Raising the Roof of Faith - With God: On the Necessity of Prayer

Week 5: October 31 - November 6

Luke 11:1-13
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ 2He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father,* hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.* 3 Give us each day our daily bread.* 4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.’*
5 And he said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.” 7And he answers from within, “Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.” 8I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. 9 ‘So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for* a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit* to those who ask him!’

Commentary
Prayer is one of the hardest faith conversations we have. Prayer as practice and as concept comes with so much baggage attached to it that it is often hard to get at its deepest purposes. We learn as children the easiest of prayers -- how to kneel and hold our hands -- at dinner and at bedtime...physical actions set to prayerful scripts handed down through the generations. We learn to pray for ourselves and for others, and learn that prayer is especially warranted in times of great need. And perhaps this is the reason that there is so much disillusionment wrapped up in prayer. We pray for what we think we need and not what we really need and then are put out and discouraged when we don’t get what we want.

You have to be impressed by the disciples, though, who implore Jesus to teach them how to pray. The question isn’t, “why aren’t my prayers answered, Lord?” Instead its, “Teach me how to pray,” (e.g. What to ask for).

And Jesus’ answer is compelling. His answer has to do with the alignment of the person praying with the life of the Father and his kingdom where the kingdom is manifested fully today, God’s sufficiency is experienced today, his forgiveness is made real and alive today, and we are kept in a right relationship with the greatest purposes of God.

This hearkens to the version of the Lord’s Prayer we pray today. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
So the deepest purposes of prayer have to do with aligning our wills, minds, and hearts, with the will, mind, and heart of God...communion in the truest and deepest sense.

Prayer is not where our deepest wishes are manifest. Instead, prayer is where we as God’s children find ourselves manifest in the heart and very being of God and his purposes, and discover that there is no-thing on heaven or earth that can separate us from his real and powerful love. Ever.

Questions for Discussion
1. In Jesus’ response to the one disciple’s query on prayer, he uses an illustration of persistence to show us that the seeking of God’s heart and will I prayer is to be constant. If you struggle with regularity in prayer, what do you find is your biggest barrier to persistence? How might that barrier be overcome?
2. In your small group, share a personal story of un-answered prayer. Why do you think your prayer went unanswered?
3. In your small group, share a personal story of answered prayer. Were you able to recognize it as such at the time? Why or why not?
4. What other things do you notice in Luke’s story on learning to pray? What do you think the Spirit is saying to you? To the church?

Raising the Roof of Faith - Power of Commitment

Week 4: October 24 - 30

Mark 12:41-44a
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

Commentary
Commitment. You know, the four letter to “C” word! I believe, that we live in a culture that is commitment phobic. I believe this is the case, because commitment means accountability. And this means that there will be expectations of us. So rather than live with accountability, we run from it. Run the other direction, so that there will be no expectations of us. But our scriptures leave us no such latitude. The witness of the Bible over and over and over again is that commitment is part and parcel of faith. Anything significant that we will ever desire to do will require our utmost commitments and responsibility. These things will demand everything from us, if it really matters that much. Take the witness of this widow in the Gospel of Mark. For all of those who believe that they are giving generously, and that they are the picture of commitment, this woman walks into the treasury of the temple, gives everything she has, and puts everyone else to shame. She put them to shame, because she gives everything that she has. I wonder, if we have the same temerity and commitment that this woman demonstrates in the Gospel of Mark?

No doubt life is full of experiences that challenge our commitments. It’s just that our character gets tested when our commitment kicks into gear. It’s when we are asked to give it all, to give beyond it all, that we begin to measure the depths of our being and our passion for the thing at hand. I think that this widow, that we see in the Gospel of Mark, had to give everything she had because it was in her character to do no less. The Temple was the Temple of her God. She believed that her God deserved everything that she had, even her last few pennies.

Our commitment isn’t just a measure of our character, but also of the depth of our love. If this is true, then we should all be wowed by the depth of God’s love for us, revealed in Jesus Christ. Jesus’s commitment took him to the depths of the cross and into Hell itself for this creation and the humanity that inhabits it. You simply can’t go any lower. There will never be any greater measure of the depth of God’s love, literally, for each of us.

