Here’s a song I wrote for Easter 5, cycle C. It works for any time that Jesus talks about love (which is alot!)
Here is the sheet music: https://pbsipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/greatest-commandment001.pdf
Here is the video with lyrics:
Here is the video with motions:
Are you ready for a new season? I know that I am! Spring may still be a few weeks away, but a new season in the church, Lent, begins on March 6th with Ash Wednesday. The Tri-Saints Worship and Music Committee, confirmation students, and I have been hard at work getting fresh, new resources ready for you, and wanted to give you a place to find all of our great resources for all ages and stages. Check it out!
What does a jingle bell, click pen, stone, binder clip, paperclip, warm fuzzy, and quarter have to do with quiet prayer? On Sundays in Lent, Quiet Lent Prayer Practices will return with all new Handheld Prayers. Our Handheld prayer satchels will contain five small objects that fit in our hands and remind us in a small, everyday way of the many options we have when we open the conversation to God in prayer.
JINGLE BELL: Praise https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2019/03/06/handheld-prayers-praise/
STONE: Confession https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/handheld-prayers-confession/
One of the promises of God in the prophet Jeremiah is this: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). During this time of growth in discipleship, we will take one of the verses of Paul’s letter to the Romans as a conversation partner and work to write it, both on our minds and our hearts. Here are the verses we will focus on:
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
https://goodgodideas.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/lenten-bookmark-reflection-romans-323/
Romans 5:8 “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
https://goodgodideas.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/lenten-bookmark-reflection-romans-58/
Romans 6:1 “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Be no means!”
https://goodgodideas.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/lenten-bookmark-reflection-romans-622/
Romans 6:22 “Now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God…the end is eternal life.”
Romans 8:25 “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Romans 10:15 “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Romans 12:5 “We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.”
Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
We continue our habit of the past several years of gathering items for Personal Care Kits for Lutheran World Relief. Please bring these items to your church in Lent; the Sunday School children and Confirmation youth will assemble them on Easter morning. Items needed include soap, bath towels, wide-tooth combs, and nail clippers (we have plenty of toothbrushes from previous years). Please consider giving out of your abundance to those who would consider these items a true miracle from God.
https://lwr.org/personal-care-kit-assembly-resources
What do name tags, colored pencils, Mission Possible Cards, Tickets to Heaven, play dough, dissolving paper, crocheted labyrinths, and glow bracelets have to do with prayer? Our confirmation students have been studying the Lord’s Prayer since Christmas, and are excited to share several prayer experiences exploring the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer with you over the course of our Lenten Midweek services. They will also be sharing their gifts of music throughout our midweek gatherings.
Ash Wednesday: https://goodgodideas.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/lords-prayer-station-1-child-of-god-nametags/
Lord’s Prayer 1st Petition: : https://goodgodideas.wordpress.com/2019/03/13/lords-prayer-station-2-names-for-god-praying-in-color/
The Parish Council has decided to designate our Midweek offering to our three county food shelves. Although we usually think of hunger during Thanksgiving and Christmas, the need persists all year. Please be generous in obeying Jesus’ command to feed our hungry neighbors, right here in our community.
The subject of our gatherings during Lenten midweek this year is Paul’s Letter to the Romans. This letter is a treasure trove of some of the deepest truths of our Christian faith, and also can be one of the most confusing. As we prepare to dive deeply into this beloved book, I offer the following passage for us to Dwell in this month: https://pbsipes.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/saved-in-hope-dwelling-in-the-word-march-2019/
If you prefer a weekly study, this is our Lenten Devotion Book from ReFrame Media:
https://pbsipes.wordpress.com/2019/03/05/pauls-letter-to-the-romans-dive-deeper-lenten-devotions/
May God strengthen us during this season of deepening faith and discipleship!
