Those opening words, and all of Psalm 23, are no doubt familiar to many of us. We've all heard many sermons (and some of us have written many) on these words. And the artwork and music based on God as Shepherd and we as His sheep are also very familiar. I've memorized this Psalm, and have used it often for my own devotions and as a pastor at the bedside of so many.
An old childhood song based on this Psalm was one that I used every week for many years with the preschool that was in our congregation. I even have hand gestures that go with it. I can't share that in this blog, but here are the words (and I'm singing it as I write this :) "I am Jesus' little lamb; ever glad at heart I am. For my Shepherd gently guides me Knows my needs and well provides me Loves me every day the same. Even calls me by my name". Why is this Psalm such a favorite? Is it simply because the shepherd and sheep imagery is so popular in Scripture? Is it because Jesus uses this imagery so often (Luke 15, John 10, etc.)? Or is it comforting to think of ourselves as under the protective and caring leadership of a Good Shepherd? Maybe it's because many of us love little lambs and animals. (though maybe an even better imagery would be of a dog and their owners. But I better not criticize the writers and God as the author of the Scriptures ;) No doubt we know the Shepherd and sheep imagery because of all and more of the above. All I know is that I'm thankful for these words of Scripture. And I have so appreciated reading and meditating upon the love and care that God has for me, as the Good Shepherd has for each and every one of us. Pastor Steve
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This obviously will not come as a surprise when I say, "I love food!" Just one look at me and you can tell that :)
So when this Sunday's Gospel reading includes an occasion when the Risen Lord is eating, it caught my attention :). And this passage in Luke 24 follows another occasion when Jesus ate with two of his disciples. In fact, have you ever noticed how often the Gospels and Jesus' ministry includes eating and drinking with others? Turning water into wine, asking a woman for water at the well, offering living water, feeding over 5,000 and then more than 4,000, calling HImself the Bread of Life, attending meals prepared by others, and hosting meals for others, eating the passover meal with his disciples, instituting the Lord's Supper, the Risen Lord eating with his disciples, making breakfast for 7 of his disciples, and promising an eternal banquet. And I'm sure I've forgotten others times when Jesus ate with other people and used food and drink as examples of God's grace and love for all. Why? Why is food and eating so important to Jesus and His ministry? Maybe that last sentence of the previous paragraph answers the question. Food and drink is a good example of God's grace and love for all! In the months after my Mom died, and before my Dad died, he often referred to a picture he had on the wall of his room. It is a long, long, banquet table, with the finest of everything on the table...all set for people to sit down for a banquet. And the caption below the picture is a quote from Luke `14:17, "Come, for everything is now ready", from the story Jesus told of a great banquet and invitations to many. My Dad would point to one of the empty chairs at the table and say, "There's where your Mom is sitting. And soon I'll be sitting right next to her". And he always was encouraging each of us to keep the faith and look toward the promise of eternal life with them in heaven. So today we are in the midst of the days of Easter, that will last until the Ascension of our Lord. And the accounts of the Risen Lord often include sharing a meal together. And then the Ascended Lord promises to be always with us. And one of the events that brings the Risen and Ascended Lord to us is in the Lord's Supper. So whenever you gather for Holy Communion, or when you sit down to a meal with family and friends, or even when you grab a snack and water bottle, may you remember that your Savior and Lord is with you. Be assured that He will answer the common table prayer, "Come, Lord Jesus". For He will come and be with you now and always! Blessings, Pastor Steve Resurrection Lutheran Church has just been awarded the "Outstanding Congregation of The Nation"
Given by the ECCUSA (Ecumenical Christian Coalition of USA) It is an award given to one congregation of all Christian denominations, based on the Love they have received and been given over the past year. (April Fools Day!!) OK, so the only correct words in the above announcement is... "the Love they have been given and received over the past year" Because those words are true! No foolin'!! And it is the love God has given to ALL congregations and people, year after year, throughout history and forever into the future. And you and I and everyone can receive this love that has come through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord of all! Here's another thing that is NOT an April Fools Day prank: to answer the question: So what do we do now, after celebrating Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter?! There usual is this post Easter Letdown. I mean, we can't continue to stay on the mountaintops of celebrating the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Savior, can we? But wait! I continue to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries (and I better not forget them!). And I have some big ones coming up: Every birthday of a family member is a big deal, and this year is our 40th wedding anniversary, and my 40th anniversary of ordination and years of being a pastor. So if those events can continue to be remembered, then certainly even more so can all of us continue to celebrate and bask in the glow of the love of Christ, and the new life that He gives to us! So here's an ANNOUNCEMENT that is ALL TRUE: God loves you! So much He has sent His Son to save all of us! In the Crucified and Risen Christ we have life, now and forever! No foolin' here at all. Happy Every Day as a day that you can celebrate God and His love in Christ for you and all people!! Blessings, Pastor Steve When is the last time that you experienced these two reactions to something in your life: terror and amazement"? Maybe even today! But if we think of it, probably we can all come up with a close call with tragedy or death, or expecting to hear bad news, and instead hearing good news, or something bad happens, but then also something occurs to help us handle it in a positive way. I know I can certainly come up with a few examples of any or all of the above!
