October 16, 2016
22nd Sunday After Pentecost Year C

“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:1-8

“Unfortunately…this passage is often interpreted to mean that we should petition God for the things we want. And that if we annoy God enough, we’ll receive whatever it is. So there’s the rich pastor pestering God for more riches. There’s the young woman worrying God for a lover or spouse. There’s the cancer sufferer insisting on God’s intervention and healing. So, if I wear God down, will God fix everything? And if not, how does this interpretation work through our congregations? If you believe that if you just ask enough, God will make you rich, what does your poverty say? If you believe that if you just ask enough, God will give you the desires of your heart, what happens when your heart is broken? And if you believe that God will heal your body if you only ask enough times, what happens as your body wastes away? Is this really how God works?” (The Relentless Widow: IS THIS REALLY HOW GOD WORKS?, October 13, 2013, Lia Scholl)

In our Gospel lesson from Luke Jesus is telling a parable about the need to pray constantly so that we will not lose heart. The Lord says, “Will not G-d grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?” What are you wrestling with right now? Who are you worried about – what situation or ailment is causing you pain – what is it that you are encountering today that will drive you to your knees imploring G-d to grant you knowledge, wisdom or courage? Whether we are praying for someone else or praying for ourselves, we need to persevere in prayer. Look, when life is beating us down, and we are wrestling with questions about life, those ups and downs of daily living that leave us feeling as if we are on a roller coaster ride, we are going to become frustrated and may even become despondent if we are not in daily conversation with G-d, through prayer. And, one of the ways that we can understand the power of prayer, and the mystery of prayer, is to have a good knowledge of scripture, a good understanding of G-d’s word to fall back on. And one of the truths we learn from scripture is not everyone is healed, not everyone follows Jesus, and not everyone is raised from the dead.

Prayer does not guarantee us that we will get all of the things that we pray for. But the more we pray, the more we persevere in prayer, I am certain we will all develop a more intimate relationship with G-d through Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dave

October 15, 2016 – Words of Wisdom
Jeff Foxworthy

“We sing about G-d because we believe in Him. We are not trying to offend anybody, but the evidence that we have seen of Him in our small little lives trumps your opinion about whether or not He exists.” Jeff Foxworthy

“On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.…” Acts 16:24-26

The Lutheran church has a long history of singing and playing sacred music – it is one of the legacies of Martin Luther. In his reform of the liturgy, he used his talent and experience as a musician and composer to introduce new kinds of music. Luther was not only a theologian and a reformer, he gave community singing a renewed role in the life of the church. He composed about thirty chorales, and, with other musicians, a hymn book. He asked that singing be taught in schools.

I have heard Nadia Bolz-Weber, author and Lutheran pastor speak at one of our synod’s organized events. She mentioned in her talk that her congregation does not have an organist. Instead they sing all of their hymns without accompaniment – or as she called it, “a capella” in four-part harmony. She said that it is in those moments, as hundreds of people are standing and singing one of the “old style hymns”, she feels the presence of the Holy Spirit blowing through their midst. Martin Luther introduced singing in worship as just another way to encourage the “people” to participate in the worship experience. And, through almost 500 years of Lutheranism, we have continued to add to the musical works of Luther and the other Reformers.

Just like Paul and Silas, we sing hymns and pray words to G-d as ways to lift up words of praise and thanksgiving. It is part of our Lutheran “DNA” – and helps us to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in our worship and our personal lives.

Pastor Dave