Prayers for Today: 9/16/2018

Loving God,

You speak to us and you say: Do not worry. You say that we are yours. You offer us your lightness in exchange for our burdens.  You offer rest in exchange for our tiredness and loneliness.

You promise that in both the sadness and the joys, no matter the results of our human choices, you will be there, bringing forgiveness and restoration. 

So, God, we ask you to guide our response to this great love.  Guide our prayers, guide our plans, and guide our lives so that through us, others may experience your abundant life.

We offer to you those who are in need of your restoration and healing:  those who are unaware of your love, those who are suffering in spirit, mind, or body. God we ask that you would bring comfort, relief from anxiety, relief from pain, and a certain knowledge of your presence.

God you ask us not to worry yet we acknowledge that there are storms in our lives and in our world.  We pray today for the people in the Carolinas and Southeast of our country as they face hurricane Florence, and for the people of the Philippines, China Coast, and others in Asia as they face Typhoon Manghut.  Please give your aid to rescue and emergency workers.  Protect those who could not evacuate, bring your comfort to grieving families, and God we ask that you would bring your hope into all the dark places caused by these storms.

God we thank you that even in the darkness, we can place our worries about our world in your hands and then pick up the work of being your agents of rebuilding and restoration without worry hindering us. Help us as we do this through Christ Lutheran Church and our ministries and offerings, through prayer and intercession, and through our work, our advocacy, and our relationships. 

Lord, these are only a few of our prayers. There are words that haven’t been spoken. Prayers unfinished that we can rely on the Holy Spirit to complete.

By your grace, that we may have life and have it abundantly, we pray these and all things in the name of Jesus Christ.    

Amen

Prayers for Labor Day 2018

On this Labor Day weekend, we honor the gift that is meaningful work and we stand in solidarity with those for whom work brings unique and difficult challenges.

God who has given us energy, strength, talents and gifts, we bring to you today the work of our hands, hearts, and minds and ask your blessing upon our work.

For those who work in physical labor, we give you thanks.  We ask for strength and endurance, for adequate rest, and for quality work that brings satisfaction. 

For those whose work is learning, we give you thanks.  We ask for retention, connections made, and ideas that will carry them into their future lives.

For those whose work actively puts their lives in danger, emergency aid, firefighters, law enforcement, prison work, military, and other sacrificial fields -- we give you thanks.  We pray for their safety and for continued courage in the face of danger.

For those who work to serve others, in retail, restaurant, housekeeping, landscape, and other fields, we give you thanks. We ask for moments of gratitude, when the importance of what they have done for the life of another is seen and acknowledged.

For those who work in business, sales, and commerce, we give you thanks.  We ask for a sense of fairness, and satisfaction in work that brings benefit others. 

For those whose work is in social justice and advocacy, we give you thanks.  We ask for protection as these individuals seek to accompany the marginalized and desperate.

For those who work in agriculture, we give you thanks.  We ask for favorable environmental conditions and teamwork between all people providing food for so many.

For those who work in law, government, utilities, and civil service, we give you thanks.  We ask for grateful awareness of our infrastructure and those who create and care for it.

For those who work in the sciences, we give you thanks.  We ask that you would use their ideas to benefit the world through new discoveries and new understandings.

For those who care for others; mothers, fathers, doctors, nurses, and medical technicians, caretakers of the elderly, child care providers, and caretakers of family and households, we give you thanks.  We ask for clear thoughts and patience, and loving connections between caregivers and those receiving care.

For those who work in ministry, chaplaincy, counseling, or whose work is intercession and prayer for others, we give you thanks.  We ask that they would hear your voice and bring your love and grace into the lives of others.   

For those whose work is creative; in arts, writing, journalism and ideas, we give you thanks.  We ask that their work would bring beauty, truth, and justice to the world. 

For those whose work is in our schools and any education, we give you thanks.  From preschool to advanced education, we ask for safety, eager students, and an acknowledgement of the gift that they bring.

 

God, we recognize that not all work has positive meaning or visible honor.  We give you thanks for your beloved children in these circumstances and ask your mercy.

For individuals who are in challenging work environments, we give you thanks and ask that you would give them endurance and honor their sacrifice.

