Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
   Worship the Lord with gladness;
   come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
   It is he that made us, and we are his;
   we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
   and his courts with praise.
   Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
   his steadfast love endures forever,
   and his faithfulness to all generations.
— Psalm 100 NRSV

I grew up hearing this psalm sung by the choir at the beginning of worship on a regular basis. There was something so grand about it that I would get chills and sit up a little in the pew. Then I joined the choir and felt the thrill of singing this to announce that we were in the House of God, and that the Almighty was in attendance!

At the same time, I love church camp and camp songs. When I am there it feels like Jesus is right there with me, as my friend.

The church words we use for those two pleasant experiences of God are “transcendence” and “immanence.” God transcends time and space, and is beyond our ability to fully comprehend. At the same time God is immediately available, a very present help in time of trouble. When we share the Good News of God’s love, through witnessing to our faith in words and acts of service, we are demonstrating that the transcendent God is immanent. The Almighty is here, working through us.

Sometimes I fear that the broader cultures are losing a sense of transcendence. There is no wonder, no awe, no sense of time and space beyond ourselves. We want to be in control of everything and make everything work to our immediate benefit. Even the growing trend of teaching “mindfulness practices” treats them as tools to make those in the workplace or the classroom more effective.

What a great opportunity we have as people of faith! When I get stressed, so caught up in the momentary crisis that my heart races and my teeth grind, I can find relief in dwelling upon the divine nature of God.  I can, through prayer, through study, through worship, and through fellowship, become more mindful of the now AND recognize that there is something beyond. I can bow before the Creator of the Universe and know that God’s own beloved is my friend. I can know that I am a sheep under the watchful eye of the Shepherd. I can crawl up into God’s lap.

You are my Creator, you are my Sovereign, you are my Friend, O God. In times of fear and stress, allow me to be awed by you magnificence. In times when I practice the arrogance of hate, allow me to be calmed by presence of your love. In times of ease and self-satisfaction allow me to hear your cry in the voice of the hurting. May your power move through me, that I might glorify your name. In Christ I pray. Amen.

Pastor George

We will talk about this more on Sunday. Here are the questions for discussion.
1. To whom and for what are you accountable?
2. What difference does it make to you that Jesus is Sovereign?
3. How can believers lovingly hold one another to account?

All you inhabitants of the world,
   you who live on the earth,
when a signal is raised on the mountains, look!
   When a trumpet is blown, listen!
For thus the Lord said to me:
I will quietly look from my dwelling
   like clear heat in sunshine,
   like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.
For before the harvest, when the blossom is over
   and the flower becomes a ripening grape,
he will cut off the shoots with pruning-hooks,
   and the spreading branches he will hew away.
— Isaiah 18:3-5

The Bible is full of instructions for us to be on the watch for signs and wonders.  Along with this are reminders that God works in God’s own way and on God’s own schedule. Signs and wonders, then, are not meant to be used to gain an advantage over another (no insider trading!) Instead, the signs and wonders are there to give us hope in challenging times. They are a reminder of God’s faithfulness in the time of trial.

In the last few days we have received information from pharmaceutical companies that there has been significant progress toward a safe and effective vaccine. Of course we still don’t know when we will be able to go back to being inside for worship. Indeed, there are troubling signs: such as the astounding increase in the number of cases. But there does seem to be some light at the end of an increasingly long tunnel.   This can cheer us on, I pray that it will cause us to redouble our efforts to show our compassion for one another!

There are other remarkable signs of faithfulness among the people of our community. For example, in youth groups and our Messy Church we have found people seeking to reconnect through our virtual settings. These aren’t just signs, they are real people whose lives are being touched. Nevertheless, they point both to the fact that we are changing lives, and that there are many more we would like to reach.

This past Sunday we received 28 covenant cards, totaling $149,298. There is still a long way to go toward making our goal of each person or family receiving the blessing of making a commitment, but we are well on the way. I hope that you will take the opportunity to provide a sign, for yourself and for your church family, of your intent to be present, to be in prayer, to share your gifts, and to serve.

May you be blessed by seeing the signs of God at work in your life.

