Deuteronomy 6: 4-9
4Hear, O Israel: The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
I have been reading a book entitled Shift. It is a book about family ministry based on the Shema. These verses have long been a part of daily prayer life of Judaism. As you read the verses above, the first part is a declaration of One God and of having faith with all that we are in that One God. Then in verse 7 we are instructed to recite these words to your children and to talk about them at home and away.
While this text is nothing new, it is a great reminder to all of us that church and home are inseparable. Parents are the primary religious educators as children learn from watching their parents. Prayers at mealtimes, at the beginning and/or end of the day, and reading the Bible are great ways for families to engage in spiritual disciplines at home.
If you feel like you don’t know the Bible stories, get a children’s Bible and read stories with your children. Talk about what happens in the story and where God is acting. Ask your children where they have seen God in the world today. Maybe in the sunset, or in a bright blue sky, maybe they have seen God in someone they interacted with at school or at the store with you.
Get involved in the life of the church as well. When children know their parents are going to Sunday school or going to worship, they see that as well. There are several Sunday School classes for adults as well as different opportunities for children. Serve as a greeter and have your child serve with you; have your elementary student sing in the children’s choir, have your youth participate in youth group events, come to all church events like the retreat at Mo Ranch or the upcoming events such as Hands Across Exposition or the Barn Dance. Let your children see your faith at home and help them build it by becoming and active part of the church family of Westminster. We are a great family of faith. Let us all remember to serve the One True God with all that we are and to tell our children about God.
Grace, Mercy and Peace,
Karen
Monday, September 06, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Ordinary Time
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
In recent weeks I have found myself drawn back to a book by Renita Weems Listening for God. It is a book made up of short stories about her spiritual journey as a pastor and theologian with all of the ups and downs that all of us encounter in our spiritual lives. One I was reading this past week is entitled “Ordinary Time.” In it she speaks of how in discovering the liturgical calendar in seminary, she began to make sense of how she felt in her personal life.
Ordinary time makes up the majority of the church year. We get excited for Advent and Christmas, for Lent and Easter, for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, for the high holy days of the church year. There is special music, colors in the sanctuary change, the mood of worship changes. The well known stories line us up for encounters with our God who is mysterious and wholly other. We wait with Mary for the incarnation, for the birth of the Christ child; we engage in the solemn feast of Maundy Thursday and marvel with great joy the resurrection on Easter morn; and we wonder with amazement the tongues of fire as the Holy Spirit breaks forth on Pentecost. But the rest of the year is ordinary time.
However, ordinary time is not ordinary. All time is God’s and therefore all time is holy. It is a time however like summer, a time when our pace slows just a bit. I look at the calendar and can hardly believe it is the end of July. There are not as many meetings or other events going on. Committees are taking some time off. We take vacations and enjoy other hobbies. We take a deep breath.
A deep breath which is in contrast to the breathlessness that we experience in the midst of the other liturgical seasons. A deep breath as we may find God silent, but we know God is ever present. The stories we read show God’s presence in the everyday of life. The parables we have been exploring this summer are great examples of how God is always at work around us. Ordinary time is a chance to look for the everyday miracles around us and to reflect on how God is working in us and through us.
This week I invite you to take a deep breath. Look around you at the ordinary, everyday miracles of God. Pause in conversation with the Divine and reflect on how God is at work in your life.
Grace, Mercy and Peace,
Karen
In recent weeks I have found myself drawn back to a book by Renita Weems Listening for God. It is a book made up of short stories about her spiritual journey as a pastor and theologian with all of the ups and downs that all of us encounter in our spiritual lives. One I was reading this past week is entitled “Ordinary Time.” In it she speaks of how in discovering the liturgical calendar in seminary, she began to make sense of how she felt in her personal life.
