Who's In Charge? Rejoice! God Reigns! Isaiah 66:10-14

“Who’s in charge?”

     After President Reagan was shot in Washington in March of 1981 Al Haig infamously (and erroneously) said that he was in charge.

A year ago Egyptians elected Morsi as president and this week, after a few weeks of protests, the army deposed him from power.  Now both sides are duking it out in the streets.  “Who’s in charge” in Cairo?

Even in the church we sometimes ask, “Who’s in charge?”

Our Congregational Leadership Council has been looking at our constitution and has been left to ask that very question.

So, we’ll probably be doing a study on this in the fall and making some small changes to it for you all to vote on at the fall voter’s meeting

And in my own life, my head is sometimes spinning asking, “Who or what is in Charge of my life?”

I’m an ordained minister called to Redeemer Lutheran Church

I’m married to Susan

I’m father to Katie, Chris, and Caroline,

I’m son to Del and Sandy.

And I’m a baptized child of God.

What about you? Who’s in charge of your life?

Is it yourself?

Your job?

Does it seem like the whole world has control over you?

Does the devil has his grips on you at times?

Another way to look at this is, what moves, motivates, and informs you as you walk through life?

Ambition?

Security?

Providing for your family?

Watching over your children?

Pleasing God by being a good person?

I’m afraid if it’s any of these, you are doomed.

According to Galatians anything we do—any life we live—that is not informed, directed and planted by the Holy Spirit is going to be corrupted.

Not “less than optimal”, not, “so-so”, not, “pretty good”, or, “ok”—CORRUPTED!

That is, “bad to the bone”, “rotten to the core,” “unsalvageable”, thrown into the fire”, ALL BAD!

Only things sown by the Holy Spirit will last.  Only that life which is from God will exist for eternity

So, when are you and I going to give up trying to be in charge of everything and let God reign?

When will we begin to live like he knows better than us?

When will we start seeking the answers to life from His book, instead of the Wall Street Journal, the KC Star or Fox News, or MSNBC?

When will we “Rejoice! Because God Reigns!” in our hearts and lives?

And, how will we know that he does?

In the Gospel we see an example of when this happened and it was amazingly simple.

Jesus sent out the seventy two disciples in pairs to prepare villages, towns and cities before his coming to them to preach the Good News.

They were to take no provisions—for God always provides

They were to bring God’s peace—and peace would come back to them or, be returned to them and they would take it elsewhere

They would heal the sick—so that everyone would be well enough to hear the Savior

Simple stuff to usher in the reign of Jesus.

Trust Jesus

Use what is placed before you

Heal in the name and preparation of Jesus

Let Jesus speak for himself to create faith by his Holy Spirit

Too often we are scared off from this mission of Jesus because we think we need to convert someone to faith in Jesus and that scares us—and rightly so

Because that’s not what Jesus teaches

If we were to be responsible for salvation we would be the king—we would reign.

No, we are just the heralds the messenger, the 72.

Jesus Brings salvation, Jesus is king, Jesus reigns.

As we begin to flesh out our vision for ministry as a congregation we keep all this in mind as we plan, as we gather resources, and as we go out into the city to prepare it for Jesus.

We trust Jesus—personally, and as a church

We use what is placed before us—knowing that even what might be seen as a shortage is also an asset to those who have faith

We heal and comfort people in whatever shape we find them—and tell them Jesus is on the way.

And then, we get out of the way and let Jesus and the Holy Spirit do their thing.

Rejoicing  that he has come into another heart

And saved another soul from corruption

As I came to church yesterday for a baptism I picked up a message from a woman in our community who heard we had a laundry ministry

You see, her friend had told her that some folks from Redeemer helped her at the Laundromat a few weeks ago  and her machines weren’t working and she really didn’t have the money to fix them or to keep going to the Laundromat.

Because some couples from our church went out like the 72 into our neighborhood, healing occurred, hope arrived, and Jesus may very well be on his way into this woman’s heart to reign in her life forever!

