Seeing God in Others

Matthew 25:31-40
 ‘I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ 

—Jesus C.

We stopped at a red light. To my right, on this cool winter morning, was a man of unknown age sitting against a store front wall with his knees drawn up tight to his chest. His hands were wrapped around his legs and his head was down, eyes closed or looking down at the sidewalk. He had covered himself in a large piece of clear plastic from head to toe. Above him stood a young man with his hand gently placed upon the sitting man, his eyes on him. He appeared to be exuding a quiet, caring manner. No response was coming from the sitting man. It was a tender moment that soon was gone from my sight as our light turned green. The memory remains.

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 25:34-40: ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ …‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (NIV)

That is what I saw displayed in the caring young man. The saddest part of the street-corner picture was the lack of response from the man on the street. He never looked up! He was not reacting to the gentle touch of someone there for him, someone who cared.

With whom do you connect? Are you the lonely, hurting one with your eyes upon the ground, or centered upon yourself and your difficulties? Consider what might happen if you looked up! If you do, you will look into the eyes of God. Those eyes might be of a servant of God who cares for the hurting, the neighbor, the weary, the old, the child. You may see God in the reading of a passage from the Bible or through a worship experience or in the melody of a song or the rhythm of a poem. God tries in all sorts of ways to get our attention. We try all kinds of ways to ignore God and his loving care. We too often choose to wrap ourselves up in a blanket of plastic thinking we will remain hidden, or we shut our eyes or stare at the ground when all we need to do is look up, to respond to the loving touch of a stranger or friend, to hear God’s pleading voice through a caring word or a loving hand.

There is hope. No matter who we are, what we have done, how we look, God loves us and sends loving people into our lives to show us that love.

And guess what! God calls all of us to be his hands, feet, eyes, voice, and touch to others. Perhaps we have once been wounded or feel compassion for the hurts and fears of others. Allow those feelings to drive you into God’s compassion and healing for others wherever we are. Together we can make a difference. Together we can be healed and experience hope. Together we see God!

Prayer: Here I am Lord. I want to experience your love and acceptance. I want to share your hope and caring with others. Empower me, Lord. Amen.

Drought Conditions (Isaiah 55)

There has been a drought in the Arizona Desert for many years. Jim has been hiking the same trails for over twelve years and can attest to the fact that water is rarely seen in any measurable quantity.

This January day is different. The water is making noise! It’s exploding over rocks and down runways that have been dry for so long! Jason, another long-time resident, commented how the skies look different this winter. Not in fifteen years has he seen the clouds hang so low and open up with the hard rain usually associated with the summer monsoons. There has been rain and more rain for many days now.

The sound encourages our legs to move faster and our eyes dart back and forth from the rocky trail of Finger Rock to the source of the moving water. Will we see it?

Jim testifies to the waterfall that lies just ahead with Finger Rock towering far above it. Water in the desert. The images are rich.

• Water in the desert brought Jesus to be baptized in the Jordan River—water running over him and God speaking to him through those waters.

• Isaiah 55: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
  and you that have no money,  come, buy and eat!
  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

• Cowboy song, “All day I face the barren waste, without a drop of water. Cool, clear, water.” For the desert and plains of the southwest gave travelers cause for concern.

• And my favorite water song, “And Jesus said, “Come to the waters, stand by my side. I know you are thirsty, you won’t be denied. I felt every tear drop when in darkness you cried. And I strove to remind you that for those tears I died.”

Drought, the absence of water, the absence of hope and life, surround us constantly. When the drought of actual water confronts you, hopefully you have planned ahead with resources to get you through the dry times. When the drought of faith or confidence comes into your life, that emptiness and yearning that gnaws away at you, what reserves have you to sustain you?

God is the source of the hope and purpose for your life. Turn to God’s Word, trust God to nurture you and give you the Living Water that only God can furnish. Remember, we are the children of God who loves us, wants good things for us, and will sustain us when everyone else has left us.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for water. Thank you for hope and life and purpose we find in you. Amen

Song: “Come to Me, All Pilgrims Thirsty” ELW 777

All I Want for Christmas

 Matthew 2:1-12

Maren was in kindergarten and, as Christmas approached, the talk at school was cloaked in the tales of Santa Claus. The children sang songs and heard stories about Santa, the elves, the toys, the good and bad girls and boys.