Ordinary time makes up the majority of the church year. We get excited for Advent and Christmas, for Lent and Easter, for Pentecost and Trinity Sunday, for the high holy days of the church year. There is special music, colors in the sanctuary change, the mood of worship changes. The well known stories line us up for encounters with our God who is mysterious and wholly other. We wait with Mary for the incarnation, for the birth of the Christ child; we engage in the solemn feast of Maundy Thursday and marvel with great joy the resurrection on Easter morn; and we wonder with amazement the tongues of fire as the Holy Spirit breaks forth on Pentecost. But the rest of the year is ordinary time.
However, ordinary time is not ordinary. All time is God’s and therefore all time is holy. It is a time however like summer, a time when our pace slows just a bit. I look at the calendar and can hardly believe it is the end of July. There are not as many meetings or other events going on. Committees are taking some time off. We take vacations and enjoy other hobbies. We take a deep breath.
A deep breath which is in contrast to the breathlessness that we experience in the midst of the other liturgical seasons. A deep breath as we may find God silent, but we know God is ever present. The stories we read show God’s presence in the everyday of life. The parables we have been exploring this summer are great examples of how God is always at work around us. Ordinary time is a chance to look for the everyday miracles around us and to reflect on how God is working in us and through us.
This week I invite you to take a deep breath. Look around you at the ordinary, everyday miracles of God. Pause in conversation with the Divine and reflect on how God is at work in your life.
Grace, Mercy and Peace,
Karen
Saturday, May 22, 2010
From Fear to Hope
A sermon I preached recently. I had never preaching on a Revelation text before this. Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 21-22
A simple prayer. Spoken by a child as part of the prayer before dinner. Spoken in times of great anxiety. Three words. An invitation. A plea.
Dark clouds roll in. The sky turns a eerie shade of green. In the fading light of the day, a tail drops down from the clouds. A tornado forms. Sirens blare. Families scurry to take shelter. It sounds like a freight train. Come Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. Eighteen inches of rain fall in a day. Water overwhelms everything. The river continues to rise. The waters crest and spill out of the river banks. The streets become cement-bottomed creeks. Homes are destroyed. Water seeps in; mud follows the water; people are displaced. For those who don’t speak English are left behind. Come Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. The economy takes a downturn. Banks are struggling. There are rising costs of food and of gas. There is less money coming in; but it takes more money to stay afloat. Credit cards become an easy way out, but then personal debt increases. There is more and more debt and less and less money. Retirement savings take a hit. There isn’t going to be enough money to retire just yet. The worry over money begins to take a physical toll. Money for health care just isn’t in the budget. What to do now? Come Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. When we are anxious, these words are spoken as a plea. We don’t know the outcome of an event, we are overwhelmed by apprehension and fear, we begin to doubt ourselves and our judgment. We become paralyzed by fear.
There is much to be anxious about in the world today. Every time we turn on the TV or pick up the paper, the news seems dire. Natural disasters have been in the forefront of the news almost weekly it seems. The economy is still uncertain. There is still unrest in the middle east. We encounter news that makes us nervous about what will happen next. We may feel that there is nothing we can do to help the situation. We get stuck. Come Lord Jesus!
The community to whom Revelation is written would have been anxious too. They faced persecution from the Roman Empire. If caught meeting, they could be killed. They longed for Christ to return. We have the stories in the Gospels of the disciples gathering behind locked doors after Christ’s crucifixion, the early church was in hiding as well. Their world was filled with struggle and catastrophe too. They were anxious about the future. But it didn’t stop them from gathering. As they gathered, they sang, read, prayed and ate together.
Revelation was a letter written to be read in community, to be read with the gathered faithful. They are words that speak to the fear and anxiety of the believers, to the fear and anxiety of the world. Words to calm the doubts of those who don’t feel safe. Words of reassurance. Words to remind them of their agency in the kingdom, to remind them of what they are at their best. Words to bring hope. These final words of the Bible are eschatological in nature. Eschatology, the doctrine of last things, the doctrine of hope.
