Friday, April 15, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 17th, Palm Sunday



Written by: Diane Bechtold

Reading: John 20:21

21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

We’re commissioned! Think about the St. Stephen mission statement, “Love God. Love People. Make Disciples.” This isn’t just a catchy phrase, developed by a zealous pastor or council – it’s the call to service straight from Jesus. His model showed us that he associated with all people – not just the rich and famous. He served all people – foreigners, the poor, the sickly, the outwardly sinful and the covertly sinful – and wants us to do the same.

Glorious Savior: Help us not to say, “Is it I, Lord,” but to know that it is I who should go out to serve and share the Good News. Amen.

Lenten Reflection - April 16th


Written by: Pastor Nathan Swenson-Reinhold

Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

I love to eat with people. I love to do lunch with people. I enjoy people. I enjoy people even more when it involves food. Call it wiring...call it what you will...people and food go together. There’s an old adage: “Where there is food, there is community.” This is of course exactly what’s going on when we gather together for communion. The “meal of messiah” becomes the “meal of the people of the Messiah” ... a community formed around Jesus’ death and resurrection. Enemies are reconciled. Friendships are renewed. Healing is wrought. Relationships are strengthened. This is comm-union, literally “with unity.”

Paul commends to us the Lord’s Supper not because he (or Jesus for that matter) wanted to give us another empty ritual, but because he felt that the things that we DO and in fact do together in community should point to Jesus. And the Last Supper, the Lord’s Supper, does just that. It allows us, in unity, together, to point to Jesus.

Communion...the Supper of our Lord isn’t just a biblical command. It’s also the point of the Church. WE are the community that gathers, and in our doing so, points to God’s love revealed in Jesus. This Lent, it’s good to be the Church.

Lord Jesus, we thank you for gathering a people of a thousand agendas and focusing our purpose on a single thing: witnessing your death and resurrection. As I gather with others, may the bread I break and the community built there always point to you. Amen

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 15th


Written by: Bonnie Broadie

Reading: Romans 6:5

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

In this scripture, God is reminding us that we are one with Jesus through our Baptism and through his death and resurrection. Our baptism is our constant reminder that Jesus died for us allowing us to live in His eternal path. When Jesus was buried in the tomb, we too were buried with him. When He rose to salvation through the glory of the Father, we also began a new life with the Father. The 40 day journey leading up to Christ’s death and resurrection allows Christians to focus on how God wants his only son’s death to be the reason for us to live in eternal faith with Jesus. During the 40 days of Lent, I reflect on my faith with God and how he has given his only son for me. I wonder what I would do if I were asked to give up one of my children. The idea of sacrificing in order to be united with God should be very simple. But in our every day struggles, the mere thought of giving up something can be a challenge in and of itself. But God never thought twice to give up his son for us.


Dear Heavenly Father, Help me to be that unselfish, caring disciple of Christ when asked to sacrifice or to give unto you and to my neighbor. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 14th


Written by: Marie Hoder

Reading: Luke 24:36-40

36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.

Jesus risen and alive seemed to be too good to be true, even though the disciples were talking about the sightings. But they needed to know he was real, that he really did rise from the dead. He wanted to turn their fear and doubt into belief. He wanted them to be his witnesses.

Sometimes we feel Jesus is too good to be true as well. HE died for me? He knows all my secrets and He still loves me that much? But it is true! Jesus is all that. He wants to turn our fear and doubt into belief. He wants us to be his witnesses in our world. We can celebrate victory over death with the risen Jesus.

Prayer: Jesus, You are amazing! Thank You for loving us even when we doubt and our faith is not strong. May we be Your witnesses in the world, to show the light of Your love to others. Amen!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 13th


Written by: Margene Wampole

Reading: Mark 15:33-39

33 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 34 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).[a] 35 When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” 36 Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. 37 With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died,[b] he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

A direct quote from Jesus, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus, son of God, lived among us as a man. He asks nothing of us he did not ask of himself. He took life from birth to agonizing death... for us. Jesus walked our journey and promised us he would always be with us. As we deal with our valley of trial or our peak of joy we have Jesus beside us. We can ask, but are not promised the pain will go away or the problem will be resolved happily. When Jesus was dying the immediate view was that it was "over". God's intervention of the Resurrection was not apparent then as God's reasoning is often not apparent now. We are promised that God did not forsake His Son, Jesus, and will not forsake us. God is a loving Father and Jesus a loving Son.

