude that it is OK for humans to dominate and exploit.
Humans do not like being controlled, right? Who else? Animals. Some of you have heard or read about Temple Grandin who has a deep passion for the humane handling of livestock on cattle ranches and slaughter houses. Watch the movie about her sometime. This is part of what Francis is saying. Humane caring treatment of all animals and natural resources is necessary because we are all connected.
When a national or multinational company exploits resources and pollutes, Pope Frances says we need to pay attention. And, if we elect officials who do not enforce Environmental Protection we are part of this problem. I am actually part of the problem if I plead ignorance. How will the candidate vote on environmental issues is an attitude Christians need to adopt because of our belief that we are here to care for and protect the earth.
Mother Earth can help with the results of this global pandemic and massive unemployment. She wants to help. I am all for government intervention. In fact, we are getting it in billions. And, you and I are not at all helpless. I feel rather inadequate, but I am not helpless. One thing all of us can do this year is consider having a garden.
Well, it feels right to me that the earth wants to help feed the people who are going to be devasted. It is simple and almost all of us can do it. Right now caring for the earth is inextricably connected with COVID-19. Between now and Earth Day, the best way we can care for the earth is to follow the Governor's “Safer At Home” Order to the best of our abilities. Doing this also shows that we believe in the interconnectedness of us all. What one person does affects another person.
Thank you for taking time to ponder how we can love and care for each other and our planet on this day. I will end today’s sermon by offering prayers. The content in each one of these prayers is from conversations I had this past week with real people in our area. Dear God, we bring these concerns to you in prayer
Bring your healing hand to Rachel, Elaro, Omar and all people who are suffering due to COVID-19 locally and around the world.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bring your wisdom, wit, patience, love and whatever else we need to parent in these unique times.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God, you know our cracking points better than we do ourselves, tenderly hold us before during and after our emotions get away from us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
When we say or do something, or when someone else says or does something, and when our first impluse is to be overly self-critical, or other-critical, Oh God, bathe us in the ability to hold our judgement.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Dear God, we lift up scientists, researchers, all in medical and science professions working hard for healing, vaccine and cure. Give them self-control to take rest, keep their minds fresh, and help us support them in any way we can.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Oh God, help us look for and find any silver linings during this global pandemic. If one is a heightened awareness of how we are all in this thing called life together, and that we are much better together, than we are alone, help us take this lesson into the future.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remind us, O parental God, of the unique opportunities and challenges in every stage of life from birth to grace. Help us not so much need to be understood as to understand.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
God, our own health, our mental, physical, financial and social health feels at greater risk right now. Help us find ways for ourselves and for others to be as healthy as possible, and to give help and grace where we can.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Our mental health professionals, keep them healthy, bring them to health, as they help us through our unique and individual struggles.Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. All these things and anything else you see that we need, Oh God, we pray in your name. Amen. The following is something created by area clergy:
Earth Day Proclamation
We, the undersigned clergy and congregations of Chequamegon Bay, mark this 50th anniversary of Earth Day by prophetically calling communities and lawmakers to awaken and repent of the harm we are doing to creation. As people of faith…
We affirm . . .
. . . we are called to life and hope, and to put into practice healthy and holy habits of sustainable living -- not only for ourselves, but for our brothers and sisters around the world.
. . . we rejoice in the world around us, which was divinely created and divinely named, “good!"
We confess . . .
. . . we have surrendered to habits of ever greater consumption of energy and possessions.
. . . we have turned a deaf ear to the abundant scientific evidence that we, as human beings, are directly impacting the climate, causing harm to countless living things, as well as polluting our air, water, and soil.
. . . we have been insufficiently concerned about how changes in our climate disproportionately impact the most vulnerable members of our world community.
. . . we have been complicit in an industrial system that all too often ignores the harm being to the earth and to the marginalized in favor of higher profits and more comfortable lives for the privileged.
We commit . . .
. . . to work in solidarity with all people -- fellow community members, legislators, scientists, business people -- to change our own behavior and work with others to build a society characterized by responsibility, sustainability, and economic and environmental justice.
Affirming the role of all of us as caretakers and gardeners of this fragile planet, we join all the people of Chequamegon Bay . . . Wisconsin . . . the United States . . . and the world . . . in celebrating Earth Day.
Easter Sunday April 12, 2020 (based on Matthew 28:1-10)Dear God, Jesus & Holy Spirit, what a story, for us to imagine: you dying a painful death, then rising again. We hear an angel saying do not be afraid, and then, in your risen-from-the-dead-form, we just heard you call Mary by name and again say, do not be afraid. Oh, God, impress upon us, in a way that we somehow get deep into our bones, that YOU are still telling us to not be afraid. In your name we pray, Amen.
Christ is risen-He is risen indeed! Good Morning-Happy Easter! Thank you all for your kind comments about our bringing these messages to you outside. We are a body of Christ connected by the Holy Spirit, not bodily proximity. Now, one week later, last week’s snow is gone. Chequamegon Bay has opened up. The brown earth is transforming, new life is starting to resurrect! And, NOW is the time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!
In preparing for today’s message I listened to the presiding bishop of the ELCA, Elizabeth Eaton. Also, I read suggestions from David Lose, former Luther Seminary professor and now lead pastor at Mt. Olivet in the twin cities. They both brought up something I probably would have never thought of. They talked about the words different and similar. It is actually rather obvious, how DIFFERENT Easter 2020 is from any other Easter we have ever had. When was the last time (almost) all churches were empty on Easter Sunday? Even on Easters when we have snow, many faithful still drive through storms to get to church, right?
But, Easter 2020 is SIMILAR to what? The 1st Easter! In Matthew 28 & John 20-there were NO crowds gathered to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection –instead, very small groups! In Matthew’s version there were two women! In John’s gospel there was one woman and two men as the first witnesses to the resurrection. Other disciples lived in isolation, in a locked-door home, out of fear for their safety. Aching over the crucifixion, they wondered if their lives would ever return to normal. Sound familiar?
Those very scared first believers never got any promises that proclaiming the good news of Jesus would be easy, in fact Jesus said “In this world, you will have tribulation, but I have overcome the world.” Then and now, God did not and does not promise full churches, robust economy or good health Rather, the promise we get is: “Lo I am with you always. By dying on the cross, Jesus illustrated that death did not have the last word. In his crucifixion then resurrection, light and love have the final word over fear and death.
Today with coronavirus all over the globe, God has not changed. And now is the time to hear anew words from an angel in vs. 5 and Jesus in vs. 10. Do not be afraid. We could easily ask, “God, are you still telling us to not be afraid?” YES. God is still telling us through Any Way God Can, to not let fear take over.
To deeply take in the words Do Not Be Afraid I want to look at four people from the Northwoods. Each one is living a life of faith and service, that gives them strength to keep on going!
Carol Salminen and I talked yesterday. I have permission to tell this story. In 2011 Carol and another Messiah member, Dianne Heapy, started a Thursday night monthly fellowship event, with a movie and food. They wanted a safe place for people to gather, some people who were not yet quite feeling comfortable in church on a Sunday morning. This group has been meeting monthly ever since. Margie Motiff was one of those who made supper. Ardys Davis often attended these movie nights. They evolved from church basement on Thurs evenings to lunchtime at North Coast Coffee. What is constant is their purpose to be the body of Christ, a place of friendship and fellowship. Carol is the main person to make the monthly calls along with Dianne, to remind folks of the next day event. So, being part of the body of Christ, reaching out to people, perhaps especially people who want community, has been important to Carol for a long time.
On Feb 29, 2012, like so many of us who live up here, Carol fell on the ice and broke her leg. With the operation, came infection. Seven months after the initial break, Carol heard doctors give her 2 choices: keep trying to clear up the infection or amputate the leg. The 7 months of unsuccessful healing led her to make the difficult amputation decision. Carol is now in her 8th year of living in a wheel chair. “I wouldn’t be here if God hadn’t pulled me through the whole experience. You know that poem Footprints? Well, that is me.”
Was there fear? Loneliness? Depression? Yes to all three, but Carol also heard and still hears God’s still small voice telling her do not be afraid. She also feels the tug to stay in community and stay connected. Actually, Carol is a part of three communities, her apartment complex community and a shout out to Barbie, Terry and Scott, her Messiah church community and her Second Thursday group who now meets on Tuesdays! Now during COVID-19, she is still checking up on others. Making how are you doing calls is part of her ongoing health and healing. Caring for others, praying together, being the body, being part of community greatly reduces her fear factor. After you have talked and prayed with Carol, your fear factor reduces too.
Gary Kreuger is the next person I had a chance to talk with yesterday and he also has given me his permission to share a few nuggests of his story. Gary was up early during our huge December 1, 2019 snow storm. He had a helmet on and his cell phone in his pocket as he was trying to clear the snow out of his yard. A tree fell on him and he knew right away, he was paralyzed. He cried out to God, “Don’t let me die, I’m not finished with life yet!” With his cell phone, he was able to call for help. Due to the heavy snow fall, it took emergency people 1.5 hours to reach Gary. They finally got him to the hospital. Now over 4 months later, Gary is recovering at home. He said, if he ever is able to walk again, it could take five years. For now, he has therapy to try to regain muscle use. “I so badly want to model to my kids that life goes on. I try hard to stay positive.” Gary and his wife have a church home and have always been givers to the community. With faith in God, family and community Gary feels all of this is what is getting him through and keeping him strong.
The next person I want to highlight today is Clover Johnson. She just retired after serving as a volunteer at the Fig Leave Thrift Store in Iron River. At this time I want to give a shout to all who work at thrift stores. My mom works at one in Hendricks, MN. These stores are based in part on the verse in Matthew 25 when Jesus says, “When I was naked, you clothed me.” This work is such great ministry and it takes strength to continue volunteer work such as this for 25 years. Thank you Clover!
Lastly, I want to lift up Eva Livingston who had surgery on Friday, surgery to remove her arm and part of her shoulder due to cancer. Eva’s mom and dad, Ryan and Erica feel so supported by their family, friends and church community. They feel God’s love and welcome all of our prayers for their family, especially 11-year-old Eva who will begin her challenge of living with one arm.
Can anything good come from COVID-19? Let us pray for an increase in the realization of how much we truly need one another, how there is nothing more important than loving one another, being in community and seeing the face of Christ in each other. Amen? Amen. Palm Sunday April 5, 2020Read Matthew 21:1-11
Dear God, Help us imagine you outside in the first century sitting on a donkey, coming down the village road. Help us hear the people cheering Hosanna as they line the path w palm branches and cloaks. Help us stay with this image of being so excited to see you, who dwells with us even now, in our midst. In your name we pray, Amen.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of what Jesus’s followers call Holy Week. Today’s Palm/Passion Sunday text illustrates people praising Jesus, who? This 30-something-year-old carpenter’s son, turned prophet, lover and healer. “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord,” is their joyful cheer.
I am here standing outside with a sunrise & two vases of palms for 3 reasons. 1-the forecast for Easter Sunday-is cloudy, so having a real sunrise for next Sunday might be tricky. I knew today’s forecast so planned to film outside. We all need to know the sun can shine and will shine again during the dark times. 2-SO much will happen between Palm Sunday and next Sunday, Easter. These two symbols, the sunrise and the palms illustrate the beginning and end of this upcoming week. 3-But my main reason I’m not at church is the global pandemic. I’m trying to follow the Gov’s order to be Safer at Home.
Speaking of COVID-19, this Holy Week & Easter-unlike any we’ve ever had, right? No long choir rehearsals, no cantatas, no extra hours in decorating, no Easter Lilies on the altar to honor loved ones, no community egg hunts, church Easter breakfasts or brunches. So, how will we uphold Holy week and celebrate Easter w/o those things?
One way is to take this upcoming week more seriously than ever. Sing along with the hymn Prepare the royal highway sung by Messiah member Jack Gunderson. Words include vs 4 His (Jesus) is no earthly kingdom; it comes from heaven above. His rule is peace & freedom & justice, truth & love. So let your praise be sounding for kindness so abounding Hosanna to the Lord, for he fulfills God’s word. Allow yourself to feel JOY of Palm Sunday.
The next part of Holy Week is Maundy Thursday, Maundy comes from a Latin word that means mandate. We celebrate Jesus’s MANDATE to LOVE. Joining Jesus as he and his disciples eat the last supper. All of us are invited to make Thursday special at home. Plan a love meal now. Find the bravest person in your house and ask him/her to wash your feet. Maundy Thursday for those who live alone and have a computer could tune in and join Bethesda Lutheran in Bayfield as they have a Love Feast by Zoom. Pastor Mary has invited us. Jesus says “no greater love is this than to lay down one’s life for another.”
Fri, April 10 is Good Friday, the day we keep our eyes on the sacrificial death of Jesus. I challenge you to consider that instead of the worst Easter week you’ve ever had, consider changing one word. Instead of the WORST, try RICHEST Holy Week I’ve ever had.
I never got through watching the whole movie by Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ. I could not stay with the persecution, humiliation, excruciating pain, slow motion whipping of Jesus. I prefer focusing on Christ’s love and for sure the resurrection. But THIS Good Friday, staying with the pain of Christ’s crucifixion might be especially appropriate.
Staying with death and pain happens on Good Friday could be easier because of COVID-19. We ache now over pain and death. We ache over the news stories of loved ones being separated, some living in hotel rooms so they don’t potentially bring home the virus to loved ones. We ache over the deep fatigue of front line workers not only in medical professions, but in any job that has the worker in contact with the public. We grieve with those who are dying, and those who have lost loved ones.
We ache with those with the virus who feel shunned. It brings back memories of being isolated and shamed for having HIV/AIDS.
On upcoming Good Friday, as we contemplate the death of Christ and stay with his pain, two stories come to my mind, stories of pain and hope.
First, a story about an 11-year-old girl diagnosed with cancer. Her father describes her as a strong and brave little girl. In talking with Ryan, the father, he tells me that yes, we would love to have our church family keep us in prayer. We are already feeling the community support and this really helps us to know we are not alone.
Second story is about Dr. Brent Price, an infectious disease control specialist, now working more than full-time at a New Jersey hospital. Last Saturday afternoon Brent called me. He said, “Pastor, I only have energy to make two phone-calls: one to my aging parents and one to my pastor.” With a trembling voice Brent told me that he is scared. This COVID-19 is so real. “Just today we lost to death two hospital workers. I, as a 58-year-old physician, know that I could die. Please tell your people to hold us all in prayer. Pray for us please.”
I’d like to end by saying with all of this pain, I don’t feel like the preacher. I feel like the student. And I wonder if you would be a beginner student with me. Let’s hear the basic story of Jesus in a brand new way this Holy Week. Jesus was the Word made flesh. He lived fully human and fully divine, FULL of Grace and Truth.
He was viewed as a threat to the religious and political leaders, so much so they plotted and succeeded to kill him. In short, he died because he loved too fully and radically. He loved by being not one bit afraid to touch people with the dreaded disease of leprosy. He touched lepers when his own faith forbid people to touch those deemed unclean. He loved, as you know, by eating and drinking with known cheaters, tax collectors, and prostitutes.
How in the world can we love like Jesus today when we can’t touch each other, and out of love for the community, we are not gathering?
Crazy as it sounds, one way we love is by staying with his death and see his amazing faith in God. You and I are praying that all those on the coronavirus front lines could be filled with God’s love and peace. As they are also facing their own possible death.
We’re invited to stay with the death of Jesus. And we watch Jesus who did not let death have the final word. In words of the writer to 1 Corinthians 15:54, death has been swallowed up in victory. Death has lost its sting. And, nothing can separate us from the love of God, neither death nor life…
I now close with this thought: To not be afraid of death because we live eternally in Christ is a concept that will take a lifetime to fully grasp. Maybe we can better grasp it as we see how Jesus willingly died. Amen. Please listen-Were You There sung by member of First Lutheran in Port Wing, Jon Hove.
Before hearing Jon sing, please join me in praying the Lord’s prayer.
Sunday, March 29, 2020 sermon is based on the gospel of John 11:1-45Dear God, Come alive to us this day by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
This gospel story is about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. A story that is familiar to some of you and perhaps new to others. Let’s see if we can hear it again this day as if it is a brand new story with a few different details. What if Jesus appeared to a family in March, 2020, and Jesus rose from the dead a loved one who died from COVID-19?
You might say, “I might be able to believe Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead back in the 1st century, but today? If this could really be possible, well, I would want Jesus to raise my loved one from the dead! Hold that thought. I will come back to it.
In Loving Jesus Mark Allen Powell wants readers to see ourselves living IN Christ. Powell brings up something I never thought of. Powell says when we say we are living in Christ, this is not so much a microscopic, tiny Jesus living in our hearts! It is probably more accurate to say a part of Jesus lives in us. In God we live and move and have our being.
Living IN Christ includes dying to ourselves, and being alive in Christ and believing that we are never alone. There is eternal life as we live in Christ. Even after we die, there is still life after death.
As of Tuesday, March 24 the Wisconsin Governor issued something called Safer at Home. Members of Messiah Lutheran and First Lutheran church councils, the youth ministry team and other members have started to make-how are you doing calls so that we can try to be connected even though getting together physically now is not happening.
What could we say when we make our “checking in” calls? Well, many of us are shy and it is easier to talk about the weather than about our faith, but let’s challenge each other. Let’s say, “Ya know, through all of this, we are not alone. We are all IN the body of Christ together. For God so loves the whole world!”
As we share on the phone, we can bring up the scripture verse that says: If you are grieving, I grieve. Let’s share joys and concerns with each other.
When we ask for prayers concerns, sooner or later someone will ask us to offer a prayer for healing. We pray for healing but we don’t promise a cure. We don’t promise that Jesus will appear right now and raise a loved one from the dead. So, there is this nagging question, “Why pray for healing if you can’t promise me a cure? The creators of the Healing Service in our hymnal write that what does happen when we pray together are gifts such as these: God’s presence, with strength and comfort in time of suffering, God’s promise of wholeness and peace, and God’s love embodied in the community of faith.
We pray and envision ourselves in Jesus. In today’s gospel, the first thing Jesus noticed was see how sad people were and he did what? Jesus cried with them.
When we make our phone calls, we share Christ’s love as we take the time to listen and cry with someone. We might stay with that sadness and say thank you so much for sharing. Only if it feels OK, we might softly say, “Is there anything for which you are grateful?”
Life and death topics are not to be avoided during this time. They are not avoided in scripture. Paul, the New Testament writer says wild things like “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Paul believed so strongly in eternal life and wrote that neither life nor death can separate us from God’s love.
Christian writer and pastor Max Lucado was interviewed recently about how to be a church during the coronavirus. He said that now is a great time to dig deeper into scripture for comfort and study. Take Psalm 121 “I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” This is a verse of comfort.
Lucado then took Phil 4:6. Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything and God’s peace will fill you. Through study, we learn that the writer wrote while in prison and could see jail guards who had the power to kill him. Even knowing he might not get out of prison alive, he still tells followers of Christ, “Turn your worries into prayers, and believe it or not, God’s peace that passes all understanding will keep your heart and your mind IN Christ.”
When we make our phone calls and ask, “How are you doing?” We hear worries. Let us together turn our worries into prayers.
In today’s story, Martha and Mary brought deep sadness to Jesus. He wept with them, but that is not all he did. Jesus brought new life into the situation. I believe Jesus brings new life to us also when we surrender to him in lives of prayer. I am not minimizing how hard these times are right now. It is extremely scary and worrisome to wonder who might get the virus next, if our hospitals can handle this pandemic, or when a paycheck will come again.
This is a time to either decide God is a made-up human concept so praying to God won’t help, OR you could say with Thomas and me, “I believe. God, help me in me unbelief. Help me imagine that my life is IN you, and you are holding me and all of us in your arms of love. Help us O God. Amen. If you are reading this alone, please take time to see yourself in God’s arms of love. Receive the peace of living in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If you are with others, take a few minutes to share with each other. Ask how are you doing? Share prayer concerns. Pray together.
Sermon Text for Sunday, March 22, 2020Dear God, healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow. Give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorry. Gather us now as we join together through your Holy Spirit. Amen. Today is the first time we are trying to deliver a sermon online. You are reading relatively the same text as what you would see and hear if you viewed the sermon for March 22 on our church’s Facebook page and websites.
A reading from the gospel of John, chapter 9 from The Message, “Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You are looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do… For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s light.” In the NRSV is the phrase, “I am the light of the world.”
Pray with me, Dear God, what might these words have to do with us today? Amen. In this story the question is Whose fault is the blindness? Or Who can we blame?
Don’t you just love how Jesus responds? Basically it is as if Jesus is saying, “Stop the blame game. Stop that kind of thinking. There is no such cause and effect here. Instead, look for what God can do.” Common first century thinking was that an ailment was due to someone’s sin. Jesus helps people see things in a new way. However, it is not just in the first century, that we humans want to find someone to blame.
Oh my goodness! How many of us have been asking questions such as Who can we blame for the spread of the coronavirus? Who can we blame for all of today’s uncertainty? We might be tempted to be angry at those who traveled and brought the virus back with them to Wisconsin.
If it is true that our brains are only able to focus on one thing at a time, then where shall we invest our thoughts? Blaming OR Looking for what God can do? Of course, I recommend you and I direct our thoughts to this wonderful question What can God do, or perhaps more specifically, What can God do through you and me today to bring some light into the world? (If we truly focus on this question, we will shift to a much more positive use of our time and thought life.)
Let us live into that question as we go through our days. On Friday, I was at a post office and asked the person selling me stamps, “How are you doing?” This person responded, “I am terrified.” “Is it because you can’t control who will come into the building? And you can’t really protect yourself if a person is sick?” YES, she replied. Then, as I left the post office, someone was just getting out of their car. “How are you doing?” This person responded that his job had just ended due to the virus and the day it starts up is totally unknown. Monthly bills, however, will come like clockwork every month.
Within a matter of minutes, I heard two of the many worries and fears people are experiencing right now. I have no solutions, but I do want to close with an idea.
There is a big difference between social distancing and social isolation. We have to social distance right now, but with these incredibly real worries and concerns, we cannot risk the effects of becoming isolated.
So, I end today’s message with a challenge: Please talk with someone today about how you are feeling which keeps us from isolating.
A church term used for talking with each other is called Faith Five, coined by Pastor Rich Melhiem. Faith Five is having holy space and talking with each other. It is sort of like having church at home.
Will you try doing Faith Five this week? Here is what you can do in a nutshell. If you live alone, please think of one person to call and ask them if you can have a conversation.
Whether you are home or on the phone, I suggest lighting a candle. Then ask two open ended questions and listen. Make sure you both have time to talk. Q 1) Tell me how you are doing. Especially tell me one thing that has been difficult for you. Q 2) might be harder. Tell me one thing positive that happened in your life-one thing you are grateful for or happy about. 2-Read this verse for the week-words from Jesus in John 9, “You’re asking the wrong question. You are looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do… For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s light.” Step 3 is to discuss this verse. How might these words of Jesus help you get through your hard times? 4-Pray for each other. 5-Bless each other.
Many of you have heard about having this kind of home conversation. Now, more than ever, when we are not able to have fellowship in the church building, please make an effort to have holy ground with other people. Practice holy sharing and holy listening. “How can I pray for you?” when we ask this question, often times, the person will reflect and realize you want to help. The wording of our prayers is not as important as our hearts. Would you give Faith Five a try this week? I hope so!
Let us pray once more, “Dear God, rather than isolate, give us, by the power of your Holy Spirit, the ability to reach out to one another. In your name we pray, Amen.
Sermon Text - March 15, 2020Dear Jesus, Help us be more like you, In your name we pray, Amen.
(Gospel text is copied at the bottom of this sermon for you to read. It is the woman at the well story from The Message)
I am planning to tie the coronavirus and how we respond to today’s text. Want you to know that now so you are not lost or surprised when one minute I’m talking about the woman at the well, and the next minute, you hear about those who feel worried due to the coronavirus!
Much has been made about the Samaritan woman’s 5 husbands. When we get just a little info, then our minds fill in the rest. When you think of someone who has had five husbands, where does your mind go? I loved these two questions that came to me from William Willimon: Could it be she is a woman bearing the weight of grief from the loss of so many people in her life? Could it be she lives dreading the vicious combination of cruel gossip and cold shoulders she receives from others? Aren’t these mind opening questions?
Chances are HIGH, she came at noon to the well alone because she did not want to be gossiped about. If she came to the well at the normal time, when other women came, the way people looked down at her was too much to bear.
Then, in the conversation with Jesus, I want to guess that the way Jesus looked at her was so different, she felt it immediately. She felt whole, loved, healed just by the fact that Jesus, a Jew, is talking with me, a Samaritan Woman! He is talking with me as an equal!
It is not unlikely that this woman came to the well: sad, alone & heartbroken. Jesus looks at her with mercy and compassion. This woman at the well could have self-talk like this: “I need and want healing, but where will healing and living water come for me?”
In today’s story, healing and wholeness came through Jesus! Formerly broken, she leaves her water bucket even, to go back to town with excitement. It is as if any shame was also left at the well. Shame, embarrassment, feelings of not good enough are gone, healed, by the way Jesus looked at her and talked with her.
Extending her emotional brokenness to other kinds of brokenness, let’s use this story to delve into all the ways we feel alone or broken in this time of coronavirus. How might people feel alone? Well, for sure with staying home. Those who live alone will now have less opportunities to be with other people. Social isolation also hurts our health!
Please pray with me, how can we do church differently for all who might be feeling more alone?
Right now think of someone who lives alone, someone who perhaps is older and commit to giving them a phone call. We are all part of the body of Christ. Ask: how are you doing? Save enough time so there is comfortable space to chit chat. Do you have any prayer concerns?
Where are people feeling worried, alone, burdened? There are some working parents who do not know how they can work and find childcare?
Maybe those who were relying on the meals at school. Think of all those whose jobs have been changed such as restaurant and cinema workers.
Already I have had two people text me asking how they can help with distributing food to families in need. Wow… Let us use this crisis to become boldly helpful in the community!
Maybe someone will apply for a $250 Thrivent Action Team Grant-get money for food to drop off to families in need. Maybe we could assemble home devotion kits with a craft.
Healing starts with the way Jesus takes anyone who feels alone and broken. He restores them by the way he looks at them as equals. Pray with me in this healing prayer that we have our eyes opened in these weeks ahead to look for anyone who feels alone, afraid, lonely, left out. Amen.
Let us sing ELW #612_Healer of our every ill Healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow, give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorrow. V1) You who know our fears and sadness, grace us with your peace and gladness: Spirit of all comfort, fill our hearts. V2) In the pain and joy beholding how your grace is still unfolding, give us all your vision, God of love. V3) Give us strength to love each other, every sister, every brother; Spirit of all kindness be our guide. V4) You who know each thought and feeling, teach us all your way of healing; Spirit of compassion, fill each heart.
Service of Healing p. 271-283
Instead of coming up front, you are welcome to stay at your seat. We will use this healing prayer and list all who are feeling anxious right now:
Those in nursing homes who no longer get visitors
Those who are infected with the virus and are worried for their health
Those who are running out of money or food
In our country and in other countries.
How can we be that face of Christ who sees everyone as an equal?
Read Gospel John 4:5-30 To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon.
7-8 A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, “Would you give me a drink of water?” (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
9 The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”
11-12 The woman said, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water’? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?”
13-14 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”
15 The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”
16 He said, “Go call your husband and then come back.”
17-18 “I have no husband,” she said.
“That’s nicely put: ‘I have no husband.’ You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.”
19-20 “Oh, so you’re a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?”
21-23 “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
23-24 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
25 The woman said, “I don’t know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we’ll get the whole story.”
26 “I am he,” said Jesus. “You don’t have to wait any longer or look any further.”
27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn’t believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it.
28-30 The woman took the hint and left. In her confusion she left her water pot. Back in the village she told the people, “Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do you think this could be the Messiah?” And they went out to see for themselves.
83105 Washington Avenue, Port Wing, Wisconsin 54865 Phone: 715-774-3576
Pastor Nancy Hanson - Phone: 715-209-1100 Email: [email protected]
Our website was developed and is maintained by Mary Childs.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Service of Lessons and Hymns
First Lutheran Church, Port Wing and Messiah Lutheran Church, Washburn
Welcome to a Christmas like no other. Even during a global pandemic, we can still worship Christ, the newborn king! In the story of Christ’s birth, the evening sky is bright with the heavenly host singing, “Glory to God in the highest.” Amid our broken world we proclaim the prince of peace is born among us. God comes to us in human flesh, in Christ’s body and blood, so we may be bearers of divine light to all the world. Let every heart prepare him room. Heaven and earth sings as the Holy Spirit moves in our hearts. This bulletin will be used and perhaps modified for the pre-recorded on-line service, parking lot service, and a shorter service at The Oaks and Northern Lights Nursing Home by Skype.
Dick Olson: The grace of the child born for us and the joy of the son given to us be with you all. And also with you. We pray, you made this holy time shine with the brightness of the true Light. Grant that here on earth, by the power of your Holy Spirit, we may walk in the light of Jesus’ presence and in the last day wake to the brightness of his glory, Amen.
Lesson: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 Christ’s birth and kingdom foretold
Hymn: “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful” ELW #283 LBW #45 sung by Jack Gunderson
Hymn: “Joy to the World” ELW #267 LBW #39 sung by Jack Gunderson
With eyes wide open and our ears on edge,
We look for shepherds and listen for the songs of angels.
In the light of winter’s moon, with the Southern Cross lighting the way,
We gather outside the church doors, wondering when we will return.
With folks and friends we love, with strangers we have just met, we gather this year
Through technology, and yet we are together through God’s uncontainable presence.
Call to Reconciliation This is the time we are reminded God loves to be with us. Yet all too often – by our choices, our words, our silence – we choose not to be with God. Join me as we pray at this holy time to the One who was born to gift us with mercy and hope.
Prayer for Forgiveness This would have been the year we were going to carol more, visit more, and
hug more, but we didn’t. This was going to be the season when we spent more time with others, but instead we spent less. This was going to be the Christmas when we took more time in personal prayer
and devotion, but some of us did less. Forgive us for what we have done and left undone. Forgive us for not loving our neighbor as we love ourselves. And draw us closer to the baby born not into wealth and power, but into poverty and weakness. Draw us to the One who loves unconditionally and welcomes all. Draw us to the One who drew near to us. Silence
Assurance of Pardon Into the valleys of our death, Jesus comes with life; into the shadows of our world, Jesus brings light; into the brokenness of our lives, Jesus brings forgiveness and peace. Thanks
be to God for the gift of the Baby of Bethlehem, who brings joy and peace to us in these moments of forgiveness and in all the days to come. Amen. © Thom M. Shuman
Lesson: Luke 1:26-38 Angel Gabriel salutes Mary
Hymn: “Angels we have heard on high” ELW #289 LBW #71
Children’s Time: “The Sheep Song” Words and Music by Jon Hove
“Away in a Manger” Duet by Karen Anderson and Pastor Nancy
John 1:1-20 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life,[a] and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son,[d] full of grace and truth. 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. From the Message: 1-2 The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one. 14 The word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We all live off his generous bounty,
gift after gift after gift.
We got the basics from Moses,
and then this exuberant giving and receiving,
This endless knowing and understanding--
all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.
No one has ever seen God, This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, has made God plain as day.
Let us pray: Dear Word made flesh. By the power of your Holy Spirit, cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us this day. We ask a special blessing on all those who dwell in the little towns of Port Wing, Washburn, and bless all those listening to these words. Be near us Lord Jesus, we ask you to stay close by us forever and love us we pray. Amen.
Our prayer started with this phrase, “Dear Word Made Flesh.” Take this phrase and couple it with the song title, What Child IS This? Christmas makes the most sense to me when, I hear the words in that carol, “This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing.” This is Christ the King of Love! “Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding… the silent Word made flesh is pleading.”
This song was written centuries ago. I do not know what the song writer was thinking, so let us imagine today. What might the Word made flesh be pleading? My guess is that Jesus is pleading to us to realize that Christmas is LOVE as our bulletin cover states.
What would the world be like if we could love more like the way Jesus loved?
