Be At Peace

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Living by Faith

Reflection:

Christmas has passed – and here at the church, that means one thing you might not expect.

It’s time to change the church’s marquee sign again.

(It still had our Christmas Eve worship times on it).

It takes a long time to change the sign – which is why I don’t do it very often.

So, when I pick a message to put up there, I know I need to pick something that applies, not just to the next week, but to the next several months.

Above, you see the message I put up there today.

Peace seems to be a rare thing now.

Every deadline seems like the most important thing.

Every kids activity seems like the one that can’t be missed.

Every car passing me on the freeway seems to be filled with people who are hurried, stressed, and angry.

The above passage sends the same message as our church sign: BE AT PEACE.

In the grand scheme of things, yesterday’s deadline doesn’t determine tomorrow’s happiness.

In the grand scheme of things, being a few minutes late for an activity or appointment doesn’t keep the sun from rising the next day.

So re-read the passage linked above.

Re-read the church sign I spent 45 minutes changing.

Take a deep breath and sense the beauty and peace of God’s eternity breaking into your NOW.

Happy New Year…

Prayer: Eternal God, quiet our hearts and minds today as you remind us that every detail of our lives rests within your unchanging, never-ending love. Amen.

Just Try to Count the Stars

Genesis 15:1-6 God’s Covenant with Abram

Reflection:

This Sunday, you are going to hear one consistent theme through the Sunday service:

GOD IS BIGGER THAN ANY HUMAN IDEA OR THEORY

The picture you see above, at first glance, looks like a starry sky. Try to count the stars. You won’t be able to.

Upon closer inspection, however, you’ll find they aren’t stars you are seeing. Look closely. Some of them have odd shapes. (You can click on the picture to blow it up larger - then look close!)

The picture above is nothing short of stunning. It is called the “Hubble Ultra Deep Field” picture, and was a time exposure picture taken by the Hubble telescope – when they left it pointed at a dark part of the universe and left the aperture open to catch any far-off light.

What emerged was a picture of the vastness of God’s creation. The specks you see are not stars, but galaxies, like our own Milky Way. Each one contains a billion stars or more. Ponder than for a moment. It is stunning.

Some say science and religion don’t mix – but I don’t know about you, when I read the above passage, as God promises Abram descendents as numerous as the stars, I see the Deep Field picture as a glimpse of just how big our God’s promises can be.

Happy star-gazing! We’ll talk more about science and religion on Sunday…

Prayer: God of vast creation and vast love, help us to trust that beyond all our confusion, you are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the End. Amen.

Pr. Matthew Short

St. Luke Lutheran Church

4860 Arthur Road, Slinger WI 53086

262-644-6003

www.stluke-slinger.org

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Send Jesus right over...

Revelation 22:6-7, 18-20

Reflection:

I loved the game “Red Rover” when I was a kid.

The other team would brace themselves, make sure they were holding on tight, and then they’d issue the invitation, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send Matt right over!” Off I’d fly, intent to break into their line, and into their sure defense.

Today’s reading contains the final words of the entire Bible. At the end of the New Testament, at the end of the book of Revelation, at the end of the last sentence – the last thing the Bible has to say about Jesus is an invitation. “Come, Lord Jesus!”

I hope we’re holding on tight.

I hope we know Christ is coming, intent once more on breaking into our world in the form of a baby; breaking through our sure defenses of self-sufficiency and pride.

In just a few days, we will celebrate again that our invitation to the divine never goes unanswered! Come, Lord Jesus!

Prayer: God of the manger, break through our defenses once more to show us the power of sacrificial love, and send us out to mirror that love to all we encounter. Amen.

Surprise!

2 Kings 5:1-14

Reflection:

            Surprising and unfair. I would use these two words to describe God’s love in the world. Interestingly, these two words are often two sides of the same coin. God’s love always seems to come unexpectedly. The only difference is, if it’s you and “your” people who are on the receiving end, you would say that you are pleasantly surprised. If it’s those whom you judge to be unfit, then you would say you are UNpleasantly surprised. It is unfair.

            How has God surprised you in the past? Is it surprising for you that God’s wills the salvation of Gentiles as well as Jews? (It was surprising for the Jews). Is it surprising for you that God chose to come in the form of a human? (It was surprising for the people of Jesus’ time). Is it surprising for you that there are Palestinian Christians who suffer along with their Muslim neighbors? (This often surprises many people). And last, is it surprising for you that God’s children come in every shade of skin tone, speak every language imaginable, and worship in ways very different than you? (This surprised me when I first traveled to Papua New Guinea).

Indeed, it seems that the Christian life is always one of surprise. God never stops expanding our horizons and encouraging us to view the world through the inclusiveness of love rather than the exclusiveness so typical to human thinking.

Ah, if only we could have the mind of God – none of this would be surprising. None of it would seem unfair.

Prayer: God of limitless love, give us your mind and your heart today, that we might greet every new face as a child of God. Amen.

Checkmate!