So, where else does Jesus reign?

I know you have ideas and I know God is placing this community on your hearts—you’ve told me so!

For some of you it’s housing ministry

For others its food and clothing

For some its college kids

And for others its young professionals.

Some of you have shared the idea of turning our big lawn out front into a community garden,

Others have a heart for single mothers

While others ache to restart efforts to reach the Hispanic community with our love for them in Jesus through ESL classes.

These are all signs that Jesus is reigning in YOUR hearts.  And if he is reigning in your heart you have all you need to go out and prepare the harvest field.  For it is indeed ripe.

And God Reigns here at Redeemer Lutheran Church. 

Each and every week we are witness to his coronation as King over evil and destruction

as we commemorate his death and resurrection 

as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper

and, thereby, celebrate the eternal life we now have through his body and blood spilled on the cross for our sake.

Each time a person comes to this font, like Kellyn and Malia did yesterday,

Jesus reigns as more people enter God’s family

And you and I have two more sisters in Christ (pause)

And God reigns in Olathe as our Gracious Living Magazine is read by thousands

So that at least one family has already inquired about preschool.

A neighboring Pastor has praised God for our outreach,

The Lutheran Church Extension Fund has informed us that we will receive a $500 grant to help us pay for this effort.

And a lay person in our community who has a business which ministers to seniors commended us for the publication and offered ideas on how we can strengthen future issues.

And another reason we know that God Reigns here is Olathe is ironically, by the opposition our little magazine has rustled up.

It’s only a small number, but there have been five or six people who have called the office, nearly enraged, that we would dare bring Jesus into their homes through our little mailing.

They are convicted by their lack of faith and

Regardless of how winsome our message, they do not want to face the King

Today we’ll pray for all those people

Knowing that God loves them just as much as he loves you and I

And praying that they will hold on to that magazine

Or that someway, somehow, God would use someone else to share the love of Jesus with them

so that God would reign in their hearts as well.

But God has just begun to reign in Olathe.

The Kansas District of the LCMS would like to start 20 ministries in the state by 2020 and the Synod set a goal of 2000 new congregations in the United States by 2017 (the 500^th anniversary of the reformation) at our 2007 convention

And with only two Lutheran churches preaching the grace of Jesus to a city of 130,000, we obviously have some work to do

and God is calling us to let him have free rein

in our hearts,

in our actions

in our wallets

on our calendars

and in our prayers and worship

All so that we might Rejoice! With Elijah as he does in our Old Testament Lesson, knowing that God reigns on earth and in heaven, now and forever more. 

It’s not too late to become a part of this important work of preparing Olathe for the coming of Jesus.

Even with the LCEF grant, we have only raised half of the $8000 the Gracious Living magazine costs to publish. 

Perhaps you could help us finish strong by putting your donation in one of the envelopes on the table in the narthex?

The Young Couples bible study would love to have you join them in their laundry ministry to our neighbors.

Seek them out during our fellowship time after the service today or send me an email or phone call and I’ll get you connected.

You can also still fill out the vision to action forms that you received with your bulletins today

so that we can connect you with others who have burdened with similar passions and callings that we might reach more people in more ways with the Gospel of Jesus.

And we are still in need of at least one more elder and, possibly another CLC member

so that’s God’s work at Redeemer Lutheran Church would continue to be strong and vivacious.

And that all we do would be in good order and accomplish what God would have us do.

Because God reigns in our hearts, over his church and even over this whole world, we can be bold and confident to serve him as did the 72 in our scriptures today.

And that boldness leads us to Rejoice in him and all he does

Through his word, his sacraments and through us, the people of his body, the Church.