For those who desire work and are seeking jobs, we give you thanks.  We ask that you would lead them to opportunities and remind them that their value is still simply in being your beloved child. 

For individuals who are forced into work of desperation or injustice, or work that preys upon others, we give you thanks and ask your mercy and grace. 

For individuals who are trapped in work that is abusive or damaging, we give you thanks and ask your mercy.  We ask for justice and that you would send your people into these situations to bring your love and help. 

Gracious God, as you gave yourself to us in your son Jesus Christ, we are filled with gratitude for the opportunities to give ourselves to others through our work.  Remind us daily that we are yours, and that though our work has meaning and can bring us and others benefit and joy, our identity is found in you.

These and all things we ask in the name of our savior Jesus Christ,  AMEN

Prayers for Today... 8/18/2018

Our Creator God, we are reminded this morning that you know all things, including our innermost hearts, our hidden thoughts, and our deepest desires.  You know us, God, and you love us.  Our gratitude for this simple reality can never approach the magnitude of the gift, and yet we are confident of it. 

 

God you are the loving creator and restorer to those who do not know you, those who have rejected you, and those who long for you but cannot name that longing.  In this prayer we ask that you would reveal yourself to those we lift to you in this moment of silence, praying that they would recognize the great love and grace that is for them.

God you have promised that you will provide us with our needs, and in this prayer we ask in confidence that you bring your healing to those in need in mind, body, and spirit.  We ask for your restoration to the injured, the ill, the broken, the hurting; those who are anxious, depressed, suicidal; those who are grieving; those addicted and in recovery, those who are rebuilding their lives.  

God you love those who are rejected, abused, and abandoned by the world. You tell us that to receive your kingdom we must receive those who are as small and excluded as a child. We ask in this prayer that we would have the courage to protect, advocate, and receive in hospitality those who are seen as unimportant and forgettable in the world.  We ask that we be given opportunities to provide your saving love to the poor, the sick, the refugee, the marginalized, the child, the prisoner, the homeless, the hungry.  We desire to love and serve you as we love and serve the least among us. 

Creator God, your world cries out for your restoration.  In the brokenness of relationship, from individuals to nations, and in the brokenness of our relationship to your world, we cry out to you for peace, we cry out for understanding, we cry out for resolution.  God we pray for the individuals living in nations we hear about on the news; your beloved people in Afghanistan, in Russia, in Venezuela, in Yemen, in Syria, in Nigeria, and others we lift in our hearts.  And God we pray for our neighbors – your beloved people in our own city, in our workplaces, in our lives.  Help us to create connection and restoration with others who are different from us.  Help us to cherish differing cultures, differing viewpoints and differing opinions, seeing every human as created in your image and crafting our own character to resemble yours more and more each day.

We ask these and all things in the name of Jesus Christ, our way, truth, and life; Amen

Doubt... Sermon on Thomas, John 20:19-31

Doubt... Sermon for St. James Lutheran

St. James Lutheran Sanctuary, Hanford, California

John 20:19-31 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin[a]), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe[b] that Jesus is the Messiah,[c] the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

You ever hear that joke about two men who walk into a bar?    Yeah… you’d think the second one would have walked around it after the first one ran into it…

Oldie but a goodie…

You know, sometimes we humans have the most fun laughing and pointing at someone who has done something embarrassing that we would certainly have done if we had had the opportunity, don’t we?  A mis-step, a foolish question… when all the time… we know… we would have done the same if we had gotten there first.  It’s that little questionable side to us that loves slapstick comedy.  And I’ll laugh as hard as anyone. 

And Thomas – he’s all that.  You’ve just got to feel bad for the guy!  For two thousand years, people have been pointing and laughing at him for wanting something that all of his friends had already gotten.  Proof.  The word in the text isn’t really even “doubt” but a verb “unbelieving” – yet start to type the word “doubt” into Google and “doubting Thomas” is the first automatic thing that pops up.  Add to that the blessing for those who believe without sight and wow do we get to feel smug on top of it all!

Yeah… It’s pretty great. 

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Risen Savior; Amen

So we know Thomas’ reputation and have had our little bit of entertainment at his expense… but who was he, really?  Does the book of John tell us any more about Thomas?