John 16:21-22

  

Reflection:

Jesus is a realist. Because of who he is, he knows both the struggles and joys that are a part of being human. But even more important than that, he knows which one has the final say, and in fact it is HIM that has the final say.

The above passage is Jesus' response to his disciples' anxiety about his departure. Jesus knows anxiety doesn't have the final say – he knows that loneliness and heartache don't have the final say – in fact it is HIM who has the final say.

One of my favorite Christian music artists, Chris Rice, has a song called "The Final Move" in which he likens life to a chess game. And I want to leave you today with the refrain from that song, which still echoes in my head any time I fear that my life's struggles might have me in checkmate:

"It was love that set this fragile planet rolling – tilting at our perfect 23

Molecules and men infused with holy – finding our way around the galaxy

And paradise has up and flown away for now

but hope still breathes, and truth is always true

Just when we think it's almost over, love has the final move.

Love has the final move…"

As we will hear again in a week, in a manger...

the checkmate in this grand game belongs to God, who, the Bible tells us, IS love.

Prayer: God of the future, speak hope into our darkness and re-create our trust in you. Amen.

Ornaments and Memories

Psalm 77:11-15

Reflection:

Today, God’s good news came to me through a Christmas ornament.

I was on a home visit to one of our members who can no longer make it to church. The first thing we talked about was her Christmas tree. She explained to me that her family had always gotten a large, real tree each year. “It’s the smell of pine, pastor – it’s just not Christmas without that smell.” This year, however, her advancing years had forced her to change the tradition. In her living room now stands a small artificial tree. “Real trees are too much work for me now,” she explained. “But the ornaments are the same…”

For the next 45 minutes, we looked at those ornaments. Some were from trips she and her husband had taken when he was still alive. Some were hand-made creations given by grandchildren. Each ornament brought with it a beautiful memory, and a smile. The more I listened, the more I got the sense I was in a holy moment; blessed to be present, as one of God’s saints remembered the gifts in her life.

“Remembered” is a common word in the Bible. Over and over and over again, the scriptures tell us that God “remembers” the covenants he makes; with Noah, with Abraham, with Moses, and with us in Christ. God remembers the covenants, no matter what traditions change, or what traditions remain the same. God remembers the covenants, and smiles on us and on our world.

Today, it is my prayer that you and I may be filled with the same sense of memory. Let us, as the Psalm above says, “call to mind the deeds of the Lord,” and “…remember [God’s] wonders of old.” And may we be filled with the same sweet memories and profound sense of gratitude that I had the honor of witnessing around a tree today.

Prayer: God of every age, even when everything changes, your love stays the same. Help us to pause and give thanks for your gifts today, that we might feel the simple joy that comes with gratitude and hope. Amen.

You Are Not on the Sidelines

2 Peter 1:2-15

Reflection:

             Being a Christian isn’t a spectator sport. We don’t wait on the sidelines to see if we might be picked to play. No, Peter reminds us, we have already been chosen! Nothing we do from this point forward affects that. We are on God’s team, like it or not.

            Now that we’re in the game, we are simply called to play like we’ve been chosen. Faith has been given to us – our job is just to support that faith with goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. These are the rules of the game. Forgetting the rules doesn’t get us kicked off the team – it just means that we’ve been short-sighted and forgotten that we are no longer on the sidelines.

            Could it be that Sunday worship is more about reminding us of our calling than lecturing us on our morals? Could it be that reading the Bible is more about reminding us of our calling than it is about telling us how to get on the team? Could it be that, through Jesus Christ, we have already been included in God’s loving work in the world?

            Indeed, all of this is confirmed by the most beautiful line in the above reading: We have become “participants in the divine nature.”  May we pause today to contemplate what it means to be participating in the very life of God in the world.

So don't forget: because of your baptism, you're not on the sidelines anymore! Get in there and PLAY! (And maybe you'll find out it actually is fun...)

Prayer: God of all nations, remind us today that you have chosen us, and give us the strength and perseverance we need to participate in your life and work in the world. Amen.

Where you go...

Ruth 1:6-18

Ruth shouldn’t have stayed.

There was no hope for a future with a husband if she stayed.

There was no hope for a future with children if she stayed.

There was no hope to fulfill the cultural ideals of womanhood if she stayed.

And yet, she stayed with Naomi – clung to her, the scriptures say.

Maybe, fulfilling her personal goals wasn’t the most important.

The story of Ruth & Naomi is one of the most beautiful stories in the Old Testament.

To we, who are used to disposable relationships, it is beautiful.

To we, who are used to hearing that self-fulfillment is the point of life, it is beautiful.

To we, who are used to broken promises and broken friendships, it is beautiful.

Today, may you hear in Ruth’s words of devotion a faint echo of the fierce love your God has for you:

“Where you go, I will go...

Where you lodge, I will lodge…”

Say no more. If Ruth can stay with Naomi no matter what, don’t ever doubt your God can stay with you no matter what.

Prayer: God of faithfulness and love, no matter what journeys I travel, help me to rest in the assurance that you are my God and I am your child no matter what. Amen.

Naked!

