Tag Archives: Jesus

G*d’s Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity, Messiah, Savior

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 13, 2015
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Showing Mercy — Rev. David J. Schreffler

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November 13, 2015

“(Jesus said) “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37

“Most of the time babies crying in church don’t bother me. Crying is what babies do. The only exception to this rule takes place when

1. the crying becomes regular and repetitive, and
2. the crying goes on so long I can see the people in the pews around that baby wincing to the rhythm of the crying.

No, I don’t mind babies crying in church, but in an airplane, that is a different matter. It’s different because the parents can’t take the baby out to deal with the problem, and it’s different because the people around the upset child can’t escape either. This is why I can be sort of sympathetic for two of the people on the 5:30 a.m. flight from Michigan to Alabama. They were already situated when Rebekka Garvison sat down with her four-month-old child, Rylee. When the plane revved up its engines, Rylee did the same. Seeing the discontent on the faces of those around her, Rebekka asked if she could move to another row where there was only one person whom her baby might bother. Rebekka and the still-crying Rylee moved to a new location. This time, rather than receiving a stare of disapproval, Rebekka got a smile. More than that, her new seat mate, Nyfesha Miller, asked if she could hold Rylee and try to calm her down. The switch of holders made all the difference in the world to Rylee. She began looking out the window and soon she fell asleep. Rylee stayed asleep for the rest of the flight and was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when she saw her father, a serviceman stationed in Alabama.

Now the reason I share that story is because it rang a bell. Many years ago, Pam took all three of our children to visit her parents in Arizona. She was traveling alone and our youngest, Kris, was a baby — a baby who got air sick. That day, a man, the embodiment of a Good Samaritan, asked if he might help. He took two-year-old Kirsten and entertained her so Pam could deal with Kris. Although the Bible doesn’t exactly say so, I think there must be a special place in heaven for people who step out of their comfort zones and do that which needs to be done. (“Showing Mercy”, October 14, 2015, Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries)

How can you ago forward today and be the good neighbor? It may be difficult. You may have neighbor’s who don’t wish to talk with anyone – yet there are always ways to do good deeds that do not require asking permission. Or, you may have neighbor’s who do not like you – there are ways to extend a courtesy or a kindness without them knowing it was you. With the advent of the Internet, and places like Face Book, we can see many examples of ordinary people doing random acts of kindness over and over again. Join the revolution of kindness, when you see someone who you know is being stretched to their limit, or you know your mean neighbor is in need, find a way that you might be able to do something simple and be a good neighbor.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 10, 2015
Tags: Jesus   

Word + Sacrament = Completeness — Rev. David J. Schreffler

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November 10, 2015

“For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” 1 Corinthians 11:23 – 26

“…The day of the Lord’s Supper is an occasion of joy for the Christian community. Reconciled in their hearts with G*d and the brothers and sisters, the congregation receives the gift of the Body and Blood of Christ, and receiving that, it receives forgiveness, new life, and salvation. As the members of the congregation are united in body and blood at the table of the Lord so will they be together in eternity. The life of Christians together under the Word has reached its perfection in the sacrament.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945) Life Together, “For All The Saints” volume II (p. 1002)

Many churches struggle to move toward every-Sunday Holy Communion – a practice lost to the ravages of war, time, and expediency. The struggle to reclaim this practice usually came down to an argument like “If I take communion every Sunday, it will lose its specialness”. My response is this: I understand the concerns about the specialness of Holy Communion, but this is exactly why the disciples and over time, the Catholic Church celebrated it every Sunday – because it is special, and because the Mass calls for it. The worship service has four parts: Gathering, Word, Meal/Bath, and Sending. If we remove one of the parts, then the service is not whole. When I participate in a service that does not have communion, it seems empty.

It is during Holy Communion where we expect to feel the presence of Jesus – tangibly – externally and internally. Jesus promises to be there every time we “do this in remembrance” of him. It is, as Bonhoeffer claims, that when the Word comes together with the sacraments, then the life of the Christian is complete. Without one of them, it is lacking.

Pastor Dave