Jesus, you endured. You suffered the doubts, the pain, death, the results of your commitment to your Father's will as you saw it as a human. We ask in your name as the Son of God, to help us endure in faith as loving children of God. Strengthen us with your grace. Amen

Monday, April 11, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 12th


Written by: Austin Bechtold

Reading: John 1:10-14

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Our rebirth as children of God and life eternal is Jesus’ priceless gift, not something that we, with all the powers on earth, could ever willfully attain on our own.

How amazing it is that an all-powerful Creator would choose taking human form to bring us into the light. The majority of the Jewish people at this time could not accept anything less than a physical superhero of a king who would wipe away all the ills that had befallen them with a wave of a hand. A simple carpenter who walked and ate with sinners and preached “love your enemies” was the antithesis of what they envisioned for a messiah. He subtly made his point that he was truly one of the common folk. He was the embodiment of “grace”, the gift of unconditional love for all humankind. His “truth”, was evidenced through words and miracles that his being one with the Father was divinely undeniable to those who witnessed and accepted Him.

Lord God, as your children let us carry your message of grace and truth in everything we do and say in our daily existence. Help us to give then humbly and sincerely with our sole reward being Your delight in Your creation. Amen

Lenten Reflection - April 11th


Written by: Peter Lund

Reading: Psalm 43

1 Vindicate me, my God, and plead my cause against an unfaithful nation. Rescue me from those who are deceitful and wicked. 2 You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? 3 Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

As seems to be the case with many of the psalms, Psalm 43 is a cry to God for help. I have always been a “doubter,” and to be completely honest, I have always been very skeptical. I know some people who have never had any trouble believing, but I am not someone who fits that description. Despite having been a religion major in college (or perhaps because of it), I find myself doubting my faith most of the time. Over the course of my life, however, I have truly come to view my doubt as a gift; to me, after all of the doubt, after all of the seeking and struggling with questions, finally making a break through, even if it is just a glimpse, is worth the entire journey. As such, I have always been drawn to a psalm such as this, because the psalmist expresses doubts of his own, asking why God has “rejected him.” However, after having seemingly doubted God, the psalmist ends with a message of hope in verse 5.

I can understand the feelings the psalmist has, because despite any doubts and skepticism, the underlying faith in God is always there, and gives us hope. The Lenten season is a time that reminds me very much of my faith life: it can be a long and sometimes dark journey, but it is a journey that always ends with Light, and the Resurrection.

Prayer: Lord, in the words of the 9th Chapter of Mark, “I believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” In this Lenten season, help me see through the darkness of my doubts, to the Light of your Resurrection. Amen.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 10th


Written by: Carolyn Champagne

Reading: Zechariah 9:9-10

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!

See, your king comes to you,

righteous and victorious,

lowly and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim

and the warhorses from Jerusalem,

and the battle bow will be broken.

He will proclaim peace to the nations.

His rule will extend from sea to sea

and from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.


Zechariah is reminding us of God’s promise or covenant to send us a King, His Son Jesus. God had promised other things too throughout history; such as promising to Noah to never destroy the earth with a flood or the promise to Abraham that his offspring would be blessed. But this last promise had the most impact on the world with the birth of his son. Jesus did not proclaim war, but peace. He did not come in royal robes, but was a carpenter’s son. He was not what people expected. God then gave his son over to die on a cross to save us from our sins. This is the ultimate sacrifice anyone could make – actually we couldn’t! But God did! The Lord wants us to believe in Him that he had to die for us and our sins so we can be together in heaven when that time comes. It gives me pause to think of the sacrifice He made and that He loves us that much.


Lord Jesus, as the hymn we love reads, “All glory laud and honor to you Redeemer, King”. Thank you for your sacrifice for our sake. Amen.

Lenten Reflection - April 9th


Written by: Pastor Ron Lee

Reading: John 5:19-29

19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned.


If you are a parent, this teaching of Jesus, makes all of the sense in the world. Even when our children are misbehaving, one of the two parents will look at the other and say: "Well, Johnny is acting just like you!" Or, the real powder keg comment: "Sarah is acting just like your mother!" It is usually said with tongue in cheek, but there is, also, always, a lot of reality behind the remark. In their strengths, and in their weaknesses, our children very often act like us.

That is no surprise. They are a combination of the DNA we pass on to them. When they excel, we want to take credit and put a bumper sticker on our cars that proclaim we have an honor student or a soccer star in our families. When they act out, like it or not, if we are honest, we can see something of what we did in our own childhood rebellion in their behavior, except, often, truth be told, we did worse.

The scandalous thing that Jesus is saying here, for any religious person listening to him, is that he has his Father's DNA. He is proclaiming that he is his Father's son, even in life and death, and, as a result, you can count on him. God is the creator. God gives life. God loves his people, and even brings life out of death. Everyone listening knew and believed that.