This year during Lenten Midweek services, we will be diving deeper into Paul’s Letter to the Romans from the Bible. I found a bunch of great resources to study this letter from ReFrame Media, and you can find each weekly devotion here:
Ash Wednesday: https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/we-need-a-savior
Lent 1: https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/hopeful-thanks
Lent 2: https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/united-with-christ-2014-10-26
Lent 3: https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/life-in-christ
Lent 4: https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/suffering-versus-glory
Lent 5: https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/beloved-2005-12-29
Palm Sunday: https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/transformation-information-2009-03-01
Good Friday: https://today.reframemedia.com/devotions/joumou-soup
If you would like to download the whole thing as a booklet with included coloring meditations, pick up a copy at church or find it here: Devotion Book Reframe Media
Romans 8:18-30 (NRSV)
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:
Whenever I am studying the letters of Paul, I find it helpful to break it down into small chunks, sometimes even into just words or phrases. What words or phrases tug at your ear, your eyes, your heartstrings? One sentence in this passage that I have always had a hard time with is in verse 28: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God.” It is especially hard to believe in this statement when someone we know and love is going through a rough patch. Where is the good here? Why can’t I see it? It reminds me of Joseph from the book of Genesis, and his great capacity for forgiveness to his brothers. Where do I find good, in the midst of sorrow? Where is the light of Christ, when all seems dark?
My favorite phrase in this passage was first introduced to me as a song: “The Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words to express” (vs. 26) This expression of the Spirit as a sigh connects to my practice of yoga as a prayer practice. The entire practice, including the super-bendy, more challenging movements, are animated only by breath. We breathe in, and ask the Spirit to fill us. We breathe out, and ask the Spirit to move us. Sometimes, our ability to put experiences into words fails us, and it is helpful to me to know that the Spirit moves with me, speaks for me, when the end of my words has come.
Lent is a perfect season for the practice of hope, as we see in verse 25: “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” It is hard to be patient for spring, for warmer temperatures and melting snow, for new life and the flurry of activity that that entails. My patience has certainly been tried on multiple occasions this past winter, and I am reminded in this verse that patience and hope go hand in hand.
This passage is one of the most important things that Paul ever wrote. How is it speaking to you, during this season of deepening faith and discipleship? I pray that it may come to be your friend, if even in tiny doses, as we dwell in this Word together over the next month.
In Christ, Pastor Breen
John 2:1-11 (New Revised Standard Version)
1On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:
What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text? What do I have questions about? I have always been a little disturbed by the way that Jesus seems to treat his mother in this text. She notices the situation, he responds with a sort of huffy, “Woman! It’s not the right time!” and then she forces his hand by telling the servants to do what he says. I don’t even want to consider my mother’s reaction if I called her “Woman”! I consulted a couple of commentaries on this text, and found out that what is translated here as “Woman” might more accurately be translated “Madam” or “My Lady,” a sign of respect, not disrespect. It’s good to remember once in a while that our Bible is a translation from Ancient Hebrew and Greek, and that if something seems a little fishy, it’s a good idea to as the fine Lutheran question, “What does this mean?” But what about the rest of the exchange? Why does Mary insist that Jesus first reveal his power at a wedding? Why this wedding in particular? The commentary from SALT suggested that it is important that the last, the least, and the lowly are the ones who Jesus responds to. A woman notices the need and asks Jesus to act, and the servants serving at the banquet are the first-hand witnesses of the miracle. It is not a story about the powerful asking for more power, but the lowly being lifted up by the power of God. This is who Jesus is, and so now this first sign makes a bit more sense.
What delights me in this text? What is my favorite part, and why? Once my eyes had been opened to the power dynamics in this story, I find myself more drawn to it. Each time we take Holy Communion together, we talk about the feast that never ends, where Jesus is the host, and we are the guests. What better place to reveal his power for the first time than at a wedding banquet? Like his reimagining of the Passover Meal on Maundy Thursday, this first sign also points to the place that we have reserved at the last banquet. Isaiah imagines it this way:
On this mountain the Lord of hosts
will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow,
of well-aged wines strained clear. (Isaiah 25:6 NRSV)
In the wedding at Cana, Jesus goes from guest to host, from human person to Son of God. It just makes you wonder what amazing thing might happen next, doesn’t it?