In Dana Benson’s new Advent devotional book, The Greatest Gift, Jesse Tree Advent, The story of Christmas starts at the very beginning, Dana writes this from Dec. 21, “Can you feel it? All around us, people are preparing for something. It’s Christmas. It’s Jesus. Always has been, always will be. Look around- lights, presents, food, sharing, caring; this time of year brings out the best in people. Our hearts think of others as we connect with family and make ourselves available to help others. It really is beautiful. And all this preparing was and still is preparing the way for the Lord. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could harness the excitement and love of Christmas all year long? Preparing our hearts, reaching out to others, caring and sharing? We can, and we must…”
Dana and I talked about these words. She graciously let me be a second set of eyes for her writing. In my attempt to edit, maybe my attempt to make it more real, more relevant, I wanted to add a line to December 21 and Dana talked me out of what I wanted to do. Her reason was pretty cool. I wanted to add that it is much harder to reach out this year, during a global pandemic. I suggested to Dana, “What do you think about us naming what is the truth right now about the pandemic, even though we did mention the global pandemic in an earlier page?” I do not have Dana’s exact words so I am roughly paraphrasing, but she said something like the following to me, and I had to stop in my tracks and say, “Wow, Dana… your answer is… so Faithful!” Filled with faith.
“Yes, I get it. I know about the pandemic for sure, but, I don’t want to give any of the readers the slightest reason, to doubt what God can do. Even during this pandemic, who knows, maybe even MORE during a pandemic, rather than name how it has dampened our spirits, let’s not give that space in this book. Rather, let us give God space for what God can do and for what God is doing NOW right now. There still are efforts being made to share love this season. I just don’t want to limit or take away from what God can do and what God is doing.”
So, as I read December 21 devotion again, not as an editor, but as a person coming empty, asking God’s spirit to teach me, I recalled her faith. Dana’s faith felt humble like Mary and big like Jesus all at the same time. Let’s not limit what God can do even now. I still remember the phone call with Dana talking about how to possibly edit the Dec. 21 reading. I asked her, “What is behind your passion for Advent and your passion for this book?” She had time to talk that morning. I won’t go into all the details, but she did give me permission to say that her passion for Jesus started when she was a child. Parts of her childhood were very difficult. She did get to attend church and Sunday School and learned that God was with her always. She memorized some church songs. So, especially during the hard times, she never felt alone. To this day, it is a burning passion that Dana does all she can to help kids know that they are not alone, that God in Jesus and Holy Spirit are always with us.
God did not take away the hard stuff, but helped her get through it. She wants everyone, especially kids, to grow up knowing they are not alone. She realizes that once her own children leave home, that she has no control over what might happen to them, so she feels the best thing she can do is equip them with faith in a God who will never fail them. Thank You Dana!
In verse 2 of “What Child is This” is the line Nails, spears shall pierce him through
Nails, spear shall pierce him through…. WHY did Jesus have to die such a violent death? Because of the bigness of the faith Jesus had, and in his context, his big love got him killed. It is sort of like Dana saying, let’s not give power away to forces that hold us back. Jesus gave no power to the religious leaders of his day. Jesus gave no power to the political leaders of his day. These groups saw how Jesus upset the political hierarchy, through treating all people with equal love and dignity. Jesus totally broke sacred religious codes when he touched and healed lepers, talked with women, ate with tax collectors and sinners. Together, these powerful groups plotted successfully to have him killed because he loved too much.
He only was LOVE and in being LOVE, he showed that not even death would stop Jesus.
Love won with Jesus. Christmas is Love.
I was so struck in reading John 1 again. Pesky words get missed. This time I felt the Spirit using a yellow highlighter. In these ancient words from the gospel of John came such universal all-encompassing love. In the day of Jesus, this was Love of the leper, tax collector, and in our day, we get to fill in the blank. What child is this? This This is Christ the King of Love, whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.
We now hear Hans Veenendaal sing What Child Is This.
The Prayers We pray for Christ’s light of life to take flesh in the church, the creation, and all people.
Silence
We bring to the manger our longing for the visible unity of the church of Jesus Christ, that undivided it proclaims the one whose birth brings good news of glad tidings to all people.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We bring to the manger hope for the well-being of creation, that very soon, through a vaccination and ongoing careful behavior, we may once again gather together and share Christ’s peace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We bring to the manger a vision of the reign of the Prince of Peace, that the nations, tribes, and peoples of this world will see and cherish in each other the divine spark of God.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We bring to the manger concern for those who have no place to lay their heads and for those who dwell in the shadow of loneliness, despair, illness, or death and all we name before you. Silence
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into your outstretched arms, O God, we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in Jesus Christ, the light and life of the world. Amen.
And now may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. And also with you.
Offering Prayer: You came as a baby to a manger. You slept on straw and greeted shepherds. You come again in bread and wine. Remind us how good you are at blessing ordinary things. Through these gifts, help us bless the lives of others with your strength. Amen.
P: The Lord be with you. C: And also with you
P: Lift up your hearts. C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give God thanks and praise. P: It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, that we should at all times and in all places give thanks and praise to you, almighty and merciful God, through our savior Jesus Christ. In the wonder and mystery of the Word made flesh you have opened the eyes of faith to a new and radiant vision of your glory, that beholding the God made visible, we may be drawn to love the God whom we cannot see. And so, with all the choirs of angels, with the church on earth and the hosts of heaven, we praise your name and join their unending hymn: O holy, holy, holy One, your lordship we confess with high hosannas, Lord, draw nigh, Your holy name we bless!
Words of Institution and the Lord’s Prayer
O Lamb of God, the sin of all, you fully take away. Have mercy on us, Lamb of God, And grant us peace, we pray.
“Oh Holy Night” sung by Jon Hove
“The Birthday of a King” sung by Jack Gunderson
Post Communion Prayer: In this meal, O God, we are renewed in soul and body. May your body and blood strengthen us in our calling to serve you, and help us proclaim the news of your redeeming love to all. In your name we pray, Amen.
Luke 2:1-20 Jim Swanson reading at First Lutheran Church
Lighting of Candles and Singing of Silent Night
Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav'nly hosts sing, Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born! Christ the Savior is born!
Silent night, holy night! Son of God, loves pure light
Radiant beams from your holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at your birth, Jesus, Lord, at your birth.
May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ Child. Almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen.
Piano by Karen Anderson, Sue Grube and Owen Polifka. Fiddle by Hadley Stockwell
This pre-recorded Christmas Eve service can be viewed by going to www.firstlutheranportwing.com, www.messiahofwashburn.com or Facebook. Watch the children’s video – the live nativity scenes are amazing!
We offer two ZOOM events on Thursday, Christmas Eve and possibly one live event on Christmas Day
**At 6:30 pm we can ZOOM to sing Silent Night and light candles together. ZOOM ID# 856 2352 2028, PW-Silent. We can also participate by calling 312 626-6799, same ID, PW-176790. Tune to MN Public Radio (104.7 and 89.9) at 6:30 pm to hear Silent Night. Pastor is hosting the ZOOM. Call 715 209-1100 for help.
**At 11:00 pm we can ZOOM and watch the pre-recorded worship service together. ID # 854 1443 5302 password-Christmas, or call 312 626-6799, same ID, PW-179110377.
Christmas Day worship at the Washburn Elementary School Parking Lot at 10:30 am. We will decide by 7:00 am on Christmas Day whether or not the weather will be good enough. Call 715-373-5378 to confirm.
Thank you to Anchor Wallace for use of this bulletin cover image.
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Sunday, December 20, 2020 - Fourth Sunday in Advent - Pastor Dale P. Chesley
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Let us confess our sin: Gracious God, have mercy on us. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone. Uphold us by your Spirit so that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For these holy houses, and for all who offer their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen
Please join me as I pray the prayer of the day. The Lord be with you. Let us pray: Stir up your power, Lord Christ, and come. With your abundant grace and might, free us from the sin that would obstruct your mercy, that willingly we may hear your redeeming love to all the world, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 7:8-11, 16
A reading from Second Samuel:
8Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; 9and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house. 16Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.
Word of God. Word of life.
SECOND READING: Romans 16:25-27
A reading from Romans:
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith--27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.
Word of God. Word of life.
The Holy Gospel according to Luke, the first chapter.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God." 38Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
The Gospel of the Lord.
WILLING
A man was on a business trip in the south during the Christmas season and he noticed what he thought was a very unusual practice with the manger scenes. Many of them had firemen figures where in the north it was usually wise men. So, while at a local restaurant he asked the waitress about the firemen because he’d never seen that before. The waitress shook her head with a discussed look on her face and said, “You northerners don’t read the Bible do you? It clearly says in the Bible that the wise men came from afar.”
As you know, we of the north do read our Bibles and are taken in, challenged and amazed with the kind of scripture we read today about the young girl named Mary. Mary, living in Nazareth of Galilee had a visit from the angel Gabriel. Plans were already made for her to marry a man named Joseph so she wasn’t exactly a single girl. Scholars tell us that she was most likely very young, maybe even 14 years old. All the indications we have suggest that she was not part of a wealthy family. It is likely that her dreams for the future were mostly about Joseph and the children God might give them and the life they would be able to make together.
But suddenly there was this angel. The angel was calling her “favored one!” And she did not understand why. Such a greeting should have been for someone important, someone with royal blood or religious standing or even someone rich. She had to wonder why an angel was calling her “favored one.” She pondered what sort of greeting this was. There had to be a significant time of silence. Angels seem to be comfortable with silence. Yet the angel must have been anxious with the news. The angel had a message to share that was of the most important words ever spoken. He started with “Do not be afraid.” (How many of us need to hear that? It is not just angels that scare people. And our fear goes way beyond pandemic fear. The world is full of fear.) She did not need to be afraid because she had found favor with God. We know nothing about anything she might have done to earn favor with God, but that isn’t what the angel said, the angel said that she had found favor with God. In other words, the favor was in God, not in what she had done. The favor was happening in God and was given to her in a wonderful gift of grace.
Right away the angel told her what this favor meant. It meant “And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” I can imagine the music from the old TV show “Mission Impossible” playing and the words, “Your mission if you choose to accept it…” The next words are where the heart and soul of this scripture is: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
We can say that this story is more about the baby who will be born than about Mary. He is the reason for the angel’s visit. He is the One who will be the Savior. The world had been waiting for his arrival since the first sin. But the mission was going to be accomplished in such a way that he was to become flesh and so for that to happen involved the body of a woman. He was to be born into this world in the way humans are born. So an angel was visiting Mary with news of the plan of God so that she could know the will of God and be part of what God was doing in real time. The person of Jesus, the events and actions of our Savior, from his birth to the cross and the resurrection, are for all time. They are a present tense to every generation because he is the fulfillment of the promise of God, yet it happened at a particular time in history and happened in the lives of real people.
That is one of the reasons this comes home to us in such a powerful way. This is a message to the real world. It is mean for our coronavirus world that has so many other things wrong in it. It is meant to give hope for all of humankind. It is all about Jesus!
Yet, it is also about Mary. Here before us is a demonstration of how God works. God uses flesh and blood people. We often speak of “God’s work, our hands.” There is plenty of mystery here and yet there is nothing mystical about a pregnant woman and all the realities that brings to her life. Many of you listening today have had babies. As special as the birth is of one’s own baby, the birth of babies happen all the time. It’s as common a thing as there is. There are over seven billion people living on this planet right now, each one came into this world through some kind of birth process. The unique part of this story is that while Mary was being asked to do an ordinary thing, who she was to give birth to was extraordinary. For her pregnancy was to be caused by an overshadowing of the Holy Spirit so the child born would be holy and called the Son of God.
It sounds impossible. It sounds like trouble. Who is going to believe it? What dangers might there be in such a thing? The social stigma. The heart of Joseph. The disappointment of other family members. Was this a good time for this to happen for Mary? It was God’s time and with God, it was Mary’s place to simply trust. What a great demonstration of how God works in the world. The message is for real people as the Word becomes flesh, the promise of God is born a human. And a young girl, loved and cherish by God as God’s own daughter is asked to take on a lifetime role of mother for this one who was called the Son of God.
It has all the marking of a fantasy novel and it feels like it is too good to be true. Or could it be as Frederick Buechner writes, “Maybe it is too good not to be true!” This is God at work! This is the foundation that the Church has been built on. God creates and redeems the world so there is a word of salvation for you and me.
This word comes home to us in two ways. First it stands as the proclamation of what God has done in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It calls us to focus on who Jesus is and what Jesus has accomplished and how we are a part of this wonderful gift of salvation. It is a gift of grace that God gives through faith. It is a message for the ages that comes to each of us that through the work of the Holy Spirit and through the surrender of faith, by virtue of our baptism, we receive from God what only God can give.
Yet, this word is received by us in a particular time in history and it is meant to give us life in Jesus’ name. And this life is not just about the next life, a life in heaven, but is about life today. It is called eternal life for we believe it goes way beyond the beating of our hearts but it is something that grabs us in faith to make the difference in who we are today and what we do and how we live in this world. Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Mary said, “Let it be!” Mary said that she would grow that baby in her body and give birth to the Son of God. Mary said that she would be mother to him in all the ways it means to be mother. She would bear both the joy and the grief that this meant. She would live it out in her moments of time in the real world.
We were visited by the Holy Spirit in our baptism. A pastor doing angel’s work, made an announcement that we were sealed by that Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever. It is another way of saying that we are favored and so our bodies belong to God and God’s purposes. In the Holy Spirit, Jesus is born by baptism, not from our bodies but to our bodies. His life, his eternal life, is given to us that we might be like Mary in using our bodies for God’s purposes. It gets lived out in the moments of our days, in real time, in real air, in real relationships. And so we participate like Mary in bearing the Son of God to the world.
Each day, we are invited to speak the words, “Let it be with me according to your word.” And from there, our lives are all about being the message of salvation that has been given in Jesus Christ our Lord, Son of God and Son of Mary. Most of us have never been visited by an angel but because Mary was visited, we too walk in the light of the salvation that is ours because of Jesus. We live on this earth and someday in the forever, as the very children of God. Amen
Hymn
Please join me in confessing our faith using the words of the Apostles’ 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 sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
With the whole people of God in Christ Jesus, let us pray for the church, those in need, and all of God’s creation.
Lord God, we pray that you will open our hearts to the call you are giving us. Show us how we can live in a way that bears the person of Jesus Christ into the world. Let us be like Mary, who said “let it be with me according to your word” when you invite us to the work of your kingdom. Come to us, Lord Jesus, that your life might be visible in who we are and what we do. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus, we pray for your world and our nation. Open a healing light that will bring us through this pandemic. Keep us safe and healthy and use the new vaccine to protect us from this deadly virus. Give us hearts like Jesus that we might do all we can to love our neighbor before we love ourselves. Take away from us everything that is sinful and destructive in our communities. Surprise us with your blessing as you state your claim on us. Make baptism our way of life as we live the grace you give us. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit, fill your Church with yourself. Empower us for prayer, for action, for change of heart, for passion full of love and with clear vision for your will. Hear the names we speak before you, those who need healing and hope for whatever is happening in their lives. ….. Heal our bodies even as you heal all of creation. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Trinity, capture us with your grace that we might be instruments of that grace. Use us to reach out to all around us with a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a welcoming smile and with your great love for each one. Empower our congregations to be the Church of Christ on this earth. Continue to prepare our hearts for your coming. Don’t let us miss it, Jesus. Let us be ready to receive the joy of our God. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into your hands, gracious God, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen
We look to Jesus who has fed us on God’s Word to now feed us with his own body and blood.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Please join me in our 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
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Please join me in sharing the bread and the wine. Share with each other and if you are alone, then speak the words of grace to yourself:
The body of Christ, given for you / the body of Christ, given for me. Amen
The blood of Christ, shed for you / the blood of Christ, shed for me. Amen
The body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen you and keep you in his grace.
Let us pray. Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one heavenly food; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
I will leave you with a poem from one of my seminary professors, the late Gerhard E. Frost.
The Movement of Grace
Like ocean waves,
beating against wet rocks
and washing miles of shore,
so the “blessed” bear in upon me.
In them God’s mercy comes,
and always there’s more!
This is the movement of grace,
always toward me.
The inheritance seeks the heir.
It is a loving plan,
God’s plan for me,
his purpose to pursue.
I run after the good,
but the best runs after me.
The Hound of Heaven is on my trail.
(I hear the “blessed,”
and in them the baying of the Hound.)
“The only thing there’s enough of,”
and it seeks me,
not it, but he;
He seeks me; a gracious plan.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen
Be open to the voice of God calling you to action as you carry on to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God.
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Sunday, December 6, 2020 Prayers this week include
Joe Bailey from First Lutheran in Port Wing is doing very well, recovering from open heart surgery, hopes to be home by Sunday. ADD Willard Ogren, Joyce and Dave Olson
Messiah: Bev Dehn knee surgery, Melinda Merrill hip surgery, Barbie Nicols
COVID is so very real right now:
Shirley Eid died on Saturday, November 28 at 4:17 am from COVID complications
All grieving the loss of Messiah’s beloved member, Don Jenicek who died Thanksgiving Day
Now, words of Confession and Forgiveness: Together we honestly and humbly confess that we have not always lived as God desires. Silence. Loving God we confess that we are held captive by sin. In spite of our best efforts, at times we go astray. WE have not always welcomed the stranger; not always loved our neighbor, we have not been Christ to one another. Restore us, O God. Wake us up and turns us from our sin. Renew us each day in the light of Christ. Amen. People of God hear this good news: by God’s endless grace our sins are forgiven, and we are free, free from all that holds us back and free to live in the peaceable realm and reign of God. May we be strengthened in God’s love, comforted by Christ’s peace and accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Of the Father’s Love Begotten sung by Hans Veenendaal
1-Of the father’s love begotten ere the worlds began to be he is Alpha and Omega he the source, the ending he, of the things that are, that have been, and that future years shall see, evermore and evermore.
2-Oh, that birth forever blessed, when the virgin, full of grace, b the Holy Ghost conceiving, bore the Savior of our race. And the babe, the world’s redeemer, first revealed his sacred face, evermore and evermore. 3-This is he whom seers in old time chanted of with one accord, whom the voices of the prophets promised in their faithful word; now he shines the long expected; let creation praise its Lord ever more and evermore. Amen.
Isaiah 40:1-5 Comfort comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up and every mountain and hill be made low, the uneven ground shall become level and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the lord shall be revealed and all people shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4 who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. 6 If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation. NRSV
2 Cor 1:3-7 The message3-5 All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.6-7 When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it. Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
Let us pray: Dear God, we humbly admit that most if not all of us long for comfort during this global pandemic. What kind of comfort do you have for us this day? Show us yourself. Show us your comfort. Amen.
We lit the second candle on the Advent wreath and it is often called a candle of peace, but because it is a global pandemic, I am going to call today’s second candle a candle of comfort. Taken from ancient words from prophet Isaiah. Comfort O comfort my people says your God. AND Isaiah 66:13 as a mother comforts, so I will comfort you
A bit of history about when this Isaiah passage was first written. In the year 587 BCE, Babylonian armies destroyed Jerusalem including the temple, This forced many of God’s people, the Israelites, to live in exile, to live not in their own land, but in captivity. These ancient words, first were referring to people who were longing for COMFORT. In these words, we find the heart of God, a longing to bring us home. “Comfort, comfort…”
When we read the Bible, we pray that it becomes a living word and we read it fresh and new. So today, what feels like captivity to you? What kind of captivity and pain are people experiencing in 2020? PAUSE Where are needs for God’s COMFORT? And how can we help? You might be surprised to know you are helping through your contributions made to the ELCA! Within our ELCA we have an organization called Lutheran Disaster Response LDR.
LDR helps those affected by hurricanes in the US and globally. We help people in South Sudan, and those affected by the Middle East and European Refugee Crisis. We help migrant children.
In the US, the LDR helps people who are seeking comfort after the losses due to Wildfires, Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding. And, the LDR helps people locally and globally who are affected by COVID-19
NOW PAUSE People who suffer with depression have told me on more than one occasion, that it hurts doubly to hear about those who have lost everything due to a disaster, because then the thought comes. I should be grateful; why can’t I kick my depression? I have more than so many. I am here today to say to you: PAUSE To God YOUR need is real. If you or someone you love feels the crushing pain of depression and anxiety, overwhelming grief, THAT pain is equally important, real to God. Where-ever you are today, hear anew words Comfort and realize it is God’s desire to offer comfort to all of the above mentioned.
And hear words from Acts 9:31 They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. I will end by reading some of 2 Cor again, from the Message translation: All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel who comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it. AMEN.
Comfort, Comfort Now My People ELW 256 sung by Jon Hove from First Lutheran in Port Wing
1“Comfort, comfort now my people; tell of peace!” So says our God.
Comfort those who sit in darkness mourning under sorrow’s load.
To God’s people now proclaim that God’s pardon waits for them.
Tell them that their war is over; God will reign in peace forever.
2-For the herald’s voice is crying in the dessert far and near,
Calling us to true repentance, since the reign of God is here.
Oh, that warning cry obey! Now prepare for God away.
Valleys, rise to greet the Savior; hills, bow down in humble favor.
3-Straight shall be what long was crooked, and the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble as befits God’s holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord now on earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token that God’s word is never broken.
Prayers of Intercession
God of power and might, comfort your people and come quickly to this weary world. Hear our prayers for everyone in need. Silence Faithful God, you teach us to wait for you with faithfulness and patience. Sustain and support us in our doubts and questions. Nurture our faith as we discern and enact your mission. Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer. Steadfast God, you never tire of seeking justice. Where people suffer from discrimination, judgement, and injustice, speak words of truth and comfort. Lead us toward a world where faithfulness will sprout underfoot and righteousness rain down from above. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Lord God you ask us to make uneven ground smooth. Make even the disparities between your people. Sustain and support people with physical and intellectual disabilities. Accompany disability advocates who work for a world accessible to all. Teach us to celebrate the great diversity in our midst. Lord in your mercy. Tender God, you know sorrow and joy alike. We pray for those in our families and congregations who are not joyful in this holiday season. Comfort those who grieve, be a companion to all who are lonely, tend those who are sick or struggling with depression, and gather all people in your healing embrace. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. Eternal God, we give thanks for the saints who have gone before us including those we have most recently lost including Don Jenicek and Shirley Eid. Make their generous lives an example for all. Lord in your mercy hear our prayer. And now may the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. And also with you! Let us share Christ’s peace-imagining the day when we will return to passing peace in the flesh! Now, Words of Institution and Holy Communion. The Lord’s Prayer. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks Be to God! The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his fact shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you and give you peace. In the name of the Father. Son and Holy Spirit, Amen
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Sunday, November 29, 2020 - First Sunday in Advent
Prayers this week include
Joe Bailey from First Lutheran in Port Wing. Open Heart surgery on Tuesday, Dec. 1 in Duluth.
Messiah: Bev Dehn knee surgery, Melinda Merrill hip surgery, Barbie Nicols, healing
COVID is so very real right now:
Shirley Eid died on Saturday, November 28 at 4:17 am from COVID complications
All who are grieving the loss of Messiah’s beloved member, Don Jenicek who died around 2pm on Thursday. Moment of silence to offer individual prayers for comfort.
Now we will hear Jack Gunderson/Owen first Advent song Light One Candle
Now, words of Confession and Forgiveness: Together we honestly and humbly confess that we have not always lived as God desires. Silence.
Loving God we confess that we are held captive by sin. In spite of our best efforts, at times we go astray. WE have not always welcomed the stranger; not always loved our neighbor, we have not been Christ to one another. Restore us, O God. Wake us up and turns us from our sin. Renew us each day in the light of Christ. Amen. People of God hear this good news: by God’s endless grace your sins are forgiven, and you are free, free from all that holds you back and free to live in the peaceable realm and reign of God. May you be strengthened in God’s love, comforted by Christ’s peace and accompanied with the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Isaiah 64: Oh that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence. (Show up and do something!) In Isaiah 64 we find a big lament that ends with vs. 8 Yet O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Dear God, from ancient times when this was written, until right now, this present moment, people have been pleading with you to come down to us. We beg you now, come to us, Oh God. Come to us. Amen.
We are not alone when we beg for God to come to us. This plea is in our songs:
O Come O Come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear. V2-O come O Wisdom from on high embracing all things far and nigh, in strength and beauty come and stay, teach us your will and guide our way. Refrain: Rejoice Rejoice Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
We are not alone when we beg for God to come to us. This plea is in:
-O Little town of Bethlehem, v 4 last line O come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Emmanuel.
-Away in a Manger: v3-Be near me Lord Jesus I ask you to stay, close by me forever and love me I pray. In our table prayer: Come Lord Jesus, be our guest. Come God, Father Son and Holy Spirit, Come!
We beg God to come, and I am here to tell you God is here- Our part is to pray. Pray with me:
God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, help me believe that you are here right now. I give myself to you. I willingly climb into your lap. Help me rest in your loving arms. Amen. Pause.
This time of year, may we remember 3 promises:
#1-God came to us in the baby Jesus. Small, vulnerable, unexpected
#2-AND God has not stopped coming to us. WHERE
Sometimes God comes to us, still, in small, vulnerable, unexpected ways
For example: Every time YOU reach out to another in love, God comes to that person, through YOU! What small things can we do in love this week that show our trust that God is with us and for us? Pause
Pr. David Lose suggests: One sacrifice we make right now is: not gathering with others when doing so risks spreading the coronavirus. YOUR Not Gathering is one way of Loving others. And, know it IS a sacrifice.
3-Third promise: Whenever and wherever we act in love, God is present.
God continues to give us God’s self. One way to respond? Climb into God’s lap and rest.
You’ll next hear the song, “In the bleak midwinter”
Sing along with Hans and especially note- the writer of this hymn realizes we often feel very inadequate, what can I give God? We learned today, we can do any act of LOVE and God is working through us,
And in this song we surrender and say, “God I give you my heart.” Amen. Let us sing.
1-In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone,
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, lo-ong a-a-go.
2-Heaven cannot hold him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when he comes to reign;
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God almighty, Jesus Christ.
3-What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man I would do my part,
Yet what I can, I give him, give my heart.
Oh God, tear open the heavens and come quickly to this weary world. Hear our prayers for everyone in need. Silence
We pray for all ministries where people are fed, clothed, visited, advocated for. Open our hearts to your call for justice, peace and healing. Attune us to the needs of the world as you draw near. Silence Thank you for hearing us O God.
We pray for our planet in need of restoration. As we view the stars and moon in these days around the full moon, draw us to you, O God. Renew our commitment to love and care for Mother Earth. Open our eyes to the ways we may be contributing to polluted waters, thawing ice, blazing fires, swelling floods and long lasting droughts. Silence Thank you for hearing us O God.
We pray for those who are in crises, for those without homes facing severe weather, for those who are unemployed or underemployed, for those in poverty, those facing hunger. Use us to help. Remind us that we are all in this together. Your face is in each person. Silence Thank you for hearing us O God.
We pray for those who live with depression, anxiety, chronic pain, addiction and other invisible illnesses. Show us how to ease their suffering. And we pray for all who are most recently added to our prayer chain: Melinda Merrill, Bev Dehn, Barbie Nicols, Joe Bailey, Shirley Eid and all others we name before you. silence Thank you for hearing us.
We give you thanks for the lives of those who have died, most recently we give thanks to you Oh God, for Don Jenicek. A beloved father, husband, grandfather, in-law, neighbor and friend. Bring your comfort to all who are grieving this huge loss and all other losses. Silence. Thank you for hearing our prayer, O God.
Draw near to us, O God. All these things and whatever else you see that we need we ask in your name. Amen.
And now, God’s peace be with you. Share peace.
Words of Institution. Holy Communion. Benediction
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Sunday, November 22, 2020 - Christ the King Sunday
Prayers this week include Don Jenicek, Bev Dehn knee surgery, Melinda Merrill hip surgery
Call to Reconciliation When we remember our mistakes and careless words, we have trouble looking God in the eye. But God gazes at us with mercy and love, waiting to forgive us. We confess our struggles to be faithful Jesus followers. We are called to be emptied for those who struggle, but at times we focus only on the poor choices THEY make. Have mercy on us. Open our eyes to your kingdom in our midst, so we might discover that your day of hope and grace has already come in Jesus. Silence This is the good news: God intends for us to find life, to embrace hope, to receive forgiveness through Jesus. The end of our journey is not rejection and emptiness, but the fullness of grace and hope in God. Thanks be to God, we are forgiven. Amen.
1-The Lord’s My Shepherd I’ll not want. He makes me down to lie
in pastures green; he leadeth me the quiet waters by.
He leadeth me, he leadeth me the quiet waters by.
2-Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale, yet will I fear no ill;
For thou art with me, and thy rod and staff me comfort still;
For thou art with me, and thy rod and staff me comfort still.
Matthew 25 Let us pray: Dear God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, teach us to be like Jesus. Teach us to go off to the mountain or wilderness often to have quiet time alone with you in prayer. With this discipline, develop within us a wellspring from which we can draw upon no matter what the storm. A wellspring of amazing love and grace. Deepen our faith, o God through this global pandemic. Amen.
Today is called Christ the King Sunday. In the church year, today is like Dec. 31st in the regular calendar. Today is the last Sunday of the church year before the FIRST Sunday in Advent. Please be sure to come back next week for lighting of the first Advent candle which we will do every week, so Nov. 29 is the first Sunday in Advent. and this Sunday is every year called Christ the King Sunday. Christ is not a picture of what the world calls a King. Christ’s Kingdom and Kinship and Christ’s reign is almost directly opposite of how the world defines kingdom. I say that all the time, but how can you and I get this in an even deeper way? I am praying there are a few new things to share with you so that we are ever more willing to be counter cultural, the way Jesus wants us to be.
Where your attention goes, your energy flows is a slogan that reminds us that we can re-direct our thoughts. I will give two examples that have nothing to do with Christ the King Sunday, but they will help illustrate the concept. We are not our thoughts, by the way. Sometimes the thoughts that come into us are just no good, so we have to say to them, “Hey you thought, I am not going to give you any attention!”
If a loved one gets COVID-19 we will spend some time trying to figure out, how did they contract the disease? Was it that sniffly person in the grocery store? Was it at the gas station? Was it through an asymptomatic person? Who gave my loved one Covid? Where the attention goes the energy flows. I use this example because someone recently said to me, “If we spend too much time wondering who, and putting our attention on being mad or blaming them, we end up forgetting the loved one who is sick!” Where the attention goes the energy flows. With COVID 19, let’s direct our thoughts mostly if not solely on praying for our loved one to get better. And, let’s say, without any intention, our loved one got the disease from an asymptomatic friend. That person already feels badly, Let’s send everyone prayers of LOVE and let’s direct our thoughts and prayers to love and healing.
Where the attention goes the energy flows. In Al-Anon we are always re-directed to talk about ourselves and not the addict or drinker. What happens when we spend a lot of time trying to figure them out, or trying to change them? We could go crazy. Al-Anon totally uses this principle. Let’s direct our attention and energy on you. How are you doing? Where the attention goes, the energy flows.
On Christ the King Sunday, we focus on Christ as the King of Love. But, we might forget and put our attention on Jesus and wish he was all powerful, wish he might swoop down with an army, wish he would strong-arm more. But this kind of POWER OVER is the way the world defines power. Jesus is the suffering servant and is the one who teaches to love all, even enemies.
Christ the King Sunday is an amazing way to end the church year because it emphasizes how radical Jesus is. “My kingdom is not of this world,” says Jesus. Pray like this “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.” The Kingdom or Kingdom of God is actually a mindset, or a state of consciousness. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is near you, the Kingdom of God is within you!
Jesus demonstrated living in this total state of relationship with God where he had daily alone time, Jesus prayed daily alone with God, and then balanced his life with living one of service. So much so that he said in today’s gospel, when you live a life of service and you don’t even know you are doing it, when it becomes natural to Feed the hungry, Visit the lonely Clothe the naked, Visit those in prison. When it becomes second nature to do these things, these acts of service, you are inheriting the Kingdom. Because in that humble service, you are actually loving God, serving God feeding Jesus. The face of Jesus is in everyone, so of course the face of Christ will be in the lonely person.