Pastor George

Thank you God for the signs you provide on our journey through life. Thank you for the light which guides our way. Thank you for Jesus, who shows us what it is to love completely. Thank you for the gifts of the Holy Spirit which allow us to light the way for others. Thank you for the reminders of your abiding presence in times of pain and loss; and thank you for the knowledge beyond hope that you are ours and we are yours. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” John 1:9
 
As I have shared in a previous Daily Blessing, liturgically we have been in the season of Ordinary Time, the longest season of the color green. Coming Sunday November 22, it will be Christ the King Sunday, this is the last Sunday on the calendar of the Christian year. A relatively recent addition to the liturgical calendar, Christ the King Sunday was instituted in 1925 by Poe Pius XI in response to the tragedy of World War 1. The color to signify the importance of the day is white. Christ the King Sunday is meant to remind us that in the end, God does reign over all things. Even in the face of our chaotic, divided world that often seems ruled by the forces of darkness that we are to be reminded, as St. Julian of Norwich said in the fourteenth century, “All shall be well, and all matter of things shall be well.”
 
The following Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is the beginning of the Christian calendar and is the four Sundays before Christmas. During Advent, we prepare for and anticipate the coming of Christ. We remember the longing of Jews for a Messiah and our own longing for and need of forgiveness, salvation and a new beginning. Even as we look back and celebrate the birth of Jesus in a humble stable in Bethlehem, we also look forward anticipating the fulfillment of Christ. The color of Advent is traditionally purple signifying penitence and royalty, some churches have adopted blue as well which is the color of hope.
 
During Advent we put up an Advent wreath. Advent wreaths originated in Northern Europe among the Lutherans in the 19^th century. The circular shape symbolizes God’s endless mercy or eternity that has no beginning or end. The four candles in the wreath represent the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Three of these candles are purple, the color of penitence. One of the purple candles is lit on the first Sunday of Advent, symbolize the coming of the light of Christ. The fourth candle is rose in color, representing joy, and is lit on the third Sunday of Advent. The three purple candles represent love, hope and peace. The fifth candle is white and is placed in the center of the wreath, the Christ candle, this is lit on Christmas Eve.
 
Although we are accustomed to celebrating Christmas on a single day, with the color of white or Gold, the Christmas season lasts from sundown December 24 through Epiphany of the Lord which is January 6. This is sometimes referred to as “the 12 days of Christmas” or “Christmastide.” From there we move into the season of Epiphany which last until Ash Wednesday which is the beginning of Lent.
 
The word “epiphany” means “manifestation” and refers in particular to the manifestation of Jesus as Savior, the extension of salvation not just to the Jews but to the Gentiles, all the peoples of the world. We celebrate three “manifestations” of Jesus in this season. The first is the visit of the Magi, which is rooted in the paschal mystery and the redemption which brings it to the world. The second is Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptizer, when God manifests Godself to the world with the sign of the Holy Spirit (the dove) and the voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The third manifestation we celebrate is Transfiguration Sunday. Where Peter, James and John have a miraculous experience on the mountain top with Jesus when he is transfigured, a true vision of the Divine in Christ and once again hearing the voice from heaven “This is my Beloved Son! Listen to Him!” These manifestations all occur before Ash Wednesday.
 
As we continue on through our journey of the Christian calendar may the light and love of the coming Christ Child which we celebrate, rest upon you and your home.
 
“Gentle God, as we begin to enter this season of Advent may our soul dance with excitement. Draw us gently back into your arms of comfort and find rest and the peace that only comes from you. May your light shine in the darkness so that we may always move forward in anticipation of your coming love.” Amen.
 
Blessings,
Brenda

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. – 2 Timothy 1:7, ESV

I have seen a number of memes today which play of the idea of “Thank God it’s Friday! Oh wait, it is Friday, the 13^th, in 2020!” You are likely to see many articles today relating to the question of “Why is 13 unlucky?” and “Why is Friday the 13^th so scary?”

One explanation which always gives me a chuckle is that Friday the 13^th is unlucky because Jesus was betrayed on Good Friday, right after He and the twelve disciples – for a total of 13 people – had shared a meal. As if there is no other time recorded in Scripture that Jesus was alone with the twelve. Spoiler: there is! It was a common occurrence for Jesus and his close circle to eat together. And as Friday at sundown is the beginning of the Sabbath, chances are good that this company of thirteen regularly ate together on a Friday night.

But this is the nature of superstition. We want an explanation for why bad things happen. We want to control as much as possible so bad things don’t happen. So we look for patterns or for major one-time events and try to avoid the settings and actions where bad or “unlucky” things happen. It might not make sense, but over time and repetition, these settings and groupings become generally uncomfortable for us.