To Him be all Glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Life Together: Chapter Two

Chapter Two: The Day with Others
While Chapter One focused largely on issues of fellowship, and the basis for our community of faith, Chapter Two centers around what we do as we gather—worship and pray.
Though much of the chapter focuses on the devotional life of the family, we must remember that Bonhoeffer was at this time living with a bunch of young, college aged men studying to be pastors. They were, for all intents and purposes, a family unit. He writes this chapter, not only with this present assemblage in mind, but with the knowledge that most of them would eventually, one day, find themselves in their own family, as the head of that family, and as an example to their parish.
The focus of this chapter then, whether we find ourselves in a family, or in the larger family, the church, is, “How do we spend our time together with Christ?” He begins with Paul’s exhortation to the Colossians:
“Let the word of Christ Dwell in you richly” (Colossians3:16)
The Day’s Beginning
In the Old Testament the “day” began at sundown, thus one went to bed with the expectation and wonderment of what God would provide the next day. “Would this be the day the Messiah comes?” But Bonhoeffer points to fact that the New Testament day begins with daybreak. It’s a time of fulfillment.
26. Of what fulfillment does the breaking of a new day remind us?
27. Read Malachi 4:2 and Judges 5:31. What was the Old Testament Church expecting?
28. How was deliverance and fulfillment of God’s promise pictured in their minds and in their poetry?
Ancient people and cultures had a fear of the dark—that it might not end and that a new day may not arrive. We now know better and do not have that fear. But this idea of expectant daylight should not be lost on us. (41)
29. From what deliverance or expectation can we associate with the rising of the sun?
30. Since our deliverance is found in Christ, and since (as we learned in chapter one) our fellowship in Christ presents us with a divine reality that we are in fellowship with all other believers, then to whom/what does the dawn belong? (bottom of 41)
Given this understanding, that the daybreak is an ever-repeating reminder of the re-birth of the Sun/Son of God, and therefore, our resurrection and our fellowship under that sun/Son, its no wonder then that the church, in both Old and New Testaments saw this time of day as the time of worship as a community.
31. What do the following verses say about mornings?
Psalm 5:3,
Psalm 88:13,
Psalm 57:7-8,
Psalm 119:147,
Psalm 63:1,
Psalm 46:5
Lam. 3:23
[Have it] “known that we must prevent the sun to give thee thanks, and at the dayspring pray to thee.” The Wisdom of Solomon 16:28 (Appoc.)
[Of the Bible Student,] “he will give his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him and will pray before the most High.” Ecclesiasticus 39:5(Appoc.)
32. However, in the New Testament, mornings take on even more importance. Describe Ephesians 5:14.
The important men of God arose early in the morning to seek out God and to do his commands.
33. Which men of God do the following verses show arising early to speak with God? (43)
Genesis 19:27
Exodus 8:16,
Exodus 9:13,
Exodus 24:4
Joshua 3:1
Joshua 6:12
Mark 1:35
34. According to Psalm 127:2, for what reason should we NOT rise early in the morning? (44)
The Psalter
35. According to the New Testament, what book did the early church apparently rely upon most in the morning? (Eph. 5:19, Col. 3:16) (pp. 44 ff)
Bonhoeffer rightly asserts that the Psalms are God’s word (44) and that, with few exceptions, are the prayers of men as well. He then goes on to reason that as we pray the Psalms they are at the same time the Prayers of God.
36. If we then follow this understanding and, remembering our conversation last chapter about being a community rooted in and through Christ, when we pray the Psalms, who else then is praying?
37. Some of the Psalms are particularly difficult for us to pray—we cannot seem to ‘identify’ with them. What does Bonhoeffer say regarding this? If we don’t feel as if this Psalm is our prayer, then whose is it? (bottom 45)