The first time John speaks of him is in chapter 11 – the story of Lazarus.  Starting with verse 5:

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.  Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”  The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”  Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”  After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”  The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”  Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”  So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Thomas sees this situation plainly.  It seems, from early on, he knows where this bus is headed.  He decides to stay on, and tells his fellow disciples that they should, too.  Thomas is a realist, but he isn’t a coward.  He has made the decision that following Jesus, even to death, is better than not being with him.

The next time we hear from Thomas is in chapter 14 – when Jesus tells his disciples that he is the Way.  Starting with verse 1:

 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.  And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.   From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Again, Thomas is demonstrating that what he wants, what he most desires, is to be with Jesus.  He doesn’t care if the others aren’t asking the hard questions, he’s going to, so he can be sure of his ability to be where Jesus is, to follow him regardless of where he is headed.

With this in mind, I think it’s important also to consider where Thomas isn’t.  When Jesus first appears to the disciples, they are hiding in fear behind a locked door.  They’re afraid of the people that killed Jesus – they are afraid that they might be next.  We have Thomas’ story of needing proof because he isn’t there with them – does he refuse to hide out?  Is he going on with his life?  Is he trying to carry on Jesus’ mission, tell his stories?  We don’t know what he’s doing, but we do know that he isn’t in their hiding place. 

Later they tell him their story – and really, he just wants what they have had.  He wants to be in the presence of Jesus again.  He says so with a little bit of hyperbole for emphasis, to be sure!  But if we listen carefully we can hear the longing behind the words, can’t we? 

He stews in that for eight days.  Eight days.  Can you imagine?  Eight days of feeling that he missed the opportunity.  Eight days of wondering if the other disciples were just wishfully thinking or if it could actually be true.  Eight days, maybe, of hanging with these yahoos behind closed doors in the hopes that Jesus shows up again.  Thomas isn’t going to miss it this time. 

And then He’s there.  No knock, just present, standing among them – Jesus IS the door, how could a lock mean anything to him?  He says “peace to you,” and then tells Thomas he can do whatever he needs to do in order to believe.  But Thomas doesn’t do anything.  He simply confesses the strongest statement of faith found in John’s Gospel:  “My Lord and my God.” 

Doesn’t seem like much of a doubter to me. 

So now that we have repaired the reputation of our guy Thomas – what does all this have to do with us? 

I think Jesus, and then John, both answer that question almost immediately.  Jesus says to Thomas “You have believed because you have seen me?  Blessed are those who believe without having seen.” 

This is sometimes read as a rebuke to Thomas, but I don’t think it is.  Mary saw him and didn’t believe until she heard his voice.  The other disciples didn’t believe her, but believed when they saw Jesus.  Others believed when they ate with him.  Jesus seems to be okay with his disciples believing because they trust their senses – sight, hearing, taste – but he knows that there will come a time when the experience of Jesus Christ will not always be a sensory thing for believers.  So he gives an extra blessing to us who believe without having seen. 

And then, just in case we didn’t get it, John drives the point home.  These things are written in this book in order that the people who read it might believe – and because of that belief, have life in the name of Jesus. 

We’re not so different from the disciples Jesus appeared to.  We were told by someone else that had experienced Jesus.  For some of us, that was our parents or another family member; for some it was a trusted friend – and then some of us have had our own experiences and some of us are still waiting for them.  But, like Thomas, we are here because we long for that relationship, we long for that experience, and we long for the life that Jesus offers us. 

The promise of this text is that Jesus will keep showing up, keep taking us to the next level of our faith.  In some ways, the tough questions, the desire to experience Jesus and his resurrection are not really doubts – they are not the absence of faith but an integral and important part of faith.  We all have experiences that lead us to question God’s presence, God’s goodness, God’s promises.  Being faith-filled people doesn’t mean we don’t have questions.  It means we live with the tension of them, and allow Jesus to hold us through these questions. 

We don’t have to have it all figured out.  We don’t have to have it all figured out in order to come to church and be a part of a community of faith; we don’t have to have it all figured out to help someone in need; we don’t have to have it all figured out to feed someone who is hungry – and we don’t have to have it all figured out in order to tell others of our experience with Jesus and with our community of faith. 

