One Little Word

Lessons:
Exodus 32:7-14
Psalm 51:1-10
1 Timothy 1:12-17
St. Luke 15:1-10

Semicontinuous Series:
Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
Psalm 14 (2)

Prayer of the Day:
O God, overflowing with mercy and compassion, you lead back to yourself all those who go astray.  Preserve your people in your loving care, that we may reject whatever is contrary to you and may follow all things that sustain our life in your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Text

^15.1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. ² And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”  ³ So he told them this parable: ⁴ “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵ When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. ⁶ And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. ⁸ “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ ¹⁰ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

St. Luke 15:1-10. New Revised Version Bible ©1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

A devotional message based on this text will be posted on Tuesday evening.

The Call to the Disciple Life

Lessons:
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Psalm 1 (3)
Philemon 1:1-21
St. Luke 14:25-33

Semicontinuous Series:
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

Prayer of the Day:
Direct us, O Lord God, in all our doings with your continual help, that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy name; and finally, by your mercy, bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Text

^14.25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, ²⁶ “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. ²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ ³¹ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³ So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”

 St. Luke 14:25-33. New Revised Version Bible ©1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Some time ago the leaders of our congregation considered developing a membership pledge. We thought that if we could put into words what it means to be an active member of this congregation, and by providing a time each year to pledge our support, we would be given the opportunity to renew our membership on an annual basis. The effort stalled out, however, because we found it especially difficult to come up with words that we could all embrace – words that could inspire and enthuse each one of us.

(more…)

Contentment in Christ

Lessons:
Proverbs 25:6-7 or Sirach 10:12-18
Psalm 112 (4)
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
St. Luke 14:1, 7-14

Semicontinuous Series:
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
St. Luke 14:1, 7-14

Prayer of the Day:
O God, you resist those who are proud and give grace to those who are humble,  Give us the humility of your Son, that we may embody the generosity of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^14:1 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

⁷ When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; ⁹ and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. ¹¹ For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

¹² He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

St. Luke 14:1, 7-14. New Revised Version Bible ©1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

The story is told of a congregation that was determined to find the most humble member of its fellowship. After a thorough search, the congregation’s leaders became satisfied that they had located such a person. The Worship Committee prepared a brief ceremony. A suitable medal was struck for recognition. Testimonials were gathered from members whose lives had been touched by that person. The Pastor prepared a moving address about how that member’s humility had been an asset and an inspiration to the congregation. A congregation meeting was called. The ceremony went off without a hitch. The member’s spouse and family were there, in their Sunday best. The medal was awarded to the person. It was a wonderful day.

The very next Sunday the award winner showed up for worship wearing the medal, so they had to take it back.

(more…)

Honoring God’s Sabbath

Lessons:
Isaiah 58:9b-14
Psalm 103:1-8 (4)
Hebrews 12:18-29
St. Luke 13:10-17

Semicontinuous Series:
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm 71:1-6 (6)

Prayer of the Day:
O God, mighty and immortal, you know that as fragile creatures surrounded by great dangers, we cannot by ourselves stand upright.  Give us strength of mind and body, so that even when we suffer because of human sin, we may rise victorious through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^13:10 Now [Jesus] was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. ¹¹ And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” ¹³ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. ¹⁴ But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, “There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.” ¹⁵ But the Lord answered him and said, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? ¹⁶ And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?” ¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.

St. Luke 13:10-17. New Revised Version Bible ©1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

“Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.” These words have been familiar to God’s people for centuries. They have their roots in the very first Biblical story. At the end of six days of creating, God took a day to contemplate what had been created. During the Exodus, in words shared with Moses, God commanded that faithful people would do the same. In the sixteenth century, when Martin Luther attempted to provide a definition for what it meant to be church, he said it was the gathering of faithful people who come together to hear the word and celebrate the sacraments – in other words: God’s people together at worship on the Sabbath day.

(more…)

Jesus and Family Values

Lessons:
Jeremiah 23:23-29
Psalm 82 (8)
Hebrews 11:29–12:2
St. Luke 12:49-56

Semicontinuous Series:
Isaiah 5:1-7
Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18 (14, 15)
Hebrews 11:29–12:2
St. Luke 12:49-56

Prayer of the Day:
O God, judge eternal, you love justice and hate oppression, and you call us to share your zeal for truth.  Give us courage to take our stand with all victims of bloodshed and greed, and, following your servants and prophets, to look to the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^12:49 [Jesus said,] “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! ⁵¹ Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! ⁵² From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; ⁵³ they will be divided:
father against son
and son against father,
mother against daughter
and daughter against mother,
mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law
and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

⁵⁴ He also said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, ‘It is going to rain’; and so it happens. ⁵⁵ And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, ‘There will be scorching heat’; and it happens. ⁵⁶ You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?