It is still true. If you believe in the Father, and what he can do, then, believe in the Son, and what he can do. Life. Real. Abundant. Eternal. Now. Life. A gift from the Father and the Son, to all of us.


Lord, help us to recognize this gift from our Father in the form of His Son, Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 8th


Written by: Lisa Krist

Reading: Psalm 30:8-10

8 To you, LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: 9 “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? 10 Hear, LORD, and be merciful to me; LORD, be my help.” I admit it. I am a prayer peeker. I can’t keep my eyes closed during Pastor’s prayer – even when his words are meaningful and valid. I find myself looking around at all the other people who seem so comfortable with their heads bowed and their hands folded together, and I wonder, “Does God hear me even though I don’t pray as peacefully as they do?” I prefer to talk to God during afternoon walks with chirping birds and children’s voices acting as background noise; to reflect on my blessings while waiting in a carpool line; and to ask for His favor when I hear ambulance sirens and know that (as my daughter says), “Someone isn’t having a very good day.” Lent is a time to reflect on the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ and to give thanks for His resurrection. It is a time to join together in service so that we are reminded of the story of His life and the gift He gave to us. Lent is a formal time to pray, but it is not the only time to pray.

Dear God: Thank you for giving me 24/7 access to you through prayer. The season of Lent is a time to be mindful of the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and to be thankful for the hope that He brings to the world. Please help me to be less selfish and more selfless during this time of reflection, and to give thanks to God for all that I am blessed with.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 7th


Written by: Jim Detzel

Reading: John 3:14-17

14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

“For God so loved the world…..” is one of the most known and recognized verses in the entire Bible. But KNOWING a verse and TAKING TO HEART the message are different activities. What do you think of this statement of God’s love? What does it bring to mind? I think of Genesis Chapter 22, in which God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. How would you and I react to this extreme request? I have two sons and I can honestly say I would have had real trouble with such a request. How would one garner the strength to carry it out?

I think, in God’s plan, this was a precursor of what was to be asked of His Son – to give up his life in atonement for our sins and allow us to enjoy everlasting life. How have we responded to that enormous gift? Have we done everything in our power to respond to God’s request to love one another, as He has loved us? We have been spared a request to sacrifice our children (Thank God!) but we have been asked to respond. What are our intentions?

During this time of Lent, let us look inward and review our daily lives and see where we need to repent for our transgressions and remedy those things that keep us from being more Christ-like in our living.

Dear God, please help us to accept Jesus as our Savior and in doing so, mimic him in our everyday lives.