Jesus shows up ---

Jesus shows up, and then, Jesus sends us out – just as he did the disciples; “as the father sent me, I am sending you.”  What we do with our experience of Jesus matters.  This is true of us as individuals and it is incredibly, vitally true of us as a group, as a church. 

I know that right now this is a church without a pastor.  And I know that it is difficult and those difficulties break my heart – I’m not here all the time but I love this congregation and I pray for this community every day; that you will find a pastor that can lead this church. 

But that being said, and acknowledging that reality of being a church without a pastor -- what you are NOT is a church without a mission.  You have that mission direct from Jesus in this passage:  As the father sent me, I am sending you.  To serve, to heal, to feed, to forgive, and to tell the next in the line of believers so they too can experience Jesus, can believe and therefore share in His life. 

How are you as a church succeeding in that mission?  What is getting in the way?  These are important questions, not just for this church, but for every individual and every group of believers.  But particularly, at a moment in time filled with so much potential, it is an opportunity for this community of faith to zero in on strengths to build on and roadblocks to remove.  I don’t know what those are as well as you do.  But what I do know is that you are called, you are sent, and Jesus does not send you without giving you what you need to accomplish the mission.  This church is not a community hiding behind a locked door.  This church is a community that has been given the Holy Spirit, with the special blessing of not having seen and yet having believed. 

Like Thomas, some of that mission may be to ask the tough questions and commit to following when the road looks incredibly difficult and risky – but as we ask them and make that commitment, we may find that Jesus shows up among us. 

We may find that Jesus shows up in such a definitive way that, like Thomas, our only possible response is our own confession of faith: “My Lord and my God” – and through that belief, together have new life in his name. 

Amen

Prayers for Today: August 12, 2018

Almighty God, keeper of promises and giver of life, we bring to you this day our hopes, our fears, our deepest desires and greatest anxieties, as well as the ordinary moments of our days in which you are also found.

 

Lord, you have promised that your heart is open to those who are distant from you, and that your loving arms are around each of your children.  We ask in this prayer that your presence become known to those who are distant from you who need your love and friendship and that you would give us courage to speak your love to those who need it most.  

Lord, you have promised that in you is help and healing and wholeness.  We ask in this prayer for your restoration upon all those who are hurting in body, mind, and spirit.  Grant them your peace as they await your healing. 

Lord, you have promised us that the restoration brought about by Jesus Christ will be over all creation.  We ask in this prayer that we could see this, God.  We ask for an end to wildfires and other environmental devastation.  Give us to the courage to see how we have failed to be stewards of your world, and help us to repent and learn to live in balance with creation.   

Lord you have given us public servants who stand in harm’s way in order to protect us.  We ask in this prayer that you would hear our gratitude for firefighters, law enforcement officers, emergency aid workers, and federal agents.  For what we see and what we do not see that happens to assist and to prevent harm to us and our families, we give you thanks.  We ask for your protection over all these individuals as they seek to live lives of integrity and service.

Lord, you have asked us to honor you with the renewal of our minds.  We ask in this prayer that you would bless and protect all those who re-enter the world of education these weeks.  We ask that you would give students minds that are open and excited to learn, teachers patience and passion, administrators wisdom and justice, support staff dedication and a sense of humor.  And Almighty God we are bold to ask your divine protection over all the schools in our community.  Keep them from harm, Lord.  Thwart those who would disrupt our schools with threats or outright violence.  Keep our places of learning places of your peace.  

 Lord you know our hearts, our thoughts, and our lives:  our unspoken burdens are laid out before you.  We ask that you hear us when we feel unheard, that you comfort us in our griefs both large and small, and your presence will be clear to us when we feel alone.

We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen.  

Sunday... Palm Sunday Sermon on Mark 11:1-11

Palm Sunday – Mark 11:1-11

Mark 11:1-11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

11 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
    Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10     Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

When my kids were small, and wouldn’t go to sleep when any lights were on, I started making up stories at bedtime so I could tell them in the dark instead of needing light to read.  I told them stories about Riddle the Rainbow Cat, Coyote Sister, and Star Quilts – I told them stories about girls and boys that were just about their ages and just about their sizes on incredible adventures.  But their very, very favorite stories were the ones I made up about superheroes.  Stories with clear villains and clear purveyors of good.  Superior strength, intellect, creativity, and moral fortitude won the day – sometimes in the final seconds, sometimes with disappointing haste, if I was tired – but always with flourish and decisiveness. 

