Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Psalm 146:1
Rally Day! Sunday, September 8, 2024
Pastor’s Thoughts:
I am frightened. I am sad. I am angry. I am overwhelmed. I am confused. I am weary.
Why? Because I am a citizen of the world in the 21st century, and it seems that everywhere I turn there are wars and rumors of wars, famine, death from diseases that are preventable or curable, unimaginable and unconscionable poverty, violence, aggression, indifference, misunderstandings, abuse, and terror.
Our world is continually under siege, as people from this and every country harbor suspicions against one another, engage in acts of violence and aggression, abuse one another and the creation with which God has entrusted us, talk past each other (if they talk at all), and hurl epithets and insults … even as many go to bed each night without shelter, food, or healthcare. It is not hard to sense evil all around.
And yet …
I can still be comforted. I can still find hope: for justice, for peace, for equality, for mercy, for compassion, for meaningful and productive conversation between world leaders—without posturing and power-seeking, for the needs of all to be met.
Why? Because more important than my citizenship on Earth is my identity as a child of God, an identity given to me through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is this identity that enables me to pray boldly each and every day for those I love, for the country and the world I live in and their leaders, for the Church, its people, and our witness in the world, for those around the world who are in such need, and even (perhaps especially) for those who would inflict pain or terror on others.
My identity as a beloved, forgiven child of God and my trust in God’s promises gives me hope for the future, because I know—I know—that ultimately our world is in the hands of God. And while God surely weeps at the chaos and destruction we cause and endure, God will never let us go, and the Spirit will find a way to move us to peace; even using us to bring about change and offer comfort in many and various ways.
As the saying goes, I may not know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future. Of that I am completely sure.
In Christ,
Pastor Brenda
The Readings for Sunday September 8, 2024
Isaiah 35:4-7a
Psalm 146
James 2:1-10 [11-13] 14-17
Mark 7:24-37
Please join us – Sunday Fellowship Time
In Fellowship Hall
Rally Day – September 8th – Please join us for cake in Fellowship Hall!
A One Question Bible Quiz
Bob Haaf
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Fill in the blank: When Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom _________we go? You have the words of eternal life.” John 6:68
Choose one: Shall Will Would Could Can
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The Gospel reading for August 25 was John 6:56-69, and verse 68 in the bulletin included the word can, “Lord, to whom can we go?” However, if I’m correct [something that happens now and again] the more familiar version is, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” Confusing? What now? Obviously─consult the World Wide Web.
The website biblegateway.com offers 62 English translations of the New Testament. They include five different alternatives for John 6:68: shall (31 translations), would (15), can (8), will (5), and could (3). Now what? Obviously─consult the World Wide Web again.
The Gospel of John was originally written in Greek. So, consulting the WWW again, we find the word apeleusometha (απελευσόμεθα), which is translated as “we are released” or “we will be freed.”
Still confusing? Yes, but….Carefully consider the various translations before you fill in the blank, BUT don’t miss the really important question, which is. How will you respond when Jesus asks you the question He asked the twelve: “Do you also wish to go away?”
Fall Adult Class:
As we journey together as Christians and Americans toward the 5 November elections, let’s take this opportunity to talk about how we can best engage with each other and the community around tough issues.
The Adult Class will begin a six-week study on the ELCA’s Civic Life and Faith document on 8 September (Sunday) and 11 September (Wednesday). Each week, these two options for the class will study the same materials so that if you miss Sunday, you can join on Wednesday.
Schedule:
8/11 September: Session 1
15/18: NO CLASS—Pastor on vacation
22/25 September: Session 2
29 Sept/2 Oct: Session3
6/9 October: Session 4
13/16 October: Session 5
20/23 October: Session 6
The Sunday class meets at 8:15 a.m., and the Wednesday class meets at 6:00 p.m. Both sessions meet in Room 3.
The Civic Life and Faith document will be available on 25 August so that you can read Session 1 in advance.
Sent in by Bob Haaf
Why do we shrink from change? What can come into being save by change?
~Marcus Aurelius
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
It’s an ill plan that cannot be changed.
~Latin proverb
I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.
