March 13, 2017
Lenten Devotions – Give Willingly

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.” Psalm 25:4-5, 10

To give willingly is a challenge to be confronted by all people, Christians and non-Christians alike. When we give as moved by the Holy Spirit, then it becomes a priority. Jesus teaches us to be prepared to give of ourselves as he modeled for us through the Cross. As such, we consider how we can give of our time, talents, and resources freely.

Here are some facts to consider as you discern how to give willingly:

FOOD PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION              PROBLEM

The earth is able to produce enough                             1.02 billion people are
food for everyone to have their                                        hungry in the world
nutritional needs met.

Food production and distribution                                Human activity, specifically 
accounts for one fifth of the oil                                  through the burning of fossil fuels, 
consumption in the US.                                                  exacerbates climate change. 
Oil is used to produce fertilizer,
pesticides, and packaging; it is also used for
planting, harvesting, shipping, and cooling.
Food travels on average 1,500 miles from
field to plate

Poorer areas of the US, both rural and                     Obesity and other health problems
urban, are less likely to have access                          related to diet (such as Type II
to affordable and nutritious food.                             Diabetes) are more likely in poorer
Those who are poor are more likely                            communities.
to live in a “food desert” where their
only option for food is a convenience store
or fast food restaurant.

“During the season of Lent it is appropriate for each believer to examine her or his faithfulness to attributes that define God. We say that God offers providence, which verbalizes simply that God takes care of us. Jesus puts this concept in the form of a question: “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26) Psalm 25 at its heart addresses the one who prays out of a sense of sinfulness and need for forgiveness. The one who prays asks that God steer his or her life: “Lead me in your truth, and teach me.” But the petitioner also suggests even more by way of confession: “For you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.” The promise to wait is in itself revealing. The one who prays offers persistence and endurance as a means to obtain what God alone can deliver. For stewards, Psalm 25 offers several divine attributes that conceivably those who give and serve faithfully might mimic. Among those divine traits offered by the psalm, we read about God’s mercy, truthfulness, steadfast love, and faithfulness. When the psalmist prays to God, “Teach me your paths,” he asks for a portion of the essence of what makes God what God is for us. To learn of God means that stewards assume God’s traits with the faithful intention to share those Godlike traits with the world.” (Lenten Devotional Stewardship Principles, We walk together as stewards in God’s church, ELCA, 2012, February 25, 26))

During this season of Lent, take some time to discern what it means to give willingly, and to wait patiently. In both cases, we seek G-d’s will – for it is only through the presence of the Holy Spirit that one, or both, are within our grasp.

This week, as part of your Lenten Discipline, collect one stick of deodorant or one pack of razors each day and bring them to church on Sunday, March 19.

Pastor Dave

March 12, 2017
Lent 2A

“Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” John 3:1-17

“…at the heart of our understanding of God as somehow three-in-one is the notion that you can’t fully or finally understand God without talking about relationship. That God is so full of love that there has to be some way of talking about that love shared in and through profound relationships. Some say that’s why God created the cosmos and humanity in the first place, to have more people to love. But the Trinity goes even further, saying that from the very beginning of time the dynamic power of love that is at the heart of God’s identity and character can only be captured – and that dimly! – by thinking of the love that is shared. (Perhaps it’s simply impossible to think about love that isn’t shared.) And so God’s essential and core being has always been a giving and receiving and sharing of love that finally spills out into the whole of the universe and invites all of us into it. First through creation and God’s series of covenants, then and pre-eminently in the sending of God’s Son to demonstrate in word and deed just how much God loves us, and now as the Spirit bears witness to God’s ongoing love for us and all creation.” (David Lose, workingpreacher website, May 25, 2015)

Many times, the parables and stories of Jesus resonate with us because we often can relate to a specific character in the story. It is not too difficult to decide who it is we may associate with in this story. I think we can all see ourselves in the character of Nicodemus – at least in one of two ways. Many Christians keep their faith hidden, keep people hidden in the dark, about their faith – afraid to share it. The other way that we can see ourselves in the person of Nicodemus is because we, like him, have so many questions. And the most common question is “How can these things be?”

When bad things happen to us, or when we are faced with horrible events witnessed throughout the world, I am afraid that too many people will lose faith in G-d or at least find themselves with more questions (like “How can G-d allow this to happen?”) than answers. Of course, it is situations such as these where we can find plenty of people like the Westboro Baptist Church folks who like to bring attention to themselves and spread their theology of judgment and hate – preaching that tragedies happen to people because G-d is angry at them, and G-d seeks retribution. Tragedies in this world do happen because of sin – some due to bad choices, others due to the brokenness of creation. G-d intended a perfect creation, but sin, disobedience and evil have corrupted creation. And so because of sin, disobedience and evil, G-d did something unthinkable. John 3:16-17…

God SO LOVED the world, that he gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.

In other words, G-d has acted, in love, before we could even think about a response. You see, what sustains our faith in the face of tragedies is the fact that G-d’s love for us is not conditional. G-d’s love for us is perfect – this world is broken.

The events of this life will often leave us in the dark, like Nicodemus, asking G-d questions. We often lay awake at night, worrying, wondering, questioning, seeking answers. We can’t stop bad things from happening, although we can limit them with good choices. And we cannot stop bad things from happening in the dark. And though things may come after us in the dark – the physical darkness, and the darkness of this world – we are reminded today that Jesus is always present, always there, to welcome us, and to guide us through the dark and the light alike. Shouldn’t we then share the LOVE of G-d, not hate, but love.

Pastor Dave