“Only in the whole Christ does the whole Psalter become a reality, a whole which the individual can never fully comprehend and call his own. That is why the prayer of the psalms belongs in a peculiar way to the fellowship. Even if a verse or a psalm is not one’s own prayer it is nevertheless the prayer of another member of the fellowship; so it is quite certainly the prayer of the true Man Jesus Christ and his Body on earth.
38. When put in this perspective, how do we approach not only the psalms, but the Prayer of the Church?
39. How could this knowledge of the Body praying in unity help you in your prayer life?
40. Though we may never experience the full range of the emotion and experiences in the psalms we still pray them because who has experienced them? (47)
Next Bonhoeffer speaks of the structure of the Psalms themselves, as even their structure speak to community.
41. Read Psalm 5. What rhetorical devise is employed? What might this say about how it was prayed? (49)
Is this not a hint that one who prays never prays alone?
Reading the Scriptures
Bonhoeffer, having thrown the Psalms into a special hybrid category which is part Word of God, part prayer and part song, now turns his attention to the other portions of scripture as an important part of our Life together. In particular he encourages his students not to think of it as “individual passages; it is a unit and is intended to be used as such.”
42. What it his suggestion for families (and, shall we assume, congregations?) as they read the scriptures? (middle of 51)
43. But what is the problem with reading scripture? (top 52)
44. So, then, what is the purpose of reading the scriptures if there is such a broad range of understanding? What shall we expect from our reading it? (middle 52)
To this it must be said that for the mature Christian every Scripture reading will be “too long” even the shortest one.”
45. What does this mean?
46. Where do we find the answers—even to the scriptures? (Col. 2:3)
47. Because of our divine fellowship with all believers across time and space, what does Bonhoeffer say we share? How are we part of the lectio continua, or, ‘continuous reading’ of scripture? (53-54)
We must learn to know the Scriptures again, as the Reformers and our fathers knew them. We must not grudge the time and the work that it takes. We must know the Scriptures first and foremost for the sake of our salvation. But besides this, there are ample reasons that make this requirement exceedingly urgent. How, for example, shall we ever attain certainty and confidence in our personal and church activity if we do not stand on solid Biblical ground?
48. According to Bonhoeffer, on what should we NOT base our authority when making crucial decisions? (55)
49. In order to build up this scriptural authority in the home, who should read the scriptures? (bottom 55)
Singing the New Song
Here is where Bonhoeffer rubs many a Lutheran the wrong way, though his points are worth examining for what is at their heart. Like many of us, he loves the hymns of the church, not because of their musical value, but because of what the music does for the prayers they offer.
50. What is the focus of the Christian hymn? (58)
51. How do our songs compare to those of heaven? (58)
52. What makes our songs palatable to God? (58)
“Sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph 5:19). The new song is sung first in the heart. Otherwise it cannot be sung at all. The heart sings because it is overflowing with Christ.
53. According to Bonhoeffer, when we find ourselves unable to sing in church, what is lacking?
54. Can the Christian ever be without Christ? How then, can He, at times, not be in our hearts? (58-59)
55. What might one do then, if one is found without the joy of Christ in one’s heart?
56. What type of singing does Bonhoeffer advocate when we sing as the Church? (59)
57. Why does he feel unison singing is the best form of singing?
58. To what is the music always bound?
“Unison singing, difficult as it is, is less of a musical than a spiritual matter.”
59. What are some of the results of singing together (in unison!) as a congregation? (61)
Saying Our Prayers Together
In this section Bonhoeffer encourages the brethren to pray together. He begins with talking about the prayers we offer up singly within a group, something most people find very difficult, yet which he encourages and says is even necessary.