~Sara Teasdale
The old order changeth, yielding place to new, and God fulfills himself in many ways.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson
from Inspired by Faith Word Search
Meditation
by Vicar Dave
Have you ever read Gulliver’s Travels? One of the peoples he met called themselves that “Big Endians”. They were at war with another group called the “Little Endians”. As I recall the story, this war had been going on for several years prior to Gulliver’s arrival in Lilliput. The source of this war was the insistence of one group that the only proper way to break a hard-boiled egg is at the big end, and the insistence by the other group that it needed to be broken at the little end. Can you imagine people going to war over something so frivolous as that?
Sometimes, we get so stuck in our ways about small things, we probably look like the Lilliputians to others. We get pretty attached to our traditions and our habits, and sometimes traditions can be a good thing. When they get in the way of advancing our ministry, that can be bad.
Change is a part of life, but it can be frightening. Just ask Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof. His world was changing all around him. From his daughters defying tradition and marrying the men that they loved instead of the men Tevye had picked for them, to them being forced from their homes by the government. In order to survive, Tevye had to adapt to the changes in his life, whether he wanted to or not. Change is necessary for both growth and survival. One of the biggest inhibitors to change is the phrase “but we’ve always done it this way”.
Changes have been happening in the world of Christians since the very beginning. The ways we worship, the songs we sing and the styles of music we use have all changed dramatically over the centuries. Followers of The Way, as Christian used to be called, used to meet almost exclusively in their homes to worship. This was due in part to the fear of prosecution by the local authorities. As Christianity began to gain acceptance, they began to worship in public, eventually building beautifully ornate churches as their houses of worship. Then the Reformation came along, and people started changing the way they worshiped again. Some felt that the elaborate churches were too much and that we should be focused on loving our neighbors instead of building big churches.
Throughout its history, the Christian community has had to adapt to its changing circumstances, but the message has always been the same. That message being that Jesus came to the Earth to teach us and to offer us the gift of His grace and salvation. As we adapt to how the world is changing around us, will we find ways to change and grow or will we stick our feet in the sand saying things like “but we’ve always done it this way”? I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us to make changes that are good for us and for the world. Thanks be to God.
Sept 1 was T-shirt Sunday Here are some of the T-shirts – thanks Bob Haaf!!
YOU CAN HAVE PEACE AMID THE WAVES
A Breath Prayer Meditation
Breathe Deep and Know: You can experience God’s peace even in the fiercest storms.
Think of your heart and mind like a boat. A boat floats because of its buoyancy – the balance between the boat’s weight pushing down and the force of the water pushing up.
In a storm, as the waves crash against the boat, it stays afloat as long as it doesn’t take on too much water or tip too far. The boat must maintain balance.
A low center of gravity helps keep the boat stable even in high and heavy waves.
The stresses you experience are like the waves that rock the boat of your heart and mind as you navigate the waters of life. And God’s peace is like that center of gravity, a balancing, buoyant force holding your little boat steady as it’s tossed about on the waves of fear, anxiety, and difficult circumstances. His peace guards your boat from filling with too much water, keeping the waves from capsizing you.
It may seem impossible – a little boat staying afloat in a severe storm. But a boat remains steady not because of the size of the waves, but because of its stable center. You can have peace in the middle of your biggest storms when the Person of Christ is at the center of your life.
From Breath as Prayer by Jennifer Tucker
And the Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 ESV
Inhale:
Guard my heart and mind
Exhale:
With your indescribable peace.
Church in the Wild
What exactly is Church in the Wild?
It is for folks who want to use creative ways to connect with God outdoors.
There is a reading or two and a “sermon” reading.
Imagine worshipping God in a park and honoring God through nature.
You are not worshipping within four walls. Suddenly you are out in the open – feeling God’s love through the wind, the sun, the birds, and, even the sprinkles and flakes.
Imagine others with you sharing God’s love and that connection to God through nature and being outside.
Imagine a peaceful stroll, listening to the trees, the birds, and nature, thanking God for the beauty you see and hear around you!
Add a scripture reading, and a short “sermon” reading.
Imagine sharing the peace with those who are worshipping with you.
Imagine being in peace.
That, my friends, is Church in the Wild.
**Second Saturday Wild Church Gathering
Saturday, September 14th
Wildwood Preserve Metroparks (Rain or Shine)
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Please enter at the main entrance and follow the road to the parking lot BEFORE the playground (second parking lot)
Look for the “Wild Church Gathering” sign.
Please bring a chair and wear comfortable shoes.
We hope you will join us!
***ALL ages are welcome! ***
**Second Saturday Wild Church Gathering is led by Nancy Lockard.
This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
~Psalm 118:24
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