Suddenly Maren knew what she wanted for Christmas. She wanted Santa to bring her a sleigh with bells. She wanted that sleigh in her back yard on Christmas morning so she could hitch a ride to the North Pole where Santa and the elves lived. There, she just knew that Santa would have the elves teach her how to make the toys he brought to the boys and girls each year. And, if she learned how to make those toys, Santa’s reindeer could return Maren back home where she could make the toys and be one of Santa’s helpers in bringing gifts to the children in her community.

What’s on our “want list?”  Does it include serving others or fulfilling the needs and dreams of others? Perhaps that was one of the original purposes of sharing gifts at Christmas. 

The other model of gift-giving at Christmas is the wise men seeking the baby Jesus. In awe of this gift of a Messiah—one who would bring in a new Kingdom on earth—these men bow down, offering the very best treasures they have: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

So, what do we give to God who comes in Jesus to bring hope, justice, and peace to our world? Hopefully we offer our very lives and commitment to follow God’s ways, to share in the mission as demonstrated by Jesus, and to tell to all God’s story wrapped up in God’s love for all.

Prayer: Generous, loving God, today I offer myself to you. Help me to find ways of sharing the good news   of your love to others. Amen.

Song: “What Can I Give Him?” by Christina Rosetti.
               What can I give Him, poor as I am?
               If I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,
               If I were a wise man, I would do my part.
               Yet what can I give Him?  Give my heart.

Blanketed in God's Love

God’s love was revealed among us in this way:
God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9

 An old 1968 Christmas song by Elvis Presley began, “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you…” And that is true. Too many of us have lost a child, parent, spouse, or friend during the past year or two. It is a lonely time of year, and we think fondly of the special moments we shared. It can cause anxiety, deep grief, and despair as we approach this holiday season.

Christmas is also a beautiful time. We look out our window at the huge snow flakes that drift from the sky. We receive that special box of cookies lovingly prepared by a neighbor, or a family member gives us a call. Those are the small things that help remove the darkness, “the blue Christmas,” from our lives.

God sends us the best Christmas gift of all. It is sometimes easy to forget the meaning of Christmas among the bustle of Christmas trees and wrapping of gifts. God’s extravagant gift is best revealed in the words of another song:

Love came down at Christmas, Love all Love Divine.
Love came down at Christmas, and I know, I know that Love is mine.

 When we are “blanketed in God’s Love,” when we acknowledge that Jesus embodies that Love, we discover that it is the perfect gift to us from God in our moments of great pain and sorrow, as well as in our time of jubilant joy. So, look and see the greatness of God in a small child born in Bethlehem so long ago. Let God wrap you in his arms of Love. Experience this Love that brings healing, hope, and peace into our lives. It is a gift that never goes away!

Sing it again, Mary!

Thirty-one years ago, my cousin, Rev. Dan Erlander, drew this depiction of Mary’s Song which is recorded in the Bible (Luke 1:46-56). How fitting it is: rout the proud, cast down the mighty and lift up the lowly! Yes, sing it again and again, Mary!

This song is special to me. I have sung it over and over again at Holden Village. Our granddaughter, Annika sang it for church when she was 8 years old.

This Advent Season at Faith Lutheran Church in Shelton, we gather to do the Holden Evening Prayer. This song is part of that worship, and it moves the heart. If you haven’t attended this service, I recommend you do it on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. It is a chance to lift up our prayers to God for peace and justice and hope, now and into the future.

Be Like the Rechabites...

Read Jeremiah 35.

It is a short chapter telling of a small clan called the Rechabites who, when the troops of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon were moving across the land, picked up their tents and moved themselves into Jerusalem for safety. This was a special clan who were faithful and true to the covenant they had made with Jonadab, son of Rechab. They agreed they would not drink wine, build a house, sow seed, or plant a vineyard (or even own one). When they were put to the test, they stood their ground and God was impressed!

Jeremiah, speaking on behalf of God, confronts the Judeans and those living in Jerusalem with the question, “Can you not learn a lesson and obey my words?” God’s persistent request, through numerous prophets, of the Judeans was:

“Turn now each of you from your evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them.  And if you do this, you will live in this land that I have given to you and your ancestors.”