Irony


I’ve always had a tough time with the word “irony” and when and how to properly apply it. It’s one of the great words in our language, but one that is typically not used or understood by most people – even though it all around us every day. Here’s an example: March 30, 2011 was designated, by the U.S. Congress, as “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” in remembrance of the day back in 1973, when the final military personnel were ordered to depart from Vietnam. For me, it was almost a gesture too late in coming. At the same time, I knew people who “needed” this sort of closure -- even if had to be legislated. And so I sent out a ton of emails, announcing this event to my entire address book – but stressing that if anyone knew or ran into a Vietnam vet, to just say “Welcome Home” or “Thanks.” When I told one person, face to face, her response was, in my eyes, “ironic.” I said, “Well, after more than 35 years since the last soldiers were pulled out of Vietnam, Congress has created “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.” She looked at me, her body shifted as if uncomfortable, and replied, “Oh, that’s nice.” To me, that’s irony. For lots of people, especially those who weren’t even alive in 1973, Vietnam is a couple of paragraphs (if that many) in a history textbook. My own sons once told me that they had studied Vietnam in history class (and that was in the early 1990’s). But Vietnam, per se, isn’t the focus of this blog. Since then, we’ve had Granada, Desert Storm, the Afghan and Iraqi wars. Every one of these events has created veterans – some with amazing and hard stories of their return to civilian life. It’s a fact, with the continued recession we’re experiencing, more people of all ages in America are having trouble getting enough nutritious food to stay healthy. And, this is also a fact, Veterans are being hit especially hard. Recently, the Los Angeles Times published an article showing an increase in the number of people requiring food assistance programs just to make it through the month. Los Angeles County's 1.7 million residents struggling with hunger is the highest among all U.S. counties. The reason, according to experts, is the extremely high cost of living combined with low wages. As a result, six million people in California alone are considered to be "food insecure," with one-third not qualifying for government nutritional benefits. Eligibility for these benefits is tied to income, a fact that does not sit well with many experts because it hits the working poor particularly hard. This is a group too poor to afford enough nutritious food, but not poor enough to quality for aid. Over half do not meet the requirements for food stamps, and nearly 33% of children fail to be eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches. Additionally, the number of people served by the Los Angeles Food Bank has increased from 674,000 to 1 million in just three years. Despite the increase in the number of those needing help, feeding organizations cannot keep up with demand and are having to turn people away. The sad truth is that Veterans are at a higher risk of being in groups who struggle with hunger—the underemployed, the unemployed and the homeless, by almost a 2 to 1 ratio. The main challenge facing today's Veterans, causing them to be in situations that have them going hungry, is that the transition from military life into the civilian world is often so difficult. Many recent Vets no longer recognize the world they left behind, and have trouble adjusting to a life after multiple combat tours. This new generation of combat Veterans suffers from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury at higher rates than Vets from previous wars for a variety of reasons, one being that with improvements in battle gear, they are surviving explosions and other trauma that killed soldiers in earlier conflicts. So they're surviving, but they're not successfully reintegrating back into the civilian world. And this is to say nothing of the difficulties many Vets face when re-entering the workforce. For some, it is tough to show how their combat experience and training has prepared them for the job market. For others, job searching can be made even more challenging when having to create resumes and navigate stressful job interviews while dealing with TBI and PTSD. Another mountain, which many Veterans have to climb, is that some companies do not place a priority on hiring Vets. In fact, some companies actually have a bias against hiring Veterans, feeling that it is a burden to bring on employees who have additional needs based on their adjustments back to a post-combat life. With all of these challenges facing our heroes, it is clear to see how and why Veterans comprise one-third of our nation's homeless population. The process of Veterans' reintegration can be daunting, and combined with deficient readjustment services; they too often end up on the street. To cope, many end up using drugs and alcohol to self-medicate, which only serves to reinforce the cycle of homelessness, stagnation, incarceration and hospitalization. The end result of these serious issues is that a disproportionate number of Veterans are in the high-risk categories of being unemployed and homeless, and they are going hungry at rates higher than that of the country's working poor. There are outreach programs operating in the greater Orlando area that deliver food to the homeless every week, of which St. Stephen Lutheran Church has been an active participant for years. They do a great job, but they are fighting an uphill battle. Typically, there are a number of soup kitchens and shelters in areas where large numbers of homeless men and women congregate. These programs do not meet all the hunger needs of all homeless citizens, Veterans or otherwise. Many hungry and homeless Veterans live in rural areas that are far from these services. Other Veterans may have no idea where the nearest assistance center is. When we drive under an overpass anywhere within twenty-five miles of our church, there are people of all ages making that their “home.” It is difficult to imagine who these people are, what brought them to this point in their lives and what’s next for them. I suspect that most of us don’t think that one of these homeless faces might belong to a person who once fought for this country, and, due to circumstances, they now spend their days roaming streets and their nights under the pavements or in cardboard cartons in the woods near our own homes. For these men and women (and there are thousands upon thousands of homeless female veterans across this nation), this isn’t the “Welcome Home” they deserved. They are among us. They are the nameless faces we drive by every day. They are the ones pushing overstacked shopping carts along busy streets. They’re the one’s we hope won’t approach us in a parking lot. They, for the grace of God, could be us. Isn’t that ironic? Let’s not forget. By: Dennis McClellan

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 6th


Written by: Cindy McClellan

Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

When I read this passage, I thought of a phrase I often heard growing up – “The best things in life are free.” Not until I became an adult did these words begin to make sense. Certainly, we want to feel the successes of our own accomplishments. But true joy, the honest delights, come from gifts we receive just from being alive - the sound of laughter, the warm sand beneath our feet, a hug from a trusted friend. These gifts are ours at no cost to us– we just need to open our eyes and our hearts to appreciate them.

In Ephesians, Paul reminds us of God’s ultimate gift to us. Even in our most human form, God chose not turn us away, as with Adam and Eve, or destroy our communities, as he did with Noah. Instead, from pure love, God gifted us His only son. With Jesus, we have the ultimate blessings of eternal mercy and Grace – and the knowing of unconditional love. And what is our cost for a gift so divine? Nothing – but our faith. Truly …. The best things in life ARE free !

Dear God: Help us be mindful of your ultimate gift of Jesus and appreciate its meaning. Help us to be good stewards of this gift and through our faith and our actions share it with others. We are blessed this Easter season and all days with the gift of Jesus. Amen.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 5th


Written by: Genon Murray

Reading: John 2:13-22

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[a] 18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.