Christ the King Sunday, we pray to direct our attention to this King of Love who lives inside of us. The king of Love my shepherd is whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine forever. Let us sing the song The King of Love…
1-The King of Love My Shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am his and he is mine forever.
2-Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, but yet in love he sought me,
and on his shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing brought me.
Prayers: Merciful God, much like dividing sheep and goats, we are tempted to encourage division and judgement among other people; change our hearts to see the value of each and every human life you have created and guide us toward reconciliation with one another through Jesus Christ. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Exhausted spirits and weary bodies and minds are all too common, gracious Lord; grant us the patience and strength we need to continue adapting to this new “normal” and surround us with your presence so that we know you are with us no matter how challenging things may become. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. God of creation you have given us all that we need–we thank you for your generosity and we celebrate the gifts we have been blessed with. During this week of thanks, make us mindful that we have also been called to be a blessing to others, sharing what we have so that no one goes without. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. For all who are ill, grieving, hungry, lonely, those facing addiction, pain, warfare, or abuse, and for all others who are suffering in any way including…we ask for the comfort only you can provide, loving Jesus. Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Loving God, we give all these prayers to you, trusting in your mercy and grace. AMEN. God’s peace be with you all. And also with you! Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
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Sunday, November 8, 2020
All Saint’s Worship During a Global Pandemic
Our HOPE is in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit
Sunday, November 8, 2020 (Rev. Thom Shuman liturgy)
Blessed are those who care for the vulnerable, for they create new communities.
Blessed are those who miss dinner in order to care for the forgotten, for they shall be filled with the manna of hope.
Blessed are those who are compassionate, even with those who rub them the wrong way, for they will be cared for by others.
Blessed are those who look out for their neighbors, for they live next door to God.
Blessed are you when others mock you, point at your mask, think you are foolish for keeping your distance, caring for others, for then you know you are a sibling of Jesus.
Blessed are all those who model faith for us in these uncertain days, weeks, months.
All Saints Prayer Dear God, we long for a saint to ease the ache in our emptiness, and then a young child hands us a handmade card. You surround us with saints in every moment, even these uncertain, confusing ones, if we but open our eyes to see. We hope to find a saintly ear, and then a friend whispers, ‘I will listen.’ We seek a saint who will overturn injustice and a tired woman sits at the front of a bus. You surround us with saints in every moment, even these days which never seem to end, if we but open our hearts to see. We hunger for a saint who will feed our hunger for gentleness, kindness & civility and a neighbor packs sandwiches filled with these gifts. We want saints to take away our worries, and a grandparent laughs and pulls us up into their lap to smother us with kisses. You surround us with saints in every moment, even these times which seem overwhelming, if we but open our souls to pay attention. Oh God, it is your HOPE which wipes away every tear, your GRACE which restores our souls, your MERCY which makes us one with you. Open our hearts & minds. Amen.
Hymn: For All The Saints ELW 422
1-For all the saints who from their labor rest, who thee by faith before the world confessed, thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!
3-Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine, we feebly struggle, they in glory shine:
yet all are one in thee, for all are thine. Alleluia! Alleluia!
6-But then there breaks a yet more glorious day; the saints triumphant rise in bright array; the King of glory passes on his way. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Call to Reconciliation and Forgiveness God’s Table is for everyone, no matter how old or young one is; for those we think of as saints, and those we know are foolish, because we look in the mirror. For God knows that we all try, and no matter how many times we mess up, God will forgive us, quickly and mercifully. Silence
We find our way as we seek God. Overwhelmed by loneliness, we are heard when we cry out. Stumbling over our foolish choices, we find mercy when we tell all to God.
We’re no different from all we call saints, for they found life in the mercy and grace of God. We are forgiven. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Matthew 5:3-11
Sermon Title: “Blessed are those who mourn”
Dear Jesus, upon our initial reading of the beatitudes, we might want to argue with you and say, I am NOT Blessed when I am grieving and crying over the many losses we are having in life right now. I am not blessed, Jesus, what are you talking about in these verses? But, Come Holy Spirit, help us dive in. Show us, bring us into the mind of Christ. Help us imagine, what the message in these verses could be. Please show us. Amen.
Today we will look at Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. This is from the sermon on the mount, the ESSENCE of Jesus’ teaching to his inner circle, his disciples. The beatitudes are most likely not given all at the same time. It is more likely that Jesus gave a long talk on each line of the beatitudes. And Matthew 5-7 is most likely a condensing of a teaching of Jesus that might have taken several days, maybe even a week-long teaching on the mountain top. At least, hours of heart to heart conversations
Two General Facts about The Beatitudes
1-At first, in the English translation, these lines sound like the “blessing” only comes in the future. But these lines when looked at in their original language suggest (in the Greek/Aramaic) this means “O the blessedness/bliss of the person here and now,” not glowing hopes of future. Something into which we have already entered. O the bliss of being a Christian here and now.
2-Blessed comes from the Greek word Makaria which means happy BUT not as we use the word. Today in our English language happiness is dependent upon circumstances. Fickle-unsteady For example. I am happy if my candidate wins. I am heartbrokenly sad/loses. JOY (or blessedness) is independent of life’s circumstances.
Christian blessedness is untouchable. No one will take your joy away from you.
Beatitude Joy seeks us through our pain. Sorrow, loss, and grief are powerless to touch this kind of joy. The blessedness is above circumstances. Let that sink in for a lifetime. Hold it. No one can take away your relationship with Jesus which is 24/7, the Jesus who breathes into us. All we are asked to do is receive. Peace I give to you.
When we look at “Blessed are those who grieve, you are comforted,” Bible scholar William Barclay-suggests that this could have at least three meanings.
1-OUR personal sorrow. 2-The pain and sorrow of others. 3-Sorrow for my sin.
1-Our personal sorrow: Blessed is the person who has endured sorrow. Sorrow moves us to compassion. Sorrow can bring people together, takes us out of ourselves and moves us to care for another. Shows the kindness of our fellow humans. AND sorrow can show us as nothing else can the comfort and the compassion of God. When things go well it is possible to live for years on the surface of things but when sorrow comes we are driven to the deep things of life. POEM “I walked a mile with Pleasure, she chattered all the way, But left me none the wiser for all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow, and never a word said she, But, oh, the things I learned from her When Sorrow walked with me!”
2) Blessed are those who are desperately sorry for the sorrow and suffering of this world. Jesus asks us to be detached from a lust of possessions, but we are never asked to detach from people and the world’s suffering. Hunger, sickness, nakedness, aloneness, Blessed are you when you do care for those who suffer. Blessed are you when you care for the needs of others.
3) Blessed are we when we grieve and morn over our own brokenness, our own sin, our own separation from God. Jesus says, Repent, Turn around, Daily confess and receive God’s new view, God’s forgiveness. Blessed are we all when we make confession and forgiveness a daily prayer as we pray in the prayer of Jesus, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of those who sin against us.”
Blessed are we when we acknowledge our own part we each play in the world’s problems. Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Blessed are we when we stop blaming and finger pointing. Humbly confessing and saying God I am sorry for my sin. Paradox abounds.
Our next song is Blessed are you. We will spend the next week on these lines in the beatitudes. For today, all we can do is pray, God, help me trust that you are truly on to something and if I yield to you, then no matter what the outward events, you say that here and now, we can live with HOPE. HOPE in you. Amen.
Hymn: Blest Are They #728
1-Blest are they, the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of God. Blest are they full of sorrow; they shall be consoled. Refrain: Rejoice and be glad! Blessed are you, holy are you! Rejoice and be glad! Yours is the kingdom of God.
3-Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs. Blest are they, the pure of heart; they shall see God. Refrain.
4-Blest are they who seek peace; they are the children of God. Blest are they who suffer in faith; the glory of God is theirs. Refrain
Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
The God of all people be with you. May God be with you as well.
We unite our hearts. And lift our hearts to the One who fills them with grace.
On this day of remembering all the saints who helped shape our lives, (pause to remember) we join in singing with glad songs: Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to God forever and ever, Amen.
Though you alone are holy, you are still the God who leans over to wipe the tears of this pandemic from our hearts. We are blessed that Jesus has come to share your love and hope with us. We have no idea what the future will hold, but trusting that it will hold the life and grace which was poured on Jesus, we share the mystery we call faith: Because Christ died, we have life; Because Christ was raised, we have the hope of resurrection; Because Christ is our guide, we are led to the waters of life.
And when we gather with those from every nation, those from all tribes and peoples and languages, especially those who have gone through this pandemic, washing their hands, wearing their masks, setting aside their PPE, as we will all be with God, no longer isolated or quarantined, but worshiping day and night, together with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Words of Institution Lord’s Prayer
Sending Let us be God’s saints this week.
Not because we are special, but because we are called to care for those whom the world has tossed aside. Let us go now to serve with Jesus this week.
Not because we are better than those around us, but because we are called to humble ourselves in serving those whom society has forgotten.
Let us go now to journey with the Spirit this week.
Not because we have the inside track, but because we have all lost our way,
but hand in hand will be led to God’s heart. Amen.
Matthew 5:1-11 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Blessed are those in emotional turmoil: they shall be united inside by love. Healthy are those weak and overextended for their purpose, they shall feel their inner flow of strength return. Healed are those who weep for their frustrated desire; they shall see the face of fulfillment in a new form. Aligned with the One are the mourners. They shall be comforted. Tuned to the Source are those feeling deeply confused by life; they shall be returned from their wandering. Matt. 5:4 from Neil Douglas Klotz, Reflections on the original meaning of Jesus’s words.
From The Message
3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even! —for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble. The Message
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Sunday, October 25, 2020 - Reformation Sunday
Readings for Sunday, October 25, Reformation Sunday
Jeremiah 31:31-34 Romans 3:22-27 John 8:31-36
The Children’s Message was little Kate and Emma Myers reading these words from a children’s book about Martin Luther: Martin Luther didn’t like what the church was teaching about faith and good works. He especially didn’t like the teaching that Christians could go to heaven faster by paying money to the church So he wrote down 95 theses explaining his disagreements, then shared them for others to read. Not everyone agreed w Martin Luther’s ideas. They were so mad that they brought him before the Holy Roman Emperor and asked Martin to take back everything he’d said. But he refused and stood by his beliefs. ML inspired a reformation of the church. Many women and men followed in Martin’s footsteps by introducing new ideas and big changes. Even today, Christians reform the church as we read the Bible, listen to the Holy Spirit, and follow Jesus in faith.
How to handle failure Let us pray: Dear God, Could it actually be true that we could live life FREE in your grace? And could this freedom FROM sin, set us free FOR love, love of God, love of self and love of neighbor? Show us this day. Amen.
Last Sunday’s theme was perseverance and I looked at three people who lived with such deep perseverance: Niles Eilertson, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and John Lewis. Originally, with today’s theme, how to handle failure, I wanted to look at RBG and John Lewis again. But, since today is Reformation Sunday, always the last Sunday in October, let us look at Martin Luther and how he dealt with failure.
Martin Luther (ML) was a failure in the eyes of his dad. Luther failed by giving up his law school studies. He had plans to be a lawyer; a career would have been very nice to care for his parents. ML went to Latin school at age 5, showed these signs that book learning came extremely easily to him. Learning languages came to him, as a gift. For those of us who see learning a second language as difficult, we can really see, he had that gift as well. But, ML was traveling during a thunder and lightning storm and thought he would die, decided to pray, “God if you spare me I will give myself to you.” He was spared, did not die, so entered training to be a monk, and eventually a priest in the Catholic church. His father was so disappointed in his son. You are giving up a great career to do what? Be a priest? Family Failure.
Spiritual failure. With many subjects including religion, we hear the main lines about the subject and think we understand it and it is only one way. Luther entered the religious training with the message that God is an angry God who demands perfection. So Luther felt like a total failure spiritually. “I am not worthy of this angry God, and there is no way I can be sinless. It is actually a dreaded religion-following a God we cannot please.” Martin Luther had these reoccurring thoughts: I am a spiritual failure before God. I will never be good enough. He handled this despair by digging into scripture, discovering things no one was teaching. Salvation is God’s love coming down. We all are sinners. None of us are worthy based on our actions deeds and thoughts. God’s love and grace are free for everyone. We can stand tall in God’s love, all because of God. Confession and Forgiveness rituals all have a similar ending line, “By God’s grace&power, I now declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins.”
ML started to see God not as angry judge but loving forgiving God. In his heart as mentioned in the Jeremiah text, God wants to give you in your heart this close relationship that is not at all about your deeds. The AHA in Jeremiah is God is already in our hearts. We are born in God. And, ML found his most significant AHA in Romans 3:23 There is no distinction since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are justified by his grace as a gift through Jesus
By reading the New Testament, Luther came to believe that, “I am not a slave to sin, I am a sinner for sure and will be until the day I die, but I live in Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who is in me, and I am in Christ.” Words from John also were strong for ML. If the Son makes you free you will be free indeed. Living for Jesus, Jesus as our rock is above all. Jesus gave ML such freedom, that he was willing to die.
Church Failure: The religious leaders of the day were teaching things ML could not agree with. So on October 31, 1517, he wrote 95 sentences with ideas to REFORM the church. He felt FREE to criticize those in power, so much so that he was willing to die. Freedom in Christ is not a little thing. I cannot recant, is what Martin Luther said before the high power of his time. I will end today’s message with you, personally, during an election year, a global pandemic for starters. How do you define failure?
-if your political candidate does not win, how do we handle that failure?
-if you or a loved one gets COVID, this is a failure in our own health, or our loved one’s health? How do we handle it if we got it because someone else failed to take precautions?
As a pastor, what do you think I am going to say? It may sound naïve and simplistic, but God, Jesus & Holy Spirit are not leaving after the presidential election. God is still with us, so, re-claim your first allegiance is to God, and trust in God. Vote, for sure, and then. Put God first. Jesus is our rock and Jesus cares about our country. ML knew the religious powers of his day were totally in collusion with the political powers. They were one, actually. He went against both powers and almost lost his life. Because with Christ in him, that is all that mattered. For him to live is Christ, to die is gain.
So on this Reformation Sunday during a global pandemic, let us reread some of these key passages such as Jeremiah 31: “I will put my law within them. I will write it on their hearts. I am your God.” God is closer than ever during this pandemic. God is here now in you. And with God fear is diminished. I will end with a story that gives us hope. I will end telling you about something The Pope recently said. He said it, knowing that some in the Catholic church would be delighted and others would have stern criticism for him. Pope Francis became the first pontiff to endorse same-sex civil unions in comments for a documentary that premiered Wednesday, sparking cheers from gay Catholics and demands for clarification from conservatives, given the Vatican’s official teaching on the issue.
The papal thumbs-up came midway through the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered at the Rome Film Festival. The film, which features fresh interviews with the pope, delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination.
“Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said. “You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.” As much as we are sad we cannot worship in the building and might not be able to worship in the building for quite some time due to COVID, please tell God all of your sadness and pray pray pray, Dear God You are all around us, in me. Come fill me. Amen. Think of the words and melody of this familiar hymn: The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord! (the church is not the concrete building as much as we all miss it!) Our one foundation is In CHRIST. In Jesus.
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Sunday, October 18, 2020
Perseverance Sermon for October 18, 2020
Ephesians 3: 17-19 17 And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; 18-19 and may you be able to feel and understand, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself.
Colossians 2:7 Let your roots grow down deep into Christ and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Gospel Lesson - The wise man built his house upon the rock. From Jesus to you: Matthew 7:24-27
These words I speak are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words a few times and don’t work them into your life, you are like a foolish carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.
Let us pray: Dear God, the house built on sand was not able to withstand, not able to persevere, not able to hang in there when life’s storms came. But, the house built on the rock remained standing after the worst of storms. Show us how to build our lives upon the rock of You so that our roots grow deep, and we can persevere! In your name we pray, Amen.
Don’t you just love the above three scripture passages about perseverance? (Jesus talking about building a house on a rock, and then the two passages from Ephesians and Colossians.) It is a true joy to ponder these ancient texts. May these words stay with us and in us! It is also a joy today to talk about three people. I am definitely the student today and not the teacher. I have not had nearly the difficulties that so many other people have had. I am inspired to hear about how other people have learned how to stay with a cause for the long haul, no matter how hard things get.
Take a moment and reflect upon your own life. What hardships have you endured? death of a loved one, health issues, not able to walk, or hear well, or hear at all, not able to see, addiction, your own or others. You might ask yourself, “What kept me going?”
And now, we will hear stories from Niles Eilertson, Ruth Bader Ginsberg and John Lewis.
I talked with Niles on the telephone this past Thursday. He gave me permission to share the following love story which started when Niles was a high school Junior and Mary Ann was a Freshman. Niles was elected to be Winter Carnival King. He needed a date. He saw this really cute Freshman who then became the Winter Carnival Queen, because Niles asked her out, their first date! They were married in 1961. Niles had four years at Michigan Tech, and time in the Army overseas. He fought in the Berlin crisis.
Mary Ann was diagnosed with MS when she was in her 20’s. Her MS progressed so eventually she became a resident of Northern Lights Nursing Home and stayed there for 18 years. I asked Niles, “When people have loved ones in a nursing home, sometimes they visit sparsely, maybe monthly, and some visit weekly. How about you?” Niles visited his spouse every day he was in Washburn. He would get there between 6-7 pm, and stayed until around 10. They talked and watched TV. Niles had a van that could accommodate Mary Ann’s wheel chair so they did many trips. They followed their daughter’s sports career. They attended so many home volleyball home games that coach Wendy Meriotto had a special spot in the bleachers near the bench for Mary Ann. They took drives, visited relatives, and went to concerts in Duluth.
Then, I said, “Wow, this is such dedication, Niles. I don’t know how to ask, but what was behind this kind of dedication and perseverance?” His answer came within a half of a second. “Because I loved her. You know those wedding vows, in sickness and in health?” I’ve always wanted to talk with Niles about his wife, and never got up the courage to ask. Don’t you wonder, who else has a story like that? Let us look for stories like this one in the days ahead. For now, let’s move on to talk about…
Ruth Bader Ginsberg. What fueled her perseverance in advocating for justice for women? I hoped to read that her Jewish faith helped her, but I learned something else. Ruth’s mother died of cancer 2 days before Ruth graduated from high school. In keeping with Jewish custom of the time, Ruth was not allowed to say the mourner’s prayer for her mother as part of a minyan or quorum required for public prayer. Only men could be counted for a quorum, a tradition that has since changed in Reform and Conservative Jewish traditions.
And, even though Ruth graduated at the top of her Columbia Law School class, no law firm who would hire her because she was a woman.
By the time she was in her early 20’s Ruth was given two very powerful messages: men have more value than women in her religious faith tradition. And, men have much more value in the world of work.
What gave Ruth the perseverance to work decades for gender equality? Her personal experience of huge inequality was the fuel for her to care not only for gender equality, but also equality for minority groups, immigrants, the disabled and others. Even though she rarely attended synagogue, Ruth loved Judaism’s concern for justice and was shaped in the crucible of its minority status. Her Jewish identity formed her. Ginsburg grew up in the shadow of World War II and the Holocaust which left a deep and lasting imprint on her. “She saw being a Jew as having a place in society in which you’re always reminded you are an outsider, even when she, as a Supreme Court justice, was the ultimate insider,”
What was one more thing that helped her? Ruth listened to her mother’s advice, “Yelling is not going to bring people to your table.” She found that getting angry was a distraction, that took her off course, and lessened her effectiveness. It was as if she was thinking: “Not getting hired by ANY law firm in 1959 hit me hard. I decided to not get angry, but rather become the best law teacher I could be. Already in college and law school, I realized that as a woman, I simply would have to study harder than my male classmates, that was a given.” The blessing was that she loved studying. She realized with dogged persistence, she could make a difference. And what a difference Notorious RBG has made.
Lastly, we will talk about former congressman John Lewis who called the right to vote sacred. Even though the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964, people of color were still denied the right to vote. To get the attention of this injustice, a march was planned from Selma to Montgomery which takes 5 days to walk. On Sunday, March 7, Lewis and 625 mostly all Negros started the march. They began at Brown Chapel, AME Church. At 2:18 pm they silently walked from Sylvan Street to Alabama Avenue to the Pettus Bridge. At the crest of the Bridge Lewis looked out and saw a posse of deputies.
The marchers were clubbed down. Lewis was hit in the head so hard he thought he would die. He was in the hospital for a while, but not deterred. Through many acts of bravery, including a stirring speech by President LBJ, the group marched again, this time with protection from the law. On March 21, 14 days later, John Lewis was at the front of the line, leading people to march for the right to vote. This took deep commitment and perseverance.
Lewis’s deeply religious family encouraged him to attend a college for pastors in Nashville, TN. 300 miles north of rural Alabama sat American Baptist Theological Seminary. Lewis was described as a very studious person, he wanted to learn. Both John and Ruth at very young ages, used the gifts they had. Both Short! Ruth and John did not excel on their tall stature. “I cannot stand out due to that, but I will do what I can with what I have.”
What gave John Lewis his perseverance? Same, a deep knowing that justice is not happening and I want to do what I can. There is still this kind of discrimination, tho, for people of color to endure. In 2020 after Lewis died, a 70-year-old Georgia state representative, Tommy Benton, said, “Lewis’s only claim to fame was he got conked on the head.” Other criticisms were uttered about Lewis. But I want to end today with words said at Lewis’s funeral by former President George W. Bush:
“John and I had our disagreements of course, but in the America John and I believed in, differences of opinion are inevitable. Differences of opinion are elements and evidence of democracy in action.
We the people, including congressmen and presidents, can have different views on how to perfect our union, while sharing the conviction that our nation, however flawed, is at heart a good and noble one.
We live in a better United States because of who John Lewis was and what he accomplished;
because of his abiding faith
in the power of God,
in democracy
and the power of love to lift us all to a higher ground. The story of John Lewis that began in Troy, Alabama is not ending. He lives forever with his Father in heaven and lives forever in our hearts. May we all continue walking, and acting justly, loving mercy and kindness and walk humbly. May God Bless John Lewis.”
We’ve just heard three stories of perseverance. What fueled Niles? Love. RBG and Lewis were both fueled by their deep experience of being discriminated. Justice denied fueled them.
And now I ask you, what will give you perseverance during this global pandemic?
As your pastor, I am praying that you will say you get your strength and fuel from Jesus as you grow your roots down deep into God’s love. Let me repeat Eph 3:17-19. Amen. Let us pray…..
Dear God, Wisdom, compassion, love and understanding please fill us with these. Within our circles of loved ones, help us to love for the long haul with persistence and compassion.
Dear God, help us remember a time when we have either experienced discrimination personally or seen it play out for another. Renew our passion and fuel to be agents of equality justice and love.
Dear Jesus, help us build our faith lives not on sand, but on you, the solid rock. Help us spend more time with you in reading and prayer. Teach us through this global pandemic. When it is over, by the creative Holy Spirit, may we be able to say, “Our love has grown larger for God, for ourselves, for others and for the world.” Amen.
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Sunday, October 11, 2020
ELCA Liturgical Celebration and Reconciliation of
American Indian/Alaska Natives
First Lutheran, Port Wing and Messiah Lutheran, Washburn, Wisconsin
October 11, 2020
CALL TO WORSHIP
The Spirit of God be with you. And also with you.
Come, let us worship the Creator with hearts open to all peoples,
where pride and prejudice once dwelt;
Let us worship Creator with minds open to the wisdom of Native peoples,
where listening and respect once had no place.
Let us honor the One who freely gives by showing honor
to those who were once and still remain oppressed.
Let us worship the God of diversity,
who made the world in colors, in seasons, in endless variety;
Who created the diversity of the earth's peoples in His image.
All were created to honor one another
and in so doing the Creator honored.
Let us honor Him today by reflecting in our worship
and in life His image -- love. Amen.
PRAYER TO THE FOUR DIRECTIONS
Creator, the strength of the people, we honor you. Listen to the thoughts of your people.
Together let us respect the truth of your spirit and care for your Creations to the east, to the south, to the west and to the north. Together let us live by the ways you have entrusted to us. Within the circle of life. Come Great Spirit as all are gathered in your name.
We face East: To your symbol color gold,
The place of dawning, there is beauty in the morning,
there the Seeker finds new visions as each sacred day is born.
All who honor life around them, all who honor life within,
shall shine with light and glory when the morning comes again.
And we pray, Come Holy Creator’s Spirit, Come
We turn to the South: To your symbol color red,
In the South, the place of growing there is wisdom in the earth,
Both the painful song of dying and joyful song of birth.
As the earth gives up her lifeblood so her children’s hearts may beat.
We give back to her our reverence for the holy ground beneath our feet.
And we pray, Come Holy Creator’s Spirit, Come
We turn to the West: To your symbol color black,
The place of seeing, there is born a vision of the servant of the servants,
who proclaimed The Gospel to us.
Guide us at the end of each day and fill us with your peace.
And we pray, Come Holy Creator’s Spirit, Come
We turn to the North: To your symbol color white,
We look to God our Creator who cleanses our earth with snow, wind, and rain.
To Jesus who fills us with the wideness of mercy and grace and lovingly embraces all the people.
And the Holy Spirit who comes to inspire us.
And we pray, Come Holy Creator’s Spirit, Come
Creator, you bent the earth like a bow Until it was one, round, shining planet.
At your word the land was drawn into mountains and deserts, Forests and plains;
The waters were gathered together into rivers, lakes and seas.
Many times, when people crossed these seas from other lands They broke the circle of your creation
By their greed and violence And they shattered the lives of others.
Creator, renew the circle of the earth
And turn the hearts of all people to one another;
That we and all the earth
May live and be drawn toward you
Through the power of your Son,
Who lives with you and the Holy Spirit
In the circle of the Trinity, forever One. AMEN (by Pastor Joan Conroy, Oglala Sioux)
GATHERING PRAYER
Creator, to you we give thanks in all you bring And ask for your guidance as we prepare
To open our hearts and minds. Within this sacred circle, Jesus Christ is our center
In all we do. Help us to speak with honor and respect to All people and be open to the teachings we are given. As we walk this sacred journey together with our relations,
Open our eyes to understanding, and the strength to Truly see the way to live with compassion, love and grace, for with your Spirit we can face the winds together. Amen.
A reading from Isaiah 40.29-31 29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
WOV 779 On Eagle’s Wings 1-You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in this shadow for life, say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!” Refrain: And I will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of my hand. 3-For to the angels God’s given a command to guard you in all of your ways; upon their hands they will bear you up, let you dash your foot against a stone. Refrain
The Holy Gospel according to John 17:20-23 “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Christ.
Message: Elder Wisdom, The following notes are from our guest speaker,
Denise Sweet who shared with us these “universal expressions of a system of beliefs”
The Earth is our Mother. The Sky is our Father. Every being, both animate and inanimate, is a child of this universe.
We cannot deny or rise above that parentage. We can try but no good will come of that denial or resistance to the truth.
Harmony and balance is present everywhere in creation. So is chaos and turbulence. They can exist simultaneously in the greater scheme of things. We understand this.
Creator is vast and human beings often struggle with this fact. We simply do not have the capacity to fully comprehend the Supreme Being of all living things. It is difficult to fully grasp the immensity of energy, light and love that is bestowed upon us by the Creator. We don’t know and we should not care that we don’t know. No good will come of individuals insisting that their explanation or their version ought to be defined as the Truth, capital T. A Great Mystery and we are OK with that! Among over 500 nations of Indigenous people in North America alone, there are an equal number of distinct languages- languages that tell their own versions of their Origin Account or Creation Story. Over 500 different stories about how the world came to be. Native people accept the concept of simultaneous creation; that is, creation sprang forth from numerous locations, not a single occasion. We respect the version among the Iroquois of The Woman Who Fell From The Sky as much as the Anishinaabe hold dear the Emergence Account from the waters.
All things being equal, Women and Men are to be respected for their leadership, roles, and responsibilities. However, women are the center of the cultures. No one questions that. The Northern Cheyenne say that a nation is not conquered until the hearts of its women are on the ground. Then it’s finished. No matter how brave its warriors, no matter how strong their weapons.
We must keep our homes sacred. We need a place that is free of ill-will or danger. Our hearts cannot thrive under the threat of violence. Likewise, we must always receive visitors with sincere hospitality. We give them the best food, the most comfortable chair, the warmest bed, even if we have to sleep on the floor. When we send them on their travels, we pray for their safe travel and ask them to come back soon.
We live our lives in a good light, striving to be examples of sincere empathy and compassion. In doing so, it is not our place to eradicate evil. We must never let evil draw us into itself, to consume us. Overcome evil with good.
We must live our lives in terms of the 7th Generation. Children are our sacred promise. My grandson-how much he loves his native language. We make decisions by consensus as much as possible. We try to govern ourselves as to what is right and wrong. We work together and make a big effort to listen to marginalized voices. We want to be of one mind. Repeat Number One: The Earth is our Mother, the Sky is our Father. If we love the sky, the waterways, all living beings. If we love this Earth, the earth will love us back.
WOV 748 Bind Us Together Bind us together Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together Lord. Bind us together Lord; bind us together in love. There is only one God. There is one Creator, There is only one Body; that is why we can sing. Bind us together Lord, bind us together Lord, bind us together in love.
CREED STATEMENT
We believe in Creator, Father-Mother Spirit, who called the world and all that is in it, into being, who spoke the creative-forming word, and all came forth who created women and men and set them free to live in love, in obedience to the will of supreme love and in community with all.
We believe in Creator, Son and Brother, who, because of love beyond our understanding, love for creation, entered the world to share our humanity, to rejoice and to despair; to set before us the paths of life and death, and walk them with us; to be rejected and die, but finally to conquer death and bind the world to himself for all time.
We believe in Creator, In-Dwelling Spirit, who invites us into community, that we may through faith and that community of oneness, experience uplifting and sustaining grace; that we may fulfill our human responsibility to reach out to our neighbor, whoever that may be; that we may rejoice in the constant nature of creation and the wondrous joy of life itself.
We believe in Creator, whose word teaches us that all things grow together, the Circle of Life; that the paths of life and death, good and evil, too often come together, that choices are not clearly defined; but that we confidently and responsibly tread the path we choose and only the true One can be our judge.
We believe in Creator, who is present and working in this world through all creation. AMEN
(Lutheran Church of the Wilderness Liturgy, Bowler WI, Stockbridge-Munsee Reservation)
Creator and Redeemer, As we approach you in prayer, Make us walk in beauty and balance.
Make us open our hearts and minds. Make us speak the truth. We pray first for your Community, the Church, The Body of Christ. We pray for all our relatives in the circle of life, throughout all Creation;
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God:
An excerpt from the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery from the Churchwide Assembly in 2016. “To repudiate explicitly and clearly the European-derived doctrine of discovery as an example of the “improper mixing of the power of the church and the power of the sword”, and to acknowledge and repent from this church’s complicity in the evils of colonialism in the Americas, which continue to harm tribal governments and individual tribal members.
Christians have often focused on what separated them from Native people rather than looking for what united them. Their failures to find a uniting front resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Native people and the forced assimilation of people. We deeply regret the decisions that resulted in these atrocities. Following the 2016 Resolution we affirm that our congregation and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will eliminate the doctrine of discovery from its language and programs, electing to practice accompaniment with native peoples instead of a missionary endeavor. We pray that our partnerships are mutually enriching.
O God of mercy, we lament that even good actions of reform and renewal had often unintended negative consequences.
We bring before you the burdens of the guilt of the past when our forbearers did not follow your will that all be one in the truth of the gospel. Teach us and show us the way.
We confess our own ways of thinking and acting that perpetuate the divisions of the past. As communities and as individuals, we build many walls around us: mental, spiritual, physical and political walls that result in discrimination and violence.
Forgive us, Lord. Teach us and show us the way.
Christ is our peace, who breaks down the walls that divide, who gives us, through the Holy Spirit, ever-new beginnings. Teach us and show us the way.
In Christ, we receive forgiveness and reconciliation and we are strengthened for a faithful and common witness in our time. Teach us and show us the way.
We pause now to add our own prayers, either silently or aloud.