In this Sunday's Gospel reading, we hear about the three followers of Jesus who first saw the empty tomb and saw and heard the words of the angel, "....Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised". Yes! That qualifies as bringing the response of "terror and amazement"!! If I had been with Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, I'm very sure that I could have used those words, and a few others, to describe my reactions! So now we have heard these words and the Easter Gospel accounts many times (for me, 67 years of reading, hearing, studying them). So it may be a stretch for any of us to experience the same thoughts and actions as we read about in this Sunday's Gospel, UNLESS....we apply them to other circumstances in our lives. Like ...almost being in a car crash....having cancer, and then hearing the words "remission"....the death of a loved one, but trusting in the hope of the resurrection for all. The message of Easter is all of this! As we follow our Savior and Lord through His suffering and death and resurrection, and beyond! Because Jesus not only was raised on that first Easter morning. But He is now the Risen One!! And He now comes to us in the words spoken from this week's Scriptures, and in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, and to all of those baptized as He dwells in and with us always. So let us receive the message of this Holy Week, including the Good News of the Resurrection. For it has a powerful and glorious impact on each and every one of us. For in the crucified and risen Savior there is Good News, Peace, Hope and Eternal Joy!! And that will apply to all of our lives. For the Risen Lord is with us now and forever!! Blessings, Pastor Steve These words point to the message of Lent, as we remember the service and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and how we follow Him in lives of service.
There are all kinds of ways to serve and sacrifice and give to our Lord. But right now I'm thinking of all that service that is especially happening right here at Resurrection Lutheran Church. And I have observed some really wonderful servants of our Lord. I'm not going to even attempt to list all the people and things done. In fact, ALL of you are offering your time, talents, and resources, from prayers, to participation and all kinds of known and unknown ways that you give to God and all of those whom He loves. But I would like to hold up three groups of people that are wonderful servants of our Lord and His Church. 1) Your Congregation's Council. Over the past several months, I have observed their faithful service, working with the leadership of Tom. You can be confident that these people have led us through this time of transition, and will continue to do so alongside the new pastor that God will send to us. Please pray for all of these, and for the continued wisdom and commitment that they are bringing to this congregation. 2) The Ministry Exploration Team (MET) has completed their work. And we can now thank God for giving them all they needed to study our congregation's past and future direction. And now they have passed on the Ministry Site Profile to the Council. When approved, it will then be sent to the Synod and offered to pastors looking at a call to Resurrection. Thank you Lord for the completed work of this team of willing and faithful servants of Your Church! 3) The Call Team has now been chosen. A Big thank you to Tom for gathering this team together! We are planning an installation of this team next month. And after the Town Hall Meeting (Sunday 4/21), you will be hearing of the interviews and eventually a pastoral candidate that will be brought to the congregation for a call. Pray! Pray that the Holy Spirit works in these people and their important work. 4) May I pick out one more person, who is serving our congregation?! I'm thinking of our office administrator, Larry. Who does all of the office work and preparations of services, and emails, and... I better stop here, because I'm sure I'll forget something that he does for us! Let's just say, "Thank you Lord for giving us Larry! And Thank you Larry for ALL you do for each and every one of us." OK, one more: YOU. Whoever is reading this and connected to RLC. Thank you for being with us in this wonderful congregation of people who know they are loved by God, and who love one another! God Bless, Pastor Steve Friends. That's what I see in this Scripture reading, and in Matthew 9, where one of these tax collectors is called to follow Jesus, and immediately he hosted a dinner with other tax collectors and sinners. And no doubt most of these people are friends!