German theologian Jurgen Moltman, wrote A Theology of Hope. He speaks to the hope we as Christians find in the resurrection of Christ. On this ascension Sunday, we look toward the fulfillment of the promises of Christ. The promise that we have a great high priest who has suffered as we suffer and who has triumphed over death that those who believe may have eternal life. The fulfillment of this promise ensures us that we will be made new and makes us long for that day. We see the world around us and know that this isn’t what we have been promised. Our hope gives us a purpose, to work for the coming of the kingdom of God.
Christ will return and is bringing reward to the faithful. Those who keep doing the work of the kingdom will be brought into the gates, will be given access to the tree of life. They had not been abandoned. Christ was in control. As they gathered together, Christ came into their midst. The community was important in continuing to hope for the coming kingdom. They all faced persecution, but they could hold onto each other.
Isn’t that why we hold onto church? To gather and welcome the Risen Christ into our midst? A place where there are others to hold the Christ light for us when we are living in the night time of fear. (Servant Song). Ascension Sunday is about hope. Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega has gone before us and there is nothing outside of Christ. We are not left alone.
We are in the here and now, but we believe and trust that this is not all there is. We name the injustices within the world, we work toward bringing about the kingdom. Christ calls to the church in the final words of Revelation. It is a call to the faithful to continue to work. It is a call to action. We cannot sit passively. Church, our faith are not a spectator sports.
Three words; an invitation; a plea. After the tornado strikes, the community gathers to find those hiding under the rubble, to provide for their needs, and to wrap their arms around them. Come, Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. A Hispanic minster and his wife seek to help the non-English speaking people who have lost everything in the Nashville floods. Come, Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. Churches provide financial planning advice. The community finds ways to gather and to support one another in times when budgets are tight. We find new places to focus our attention, going out to serve instead of simply writing a check. Come, Lord Jesus!
Jesus calls and the church responds.
Jesus says “I am coming soon”
The church pleads “Come!”
As Christ announces his coming, he also announces that he is bringing not judgment, but reward for the faithful. Reward for those who wash their robes.
The faithful know that their robes have been muddied, stained, soiled and seek to wash them and be restored to righteousness, to be have their heavenly garments be made new. They continue to work in the world.
Jesus says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” There is nothing in heaven or on earth that is outside of Christ.
The Spirit and the bride, the church cry out “Come!” All who hear the cry join in “Come!” An invitation to anyone who is thirsty to Come, to drink of the waters of life. It is the water that is offered to the Samaritan woman at the well in John’s gospel. It is this water that carries God’s grace to us in the sacrament of Baptism, the church’s outward sign of the grace of God. This water is offered to anyone who seeks it. In this water we find re-creation, new life. In this water we find community as we are grafted into the body of Christ. In this water we echo the plea of the church “Come!”
Jesus calls again “Surely I am coming soon!” A fulfillment of the promise of the coming of the kingdom, that Christ’s reign will be established. Where oppression has taken hold, God’s justice will come. A call to remember. A call to action.
The church responds “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!”
We respond to Christ’s call not from fear, but from a place of great hope that with the faithful saints we will be welcomed into the gates of the city and given access to the tree of life. We respond in hope that the here and now is not the end, that God’s justice will come! We wait with anticipation, with excitement and as we wait we continue to do the work of the kingdom and reach out to others at our best. Offering the water of life to all who seek it. Holding onto hope. Shouting “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!”
A simple prayer. Spoken by a child as part of the prayer before dinner. Spoken in times of great anxiety. Three words. An invitation. A plea.