Creator, you made the world and declared it to be good:
The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air,
The fragrance of the grass speaks to us;
The summit of the mountains, the thunder of the sky,
The rhythm of the lakes speaks to us;
The faintness of the stars, the freshness of the morning,
The dewdrops on the flower speak to us.
But above all, our heart soars, for you speak to us
In your Son, Jesus Christ,
In whose name we offer these prayers. AMEN
As a community let us embrace the ongoing work of reconciliation.
God makes peace within us. Let us claim it.
God makes peace between us. Let us share it.
Let us make reconciliation visible by greeting each other as a sign of God’s peace, love, forgiveness and grace. The peace of our Creator be with you in all things. We give thanks to our Creator.
You are invited to share peace with a smile and/or peace sign during this COVID time.
A reading of the names of those in the parking lot today.
THE GREAT THANKSGIVING
The Spirit of God be with you. And also with you.
Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Grandfather, you have called us to honor presence of your Son in this feast of sacred food and drink. We are honored also by your invitation and we wish to bring the gift of ourselves to you in joy.
THE LORD’S PRAYER And now we say the Nez Perce version of the Lord’s Prayer:
Oh Great Spirit, You are our Shepherd Chief, In the most high place whose home is everywhere, Even beyond the stars and moon. Whatever You want done let it be done everywhere. Give us Your gift of bread day by day. Forgive our wrongs as we forgive those who wrong us.
Take us away from wrong doings. Free us from all evil, For everything belongs to You. Let your power and glory shine forever. Amen (Written by Hattie Corbett Enos -Nez Perce Elder)
So, come to this table,
You who have much faith and you who would like to have more.
You who have been to this sacrament often,
And you who have not been for a long time.
You who have tried to follow Jesus, and you who have failed.
Come. It is Christ who invites us to meet him here.
These are the gifts of God for the people of God.
1-Let us break bread together on our knees
Let us break bread together on our knees
When I fall on my knees with my face toward the rising sun
Oh Lord, have mercy on me.
2-Let us drink wine together on our knees.
DISTRIBUTION
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER Jesus Christ, our leader, you are the Son of the Creator. We will live as you have taught us. We will follow your commandments. Watch over us. Speak to us from the trees, from the grass and herbs, from the breeze, from the passing rain, from the passing thunder and the deep waters. Before us there is beauty, behind us there is beauty. Allow us to walk a long life in happiness, completed in beauty.
Creator together our breath is a prayer to you. As we prepare to leave this sacred space, give us your peace as our time together in this sacred and holy space is done. Grant us rest on this earth, and give us rest we get to heaven once our time on your wondrous Creation is finished. AMEN
Great Spirit, our Creator God, look upon these faces gathered in holy community together and send them anywhere you would have them go, so that they may embody the word of reconciliation through their actions. Walk with them so that they may face the winds of change and walk the good road.
Enlighten them. Sustain them. May God our Creator be with you this day and always.
Go in peace. Thanks be to God.
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Denise Sweet has offered to lead us in a Talking Circle for ongoing conversation. Join Denise and Pastor Nancy on Zoom on Wednesday, October 14, 6:30-7:30 pm
Zoom ID is 842 0416 7394
PW 646974
Or call 1 312 6266799
Call Pastor at 715 209-1100 if any questions
WOV 779 On Eagle’s Wings 1-You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, who abide in this shadow for life, say to the Lord: “My refuge, my rock in whom I trust!” Refrain: And I will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of my hand. 3-For to the angels God’s given a command to guard you in all of your ways; upon their hands they will bear you up, let you dash your foot against a stone. Refrain
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Sunday, October 4, 2020 - "Lord, make us instruments of your peace."
Good Morning! This is for Sunday, October 4. I cannot thank you enough for being with me through the internet or written sermons during this global pandemic. Your efforts to stay connected with God-time either alone, or with someone, is so great. Thank you. And pray with me right now, Dear God, help us get through this pandemic even stronger in our faith in YOU, and our faith that your presence is uncontainable, and we CAN be a body of Christ through your Holy Spirit. Amen. Church leaders are saying that since COVID, we do get to be together with folks from anywhere, other states like Hawaii and Alaska, and even other countries! So to you all, Thank you. We are the body of Christ together.
Today is first Sunday in October. Traditionally we commemorate St. Francis. We often “Bless Animals” and talk about St. Francis. We pray the prayer attributed to St. Frances: Lord, make us instruments of Your peace; where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine master, grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. In your name we pray, Amen. Let us all commit to praying this prayer daily from now until November 3, and beyond.
Title of today’s message is: Lord, make us instruments of your peace
Scripture for today’s message comes from the beatitudes listed in Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. In Neil Douglas-Klotz’s book Prayers of the Cosmos, Reflections on the Original Meaning of Jesus’s Words are these ideas about Matthew 5:9 Blessed are those who plant peace each season; they shall be named the children of God. Healthy are those who strike the note that unites; they shall be remembered as rays of the One Unity. Aligned with the One are those who prepare the ground for all tranquil gatherings; they shall become fountains of Livingness.
Integrated are those who joyfully knit themselves together within; they shall be stamped with the seal of cosmic Identity. Healed are those who bear the fruit of sympathy and safety for all; they shall hasten the coming of God’s new creation. And, Romans 12:18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
What happens in America every four years? Presidential Election. This has been true forever, right? Reminisce about all of the presidential elections. I will give you the name along with the year he became president: 1929-Herbert Hoover, 1933 Franklin Roosevelt, 1945 Harry Truman 1953 Dwight Eisenhower, 1961 John F Kennedy, 1963 Lyndon Johnson, 1969 Richard Nixon, 1974 Gerald Ford, 1977 Jimmy Carter, 1981 Ronald Reagan, 1989 George Bush, 1993 Bill Clinton, 2001 George W. Bush, 2009 Barack Obama, 2017 Donald Trump. Images come to you, right? “Oh yeah, I remember when so and so ran against so and so…”
This year is an election year. Maybe more heated than ever, but, we do expect it by now, don’t we? Yard signs, exaggerated promises, and sadly, exaggerated slander. Many say: “I can’t take any more of this. I can’t wait until it is all over.” And, “If the other side wins, I don’t think our country will survive.” Come back to scripture please: Blessed are the peace makers. As far as it depends on you, live peaceably. Lastly, pray this prayer daily: Lord make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Wedge issues are designed to divide us. When candidates are campaigning, they often talk about issues. Sometimes, these issues have been crafted so that just by saying a word such as abortion or homosexuality, these complex situations become wedge issues designed to split us apart, to get people to take sides. When, in reality, if people sit down and talk about the complexities, when people hear real-life stories, they quickly find that these situations cannot be boiled down to a sound-bite of good or bad.
Consider the possibility, that we are not as divided as a country as those who make the ads, (those who offer opinions on TV, radio and in print) would like us to believe. In fact, we have real life examples of people who have vastly differing political views getting along. I’d like to highlight some of these leaders. Two parishioners asked me to lift up leaders in today’s world who can inspire and give us hope that no matter where you stand politically, you do not have to stoop to cutting and tearing down the other. Most currently, we as a nation have grieved the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg (RBG) who died on Sept. 17 and U.S. Congressman John Lewis who died on July 17.
Stay with me please. Hold the scripture as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with one another. I’ll first talk about RBG and her relationship with Justice Scalia. They were complete and total opposites ideologically. At times they read each other’s briefs and arguments. And, they so highly disagreed, at a higher level than most of us can even think. And then what? They still respected each other, found other things they could agree upon: Music, Food, Travel. The two along with their spouses had many meals together and truly cared for each other for decades. Listen to a few quotes:
RBG: It was my great good fortune to have known him (Scalia) as a working colleague and treasured friend.
Scalia: She likes opera and she’s a very nice person. What’s not to like, except her views on the law?
Scalia’s son tells this story. One year Scalia gave RBG two dozen roses for her birthday. The son asked his dad why. Scalia replied, “Some things are more important than votes.”
RBG: I disagreed with most of what he said, but I loved the way he said it.
And perhaps something more telling than anything is how we can be as a country. Listen to these amazing statistics when voting in these two Supreme Court Justices.
One is known for way liberal views, one known for more conservative views and still:
In 1986 Scalia was confirmed by a 98-0 vote and Ginsburg was confirmed in 1993 by a 96-3 vote. WOW-This is how we can be! Lord make us instruments of your peace…
Another leader is U. S. Congressman John Lewis. It was a global pandemic, and with so much in the news, his passing came and went, but alas, we have the internet. So just this week, I watched some of his funeral. And I want to quote to you some of what former President George W. Bush said at John Lewis’s funeral. I loved it because today we honor St. Francis and his love of animals, not just pets, but animals of all kinds.
President Bush started his remarks at John Lewis’s funeral talking about John as a very young boy. John Lewis’s job was to tend the chickens. Now from President Bush: “Called to be a minister at a young age, John fed and tended to his chicken’s spiritual needs. John baptized, married and preached to those chickens. One night, when he learned that it was chicken for supper, young child, John, refused to eat one of his flock. This was his first act of nonviolent protest! John later said that his first congregation of chickens listened to him more closely than many of his colleagues in congress. But John grew up and saw his role as preaching the gospel, the good news of Jesus that asks us to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly.”
President Bush said a lot of really great things in his six-minute eulogy, and ended with this, “John and I had our disagreements of course, but in the America John and I believed in, differences of opinion are inevitable, differences of opinion are elements and evidence of democracy in action. We the people, including congressmen and presidents, can have different views on how to perfect our union, while sharing the conviction that our nation, however flawed, is at heart a good and noble one. We live in a better United States because of who John Lewis was and what he accomplished; because of his abiding faith in the power of God, in the power of democracy and in the power of love to lift us all to a higher ground. The story of John Lewis that began in Troy, Alabama is not ending. He lives forever with his Father in heaven and lives forever in our hearts, so that we all continue walking and acting justly, loving mercy and kindness and walking humbly with our God.
May God Bless John Lewis.”
These two modern day leaders lived out of their faith. They both knew by heart the scripture from the OT book, Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” This scripture guided them so deeply. Please join with me and pray that you can also be a leader in these weeks now before the presidential election. Amen. Now “Lord make me an instrument of your peace” sung by Nan Faith singing in her apple orchard.
Prayers Holy Communion Benediction Be a peacemaker
Announcements of upcoming Sunday sermon topics:
October 11- Guest speaker Dee Sweet tells us about Native American spirituality and values
October 18 Things take time. Scripture and stories of how RBG and John Lewis kept going for decades on the slow path to change.
October 25 How to handle defeat Scripture and stories of how RBG and John Lewis handled many defeats. November 1 Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson
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Sunday, September 27, 2020 - "Blessing Hunters, Gatherers and Anglers"
Welcome to a very special service. Today I am filming this on the land of someone who owns lakeshore property, so you can see and hear the lake right in front of me.
Dear God, we commit this service to you. And we gather to celebrate our baptisms, renew our vows, and welcome our newest member, Jane Elizabeth Myers. May all our words, thoughts, song and silence bring you glory this day. In your name we pray, Amen.
Bless all who GATHER
Genesis 1:11-13 Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
Praise and Thanksgiving ELW 689 LBW 409
1-Praise and thanksgiving, God we would offer, for all things living, created good;
Harvest of sown fields, fruits of the orchard, hay from the mown fields, blossom and wood.
2-God bless the labor we bring to serve you, that with our neighbor we may be fed.
Sowing or tilling, we would work with you, harvesting, milling for daily bread.
3-Fa-ther, providing food for your children, by Wisdom’s guiding teach us to share,
One with another, so that rejoicing, with us all others may know your care.
For the Beauty of The Earth ELW 879 LBW 561
1-For the beauty of the earth, for the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth over and around us lies;
Refrain: Christ, our God, to thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise.
2-For the wonder of each hour, of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light; Refrain
4-For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above; for all gentle thoughts and mild. Refrain
Bless all who FISH, men and women, girls and boys
John 21:3-6 “I’m going out to fish,” said Simon Peter. They said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
The gospel of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let us pray:
Dear God, You came to love, heal and forgive. We actually don’t read too much about you being here to help us catch fish! But today, we hear about an abundant catch. What’s going on? Come Holy Spirit Come! In your name, Amen.
When you first hear this story from the Bible, you might wonder. “Is Nancy going to tell us that if we take Jesus in the boat with us, we will get more fish?” It is a funny question, and you are already HOPING that is not what I am going to say! If I said that we are having a bless the hunters, gatherers and anglers service so that they all can be more successful and have better crops and larger catches, it starts to sound like, asking for a blessing is equal to making God sort of like a genie in a bottle!
I LOVE this Bible story – so we can really look at who God is and what is prayer.
IN a way, I run a risk every time I say, “Do you have any specific prayer concerns?” And to go a little deeper, let’s really look at today’s service. It is not unlikely that some might say to me:
“Well, Pastor, yeah please pray that I catch a lot of fish, Get my deer on the first day, that my nephew gets his deer, that our garden is plentiful Please pray that we are spared from this hail storm that is predicted.” So far, these prayers sound understandable…right?
Or what? Do you see where I am going… Who is God? What is prayer?
In scripture we know… God invites and desires and wants us to pray: Jesus prayed! In so many scriptures, we are encouraged to: ask seek knock! Call to me and I will answer…. So God desires a 24/7 relationship with us for sure.
What is prayer? It is God’s invitation to us to stay in relationship with God. Prayer is where we listen, we are silent, we pray the way Jesus prayed which includes, “Not my will, but Your will be done.” Prayer is sometimes defined in acronyms: ACTS adoration, confession, thanksgiving & supplication, or PRAY-praise, repent, ask, yield. Is it OK to ask God to help us catch fish? Sure. As long as we realize that prayer is much more than that.
And if not a genie in a bottle, who is God? I invite you to join me in being humble. Let us consider that we will never be able to contain or totally define God. For today I offer to you this broad idea. God is the source of love. God has many names. As Christians, we say God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. In our scriptures God is described at times as a mother, a redeemer, a lover, a protector, comforter, good shepherd and as I give you this partial list, you are thinking, “Oh yeah, God IS uncontainable, and the descriptive words are endless…”
Today’s Bible story seems to go amazingly well with the scripture text that Bishop Laurie selected to include at the end of her Sept 24 letter from 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
The message of Jesus, who died on the cross is the power of God. God has power for sure. Is it the miraculous power to drum up a large catch of fish? I will not say no. However, the power of God, is so much more. And as mentioned in 1 Corinthians, the power of God is seen in Jesus, who died for us. And why did he die? Because he loved so much, loved too much, loved everyone, so much so that the religious and political leaders could not handle him! So much so that they successfully plotted to have him murdered, on a cross.
There is power in this relationship we are invited to have with Jesus. But it is not power as defined by the world’s standards. The power of giving our lives over to Jesus is a power that allows us to die to ourselves, to die to our ego. To pray daily, “If it is your will, if it pleases you, But, not my will, YOUR will. God, I really don’t know what the best thing is. What I do know is that I want to please you.”
We can BLESS the hunters gatherers and anglers today for sure.
God Bless All of you who do these things. May you have a bountiful harvest, a good hunt and lots of fish.
What if, though, there is a more powerful thing that happens when you Hunt Fish and Gather, even more spectacular than something measured in numbers? This question reminds me of a story I heard from Jared when he said he and Sarah like it that we get to have baptism on the same Sunday we are blessing the hunters, anglers and gatherers. I asked him why. Jared said something like this:
“Well, in baptism, we are going to be looking at our child, Jane. And Pastor, I’ve got to tell you, as a parent, when we see our children, as tiny babies and in each stage of growing up.
We see God.
We see a miracle.
We are brought to tears.
And when I hunt in a deer stand, and it is still, quiet, only me and nature
I see God
I experience God in nature so profoundly…
God is present in a powerful way, in a beautiful way
Creation leaves me speechless…
Back to the gospel, the new disciples get skunked in fishing. Jesus sees them, tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. They then get such a load of fish that they are worried their nets will break, their boat might sink. Yes, it is a great catch. What happens next in this story? Not too far after this great catch, Jesus tells them, “I will make you fishers of men. If you follow me!” Amen.
Song WOV #817 You Who Come Down to the Lakeshore
1-You have come down to the lakeshore, Seeking neither the wise or the wealthy,
but only asking for me to follow.
Chorus: Sweet Lord, you have looked into my eyes; kindly smiling you’ve called out my name.
On the sand I have abandoned my small boat; now with you, I will seek other seas.
2- You know full well what I have Lord: neither treasure nor weapons for conquest,
just these my fish nets and will for working. Chorus
3- You need my hands, my exhaustion, working love for the rest of the weary,
a love that’s willing to go on loving. Chorus
Bless all who HUNT, women and men, girls and boys
Genesis 27:3 Now then, get your equipment, your quiver and bow, and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. WOV #780 What a Fellowship, What a Joy Divine
1-What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms.
CHORUS Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.
2-When we hunters go, in the field to hunt, leaning on the everlasting arms
We find God in-the, sun, stars, air and trees
Leaning on the everlasting arms. CHORUS
The service of Holy Baptism for Jane Elizabeth Myers
Holy Communion - Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Announcements *Sunday, October 11 is our next outdoor worship service
9:00 am Washburn Elementary School Parking Lot & 10:45 am Port Wing Town Hall Pavilion
Near Indigenous People’s Day, we take October 11 to celebrate Native American wisdom from guest speaker Dee Sweet, a retired, tenured university professor who recently moved to Bayfield. She will tell us about Native American values and spirituality. Her message will be online also.
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Sunday, September 20 text from the online version
Good Morning! Thank you for being with me! A few announcements:
Covid Safe Outdoor Services:
Sundays in Sept. 27
First Lutheran - Port Wing Pavilion, Town Hall, 10:45 am
Messiah – Washburn Elementary School parking lot 9:00 am
Theme: Bless the Hunters Sunday at both services, and at Messiah, Baptism of Jane Myers
Both church councils met past week. Both are taking these next weeks to write a detailed plan for in-house worship with all precautions. Please call me 715 209-1100 or a council member should you want to give us your input. We want to hear from you. Clergy Zoom yesterday, ELCA churches from Superior, Poplar, Bayfield and Ashland… all over the map! All praying to hear God’s voice of wisdom, compassion, love and understanding.
There IS Holy Communion today- PAUSE to get bread and wine or juice. Holly Communion by the internet is not our first choice. Uncontainable presence of Jesus. Remember that word. Jesus is with us in the bread, in the wine!
Greeting May the God who created space and time, journeyed with us in human form, and travels with us still, be with you all. And also with you.
Matthew 20:1-16 in The Message. God’s kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work.
3-5 “Later, about nine o’clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went.
5-6 “He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o’clock. At five o’clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’
7 “They said, ‘Because no one hired us.’“He told them to go to work in his vineyard.
8 “When the day’s work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.’
9-12 “Those hired at five o’clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.’
13-15 “He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?’
16 “Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first.”
Title of today’s message is “Generosity of Thought”
Let us pray: Dear God, transform us by the renewing of our minds. In your name we pray, Amen.
Transform us by the renewing of our minds. This line comes from Roman 12:1 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed…Be changed! Wow.
I was changed on Tuesday of this past week. I was transformed. My mind was changed by someone who practiced this thing I am calling Generosity of Thought. Here’s what happened. I read this article:
GREEN BAY, WIS. (AP) — Catholic dioceses across the state are lifting the Sunday dispensation which means parishioners are once again obligated to attend Mass.
Catholic churches lifted the obligation and stopped holding in-person Mass when coronavirus cases started growing in mid-March. Masses were once again held in-person at 25% capacity in June, but the dispensation was still in place. The dispensation officially ends mid-September.
The diocese says there are circumstances when it’s OK not to follow the obligation including when someone is ill, is taking care of someone who is ill, there isn’t room to safely worship, or if a person has grave fear of contracting COVID-19.
Rev. John Girotti of the Diocese of Green Bay says the obligation is a gentle nudge to return to church.
Girotti says the Diocese of Green Bay has two main reasons why the time is right for Catholics to return to church. One, the diocese believes it knows how to keep people safe from the coronavirus and the other is the need to worship together, he said.
“Six months is a long time and we need to get back to it,” Girotti said.
Precautions that have been in place throughout the pandemic remain. People should social distance, every other pew is blocked off to help with that, and people are urged to wear masks.
After reading this article, I asked my running buddy Teena Racheli, what is this about? I have never heard of mandatory church attendance!
She said something like this, “I could give you a cynical answer or a tender answer.” As a former Catholic, as one who grew up Catholic, said Teena, and I’m pretty sure it is still this way, for many Catholics, receiving the Mass from a priest is absolutely holy. In this tradition, it cannot really be replaced. The six months is just too long.
As I reflect upon her tender, caring, generous words, I am still transformed. And, I also notice, if I hang on to her explanation, I don’t have room in my brain to go to cynicism. And, now with time, I realize, “Of course, what Teena said is true at least some of the time.” The other reasons could be partly true also for some, and so what? If I only focus on how it is still not safe to come into the church building, then I am not being generous to this group – even if I don’t necesarriily agree with what they are doing.
I am thrilled to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. THRILLED. And, all of us know at least one Catholic, right? Most Catholics we know, know at least one Lutheran, right? How do we hold people of other denominations? How do we want to hold each other? I am going to exaggerate to make a point.
Do we want to have the things that stand out in our minds, the things that keep us apart, such as “Oh those Catholics, I’m still mad at them because someone shamed me because I ate meat on a Friday. I am going to hold on to that one thing and still be mad. Or, “Those Lutherans xyz I am going to hold on to that and…”
OR, do you pray to be transformed by the renewing of your mind and say something like, “Oh yeah, there are differences in all of the Christian denominations. Big Differences for sure. But today, I choose to focus on my favorite Catholic friend and focus on the big fact that we both believe in and love Jesus. Amen. I choose to stay there.
Well, this sermon called Generosity of Thought is based on Matthew 20:1-19. Especially the last line Hear it from The Message “Friend, I haven’t been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar didn’t we? So take it and go. I decided to give the one who came last the same as you. Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous? Here it is again, The Great Reversal many of the first ending up last and the last first.” (Or Why are you envious in NRSV.)
We read this together at text study also on Tuesday. One said, “This last shall be first stuff I like the part where the last gets to be first, especially when I am toward the last. But if I happen to work hard and actually get to be first in line, THEN, I am not so fond of this concept.”
Another said, “This great reversal that we find in the way Jesus often teaches, is probably meant to help us get unstuck. It might be meant to help us feel uncomfortable. I almost think Jesus wants us to feel uncomfortable… with this story, so that we can be…
What? Transformed! By the renewing of our minds.
How can it happen? Even to take the story totally literally and make it modern day and personal. YOU, you yes you, you who are listening, and me, N. Let’s put this story on ourselves today. Berry picking. Larry Jorstad still has a few black berries and he wants to get them all picked today. Some of you run over to his orchard and you agree on the wage. And then we notice that Larry has more folks coming and we also noticed that a few came just before 5pm. Larry had a payday party in his yard. The folks who worked an hour got what seemed like a LOT of money… And by the time we all got paid, we heard that everyone got the same amount!
What is the generosity of thought attitude? What is the almost more normal, knee jerk, way of the world, culturally accepted attitude? Larry, that isn’t fair! You are not fair. Shame on you.
During the pandemic, we have to do life differently. We are not in a big group in the church building, so we can either say that isn’t fair and be totally bummed, OR let us have a generous thought and think differently. Let us take the hand of cards we are dealt and go deeper in our faith during the pandemic. Let us go deep into this scripture right now along with me.
Join my colleague who humbly said, “I don’t think I let my world be turned upside often enough.” We all had a house, a car, a bed, we all had plenty of material wealth. And, we wondered, what else does this story mean?
What is it that some workers were ready to work at 8:00 am, and a few workers didn’t get there right away? What is it that some said, “No one would hire us?” Let’s ask God’s Holy Spirit, what in the world is Jesus telling us this story? Is it also about grace? How do we live? Do we always have choices? Are we going to go to default thoughts, YES, we are. And that is why we live daily close to God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit and we pray: Transform me today.
And, help me truly desire to follow the 8th commandment. In the meaning of the 8th commandment, we are to see everyone in the best possible light. So, at least for some of the workers, they wanted to work, but no one would hire them! And, why can’t we be happy when people receive generousity?
Right now in this political climate, there are families being torn apart, friendships, etc. Do not go there. Resist. Hear these words from 1 Peter, “4: Stay wide awake in prayer. Most of all love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless, cheerfully. Be generous w the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words, If help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in all through Jesus and Jesus will get all the credit as the One mighty in everything, encores to the end of time. Oh yes. Friends when life gets really difficult don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job. Instead be glad you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process with glory just around the corner.”
It is a pandemic. It is an election year now in the last weeks before a vote. It is wild fires. It is you name it. Join me in going deeper. And if we are accused of being fools for Christ, be happy. Take the high road this political season. REFUSE to lose a friendship over this. Say I love you no matter what.
Back to my friend Teena’s words: “I could be cynical right now or I could be tender.” We all have this same choice minute by minute. What lens do we choose to see the situation? And, without the Holy Spirit breathing and filling us, I think it is safe to say, our knee jerk, “un-prayed-up” response is to say the rude thing, the self-serving thing, the cynical thing.
Join me this week, to listen more. And speak less. And may we be caught praying before we speak. May we be caught praying before we write back a Facebook reply. May we be caught praying for wisdom, compassion, love and understanding before we do anything. And may whatever we do in word or deed, may we do everything in the name of the lord Jesus. Next week we read in Phil 2, Jesus… we do things in his name, the one who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but humbled himself… Amen.
The next song is from Sara Thomsen. Wisdom, compassion, love, understanding, Come be in my heart….
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Worship Service from Sunday, September 13, 2020
From First Lutheran in Port Wing - Amy Beckman is a faithful viewer. She asked to have Clayton Beckman mentioned today. He died about one year ago. We send our love and prayers to his wife Louise, and all family and friends of Clayton.
And from Messiah: Grieving the loss of Dale Anderson. Walking Memorial Service to honor Dale Anderson, Thurs., Sept. 17, 1pm, @Birch Haven & Kreuser Clinic parking lot. After the short service, people may walk or drive a route Dale faithfully traveled. Bring a lawn chair. Participants are asked to wear masks and physically distance. Thank you.
Rev. Mark Ricker, 13 days in ICU, over 6 weeks in hospital. Came home last Tuesday. Recovering and thanks everyone for their prayers! Sounded really good in spirits.
Church councils meet this week
Messiah on Tues at 6pm by Zoom
First on Thurs at 9am by Zoom
Covid Safe Outdoor Services:
Sundays in Sept. Sept 13 and 27
Messiah – Washburn Elementary School parking lot 9:00 am
First Lutheran - Port Wing Pavilion, Town Hall
Today’s service is called A Service for Students and All Other Travelers on the Journey of Life
(some parts of today’s service are from Sundays & Seasons, copyright 2013 Augsburg Fortress)
There IS Holy Communion today. Either use your own bread/juice OR ask an usher for individually wrapped elements.
Greeting May the God who created space and time, journeyed with us in human form, and travels with us still, be with you all. And also with you.
ELW 732 I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold. I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well: I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk till rising sun. I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.
Let us pray: O God, our beginning and our end, you kept Abraham and Sarah in safety throughout the days of their pilgrimage, you kept the children of Israel in love, as they lived through 40 years in the wilderness, and by a star you led the magi to the infant Jesus. Protect and guide us and our students as we begin this unprecedented school year. Teach us all to continue growing, so that by the end of this global pandemic, we can say we learned new ways to do justice, new ways to practice kindness and new ways to walk humbly with you. Make our ways safe and our homecomings joyful. In your name we pray, Amen.
Psalm139:1-12 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I’m an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I’m never out of your sight. You know everything I’m going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful—I can’t take it all in! Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute—you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, God even sees me in the dark! At night I’m immersed in the light!” It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.
Plans and Preparations Ephesians 6:13-17 Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
Dialogue and Prayer What should we pack as we begin our journey? What should we bring along?
The word of God to illumine our path. The light of Christ to show us the way.
The gifts of the Spirit to share with those we meet. The love of God to be our compass and guide.
Let us pray. Oh God, You are the source of all our beginnings. As we plan for our journeys, strengthen us through your word. Orient our lives toward Christ, the bright Morning Star. Send your Holy Spirit as our companion along the way. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
ELW 866 We are marching in the light of God, we are marching in the light of God. We are marching in the light of God. We are marching in the light of God. We are marching, we are marching, we are marching WOO, we are marching in the light of God. We are marching, we are marching, we are marching WOO, we are marching in the light of God. We are praying, dancing, singing.
Setting Out Genesis 12:1-9 God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. 2-3 I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.” 4-6 So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound.
Dialogue and Prayer
God called to Abraham: “Go! Set out! And I will bless you.”
God calls to us: “Come! Feel the water on your head!”
Hear the promise of new life. “Spread my love through all the world.”
Let us pray. God of beginnings, You called Abraham and Sarah, leading them to unknown places. You are also calling us now to unknown places with life situations we have never before experienced. In the waters of baptism, you claim us and send us out as your children. Wash us with your grace and shower us with your spirit, so that we journey into the world overflowing with your love. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
On the Road Mark 1:35-39
While it was still night, way before dawn, Jesus got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, “Everybody is looking for you.” Jesus said, “Let’s go to the rest of the villages so I can preach there also. This is why I’ve come.”
Dialogue and Prayer On the Galilean road, Jesus stopped to reflect and pray
We, too, long for rest and a balm for our souls
Seeing those in need, Jesus healed, taught and fed.
We are called to live as servants, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Holding the children close, Jesus blessed them;
for to such as these the kingdom of heaven belongs.
On the road to Bethlehem, the true light came into the world.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory.
Let us pray. God of incarnation, You entered our world as a tiny baby and you journey with us through each stage of our lives. Be with our children, and especially our students, teachers and all decision makers. Help us all grow in your love. Guide us all as the years and decades pass. Send us in the light of your grace and truth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
When the Way Becomes Hard Matthew 16:21-28
Dialogue and Prayer We side with Peter and say It is enough O Lord.
The troubles of life overwhelm our spirits It is enough, O Lord.
The way seems too dark; the valleys too deep It is enough O Lord.
God, please rescue us from despair, grant us strength, and open our hearts and minds to hear you say
“You are beloved, my precious child. I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Let us pray. God of our sorrows, during this global pandemic, out-of-control wild fires and racial unrest, when the daily reports are often more bad news, the road seems long, lonely and treacherous. Comfort us in our despair, guide us through the wilderness, and enfold us in your loving embrace. Grant your mercy and peace to all those in need this day. We take a moment of silence to name specific concerns: (pause for a brief silence) In your name we pray, Amen.
Wherever you are on life’s journey Romans 12:9-21 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help the needy; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody. Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
Message- “God Wants Us To Get Along” is the title of my message based on Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who are rejoicing, grieve with those who grieve.” We won’t spend much time this morning on the rejoicing part. I want us to bond together and grieve at some of what is happening in our world. When we ache and grieve together, sometimes, the burden becomes lighter.
Where do we weep and ache? Four places National Tragedy of September 11, Wild Fires, Illness, Discrimination. Let’s pray that we get closer together as a country when we grieve together.
-September 11, 2001. Where were you? Church attendance for a while increased. Interfaith activities grew for a while. Muslims who practiced the peaceful religion were being asked to speak. Education heightened with Muslims telling us, “Please do not make the false assumption that our religion is mainly about terrorism.” A Christian who comes to an abortion clinic and kills the doctor, Are all Christians like that? No. Christians are embarrassed, ashamed that the gunman calls himself a Christian. This national tragedy gave us something to gather together for, for healing.
-Images of Wild Fires These images bring us together as a country, right? We ache. We all ache to see someone who lost a home, lost a loved one, lost pets. This brings us together, we grieve… and also, our humble gratitude grows… and some who are able send money for relief to organizations such as Lutheran Disaster Response.
