Book of Faith

Lent 2019 Resources

CAUTION_LENT IN PROGRESS

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!

Handheld Prayers

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/

Head and Heart Verses

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.”

Sunday Season of Hope:  LWR Personal Care Kits

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

Prayer Experiences:  The Lord’s Prayer

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/

Wednesday Midweek Offering:  Area Food Pantries

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.

Dive Deeper Lenten Study:  Romans

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!

 

Saved in Hope: Dwelling in the Word March 2019

hope by colouredglass

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:

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

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?

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

Revealed: The Wedding at Cana February 2019

john-paul-de-quay-illustartion-mysteries-of-light3

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

Unexpected Host

Climbing Trees by lapseoftheshutter
photo “Climbing Trees” by lapseoftheshutter on flickr.com

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:

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

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?

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

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?

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

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?

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

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

Like a Child

Fancy Nancy Party by skokiepl

Tri-Saints Lutheran Parish

Dwelling in the Word 

September 2018

 

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:

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

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”?

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

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?

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

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?

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

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

Overwhelming Abundance

California quail by malfet
“California Quail” by malfet on flickr.com

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:

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

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.

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

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.

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

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?

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

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

Come Away

“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”

Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 (New Revised Standard Version)

30The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
53When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

ELCA Book of Faith Devotional Questions:

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

Have you ever had one of those days?  A day where you check something off of your “to do” list, and three more things seem to be added to it?  A day where you thought it was going to be nice and easy, and things took a turn, and you didn’t even have time to eat?  Did you know that the apostles had this experience as well?  It is challenging to me that even the ones closest to Jesus didn’t have things all together.  It reminds me that proximity to Jesus doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing, or an easy life, or easy answers to the suffering of the world.  Instead, it seems that once the eyes of the apostles were opened to the need for God’s power and presence in the world, they couldn’t shut them again.  Do I really want my eyes to be truly opened, if that’s what following Jesus means?

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

I love that Jesus encourages them to “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.”  As I write this, I am preparing for our annual week at Confirmation Camp, which is an opportunity for our 5-8 graders to get away to a deserted place, if only for a few days.  I am always amazed at the growth in faith that occurs during this intense experience, and it seems that it has the opportunity to be deep and wide because we are away from the familiar.  I am hoping to help our students to appreciate the power of rest, and stillness, and mindful concentration during this year’s camp, and will keep these words of Jesus close at hand.

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

Also as I write this, I am preparing to lead our group to the National Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas.  We are being sent, from the Tri-Saints, to experience a new city, and new people, and a new sense of what it means to be church, along with 37,000 of our closest Lutheran high school friends.  I am certain that, when we return from this life-altering experience, we will have many stories to tell and experiences to share.  We will be like the apostles, all crowding in on Jesus to shatter about our encounter with God’s mighty grace and power.  I hope that you will take the opportunity to take our youth aside to a deserted place and hear their stories of renewed, refreshed, and rejuvenated faith for yourselves.

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

As I look forward to all of the experiences that are coming up this month, I pray that God will open my eyes to see how God is working in our world, country, and backyard.  I pray for rest and rejuvenation.  I pray for partners on this journey of serving the last, the least, the lost, and the lowly.  How might God be calling you?

In Christ, Pastor Breen Marie Sipes

 

Heart Promise: Dwelling in the Word March 2018

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This year during Lent, our readings from the Old Testament will focus on the five covenants, or promises, that God made with the people of Israel before the coming of Jesus.  Each covenant makes a shift in the people from past to new future that reminds us of our baptism.  This is the fifth covenant, which God makes as a future promise to Israel.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (New Revised Standard Version)
31The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: 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. 34No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

Devotional Questions from the ELCA’s Book of Faith Initiative:
What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?  What do I have questions about?

What delights me in this text?  What do I like about it?

What stories or memories does this text stir up in me?  You might remember a time when you learned something by heart, or suddenly remembered something that you had learned by heart in time’s past, for example. 

What is God up to in this text?  What is God calling you to do or to be because of this story?