Dark clouds roll in. The sky turns a eerie shade of green. In the fading light of the day, a tail drops down from the clouds. A tornado forms. Sirens blare. Families scurry to take shelter. It sounds like a freight train. Come Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. Eighteen inches of rain fall in a day. Water overwhelms everything. The river continues to rise. The waters crest and spill out of the river banks. The streets become cement-bottomed creeks. Homes are destroyed. Water seeps in; mud follows the water; people are displaced. For those who don’t speak English are left behind. Come Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. The economy takes a downturn. Banks are struggling. There are rising costs of food and of gas. There is less money coming in; but it takes more money to stay afloat. Credit cards become an easy way out, but then personal debt increases. There is more and more debt and less and less money. Retirement savings take a hit. There isn’t going to be enough money to retire just yet. The worry over money begins to take a physical toll. Money for health care just isn’t in the budget. What to do now? Come Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. When we are anxious, these words are spoken as a plea. We don’t know the outcome of an event, we are overwhelmed by apprehension and fear, we begin to doubt ourselves and our judgment. We become paralyzed by fear.
There is much to be anxious about in the world today. Every time we turn on the TV or pick up the paper, the news seems dire. Natural disasters have been in the forefront of the news almost weekly it seems. The economy is still uncertain. There is still unrest in the middle east. We encounter news that makes us nervous about what will happen next. We may feel that there is nothing we can do to help the situation. We get stuck. Come Lord Jesus!
The community to whom Revelation is written would have been anxious too. They faced persecution from the Roman Empire. If caught meeting, they could be killed. They longed for Christ to return. We have the stories in the Gospels of the disciples gathering behind locked doors after Christ’s crucifixion, the early church was in hiding as well. Their world was filled with struggle and catastrophe too. They were anxious about the future. But it didn’t stop them from gathering. As they gathered, they sang, read, prayed and ate together.
Revelation was a letter written to be read in community, to be read with the gathered faithful. They are words that speak to the fear and anxiety of the believers, to the fear and anxiety of the world. Words to calm the doubts of those who don’t feel safe. Words of reassurance. Words to remind them of their agency in the kingdom, to remind them of what they are at their best. Words to bring hope. These final words of the Bible are eschatological in nature. Eschatology, the doctrine of last things, the doctrine of hope.
German theologian Jurgen Moltman, wrote A Theology of Hope. He speaks to the hope we as Christians find in the resurrection of Christ. On this ascension Sunday, we look toward the fulfillment of the promises of Christ. The promise that we have a great high priest who has suffered as we suffer and who has triumphed over death that those who believe may have eternal life. The fulfillment of this promise ensures us that we will be made new and makes us long for that day. We see the world around us and know that this isn’t what we have been promised. Our hope gives us a purpose, to work for the coming of the kingdom of God.
Christ will return and is bringing reward to the faithful. Those who keep doing the work of the kingdom will be brought into the gates, will be given access to the tree of life. They had not been abandoned. Christ was in control. As they gathered together, Christ came into their midst. The community was important in continuing to hope for the coming kingdom. They all faced persecution, but they could hold onto each other.
Isn’t that why we hold onto church? To gather and welcome the Risen Christ into our midst? A place where there are others to hold the Christ light for us when we are living in the night time of fear. (Servant Song). Ascension Sunday is about hope. Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega has gone before us and there is nothing outside of Christ. We are not left alone.
We are in the here and now, but we believe and trust that this is not all there is. We name the injustices within the world, we work toward bringing about the kingdom. Christ calls to the church in the final words of Revelation. It is a call to the faithful to continue to work. It is a call to action. We cannot sit passively. Church, our faith are not a spectator sports.
Three words; an invitation; a plea. After the tornado strikes, the community gathers to find those hiding under the rubble, to provide for their needs, and to wrap their arms around them. Come, Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. A Hispanic minster and his wife seek to help the non-English speaking people who have lost everything in the Nashville floods. Come, Lord Jesus!
Three words; an invitation; a plea. Churches provide financial planning advice. The community finds ways to gather and to support one another in times when budgets are tight. We find new places to focus our attention, going out to serve instead of simply writing a check. Come, Lord Jesus!
Jesus calls and the church responds.
Jesus says “I am coming soon”
The church pleads “Come!”
As Christ announces his coming, he also announces that he is bringing not judgment, but reward for the faithful. Reward for those who wash their robes.
