Author: breenmarie

Advent 1: Zechariah

Here are the complete resources for week one (the First Sunday in Advent) of our Jesus’ Birth from A to Z series.

Get the entire Advent-Epiphany Daily Devotion Book here: https://pbsipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/jesus-birth-a-to-z-devotion-books-2019-pdf.pdf

Weekly Reflective Coloring Page

Weekly Bible Story

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold:  Luke 1:5-25 NRSV

5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

8 Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” 19 The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”

21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondered at his delay in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he could not speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”

Daily Questions & Prayers

Sunday:  Read Luke 1:5-7

Have you ever prayed for a miracle?  What are some impossible things that God has done for you?

Lord God, I know that you can do miraculous things.  Make the impossible possible, so that all may know your power.  Amen.

Monday:  Luke 1:8-10

What do you pray about?  What do you hope for when you come to a worship service at church?  What do you think God desires from our worship?

Dear Lord, you are worthy of worship and praise.  Help me to remember to honor you, on special days and every day.  Amen.

Tuesday:  Read Luke 1:11-13

Describe a time when you have been afraid.  What or who helped you to get through that scary time?  Does it make a difference to know that God is with you in times of fear?

Dear Jesus, I know that you show up when I am afraid.  Help me to know that you are with me, no matter what. Amen.

Wednesday:  Read Luke 1:14-16

Have you ever had a time in your life when you were tempted to do something wrong, and then turned away from doing it?  Have you ever helped someone else to get back on the right path?

God of all, I thank you that you lead me and guide me.  When I stray, help me to turn around, to turn always toward you.  Amen.

Thursday:  Read Luke 1:17-19

Have you ever been told that you were too young or too old for something?  What did that experience feel like?  What age of people do you think God likes to use?

Dear God, I thank you for the age that I am.  Help me to do the impossible with the wonderful gifts you have given to me.  Amen.

Friday:  Read Luke 1:20-22

Have you ever had a time when you were unable to speak?  What about a time when you took the time to listen?  What would it be like to not be able to speak for nine months?

 (Instead of using words in your prayers today, take the time to take five deep, slow breaths and listen for God to speak.)

Saturday:  Read Luke 1:23-25

Have you ever had a time when people changed their opinion about you for the better?  What about when your opinion was changed about someone else?  What do think God’s opinion was?

Dear Jesus, you know our hearts.  Help me to look past the surface and give everyone the benefit of the doubt.  Amen.

The Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost: November 17, 2019

Focus Verse:

[Jesus said,] “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” (Luke 21:6 NRSV)

Dig Deeper Weekly Devotions

For Kids: https://lessonplansthatwork.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/07/LPTW-Proper-28C-All.pdf

For Families: https://lectionarydoodles.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/its-the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-and-i-feel-fine-rem-luke-215-19-pentecost-26-ordinary-33-c/

For Youth: https://cmlfaithformation.weebly.com/first-light/november-11-2019-words-and-wisdom

For Adults: https://www.saltproject.org/progressive-christian-blog/2019/11/13/new-heavens-new-earth-salts-lectionary-commentary-for-twenty-third-week-after-pentecost

See & Hear the Word

The Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost: November 10, 2019

Focus Verse:

Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:36 NRSV)

Dive Deeper Weekly Devotions

For Kids: https://rfour.org/childrensmessage_c_50.html

For Families: https://lectionarydoodles.wordpress.com/2016/11/03/the-divine-connection-between-us-luke-2027-38-pentecost-25-ordinary-32/

For Youth: https://cmlfaithformation.weebly.com/first-light/november-4-2019-minutia

For Adults: https://www.saltproject.org/progressive-christian-blog/2019/11/5/whats-resurrection-for-salts-lectionary-commentary-for-twenty-second-week-after-pentecost

See & Hear the Word

image credit: “Fire” by tristanf on flickr.com

All Saints Sunday: November 2, 2019

Focus Verse:

I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, ​do good to those who hate you. Luke 6:27 (NRSV)

Dive Deeper Weekly Devotions

For Kids: https://lessonplansthatwork.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2013/07/LPTW-All-Saints-C-Intergenerational.pdf

For Families: https://www.jellytelly.com/blog/the-fruit-of-the-spirit-a-new-5-minute-family-devotional-plan

For Youth: https://cmlfaithformation.weebly.com/first-light/october-28-2019-the-golden-rule

For Adults: http://www.davidlose.net/2016/11/all-saints-c-saintly-vulnerability/

See & Hear the Word

Thankfulness: Dwelling in the Word November 2019

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“Thanksgiving Cornucopia” by paullew on flickr.com 

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 (NRSV)

1When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, 2you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. 3You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, 5you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. 6When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, 7we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.  8The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; 9and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. 11Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.

ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:

What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text? What do I have questions about?