What stories or memories does this text stir up in me? How does this story connect to the story of my life? This text reminds me of the rehearsal dinner for our wedding. We had such an overabundance of food that we were giving away whole pans of meat and potatoes and side dishes to friends after the cleanup. I remember wondering why this had happened, and being a bit irritated at the wasted expense. I later learned, however, that when my husband’s brother got married they ran out of food at the rehearsal dinner, and wedding party and parents went hungry. My in-laws didn’t want to see that happen again, so they made sure to provide more than enough, and some financially strained seminary students benefited with leftovers for days. What a miracle!
What is God up to in this text? What is God calling me to do or to be because of this message? This text is the third of the three great Epiphanies that traditionally kick off the Epiphany season (the others are the visit of the wise men and Jesus’ baptism). In these Epiphanies, Jesus is revealed to be who he really is by visitors from foreign nations, by God’s own words from heaven, and to women and servants in his own neighborhood. These Revelations set up just how Jesus will continue to reveal himself during his earthly ministry, and just who he has come to serve. Where is Goes abundantly present in your life, like at the wedding at Cana? If you can’t readily answer this question (it can be a tough one), where might you look to find God at work during the rest of this season filled with revelation?
As always, I look forward to diving deeper into this text with you as we Dwell in the Word together over the course of this month. May the light of Christ shine on you and illumine your path.
In Christ, Pastor Breen
Last year, I learned that many of our people know the story of Christmas Eve, but they are a little fuzzier on all of the stories that surround this, one of the most important stories of our faith. We agreed to take a few years to fully immerse ourselves in the story, from the beginning to the end, and #jesusbirthatoz was born. In this book, you will find focus images, Bible stories, prayers, and questions for the ten weeks spanning Christ the King Sunday, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Baptism of our Lord. It is our hope that, by reading this old, old story from beginning to end in order, we might be both renewed and deepened in our faith during this holy season. Resources will be available in various ways. You can pick up a daily flipbook, or a weekly devotion book, or a week by week leaflet. All of our resources will also be available online, so that you can access them any time and in any place. What follows are brief character sketches of who will we meet along the way. Christ is coming soon; Come, let us adore him!
In Christ,
Pastor Breen Marie Sipes
Christ the King: Jesus is an unexpected sort of king, totally opposite of the kind of leaders that we experience here on earth. This is reflected in Mary’s Song: “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly, he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” (Luke 1:51-52) https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2018/11/23/jesus-birth-a-to-z-week-1-christ-the-king/
Zechariah (Advent 1): Zechariah is an old man who has given up on having children. Then, an angel appears and tells him that he will be the father to John the Baptist. He finds this message hard to believe, so the angel gives him nine months to think about it. He says, “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.” (Luke 1:20) https://familygodtime.wordpress.com/2018/11/29/jesus-birth-a-to-z-week-2-zechariah/
Mary (Advent 2): Mary is a young woman from the middle of nowhere. When the angel tells her that she will be the mother of the Son of God, she responds, first with questions, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34), and then with faith, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:37) This statement of faith and the belief that “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37) changes the entire course of the rest of her life.
Elizabeth (Advent 3): Elizabeth is Zechariah’s wife and Mary’s cousin. It is to Elizabeth’s house that Mary flees once she agrees to be Jesus’ mother, and at that house receives the warmest of welcomes. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” (Luke 1:42) Elizabeth cries. She celebrates the birth of a longed-for child in her baby, John, even as she welcomes the mother of the one who is to come.
Joseph (Advent 4): Joseph is the adopted father of Jesus. He is engaged to marry Mary, but they are not yet living together, when he finds out that she is pregnant. We learn that God chose Jesus’ step-father well when we learn that he is both righteous and merciful, planning to dismiss her quietly. When he dreams of an angel who explains “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 1:20) he believes the angel, takes Mary as his wife, and claims Jesus as his own.
Shepherds (Christmas): Shepherds are the last people you would expect to receive the first news of the birth of Jesus. They live out in the country, they are poor, and they are on the margins of society. And yet, God chooses the least, the last, and the lowly, to reveal God’s plan of love and forgiveness for all. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors,” sings the whole multitude of the heavenly host. (Luke 2:14). The shepherds believe, go and see for themselves, and just can’t stop telling everyone they meet about the miracle of Christmas.