Questions for Discussion
1. Jesus’s observation of the widow and his interpretation of her actions challenge Jesus’s disciples. As you read the story above, what do you hear God saying to you? What do you hear God saying to our congregation?
2. In your small group, share a personal story of radical commitment. This story may be something that you personally experienced, or a story you saw demonstrated in the life of another. How did the situation you just shared grow your character? What were the ramifications for those around this incident? If the story involved you personally, how did the opportunity to show commitment change you going forward?
3. What sort of commitments do you think that we as a church could make good on that would make God very proud of us? How do our commitments as God’s people reflect the nature and character of the God we serve?

Raising the Roof of Faith - Confronting/Overcoming Adversity

Week 3: October 17 - 23

Nehemiah 4:6-23
So we rebuilt the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work.

But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they were very angry, and all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. So we prayed to our God, and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.

But Judah said, ‘The strength of the burden-bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish, so that we are unable to work on the wall.’ And our enemies said, ‘They will not know or see anything before we come upon them and kill them and stop the work.’ When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, ‘From all the places where they live they will come up against us.’ So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, ‘Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.’

When our enemies heard that their plot was known to us, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and body-armour; and the leaders posted themselves behind the whole house of Judah, who were building the wall. The burden-bearers carried their loads in such a way that each laboured on the work with one hand and with the other held a weapon. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, ‘The work is great and widely spread out, and we are separated far from one another on the wall. Rally to us wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet. Our God will fight for us.’

So we laboured at the work, and half of them held the spears from break of dawn until the stars came out. I also said to the people at that time, ‘Let every man and his servant pass the night inside Jerusalem, so that they may be a guard for us by night and may labour by day.’ So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me ever took off our clothes; each kept his weapon in his right hand.

Commentary
Adversity is a part of life. As relatively autonomous individuals between the doorposts of birth and death, we can all be assured that as we interact with the world and each other, that we will face adversity. Some adversity is external. Nature. Economic circumstances. Viruses. War. Illness. Conflict with family; your spouse, children, or parents. Other adversity is internal such as the depression and hopelessness that come as we wrestle spiritually an psychologically with our place in this world--and are tempted to let circumstances overtake and conquer our spirits. But inherent in all adversity is the opportunity to exercise the strength of our spirits, flexing the muscle of our souls, and seeing and experiencing our human capacity to overcome.

On some occasions what we face externally or internally will be greater than we can rightly handle. I know that popular spiritual wisdom tells us that God never gives us more than we can handle. But this presupposes that it is God that is giving us the adversity in the first place. I don’t believe that this assertion can stand in the light and reality of Jesus. The cross was more than he could handle. It did in fact kill him. But the revelation in the midst of the adversities of life -- even those that will take our lives -- is that God has the last word. There is no adversity you or I will ever face that is bigger than him or his unique power to overcome. This is the good news: that even when we are overcome by life and its adversity, God is still greater.

Questions for Discussion
1. If you are willing to share, identify two kinds of adversity from you own life. First identify a situation that tested and stretched you but through which your own human spirit triumphed. Next, identify an experience where your human capacities were not enough to get you through and where you had to totally rely on God. In each situation, what did you learn about yourself and you Creator?
2. Where is God when the adversity in you life is greatest? How do you know where God is in these times?
3. If life sometimes hands us more than we can handle, then how do Christ’s cross and resurrection become good news for us?

Raising the Roof of Faith - The Power of Community

Week Two: October 10-16

Nehemiah 3:1-12
Then the high priest Eliashib set to work with his fellow-priests and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set up its doors; they consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred and as far as the Tower of Hananel. And the men of Jericho built next to him. And next to them Zaccur son of Imri built.

The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah son of Hakkoz made repairs. Next to them Meshullam son of Berechiah son of Meshezabel made repairs. Next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs. Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.

Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars. Next to them repairs were made by Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite—the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah—who were under the jurisdiction of the governor of the province Beyond the River. Next to them Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. Next to them Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house; and next to him Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs. Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Next to him Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs, he and his daughters.