This is a celebration of harvest text, and will be our Old Testament reading for Thanksgiving this year.  One thing that is challenging to me as I read this is that I can sometimes be proud of my own accomplishments, especially when I have worked hard to achieve them, and I can forget that its source is God.  God is the one who gives me strength to persevere.  God is the one who opens my heart and mind to understand and care.  God is the one who gives the growth.  We live in a culture that glorifies personal accomplishment, and this text flies in the face of this.  To whom do you owe your strength?  Your accomplishments?  Your wealth?

What delights me in this text? What is my favorite part, and why?

One thing that I love about this text is the reminder that I stand in the long line of history.  I grew up hearing the story of my great-grandmother’s immigration to the U.S., alone, when she was only 16.  Her courage and desire for a better life made a better life for my grandmother, and my mother, and for me and my children.  Where do you stand in your family’s history?  For what in the past are you thankful?  What are you hoping for the future?

What stories or memories does this text stir up in me? How does this story connect to my life?

When I was a child, Kirby Puckett was a famous player for the Minnesota Twins.  I remember that, each time that he came up to bat, he crossed himself and pointed to heaven.  He was an example to me of public praise and thankfulness to God, and helped me to be a little bit more brave about showing my own thankfulness in public.  Who has helped to encourage you in your faith?  For what do you have to give thanks?

What is God up to in this text? What is God calling me to do or to be because of this message? 

November is beginning, and, with it, the cultural race through the holidays.  Maybe we all need a t-shirt that says “Thankful! Thankful?  Thankful.”  Sometimes, it seems others are ordering us to be thankful, when we just don’t feel like it.  Sometimes, we wonder if we really have anything of substance to be thankful for.  And sometimes, just sometimes, our daily practice of thankfulness leads to an underlying attitude of gratitude, which lead to the joy which is not happiness, but which sustains us in the long haul.  I am looking forward to diving into this text with you this month.

In Christ, Pastor Breen

Reformation Sunday: October 27, 2019

Focus Verse:

If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
​(John 8:36 NRSV)

Dive Deeper Weekly Devotions

For Kids: http://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=14552

For Families: https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2016/10/27/reformation-day-celebration/

For Youth: http://www.janelleknutson.com/2015/10/15/reformation-day-activities/

For Adults: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/world-history/renaissance-and-reformation/protestant-reformation/v/protestant-reformation-1

See & Hear the Word

Healing: Dwelling in the Word October 2019

namaan

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c (NRSV)

1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”
8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” 11But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. 13But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
15a-cThen he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.”

ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:

  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text? What do I have questions about?

In the last month, my family and I have spent a lot of time being sick.  It’s back to school time, and everyone shares all their germs with everyone, and before you know, everyone is sick.  I have to admit that when we are sick, going to the doctor is kind of a last resort.  If there is no fever, or acute symptoms, we treat with rest and fluids and more rest.  When we do go to the doctor, we expect the doctor to DO something.  I can empathize with Naaman in this respect.  He decides to take drastic action by going to a miracle worker of his enemies, and Elisha won’t even meet him?  And all he has to do is wash in the Jordan 7 times?  Sometimes, something so simple is hard to believe.

  1. What delights me in this text? What is my favorite part, and why?

I have two favorite parts of this text.  First, I love that the solution comes from an outside source.  This very powerful man is cured because of the advice of a captive Israelite girl, and encouraged into the cure by other servants.  It reminds me to listen to unlikely sources when I am stuck, and to hear the voice of God from unlikely messengers.

My other favorite part is that the cure is so simple.  Namaan doesn’t have to do anything special or hard or painful to be cured.  Elisha calls on God’s power, and it is freely given.  Isn’t it amazing that God works through ordinary things, and offers help and hope and healing, to everyone, regardless of creed or origin?

  1. What stories or memories does this text stir up in me? How does this story connect to my life?

When was a time in your life when you got good advice or encouragement from an unexpected source?  When was a time when the cure was unexpectedly easy?  When was a time when you sat back and thought, “Whoa!  God really is good!”?  This story reminds me of the many times that I have sat in meetings and someone presented an amazing solution that I had never considered before.  I give thanks for those times, and the way the God speaks through sometimes unexpected sources.

I also remember times when my doctor couldn’t give me a quick fix, and I felt frustrated, tired, and scared.  I am so grateful for the support of tireless medical professionals, family and friends during difficult times.  They are the ones that keep putting me back in the ring, and help me to persevere, even when things are really hard.

  1. What is God up to in this text? What is God calling me to do or to be because of this message?

God is working all over this text, right?  My take-away this time is to give medical professionals a break, to accept good advice from unexpected sources, and to support those who find themselves in frustrating situations.  Where is God calling you?  As always, I am looking forward to diving deeply with you into this text over the course of the next month.  Who knows where God might lead us into healing?

