December 14, 2016 – 10 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or
Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.” Mark 12:1-9

I watched a show the other day where a girl said that when she was younger, she planted a meatball in her backyard hoping that a meatball tree would grow from that single meatball. I look at this ornament, this stuffed tortellini, and think this is what a stuffed tortellini tree would look like. Of course, how long would the tortellini last on the tree, especially with my five cats in the house?

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants begins with these words, “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it…”. Why do so many people put a fence around them and refuse to share their fruit with others? Just last week, the second Sunday in Advent, we heard John the Baptist shouting for us to “Bear fruit, worthy of repentance.” Do people put up fences to protect themselves from others stealing their fruit, or damaging their fruit? Maybe they just have general feeling that they would rather keep their fruit and hoard it because “…it is mine?” I know that at times we pray for God to put a hedge of protection around us so that we are protected from our enemies. But this hedge of protection can become a wall that separates and isolates us from the “others” in our lives and around the world.

Pastor Dave

December 13, 2016 – 11 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or
Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Tell the Israelites: These are the animals you can eat: If an animal has hooves that are split into two parts, and if that animal also chews the cud, then you may eat the meat from that animal. “Some animals chew the cud, but they don’t have split hooves. Don’t eat these animals. Camels, rock badgers, and rabbits are like that, so they are unclean for you. Other animals have hooves that are split into two parts, but they don’t chew the cud. Don’t eat these animals. Pigs are like that, so they are unclean for you. Don’t eat the meat from these animals. Don’t even touch their dead bodies! They are unclean for you.” Leviticus 11:1-8

I guess I have pasta on my brain this week – today it is meatballs in sauce, tomorrow it is stuffed tortellini. I guess I am adding to the over-consumption of the Christmas season. Nothing says “Merry Christmas” more than a big pot of spaghetti and some meatballs in sauce. “Ummm Ummmm Good.”

When Jesus is in his last earthly week, he commands the disciples to find a room – a room prepared for them – where they will share the Passover meal. During that meal, Jesus gives them the command to what will become the structure for our sacrament of Holy Communion. There are a lot of foods that the Old Testament instructs not to eat – but Jesus gives us one commandment – a meal that we are have often. When the disciples gathered following the ascension of Jesus, they continued to share this meal believing that Jesus was still with them in the bread and the wine of communion. Lutheran churches lost the practice of every Sunday communion for many years, but recently have reclaimed this practice. Where once people believed there was no room for every Sunday communion, they now have discovered that neglecting this “Holy Meal” leaves us with an empty feeling – especially in the rooms of our hearts.

Have you prepared a room for Jesus? Have you prepared room in your hearts, room in your homes, room in your lives? Jesus comes to share a meal with us each Sunday, but, in reality, Jesus comes each day to share the Good News with us. Are we ready for the Master to come? We were already told in the season of Advent to “keep awake” – to prepare – to be ready for Jesus, for we know not the day or the time of day when He will come. Dare we risk not having our rooms ready?

Pastor Dave