60. What are some reasons why we should gather to pray together in small groups? (62)
61. How might we encourage free and open prayer? (bottom 62)
62. What reminder does Bonhoeffer give us regarding even the most halted of prayers? (62)
While all types of prayer are encouraged to be said by any and all in the fellowship, Bonhoeffer does point out that certain prayer should be certain persons at certain times. (63)
63. Why does he assert the head of the house, or at least one designated prayer, should pray the prayer at the end of the family devotion? (63)
64. What is also understood of the fellowship for whom the leader is praying at the close of the devotion? (63)
65. Likewise, what covenant does the lead pray-er have with the fellowship he/she is praying for? (63)
66. How does this person stay on track and on task? (bottom 63)
67. “Thus, the prayer will become more and more the ________ __________ of all.
It will happen again and again that the person who is charged with offering the prayer for the fellowship will not feel at all in the spiritual mood to do so, and will much prefer to turn over his task to another for this day. Such a shift is not advisable, however. Otherwise, the prayer of the fellowship will too easily be governed by moods which have nothing to do with spiritual life.
68. What does the fellowship do when the one who offers up their joint prayer is burdened and feels unable to lift up that prayer? (bottom 64)
69. What encouragement does scripture give in this regard? (Romans 8:26)
70. How does Bonhoeffer feel about “Prayer Fellowships”? (65)
71. What must be incumbent upon such gatherings?
72. What must the fellowship guard against?
The Fellowship of the Table
Here Bonhoeffer sets forth a short description of the necessity and the purpose for celebrating bread of life with earthly bread at a shared table. He notes that Jesus shared three types of table fellowship with the disciples: daily fellowship at table, the table fellowship of the Lord’s Supper, and the final table fellowship in the Kingdom of God. “But in all three the one thing that counts is that “their eyes were opened, and they knew him.” So, to be at table within the fellowship is to know Jesus.
73. How do we first know Jesus through table fellowship? (bottom of 66)
74. The second way is similar, but takes into account that we would not enjoy the first if not for this second acknowledgment of Christ, which is what? (top of 67)
75. Thirdly, when the congregation prays, “Be our guest” in what is it confessing? (67)
76. The festive nature of table fellowship is rooted in what reality? (top 68)
77. Does this impart new meaning to our understanding of “Sunday Dinner”?
78. What might Bonhoeffer say about our habit to very often eat meals in isolation whether that is in our cubicle at work or at the coffee table in front of a television?
79. What obligation does table fellowship imply according to Bonhoeffer? (bottom 68)
The Day’s Work
With all this praying, singing and eating, what else is a person to do? Work! The last six pages of this chapter are devoted to the subject of work and its relation to prayer and faith.
80. Which should come first, prayer or work? (bottom 69)
81. Moreover, can one have one without the other? Why or why not? (top 70)
82. What is the purpose of work in Bonhoeffer’s (and Luther’s) eyes? (middle 70)
83. Bonhoeffer talks about an “it”/”Thou” relationship. What is it? (70-71)
84. How does Colossians again help us in our understanding of Life Together?
Colossians 3:17
Colossians 3:23-24
Noonday and Evening
85. What shall we do at mid-day? For what must we give thanks?
86. What noon-time event might we contemplate over our bologna and cheese and how is that relevant to our daily routine of work and prayer?(72)
“At the end of the day” is a common expression. Bonhoeffer too seems to know is as he posits, “A day at a time is long enough to sustain one’s faith; the next day will have its cares.”
87. How, then, does he suggest the day end? (73)
88. What petition should be particularly included in the evening fellowship? (74)
89. What special accommodation might one consider for this special time in the evening when prayers and petitions are offered by the fellowship to our heavenly father? (74)
The day is thine, the night also is thine. Psalm 74:16.