The faithful know that their robes have been muddied, stained, soiled and seek to wash them and be restored to righteousness, to be have their heavenly garments be made new. They continue to work in the world.
Jesus says “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” There is nothing in heaven or on earth that is outside of Christ.
The Spirit and the bride, the church cry out “Come!” All who hear the cry join in “Come!” An invitation to anyone who is thirsty to Come, to drink of the waters of life. It is the water that is offered to the Samaritan woman at the well in John’s gospel. It is this water that carries God’s grace to us in the sacrament of Baptism, the church’s outward sign of the grace of God. This water is offered to anyone who seeks it. In this water we find re-creation, new life. In this water we find community as we are grafted into the body of Christ. In this water we echo the plea of the church “Come!”
Jesus calls again “Surely I am coming soon!” A fulfillment of the promise of the coming of the kingdom, that Christ’s reign will be established. Where oppression has taken hold, God’s justice will come. A call to remember. A call to action.
The church responds “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!”
We respond to Christ’s call not from fear, but from a place of great hope that with the faithful saints we will be welcomed into the gates of the city and given access to the tree of life. We respond in hope that the here and now is not the end, that God’s justice will come! We wait with anticipation, with excitement and as we wait we continue to do the work of the kingdom and reach out to others at our best. Offering the water of life to all who seek it. Holding onto hope. Shouting “Amen! Come Lord Jesus!”
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Using your Spiritual Gifts
1 Corinthians 12: 4-11
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
The passage from 1 Corinthians, which is quoted above, goes on to talk about how believers in Christ have been baptized into one body and how the body needs all its various parts to function. Baptism marks our entrance into the body and we are reminded of our baptism weekly as the assurance of pardon is spoken from the font, as we celebrate Baptisms, and as we participate in the remembrance of Baptism during the Easter Vigil.
In our Baptism God claims us. It is a sign and seal of God’s grace, a reminder that we cannot do anything in and of ourselves, but that what we do is in response to the grace of God. The words most frequently spoken in the church where I grew up were a reminder that we are made new.
“Hear the Good News! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. Know that you are forgiving and be at peace.”
So in being made new; in receiving God’s grace; and in joining the Body of Christ, what is it that we should do to respond to what we have been given?
As it is stated in 1 Corinthians 12, we have all been given spiritual gifts. We, as members of the Body of Christ, are called to make use of those gifts to serve God, the world, the church and one another. What are your gifts? What are the things that light you up from the inside? Are you the hands that serve the homeless? Are you the ears that listen to members? Are you feet that spread the good news?
We all have gifts and everyone is needed. Take a look around the church, where are opportunities to live out of your baptismal identity as a child of God and serve? It may be seemingly unlikely. When you find ways to exercise your gifts, you will be energized and filled. You will find yourself emptying yourself for others so that you may be filled again. May we all find our gifts and ways to use them to serve in the Kingdom of God!
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
The passage from 1 Corinthians, which is quoted above, goes on to talk about how believers in Christ have been baptized into one body and how the body needs all its various parts to function. Baptism marks our entrance into the body and we are reminded of our baptism weekly as the assurance of pardon is spoken from the font, as we celebrate Baptisms, and as we participate in the remembrance of Baptism during the Easter Vigil.
In our Baptism God claims us. It is a sign and seal of God’s grace, a reminder that we cannot do anything in and of ourselves, but that what we do is in response to the grace of God. The words most frequently spoken in the church where I grew up were a reminder that we are made new.
“Hear the Good News! Who is in a position to condemn? Only Christ, and Christ died for us, Christ rose for us, Christ reigns in power for us, Christ prays for us. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old life is gone; a new life has begun. Know that you are forgiving and be at peace.”
So in being made new; in receiving God’s grace; and in joining the Body of Christ, what is it that we should do to respond to what we have been given?
