Lenten Reflection - March 17th

Written by: Frank Raike

Reading: Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" is the best known of Martin Luther's hymns. Luther wrote the words and composed the melody sometime around 1528. The words are a paraphrase of Psalm 46.

A Mighty Fortress" is one of the best loved hymns of the Lutheran and Protestant traditions. It has been called the "Battle Hymn of the Reformation" for the effect it had in increasing the support for the Reformers' cause. It served to giving hope to change.

Today, this psalm encourages us to hope and trust in God, and his power and gracious presence with his church in these challenging times. It also directs us to give God the glory of what he has done for us and what he will do.

Like all the psalms, Psalm 46 gives us permission to speak to God about all our joys and our pains. Whatever sentiment we feel in our most intimate thoughts, can be expressed and shared openly with the Lord. Even in our darkest moments, God surely welcomes our conversation, our pleas for help, our deepest prayers and petitions. God is present with us in all our joys and our sorrows.

Christ Our Savior: You are our Mighty Fortress at times of threat, fear, and loss. You are our Mighty Fortress at times of success, joy, and prosperity. Thank you for your sweet salvation to us of grace, hope, faith, and love. Amen

Lenten Reflection - March 16th

Written by: Barbara Lee

Reading: Mark 1:9-15
The Baptism and Testing of Jesus
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted[a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus Announces the Good News
14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Mark describes for us the events leading up to the beginning of Jesus’ adult ministry. It may come as a surprise that despite God’s favor, Jesus is not spared the struggles, temptations and worries associated with new beginnings. In our own discipleship journey, as we grow in our relationship with God and serve God’s people, we too will be asked to take on new projects or new life directions that create uncertainty and fears. How reassuring to know that our Savior has walked that path as well and knows our trials. Jesus did not call on God to take away the struggles, but to be in relationship with him and provide the support he needed to fulfill God’s will. What a comfort to know that as God did not abandon Jesus in the wilderness, God does not abandon us on our journey either.

God and Savior, continue to hear our prayer as we seek to know you better, and strive to do your will. Amen

Lenten Reflection - March 15th

Written by: Carol Bechberger

Reading: 1 Peter 3:18-22
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive,[a] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.[b] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

During this season of remembrance of Jesus’ awesome love, I remain amazed. His compassion, his concern for all of us brings tears to my eyes. But did you ever stop to think that His great sacrifice did not begin with Gethsemane? No, His sacrifice began the day He was born into a human body in Bethlehem.

Think about all He gave up. There was such great peace and beauty in His heavenly home. He heard the angelic choirs singing. He knew no physical pain. I don’t believe there is even any dust in this heavenly place. He came into a mortal body, with all the accompanying problems. All those chemicals and special wiring that give us our personality and our emotions were also a part of Him. What lead us humans to react emotionally and illogically He overcame.

Jesus saw the violence of the people and the suffering. People had forgotten to love and have compassion. People become too involved with their daily distractions. He came to touch our lives and awaken us to His glorious plan. He gave up His heavenly home because He loves us so much. He had a mission to fulfill and was committed to carrying out God’s plan for our salvation. As Peter point out, we only have to reach out to Jesus, ask forgiveness and trust in Him.

Thank you Jesus for your awesome love. Thank you Holy Spirit for ministering to us and for choosing me to be part of the family of God. Amen.

Lenten Reflection - March 14th

Written by: Barbara Vincent

Reading: Psalm 25:1-10
1 In you, LORD my God,
I put my trust.

2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.

4 Show me your ways, LORD,
teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, LORD, are good.

8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

As a child and young adult, my prayers fell into 4 categories; “thank you” prayers, “bless and keep” prayers, “help and please” prayers, and “redemption” prayers, filled with remorse and regrets for daily transgressions. In retrospect, most of the last group were minor and my guilt was often exaggerated. Through prayer and in time, I found the strength to own-up, face the consequences and get on with life; prayers helped so much! I knew that the Lord heard me, that He would guide and help me to be a better friend, daughter, and eventually, wife and mother. Steadfast love and faithfulness were the paths I needed to follow – I still do! My prayers haven’t changed that much either.

Dear Lord, Just as David did, I put my faith and trust in you everyday. I remain assured that you will always be with me, guiding and teaching. Ours is a lifetime of waiting; Lent is a season of opportunity to learn more about patience, faith, and salvation. Amen.

Preparing for Easter

Lent entered my consciousness, this year, after having had a discussion with several of my friends about the upcoming season, and how each of us might keep a “Lenten discipline.” Having been a Lutheran all my life, and having grown up in a largely Roman Catholic neighborhood, I am keenly aware of the traditions that have many of us eschewing chocolate, particular foods, favorite activities, Facebook and the like “for Lent”; however, I have often wondered if those “deprivations” really did anything beyond helping the individual lose weight, spend less money, or have more personal time.

I know the model for self-deprivation is Jesus’ rejection of the temptation of earthly food and power that Satan dangled; however, it occurs to me that, like Jesus, we might think less of ourselves during this time of preparation and prayer and, instead, use the Lenten discipline to try to serve others.

What I’m suggesting is to change something about ourselves that is a burden to others -for example – maybe that tongue of yours that is quick to criticize could be curbed to “love others,” maybe the funds that would have been spent on chocolate, movies, etc. could be donated to another. Maybe, instead of depriving yourself, you could do something extra to serve others.

I’m going to try to change one of my most obnoxious behaviors toward others. Will you join me? Diane Bechtold

Lenten Reflection - March 13th

Written by: Shirley Evans

Reading: Genesis 9:8-17
8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him: 9 “I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you 10 and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature on earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

17 So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.”

After the Flood – A New Beginning
Have you ever been frightened during a terrible thunderstorm? Perhaps you remember yourself as a child or one of your own children terrified at the cracking of lightening or the rumble of thunder. God foresaw such fear with Noah and his descendants. At the first raindrop or rumble, would they fear it would be the beginning of another devastating flood? Noah had been righteous and obeyed; therefore God promised Noah – and every living creature on earth - never again would there be a universal flood. This covenant is sealed with the rainbow to be a reminder to us and a reminder to God of His promise – “never again” and “for all generations.” This is God’s new beginning, His unconditional divine promise never to destroy all earthly life with natural catastrophe.
As we examine our relationship with God through this Lenten season, let us think of this Noahic Covenant and look to the cross and resurrection as a “new beginning” in our lives. Let the rainbow represent to us not only the covenant with Noah, but a reminder of the new covenant in Jesus Christ.
Dear Lord, thank you for your love and faithfulness to me. Whenever I see a rainbow, let it remind me of your covenants – both old and new. Let it serve to remind me of an eternal new beginning given to us in Christ. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Lenten Reflection - March 12th

Written by: Cyd Law

Reading: Proverbs 27:23-24
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.

Our society in recent years has stressed the idea that no matter what we want, we deserve it and should buy it for ourselves. “We are worth it.” This attitude has gotten our whole nation into trouble. People are filing personal and business bankruptcies and losing their homes and businesses because they have been duped into believing this idea. As a result we have made poor business and personal decisions. God wants us to pay attention to our herds and to know the condition of our flock. That means we should watch our finances and spend with in our means because we never know when bad times will happen. God does not promise us that we will always be successful or that our time at the top will last forever. God wants his people to be good stewards. In being good stewards we protect ourselves, our businesses, our church, our nation and ultimately our world.

God, we pray that you will guide us in our financial decisions. Help us care for what you have given us and know that we are always in your care no matter what happens to us. Amen