In Christ, Pastor Breen

Service: Dwelling in the Word September 2019

bushel baskets by egrodziak
“bushel baskets” by egrodziak on flickr.com CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Luke 16:1-13 (NRSV)

Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, `What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, `What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, `How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, `A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, `Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, `And how much do you owe?’ He replied, `A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, `Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes.

“Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:

  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in these texts? What do I have questions about?
  2. What delights me in these texts? What is my favorite part, and why?
  3. What stories or memories do these texts stir up in me? How do these stories connect to the story of my life?
  4. What is God up to in these texts? What is God calling me to do or to be because of this message?

God’s Work Our Hands 2019

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What will our Service Projects be this year?

This summer, the Holy Spirit has been at work providing nudges toward our service projects and Mission Festival.  Cheri Biltoft approached me in June with an idea for a Mission Festival Speaker.  Her granddaughter, Jayme Smock, had just taken a job with the Child Advocacy Center of Lincoln as a forensic interviewer.  Her work includes doing intake interviews for children in our area of the state who have been abused or have been victims of human trafficking and testifying in court about those interviews.  Cheri thought she would make a good Mission Festival Speaker, and, after talking with Jayme, I agreed.  We will not only get to host her for the Mission Festival, we will also partner with the Child Advocacy Center on God’s Work our Hands Sunday to make fleece tied blankets for those children who need to undergo an medical exam at the center.

A couple of weeks later, Crystal Krenke shared with me that she and her scrapbooking group had been to Royal Kids Family Camp, which is a camp at Covenant Cedars camp in Hordeville.  The camp is for abused and trafficked children, and the scrapbooking group goes to make scrapbooks for each child with pictures from their time at camp.  She wondered if there was a way that the Tri-Saints could partner with her group in the future, and we decided to help them on God’s Work our Hands Sunday by putting together background pages for the scrapbooks.

Through these two contacts, our God’s Work our Hands Sunday and Mission Festival topic began to take shape, and I began to realize that we had other connections to make.  When I was at the WELCA Triennial Gathering in 2017, I met a deaconess who was involved with the SOAP Project, and organization who provides bar soap to hotels with a label on the back with the hotline number, texting info, and snapchat for the National Human Trafficking Hotline.  They are a national organization based in Ohio, and on God’s Work Our Hands Sunday, we will put the labels on the soaps for the organization to distribute.

Also this summer, our Carol Joy Holling campers participated in a service project of making fleece tied blankets for those who are suffering from depression and anxiety.  I contacted the camp to see if we could continue to help with this cause, and was directed to the Linus Project of Omaha.  This is the organization to which we give the NICU quilts to be distributed to the NICU at the Med Center, but they also provide simple fleece blankets for all sorts of organizations who support child in medical need, physical need, or crisis.  We will partner with them on these type of blankets, as well.

One organization that we partner with in an ongoing basis is Lutheran World Relief.  We send kits and quilts several times per year through our women’s organizations and confirmation class.  They have recently begun receiving fleece tied blankets as well, and so some of the blankets we make on God’s Work our Hands Sunday will go there.  It is with joy and thanksgiving that we are able to help more generations to learn about this important and enduring work.

How can I help?

            Join us at the Hardy Community Hall, one block west of the church, at 9:15 AM on Sunday, September 15 with willing hands.  No experience or extra supplies are necessary, and there are projects for every age and ability.  If you like, you can also bring some supplies along:

S.O.A.P. Project:  Label soaps to be put into hotels to get hotline number into the hands of those who may be trafficked.  No supplies needed; everything will be provided.

Child Advocacy Center of Lincoln: Tied Fleece blankets for abused and trafficked children in our area of the state.  You can bring sharp fabric scissors, 1.5 yards each of a printed fleece fabric and a coordinating solid.  Walmart has a great selection of fleece already cut into 1.5 yard sections. Thanks to a grant from Tri-Saints and Thrivent, some fleece will be provided.

Royal Kids Family Camp in Hordeville, NE:  Scrapbook pages for children who have been abused or trafficked to remember their week at camp.  You can bring paper scissors and glue sticks.  All other resources will be provided.

Linus Project: Simple Fleece Blankets for Omaha area children and youth in need.  You can bring sharp fabric scissors, seam rippers, 1.5 yards of printed fabric per blanket (no solid needed).  Walmart has a great selection of fleece already cut into 1.5 yard sections. Thanks to a grant from Tri-Saints and Thrivent, some fleece will be provided.

Lutheran World Relief: Tied Fleece Blankets which go to all ages of people around the world and across the street.  You can bring sharp fabric scissors, 1.5 yards each of a printed fleece fabric and a coordinating solid.  Walmart has a great selection of fleece already cut into 1.5 yard sections. Thanks to a grant from Tri-Saints and Thrivent, some fleece will be provided.

 

We are looking forward to a great, Spirit-filled day of learning and service.  May God bless both our hands and feet as we work together to serve the Lord!

In Christ, Pastor Breen Marie Sipes