Simeon and Anna (Christmas 2): Simeon and Anna are prophets who have waited their entire lives to meet Jesus face to face. When Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for the first time, they know that their life’s work is complete. “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word,” Simeon sings, “for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples.” (Luke 2:29-31). Anna shared this good news with anyone who would listen, thankful for a long life well lived, a precious hope at last fulfilled.
Wise Men (Epiphany): The wise men remind us that Jesus was not just a miracle for the people of Israel, but for the entire world. They see the sign of the star and follow, past the edge of their known world, to meet Jesus face to face. “They offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh,” (Matthew 2:11) because these people from a foreign land knew that he was king, God, and sacrifice. They bring this message to the nations, even as they return home by another road.
King Herod (Epiphany 2): King Herod is the one who is directly affected by the rumors of a new king who is not from his family. Willing to protect his throne at any cost, “he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.” (Matthew 2:16) Just before the massacre, Joseph dreams of the danger, and he, Mary, and Jesus become refugees in Egypt until it is safe to return.
Jesus’ Baptism (Baptism of Our Lord): The Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany cycle ends with the beginning of Jesus’ adult ministry and his baptism. We meet John and Jesus again, now fully grown and ready to fulfill what God had planned for them, even before they were in the womb. During Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit arrives, and God declares, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)
Luke 19:1-10 (New Revised Standard Version)
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” 9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:
What would it be like for Jesus to announce to the world that he was going to stay at your house today? “But I’m not ready!” I’d think to myself, “I haven’t had time to prepare! No mints on the pillows, no roast in the oven, no guest towels in the bathroom! What is Jesus thinking!?!” For me, all of this would kick me into Martha overdrive, and I might even miss the great blessing of Jesus’ presence and company. As we enter into this extended holiday season, what preparations are you making? How will you know when you are ready? What would it be like to consider hosting Jesus?
I am delighted by Zacchaeus’ response, probably because it would be the polar opposite of mine, and the reaction I wish I would have if Jesus showed up on my doorstep today. He was happy to welcome Jesus, and even went the extra mile of opening his heart in generosity to others. What would it be like to be someone who was happy to welcome unexpected guests? When has your heart been opened in generosity? When was a time when you knew that God was working through you?
This story makes me think of a time when I was the unexpected guest. We were in the midst of moving, and had a gap between when our moving truck left and when it was time to hit the road to our new home. We asked some friends if we could stay at their house at the last second, and although they were busy and not prepared for guests, they took us in. We dined on frozen pizza and slept in one of the children’s beds. It was not perfect, and yet it was. The accommodations mattered far less than the company, the fellowship, and the joy we took in one another’s presence. I have never been so grateful for the hospitality of others. When was a time when you were a guest? When you knew that Jesus was present in your life? When an ordinary day turned holy for you?
This is the story that we will explore together on Thanksgiving Eve and Day at our worship services. How does knowing that we will hear it on a day that we set aside for giving thanks make you receive this story differently? For me, it reminds me of the verse from Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” What if all of our hosting and guesting this season was holy instead of wholly frantic? What if we welcomed the face of Jesus when we welcomed family and friends, neighbors and strangers? What if we took the time to listen to Jesus calling our names and received that news with joy? How would our hearts and minds be changed? Just who would we become? I am looking forward to dwelling in this Word with you over the course of the month!
In Christ,
Pastor Breen Marie Sipes
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT: Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
WHAT IS THIS? OR WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
We are to fear and love God, so that we do not despise preaching of God’s word, but instead keep that word holy and gladly hear and learn it. (Luther’s Small Catechism, pg. 17)
Genesis 2:1-3 NRSV
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
Matthew 11:28-30 NRSV
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:
This fall, the confirmation students and I have been studying the Ten Commandments in Luther’s Small Catechism. When I teach the commandments to confirmation students, I am always amazed at which ones certain groups accept completely, and which ones generate more in depth struggling and discussion. This year, the Third Commandment, “Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy,” was one of these more difficult ones. First, we had to learn that the word “sabbath” means “day of rest.” Then, we learned that although Jews and Christians both practice sabbath, we do it on different days of the week (Jews practice from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, because it was the order that God made in the creation story. Christians practice sabbath on Sunday because Christ rose from the dead on the first day of the week, and we believe that this is the most important thing that has ever happened since the world began and ought to be celebrated weekly, not just once a year at Easter). Then, as good Lutheran confirmation students, they asked me “What does this mean?”