St. Luke 12:49-56. New Revised Version Bible ©1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

It is said that seminary professor Stanley Hauerwas liked to open one of his classes by reading a letter from a concerned parent to a governmental official. In the letter, the parent complains that this child (who had received the best education, gone to all the right schools, and was headed for a good job as a lawyer) had become mixed up with a strange religious sect. This sect controlled his every move. It told him where to live. It told him what to believe. It told him how to behave. It told him what family members to reject. It told him whom to and whom not to date. It took all his money. In the letter, the parent pleads with the governmental official to do something. “Who,” Professor Hauerwas would ask, “is this letter describing?” Some think it is describing the Moonies or some other modern-day sect. The answer: it is a letter dating back to the third century, written by Roman parents, complaining about a group known as “Christians.” (more…)

Have No Fear

Lessons:
Genesis 15:1-6
Psalm 33:12-22 (22)
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
St. Luke 12:32-40

Semicontinuous Series:
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23 (23)

Prayer of the Day:
Almighty God, you sent your holy Spirit to be the life and light of your church.  Open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may be ready to receive you wherever you appear, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^12:32 [Jesus said,] “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
³⁵ “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; ³⁶ be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. ³⁷ Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. ³⁸ If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
³⁹ “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”

St. Luke 12:32-40. New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

What is it that makes us afraid? Some of us are afraid of falling, and an amusement park is just about the last place we’d ever want to be. Some of us are afraid of health troubles, and regularly spend time with our physicians, seeking to head trouble off before it arrives. Some of us are afraid of financial insecurity, and amass significant fortunes in our “rainy day funds.” Some of us are afraid of people we don’t know or understand or trust, and avoid them whenever we can.

(more…)

On Wealth and Riches

Lessons:
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23
Psalm 49:1-12 (3)
Colossians 3:1-11
St. Luke 12:13-21

Semicontinuous Series:
Hosea 11:1-11
Psalm 107:1-9, 43 (8)
Colossians 3:1-11
St. Luke 12:13-21

Prayer of the Day:
Benevolent God, you are the source, the guide, and the goal of our lives.  Teach us to love what is worth loving, to reject what is offensive to you, and to treasure what is precious in your sight, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” ¹⁴ But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵ And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” ¹⁶ Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷ And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ ²⁰ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ ²¹ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

St. Luke 12:13-21. New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

This week we recall one of the better-known parables of Jesus. The story depicts a wealthy landowner whose fields bring forth more goods than can be stored. And so this landowner decides to tear all the barns down and build even larger ones. That way, the family will have nothing to worry about for years. They can eat, drink, and be merry for a long time to come. But the method this farmer uses to seek out security is ill founded, because even before the construction of the new barns begins, God announces that death is going to visit that very night. And so Jesus winds up the story with these words: This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves, but are not rich in God’s sight. The rich landowner is caught in a trap of greed. Security has been sought in riches, but ultimately, it can’t help him.

(more…)

Teach Us to Pray

Lessons:
Genesis 18:20-32
Psalm 138 (8)
Colossians 2:6-15 [16-19]
St. Luke 11:1-13

Semicontinuous Series:
Hosea 1:2-10
Psalm 85 (13)
Colossians 2:6-15 [16-19]
St. Luke 11:1-13

Prayer of the Day:
Almighty and ever-living God, you are always more ready to hear than we are to pray, and you gladly give more than we either desire or deserve.  Pour upon us your abundant mercy.  Forgive us those things that weigh on our conscience, and give us those good things that come only through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^11:1 He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” ² He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
³ Give us each day our daily bread.
⁴ And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

⁵ And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ ⁷ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

⁹ “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? ¹² Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

St. Luke 11:1-13. New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

As the story goes, there was an old Jewish man who, on the day of Atonement, over-slept and missed the service. That meant that the prayers offered did not include him, and another year would pass before he could be included in this important annual rite. Not knowing how to pray by himself, he devised this plan: he went to a quiet place in his home where he would not be disturbed, and for the better part of what was left of that morning, he repeated the letters of the alphabet over and over. When he was done, he asked God to arrange those letters into the words of an appropriate prayer. According to the storyteller, the prayer was acceptable to God because of the faith that gave it birth.

(more…)

Mary and Martha; and Drawing Near to God

Lessons:
Genesis 18:1-10a
Psalm 15 (1)
Colossians 1:15-28
St. Luke 10:38-42

Semicontinuous Series:
Amos 8:1-12
Psalm 52 (8)
Colossians 1:15-28
St. Luke 10:38-42

Prayer of the Day:
Eternal God, you draw near to us in Christ, and you make yourself our guest. Amid the cares of our lives, make us attentive to your presence, that we may treasure your word above all else, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

³⁸ Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴² there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

St. Luke10:38-42. New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

Mary and Martha. The names immediately call to mind stories we’ve heard about these two contemporaries of Jesus. Sisters. Siblings of Lazarus. Residents of Bethany (a small village near Jerusalem). Among the early believers in Jesus. Well known to the people of the early church. Mary and Martha: their very names symbolize the tension that has always existed in the Christian movement between action and reflection.

(more…)

Good, Foolish, or Faithful?

Lessons:
Deuteronomy 30:9-14
Psalm 25:1-10 (4)
Colossians 1:1-14
St. Luke 10:25-37

Semicontinuous Series:
Amos 7:7-17
Psalm 82 (8)
Colossians 1:1-14
St. Luke 10:25-37

Prayer of the Day:
O Lord God, your mercy delights us, and the world longs for your loving care.  Hear the cries of everyone in need, and turn our hearts to love our neighbors with the love of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

^10:25 Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ²⁶ He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” ²⁷ He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

²⁹ But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷ He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

St. Luke 10:25-37. New Revised Version Bible (C)1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

What is he thinking, this Samaritan? He is known by many as the Good Samaritan, but perhaps he is more foolish than good. Traveling that dangerous stretch of road between Jerusalem and Jericho, he happens upon a fellow traveler who has been stripped and beaten by a gang of robbers. They leave him, half dead, on the side of the road.

(more…)