A Study on "Life Together"

Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship
The book was written in 1935 in Finkenwalde near Stettin, where he shared a common life in emergency-built houses with twenty-five vicars. Originally published in 1938 as Gemeinesames Leben. It was here that he also wrote The Cost of Discipleship and The Prayer Book of the Bible: An Introduction to the Psalms which more fully explores the themes in chapter two of Life Together. Shortly after this last publication the Gestapo shut down the underground seminary.

Plan

Session 1
Introduction and I Community 33 pages

Session 2
II The Day with Others 36 pages

Session 3
III The Day Alone 14 pages

Session 4
IV Ministry 20 pages

Session 5
V Confession and Communion 12 pages

Introduction/Biography
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church” Tertullian 160-220 AD

Dietrich Bonhoeffer -1-
Born - February 4, 1906in Breslau, Germany

Died - April 9, 1945 (age 39) in Flossenbürg concentration camp

Church - Evangelical Church of the old-Prussian Union Confessing Church

Education - Doctorate in theology

Writings - Author of several books and articles (see below)
Congregations served Zion's Church congregation, Berlin German-speaking congregations of St. Paul's and Sydenham, London

Offices - held Associate lecturer at Frederick William University of Berlin (1931-1936)
Student pastor at Technical College, Berlin (1931-1933)
Lecturer of Confessing Church candidates of pastorate in Finkenwalde (1935-1937)
Title - Ordained Pastor
Family - Father was a noted physician and first to occupy a Chair in Psychiatry in Germany. One of seven children who were always close and played with the VonHarnack and Delbrueck children (Famous scholar and historian)

As Hitler rises to power in Germany and the church ‘cooperates’ with the Third Reich, Bonhoeffer leaves the country to serve in England and to study in New York City. It was there that he gained a great appreciation for African American Gospel music as he worshiped in Baptist congregations. Preparing to visit Gandhi, in India in order to pursue an interest in pacifism, he is contacted to lead a group of men from the “confessing” church in their studies at an unapproved, “illegal” seminary which was at Zingst and then moved to Finkenwalde.

Now immersed again in the world which was Nazi Germany, and in which many of his family were involved in the resistance, he too became involved in the plot to over through Hitler being led by Genera Beck and others. Thus, “The man who felt all the force of the pacifist position and weighted the “cost of discipleship” concluded in the depths of his soul that to withdraw from those who were participating in the political and military resistance would be irresponsible cowardice and flight from reality. “Not,” as his friend Bethge says, “That he believed that everybody must act as he did, but from where he was standing, he could see no possibility of retreat into any sinless, righteous, pious refuge. The sin of respectable people reveals itself in flight from responsibility. He saw that sin falling upon him and he took his stand.” -2-

April 5, 1943 he was arrested, along with his sister Christel and her husband Hans von Dohnanyi, and sent to Tegel, a military prison. During his time there the guards recognized him as a strong pastor and secretly arranged for him to minister to other prisoners despairing in their cells. They preserved his papers, essays and poems and even established a courier system to get these to his family and friends outside the prison.
After the Putcsch of July 20, he was transferred from one prison to another including Berlin, Buchenwald, Schoenberg, and finally Flossenburg, when all his contacts to the outside world were severed. His last weeks were spend with Russians, Englishmen, Frenchmen, Italians and Germans. On April 8, 1945, the day before his execution, he gave his last sermon to them, the text of which was based the words ‘With his stripes we are healed.” He was taken from them by guards as he finished his last prayer and was never seen by them again.

Chapter One: Community

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” Ps 133:1

“It is not simply to be taken for granted that the Christian has the privilege of living among other Christians." -3-

1. This, the second, non-scriptural, sentence of the book, is quite amazing, considering the title, Life Together, would seem to speak of some sort of community of believers. Why would it be important for Bonhoeffer to start off his book with this phrase?

Bonhoeffer shows the example of Christ right at the start (17). Jesus did not hide from those he disagreed with nor from those who were clearly leading people away from God. He says Christ was “in the thick of foes.”

2. Who/what might our spiritual foes be? What does it look like for us to be “in the thick” with them?

3. Contrast our times and our setting with 1935 national socialist Germany; though we and the church are protected by our government through the First Amendment, what other pressures do we as the Church face today?

The “confessing” church was a group of believers who could not, by conscience, participate in the “German Christian” church which the Nazi’s had orchestrated and by which most protestants had followed into. This made them easy targets for arrest and harassment.

4. When we make decisions to join one church or another, what “confessions” do we make? What consequences do these confessions bring?

“Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ.” -4-

5. As Lutherans (and Bonhoeffer was Lutheran) we believe in the solas: Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ alone, Scripture alone. So, how can/do we arrive at a place where we can agree with the quote above?