Commentary
There are many wonderful things about the story of Nehemiah. It is in many respects a classic underdog story. You have an oppressed and conquered nation that rallies its will, marshals its resources, commits to doing what seems impossible, and then rebuilds even with the threat of attack from neighboring tribes and cities/provinces. But perhaps the greatest miracle of Nehemiah occurs in the power witnessed to in the single-mindedness of this community. Together, every household does its part to bring the wall of Jerusalem out of the ground, out of its rubble, and into formidable order. The miracle is that each household committed together, shoulder to shoulder, to get this daunting project done. It was the community, working together that did this profound thing. The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was not the singular victory of a particular family that bankrolled the effort. Everyone threw down and threw in. That saints, is miraculous! And in the end, each household was able to look at the wall and say together with full ownership, “We did this!”

Questions for Discussion
1. Think of a time that you experienced the very real power of a community pulling together to do an extraordinary thing. How did people commit together to do the thing? What was the outcome? What would have happened if people had opted out and decided not to participate?
2. When you are in community, especially God’s community, how does it strengthen you and help you walk taller as a person of faith? How does this faith community challenge you to be bolder and more faithful as a child of God?
3. How do you see God at work, for the sake of the world, through the community of St. Stephen? How do you think we could be even stronger as a community?

Raising the Roof of Faith - A Holy Discontent

Week One: October 3-9

Nehemiah 1:1-2:8
The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital, one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. They replied, ‘The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.’

When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I said, ‘O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments; let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned. We have offended you deeply, failing to keep the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples; but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are under the farthest skies, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place at which I have chosen to establish my name.” They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great power and your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man!’
At the time, I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah Sent to Judah

In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served to him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. So the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.’ Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, ‘May the king live for ever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favour with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.’ The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), ‘How long will you be gone, and when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. Then I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.’ And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.

Commentary
The unique story we tell the world, the story central to our Judeo-Christian faith, is that God not only created history but is at work IN it, present to it, and accomplishing in it his particular future. He hasn’t abandoned this creation to its own devices, but promises us a particular outcome - one grounded in hope and life.

As God works in our history, God repeatedly chooses to work through human agents to get accomplished and communicated the things he needs done. God works through Noah to save a human remnant and many animals through the worst flood the world has ever seen. God uses the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers to position Joseph in such a way that his gifts for vision and organization may provide not only for the inhabitants of Egypt during a seven year famine, but for the descendants of Abraham as well per God’s promise.

And through Nehemiah and Nehemiah’s holy discontent, God works to reestablish the vision and presence of his chosen people, these Judeans in exile, to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and in so doing rebuild the culture of a conquered people and its heart.

A holy discontent is a precious and wonderful thing and sometimes an incredible burden as well. We all know what discontent is...dissatisfaction with the way things are, perhaps our marriages, the grades our kids are bringing home, the nature of our home, how over committed we might be to various activities, or with our work lives. But a holy discontent is where our discontent over something that’s wrong in the world meets God’s purposes for the world. Think of Mother Theresa pitching her tent in Calcutta with the poor, or of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Harvard trained physician who has set up rural clinics all over the central plateau of Haiti to provide much needed health care to the poorest of the poor. In our own community, a stay at home mom named Angie Romagosa fanned her holy discontent for families in need and has taken The Sharing Center from helping 500 families in its first year of existence to almost 11,500 families last year.

Holy discontent is about God working through ordinary people like you and me the extraordinary purposes of his kingdom...where peace is central, where the poor are cared for, the orphan and widow are loved, the sick are visited, and the injustices of the world righted.

Questions for Discussion:
1. What do you hear God saying in the story of Nehemiah? To you personally? To our church community?
2. What do you think God is trying to get accomplished through Nehemiah, and why is that important to us, 2,500 years later?
3. What are other examples of holy discontent that you see in the world around you? How do these examples seek to bring God’s kingdom to earth?
4. Do you have an example of a holy discontent in your own life? If so, and if you are willing to share it with your group, what is it? What is God calling you to do with your holy discontent?

THE LONG VIEW -- "Raising the Roof of Faith"

A three year movement to grow our disciple-making

influence in this community and beyond!