Now please take notice who is in the midst of them? Jesus. In Luke 15, Jesus is the host ("welcoming...") So He is fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 25:6, "The Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food..." And so as we look at our Lenten theme, "Gathering Around Jesus", here we see notorious sinners and people hated by others, all gathering around Jesus! And I am one of them gathered around Jesus. And so are all other people, for "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) It looks like a party! With great food and drink, and lots of conversation and laughter. And I'm thinking Jesus was in the midst of all of that also. I'd love to hear one of His jokes, and His laughter :). Wait a minute: this sounds like the gatherings around Jesus at worship services that occurs every Sunday and the Wednesdays of Lent, and the soup suppers, and the fellowship gatherings after so many of our services, and the dinners we share with others, all here at Resurrection Lutheran Church!! Blessings to you, Pastor Steve There is this tension between each of these. And I find myself caught in them quite often.
What if all of it is included? Certainly God is our Creator. And He has saved us through His Son, Jesus. And He is now with us, and working in and through us. So both God and each of us are all included in our lives. We may be told that something is completely beyond our control (such as what the weather will be today, or how a chronic illness will impact our bodies). Or we may be told that it is all up to us (such as whether we have a savings account, or whether or not we overcome an addiction). And even in those examples, we can debate how much each of us has to do with it, or not. But in the end, many factors come into play in how something happens. So it is with God and each of us. God is omnipotent, and full of grace and love. And he most often works in and through each one of us. It seems best to not be so focused on getting everything figured out. God is a mystery, and far beyond each of our understanding. But He has given us enough to know that we can trust Him, and love and serve Him. The Scriptures teach us as children of our Heavenly Father. And just as a young child doesn't have it all figured out yet (and do we ever?), so with God and us. We learn about Him. And all He has done. And we come to faith and follow our Savior. May this lead us to a life of learning, service and worship of God our Savior and Lord! Peace, Pastor Steve In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus is teaching us to see His meaning and purpose of a temple. A Temple can be defined as “the place where God and humanity meet”.
And Jesus tells us here in these words of the Gospel of John: HE is the temple…where God and humanity meet. As John writes in the first chapter of his Gospel, ”And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.“ John 1:14 Indeed, when the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity became human (at the conception and birth Of Jesus), God came very close to all humanity. God in Jesus Christ came into the world so that all people can be close to God in His Kingdom, now and for all eternity. As 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you”. That became a reality when Jesus redeemed us and made us God’s people. As the Apostle Paul continues, “you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body”. (1 Corinthians 6:20) So now consider what this means to each of us. God is with us in all our thoughts, words and actions! That certainly will lead us toward all that God wants for us. But what exactly is that? Jesus answers what God wants for us in His death and resurrection. He did this so that our sins will all be forgiven. In His life we have eternal life with Him. He wants us to know God as Love. And He wants us to be with Him, now and forever. May this be Good News for each of us, to know and trust in the God of Love and Grace for all People! Pastor Steve Why would anyone want to follow Jesus?!
Why do you follow Jesus? Some common answers to those questions are "Because that's the way we were raised, in a "Christian home". Or, "because we've always done it that way". Or maybe you don't like using the words "following Jesus". You'd rather call it something else. Like we are doing with this Lenten season, with the theme, "Gathering Around Jesus". The question is still the same: "Why Jesus"?" I'll let you answer for yourself. But here's how I'll start to answer that question. And I look forward to discussing it further with you as we have the opportunity. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins. He did this because He (the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit) loves each and every one of us. Jesus gave the supreme sacrifice of His place at the right hand of God, to come into this sin-filled world. Jesus sacrificed His life, suffering and dying the most horrible way of crucifixion. And He knew it before it all happened, and still did it. Jesus showed His love and compassion and care for each individual in His ministry of teaching, healing and friendship with several examples as we find in the Gospels. Jesus promises forgiveness of all sins, and eternal life with Him. As He tells us in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth and the life; No one comes to the Father except through me." You and I can follow all kinds of other people and things. And we all know how modern society has a whole lot to offer. But the bottom line is that Jesus is the One to trust in and follow for eternal salvation! Blessings! Pastor Steve What is today? Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras! They all point to the same day before the beginning of Lent (which starts tomorrow with Ash Wednesday).
On this day there is the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence. Perhaps some of you have participated in special events on this day in past years. And maybe you are doing the same this year. Which is fine. I don't mean to wreck any customs or traditions you have. But I'm wondering if all these holidays and special events really are just a way to remember and commemorate what we can do EVERY day. For every day is a gift from God. Every day is a day to confess sins, repent, and to know that God forgives and gives us renewal and strength for another day of living in God's grace and love! As Psalm 118:24 tells us, "This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." |
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