We love a good superhero, don’t we?  Someone to storm the gates, brandish a sword, mount a prancing steed with arched neck and rippling muscles beneath a glowing coat, and come into the city to greet an adoring crowd, cheering and blessing the king, the savior. 

We are told by historians that this is exactly what happened in

Jerusalem on the day we’re considering today.  A huge parade, shining swords and armor, a display of power and might that was almost magical for crowds that cheered the incoming king.  It sounds amazing, doesn’t it?  Exciting.  Proof that there is someone we can count on, believe in, that will lead us to a better day. 

The problem here is that this isn’t our king.  This is Pilate, entering the west gate with the military with the intent of maintaining order in Jerusalem.  Our king is entering the east gate, on an immature, gangly, unimpressive colt, with a few cloaks and branches and a group of people – many people, perhaps, but not a “crowd,” or a “multitude” -- that isn’t really addressing him specifically, but is chanting about the upcoming kingdom of David.   Our king is kind of a mess in comparison to the glory that is coming in the west gate.  Where will he lead us?

 

Grace and peace to you from God our Creator and Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior – Amen

It is true that there are echoes of messianic prophecy in this account –  educated Jews hearing the story would certainly hear the words of the prophet Zechariah in their memories:  “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king coming unto you; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon a donkey, even upon a colt, the foal of a donkey” (9:9)– but in many ways this moment seems to be more Jesus making a point against people’s expectations.  Is he calling our attention to the difference?  He knows that he is leading no one to a military victory – he is on his way to the cross, and that’s where he is leading. 

Even the people in the crowd following Jesus toward Jerusalem don’t seem to be cheering for the person actually there.  They are cheering for the re-establishment of the Kingdom of David – a military victory.  They are not seeing that this man in front of them is not that kind of a warrior. 

I think that this moment has a lot to show us about humanity and the situation we find ourselves in.  We want someone to follow, someone who gives us hope for the future.  This is a real human need, even for the most independent people.  But we have a weakness there, too:  sometimes we don’t clearly see the one who we are following.  That can mean we are following the wrong person and don’t realize it – it can also mean we are following the right person but don’t clearly know what that person stands for. 

Maybe this crowd outside Jerusalem wanted what a lot of us want – just look at the box office numbers of superhero movies! 

They wanted a leader that was dynamic and powerful.  They wanted to hold him up and live vicariously through him.  “Look how great we are because this is our leader!” 

But did you notice that by the time Jesus gets to the temple everyone is gone but the twelve?  This crowd only follows him to the gate  -- after that, things might not be so fun.  They might be making a commitment that has consequences.  They’re out.

This crowd wants a shiny and powerful superhero to cheer for, but not necessarily one that encroaches upon their lives.  When it might not be palm branches and cloaks any more, it’s time to drift away.   What do you suppose people in that crowd were thinking?  Did they just get scared?  Or did it become apparent that Jesus wasn’t what they expected him to be?  What do we do when Jesus fails to meet our expectations?  When we find that he expects us not to follow him into battle but into service and sacrifice?  When we find that he doesn’t just love us and the people we are comfortable with?  Maybe people we don’t think are worthy of him?  Maybe people who we’d rather just stayed invisible?

This whole Palm Sunday event – it encapsulates the upside-down, failing to meet our expectations nature of the kingdom of God.  It takes what we learn from the world and how it works and shows us instead a vision of a kingdom where all that power, wealth, spectacle; the superhero stunts and the great costumes are just not important.

What’s important is the young colt, the itinerant preacher without any wealth, and the shunned

people he shows us how to care for. 

This Jesus – he is constantly challenging our perceptions and our expectations.  The question is whether we will follow him into the uncertainty and re-evaluations of our values and our priorities or if we won’t.  I keep thinking about the silent character in this story that still figures so centrally – the unbroken colt. 