As it is stated in 1 Corinthians 12, we have all been given spiritual gifts. We, as members of the Body of Christ, are called to make use of those gifts to serve God, the world, the church and one another. What are your gifts? What are the things that light you up from the inside? Are you the hands that serve the homeless? Are you the ears that listen to members? Are you feet that spread the good news?
We all have gifts and everyone is needed. Take a look around the church, where are opportunities to live out of your baptismal identity as a child of God and serve? It may be seemingly unlikely. When you find ways to exercise your gifts, you will be energized and filled. You will find yourself emptying yourself for others so that you may be filled again. May we all find our gifts and ways to use them to serve in the Kingdom of God!
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Honoring Ellen Babinsky
This past Friday night Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary marked the retirement of Rev. Dr. Ellen Babinsky. Faculty, students and alums gathered to share memories and honor the impact she has had on faculty and students alike. While I was taking church history my junior year, I came up with songs to help me study for the tests.
One of the pieces of information that no student could leave Ellen's class without having committed to memory was the date of the nailing of Luther's 95 Thesis to the door in Wittenburg, October 31, 1517. With that is mind and in tribute to Ellen, I post this song here (it and others like it can be found at sillyseminarysongs.blogspot.com)
Reformation - Luther
(To the tune of the Addam's Family)
Halloween (snap, snap), 1517 (snap, snap),
95 theses on the door at Wittenburg (snap, snap)
The reformation started,
from the Catholic Church they parted,
for the contrite hearted,
Luther in Germany
Fredrick "the Wise" defended,
Pope’s authority up-ended,
Leipzig debates were ended,
Luther was condemned.
Edict of Worms (snap, snap), Condemns reforms (snap, snap),
Luther could be, killed on sight, that was the norm (snap, snap)
Charles the 5th wore the crown,
Luther’s writings all around,
the reformation abounds,
as Luther is kidnapped
Revolt of the Peasants (snap, snap), right to shoot pheasants (snap, snap),
Thomas Muntzer violent and radical, death wasn’t pleasant (snap, snap)
1st Diet of Speyer,
regulation by each sire,
to do as they desired,
in 1526.
Believers in Christ’s name,
church to believe the same,
"Godly prince" soon became
Luther’s church order
Speyer 2 diet (snap, snap), Catholics didn’t buy it (snap, snap),
Resolved to enforce, Edict of Worms, hoped Luther would bite it (snap, snap)
Lutherans lodged a protest,
they came to an impasse,
Protestant described them the best
Luther’s church reform (snap, snap)
One of the pieces of information that no student could leave Ellen's class without having committed to memory was the date of the nailing of Luther's 95 Thesis to the door in Wittenburg, October 31, 1517. With that is mind and in tribute to Ellen, I post this song here (it and others like it can be found at sillyseminarysongs.blogspot.com)
Reformation - Luther
(To the tune of the Addam's Family)
Halloween (snap, snap), 1517 (snap, snap),
95 theses on the door at Wittenburg (snap, snap)
The reformation started,
from the Catholic Church they parted,
for the contrite hearted,
Luther in Germany
Fredrick "the Wise" defended,
Pope’s authority up-ended,
Leipzig debates were ended,
Luther was condemned.
Edict of Worms (snap, snap), Condemns reforms (snap, snap),
Luther could be, killed on sight, that was the norm (snap, snap)
Charles the 5th wore the crown,
Luther’s writings all around,
the reformation abounds,
as Luther is kidnapped
Revolt of the Peasants (snap, snap), right to shoot pheasants (snap, snap),
Thomas Muntzer violent and radical, death wasn’t pleasant (snap, snap)
1st Diet of Speyer,
regulation by each sire,
to do as they desired,
in 1526.