Then God, through the mouth of Jeremiah, lifts up the example of the Rechabites.  But since his covenant with the people has been broken, over and over again, God says, okay folks. If that is the way you want it, you won’t live in the land and disaster will fall upon you.  You just haven’t listened. To the Rechabites, God says, “you shall not lack a descendant to stand before me for all time.”

So, we must consider this just as those people of old did. Will we as a church—God’s gathered people—listen to God’s Word, commit ourselves in covenant with God, and follow God’s ways as did the Rechabites? Or will we submit to our own selfishness, our own belief that we know what is best, or in our eagerness to do what pleases the world in which we live, and thus break our covenant with God? 

And what is it that God requires of us?  Perhaps Micah 6:8 says it best:

“[God] has told you…what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Jesus demonstrated it for us. Return to the ways of God is what God desires of us.

Prayer: Turn us around, God, so we will listen to you, do your will, live faithfully in your covenant, and be strong like the Rechabites.  Amen

SONG:  “Lord, You Give the Great Commission” by Jeffery Rowthorn

Lord, you give the great commission:
“Heal the sick and preach the word.”
Lest the church neglect its mission, and the gospel go unheard.
Help us witness to your purpose with renewed integrity:
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Give Thanks!

Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his steadfast love endures forever!  1 Chronicles 16:34

The words, “give thanks to the Lord,” are used at least 35 times in the NRSV translation of the Bible. They are music to my ear, healing for my heart, and food for my soul.” They are the “thank you, God” that makes life meaningful and worth living!

I love music. As I drove back from Olympia today, some melodies and words came to the surface. They worked as a base for my own reflections upon THANKSGIVING. I will list the songs and what they reminded me this Thanksgiving weekend. Perhaps you will add your own songs or words of thanks.

Thank you for giving me the morning,
Thank you for ev’ry day that’s new.
Thank you, that I can know my worries
can be cast on you.

Thank you, God, that each new day brings to me new hope, new promises. The past is over.

He’s got the whole world in his hands.

Thank you, God, that you and not me, are in control. Thank you for inviting me to help you to care for those around me so that your world will be a better place to be.

We give thee but thine own,
whate’er the gift may be;
all that we have is thine alone,
a trust, O Lord, from thee.

All that we have is yours, from you, a gift and a trust. Thank you for your generous caring for me. Give me a heart of generosity to others.

Thank You Lord for saving my soul,
Thank You Lord for making me whole,
Thank You Lord for giving to me,
Thy Great Salvation so full and free.

Thank you, God, for salvation and hope and forgiveness and wholeness. No matter what I have done in the past, the number of people I have hurt in my own carelessness or indifference, you have come to my aid. Give me a forgiving heart and a willingness to tell others that I am sorry for hurting them.

Think of those songs that give you words and thoughts to express your own thankfulness to God this Thanksgiving week. Truly, we have so much for which to say, “THANK YOU.”

And, from me, I wish YOU a very blessed, heart-thankful day this Thanksgiving.

Tyger Penson

God, Keep Me A-sailin' Along (Psalm 73)

Sometimes we think we have everything we need to make it through life. We are strong and determined (at least that’s the image we give to others and try to convey to ourselves). We have what we need. Life is rolling along, and we are relatively happy.

Then comes those times when we struggle to imagine how we will make it to the next day or week. Our decisions have caused us to stumble, our thoughts have gone awry, or our way forward seems to be blocked in every direction. We find ourselves in a very bad place. What do we do now?

I am drawn to the words of Psalm 73:1-3, 25-26 where the writer says,

Truly God is good to the upright,
         to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
        my steps had nearly slipped.
 For I was envious of the arrogant;
         I saw the prosperity of the wicked…

These words suggest that we are not alone. Others too struggle as we do. At such moments we can find hope by reading what God’s Word has to say, like here in Psalm 73. It seems that it is at our lowest points in life, that God’s Word becomes the clearest and best. It is then that we reach out to God who loves us and cares for us, who lifts us up and carries us forward. As the Psalmist continues, while speaking to God:

Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Our trio has been practicing a song called Home of My Heart with words written by Ellen Levesque. There is a line in the song that seems to repeat itself morning and night in my thoughts. It is “If I were a ship, you’d be the fuel that keeps me asailin’ along.” I love the imagery. I, the ship, may be beautiful or not, I may be big or small, smart or not, but ultimately I really go nowhere without the fuel of God’s guidance, care, and love to keep “me asailin’ along.”