-Illness can bring us together. Not always, but by now many of you recall what I read 2 weeks ago. Michele Wheeler struggled with cancer for 9 years. At a cancer benefit, she looked around at the people who rallied for her and for her family, and she wrote this in her book: The Throbbing Moon & The Three Season Tango A new book by Washburn’s Michele Wheeler who died in June, 2020, after a 9-year cancer battle. She wrote this after attending a benefit event in her honor: “…living in this community means respecting each other just as we are. Before we are boss or employee, before we’re Republican or Democrat, before we’re mine supporters or fighters, before we’re black or white or red or any shade of brown, before we’re male or female, we’re all just people. And we have much to offer each other through the common threads of our joys & pains, in our fears & hopes. I felt tightly woven into the fabric of us, wrapped up and held by it.”
LASTLY, when we witness Discrimination Just last night, Thursday, Sept 10, program on WPR, talking about The Green Book. African Americans were interviewed about what it was like to drive while being black. They told stories of being pulled over for no reason. As I listened to these stories their pain of discrimination was something I could totally feel.
Dear God, help us bind together and grieve together. Then, help us do what we can to end discrimination in our own circles and beyond. Amen.
Dialogue and Prayer based on John 14-15
Do not let your hearts be troubled. We believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
I go to prepare a dwelling place for you You are the way, the truth, and the life.
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you Lord, we abide in your love.
You know the way to the place where I am going Jesus, lead us in the path of your peace.
Let us pray. God of resurrection, neither death nor life will separate us from your love. Walk with us through this wilderness. Remind us that as we live in the moment with you, we can claim that this too, some day, will pass. Strengthen us to follow the way of the cross and bring us at last into the joy of your heavenly kingdom. In your name we pray. Amen.
Blessing of One Another Wherever you wander, no matter how dark the night, may the love of your family and friends, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the power of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you now and forever. Go with God’s blessings. May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. And also with you. Share peace with your smile, air hug, and peace sign!
Words of Institution and The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer after Communion: Loving God, by your Spirit we are born anew, and you nourish us like newborns with this holy food, by which we grow to become more and more like you. Give us grace to live as your risen daughters and sons, shining in the world with your compassionate light, until you gather all creation to the table where Christ reigns in glory forever. Amen.
Blessing: The Lord watch over your going out and your coming in, from this time forth forever more. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
ELW 543 Go my children with my blessing, never alone. Waking, sleeping, I am with you, you are my own. In my love’s baptismal river I have made you mine forever. Go, my children, with my blessing, you are my own. Go in peace. Christ goes with you. Thanks Be to God!
Announcements
*We are glad you are worshiping with us today! If you are looking for a church home or would like a pastoral conversation, let us know by giving your contact information to an usher or the Pastor.
We all want to help the next generation come to know and love Jesus” safely during the pandemic. We encourage all to renew the commitment to have home devotions using the Faith Five format. Call Pastor at 715 209-1100 if you know someone who needs raking or window washing for a future event. Dear God, HELP! Many of us don’t know what to do. We want our children safe and yet, we also want them to grow in socialization. We want growth in faith too, this year. Come Holy Spirit, Come lead and guide us. Remind us that even though we don’t know what the future holds, we do know WHO holds our future. Grant special peace to all school leaders, teachers, students and parents. Keep our hearts and minds stayed on you. Guide us and give us peace that passes all understanding. Thank you Jesus! Amen.
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Sunday sermon, August 30, based on Romans 12: 9-21
Dear God, With your unconditional love, grace and mercy as our guide, and by your power, show us and help us grow in loving our neighbor, loving those whom we agree with as well as those with whom we disagree. Show us the way of love. In your name we pray, Amen.
Imagine the recipients of this letter to the Romans. In 49 AD Roman Emperor Claudius expelled Jews, including Jewish Christians, from Rome. While all did not leave, many did. When Claudius died and they returned, Jewish Christians found a church now run by Gentile Christians, whose numbers had increased. Tensions were inevitable. It is highly likely that there was us versus them thinking, tribal thinking. Perhaps the Jewish Christians thought they were better than the Gentile Christians. Is being divisive a new thing? No. Since the beginning of recorded history, we have humans who are so tempted to split into camps. Some say that when we do this, we are living actually in an illusion of being separate. But, the reality is that we truly are all one.
And Paul, knew it was his calling to preach to these Christians and beg them to start getting along. To stop the infighting. We can imagine Paul saying, “We are called to be ONE in Christ, which actually starts with everyone dying to ego, dying to self. May we take the mantra that Paul encourages, “I have been crucified with Christ, the life I now live is IN Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” This idea of dying to self is also evident in today’s gospel lesson when Jesus invites us into this paradox, “When you lose your life for Jesus, THEN you will find real life.”
Racial inequality, Global pandemic, Selecting the next President; Fires and Flooding; Attitudes about the pandemic (open or close); Attitudes about current protests, police and racial inequality. What if we regular humans agree on more than is highlighted on the news. For example, almost everyone agrees burning down a grocery store is NEVER a good thing. Almost everyone agrees that to rent a house, sell a house, or give a job to the white person instead of the black person JUST because someone is white is not equity.
In Romans chapter 12, we are given timeless guidelines to use in Every Issue we face and we can pray, “God, help me respond in a way that pleases you.” What are the guidelines? The writer sums it up by saying, “Run for dear life from evil. Hold on for dear life to good. There will always be evil forces that pull us down and forces for good that help us take the high road.
For starters, let’s describe good and evil. Evil can be defined by words such as wicked, painful, malicious, harmful, disastrous, oppressive, slanderous and life-sucking. Good can be described with words such as commendable, proper, desirable and beautiful. In the Bible being good could mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit’s fruits such as: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, generosity, and self-control. It could mean following the Ten Commandments. All to say, when we wonder “How Then Shall We Live?” we need look no farther than to Romans 12 for these timeless ideas which I will boil down to six ideas.
1-Don’t quit. Pray all the harder. Don’t quit following Jesus. Do not be sucked into following the current culture. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind as we heard in Romans 12:2 last week!
2-Help the needy. Redirect our thoughts and ask often, “Who is negatively affected by COVID, and how can I help?”
3-Be inventive and creative in hospitality If enemy, someone form the oppo political party is hungry, feed! Be creative with this political tension. Creative w pandemic like parking lot radio church; going to the nursing home and visiting a loved one through windows! During COVID, let us be creative and look for new ways to connect.
4-Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who are rejoicing and grieve with those who are grieving.
5-Find beauty in everyone instead of demonizing. In the book, Jesus Outside the Lines, a way forward for those who are tired of taking sides, Theologian R.C. Sproul believed that we chose God only because God first choses us. Billy Graham has a different view of salvation and he believes that God choses us based on God’s prior knowledge that we would someday choose God. So, these two preachers disagreed on a rather significant issue. One time when Sproul was giving a talk, someone asked, “Do you think you will see Billy Graham in heaven?” Sproul paused and said, “No.” Everyone gasped. Then he said, “I won’t see him because I think he will be higher up on the throne of heaven than me.” Yay! It was as if he was saying, “I disagree with Billy Graham on X, but all in all I do see the good in him for sure.” May we all try hard to find beauty in everyone.
6. In today’s divisiveness, what will bring us together? Sadly, sometimes terrible tragedy opens our eyes in a new way. Getting a cancer diagnosis, where everything changes, is so amazing and beautifully captured in Michele’s new book. Picture a packed building you’ve been a part of for someone’s benefit meal. This one was at the Four Corners Bar.
The Throbbing Moon & The Three Season Tango A new book by Washburn’s Michele Wheeler who died in June, 2020, after a 9-year cancer battle. She wrote this after attending a benefit event in her honor: “…living in this community means respecting each other just as we are. Before we are boss or employee, before we’re Republican or Democrat, before we’re mine supporters or fighters, before we’re black or white or red or any shade of brown, before we’re male or female, we’re all just people. And we have much to offer each other through the common threads of our joys & pains, in our fears & hopes. I felt tightly woven into the fabric of us, wrapped up and held by it.”
Sunday, August 23, 2020 Title: Many, yet one in Christ, Christ, our rock! Thank you all so much for hanging in there and watching worship or reading these sermons. Just this week Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson sent an open letter to churches. She said that maybe almost everyone is getting tired of COVID, and longs to go back to the church building, longs to hug, longs to see loved ones. Then she said, well, perhaps this is like God’s people in the wilderness. And if we are sad, it is OK to write a new PSALM and pray to God, “How Long, Oh Lord?” She also encouraged everyone to take a breath and try to see the long view. “God was with the Israelites in the wilderness. God was with us before the pandemic. God is here now. We are in the midst of a crisis. This pandemic is inconvenient for some but it is life-threatening for many.” What we all can do is to go directly to God and pray. We can together keep our eyes on Jesus. We can remember that when we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit is praying in us and for us.
A few announcements this morning.
Don Jenicek is healing, keep him in prayer for ongoing healing.
Ongoing healing for Jack Evanow, Barb Swenson and Jack Gunderson
Dale Anderson is now in a Birch Haven facility in Ashland, hoping that with rehab he can get back to his Washburn place. He was having some falls, so needed more care.
Jack Peterson is now in Northern Lights Nursing Home
All who are recovering from COVID-19, all front line workers.
Call 715 209-1100 to add names to this online prayer list.
There is Holy Communion Today, pause to get bread and wine for those who need.
Isaiah 51:1-3 1-3 “Listen to me, all you who are serious about right living
and committed to seeking God.
Ponder the rock from which you were cut,
the quarry from which you were dug.
Yes, ponder Abraham, your father,
and Sarah, who bore you.
Think of it! One solitary man when I called him,
but once I blessed him, he multiplied.
Likewise I, God, will comfort Zion,
comfort all her mounds of ruins.
I’ll transform her dead ground into Eden,
her moonscape into the garden of God,
A place filled with exuberance and laughter,
thankful voices and melodic songs.Romans 12:1-8 Place Your Life Before God So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.
6-8 If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.
Let us pray: Dear God, help us look to you, our rock. Even though it feels almost impossible, you ask us to be one in you. Show us how. In your name we pray, Amen.
Members of Messiah and First Lutheran council all received a rock from me this past week. On the rock are these words, Many, yet one in Christ. In today’s scripture readings we get a rich picture of Christ as our rock from Isaiah 51 and then in the Romans 12- You are the body of Christ with many members, and the members have differing gifts. Many gifts, yet one body.
On the rock, many, yet one in Christ. These word are on a what? A piece of paper? No, a rock! Rocks are FUN! And what else? Rocks are solid. Rocks can be Very Old, and rocks endure. We sing the old hymn, “On Christ the solid rock I stand.”
In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, if you think of time in a linear sense, then you would say that Jesus is not born yet when these ancient words were written, so how can this rock be a symbol of Jesus? Well, we read in John 1 “In the beginning was the Word and the Word became flesh.” So Jesus is God in the flesh and God has been with us since the beginning, therefore Jesus also, has been with us since the beginning of time. We can see Jesus in this passage from Isaiah as we read scripture through a lens of Jesus, in the beginning, the Word made flesh.
“Look to the rock from which you were hewn.” And then we read from Romans 12… From the many diverse people we are called to be one. And we are diverse, aren’t we? We were raised differently. Had a variety of kinds of parents. Some of you were raised with parents telling you almost daily that “you are loved-we love you.” Some of you listening hardly ever heard any word of praise from your parents. And, some of you had an absent parent.
From birth on up, our childhoods are vastly different. This matters. We are all here today unique, diverse, and from the Romans writer, we also all have different gifts. In Romans and Corinthians and other places, our uniqueness is never hidden. We are a diverse set of people. Yet, as followers of Jesus, the almost impossible task is always set before us. Be one in Christ. Many, yet one in Christ.
How? Well, one of the best ways is to take Romans 12:1-2 seriously and to memorize it. I appeal to you, do not be conformed to this world, be be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may discern God’s will.
What does it look like to be conformed to this world?
What does it look like to be transformed by the renewing of our minds?
Well, THAT is our mission, our purpose as Jesus followers. We wake up every day and pray,” God, change my heart O God make it ever new, change my heart of God help me be like you.” Every minute of every day, God, transform me from how I want to be on my own, and how I really want to be, and that is filled with you.”
Recently my spiritual director taught me a simple, yet powerful exercise. Let’s do it now. Breathe in the fullness of God. Take a moment right now, close your eyes. Envision all the qualities of God to fill you including: wisdom, love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, generosity, self-control and more. Wow, Breathe in the fullness of God. Exhale all the ways the world’s culture tries to pull you down, fill you with anxiety, fear, anger. Exhale. Continue to breathe in the fullness of God. We are transformed. Our minds will and can be transformed.
I am saddened by how easy it is for humans to judge each other, criticize and hurt. Tell me the last time you were hurt by someone. Someone yelling at you or saying something in a scolding tone. If you can’t think of the last time it happened. Praise God!
Well, recently, I had a very critical, judgmental, sarcastic thought, ready to sling it at someone. I caught it, praise God! Breathed in the fullness of God and for that moment, I felt transformed. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world. Right now, this world includes so much inflammatory speech, on both sides of the political aisle, and this kind of slander and lying will be in the air waves every day until November 3.
Please join me in memorizing Romans 12 vs 2. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Let God transform you today by Breathing in the fullness of God.
One more thing, as if this is not enough, because it is, but in today’s gospel, Matthew 16: 18 Jesus says to Peter, “On this rock I will build my church. Peter, you are a rock.” Jesus says this to a person who also did what? In Peter’s humanity, Peter totally denied Christ. Peter lied and said three times, “I do not know Jesus. I have never been associated with him.” Then, after the resurrection, Jesus sees Peter in his fullness and sees the God in him. “On you will I build my church.” Do you need to be perfect to follow Jesus? Obviously not. Just live a forgiven, thankful, grateful life. Jesus then said to Peter, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Let us live into this life-changing, life-giving faith, and claim with joy, “Yes, we are many, yet ONE in Christ.” Amen.
Holy CommunionSunday, August 2, 2020THANK YOU always for worshipping with me.
Through God’s Holy Spirit, we are still the body of Christ. We are together in Spirit. THANK YOU ALL!
First Lutheran: Tremendous thanks to Vicki Jardine-Tobin, Vicki is the daughter of Bucky and Faye Jardine. Vicki is up visiting and also doing online teaching for Centrailia College in Olympia, Washington. Last week Vicki played the piano and her daughter Danielle Tobin sang “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen.” They are singing for us today also. Thank you!
Loved ones recovering with COVID Jane from Neenah is now home from the hospital and
Mark Ricker, formerly from Ashland, still in the hospital off a ventilator. Sally R and Mary W’s brother Clair is home from the hospital after a time due to COVID.
Messiah: Keep Jack Peterson in prayer and loved ones, now in Northern Lights
Barb Swenson took a fall, she is asking us to keep her in prayer for healing from her fall injuries.
I’m on vacation, Pastor Dale leads worship. In case of pastoral emergency call
Pastor Neal Milam at 715-813-9046 SAM Mary Meriotto at 715 209-0900
Holy Communion today, pause to get bread and juice or wine.
Title of today’s message: Take what you have and do something you can do! Feeding5000
Call to Worship (Based on Isaiah 55 and Matthew 14 written by Rev. Thom Shuman)
All who are thirsty, come! God is the fountain for our lives. All who are hungry, come!
Jesus feeds us with goodness and grace.
Rich and poor, young and old, neighbor and guest, come!
The Holy Spirit gathers everyone around the Table.
Prayer Oh God, at times we try to distance ourselves from you, and even then, you spread a picnic of grace, waving us over, with a big grin on your face. Your compassion is spread over our brokenness like jam over toast. When we get in a sweat over whether or not we can meet all our self-imposed expectations, you wipe our faces, hand us a cup of cool water, and whisper, "Relax. I've taken all that off your shoulders!” We rejoice in your gifts which are ours and we cannot thank you enough. Amen.
Call to Reconciliation
God is not mean-spirited or vengeful. God is gracious and merciful, always willing to listen to our prayers, and to heal our hearts. Join me in a prayer for forgiveness: Oh God, We don’t have enough to end all hunger; but forgive us, when we forget that very little can do so much by your presence and power. Silence
Listen! Come to the One who covers us with compassion, who feeds us on grace and mercy. We are so grateful this day, that you have forgiven us. Sometimes we pray forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us, without realizing what we are saying. Today, Now, help us offer your grace and forgiveness to everyone we meet. Amen.
Matthew 14:13-21 Title: “Take what you have and do what you can do” based on Matthew 14 The Feeding of the 5000 Let us pray: Dear God, the feeding of the 5000 is a story that amazes us. Tell us something new today about how you see the world and what you want us to do. In your name we pray, Amen.
There is a word in the Jewish faith called midrash. Midrash is when people talk about a scripture text and offer many ways of interpreting it. Another way to read Bible stories is to think there are not many possible meanings, but only one right way to interpret a story. Then, people could start arguing – Did Jesus really turn a small meal into enough to feed over 5000? I don’t want to argue, do you? So, let’s do midrash today and imagine that there are all sorts of ways this story could be taken. For example, one common interpretation of this s tory is that God takes a little and uses it in big ways.
Two stories that illustrate this idea of take what you have and do something with it are from Stacy and Noreen. Ashland’s UU pastor, Stacy Craig spent time in Jamaica as a college freshman in an exchange program. Her task was to create an environmental education curriculum for a VBS. Living alone in a Jamaican village, she was given foreign food such as dark green callaloo, wedges of pumpkin, ackee fruit, green bananas, corn meal, mango & limes. But she did not know how to prepare these foods and started losing weight. A Jamaican woman invited her over and taught Stacy how to cook these foods. That meal began a friendship. Stacy moved in with this family and learned to cook. The eating and fellowship was holy and sacred; a memory she will never forget.
Experiences like that formed her reading of this Bible story of feeding the 5000. Stacy’s midrash way of hearing it was: Like a bunch of mango, limes & weird fruit, Jesus took a few fish and loaves, and demonstrated what happens when food is shared. Those in the crowd caught on and reached into their supply and did the same. Where there was scarcity at one moment, there was actually a feast the next moment, when everyone shared what they had brought! Each one in this multitude of people took action. The act of offering the small thing made a huge difference. Wow, thank you Stacy!
In today’s story there is a point when the disciples say basically, “Lord, send them to town so they can find a McDonalds.” And Jesus says, “No, I am not sending them away, You feed them. You do it.”
You do it! As I looked at people from Northern Lights and The Oaks on the SKYPE screen, I want to guess that perhaps all of you have done some sort of hosting or feeding in your lifetime. You have been the one feeding or serving food. AND in the eyes of God, if you are now the one now who is receiving food from others, Jesus sees this as one big circle. God, Jesus and Holy Spirit are not keeping track of who is giving and who is receiving!
My last story is about Noreen, the owner of CoCo Bakery in Washburn. Someone said they are furnishing a lot of bread for food shelves now, more than ever. It was a rumor, so I called her to see if it was true. Noreen had time to talk so she told me the long story of why they give away so much. By the way, the rumor is true.
When in her 20’s she would hear the national and international news, worry and wonder, “What can I do to help?” She saw how a national disaster for example can lead one to throw up one’s hands and say, “I am too small. I can’t change anything.” But the idea came to her that YES, I have the power to do something in my own little corner of the world.
Today, Noreen, in her 50’s runs CoCo’s bakery. They closed several months during pandemic, now open again. Their motto seems to be “Let’s do what we can do here and now.” She saw that CORE is giving away food to 50 families per week. Noreen asked her staff if they would be willing to work longer and bake extra bread. They said yes. So, now her bakers are working 9-10 hour days instead of 8 hour days, baking, cooling, slicing and bagging enough bread so that Co Co gives about 100 fresh loaves of bread to 50 families per week.
When an employee says, “I watched the news last night and I am aching for Florida, or Portland or Palestine.” Noreen will say, we can’t do much to change what is happening in those places, but we can do things here and now. She even boils down her advice to something really basic: “Vote, feed your pets, and bake bread.”
Take what you have and do something you can do. What if we apply this idea to a startling fact about Wisconsin? BEFORE the pandemic, 1/3 of Wisconsin households struggle to pay for basic needs (info from the United Way of Wisconsin study based on 2018 data.) Of course, this is worse now. How do we hear this? One way, is, well that is too big of a problem. It is like feeding the 5000. Send them to town to McDons. What did Jesus say? No, you do it. What is in your supply? Here are a few ways you can use the “two fish and five loaves of bread” here and now
Some of you listening have a garden. Perhaps one day per week in August, Messiah can offer a free food table. OR bring it to The Brick, or another food shelf.
Another thing you could do is to learn about how our government handles poverty and hunger. In fact, during this election year, I have a challenge for you and me. There are forces out there pulling us apart, pitting one political party against the other. If you identify with a particular political party, then, FIND someone you respect from another party and ask him/her to tell you about their party platform regarding hunger and poverty. There are for sure people who devoutly follow Jesus on both sides of the political aisle, who want to help feed the hungry. Find out their political party’s philosophy on how to care for the hungry and poverty in general. Come to the conversation with an open mind. Leave behind your pre-conceived notions of what you think the other party stands for and let someone tell you his/her view. Join me in not letting outside forces tear our country apart during this election year. Feeding the hungry is firstly a Jesus issue and concern. That is why Christians, no matter their political affiliation, can unite on how important it is for us to care for the hungry, the naked, those in prison, those sick, those lonely, least, last and lost. Let us UNITE on how this is a call to all followers of Jesus. Amen? Amen.
And, believe it or not, maybe one of the biggest things we ALL can do no matter if we are at Northern Lights, The Oaks or a parking lot, maybe one of the biggest things we all can do is to be open to RECEIVE. Words sometimes used during Holy Communion, are these: “Christ comes to us in, with and under the bread and wine to nourish our faith. We share in a sacred meal that spans all time and space. We commune with the saints who have gone before us and with other Christians around the globe who gather at our Lord’s table. The uncontainable presence, grace, love, forgiveness and mercy of Christ come to us in simple bread and wine.”
Don’t you love that phrase, “the uncontainable presence, grace, love forgiveness and mercy”? Since Jesus is uncontainable, then during a global pandemic when we practice safe Holy Communion, we can still share the body and blood of Jesus by SKYPE even! The presence of Jesus is not to be contained within a building!
Receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. RECEIVE… and then, we go to love and serve. Think back to the story of the loaves and fishes. The disciples say Send them to town, we can’t do it. Jesus says, No, You do it. I will add You do it WITH Christ in and through you. Amen!
ELW #515 Break now the bread of life
1-Break now the bread of life, dear Lord, to me, as once you broke the loaves beside the sea. Beyond the sacred page, I seek you, Lord;
my spirit waits for you, O living Word.
2- You are the bread of life, dear Lord to me, your holy word the truth that rescues me. Give me to eat and live within your love; teach me to love your truth, for you are love.
3-Oh, send your Spirit, Lord, now onto me, That she may touch my eyes And make me see. Show us the truth concealed within your Word, And in your book revealed we see your will.
Prayers
You take resources that appear to be meager, bless them, and there is plenty. May we trust that what you bless and ask us to share with others is abundantly sufficient. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Help us hear the anguish of those who cry to you in suffering. Show us how we can help the hungry in our community and beyond. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bring wholeness and healing to those who suffer in body, heart, soul, and mind (especially Jane Mark, Jack, Jack and Barb). Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You freely offer your amazing grace, mercy and forgiveness. Give us such welcoming hearts that our words and actions may extend your love to all whom we encounter. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You gather your saints as one, united in the body of Jesus. Bring us with all your saints to the heavenly banquet. We remember with love and thanksgiving the saints we have known (especially…). Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. In certain hope that nothing can ever separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you through Jesus, Amen. May God’s peace be with you all. And also with you!
Holy Communion
ELW #471 1-Let us break bread together on our knees. 2x When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me. 2-Let us drink wine 3-Let us praise God together on our knees.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
July 19, 2020 Sermon TextTheme: Dear God, guard our hearts, open our hearts, and change our hearts to be more like you.
Prayer of Confession and Forgiveness
ELW #801 Change my heart O God: make it ever true. Change my heart, O God; may I be like you.
You are the potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me: this is what I pray.
Change my heart, O God; make it ever true. Change my heart, O God; may I be like you.
Dear God, open our hearts to receive your amazing grace, mercy and forgiveness. Then, use us to be vessels of your grace to all the people we encounter. In your name we pray, Amen.
Call to Worship Psalm 86:11-17
O God, teach me your way, that I may walk in your truth;
Give me an undivided heart to revere your name.
I give thanks to you, O God, with my whole heart, And I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your steadfast love toward me…Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
Turn to me and be gracious to me; Give your strength to your servant;
Save the child of your serving girl. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Dear God, ever widen our hearts, ever change our hearts. Make us more like you. Spirit of the living God fall afresh on us. Melt us, Mold us, Fill us, Use us. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Amen.
Today, we will be talking about the heart. We will look at physical and spiritual dimensions of the heart. The physical heart is an organ and a muscle. It pumps blood. In fact, you can actually and literally feel your heart beat right now by taking your pulse. Do you feel that beat? Wow! This is the force of life within you. We need to especially guard our physical hearts during COVID. If we have any type of pre-existing heart condition, or respiratory problem, COVID could be especially dangerous. Dear God, help us guard our hearts!
The word heart is used over 800 times in scripture. The word heart seems to be used to describe how it is with our soul. A hardened heart, a heart of stone, these hearts sound closed. A tender heart, one that is touched and warmed, these hearts are opened. Dear God, teach us to open our hearts. Hearts can be: stone, tender, closed, open, warmed, touched, broken!
Reflect upon your own heart. Has it ever been closed to anyone? Or hardened? A person perhaps that bugs you? A group of people? We can pray daily, Lord, soften and open my heart toward this person, this group, this issue, etc. We like ourselves better when our hearts are open and softened, right?
When has your heart been warmed or touched? One time a grandfather was talking with his grandson. The grandson said he knew of a classmate who did not seem to have very much food at home, or even blankets and warm winter clothing. This grandpa’s heart was touched and that was many years ago. Now, there are several folks who routinely care for this family. Someone heard of all the financial burdens due to COVID and dropped off cash to the church. She said, “Please, use this for someone during COVID.” Her heart was open to the upcoming needs. Someone learned of a homeless person. His heart was touched and realized the person was as hungry for human contact as for food so he took him to the Time Out for breakfast. You have a story when your heart was touched and you were moved to compassion. This sounds like God’s Spirit moving, doesn’t it?
I want to tell you about Pedro Arrupe’s heart. He was born in 1907 and died in 1991. He decided he wanted to be a medical doctor. After three years of med school, his heart was deeply touched by seeing what he described as a miraculous healing. Pedro left school and joined the Jesuits, became entirely committed to serving others. Eventually he was sent to Japan as missionary. On the day the atomic bomb fell, Father Pedro was serving in a Hiroshima suburb. Using his former medical training, he rallied people to help him set up a makeshift hospital. With each person who came ravaged by the bomb, he was clear that he was giving medical care to Jesus himself. “When you see anyone naked, hungry, lonely, a stranger or sick, you are serving me,” says Jesus.
Something else happened to Father Pedro while living in Japan. He learned to practice Zen meditation and incorporated this type of mind quieting into his Christian faith. He learned to balance doing with sitting still. It was also probably heart healthy for him to meditate!
Something heart healthy happens when our helping is seen as “I see Christ in you,” and, “The God in me greets the God in you.” We are equal in this journey. “Today I may give you medical care. Tomorrow you may give me an equally meaningful gift. We walk alongside each other humbly, together with God.” Life-giving transformation is much more likely to happen. Something heart unhealthy is more likely to happen when we are doing good deeds FOR someone else. It is a recipe for burn- out if I start seeing that helping is all about me, as the big helper. Even with scoundrels, Christ is in this person. On our own, loving and helping get difficult, but miracles most likely happen, if it is not us, but Christ in us, loving Christ in others.
I will return to Pedro’s heart, but first want to look at this year’s 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act. I may have a mental disability you can’t see such as: schizophrenia, depression, anxiety. I may have a physical disability you can’t see such as fibromyalgia. I may have a physical disability you can see. I may be in a wheel chair. I might lose my sight, my ability to see, hear, speak, to name just a few of so many disabilities. In a flash, any one of us could have something happen to us. As followers of Jesus, we are called to see the face of Christ in everyone, and to stand with and walk alongside our brothers and sisters with disabilities. I wonder what would happen if we started to pray, “Dear God, open my eyes and heart to truly see what the town looks like for those who use a wheelchair.” We would start really looking at sidewalks and buildings where there is no access. Jesus calls us to notice.
Jesus says when you are walking along side anyone who has any kind of ailment such as hunger, nakedness, etc. You are walking alongside Jesus. Father Pedro gave medical care to Jesus when he was caring for the Japanese.
We pray, dear God help me walk alongside, especially with those who are lonely, left out, lost, least of these. Right now in the whole world, people of color are telling us that for centuries they have been left out, lonely, last, and the least of these. And still today, statistics after statistics in 2020 tell us that people of color continue to have inequality. COVID affects communities of color in disproportionately higher numbers of deaths, unemployment, poverty, food scarcity, housing insecurity, education disruption, reduced access to healthcare, and increased acts of violence and racism.
Both of our ELCA leaders, Presiding Bishop Eliz Eaton and our local Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson are asking me to bring these inequities to my parishoners, so that we can pray, “Open our hearts.” Why do these disparities continue? God, open my heart to stay with this discomfort, so that I feel discrimation, so that I am tender and open. I’m currently reading a book called “Waking Up White.” In this book, the author is waking up to what life is like when one is born into the majority culture, when our parents raised us with mostly white doctors, nurses and teachers; when text books have mostly white faces.
With classes taught by trained diversity leaders, with diverse students in her classes, and with exercises, this author tells us her journey from ignorance to awareness. She shares that race truly matters a lot in how one sees the world, in one’s ability to get ahead, in one’s confidence level, and on and on.
I will close this message by talking again about Father Pedro’s heart. His leadership came to an end in 1981 when a massive stroke left him paralyzed and mute. In resigning as Father General, he offered this prayer: “More than ever I find myself in the hands of God. This is what I wanted all my life from my youth. But now there is a difference; the initiative is entirely with God. It is indeed a profound experience to know and feel myself so totally in God’s hands.”
All of his years standing in solidarity with the poor, with oppressed, in his case, along with his Zen meditation, he opened his heart so much so that when he lost his ability to speak and move-his words were of gratitude to God. Isn’t this amazing, what happens to us as we live with open hearts. Wow. Amen.
Sing:
O Christ, Your Heart, Compassionate
1-O Christ, your heart, compassionate, bore every human pain.
Its beating was the pulse of God; its breadth, God’s vast domain.
The heart of God, the heart of Christ combined in perfect rhyme
To write God’s love in human deeds, eternity in time.
2-As once you welcomed those cast down and healed the sick the blind
So may all bruised and broken lives through us your help still find.
Lord, join our hearts with those who weep that none may weep alone,
And help us bear another’s pain as though it were our own.
3-O Christ, create new hearts in us that beat in time with yours,
That joined by faith, with your great heart, become love’s open doors. We are your body, risen Christ; our hearts, our hands we yield
That through our life and ministry your love may be revealed.
4-O Love that made the distant stars, yet marks the sparrow’s fall,
Whose arms stretched wide upon a cross embrace and bear us all;
Come, make your church a servant church that walks your servant ways, whose deeds of love rise up to you, a sacrifice of praise!
Sunday, July 12, 2020 Sermon TextMatthew 13:1-9, 18-23 At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” 18-19 “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. “The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” The Gospel of the Lord Thanks be to God!
Dear God, farmers and gardeners tell us that soil matters! Today, you are telling us that soil matters, and even more, you tell us that you scatter yourself to all kinds of soil. You are such an extravagant and gracious God! Lord, let our hearts be good soil! Amen.