Has anyone worked with horses?  If you have you know that horses have an instinctual need to keep their footing.  I’ve had fully trained, steady animals get their whole brains twisted up because they stepped on a branch on a trail wrong and felt precarious.  New footing of any kind can just freak them out.  But here is this colt who has never been ridden, asked to step across cloaks and palm branches – and, presumably, he does it, because I think if Jesus had been bucked off and the colt had gone running back to where it can from, that might have made the story!

You could make the argument that this colt knows his creator and has perfect trust, and I would agree with you.  But, maybe, just maybe, this colt is also a symbol – a symbol of the precarious footing inherent in a life in Jesus’ kingdom, and the right way to handle it.    

Do we react like the colt?  With trust and forward motion, even when the ground seems unstable and what we thought was secure is shaken?  Or do we react with disappointment, despair, or even rejection?  Maybe.  Maybe all of these things in no particular order. 

But the good news is, Jesus knows all of these thoughts, all these reactions, and chooses you for his kingdom regardless.  This upside-down kingdom is for you in all your realness, messiness, enthusiasm or doubt.  This kingdom is not convenient, and our king is not a figurehead.  Jesus is present.  Jesus will stir us, Jesus will not leave us alone to just live our lives. 

Why?  Because what Jesus Christ brings to humanity in this upside-down kingdom is not superhero power but weakness.  Not the type of weakness that is the opposite of strength, but the weak-at-the-knees feeling when you encounter someone you love absolutely desperately.  When you would do anything – really, anything -- to live out your love for them and bring them new life.  This is what Christ brings to us.  This is what Christ brings to the cross. 

Pontius Pilate, the soldiers with him, the cheering crowds, and the glamorous horse he rode in on are long dead.  That’s the bitter truth of the kings of this world.  If we set our hearts and souls on them, we will be stuck in a perpetual Good Friday of death.

The crowd outside Jerusalem was stuck in that thinking, perhaps – but what they missed is that God’s vision is so much bigger than that.  God’s kingdom may be upside-down but it is about the future, not a re-enactment of the glory of the past.  That’s still just Friday.  But with our king – Sunday is coming.  Friday may be a day filled with sin and despair, but Sunday is coming with forgiveness and salvation.  Friday may be a day of darkness where we cannot see our way forward, but Sunday is coming, with light and healing of our blindness.  Friday may be a day of grief, but Sunday is coming with hope.  Friday may be a day of death – but Sunday is coming, with resurrection and the life. 

Our upside-down king is a Sunday king.  May we be Sunday people. People of incredible hope, people of unbelievable mercy and forgiveness, people living out their resurrection every single day. 

Amen

Prayers for Today... on Thought and Memory... July 29, 2018

God of Remembering, you ask us to love you with all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind.  We ask in this prayer for clarity of thought and memory, that we may remember your goodness to us and in turn remember others.    

Lord, we pray for those who are distant from you, and those who do not know you.  We lift to you all who need your saving help and friendship.

We pray for all those who are in need of your healing in mind, body, and spirit.  Remind us that when we care for the sick, we care for you. 

Loving God, in the communion of Christ, we are joined with the sufferings of all. Be with those who are enduring the effects of the fires which are burning in our area of witness and service. Protect those in the path of danger. Open pathways for evacuation and shelter. Help loved ones find one another in the chaos. Provide assistance to those who need help. Let your love be made known in those who seek to bring order in the chaos. Help us to shoulder the burden of suffering, and make us bearers of the hope that is your healing gift.*

Our Heavenly Creator, you have given us reminders all around us, as all creation tells of your glory.  Help us to remember that the earth and the creatures on it are under our care, a trust given to each of us by you in creation.  May we take this responsibility into our hearts and minds and act upon it in love.  

Lord we ask your blessing upon our community of faith, and we ask that you look with favor and be gracious to our guests, members, and leadership.  May the love of Christ compel all us to turn out of ourselves and be ever increasingly mindful of others.  

  

We ask all these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Amen. 

*Italicized section from the ELW Armed Services Prayer Book, distributed this week to the Sierra Pacific Synod of the ELCA by Bishop Mark Holmerud in response to wildfires throughout California.