But it can work for the positive as well. We have good luck charms, lucky numbers, lucky articles of clothing. Sometimes these are culturally encouraged, but often they arise out of perceived experience. “I was wearing that sweater when I was promoted. That’s my lucky sweater!” I had on mismatched socks when he said yes! So I wear mismatched socks when I want to get a yes!”  And in the same way, these places, items, numbers and so on get invested with good feelings.

Yes it is all irrational. And yet there is something to these. When we use these, we gain confidence. Sometimes this confidence helps us achieve what we seek. If we feel “jinxed” we are tentative, and more likely to fail.  Yes, in some strange way, we make our own luck.

This is why prayer is so valuable. It isn’t that prayer makes us lucky, or is a magic way to get what we want. Instead, when we go to God in prayer, we remember all that God has done in our lives. We remember that God is with us. In that way we have the confidence to boldly act for what is right and just. This is why reading the Bible (not simply wielding it as a weapon or shield) is so important: in this we remember what God has done and will do through people just like us.

In these difficult times it is important to count our blessings. It is important to remember the good that God has done in our lives. On that Friday when 13 were together, Jesus washed the Disciples’ feet and said, “do as I have done.” When he broke the bread and raised the cup he said, “…Do this remembering me…”

Ever loving God, we thank you for this space you make for us to be with you. Thank for being with us in the ups and downs of our lives. Help us to hold fast to the good, to give us strength in the days of challenge. We seek not earned luck, but the unearned gift of your love at work in us. Grant us this grace, that we might have confidence as your children to do your will. This we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

There are no questions for this Sunday’s message as the invitation to meditate and act upon the Word will be an invitation to renew your covenant for the coming year.

Correction to November 13 Blessing

Friends, 

The members of this congregation are faithful, smart, and know the Bible!

Lee McKlenshaw just pointed out that of course fear of Friday the 13th couldn’t have come out of the Last Supper, because the Last Supper was on a Thursday! 

I got so into pointing out the absurdity of this explanation that I forgot the facts and missed this biggest absurdity of all!

Jesus washed the feet of the twelve disciples on a Thursday, and gave them a new commandment. The Latin for commandment or mandate is mandatum, whence comes the name Maundy Thursday. He then shared the meal which instituted Holy Communion. He was betrayed later that night and crucified on Friday.

Perhaps there is a lesson here about smugness and arrogance leading to humiliation, or pride going before the fall.

I apologize for my error.  The final sentence should read:

“On that day when 13 were together, Jesus washed the Disciples’ feet and said, “do as I have done.” When he broke the bread and raised the cup he said, “…Do this remembering me…”

Thank you Lee; it is nice to know that people do read and take seriously what we write in the Daily Blessing!

Pastor George

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13

Thank you for all of your birthday greetings yesterday! I share a birthday with Martin Luther (born Nov. 10, 1483) and the United Stated Marine Corps (formed Nov. 10, 1775) That’s pretty good company, I think! Today, of course, is Veterans’ Day. The office and preschool are closed, but we decided to go ahead and keep the shower ministry open as a few of the folks who will come to see us today are vets, and I would hate to deny them this minor tender mercy on the day we honor their service.

In these days of determining what work is essential, and thanking those who risk their lives by serving others, it is doubly important for us to remember those who have served in the armed forces. These are people who have not merely spoken of their duty to others, but have uprooted themselves and put their lives on the line for justice and security. These are people who have not just talked of love, but have shown us. These are people who have made a commitment with their very beings.

Each year on this day I am thrilled by the words of Katherine Lee Bates, who in 1904 wrote:
            “O beautiful for heroes
                proved in liberating strife,
            who more than self
               their country loved,
            and mercy
               more than life.”

What I find striking about many veterans is that this willingness to serve – this love of mercy that is greater than the love of their own life – is that is continues throughout their lives. It isn’t a one-and-done affair; they are always ready to commit themselves. It becomes a way of life.

We are not all called to serve in the armed forces. Yet this level of commitment is necessary for many aspects of life, including our faith journey. To honor veterans does not take from our desire and our ability to honor those who commit themselves to others in different ways. Indeed, it calls us to consider what in faith and life requires of us such a commitment. And then to make that commitment.

Pastor George

With trumpet sound we hear your voice, O God. Stir in us such love for others that we would ask, “what do you require of us, O Lord?” Move in us, that we would not only think and talk, but commit and act. We thank you for those who have given this example of devotion. O God, we are yours, use us for your work of justice and mercy in the world. Through Christ we pray. Amen.