Some call this story the Parable of the Sower. Some call it the Parable of the Extravagant Farmer. Is this about your heart as good soil? Is this about the farmer who is so extravagant with seed, that the seed goes everywhere, as in maybe not a frugal farmer, but an extravagant farmer? Is it primarily about people or about God? Sermons have been given using this text with focus on one, the other or both. I’ll go with both but not in an equal way. How we live our everyday lives will be freer and more joyous, when our primary focus is always on God and God’s extravagant grace that is extended to the poorest soil as well as the good soil. In text study this week, one of the wise, retired pastors said, “I wonder if remaining humble might be a good starting place. If we are convinced that our hearts have only good soil, we might delude ourselves into thinking that we are a “pretty good person.” Before we know it we might find ourselves judging others as wrong, and the way we do life as better/right.” Let’s be humble and realize that we have all four types of soil in our hearts. There are times when my heart is like the soil on a road-this is when I am not able to let God’s word of love and grace in due to perhaps feeling unworthy, OR, feeling like I don’t need it! There are times when our hearts are like gravel, and our faith has no roots so when trouble comes, our faith shrivels. There are times when the cares of the world have a higher priority than God! And then, we can pray that by God’s grace there are times when our hearts are good soil, when God is able to produce abundant fruit in us! We pray for this!
So, let’s have our umbrella in this gospel text be that this story is primarily about God’s extravagant grace that always goes everywhere. This text is primarily about God, AND…
If you and I have any choice in how we live our lives, repeat, if we have any choice in how we live our lives, THEN, how do you want your heart to be? What kind of soil would you like to be? I will exaggerate to make a point. How do you WANT to live your life? A life that seems to have a lot of FRUIT?
You might say, yes Bible study and prayer are good, but I miss the real life connections with people during COVID. They say the truth will set you free, so indeed, acknowledge this BIG loss and sadness that COVID has put on us. AND, to be safe, we won’t have as much people contact for a while. But, could now be a time that your roots grow deep into God – in your personal prayer time and study? We could use COVID to let our roots grow deep into God – in our personal prayer time and study. A parishioner put it this way to me and I quote: “Now might be the time to sit and develop our personal selves with those around us. We can be in line with the church goers of centuries ago when caring for one another was paramount. We would do well to treat our friends and neighbors as our ourselves-gathering on the phone, praising Jesus, asking others what it is that we might help with.” Based on what this parishioner said, now is a time to grow in our relationships with God and each other. For sure, try to have Faith Five with either someone on the phone OR with a person under your roof. Most of you reading this have at least a bit more time now, during COVID!
All to say, will you recommit to your daily personal time of prayer with God? If you are already reaching out to people by phone, Way To Go! And if you do not have the names of some people you connect with weekly to say How are you doing? Please start, with even one.
Let us pray: Dear God, by the power of your Holy Spirit, help me accept this global pandemic as something that helps me get closer to you and closer to one another. HELP US not squander this unique opportunity. In the many names of God we pray, Amen.
The next hymn: Hear Jon Hove sing: Lord let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your word. Lord, let my heart be good soil, where love can grow and peace is understood. When my heart is hard, break the stone away, When my heart is cold, warm it with the day. When my heart is lost, lead me on your way. Lord let my heart, Lord, let my heart, Lord, let my heart be good soil. ELW #512Good Morning This text is for Sunday, July 5. THANK YOU always for worshipping with me. Through God’s Holy Spirit, we are still the body of Christ. We are together in Spirit. I hope you all had a good 4th of July! Special welcome to friends in Minnesota, Hawaii, California & Texas. ALL of you!
Announcements include something from Washburn: Keep the family and friends of Michele Wheeler in prayer. She died at age 46, after 9-year battle w cancer.
Holy Communion today, pause to get bread and juice or wine.
Prayer of Confession/Forgiveness Dear God, you led your people from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. We confess to you, Oh God, any enslavement we might have to anything that prevents us from being the community of love and respect you want us to be. Help us be open to receiving your amazing grace, mercy and forgiveness. Then, use us to be vessels of your grace to one another. In your name, Amen.
Matthew 11:28-30 Contemporary English Version and The Voice (also, you heard Kate & Emma sing this)
If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.
Put My yoke upon your shoulders—Appearing heavy at first, my yoke molds to your body.
Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest, for My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.
Dear God, here we are, in a parking lot when we have a perfectly wonderful church building down the road. Indeed, we are living through such amazing times. We might be feeling weary. Weary of trying to not get COVID-19! Weary of trying not to be a silent carrier of COVID-19. Weary of something we see or hear in the news. Weary. Oh God, you know our needs, even before we speak. With new, fresh ears, help us Hear YOU calling us, each one of us, to Come to you and to receive the REST that only you can give. In your name we pray, Amen.
I hope you all heard Pastor Dale’s sermon from last week. My mom and I watched Pastor Dale while I was visiting her. She said it would be nice for all churches to have another pastor once in a while. It gives everyone a new perspective. I have a quote from his sermon I’d like to share. Dale was talking about how Jesus’ followers are all called to welcome people the way we would welcome Jesus.
A quote from Dale: “You can be a liberal and treat others like you want to treat Jesus. You can be a conservative and treat others like you want to treat Jesus. Personally, I believe we will get our best results if by some miracle we could join together in our welcoming. I think Jesus would be really pleased if we could step outside our labels, be creative, compassionate & loving by asking new questions and taking new approaches. This will signal to the world that we belong to Jesus before we belong to anything else.” End. Belonging to Jesus is a unifier. Let’s claim this truth.
In Matthew Jesus says Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you REST. Take MY yoke upon you, Learn from Me, Jesus, For Jesus is gentle and humble in heart. Jesus says, “My yoke is easy. My burden is light.” Wow. What makes you tired? Weary? What causes you to feel heavy?
Between now and November, many of us will feel weary because of the political landscape, with Americans trying to decide who is the better presidential candidate. On the day after the presidential election, the winners and losers will have huge emotions.
Almost for sure, by November we will be exhausted. Not just tired-but, bone tired. Some will have created a way to love each other. Others will decide they can’t even talk with each other. I invite you to join me right now in prayer: Dear God, help me follow you, and LOVE all people, regardless of political opinion. Help us hold close our dear friends & family members. Help us show by our words and actions that we follow you.”
What would Jesus want? So often, Jesus focuses on relationships. Jesus prays to his Father “God, make them one, O God. Reconcile them all.” Jesus totally understands how difficult it is for people to get along, how tiring it can be. Jesus is talking to people who are tired as recorded in Matthew: “Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden.” Who are the weary today?
This list is endless! As has been said before, even during COVID-19, we are not all in the same boat. Some are minorly inconvenienced by COVID. Others truly are feeling like they are on their last rope. No job in sight, family relationships so strained because of the intense time staying safer at home. We hear that for some reason COVID 19 has disproportionately affected communities of color in deaths, unemployment, poverty, food scarcity, housing insecurity, education disruption, reduced access to healthcare, and increased acts of violence and racism.
How would you describe the weariness you feel? A few have told me that theirs is not so severe, but they still feel something now that they did not feel before.
The ONE thing I hope you take away from today is that Jesus knows YOUR weariness. Exactly. Precisely. Jesus knows YOUR weariness. I love this and hope you know it. When people from MLC and FLPW collectively decide to care for someone who is in need, it is tapping into this idea that Jesus cares for everyone… and begs that we do the same. Jesus wants us to not do FOR others as much as to walk and be together. BE together in the walk of faith. “Share one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ!”
Close with two stories (online version has two stories-the outdoor worship on Sunday will have only one story, a repeat of Pastor Dale’s)
First, I want to repeat Pastor Dale’s story about the college student who walked into a packed church., still on the theme from last week, that Jesus desires we truly welcome everyone. If you already heard this, I am not even apologizing! It is totally worth repeating, and as stories go, my version will vary slightly from how Dale told it.
Source of this story? Dale read it on the internet! (ha). Eduardo was an exuberant college student with wild hair, holes in his t-shirt and jeans, and often walked barefoot. While in college he learned about Jesus and became a very enthusiastic follower of Jesus. One Sunday morning, Ed decided he wanted to attend a worship service and worship Jesus with other followers. Not having a car, Ed found the church nearest to campus and entered the building a few minutes after the start time. The church was packed. It was one of those churches where everyone really dressed up to attend. Attendees wore three piece suits, dresses, hats, you know. So, in walks Ed with his usual clothing and bare feet. Since the place was packed he entered, walked down the center aisle looking for a spot, and could find none. So he plopped down, sitting in front of the front pew, on the floor.
The head usher, a very stately man in his 80’s, (3-piece suit) with the help of a cane, did what he needed to do. He walked down the center aisle, and all eyes were on him. Some figured he would maybe need to ask the college kid to move. To the surprise of the congregation, instead, this elderly man who walked with a limp, made the huge effort to bend down, then sit down and he worshipped alongside the college kid. They both sat on the floor for the rest of the service.
The pastor of that church and all the congregation could not help but see this. The pastor said, “What you hear from me today, you will most likely forget. But what you saw here today you will remember forever.”
Why did Pastor Dale tell this story in his sermon last week? Why is it worth repeating? Well, one reason could be that we all have ways of responding and reacting that are almost expected. In this story, if the stately elderly man, who grew up with church being rather proper, if he would have not been able to shake free of how church is supposed to be, he might have not been able to see that welcoming was truly what Jesus wanted.
The story illustrates you and me. How we might act to something new. And, how Jesus through the Holy Spirit, can take over, and transform us. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit in us, will and can and desperately desires to move in us to always do and say the loving thing. Even, and maybe especially, Jesus wants us to do the unexpected loving thing. As said earlier in this sermon, during the next 4 months, maybe daily, we will have a choice to do and say the expected thing, perhaps the expected party line.
Wow, how super cool if we keep this story in our hearts and minds. What would Jesus have me say and do to the wild haired, bare-footed college kid? What would Jesus have me do and say? What is my knee jerk response compared with the radically new and loving response that Jesus calls us to have?
If you are alone, take time to memorize this question by yourself. If you are in the car with one other person, tell them, this question so that it becomes part of our lives. What is the radically new and loving response Jesus calls us to have? Amen? Amen…
Online version has this as the ending story. I will close by summarizing a movie! The story is from a movie called
American History X, staring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. Norton plays a white supremacist. In his out-of-control hate, he kills three black men who are hijacking his car. While he is in prison for his crime, he is forced to do laundry detail with a black inmate. Derek learns so much in prison from fellow inmates, that by the end of his time in prison, he has had a true transformation. He has no desire to take part in the white supremacist gang any more.
Derek has a younger brother who has been watching and hearing from his brother in prison. Also a skinhead, white supremacist, the younger brother is still not convinced, and acts out in school. One of his teachers is the same teacher Derek had. As extra credit punishment for acting out, this teacher asks Derek’s younger brother to write a paper about how Derek changed. I’ll end with the last paragraph from that paper.
“So I guess this is where I tell you what I learned. My conclusion, right? Well, my conclusion is: hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time. It's just not worth it. My brother says it's always good to end a paper with a quote. He says someone else has already said it best, so if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong: then a quote from Abraham Lincoln, from the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln’s first inaugural address, the eve of the civil war… "We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels of our nature." Amen.
We will continue worship with these prayers:
Prayer for All People God, You are the source of human dignity, and it is in your image we are created. Pour out your spirit of love and compassion.
Enable us to reverence each person, to reach out to anyone in need,
to value and appreciate those who differ from us,
to receive the gifts offered to us by people from other cultures.
Grant that we may always promote justice & acceptance
that ensures lasting peace and racial harmony.
We pray for the world, our community and ourselves.
Bring your ongoing healing hand to Karleen Tjepkema, Don Jenicek, Eva Livingston and all others we name before you (pause).
Bring your comfort to all who are grieving the most recent loss of Washburn’s Michele Wheeler, wife of Jon and mother of Kaitlin and Lily. Lord in your mercy
Help us remember that we are one world and one family. Amen.
from Australian Catholic Social Justice Council
Prayers during a global pandemic
Loving God, If we are ill, strengthen us. If we are tired, fortify our spirits.
If we are anxious, bring your peace that passes understanding.
For exhausted parents, students, teachers, front line workers, caregivers and all, restore, comfort and refresh us. Help us always hold fast to the good, And see the good in others All this we pray in your name, Amen.
May the peace of the Lord be with you all. And also with you!
Holy Communion and closing blessing.
*Extra versions of Matthew 11:28-30- Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble.
And you will find rest for yourselves. My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.
The Message Hear this invitation from Jesus: Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
Sunday June 28, 2020 Pastor Dale P. Chesley
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Let us confess our sin: Gracious God, have mercy on us. In your compassion forgive us our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone. Uphold us by your Spirit so that we may live and serve you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
In the mercy of almighty God, Jesus Christ was given to die for us, and for his sake God forgives us all our sins. As a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by his authority, I therefore declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen
In peace, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the peace from above, and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For the peace of the whole world, the will being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
For this holy house, and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
Lord have mercy.
Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
Amen
Our hymn of praise in the words of hymn #880 in ELW:
O God beyond all praising, we worship you today and sing the love amazing that songs cannot repay; for we can only wonder at every gift you send, at blessings without number and mercies without end; we lift our heart before you and wait upon your word, we honor and adore you, our great and mighty Lord.
Then hear, O gracious Savior, accept the love we bring, that we who know your favor may serve you as our King; and whether our tomorrows be filled with good or ill, we’ll triumph though our sorrows and rise to bless you still; to marvel at your beauty and glory in your ways, and make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise.
Please join me as I pray the prayer of the day. The Lord be with you. Let us pray: 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
Romans 6:12-23
A reading from Romans:
Do 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.
Word of God. Word of life.
GOSPEL: Matthew 10:40-42
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew, the 10th chapter:
[Jesus said to the twelve:] "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."
The Gospel of the Lord.
MATTHEW 10:40-42
WELCOME
Before I retired, I made a habit of telling a joke to start my sermons. Since I am recording this sermon without a congregation, I figured I’d best not tell a joke because there would be no laughter at the end. Then it occurred to me that it wouldn’t be all that different from what I am used to. So today I am starting with a true story. It happened when I was in grade school on a farm in Iowa.
A group of us walked to the neighbor’s property to experience the banks of the Des Moines river. While there, a large Canada Goose flew by, flying close to us and down the length of the river. My brother had never seen one before so he asked what it was and was told that was a Canada Goose. When we went home, he ran ahead. When we got to the house, my mother was wondering what it was that we saw. When we told her, she began to laugh. She said that my brother had come in all excited about the bird we had seen but forgot what it was called. Then, after a moment, he said, “I remember now, it was a Mexican Duck!”
I was amazed at the logic of his mistake. It was named for a bordering country and it was a bird that had similar traits. It was an honest mistake. He had the right idea but it was the wrong animal.
Being a pastor in the Church for over 40 years has taught me that we often make a similar mistake. We hear the commands and the invitations of Jesus and in our zeal to obey, we take actions that are a Mexican Duck when Jesus was talking about a Canada Goose. We get a sense of what he is saying but at the same time we change things just enough that though similar to what he has called us to do, we end up doing something very different, not what he called for at all.
Growing up on a farm I often had to deal with fences. Fences on farms have basically two functions. They are there to either keep something in or to keep something out. The same fence does one or the other depending what direction one approaches it from. A fence between two pastures keeps your cows in and the neighbor’s cows out.
On the farm this is a good thing. In the Church, the fences we build often do the opposite of what Jesus invited us to do. Our fences often act more to keep certain people out which can be a problem if we take today’s Gospel lesson seriously. It is very hard to welcome people with a fence. Our danger is for us to hear Jesus call us to welcome others and then we, in willingness to obey, decide it is our job to decide who to welcome and who to not. That’s how this becomes a Mexican Duck. For centuries, the Church has drawn circles, or we could say fences that define who is in and who is out. If we take seriously what Jesus says in our Gospel lesson, he is suggesting that if we draw our circles or build our fences to keep anyone out, then Jesus will always end up outside the fence. It is very hard to be the Church if Jesus is kept outside the fence.
The terrifying part of this is when we make a mistake like my brother did. All along we feel we are doing just what Jesus wants and what a sad thing to discover that we were close but missed the mark. The biggest witness to the fact that this has happened is in the fact that Jesus prayed that all his followers be one and yet we as a Church, and by that I mean the body of all who believe in Jesus as Lord, we as a Church have hundreds of denominations where membership defines who is in and who is out.
Many of the denominations believe that others are followers of Jesus but instead of recognizing that there is only One Church, we have our fences up and our pride and our feelings that we have it more right than the rest and some think all the rest of us are of the devil and not even part of the Church. Jesus invited us to welcome all who act in his name. This failure is a big sorrow in the body of Christ.
But we know that Jesus wants us to welcome many others, even those who don’t embrace his name. We are to welcome the stranger, to pray for the enemy, to feed the hungry, to tend to the sick, to visit the prisoners, to clothe the naked, give water to the thirsty, to help the poor and we know the list goes on and on. Jesus says that when we welcome others, he notices and he makes note of it. In the Gospel he speaks of rewards but we know this isn’t about earning favor for our salvation but about living in a way that pleases the one who loves us the most. Rewards in the kingdom are not about gathering crowns or metals but about the relationship of love we have with our Lord. When we please someone we love, that is itself the reward!
Now, if you are big in one of the political parties, by now you have been wondering when I am going to turn political in this sermon. Immigration shouts to be addressed and you know what you want me to say according to your affiliation and you are ready to be angry if I say it wrong. Besides that, everything we have heard about racism begs to be addressed for so much of the heart of racism has to do with not welcoming others. Jesus would understand racism from the context of the times he lived on this earth as a Jewish man but he also fought very hard against such things. Stories like the Good Samaritan give us a pretty good feel for where he comes from on such an issue. He spent lots of time with people the religious power brokers of his time would have nothing to do with and that is part of the reason they wanted to kill him.
The issue here, though, the issue here belongs to Jesus. As a result it belongs to us. When Jesus challenges us to welcome all others, he doesn’t ask us to decide who we feel is acceptable and who isn’t. Jesus makes it clear that he is the one who defines that. So, the issue does belong to Jesus; is defined by Jesus; is called to our attention by Jesus; and it is Jesus who expects us to respond according to his will and not our own.
If we define ourselves as liberal, conservative or independent, those labels give us a philosophy by which we approach an issue. We have a particular way of coming at a problem. Whatever label we attach to ourselves, we have no options concerning who Jesus is and the fact that this issue belongs to Jesus. He has commanded us to deal with the issue. We are to welcome others. So often it is in the way we deal with the issue that the politics come in. What I am saying is that we have no choice but to welcome others if we are going to welcome Jesus. How we welcome others might differ from person to person and from philosophy to philosophy but as followers of Jesus we gage our actions according to the way we would treat Jesus.
You can be a liberal and treat others like you want to treat Jesus. You can be a conservative and treat other like you want to treat Jesus. The same is true no matter what label you use. And personally, I believe that we will get our best results if by some miracle we could join together in our welcoming. I think Jesus would really be pleased if we could step outside our labels, be creative and compassionate and loving by asking new questions and taking new approaches that signals to the world that we belong to Jesus before we belong to anything else.
I want to leave you with a story I am borrowing from the internet, that I believe illustrates what Jesus is getting at in our Gospel lesson:
His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very exuberant. He became a Christian while attending college.
Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it. One Sunday Bill decides to go worship there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his holey T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already begun and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The sanctuary is completely packed and he can’t find a seat. By now, the people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything.
Bill gets closer and closer to the front, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down and sits on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick.
About this time, from the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward the young man, everyone is saying to themselves that you can’t blame him for what he’s going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid worshipping on the floor of his church?
It takes a long time for the man to reach Bill. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man’s cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can’t even hear anyone breathing. The minister can’t preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do.
And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won’t be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, “What I’m about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.”
What a wonderful story of welcoming. May we get it right, you know, the Canada Goose instead of the Mexican Duck. May this be our story as we reach out to welcome Jesus in others because he has so wonderfully welcomed us. Amen
Please join me in confessing our faith using the words of the Apostles’ 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 sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, we pray that you will do your work in our hearts. We are not always willing or ready to welcome others, especially certain others. Give us hearts that are shaped by you that we might see all others through your eyes. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus, we pray for our world and our nation. Guide us through this pandemic. Keep us safe and healthy. Show us the light we need to see in order to deal with the ugliness we call racism. We pray for just laws that are enforced justly. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit, fill your Church with yourself. Empower us for prayer, for action, for change of heart, for passion full of love and with clear vision for your will. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Trinity, capture us with your grace that we might be instruments of that grace. Use us to reach out to all around us with a word of encouragement, a helping hand, a welcoming smile and however you might be pleased to use us in your name. Amen
We look to Jesus who has fed us on God’s Word to now feed us with his own body and blood.
In the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, and gave thanks; broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take and eat; this is my body, given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper, he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it for all to drink, saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin. Do this for the remembrance of me.
Please join me in our 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
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen
Please join me in sharing the bread and the wine. Share with each other and if you are alone, then speak the words of grace to yourself:
The body of Christ, given for you or the body of Christ, given for me. Amen
The blood of Christ, given for you or the blood of Christ, given for me. Amen
Let us pray. Pour out upon us the Spirit of your love, O Lord, and unite the wills of those whom you have fed with one heavenly food; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
I will leave you with a poem from one of my seminary professors, the late Gerhard E. Frost.
Toughest Fact
Morning has broken, long shadows are receding; time for today’s resolution.
With the Spirit’s help, I will remember that the toughest, most resilient and tenacious, most stubborn and unyielding fact that I’ll encounter this day is the eternal and all-embracing love of God.
Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, bless you now and forever. Amen
Be gracious and welcoming to all as our way to love and serve the Lord!
Thanks be to God.Sunday, June 21, 2020Thank you for worshiping on internet. Since COVID we are the body of Christ in a new way! New setting, today I am filming inside First Lutheran Church and reading scripture at Siskwit Bay.
Port Wing news: Keep loved ones of Connie Williams in prayer grieve that loss.Karleen in prayer for healing of her arm bone, check up, and needs to wear the cast for at least 2 more weeks… she said prob best since she IS in the garden..
Messiah: Don Jenicek is doing very well-thanks you all for your prayers-running after his grocery cart – so thankful.
FOUR Group Announcements:
1-Please call me or one of the council members. I will give you their names. We truly want to hear from everyone regarding how you see God leading us. How is God leading us during this global pandemic? Where do you see God in these weeks when we have not been in the building? Each council member has received a DRAFT proposal as to church re-entry criteria. Both church councils will vote this week, MLC on Tues, FLPW on Thurs. Read Names Now!!
2-Be sure to watch today’s children’s sermon. Three actors. PN, Lois AND Gifty Cook, 7th grader
3-Happy Father’s Day!!! All who give fatherly love! Today’s sermon time to recall two memories of father: a high memory and a low memory. My mom never even met her father, so if that is your story, then pick a high and lo memory of a man who was important to you growing up.
4-Next Sunday, pastor Dale Chesley – and next Sunday special children time with Gifty Cook!
Thanksgiving for Baptism and readings from Romans and Matthew
Dear God, Move us this day, closer to you, & closer to one another. Disturb us if we are getting too comfortable, & if instead we enter this day with anxiety, bring your beautiful comfort into our hearts, Amen. On this Father’s Day, if you are a father, or with a father, Thank You for being you!
Today, we are going to talk about what it means to follow Jesus and use the idea of fatherhood for a way to enter in. Take a moment now to thing of a great memory of your father, and a not so good memory. If you don’t have a father, then think of someone who was important to you growing up. As we reflect, we get a glimpse into how complex life is. I’ll share my two memories, not so much for you to get to know me, but for you to start realizing – maybe all of us have at least one thing painful from our past. Now as part of the body of Christ, in God’s arms, speak of your pain. Notice is there is still forgiveness and healing needed and see that living and following Jesus is how we can fully live, no matter what our past.
Following Jesus often starts with our baptism, “In baptism our gracious heavenly Father frees us from sin & death by joining us to the death and resurrection of Jesus.” Faith includes Death, Dying and Comfort!
It seems as if Jesus asks us to live with this mantra: I am crucified with Christ. The life I live is no longer mine, but Christ who lives within me. I have died to self. Galatians 2:20.
In today’s lesson Jesus says, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” A recent Richard Rohr online devotional had a similar message: “Our deepest freedom rests not in our freedom to do what we want to do, but rather in our freedom to become who God wills us to be. As followers of Jesus we are invited to live with daily death to self, compassionate reaching out to those in need, always praying, God not my will, but your will be done”
Jesus’ words in The Message: “If you don’t go all the way with me through thick & thin you don’t deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you will never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me you will find both yourself and me.”
So, To follow Jesus, we must die to ourselves daily, that is challenging, right? Then, as if Jesus knows we are saying, yeah but C’mon, what else? In Matt 10: 29-31, Jesus also tells his followers about comfort: “Aren’t two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
God knows the hairs on your head, so God knows and cares for you intimately. Comfort at the highest level, if/when we truly let it in. From Message: “What is the price of a pet canary? Pennies. God cares what happens to the canary even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you down to the last detail even numbering the hairs on your head. You are worth to God more than a million canaries.” His eye is on the sparrow, so I know God’s watching me.
What does it mean to follow Jesus? Die to Self. AND, allow yourself to be comforted. If you are in pain, anxious, worried, STAY with this comforting passage, because there are times in our lives when all we can hold is God’s grace, mercy and comfort. And I mean that. But, if you also want to have some challenge, then, let’s ask this Q: What could it mean to follow Jesus during our current COVID-19 crises and the global movement for full equality? I wonder, in particular, how do we die to ourselves right now? What I’m going to say next might be a stretch here, are you ready to stretch?
Last Sunday Rev. William Barger gave a powerful sermon. In it he said that marginalized people are tired of dying. “Too much dying!” Is this understandable? There are people in this world who have less power, the ones Jesus is always caring for, those with little or no voice, those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison. For people in this group, the poor for example, who have higher cases of COVID and their rates of death are higher. THIS group has had too much dying!
And I want to suggest that what if those of us who identify as people of some privilege, what if WE need to DIE a little bit MORE? To what might we need to die when Jesus asks us to die to self? Wow… What if white, main stream, Christians need to die to our privilege? What if we pray daily for one month, Dear God, show me how I might have privilege? Show me how perhaps I might be fragile in my whiteness.
And, to what else shall we die? I want to end with a practical idea. Following Jesus is not always in doing the big things. Giving a cup of water to someone thirsty makes a difference for sure. AND, dying to self could mean for us to wear our masks! Wow. I have heard this a LOT and confess still don’t really get it. BUT, I got it a bit more from Barbie Nichols. She has pre-existing health conditions and lives with chronic pain. If she got COVID, Barbie is rather sure she would die. So, when she allows herself to finally get out of the house and do a grocery shopping trip, if she sees someone without a mask, then she gets worried/terrified! What might God be saying to us through these words from Jesus in Matthew 10? Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. And during a global pandemic, wear a mask. Amen? Amen. We will continue our worship with prayers for the people: Let us take a few moments to pray for our world, our community and ourselves.
Then, Holy Communion.
And in dedication to Ethel Waters
His Eye is on the Sparrow
Why should I feel discouraged (down)
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow (down)
And I know He watches me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me
I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me (He watches me)
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches I know He watches
I know He watches me I sing…
Sunday, June 14, 2020Music by Jack Gunderson and Owen Polifka - ELW Hymn 698 How long O God…
Thank you for worshiping on internet. We are the body of Christ in a new way! New setting, today I am filming inside Messiah Lutheran Church. Next week I will film inside the church at Port Wing! Thank you to musicians! Owen Polifka and Jack Gunderson. Thank you to 4 teens from Messiah Bas, Bev, Kaija and Iley.
Port Wing news: Keep Karleen in prayer for healing from a fall and broken bone close to her wrist.
Messiah: Don Jenicek is having a procedure on Thurs, cardioversion, to get heart back in sinus rhythm. Florida travelers safely home, Tom & Wendy Murphy, Bob and Linda Bodeen traveling this week from Florida back Wisconsin.
Today our focus is remembering The Emanuel Nine. Last August at the ELCA national assembly, voters passed a resolution-All ELCA churches should remember on June 17, 2015 nine people from the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, So Carolina were murdered while they were having a Wed. night Bible study.
With all the protests around the world for racial equity, today seemed fitting to commemorate The Emanuel Nine. Today’s overall theme is for us to follow Jesus and be Stewards of God’s DREAM. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King said and many of you know this by heart: I have a dream that my 4 little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. On August 28, 1963 this was part of King’s speech given as the culmination of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at the Lincoln Memorial, 57 years ago.
All ELCA churches were given materials to commemorate the Emanuel Nine. You will be hearing from four of Messiah’s teenagers reading. But before I turn the service over to the teens, I want to do something to help us TRY to understand the unspeakable trauma of having 9 church folk be shot dead while having Bible study. We all still see it as unbelievably shocking, but how can we have true empathy?
Empathy for someone else’s trauma might start by remembering our own trauma. Since I have been here now, almost twelve years, I know that a number of you have lived through horrible trauma. Anyone who has anything to do with law enforcement (yourself, your spouse, your child, your friend) has seen horror and experienced things that most of the rest of us cannot imagine. To all in law enforcement Thank You For Serving.
I am deliberate in saying thank you. Why? I know how easy it could be to throw out all priests and pastors because some priests and pastors have molested children. The majority of priests, pastors, and law enforcement people go into these fields because they want to help people. These fields are called the helping professions. Washburn has a young man, Jake Anderson, who recently became a police officer. I asked him why he selected this as his career. He answered, “I want to help people.”
This comparison is valid. What makes people so angry about a church person who molested a parishoner is when the report is made and nothing is done about it. People in higher up positions turn a blind eye. Then the problem becomes a system problem. See where I am going? Back to commemorating The Emanuel Nine.
Many of you have had at least one deep trauma story. People who serve in law enforcement have maybe one per day! Thank you all who are serving or who have served. Others of you watching have had a murder in your family or you know of someone who was murdered. This is deep trauma you will never forget. Others of you have had a child die. This is trauma you live with for the rest of your days.
The truth is that I have not had a deep trauma like you have had, period, so I must listen to you and listen to others with an open mind, and TRY to understand. One thing I know for sure, and others of you can join me in this – many of us have NOT ever had to worry whether or not we might get picked up by a cop because of the color of our skin.
No, when I see the blinking lights behind me and I have seen those blinking lights behind me, 100% of the time, I know why the lights are blinking-because I was speeding. But now I am digressing.
The ELCA has asked churches to remember The Emanuel Nine, Nine black church folk who were killed by a self-professed white supremacist. To try hard to see what that would feel like, join me in experiencing Two made-up stories. Pause your device and say to yourself or to someone in your house, Pastor Nancy is about to tell made-up stories. OK? What I am about to say are made-up stories.
I do NOT have anyone’s permission to tell these stories. I have made them up. My sole purpose is for us to enter in to the experience of the church where nine were murdered.
Here is version one of two made-up stories: The first story is from First Lutheran Church in Port Wing. First Lutheran Folks recently received a newsletter and one photo was of a group of 8 women who are members of the Ladies Aid Group. I’ll list their names in order of how they were sitting in that photo taken a year or so ago: Laurie Perkins, Eileen Mackay, Judy Evanow, Sue Luoma, Bonnie Anderson, Karen Anderson, Laurie Guscinski and Sue Anderson. Pastor Nancy joined this group for lunch. Let’s call them the First Lutheran Nine. The fictional story is: A black person entered that restaurant and shot them all dead. Pause
Made-up story number two. At Messiah there is a group who meets on Tuesdays at 1:30 pm (until COVID-19 that is). They met with pastor Jerry Lamb, met with Pastor Ron Hanson when I was on sabbatical, met with me for quite a while, and now they are meeting with Pastor Don Nickolson. This is made up story number two. On a certain Tuesday Pastor Don met with eight others for Bible study. I’ll give their names in the order in which they sat at the oblong table. Dona Copperud, Shirley Midthun, June Steel, Lorraine Young, David Brately, Dave Emsh, Melinda Merrill, Janice Allen and Pastor Don. Let’s call them the Messiah Lutheran Nine. The made-up story is: A black man entered this group and asked if he could join for Bible study. The group was gracious and kind, welcomed him in and then he shot them all dead.
I have read that it is hard for people with white skin to enter in to what it is like to be black in America. I think that is really true. But, we can find ways to try. Deep trauma paralyzes us for a while. Some never recover. As followers of Jesus, we either deny faith because the pain keeps us from even reaching out. OR, some get closer to Jesus and beg for help, for community, and for comfort.