We rarely see Jesus angry. Because his actions seem so out of character to us, they get our attention and make several points. We can’t buy our way into God’s good graces with sacrifices and offerings. Although we offer gifts out of gratitude, obedience and love for God, they do not buy us God’s favor. Jesus knew he was going to be crucified soon as the ultimate sacrifice of grace and love in our relationship with God. His gift of his life makes bargaining for God’s love cheap and insulting. His power to rise from the dead proves the ultimate authority regarding what makes our relationship right with God. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are the indisputable expressions of God’s love for us and nothing we can do or offer is comparable in exchange.

Dearest Jesus, Forgive us for our arrogance in thinking our gifts, sacrifices, lifestyle or acts of service are better than others and buy us special favors with you. Help us to make offerings to you out of love and gratitude. Thank you for making the point that you are in charge of grace and thank you for showing us your fierce and powerful love for us. Amen

Lenten Reflection - April 4th


Written by: Renee Rose

Reading: Hebrews 5:5-10

5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”

6 And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

7 During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.


The two words that came to me when I read this verse and other readings related to it were responsibility and obedience. When first thinking of these words I would describe myself as a highly responsible individual. I would also say that I was fairly obedient as a teenager and even in my adult life I am moderately to highly obedient. Until writing this I never thought about this further but as I write this I found myself asking how I would apply these two words to my faith. The bottom line is I fall short. I am sure that we can all identify areas that we fall short in our responsibilities and obedience in life, but perhaps especially in our faith. Perhaps like me you are struggling with the conflict between responsibility to your life and responsibility to your faith and making it grow. Where do the two meet or do they? What do I know for sure? Christ is with me and I have known that all my life. I have never questioned that. I also know that he is pushing me to make the next move but why am I holding back?

Christ I pray that you give us the strength to be obedient and responsible in our faith and give us the strength to make the next move. Amen.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Lenten Reflection - April 3rd


Written by: Frank Raike

Reading: John 7:25-31 25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.” 28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” 30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

These verses from John remind me of Thursday Night TV at 9:00 when “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” comes on. In the opening credits, the theme song is heard, “Who are You?” by the Who. For the next hour, the show captures our attention with a fast-paced drama about a team of forensic investigators trained to solve crimes by examining the evidence. They are on the case 24/7, scouring the scene, collecting the irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that will solve the mystery.

The people of Jerusalem questioned of Jesus, who are you ? They object to Jesus’ teaching because they are convinced that he is not educated enough or, at least, that he was not educated by the ‘right’ people or the ‘right sort’ of people. They object to him because they know where he is from. They keep looking for reasons to not follow Jesus and searching for excuses not to believe in him. They ignored the evidence and fail to put all the pieces together.

People thus reject Jesus’ teaching at their own peril. In rejecting His teaching they are rejecting the authority behind the teaching (the Father), the subject of the revelation (God’s Will), and the intentions behind the prophecy (transformation by God’s intent). Do people of the world still question Jesus, who are you?

Christ Our Savior: help us not to be ignorant that it prevents us from knowing and loving Jesus. Assist us to learn the evidence and not reject our Lord. Amen.

Lenten Reflection - April 2nd


Written by: Genon Murray

Reading: Psalm 103:1 1 Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. David is shouting prainses to God. His praise comes as an expression of his soul; of all that he is. His praises are not only what he says and what he does but also how he thinks and how he feels in the deepest, most secret parts of himslf. Everything that makes him who he is praises God. This is the time for us to praise God. During Lent we are celebrating the power of God and His deliverance of us due to His unending love for us. How can we do anything else but praise Him with all that we are?

Great and Almighty God, everything we are, believe and do is an offering of praise to you for all that you have done and do for us. We praise you for your unfathonable power and your unexplainable grace and your amazing love. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Amen.

Lenten Refrections - April 1st


Written by: Susan Wollner

Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Everyone likes something new. You can see the smile on a child's face when he received a new toy. I remember the joy of finding the dress I wanted for prom in my closet when I was told we could not afford it. My parents sacrificed, that I might have something new. When a couple is married and a new family is forned there is joy. When a baby is born, all celebrate a new life. Paul tells us in this letter to Corinth that our life is made new through Christ. We are not reformed, rehabilitated or reeducated through Christ-we are recreated. We have new life when we reconcile with Christ who had not sin, but dies for our sin. We are therefore to be ambassadors for Christ, to reconcile to Him and to make His appeal of reconciliation to others. We are to be ministers of reconciliation to Christ. What an awesome responsibility!

Dear Lord, thank you for sending your son Jesus Christ to reconcile my sins. Please help me to be a minister of reconciliation to others. Help me to share the live of Christ with others and to live a new life each day in Christ. Amen.