PRAYER: God, you are the strength of my heart, the fuel that keeps me going. Direct me, hold me, carry me along so that I may find hope, peace, love, and contentment with you. Amen

It Was Very Good

Genesis 1
“In the beginning, God…”

Read the first chapter of Genesis. In this creation story, did you notice how it repeated the words, “God saw that it was good,” over and over again. Then when God created humans, Genesis says, “God saw that it was VERY good.”

While living in Wenatchee, Washington, one morning I looked out my kitchen window. I could see a piece of the Columbia River which flows from way up north from Canada, down to the Pacific Ocean 1240 miles away. Mission Ridge foothills rise up from the river floor and display deep shadows that outline their indentations and jutted rocks. Sheep graze in the pasture below. But there is more. Cherry orchards dot the landscape ripe with fruit; and mother Robin is sitting on eggs in a nearby tree! To the west lie the Cascade Mountains. It IS GOOD—really good! They are all gifts from our Creator God.

How did all this come about? Genesis is a beautiful poetic description, for sure. If you read Psalm 8, the writer is totally awed, but neither the writer of Genesis nor the Psalmist answer the question, “HOW did God do it?” 

We may leave the details of the “How” to the astronomer or the scientist to understand. They will tell you we live in a huge universe on planet earth which weighs ˜6 billion trillion tons and moves around sun 66,000 mph while rotating at the equator at little over 1000 mph.”

Then I pick up a tiny grain of sand that contains 22 quintillion atoms. I can’t even fathom that!

How magnificent it all is! Open your eyes & see! Then praise God, the author of it all! Use the words of the Psalmist.

    When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
    what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?

Prayer:  It is good! God, you, and all you create is good! It reminds me that if you can do such great things in creation, you will certainly care for me. Thank you. Amen.

Song: “God the Sculptor of the Mountains” by John Thornburg, b. 1954   (ELW 736)

Deep Rooted Christians

 Philippians 4:2-7:  I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

A favorite modern day parable is of Twin Maples, twirling to earth. They landed near each other. One fell on a fertile lawn, the other was deposited into a crack of concrete sidewalk. In the first year, the Lawn maple thrust out roots and raised an 8 inch sapling while the Sidewalk maple had trouble staying alive. Being well fed and watered, the Lawn maple jumped to an incredible height of three feet, that second year, while the Sidewalk maple grew a mere three inches. In year three, the Sidewalk maple finally widened the concrete crack and came to earth but because of the dry, unfertile ground below, it did not have a leafy crown as the Lawn Maple. Instead, the Sidewalk maple had to push its roots down into the deep underground water vein. Then, in year four, a drought occurred, and the Lawn maple withered and then lost its leaves in July. The Sidewalk maple, however, stayed brilliantly green. In the fall, the Lawn maple, who never grew deep roots, died, but the Sidewalk maple turned a glorious and triumphant red.

I like to think that Christians for whom life has been a struggle are often like the Sidewalk maples. They are secure in knowing God, who offers rich life and hope of eternal life through Christ. They dig deep into the Bible to discern who God is and what God is all about! They spend time in prayer and meditation. They exert energy in serving others, they trust God to care and provide for them, and they praise God for the blessings they have.

Their song is a reflection of Philippians 4:4, 7: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!” They find wholeness in the benediction, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When you get right down to it, it just doesn’t get any better than that!

Lawn Maple Christians are equally loved by God. Perhaps the gift Sidewalk Christians can give to the Lawn Maple Christians is to befriend them, pray for them, and find ways to encourage and enable them to draw closer to their common God of love over the long haul. To create a reserve of hope and God’s love in their lives.

Prayer: Lord, when I struggle in my faith walk, give me nourishment and hope. When I persevere in following you, give me faith growth. Knowing you will do what you have said, I rejoice and give thanks. Help me not to hoard your hope and love but to share it with others.  Amen.

Song: “Give Me Jesus”      An African-American spiritual    ELW 770