Traumatic wounds were reopened when we saw George Floyd murdered. There has been a global response. The majority of protestors want racial equality, zero police brutality and zero racial profiling. Can we all agree with these desires?
The preacher King was inspired to have his dream because he saw it as God’s dream of full equality. If you adopted a black child, you are more aware of this tension. But, please pray with me, and join in feeling trauma today. Join in commemorating the Emanuel Nine and pray along with me: Dear God, show me, open me up abit more to what your will is for us at this moment. Show us your will. Show us how we all can be vessels of your amazing grace individually and as congregations. Amen. We now join four teens from Messiah
The first Reader is Kaiju The Witness of the Emanuel Nine: A Litany of Remembrance for Their Vocations The “Emanuel Nine,” were gifted, loving & faithful people who spent their last moments in Bible study. They leave a legacy of grace, resistance, family, and faith. Gracious God, we remember their lives and witness and we are called to a wider understanding of the Spirit’s work in the world.
They were preachers: Open us to receive the good news of Jesus Christ. They were students: Kindle in us a desire to learn and grow in your ways. They were teachers: Instill in us a passion to share the wisdom of Christ. They were coaches: Accompany us as we strive to run the race set before us. They were mentors: Inspire us through the wise counsel offered by others. They were leaders: Embolden us to seek out the best in others. They were musicians: Attune us to the sounds of your creation. They were poets: Reveal your truth in language we have yet to discover. They were barbers: Shape us as attentive caregivers to those around us
I am Iley and will be an 11th grader this fall
They were custodians: Protect those whose work ensures our safety. They were bus drivers: Carry us as companions in life’s journeys. They were veterans: Remember those who risk harm for the sake of others. They were librarians: Write on our hearts and minds the wisdom of the generations.They were advocates: Call us to speak and act on behalf of those who are silenced. They were public servants: Show us how to love our neighbors as ourselves. They were legislators: Inscribe your laws of love and justice on our hearts.
In lives of faithful dedication, your servants Clementa, Cynthia, Daniel, DePayne, Ethel, Myra, Sharonda, Susie, and Tywanza lived by your promises, sharing their gifts with those in their families and communities. May we not forget their lives, taken too soon. In the years to come, let us share their names and their witness, so that the world comes to know of your spirit at work in and through them. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
My name is Bas and I will be a 10th grader next fall A Litany of Remembrance for the Emanuel Nine We remember that they lovingly welcomed the stranger into a Wednesday-night bible study—they sang, they prayed, they gathered to study the word of God. We remember. We pray for the continual presence of God’s peace; may it comfort and surround the families of the nine who were slain. We remember.
We pray for the church leaders, the community of Charleston, and all who continue to grieve—trusting that God will continue to unite us in the work to end racism and white supremacy, so that we may be witnesses of Christian unity. We remember. We remember the legacy of the Rev. Pinkney and his fight for racial justice for his parishioners and his community. Let us not only be moved by emotion but also be moved toward action. We remember. Help us remember and confront our history of racial injustice. We must not forget the crimes committed against humanity in the name of Christ: the land theft from and genocide of indigenous peoples and the enslavement of black bodies that built this nation. We remember.
My name is Beverly and I will be a 10th grader next fall Help us remember the policies and practices that excluded Chinese immigrants and forced the internment of Japanese Americans. We remember. Help us remember the exploitation of migrant farm workers from Latin and Central America and the separation of families at the U.S. southern border. We remember. Help us remember the black lives lost at the hands of law enforcement: Eric Garner, Philando Castile, Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Ahmaud Arbery, Renisha McBride, George Floyd, and many others, known and unknown. We remember. As we remember, Oh God, help us see that we are all connected. Help us continue to see that when one part of the body of Christ suffers, we all suffer. Help each one of us find ways to live out your dream of full equality. In your name we pray, Amen.
We will continue worship this morning by reading scripture: Ps 13:1-2 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Ps. 22:1-2 My God my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from healing me, from the words of my groaning, o my God I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night but find no rest. ELW Hymn 698. V 4 how can we hope How can we sing O God set free our voice to name the sorrows, name the pain that we might yet rejoice V 5 How long o God the psalmist cries a cry we are invited to make our own, though we are lost alone afraid our God will lead us home.
Let us pray Dear God, we thank you for giving us stories, sermons, all sorts of communications from people of faith reminding us that when one person suffers, we all suffer. God, only through your power of your HS, only by your power, can our eyes be opened. Open us up, to suffer with, and then to act. On our own, we have many reasons why we can’t help. Break in, break through and touch us and move us. Amen.
How long must I rest in this sorrow? Ahmaud Aubrey was just shy of his 26th birthday. Men infected by the COVID 1619 virus killed him. COVID 1619 affects the eye and brain, so that when a person with COVID 1619 SEES a person with more melanin in their skin, lies start infecting the brain!
It took ten weeks for the arrest to be made-and that was due to a cell phone video. The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III from UCC Trinity Church, on the south side of Chicago, created a sermon and titled it A Requiem for Ahmaud Aubrey, The Cross and the Lynching Tree. I am taking some of his sermon and sharing it with you today. Otis Moss introduced the problem of racism with a term: COVID 1619. LIES about skin color happened big time in 1619 when the lie was: “We can get free labor if we get black skinned people from Africa to do our work. We will dehumanize them solely based on their melanin. If your melanin is darker, then you are not human. I can own you.” This is such a lie.
Next big lie, in 1800’s after the so-called freeing of slaves, after the civil war, then a huge lie was perpetuated through movies that portrayed dark skinned people as criminals, and people who were more prone to violence than white people. We still believe the lies. We cover up the truths such as, “This country was built by many black skinned people and their brilliance, their perseverance.”
A black man, Ahmaud Arbery was gunned down by whites. This crime was not even in the news until a cell phone video finally made its way. His murder does not matter. The facts that our history is filled with cases of the wrong person going to jail and being executed. His skin color. Watch the movie, Just Mercy for example.
But right now, will you humbly, and without knowing for sure the next step, will you join me in praying,
Dear God, show me where I have benefitted from my white privilege. God, show me where I have white fragility and where I am not able to admit my racist thoughts.
On Wednesday, 77 area ELCA pastors and I listened to two ELCA leaders of African descent at our national headquarters. They both said the same thing. We cannot do the work of racial equality alone. Actually, this is YOUR work to do. Dismantling racism as an elective or a requirement? I found a book w this title from one of my sem classes. There have been classes on racism for decades and to a black person, the progress feels too slow. The killing of George Floyd felt to many as the straw that breaks the camel’s back… How long, Oh lord, how long must I wait for equality and justice. As a followers of Jesus, and called to be your pastor, is racial equality right now in June of 2020, is this an elective topic or a required topic? Well, let us ask together and let us use Jesus as our guide…If followers of Jesus are called to be like Jesus and look after the ones considered the least of these; to care for those in prison, the hungry, the naked, the thirsty; to care for those most vulnerable; to find where injustice is and then to do justice work, OH MY! As followers of Jesus, and in the spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Lutheran King-It was his faith that compelled him to work for equality. Equal pay for equal work. Discrimination in work, hiring, voting. King saw it all. People believing lies and making lies seem like truth. King was assassinated in 1968. Now in 2020, we have a global pandemic and by now you have prob heard this COVID 19 has disproportionately affected communities of color in deaths, unemployment, poverty, food scarcity, housing insecurity, education disruption, reduced access to healthcare, and increased acts of violence and racism. Over 50 years have passed since King and his nonviolent protests, and we still have work to do. OK, is racial equality an elective or a requirement for Jesus followers? Let’s pray for the Holy Spirit to lead us in answering. I love how Otis Moss said that the slaves even tho many could not read, they hear enough about Jesus, that they identified with him. They saw Jesus as disinherited. Jesus as lynched. Jesus as one who suffered unjustly, and clung to Jesus and sang many songs that lifted them. Holy Communion
Music by Jack G & Owen Polifka “We shall overcome”
Sunday May 31, 2020 Pentecost SundayGood Morning! Thank you so much for making time to be part of this body of Christ. All of us are together through the Holy Spirit. We are from FL AZ & MN- maybe more!
Messiah news: Keith Holm & Marlys Olson are home in Washburn Three Announcements: There is Holy Communion today. There is a Lois the Lamb children’s sermon today and I hope you watch. Next Sunday please tell me if you’d like me to say Happy Anniversary to you or a loved one. Call me at 209-1100 or email me at [email protected].
The following responsive reading is inspired by Rev. Thom Shuman Living Liturgies
No flowing fabrics of red hanging from sanctuary ceilings, yet this is still the day we celebrate God’s breath.
On this day, staying at home, we invite the Holy Spirit of new life to breathe upon us!
Through technology, we gather with one another.
On this day, we envision all who remain sheltered in place, safe in God’s grace.
There will be no birthday cakes, no balloons released, yet in the days to come, we continue to speak of God’s love and the Spirit’s peace for all.
So even apart, people know they are not alone, so when the day comes, and we know it will, people will find a community awaiting them.
A spark is all we need this day, Imaginative God, to light our quarantined aloneness so we can burst into brighter light to those around us. You bring life and grace to us, and to the whole world.
A word is all we need this day, so we can be the voice of all forgotten by the world, so we can be the voice of equality, to melt hearts hardened by prejudice, so we might speak in that still, small voice, and be those who live out, your radical and full acceptance to everyone we meet.
A soft, gentle breeze is all we need this day, a breeze that will stay quiet, and peaceful, and still until the day comes (and it will) for us to become a storm of hope to clear the despair from all our neighborhoods and lands. Give us Yourself this day, Oh Holy Spirit. Amen.
Call to Reconciliation Yes, we remain isolated, yet, we pray together:
O Pentecost’s Spirit – if only we could tell of your wonders in our lives, yet air waves are filled with anger, bitterness, and political arguments. If only we could pour you out on all who are lonely, afraid and worried about tomorrow, but we are kept inside our doors.
O Holy Spirit, you continue to move, to live, to breathe upon us with your mercy and your grace. Now, in this moment, breathe your hope and peace, upon us, so we might be the balm for all the anger around us. Now, in the moments and days to come, continue to breathe your love upon us, and the whole world, so collectively, we might transform grudges into generosity, foolishness into common sense, and rejection into being as welcoming as Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Silence
Listen! It may not happen with a mighty wind, but with a soft whisper. But this is our Pentecost. This is our reminder that God forgives us and fills us with all things new.
Thanks be to God! God gives us new hope in endless days of despair, new joy in never-ending moments of grief, and new life when we seem to have lost even the simple ability to breathe – this day and in all the days to come. Amen. Amen. May the Spirit of Pentecost touch you this day. May the soft, gentle breeze of love fill your hearts. May the words of Pentecost offer you new songs.
A reading of ACTS chapter 2. Let us PRAY: Let us pray: Come HS Come Energize and renew us! Especially during this global pandemic and deep racial inequality, show us how the life and death of Jesus, can bind us together. Amen. Let’s look at a few things from the first Pentecost. I got many ideas for today’s message from Rev. David Lose, and thank him for his insight. He is Sr. Pastor of Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in the Twin Cities. I would like to watch his sermon for this Sunday and hear his words of lament and hope as all in the Twin Cities are reeling from the devastation there.
Looking at Acts chapter 2, this is a DIVERSE group of Jews with different languages and customs. They are from all over the world. Yet, they had a unified message. They ALL spoke about God’s deeds of power. Speaking a unified message, this kind of unity from such a diverse group of people is only possible with the Holy Spirit. In U.S. we have one main language, and we can hardly agree on anything!
Specifically, what was the Holy Spirit message? The message was about the crucified Christ. Our Beautiful Savior who was crucified, WHY??-Jesus included Everyone, was so impossibly loving, who always took the side of the most vulnerable (not the powerful) and who was crucified in Weakness & Shame!
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, he makes our sorrowing spirits sing. Jesus shines brighter Jesus shines purer His beauty is his selfless solidarity with underdog!
Let us never separate the boldness of the apostles from weakness of how God through Jesus came to suffer, rather than wage a war and to offer GRACE and Mercy rather than judgment. What if the BEST chance a group of DIVERSE people can unify is when we BOND together through our shared humanity/need/mutual woe. We rally when we are at our best, filled w compassion! We bond together through sharing what we have in common. For examples, we realize that we are all in this thing called life together. We wake up and get some “aha’s”! Aha, I could be the one who got cancer. Oh, I could have just as well been born a person of color. If I were born into the world with different circumstances, I could be homeless right now. When we see the world through the lens of a crucified Christ who loves everyone, we are invited to be like Christ and always have solidarity for those who are hurting.
A most recent example is how this community rallied around 11-year-old Eva with her cancer diagnosis. Come Holy Spirit, may the desire to walk with those who are having a hard time grow in all of us. In 1 Corinthians Paul says something similar. In the body of Christ, we have many hugely diverse parts, but we are called to see ourselves as ONE body of Christ. Vs. 7 says to each person is given a gift of Holy Spirit For The Benefit of ALL, the whole diverse body. Again, Impossible is made possible only by the Holy Spirit. The spirit helps us use our GIFTS for the good of the community! How does Holy Spirit help us be ONE body, unified, in mission? One way is when we pray daily to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit: Love Joy Peace Patience Faithfulness, Generosity, Gentleness, Kindness, Self-Control. God does the impossible through the Holy Spirit.
Two more seemingly impossible things for humans today. It seems as if Christian churches are having a hard time being unified in how and when to open doors! And even much more serious than that, we as followers of Jesus right now are grappling with how to be unified in dealing with racial inequality. The riots in Minneapolis and St. Paul are being led by those who live out of town. Some of them identify with hate groups including white supremacy groups. Opinions are wildly DIVERSE on almost any issue; however, what is our true calling and compass as followers of Jesus? We are called to be humbly open to the Holy Spirit so our words and deeds witness to Jesus. And then we must remind ourselves of who Jesus is. Jesus is the one who came in weakness, identified regularly with the outcast, and shared God’s love for all with a particular concern for the most vulnerable.
It is almost impossible to identify regularly with those who are left out, discriminated against, the most vulnerable… Almost impossible! And yet, we can identify. Maybe all of us have felt discriminated against at least once. And at least once, probably all of us have acted in a discriminatory way. Right now the groups who are vulnerable and discriminated against include People of Color and those who are most susceptible to becoming ill from the coronavirus. It is almost impossible to keep them in our lens. We will fail, we do fail, but please on this Pentecost Sunday, join me in saying a simple prayer: God I recommit to following you. I recommit to inviting the Holy Spirit to empower me to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus. Amen. Thank you.
Prayers for the World, Our community, ourselves. Holy Communion-Sending Hymn Blest Be the Tie That Binds. Words in verse 3 go with 1 Cor 12:26. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it. If one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. V. 3 We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear, and often for each other flows, the sympathizing tear…Thank you once again for worshipping today, and envisioning us humbly as the body of Christ. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God!
Sermon for May 24, 2020 Good Morning! Thank you so much for making time to be part of this body of Christ. All of us are together through the Holy Spirit. We are from FL AZ & MN.
First Lutheran in Port Wing news: Memorial Day video honoring veterans, go to portwingwi.com. One of the newest local veterans who died last fall was Brandon Anderson, Karen Anderson’s grandson and the headstone will be put on his grave this weekend. He died from illness at young age, leaving a wife and two small children. This Memorial Day weekend we remember loved ones.Messiah news: Keith Holm is traveling this week and Stewart Holman greets everyone. For today, those who have the internet can watch a full worship service with a sermon by Bishop Laurie Skow Anderson. My message today is about church re-entry. I filmed this message on Friday morning, May 22.
I want to tell you all about the two church council meetings we had this week. As I tell you, you will hear two words that are not often used when talking about church councils: One hundred percent and unanimous. On Tuesday, May 19 Messiah’s church council met with 100% attendance on Zoom. On Thursday, May 21 First Lutheran’s council met with 100% attendance on Zoom. Both groups started with this prayer: “O God, you have called us to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus. Amen.”
Both groups discussed when will it be safe to go back to worship in the pews? and How? We reflected on two pieces of info: *The May 13 WI Supreme Court Ruling that struck down Gov. Ever’s more cautious approach
*Out of town tourists who come for Mem Day Weekend and all summer
When we open our worship doors-can’t tell out-of-towner with no symptoms, “You’re not welcome!”
If an out of towner with no symptoms worshipped and sat in our enclosed space for 60 minutes, even with masks and 6-ft apart, we know the worst case scenario is the oldest person in the building gets COVID and dies. Hindsight is 20/20. We don’t get a second chance, so we are taking it slow. Who will clean & disinfect? Who will enforce the 6-feet? Who will keep reminding the pastor to step back?
Members of both councils voted unanimously to NOT re-open until we have at least a couple of weeks to watch for the COVID numbers. Messiah revisits the re-entry conversation on June 9, First on June 18. What I am asking all of you- please pray a lot on how we move ahead. On Thursday afternoon I joined area ELCA pastors on a Zoom meeting for at-risk pastors who are age 60 and over, or have pre-existing health conditions. Bishop Laurie led the group. Church re-entry has become a source of division at some churches.
As a diverse body of Christ, we know it is unlikely we will see this exactly the same, BUT, please hold high prayer for unity as we are in this long pandemic haul together. Acknowledge that we have never done this before. With heightened anxiety, we are NOT at our best. Even when we are at our best, it is hard for many of us to live with differening opinions. We must keep calmly talking. I am going to list the names of council members and ask you to call them and tell them your thoughts. Hold these two scriptures in your heart. John 17:11 Jesus spoke to his followers THEN and NOW: Now I am no longer in the world but they are in the world and I am coming to you. Oh God protect them in your name that you have given me so that they may be one, as we are one. Jesus wants us as a body of Christ to be one, to be in union.
1 Peter 4:5 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Keep alert Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour Resist him, steadfast in your faith for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore support strengthen and establish you to God be the power forever and ever. Amen? Amen. We are in this together. We want to hear from you all. Thank you and good bye! Call pastor nancy at 715 209-1100
Sermon for May 17, 2020 Good Morning! Thank you so much for making time to be part of this body of Christ. All of us are together through the Holy Spirit. We are from Florida and Arizona, Minnesota. Keep Keith Holm in prayer as he starts his journey home tomorrow from Tucson, Arizona.
Announcements: Happy Birthday Marlyce Olson, on May 11.
Pastors received a letter from our Bishop and she has asked us to get this information to all of you. Posted on both church websites and Facebooks. I will read it to you now too.
Dear friends in Christ, On May 13, 2020, the Wisconsin Supreme Court lifted the WI Dept. of Health Services’ Safer at Home extension. However, nothing has changed in our level of concern about contracting and spreading the coronavirus via worship and other gatherings in our churches.
The court decision was based on a contested legal point, and not on any change of the need for caution and safety that the pandemic has brought upon us. Counsel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a wide range of additional medical experts, the ELCA’s guidelines, and other government entities continue to stress the need for restricting all gatherings to under ten people and attendant safeguards such as distancing, masks, etc.
In the midst of confusion after the court’s ruling, we ask that you remain steadfast in taking precautions to not contract or spread the virus. Please follow the counsel and recommendations stated in the May 12, 2020 ELCA document, Considerations for Returning to In-person Worship.
We in the Church need to continue to be guided by scripture, our theology, and the best scientific knowledge we can gather. As our state is divided, we stand in unity to prioritize the safety and the well-being of all of our members as we continue in community.
Yours in Christ Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson and 5 other area Bishops.
Call 715 209-1100 If you have an announcement. Holy Communion today so you might want to pause your device and go to the kitchen to get bread, wine, juice or water.
This week on Tuesday, the Messiah church council meets by zoom at 5:30; First Lutheran on Thursday, so if you have any concerns, please call me or council presidents Ken at 774-3424 or Jerod at 685-8020
Children’s sermon is about Psalm 23 vs 4 Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me. Thy rod and staff thy comfort me.
Words of Thanksgiving for Baptism which include, “Bathe us in your forgiveness, grace, and love. Satisfy the thirsty, and give us the life only you can give.”
John 14:15-21 Jesus said to disciples “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who keep my commandments are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” The gospel of the Lord.
Dear Jesus, Especially, this day, tell us about the Advocate, your Holy Spirit in us and with us right now. Show yourself to us this day. Amen.
Let’s do something together. Make the sign of the cross. What do we say? Father Son and Holy Spirit. Three in one. Jesus said, “I am in the father and you in me and I in you. And, I must go, but will not leave you orphaned. I send you the Advocate, the Holy Spirit.” What does all of this sound like? Union with God, in a divine dance, almost. In this small piece of scripture, we hear of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Today, we will focus on the Holy Spirit, the Advocate Jesus promised his followers 2000 years ago and still promises us today. The power that the Holy Spirit gives you and me is life changing. We can thrive rather than survive, as we live and breathe and move in God through this Holy Spirit. Pray as often as you can, “Come Holy Spirit Come. Melt me mold me fill me use me. Spirit of the living God fall fresh on us all.”
I so badly want you to hold this sermon in your heart all week. You can best remember 4 great things about the Holy Spirit with the acronym R-A-C-E. In Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.”
Lifting out the phrase Let us run the race that is set before us. Let us run the race – metaphor for let us live our lives centered in God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us run the race. RACE. Our lives could be called a race to the finish, starting now until the day we die.
I like all the images that come up with the word race. For me, I have dabbled in running most of my adult life. I have run 13 marathons. In 2018 I ran the Whistle-Stop half. And on Thursday of this week, I tried to run two miles and it took every ounce of energy I had. My running is ten times better when I have a running buddy. Someone who runs alongside me. The Holy Spirit could be called your person who is alongside of you 24/7!
Then I could not help think of the life journey of my friend who lives in a wheel chair. And I could not help but think of Eva Livingston. And, of course, each one of you listening to me, please think of your own life and the race that is set before you.
Ryan, Eva’s dad, and I talked yesterday. Ryan said that his eleven-year-old daughter who recently lost her arm due to cancer, is doing most of the things she was doing before her surgery. And she has a pretty good attitude. Ryan and his family continue to feel the power of God’s Holy Spirit through all those who hold them in prayer.
You have a race, which is your life. Please renew your commitment to live your life w the Holy Spirit. What does this Holy Spirit bring to our lives? The Spirit reminds, advocates, counsels & comforts & encourages
R – The Holy Spirit REMINDS us of all Jesus taught. The HS is this still small voice that reminds us of our identity. You are my beloved child with whom I am well pleased. You are a beloved child of God. HS REMINDS us to love. HS reminds us that this question what is the most loving thing to do in this instant. Indeed, there are other voices clamoring for our attention. Some of these voices are downright lies. Be still and know that God’s voice is this HS who REMINDS you of all the things Jesus taught.
A – The Holy Spirit is often called an Advocate. The HS advocates for us. What does that mean? An advocate is one who pleads your case, intercedes and stands up for you. Wow.
C – The Holy Spirit is called a comforter and counselor. What does that look like? Well, when was the last time you felt you needed a hug, you needed comfort? When was the last time you desperately begged for help, advice and wisdom? Of course there are times when another human is what we think we need. But, there are times when there is no human around, right? Come Holy Spirit Come, Guide me, comfort me. Wrap me in your loving arms. Please Help! And then wait. Begging is OK. Come HS Come please bring me your comfort and your guidance.
E – The Holy Spirit encourages us. When was the last time you felt down in the dumps? Depressed? As has been said before, if we wonder about our mental health, we should seek professional help. Clinical depression and anxiety is totally on the rise during this global pandemic. Interestingly counselors often ask their clients about their spiritual life. As part of a package toward mental health, is included develop a spiritual life. Start breathing. And as you breathe in, include this one prayer into your day and notice what happens. Come Holy Spirit Come. I am so discouraged right now. Help me please.
Now, guess what? Followers of Jesus are given the Holy Spirit. The HS advocates for us so that we can do it for others. So that we can be a whole group who help, comfort, encourage counsel and lift up others! Wow, that is the body of Christ at our best. Praying that we together can be a whole group who lives together in a circle. At 10:00 am you might lift someone else up, and by 7:00 pm tonight, you might be lifted up by someone else!
On the Saturday before mother’s day, Carol Salminen and I were lifted up by two little girls, age 4 and 6. Kate and Emma created mother’s day cards for two women who are not biological mothers. But I want to guess it was God’s Holy Spirit moving – to encourage women. Carol and I were so very lifted up!
God’s Holy Spirit is moving and the still small voice is always present. Pray with me to be still enough every day, every hour, every minute to hear this voice that reminds us we are beloved children of God, that advocates for us by standing up for us and alongside us, that Comforts, Counsels and Encourages. Amen? Amen. I ended last week’s message by extending two of the Confirmation homework assignment to all of us. 1-Look for God this week. And do the Faith Five… I will keep that challenge to you, with this new piece. Look for God this week in ways you see the Holy Spirit active. Keep your eyes wide open and you will see. Amen.
After the sermon, we shared Prayers of the People: Pray for the World…. leaders, those in all countries suffering from COVID, and other concerns
Your community…. and both church councils as we discuss church re-entry. If you watch the news, you know that as a country we are divided on how to re-enter. Churches are not all on same page. Pray with me that somehow we can come to consensus at both churches Messiah and First. Pray for church councils… Your personal prayers-Pass the peace-Holy Communion
Sermon for May 10, 2020 Mother’s Day and Good Shepherd Sunday
Good Morning! Thank you so much for making time to be part of this body of Christ. All of us are together through the Holy Spirit. We are from Florida and Arizona, The Texans are now home! Another state I forgot to mention last week is Georgia! Lorraine Young’s baby sister Sandy calls Lorraine up and plays the sermons on her Georgia computer so Lorraine can hear the Messiah and First Lutheran sermon. How creative! Also, thank you to my best girlfriend Jodi Rogness who listens with us from St Louis Park, MN.
Announcements: Pastor Ron and Connie Hanson-Pastor Neal Milam Jack Evanow from First Lutheran, will have a surgery, delayed now until July 6, keep him in prayer Call 715 209-1100 If you have an announcement. Holy Communion today so you might want to pause your device and go to the kitchen to get bread, wine, juice or water. Thank You to our volunteer singers, Jon Hove from First Lutheran and Jack Gunderson from Messiah. Mary Childs from Port Wing has been putting this all together. We need another person to film. Call me if you can help out.
Mother’s Day AND Good Shepherd Sunday
Hymns today: The Lord’s My Shepherd and The King of Love, My Shepherd Is
Children’s sermon is about Psalm 23 and be sure to watch if you can. Lois the lamb had an accident during the children’s time, but Lois tells us that she is fine today. She did not get hurt.
Words of Thanksgiving for Baptism which include, “Bathe us in your forgiveness, grace, and love. Satisfy the thirsty, and give us the life only you can give.”
John 14:1-3, and 14:25-27 Dear Jesus, you tell us “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.” IF ever there was a time to hear these words it is today, this 8th Sunday of not being able to gather together. For some, their 8th week without a paycheck, for others, their 8th week of home schooling. We wonder, when will things go back to normal? Speak to us anew about your desire to calm our troubled hearts. In your name we pray and say amen together. Amen.
Does this John 14 sound familiar? We hear this scripture read at funerals, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me.” Used at funerals, the line in my father’s house there are many rooms (dwelling places or mansions) is used as comfort, referring to heaven. We hear about dwelling places (rooms or mansions). Dwelling places is the term that best matches the intended meaning from the Greek. Jesus is telling his disciples and is also telling us that he and God, together with the Holy Spirit, are all three inviting us to dwell in them and they in us. This is about a present day, intimate relationship. Jesus is talking about living our lives centered in God.
At the time Jesus spoke these words, what was going on with his listeners? Well, last week the followers of Jesus heard that if they confessed Jesus as the Messiah they would be “put out of the synagogue.” Later in John chapter 10 many of the Jewish people would not believe and wanted to stone Jesus. The followers had reason for troubled hearts. They were starting to realize: “Our own faith tradition is not accepting him. In fact, there is a plot going around to KILL our Jesus.”
Jesus knew his followers. He knew their potential for good was huge. He also knew they were human and could also reject or deny him too. In John 3:38 Jesus told Peter that before the cock crows you will have denied me three times. I have never noticed the placement of this verse before. Jesus says to Peter, “By the way, you do not realize it now, but you are going to betray me. But, do not let your hearts be troubled.” This set up feels almost impossible. I highlight it because it is also true today. Jesus already knows even before we screw up, that eventually we will and we do screw up.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God…” Believing in God would not be new, since many of these followers were of the Jewish faith. So, believing in the God of Abraham Isaac & Jacob, was easy to do. Now add, believe in me. The disciples were beginning to see that they were faced with a choice. The disciples probably thought: “Jesus is asking me to believe in him, but he is also saying he will die, be killed.” And, with all of this as a backdrop, Jesus says, Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.
There is an important point I must make about the phrase: Do not let your heart be troubled. Recently I read an article about something psychologists call toxic positivity. During this global pandemic there are messages on the internet such as: Keep your chin up. Be happy. This too will pass. Find the good. If I suffer from anxiety or depression, these soundbites actually make me feel worse! It is normal and perhaps essential to allow yourself to feel the trouble at least for a while. Do not stuff your troubled feelings. Bring those troubled feelings to God. And hear Jesus tell us from Matthew 11:28 Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened. I will give you rest. Jesus knows our emotions and wants us to come to him as we are.
Drama, anxiety and knowledge that by the end of the day, I just might make a life mistake… This context is hopeful to me. Why? I have a feeling you know why. Not everyone, but quite a few people during this global pandemic, are having some drama and anxiety. Some of us have started out our day OK, but by the end of the day, many of us have screwed up at least once. Are you with me?
Taking the ancient words of Jesus to our current day setting, allow yourself to hear Jesus say to you: Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.
How do we experience this love & care of Jesus NOW, today? One way I have permission to share: For the last three weeks, I’ve been leading a Faith Five by Zoom with Messiah parents of 8th graders on up. This week we looked at John 3:38. I had the rich opportunity last week of zooming with some folks and at the end after we did Faith Five, they gave me their prayer concerns listed here: “Peace of mind and peace in my heart, said one person, and that somehow we can realize and look for any good that might be coming out of this global pandemic.” The rest of the group heard that prayer and I think we all said, Yes, that is my prayer too. I pray for peace, yes, and calm. May I be able to live into the verse BE still and know that I am God. Another said Go easy on myself, forgive myself, maybe God, help me lower my expectations. I added a concrete prayer, God help me with time management – I wish I could accomplish more. These heartfelt prayers have stayed with me and I am going to guess as you hear them, you are saying, Me too. I want those things.
Then the group discussed the homework assignment for the Confirmation students. Take this week and ask the question Where is God? And be as open ended as you can be. The first week, these kids listed places they found God. One found God right before bed, in doing prayers. They saw God in some unique nature scenes.
I end today’s message by extending two of the Confirmation homework assignment to all of us. 1-Look for God this week. And I know that this last thing I want to ask you to do might be getting old. 2-Please have at least one family gathering OR if you live alone, have at least one phone call where you discuss God. You could ask Where did you see God this week? Or do Faith Five… Parents have shared with me this week that it is not an unrealistic request from a pastor. Thank you for saying that! Parents told me: “When we have done the Faith Five, it settles us down, helps us share some quality stuff. We want to keep doing it!” Great! Let us all recommit for this week, and our verse is “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, also believe in me.” Amen? Amen.
After the sermon, we shared Prayers of the People: Pray for the World…. leaders, those in all countries suffering from COVID, and other concerns Your community…. Jack Evanow, and both church councils as we discuss church re-entry. If you watch the news, you know that as a country we are divided on how to re-enter. Churches are not all on same page. Pray with me that somehow we can come to consensus at both churches Messiah and First. Pray for church councils… Your personal prayers-Pass the peace-Holy Communion
April 26, 2020 sermon honoring Earth Day
A reading from Genesis 1:1-5, 20-26, Genesis 2:15
Let us pray the prayer attributed to St. Francis: “Lord make us instruments of your peace…
This is Pastor Nancy. So good to be with you. As has been said before, now, during Safer at Home, we are still connected. We are all connected by God’s Holy Spirit, through technology. And, sermons are not about the preacher, but about us as a community. I can’t hear you say Amen, but I envision hearing you. I can’t see you falling asleep either, but I will be mindful to not get too long winded or boring! God help us.