I think that practicing sabbath is tricky in this time and place because we live in a society that tells us that we are what we produce, and that a packed schedule is a badge of honor, and that the pinnacle of productiveness is to be a human doing rather than a human being. If this is the case, how do we take the sabbath commandment seriously and learn to practice it more fully?
For me, it has become the practice of Rest & Gather. What if, into our packed schedules, we scheduled some time to rest, to be instead of always doing? Our older confirmation class receives this as a gift every night when we gather and take time to breathe, to be still, and to remember to listen for God’s still, small voice. I was speaking with a shut-in last week, and she said that it is amazing how life goes in a circle. When she was small, she took a nap every afternoon. Now that she is in her later years, she finds herself doing the same. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). As reflections of God, we are created to create, and we are created to rest and to remember our creator.
We are also created to be in community with one another. As Dr. David Lose was fond of reminding us, “It is impossible to believe in the miracle of the resurrection for more than a week at a time.” We need to gather together with other followers of Jesus on a regular basis to strengthen one another, to build one another up, and to remember who we are and whose we are in a world that is constantly trying to rip those identities away. When we gather and sing the ancient hymns of faith, our faith is strengthened. When we gather and learn something new together, our connections to one another are strengthened. When we gather to listen God’s word and respond in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, we reconnect to God, who holds us all in his hands.
I invite you to be a part of our Sabbath Sunday experiment on the last Sunday of the month for the next several months. If you come to the early service, gather with us in worship first, and then plan to stay for fellowship to reconnect with family and friends, or go home and take a nap before dinner! If you come to the late service, take the opportunity of a break from Sunday School programming to spend a little more time in your jammies, a little more time with your family, a holy moment at the family breakfast table with no one rushing out the door. Then, rested and reconnected, make it a point to join us for worship in which all generations are welcome and able to participate in the worship of God and the experience of God’s Word. Let’s reclaim the sabbath together.
In Christ,
Pastor Breen
Mark 9:30-37 (New Revised Standard Version)
30[Jesus and the disciples went on] and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it;31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.
33Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”
ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:
I believe that this section of the story of Jesus is challenging because of the culture that we live in. I have been in the market for workout clothes lately, and it seems to me that every piece that I see has some sort of message about being the best, or the hardest-working, or the one who wins. We are taught win. We are expected to win. We believe that any cost is worth it, as long as we are first. Does it surprise you to know that the disciples two thousand years ago worried about this, too? It might be even more surprising to learn that this goal is not interesting to Jesus. He says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” What does this mean in today’s world? How can we, broken humans, ever hope to abandon our goal of “best” for the goal of “servant”?
I love that Jesus uses the example of welcoming a child to show what the kingdom of God looks like. Welcoming children is not always easy. They come with many wants, and needs, and disruptions. They need a lot of time and attention and love. They are noisy, and wiggly, and full of hard questions. What does it mean to us to welcome the children in our midst? Several years back, I had a young lady who discovered how much “music” she could make standing on a wooden pew with her hard-soled shoes on. She loved to dance, and did not hesitate to “make a joyful noise” during our time of worship. It was driving her mother crazy! She wanted to be in worship with her child, and knew what might happen if she tried to make her sit still for an entire service, but was so worried about the noise she was making that she could no longer worship God, and instead just endured her obligatory Sunday morning hour of torture. When she brought this concern to me, we decided that the answer might actually be simple: worship shoes. Instead of hard-soled patent leather Mary Janes, we decided to try special ballet slippers that her daughter would only be allowed to wear in worship. She could still dance and move without driving her mother crazy. And it worked! On the first Sunday that she had them, the little girl showed them off to me, saying, “Look at my special worship shoes! Now I can show God how much I love him, and still hear you talk!” We also got a mini-recital that day, and I was delighted. How might we welcome that children that we have in our midst right now? Do you think that Jesus only refers to children of a certain age, or are there other “children of God” who are more challenging to welcome, and yet important to make space for? How can we work together to do this?