Saints in Light,

As you all know, good things are in the air. St. Stephen is on fire with vitality and hopefulness, and conversations about our future in God are everywhere. Just over a year ago I walked our campus and prayed to God for guidance in the direction of our congregation. Those prayers and that conversation, along with many others, have brought us to this moment.

Two generations have called St. Stephen home and have raised their children in the faith of Jesus here. As we look towards a future of growth and vibrancy, it is apparent that our best days are not a thing of the past, but a future accessible to us on the horizon. If we are to be a church that rises to the challenge of these best days, then it makes sense for us to prepare for the future God is bringing to us.

In every time and place the mission of the church has been that of making disciples of Jesus...followers who live to bless the world with the hope and love of Christ. As a congregation we exist to "love, lead, build and send disciples for the mission of Jesus in the 21st century." This is our own unique articulation of the church's perennial call to disciple the world. Over our 36 years of life we have lived out this mission and have exemplified the values of vibrant worship, life-giving relationships, missional living and giving, and households alive in a resurrection faith.

The "Raising the Roof of Faith" Campaign is about people transformed and unleashed in the power of Jesus. It is about discipling both those who are already a part of the movement that is St. Stephen Lutheran Church, as well as all of those God will call to us so that his mission in the world can be fulfilled. As we dive into conversations about generosity over the coming month and as we are challenged as a congregation to own this future, even with our pocketbooks, my challenge to all of you is to remember that what we are doing is only secondarily about buildings. It's primarily about people.

Two true stories from our own community: The first has to do with a 15 year old teenager who has come to call our community in general and Solid Rock in particular, home. Her name is Bailey Dunn. She came into the influence of our church through Connie's Music Camp and over the years has transitioned from a child participant into a youth leader for the week. over the years she has made relationships of faith in Solid Rock that have led her to single critical decisions: that of baptism. If you look at the life of this young woman and the journey she has been on, you can see God's fingerprints all over her life, and this congregation had the privilege of being a part of that. This is what it's all about folks!

The second story is about Dick and Tina Langlotz. Tina came into our life because of the invitation (you know: AND next week? Bring a friend!) of a member to a Christmas Eve service. How did Tina know the member? They work out at the same gym and take gym classes together. Two months ago, at the age of 70, I had the tremendous privilege of baptizing Tina. It was a thing of power and beauty, and know that Tina, Dick and I all had a hard time getting through the baptism without outright weeping. Powerful!

Let us never forget our reason for being here. Our buildings, strategies, and even our giving are simply responses and vehicles through which God is doing wonderful and amazing things in our midst. God is on the move here. He's on the move transforming us in the life of this congregation. And He's going to do even more as we intentionally engage "Raising the Roof of Faith"!

From the Swenson-Reinhold's family room, God loves you and I do too!

Pastor Nathan

Lenten Reflection - Day 40: by Marie Buss

READING: Mark 14: 12-31

Sometimes it's hard to be faithful disciples. As hard as we try and as much as we believe, sometimes we still mess up. It's amazing to believe that Jesus still loves us. Jesus ate meals with sinners all through his ministry, but can you imagine sitting down to your last meal knowing the person sitting next to you would betray you that very day? What about going through your last day of freedom having your best friends telling you they got your back and would be with you every step of the way knowing full well that you would end up on your own?

There's a song out there by Ray Botlz titled "Does He still feel the Nails." Although I'm not THE disciple who turned Jesus over to be crucified, and I'm not THE disciple Jesus said would deny him three times before the sun rose, sometimes I'm the disciple who makes a bad decision or doesn't voice my beliefs. That's when I think of this song and the lyrics "Does he still feel the nails, every time I fail" it straightens me out a little. With this kind of guilt on our consciences, it is so wonderful to know we have such a freedom of forgiveness and know that no matter what we did or did not do that week, we can still count being invited to have supper with our Savior.

Dear God¸ thank you for your Son and for the forgiveness that came with his death and resurrection. We stumble sometimes and we know that it hurts you to see us act this way. Help us to live as Jesus taught us. Amen