Let us pray: Dear God, in these unprecedented times of COVID-19, we come before you to worship you. May our ponderings this morning bring us closer to you and closer to each other in this community of listeners. Then, Oh Lord, we pray collectively for our planet, Mother Earth. You gave us this planet to love, and all that is in it. How shall we love you particularly in these days? Show us and help us. Amen.
Early this year, Rachel Bauman, pastor at St. John’s United Church of Christ on Madeline Island reached out to area clergy wondering if any of us would want to join in honoring Earth Day. What a joy to meet with like-minded fellow clergy. A similar group of clergy met to discuss bringing Kent Nerburn to this area. Congregations are pooling resources. Now Kent is planning to come on Sept 13, (not May 3 as originally planned before COVID-19.)
This group includes faith leaders from Bayfield Presbyterian, United Methodist, ELCA and the Unitarian Universalists. All of these denominations have given a lot of thought to taking care of the earth. In fact, if you like this topic of Caring for Creation, then I encourage you to go to these other church websites to view their Earth Day worship services. Pastor Rachel on Madeline Island gave her Earth Day sermon on Sunday, April 19. She said many amazing things in her sermon. Two that really struck me were some fascinating facts about what is happening to our earth and our animals due to so many people in so many countries living in quarantine. Due to the lesser amount of traffic, we have less carbon emissions and less vibrations. According to a couple articles Rachel researched, there are less deaths in China and mother whales have less stress. Rachel got some of her facts from (April 2, 2020) The Atlantic magazine article, “The Pandemic is Turning the Natural World Upside Down,” and sections from Rebecca Solnit’s book, Hope in the Dark. Listen to her whole sermon for sure.
Ashland’s Unitarian Universalists also had an Earth Day worship highlighting three teenagers who offer their thoughts about how to honor the earth.
The basis of my sermon today will be from Pope Francis! Thank you to Linda Jorgenson who gave me a copy of Pope Francis’s Encyclical on Climate Change & Inequality, On Care for Our Common Home, which came out five years ago. I’m struck by his passion and so thankful for the many faith leaders like him who are calling us to take earth care very seriously.
Pope Francis highlights Saint Francis of Assisi, the Pope’s namesake who is called the Patron Saint of Ecology. Francis was a 12th century lover of the natural world. Ancient scripture texts informed St. Francis and can still inform us today. In the preface of this book, writer Naomi Oreskes says Pope Frances has two overall themes: Interconnectedness and Denunciation. Interconnectedness meaning that we are all interconnected, not just all humans on the globe, but all plants, animals, rocks, and humans, ALL interconnected.
Pope Francis talks about denouncing parts of modern life that have led to our current predicament. One thing you and I are invited to denounce on this Earth Day, is a misinterpretation of Genesis 1:26 and 28 which has been used to grant humans dominion over the earth. Nothing new, Christians using scripture to justify their actions. “Nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures.”
The Pope then highlights Gen 2:15 which tells us to till and keep the garden of the world. Tilling refers to cultivating, ploughing or working. Keeping means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Scripture offers no warrant for misuse or destruction of nature. We are to denounce the attitude that it is OK for humans to dominate and exploit.
Humans do not like being controlled, right? Who else? Animals. Some of you have heard or read about Temple Grandin who has a deep passion for the humane handling of livestock on cattle ranches and slaughter houses. Watch the movie about her sometime. This is part of what Francis is saying. Humane caring treatment of all animals and natural resources is necessary because we are all connected.
When a national or multinational company exploits resources and pollutes, Pope Frances says we need to pay attention. And, if we elect officials who do not enforce Environmental Protection we are part of this problem. I am actually part of the problem if I plead ignorance. How will the candidate vote on environmental issues is an attitude Christians need to adopt because of our belief that we are here to care for and protect the earth.
Mother Earth can help with the results of this global pandemic and massive unemployment. She wants to help. I am all for government intervention. In fact, we are getting it in billions. And, you and I are not at all helpless. I feel rather inadequate, but I am not helpless. One thing all of us can do this year is consider having a garden.
Well, it feels right to me that the earth wants to help feed the people who are going to be devasted. It is simple and almost all of us can do it. Right now caring for the earth is inextricably connected with COVID-19. Between now and Earth Day, the best way we can care for the earth is to follow the Governor's “Safer At Home” Order to the best of our abilities. Doing this also shows that we believe in the interconnectedness of us all. What one person does affects another person.
Thank you for taking time to ponder how we can love and care for each other and our planet on this day. I will end today’s sermon by offering prayers. The content in each one of these prayers is from conversations I had this past week with real people in our area. Dear God, we bring these concerns to you in prayer
Bring your healing hand to Rachel, Elaro, Omar and all people who are suffering due to COVID-19 locally and around the world.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bring your wisdom, wit, patience, love and whatever else we need to parent in these unique times.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God, you know our cracking points better than we do ourselves, tenderly hold us before during and after our emotions get away from us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
When we say or do something, or when someone else says or does something, and when our first impluse is to be overly self-critical, or other-critical, Oh God, bathe us in the ability to hold our judgement.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Dear God, we lift up scientists, researchers, all in medical and science professions working hard for healing, vaccine and cure. Give them self-control to take rest, keep their minds fresh, and help us support them in any way we can.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Oh God, help us look for and find any silver linings during this global pandemic. If one is a heightened awareness of how we are all in this thing called life together, and that we are much better together, than we are alone, help us take this lesson into the future.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remind us, O parental God, of the unique opportunities and challenges in every stage of life from birth to grace. Help us not so much need to be understood as to understand.
Lord in your mercy hear our prayer.
God, our own health, our mental, physical, financial and social health feels at greater risk right now. Help us find ways for ourselves and for others to be as healthy as possible, and to give help and grace where we can.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Our mental health professionals, keep them healthy, bring them to health, as they help us through our unique and individual struggles.Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer. All these things and anything else you see that we need, Oh God, we pray in your name. Amen. The following is something created by area clergy:
Earth Day Proclamation
We, the undersigned clergy and congregations of Chequamegon Bay, mark this 50th anniversary of Earth Day by prophetically calling communities and lawmakers to awaken and repent of the harm we are doing to creation. As people of faith…
We affirm . . .
. . . we are called to life and hope, and to put into practice healthy and holy habits of sustainable living -- not only for ourselves, but for our brothers and sisters around the world.
. . . we rejoice in the world around us, which was divinely created and divinely named, “good!"
We confess . . .
. . . we have surrendered to habits of ever greater consumption of energy and possessions.
. . . we have turned a deaf ear to the abundant scientific evidence that we, as human beings, are directly impacting the climate, causing harm to countless living things, as well as polluting our air, water, and soil.
. . . we have been insufficiently concerned about how changes in our climate disproportionately impact the most vulnerable members of our world community.
. . . we have been complicit in an industrial system that all too often ignores the harm being to the earth and to the marginalized in favor of higher profits and more comfortable lives for the privileged.
We commit . . .
. . . to work in solidarity with all people -- fellow community members, legislators, scientists, business people -- to change our own behavior and work with others to build a society characterized by responsibility, sustainability, and economic and environmental justice.
Affirming the role of all of us as caretakers and gardeners of this fragile planet, we join all the people of Chequamegon Bay . . . Wisconsin . . . the United States . . . and the world . . . in celebrating Earth Day.
Easter Sunday April 12, 2020 (based on Matthew 28:1-10)Dear God, Jesus & Holy Spirit, what a story, for us to imagine: you dying a painful death, then rising again. We hear an angel saying do not be afraid, and then, in your risen-from-the-dead-form, we just heard you call Mary by name and again say, do not be afraid. Oh, God, impress upon us, in a way that we somehow get deep into our bones, that YOU are still telling us to not be afraid. In your name we pray, Amen.
Christ is risen-He is risen indeed! Good Morning-Happy Easter! Thank you all for your kind comments about our bringing these messages to you outside. We are a body of Christ connected by the Holy Spirit, not bodily proximity. Now, one week later, last week’s snow is gone. Chequamegon Bay has opened up. The brown earth is transforming, new life is starting to resurrect! And, NOW is the time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!
In preparing for today’s message I listened to the presiding bishop of the ELCA, Elizabeth Eaton. Also, I read suggestions from David Lose, former Luther Seminary professor and now lead pastor at Mt. Olivet in the twin cities. They both brought up something I probably would have never thought of. They talked about the words different and similar. It is actually rather obvious, how DIFFERENT Easter 2020 is from any other Easter we have ever had. When was the last time (almost) all churches were empty on Easter Sunday? Even on Easters when we have snow, many faithful still drive through storms to get to church, right?
But, Easter 2020 is SIMILAR to what? The 1st Easter! In Matthew 28 & John 20-there were NO crowds gathered to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection –instead, very small groups! In Matthew’s version there were two women! In John’s gospel there was one woman and two men as the first witnesses to the resurrection. Other disciples lived in isolation, in a locked-door home, out of fear for their safety. Aching over the crucifixion, they wondered if their lives would ever return to normal. Sound familiar?
Those very scared first believers never got any promises that proclaiming the good news of Jesus would be easy, in fact Jesus said “In this world, you will have tribulation, but I have overcome the world.” Then and now, God did not and does not promise full churches, robust economy or good health Rather, the promise we get is: “Lo I am with you always. By dying on the cross, Jesus illustrated that death did not have the last word. In his crucifixion then resurrection, light and love have the final word over fear and death.
Today with coronavirus all over the globe, God has not changed. And now is the time to hear anew words from an angel in vs. 5 and Jesus in vs. 10. Do not be afraid. We could easily ask, “God, are you still telling us to not be afraid?” YES. God is still telling us through Any Way God Can, to not let fear take over.
To deeply take in the words Do Not Be Afraid I want to look at four people from the Northwoods. Each one is living a life of faith and service, that gives them strength to keep on going!
Carol Salminen and I talked yesterday. I have permission to tell this story. In 2011 Carol and another Messiah member, Dianne Heapy, started a Thursday night monthly fellowship event, with a movie and food. They wanted a safe place for people to gather, some people who were not yet quite feeling comfortable in church on a Sunday morning. This group has been meeting monthly ever since. Margie Motiff was one of those who made supper. Ardys Davis often attended these movie nights. They evolved from church basement on Thurs evenings to lunchtime at North Coast Coffee. What is constant is their purpose to be the body of Christ, a place of friendship and fellowship. Carol is the main person to make the monthly calls along with Dianne, to remind folks of the next day event. So, being part of the body of Christ, reaching out to people, perhaps especially people who want community, has been important to Carol for a long time.
On Feb 29, 2012, like so many of us who live up here, Carol fell on the ice and broke her leg. With the operation, came infection. Seven months after the initial break, Carol heard doctors give her 2 choices: keep trying to clear up the infection or amputate the leg. The 7 months of unsuccessful healing led her to make the difficult amputation decision. Carol is now in her 8th year of living in a wheel chair. “I wouldn’t be here if God hadn’t pulled me through the whole experience. You know that poem Footprints? Well, that is me.”
Was there fear? Loneliness? Depression? Yes to all three, but Carol also heard and still hears God’s still small voice telling her do not be afraid. She also feels the tug to stay in community and stay connected. Actually, Carol is a part of three communities, her apartment complex community and a shout out to Barbie, Terry and Scott, her Messiah church community and her Second Thursday group who now meets on Tuesdays! Now during COVID-19, she is still checking up on others. Making how are you doing calls is part of her ongoing health and healing. Caring for others, praying together, being the body, being part of community greatly reduces her fear factor. After you have talked and prayed with Carol, your fear factor reduces too.
Gary Kreuger is the next person I had a chance to talk with yesterday and he also has given me his permission to share a few nuggests of his story. Gary was up early during our huge December 1, 2019 snow storm. He had a helmet on and his cell phone in his pocket as he was trying to clear the snow out of his yard. A tree fell on him and he knew right away, he was paralyzed. He cried out to God, “Don’t let me die, I’m not finished with life yet!” With his cell phone, he was able to call for help. Due to the heavy snow fall, it took emergency people 1.5 hours to reach Gary. They finally got him to the hospital. Now over 4 months later, Gary is recovering at home. He said, if he ever is able to walk again, it could take five years. For now, he has therapy to try to regain muscle use. “I so badly want to model to my kids that life goes on. I try hard to stay positive.” Gary and his wife have a church home and have always been givers to the community. With faith in God, family and community Gary feels all of this is what is getting him through and keeping him strong.
The next person I want to highlight today is Clover Johnson. She just retired after serving as a volunteer at the Fig Leave Thrift Store in Iron River. At this time I want to give a shout to all who work at thrift stores. My mom works at one in Hendricks, MN. These stores are based in part on the verse in Matthew 25 when Jesus says, “When I was naked, you clothed me.” This work is such great ministry and it takes strength to continue volunteer work such as this for 25 years. Thank you Clover!
Lastly, I want to lift up Eva Livingston who had surgery on Friday, surgery to remove her arm and part of her shoulder due to cancer. Eva’s mom and dad, Ryan and Erica feel so supported by their family, friends and church community. They feel God’s love and welcome all of our prayers for their family, especially 11-year-old Eva who will begin her challenge of living with one arm.
Can anything good come from COVID-19? Let us pray for an increase in the realization of how much we truly need one another, how there is nothing more important than loving one another, being in community and seeing the face of Christ in each other. Amen? Amen. Palm Sunday April 5, 2020Read Matthew 21:1-11
Dear God, Help us imagine you outside in the first century sitting on a donkey, coming down the village road. Help us hear the people cheering Hosanna as they line the path w palm branches and cloaks. Help us stay with this image of being so excited to see you, who dwells with us even now, in our midst. In your name we pray, Amen.
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of what Jesus’s followers call Holy Week. Today’s Palm/Passion Sunday text illustrates people praising Jesus, who? This 30-something-year-old carpenter’s son, turned prophet, lover and healer. “Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is one who comes in the name of the Lord,” is their joyful cheer.
I am here standing outside with a sunrise & two vases of palms for 3 reasons. 1-the forecast for Easter Sunday-is cloudy, so having a real sunrise for next Sunday might be tricky. I knew today’s forecast so planned to film outside. We all need to know the sun can shine and will shine again during the dark times. 2-SO much will happen between Palm Sunday and next Sunday, Easter. These two symbols, the sunrise and the palms illustrate the beginning and end of this upcoming week. 3-But my main reason I’m not at church is the global pandemic. I’m trying to follow the Gov’s order to be Safer at Home.
Speaking of COVID-19, this Holy Week & Easter-unlike any we’ve ever had, right? No long choir rehearsals, no cantatas, no extra hours in decorating, no Easter Lilies on the altar to honor loved ones, no community egg hunts, church Easter breakfasts or brunches. So, how will we uphold Holy week and celebrate Easter w/o those things?
One way is to take this upcoming week more seriously than ever. Sing along with the hymn Prepare the royal highway sung by Messiah member Jack Gunderson. Words include vs 4 His (Jesus) is no earthly kingdom; it comes from heaven above. His rule is peace & freedom & justice, truth & love. So let your praise be sounding for kindness so abounding Hosanna to the Lord, for he fulfills God’s word. Allow yourself to feel JOY of Palm Sunday.
The next part of Holy Week is Maundy Thursday, Maundy comes from a Latin word that means mandate. We celebrate Jesus’s MANDATE to LOVE. Joining Jesus as he and his disciples eat the last supper. All of us are invited to make Thursday special at home. Plan a love meal now. Find the bravest person in your house and ask him/her to wash your feet. Maundy Thursday for those who live alone and have a computer could tune in and join Bethesda Lutheran in Bayfield as they have a Love Feast by Zoom. Pastor Mary has invited us. Jesus says “no greater love is this than to lay down one’s life for another.”
Fri, April 10 is Good Friday, the day we keep our eyes on the sacrificial death of Jesus. I challenge you to consider that instead of the worst Easter week you’ve ever had, consider changing one word. Instead of the WORST, try RICHEST Holy Week I’ve ever had.
I never got through watching the whole movie by Mel Gibson, The Passion of the Christ. I could not stay with the persecution, humiliation, excruciating pain, slow motion whipping of Jesus. I prefer focusing on Christ’s love and for sure the resurrection. But THIS Good Friday, staying with the pain of Christ’s crucifixion might be especially appropriate.
Staying with death and pain happens on Good Friday could be easier because of COVID-19. We ache now over pain and death. We ache over the news stories of loved ones being separated, some living in hotel rooms so they don’t potentially bring home the virus to loved ones. We ache over the deep fatigue of front line workers not only in medical professions, but in any job that has the worker in contact with the public. We grieve with those who are dying, and those who have lost loved ones.
We ache with those with the virus who feel shunned. It brings back memories of being isolated and shamed for having HIV/AIDS.
On upcoming Good Friday, as we contemplate the death of Christ and stay with his pain, two stories come to my mind, stories of pain and hope.
First, a story about an 11-year-old girl diagnosed with cancer. Her father describes her as a strong and brave little girl. In talking with Ryan, the father, he tells me that yes, we would love to have our church family keep us in prayer. We are already feeling the community support and this really helps us to know we are not alone.
Second story is about Dr. Brent Price, an infectious disease control specialist, now working more than full-time at a New Jersey hospital. Last Saturday afternoon Brent called me. He said, “Pastor, I only have energy to make two phone-calls: one to my aging parents and one to my pastor.” With a trembling voice Brent told me that he is scared. This COVID-19 is so real. “Just today we lost to death two hospital workers. I, as a 58-year-old physician, know that I could die. Please tell your people to hold us all in prayer. Pray for us please.”
I’d like to end by saying with all of this pain, I don’t feel like the preacher. I feel like the student. And I wonder if you would be a beginner student with me. Let’s hear the basic story of Jesus in a brand new way this Holy Week. Jesus was the Word made flesh. He lived fully human and fully divine, FULL of Grace and Truth.
He was viewed as a threat to the religious and political leaders, so much so they plotted and succeeded to kill him. In short, he died because he loved too fully and radically. He loved by being not one bit afraid to touch people with the dreaded disease of leprosy. He touched lepers when his own faith forbid people to touch those deemed unclean. He loved, as you know, by eating and drinking with known cheaters, tax collectors, and prostitutes.
How in the world can we love like Jesus today when we can’t touch each other, and out of love for the community, we are not gathering?
Crazy as it sounds, one way we love is by staying with his death and see his amazing faith in God. You and I are praying that all those on the coronavirus front lines could be filled with God’s love and peace. As they are also facing their own possible death.
We’re invited to stay with the death of Jesus. And we watch Jesus who did not let death have the final word. In words of the writer to 1 Corinthians 15:54, death has been swallowed up in victory. Death has lost its sting. And, nothing can separate us from the love of God, neither death nor life…
I now close with this thought: To not be afraid of death because we live eternally in Christ is a concept that will take a lifetime to fully grasp. Maybe we can better grasp it as we see how Jesus willingly died. Amen. Please listen-Were You There sung by member of First Lutheran in Port Wing, Jon Hove.
Before hearing Jon sing, please join me in praying the Lord’s prayer.
Sunday, March 29, 2020 sermon is based on the gospel of John 11:1-45Dear God, Come alive to us this day by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
This gospel story is about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. A story that is familiar to some of you and perhaps new to others. Let’s see if we can hear it again this day as if it is a brand new story with a few different details. What if Jesus appeared to a family in March, 2020, and Jesus rose from the dead a loved one who died from COVID-19?
You might say, “I might be able to believe Jesus rose Lazarus from the dead back in the 1st century, but today? If this could really be possible, well, I would want Jesus to raise my loved one from the dead! Hold that thought. I will come back to it.
In Loving Jesus Mark Allen Powell wants readers to see ourselves living IN Christ. Powell brings up something I never thought of. Powell says when we say we are living in Christ, this is not so much a microscopic, tiny Jesus living in our hearts! It is probably more accurate to say a part of Jesus lives in us. In God we live and move and have our being.
Living IN Christ includes dying to ourselves, and being alive in Christ and believing that we are never alone. There is eternal life as we live in Christ. Even after we die, there is still life after death.
As of Tuesday, March 24 the Wisconsin Governor issued something called Safer at Home. Members of Messiah Lutheran and First Lutheran church councils, the youth ministry team and other members have started to make-how are you doing calls so that we can try to be connected even though getting together physically now is not happening.
What could we say when we make our “checking in” calls? Well, many of us are shy and it is easier to talk about the weather than about our faith, but let’s challenge each other. Let’s say, “Ya know, through all of this, we are not alone. We are all IN the body of Christ together. For God so loves the whole world!”
As we share on the phone, we can bring up the scripture verse that says: If you are grieving, I grieve. Let’s share joys and concerns with each other.
When we ask for prayers concerns, sooner or later someone will ask us to offer a prayer for healing. We pray for healing but we don’t promise a cure. We don’t promise that Jesus will appear right now and raise a loved one from the dead. So, there is this nagging question, “Why pray for healing if you can’t promise me a cure? The creators of the Healing Service in our hymnal write that what does happen when we pray together are gifts such as these: God’s presence, with strength and comfort in time of suffering, God’s promise of wholeness and peace, and God’s love embodied in the community of faith.
We pray and envision ourselves in Jesus. In today’s gospel, the first thing Jesus noticed was see how sad people were and he did what? Jesus cried with them.
When we make our phone calls, we share Christ’s love as we take the time to listen and cry with someone. We might stay with that sadness and say thank you so much for sharing. Only if it feels OK, we might softly say, “Is there anything for which you are grateful?”
Life and death topics are not to be avoided during this time. They are not avoided in scripture. Paul, the New Testament writer says wild things like “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Paul believed so strongly in eternal life and wrote that neither life nor death can separate us from God’s love.
Christian writer and pastor Max Lucado was interviewed recently about how to be a church during the coronavirus. He said that now is a great time to dig deeper into scripture for comfort and study. Take Psalm 121 “I lift up my eyes to the hills; from where is my help to come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.” This is a verse of comfort.
Lucado then took Phil 4:6. Don’t worry about anything but pray about everything and God’s peace will fill you. Through study, we learn that the writer wrote while in prison and could see jail guards who had the power to kill him. Even knowing he might not get out of prison alive, he still tells followers of Christ, “Turn your worries into prayers, and believe it or not, God’s peace that passes all understanding will keep your heart and your mind IN Christ.”
When we make our phone calls and ask, “How are you doing?” We hear worries. Let us together turn our worries into prayers.
In today’s story, Martha and Mary brought deep sadness to Jesus. He wept with them, but that is not all he did. Jesus brought new life into the situation. I believe Jesus brings new life to us also when we surrender to him in lives of prayer. I am not minimizing how hard these times are right now. It is extremely scary and worrisome to wonder who might get the virus next, if our hospitals can handle this pandemic, or when a paycheck will come again.
This is a time to either decide God is a made-up human concept so praying to God won’t help, OR you could say with Thomas and me, “I believe. God, help me in me unbelief. Help me imagine that my life is IN you, and you are holding me and all of us in your arms of love. Help us O God. Amen. If you are reading this alone, please take time to see yourself in God’s arms of love. Receive the peace of living in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If you are with others, take a few minutes to share with each other. Ask how are you doing? Share prayer concerns. Pray together.
Sermon Text for Sunday, March 22, 2020Dear God, healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow. Give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorry. Gather us now as we join together through your Holy Spirit. Amen. Today is the first time we are trying to deliver a sermon online. You are reading relatively the same text as what you would see and hear if you viewed the sermon for March 22 on our church’s Facebook page and websites.
A reading from the gospel of John, chapter 9 from The Message, “Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?” Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You are looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do… For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s light.” In the NRSV is the phrase, “I am the light of the world.”
Pray with me, Dear God, what might these words have to do with us today? Amen. In this story the question is Whose fault is the blindness? Or Who can we blame?
Don’t you just love how Jesus responds? Basically it is as if Jesus is saying, “Stop the blame game. Stop that kind of thinking. There is no such cause and effect here. Instead, look for what God can do.” Common first century thinking was that an ailment was due to someone’s sin. Jesus helps people see things in a new way. However, it is not just in the first century, that we humans want to find someone to blame.
Oh my goodness! How many of us have been asking questions such as Who can we blame for the spread of the coronavirus? Who can we blame for all of today’s uncertainty? We might be tempted to be angry at those who traveled and brought the virus back with them to Wisconsin.
If it is true that our brains are only able to focus on one thing at a time, then where shall we invest our thoughts? Blaming OR Looking for what God can do? Of course, I recommend you and I direct our thoughts to this wonderful question What can God do, or perhaps more specifically, What can God do through you and me today to bring some light into the world? (If we truly focus on this question, we will shift to a much more positive use of our time and thought life.)
Let us live into that question as we go through our days. On Friday, I was at a post office and asked the person selling me stamps, “How are you doing?” This person responded, “I am terrified.” “Is it because you can’t control who will come into the building? And you can’t really protect yourself if a person is sick?” YES, she replied. Then, as I left the post office, someone was just getting out of their car. “How are you doing?” This person responded that his job had just ended due to the virus and the day it starts up is totally unknown. Monthly bills, however, will come like clockwork every month.
Within a matter of minutes, I heard two of the many worries and fears people are experiencing right now. I have no solutions, but I do want to close with an idea.
There is a big difference between social distancing and social isolation. We have to social distance right now, but with these incredibly real worries and concerns, we cannot risk the effects of becoming isolated.
So, I end today’s message with a challenge: Please talk with someone today about how you are feeling which keeps us from isolating.
A church term used for talking with each other is called Faith Five, coined by Pastor Rich Melhiem. Faith Five is having holy space and talking with each other. It is sort of like having church at home.
Will you try doing Faith Five this week? Here is what you can do in a nutshell. If you live alone, please think of one person to call and ask them if you can have a conversation.
Whether you are home or on the phone, I suggest lighting a candle. Then ask two open ended questions and listen. Make sure you both have time to talk. Q 1) Tell me how you are doing. Especially tell me one thing that has been difficult for you. Q 2) might be harder. Tell me one thing positive that happened in your life-one thing you are grateful for or happy about. 2-Read this verse for the week-words from Jesus in John 9, “You’re asking the wrong question. You are looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do… For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s light.” Step 3 is to discuss this verse. How might these words of Jesus help you get through your hard times? 4-Pray for each other. 5-Bless each other.
Many of you have heard about having this kind of home conversation. Now, more than ever, when we are not able to have fellowship in the church building, please make an effort to have holy ground with other people. Practice holy sharing and holy listening. “How can I pray for you?” when we ask this question, often times, the person will reflect and realize you want to help. The wording of our prayers is not as important as our hearts. Would you give Faith Five a try this week? I hope so!
Let us pray once more, “Dear God, rather than isolate, give us, by the power of your Holy Spirit, the ability to reach out to one another. In your name we pray, Amen.
Sermon Text - March 15, 2020Dear Jesus, Help us be more like you, In your name we pray, Amen.
(Gospel text is copied at the bottom of this sermon for you to read. It is the woman at the well story from The Message)
I am planning to tie the coronavirus and how we respond to today’s text. Want you to know that now so you are not lost or surprised when one minute I’m talking about the woman at the well, and the next minute, you hear about those who feel worried due to the coronavirus!
Much has been made about the Samaritan woman’s 5 husbands. When we get just a little info, then our minds fill in the rest. When you think of someone who has had five husbands, where does your mind go? I loved these two questions that came to me from William Willimon: Could it be she is a woman bearing the weight of grief from the loss of so many people in her life? Could it be she lives dreading the vicious combination of cruel gossip and cold shoulders she receives from others? Aren’t these mind opening questions?
Chances are HIGH, she came at noon to the well alone because she did not want to be gossiped about. If she came to the well at the normal time, when other women came, the way people looked down at her was too much to bear.
Then, in the conversation with Jesus, I want to guess that the way Jesus looked at her was so different, she felt it immediately. She felt whole, loved, healed just by the fact that Jesus, a Jew, is talking with me, a Samaritan Woman! He is talking with me as an equal!
It is not unlikely that this woman came to the well: sad, alone & heartbroken. Jesus looks at her with mercy and compassion. This woman at the well could have self-talk like this: “I need and want healing, but where will healing and living water come for me?”
In today’s story, healing and wholeness came through Jesus! Formerly broken, she leaves her water bucket even, to go back to town with excitement. It is as if any shame was also left at the well. Shame, embarrassment, feelings of not good enough are gone, healed, by the way Jesus looked at her and talked with her.
Extending her emotional brokenness to other kinds of brokenness, let’s use this story to delve into all the ways we feel alone or broken in this time of coronavirus. How might people feel alone? Well, for sure with staying home. Those who live alone will now have less opportunities to be with other people. Social isolation also hurts our health!
Please pray with me, how can we do church differently for all who might be feeling more alone?
Right now think of someone who lives alone, someone who perhaps is older and commit to giving them a phone call. We are all part of the body of Christ. Ask: how are you doing? Save enough time so there is comfortable space to chit chat. Do you have any prayer concerns?
Where are people feeling worried, alone, burdened? There are some working parents who do not know how they can work and find childcare?
Maybe those who were relying on the meals at school. Think of all those whose jobs have been changed such as restaurant and cinema workers.
Already I have had two people text me asking how they can help with distributing food to families in need. Wow… Let us use this crisis to become boldly helpful in the community!
Maybe someone will apply for a $250 Thrivent Action Team Grant-get money for food to drop off to families in need. Maybe we could assemble home devotion kits with a craft.
Healing starts with the way Jesus takes anyone who feels alone and broken. He restores them by the way he looks at them as equals. Pray with me in this healing prayer that we have our eyes opened in these weeks ahead to look for anyone who feels alone, afraid, lonely, left out. Amen.
Let us sing ELW #612_Healer of our every ill Healer of our every ill, light of each tomorrow, give us peace beyond our fear, and hope beyond our sorrow. V1) You who know our fears and sadness, grace us with your peace and gladness: Spirit of all comfort, fill our hearts. V2) In the pain and joy beholding how your grace is still unfolding, give us all your vision, God of love. V3) Give us strength to love each other, every sister, every brother; Spirit of all kindness be our guide. V4) You who know each thought and feeling, teach us all your way of healing; Spirit of compassion, fill each heart.
Service of Healing p. 271-283
Instead of coming up front, you are welcome to stay at your seat. We will use this healing prayer and list all who are feeling anxious right now:
Those in nursing homes who no longer get visitors
Those who are infected with the virus and are worried for their health
Those who are running out of money or food
In our country and in other countries.
How can we be that face of Christ who sees everyone as an equal?
Read Gospel John 4:5-30 To get there, he had to pass through Samaria. He came into Sychar, a Samaritan village that bordered the field Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was still there. Jesus, worn out by the trip, sat down at the well. It was noon.
7-8 A woman, a Samaritan, came to draw water. Jesus said, “Would you give me a drink of water?” (His disciples had gone to the village to buy food for lunch.)
9 The Samaritan woman, taken aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the generosity of God and who I am, you would be asking me for a drink, and I would give you fresh, living water.”
11-12 The woman said, “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket to draw with, and this well is deep. So how are you going to get this ‘living water’? Are you a better man than our ancestor Jacob, who dug this well and drank from it, he and his sons and livestock, and passed it down to us?”
13-14 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”
15 The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”
16 He said, “Go call your husband and then come back.”
17-18 “I have no husband,” she said.
“That’s nicely put: ‘I have no husband.’ You’ve had five husbands, and the man you’re living with now isn’t even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough.”
19-20 “Oh, so you’re a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?”
21-23 “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
23-24 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration.”
25 The woman said, “I don’t know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we’ll get the whole story.”
26 “I am he,” said Jesus. “You don’t have to wait any longer or look any further.”
27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked. They couldn’t believe he was talking with that kind of a woman. No one said what they were all thinking, but their faces showed it.
28-30 The woman took the hint and left. In her confusion she left her water pot. Back in the village she told the people, “Come see a man who knew all about the things I did, who knows me inside and out. Do you think this could be the Messiah?” And they went out to see for themselves.
83105 Washington Avenue, Port Wing, Wisconsin 54865 Phone: 715-774-3576
Pastor Nancy Hanson - Phone: 715-209-1100 Email: [email protected]
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