Job 26:1-6

Reflection:

I love the T.V. show M.A.S.H. In one episode, the nurses get even with the doctors for pranks they had pulled by taking the doctors' clothes while they are in the shower. One scene shows a naked B.J. Hunnicutt and "Hawkeye" Pierce running back to their tent, with only hand towels to cover themselves. It was funny precisely because we all know – it's embarrassing to be caught naked.

Look at the last verse above. God's power is so incredible, God's counsel is so great, God's wisdom is so high above us – even Sheol is naked before God.

Brief Hebrew lesson to show you how amazing this verse is: Sheol is Death, capital D. It is the land of the dead – where all who have stopped breathing go. Abaddon is rooted in the Hebrew word meaning "perishing."

So, this verse says something incredible: God's love is so amazing – even Death stands exposed and powerless. Even Perishing is left out in the cold, with nothing to cover itself. How embarrassing for them, but how good for us.

God's love leaves Death exposed and powerless. That's gospel, right there in the Old Testament.

Prayer: God of Amazing Grace, teach us to let go of our fear of death, and instead cling tightly to your promises of life and life abundant. Amen.

Sighs Too Deep For Words

Note: I offer today’s devotion recognizing that many in the Slinger/Allenton community are struggling with the loss of several young people in the last week. For those who know the Monday, Pezon, and Dobson families – our prayers are with you as they are with the families themselves.

Romans 8:26-27

Reflection:

There are many times in our lives when we find that our words fail us. Sometimes, the situations we encounter contain too much pain to know what to say. On the other hand, sometimes we are rendered speechless by overwhelming joy. Whatever the circumstance, we often find that our words fail us.

Ironically, it is also at these times of speechlessness that we often are most motivated to pray. When I think of my own experiences, I remember blurting out an inarticulate, "thank you!" through tears of joy the day my daughter was born. However, I also remember times of pain, when I desperately wanted to pray but had no idea what to say.

Thank goodness prayer doesn't require articulate speech (even thought we often think it does)! I have always loved this particular passage in Romans, precisely because it reminds me that prayer is much less like a conversation and much more like an intimate relationship. How comforting to know that even when (or especially when) our words fail us - it is at those times that God's own Spirit takes over, in sighs too deep for human words. Then, it is God's Spirit praying for us, through Christ, to the Father, and we become a part of the love-filled relationship between the persons of the Trinity.

Roberta Bondi has written an excellent book about prayer entitled "To Pray and To Love." In it, she reminds the reader often that prayer is simply about "showing up." There's no right way to pray, and no wrong way to pray. Instead, prayer is turning to God even when (or especially when) our words fail us, and sitting in the silence of that relationship, In that silence, we are reminded that everything we experience, and every emotion we have, takes place within a greater relationship with the one who calls us his beloved children.

Prayer: God who is love, help me to let go of my expectations about prayer and instead to turn to you whatever my emotions may be. Remind me today that you desire not conversation, but relationship. Amen. 

An Open Door

Revelation 4 - The Heavenly Worship

In the fourth chapter of the book of Revelation, John (the writer) sees an open door. Far from the image we have of Jesus knocking on the doors of our hearts (in the picture above, which we've all seen in at least one church basement), this is a picture of Jesus knocking on the door and throwing it open for us to join in the heavenly worship.

            We spoke last Sunday about those "eternity moments" when heaven seems to break into our everyday reality, even if only for a second. We spoke of how these moments never seem to come when we are serving our own interests, but when we are reminded that we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

            Worship can be a moment like this. A moment when the curtain is thrown back, when the door to heaven is thrown wide open and we get a glimpse of future glory. In the Lutheran church, we even sing "…and give us a foretaste of the feast to come…"

            So, I hope that worship (wherever you worship) reminds you that you are a part of something so much bigger than your own interests. And I hope that those "eternity moments" keep breaking into your everyday world as you go out to serve.

Prayer: God of love, consecrate us to your purposes. By your grace alone, turn us into holy objects that serve others and allow your grace to be heard, felt, and tasted in this world. Amen.

Kindle a Fire

Isaiah 2:1-5

Today is the second day of Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights. Tonight, many people will light the second candle as they celebrate.

The menorah (pictured above) has nine candles - one for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, and a special candle, raised above the others, called the "shammash" candle.

The shammash candle has one and only one role - it is used to light the other candles. Its sole purpose is to take the fire from one and spread it to the rest.

In the Isaiah reading for today, which you can read by clicking on the words "Isaiah 2:1-5" above, we hear that the people of Israel were called to function in much the same way. They were to be a light for revelation to the Gentiles - blessed to be a blessing to all nations - used to fill the earth with God's teachings. In essence, from the promise God made to Abraham, through the promise God made to Moses, to the promise God makes to us in Christ and in the waters of baptism, God is busy setting the world ablaze through his chosen people.

Today, may you know that you've been chosen to be a shammash - your purpose is to take the Light that's been given to you, and set the world ablaze with the power of Christ's love.

Prayer:
God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and every nation, kindle in us the fire of your love that we might be prepared to set the world ablaze with your love. Amen.