Rainbow Promise: Dwelling the the Word February 2018

This year during Lent, our readings from the Old Testament will focus on the five covenants, or promises, that God made with the people of Israel before the coming of Jesus.  Each covenant makes a shift in the people from past to new future that reminds us of our baptism.  This is the first covenant, which God makes with Noah after the flood.

 rainbow near finland by lyza by nc sa 2.0

Genesis 9:8-17 (New Revised Standard Version)

8God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9“As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, 10and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. 11I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Devotional Questions from the ELCA’s Book of Faith Initiative:

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

I do not like flooding.  When my family and I lived in central Pennsylvania, flooding was an almost yearly reality.  The thing about flooding that I especially did not like was the anticipation.  When there is a tornado or snowstorm, it happens, and it is over, and then the clean up begins.  With flooding, you know that it is raining, and that it is going to flood, but you have all sorts of time to think about it, to watch it rise, to endure it, and then to watch it slowly sink back away.  It is an extremely helpless feeling, and a reminder that, ultimately you have no control.  I am challenged by the story of the flood because I know the dread that I feel in relation to flooding, and I can’t imagine having to endure a world-wide flood, especially in response to the sin of others.  I wonder how Noah’s family endured such a difficult thing.  Did it draw them closer to God?  To one another?  Did they learn that they had strength beyond what they had imagined before?

What delights me in this text?  What do I like about it?

When we lived in central Pennsylvania, most of the flooding that occurred was because of hurricanes on the coast.  As nasty as the rain, wind and flooding were, my favorite days of weather were always the day after a hurricane.  The morning would dawn sunny and clear, the air would smell clean and fresh and new, and it seemed like anything was possible.  I wonder if that’s how Noah and his family felt when they were finally released from the ark.  Were they relieved?  Did the world seem fresh and new?  Were they ready for a new start?

What stories or memories does this text stir up in me?  You might remember a time when someone made a promise to you, or you made a promise to someone else, for example.

This story reminds me to take the time to look around.  To see the rainbow, or the sunrise, or the beautiful configuration of the stars.  I am reminded to listen for the cry of the hawk, or the rushing of wind through the trees, or even the sound of sheer silence, when it feels like even nature is holding its breath and listening for God to speak.  God spoke to Noah through the rainbow, and I wonder what it was like to remember God’s voice, God’s promise, living through the flood, each time a rainbow appeared after a storm.  What was it like to be God’s people of the rainbow promise?

What is God up to in this text?  What is God calling you to do or to be because of this story?

I am looking forward to walking with you through these promises of God during Lent this year.  Together, we will remember the rainbow (Noah), the stars in the sky (Abraham), the Ten Commandments (Moses), the bronze serpent (Moses), and the law on our hearts (Jeremiah).  Together, we will listen for God’s voice calling us to baptismal remembrance.  Together, we will discover God’s call for us, here and now and in this place.  As always, I am looking forward to discovering what this old, old story has to say to us.

In Christ’s promise,  Pastor Breen Marie

Speechless: #jesusbirthatoz

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.”.png
photo by jeremybrooks on flickr.com

Luke 1:5-25 (New Revised Standard Version)

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.”

Devotional Questions from the ELCA’s Book of Faith Initiative:

What scares, confuses, or challenges me about this Bible reading?  What do I have questions about?  One thing that I have learned about myself over the years is that it is hard for me to change plans.  I identify with Zechariah, because he had resigned himself to being childless, and denied the gift when it was given to him.  This Bible reading challenges me to be open to changing my plans, and to spend more time listening when God is trying to speak to me.

What delights me about this Bible reading?  What do I like about it?  What is the good news here?  One thing I love about this Bible reading is that God is acting to bring good things into Zechariah’s life, even over and above his protests.  God desires our life, and our happiness, and all good things for us, even when we deny him.  How am I denying the good in favor of the bad, just because it is a part of my plan?

What stories or memories does this Bible reading stir up in me?  You might remember a time when you were completely surprised, or said “No” to something you wished for, or weren’t able to speak for a length of time, for example.  Those of you who know me will not be surprised to learn that the biggest surprise in my life finding out that I was pregnant with twins.  It was a blessing beyond expectation, and also one of the most difficult times in my life.  I am beyond thankful that God gifted me with a community to surround me in love, even when I was speechless during this time, both in joy and in fear.

What is God up to in this Bible reading?  What is God calling you to do or to be because of this?  Maybe it’s because we are entering Advent, a season which has always been marked by quiet contemplation for me, but I hear God reminding me to be quiet, to listen, and to believe.  Sometimes, in this over-busy, over-scheduled, over-expectation-full world, this is just exactly what we need to hear.

May God bless your work and your rest, your action and your contemplation, during this hoy season of waiting in hope!

In Christ, Pastor Breen