Believers in Christ’s name,
church to believe the same,
"Godly prince" soon became
Luther’s church order
Speyer 2 diet (snap, snap), Catholics didn’t buy it (snap, snap),
Resolved to enforce, Edict of Worms, hoped Luther would bite it (snap, snap)
Lutherans lodged a protest,
they came to an impasse,
Protestant described them the best
Luther’s church reform (snap, snap)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Heading into Mission Presbytery Mid Winters
James 1:19-27
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
January brings Mission Presbytery’s youth Mid Winter Conferences at Mo Ranch. This year’s theme “The Word: It’s What You Do” is based on James 1:19-27. Last weekend Robert Quiring and I got to accompany several of our middle school youth and this week Robert and Lesley Fields will take some of our high school youth.
As I have been preparing to keynote the high school weekend, the words of James have been ringing in my soul. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Words that I think we all need. How many conversations do you have in the course of a day that you actually stop and listen? That you set yourself aside and don’t have a prepared response before the other has finished speaking?
When we listen, truly listen to another, we honor them with our full attention and presence. It is not just their words that we hear, but we pick up on non-verbal messages. We hear all the things they are not saying. However, this is not a skill that comes easily, we have to work at it.
The second part of the passage speaks to being doers not hearers of the word. How do we put our faith into action. The concept of works is what has made the book of James questioned. Martin Luther did not think the book belonged in the Bible, that it talked about doing good things instead of having faith, but James speaks to works stemming out of faith. Our deeds, according to James, are our faith lived out. It is what keeps us from being in the Christian secret service. Those who show up on Sunday and then go undercover the rest of the week.
To live out our faith in daily life is to put our faith into action. These don’t have to be heroic size actions. It is as simple as praying for others, sharing your faith, helping those who need it, or listening to people. These actions stem from our love of God and cause us to share that love with others.
The last part of the passage talks about true religion. For James, true religion is about caring for widows and orphans, those who are most vulnerable in society. Who are the people around us who are the most vulnerable? It may look different. It may be someone you work with who is struggling with a problem and needs someone to listen to them. It might be someone who has lost a job or who has lost their way.
How do you live out your faith? Do your actions show your faith? We are called to be in community with others, to be involved in others lives. May we all work toward being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger and to find ways to live out our faith through the things we do.
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Dear Fellow Followers of the Way:
January brings Mission Presbytery’s youth Mid Winter Conferences at Mo Ranch. This year’s theme “The Word: It’s What You Do” is based on James 1:19-27. Last weekend Robert Quiring and I got to accompany several of our middle school youth and this week Robert and Lesley Fields will take some of our high school youth.
As I have been preparing to keynote the high school weekend, the words of James have been ringing in my soul. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Words that I think we all need. How many conversations do you have in the course of a day that you actually stop and listen? That you set yourself aside and don’t have a prepared response before the other has finished speaking?
When we listen, truly listen to another, we honor them with our full attention and presence. It is not just their words that we hear, but we pick up on non-verbal messages. We hear all the things they are not saying. However, this is not a skill that comes easily, we have to work at it.
The second part of the passage speaks to being doers not hearers of the word. How do we put our faith into action. The concept of works is what has made the book of James questioned. Martin Luther did not think the book belonged in the Bible, that it talked about doing good things instead of having faith, but James speaks to works stemming out of faith. Our deeds, according to James, are our faith lived out. It is what keeps us from being in the Christian secret service. Those who show up on Sunday and then go undercover the rest of the week.
To live out our faith in daily life is to put our faith into action. These don’t have to be heroic size actions. It is as simple as praying for others, sharing your faith, helping those who need it, or listening to people. These actions stem from our love of God and cause us to share that love with others.
The last part of the passage talks about true religion. For James, true religion is about caring for widows and orphans, those who are most vulnerable in society. Who are the people around us who are the most vulnerable? It may look different. It may be someone you work with who is struggling with a problem and needs someone to listen to them. It might be someone who has lost a job or who has lost their way.
How do you live out your faith? Do your actions show your faith? We are called to be in community with others, to be involved in others lives. May we all work toward being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger and to find ways to live out our faith through the things we do.
Grace, mercy and peace,
Karen
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