This summer, my husband and I visited a small, rural church to worship on a Sunday morning. They were so surprised to see visitors that they weren’t sure what to do. We were greeted, “You are?” to which we replied, “Here to worship.” “Oh!” they said, “Let’s turn the light on for you!” Are we out of practice at welcoming the child, the widow, the orphan, the stranger? What does it mean to be welcoming? How can we minister even more fully to the children of God in our midst, whether week after week, or by pleasant surprise?
I believe that God is calling us to give up our pursuit of greatness for the pursuit of him. I believe that God is calling us to open our hearts and eyes to see those who need to be welcomed as children. I believe that this church has a place for me, and that there is always more room at the table.
I am looking forward to Dwelling in this Word with you over the course of the month; may our conversation be fruitful, indeed!
In Christ, Pastor Breen Marie Sipes
Numbers 11:4-9, 18-20, 31-32 (New Revised Standard Version)
4 The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 5 We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color was like the color of gum resin. 8 The people went around and gathered it, ground it in mills or beat it in mortars, then boiled it in pots and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. 9 When the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna would fall with it.
18…Say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wailed in the hearing of the Lord, saying, ‘If only we had meat to eat! Surely it was better for us in Egypt.’ Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall eat not only one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, 20 but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you—because you have rejected the Lord who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”
31 Then a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quails from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, about two cubits deep on the ground. 32 So the people worked all that day and night and all the next day, gathering the quails; the least anyone gathered was ten homers; and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp.
ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:
It challenges me that the people of God spent so much time complaining. Aren’t they the ones who were chosen by God, created by God to be God’s holy people? How can those whom God calls holy be such a mess? I think sometimes we think that making a new commitment to Christ means that we will become more than human, super human, perfect. Perfectly obedient. Perfectly sinless. Perfectly holy. But that’s not reality, is it? In Romans 3:23, Paul writes that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Belief is not a magic pill. Turning over a new leaf doesn’t mean that our humanity will be stripped away. It is normal, even expected, to have doubts, and fears, and times when we think we know better than God. The good news? God loves us messy people, and gives us even more that we can possibly ask or imagine.
My favorite part of this text has always been when God says that he will give the people so much of the meat that they crave that it will come out of their nostrils. The image reminds me of a time in Kindergarten when I laughed while eating tomato soup, and it came out my nose. Grossed out yet? It is gross (and it did hurt), but the idea that sometimes God answers our prayers with what WE think we need with even more that we can possibly take is reassuring to me. Sometimes, I spend so much time worrying about what I do not have, about having more than enough, that I forget to look around me and be thankful for what I do have. God was already providing manna and clean water for the people as a gift, six days per week. How could they possibly want more? And yet, they do. And so, God provides.
This story reminds me of the summer that I spent in Norway. Before I left, someone told me that if I were going overseas for any length of time, that I should bring a jar of peanut butter with me. To be clear, I didn’t even like peanut butter at that time in my life, but I decided bringing it with me couldn’t hurt, so I did. Everyday, I ate Norwegian food in homes of family friends and the school I attended. And most days, I enjoyed the experience. It was new, and novel, and fun to try to live in a way that we foreign to my own experience. Then, the Fourth of July came and went, with no celebration, no fireworks, no s’mores. And I started to long for the familiar food, faces, and language of home. And I went back to my dorm room, and dug out that jar of unused peanut butter, got a pack of crackers, and ate and ate and ate. And it tasted like home. What tastes like home for you? What do you long for? What gift has God given you that reminds you of home?
For the next month, we will be in the “Bread of Life” section of the Gospel of John. By the end of the month, it just might feel like Jesus’ words about bread will be coming out our nostrils. We may be rolling our eyes, and shaking our heads, and not-so-quietly commenting that we can’t wait until it’s over for another three years. But what if we took a new tact? What if we sank deeply into God’s abundance, and abided there awhile. What if we slowed down, and listened, tasted and savored? What if we thanked God for all the abundance, rather than complaining about excess? What if Jesus as the bread of life became the good news that we could not live without? I look forward to Dwelling in this Word with you this month.
In Christ,
Pastor Breen Marie Sipes
Tri-Saints Lutheran Parish
Byron and Hardy, Nebraska
Dwelling in the Word Together 