Bonhoeffer explains this statement in three parts (21)
6. “First, a Christian needs others because of Christ.” In what/where do we meet and discover that need?

7. “Second, a Christian comes to others only through Jesus Christ.” Why is this true?

8. “Third, in Christ we have been chosen from eternity, accepted in time, and united for eternity.” How are we united with Christ? With others?

Note: Bonhoeffer’s comments on what makes us brothers and sisters in Christ (25) is not our “Christianity” but what we are in/to Christ.
“The more genuine and the deeper our community becomes (in Christ, remember) the more will everything else between us recede, the more clearly and purely will Jesus Christ and his work become the one and only thing that is vital between us. We have one another only through Christ, but through Christ we do have one another, wholly, and for all eternity.” -5-

9. What can we expect if we grow closer to each other in community?

10. And how is this closeness in community realized? Or, is it just a pipedream? (see ital. at end of second para. Pg. 26)

“By sheer grace, God will not permit us to live even for a brief period in a dream world…Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and must be banished if genuine community is to survive. He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter, even though his personal intentions may be ever so honest and earnest and sacrificial” -6-

11. What are some of the ‘Wish Dreams’ we might get caught up in as an organized church?

12. What are some of the personal ‘Wish Dreams’ we might try to inject into our Christ-centered community?

13. When our ‘dreams’ don’t come true, who do we blame? Where does the blame lie?

14. How do we then ‘plan’ for ministry? What is our guide?

“We enter that common life not as demanders but as thankful recipients.” -7-

15. How does this statement then organize us as a community?

16. How does this statement inform our interactions with each other--especially when we are at odds with one another? (bottom 28)

17. How does being thankful affect the community? How does God respond? (top 29, bottom 30)

“Because Christian community is founded solely on Jesus Christ, it is a spiritual and not a psychic reality. In this it differs from all other communities. …The basis of the community of the Spirit is truth; the basis of human community of spirit is desire. The essence of the community of the Spirit is light, for “God is light and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5) and “if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another”(1:7)-8-

18. In this line of reasoning where the community of the Spirit in truth seeks light, which is God, what might a human community of spirit seek? i.e. what is at the center of community based upon the human ‘spirit’ as the world defines it? (top 33)

19. How are spiritual love and human love at odds with each other? (35)
We sometimes think that in order to show ‘Christian love’ we need to make them love us back if they are to be saved. But Bonhoeffer says, “I dare not desire direct fellowship with them.” -9-

20. How, then, can we be community, if we are not desiring fellowship with each other? (bottom 35)

21. In whom is our fellowship based, and thereby are we joined to each other?(36)

22. Therefore, spiritual love proves itself in __________. (middle 36)

23. Which is more profitable, to speak to a brother or sister about Christ, or to speak to Christ about a brother or sister?

24. So, then, our love for others is completely bound up in what truth about them? (top37) (see also III John 4)

25. What is Bonhoeffer’s caution about failing to project our human relationships and communities into our Spiritual community? (bottom 38)

“It is not the experience of Christian brotherhood, but solid and certain faith in brotherhood that holds us together.” -10- And that faith is built on our brotherhood with Christ, the hub of community.

End notes:
-1- “Born” through “Title” taken from table found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer as of 2/18/2010.
-2- Bonhoeffer, Deitrich, Life Together: A Discussion of Christian Fellowship. New York, Harper and Row, 1954
p. 11
-3- Bonhoeffer, D p. 17
-4- Bonhoeffer, D. p. 21.
-5- Bonhoeffer, D. p. 26
-6- Bonhoeffer, D. p. 27
-7- Bonhoeffer, D. p. 28
-8- Bonhoeffer, D. p. 31
-9- Bonhoeffer, D. p. 35
-10- Bonhoeffer, D. p. 39

Fresh Start Bible Study

Fresh Start, the Bible study for young couples at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Olathe, will begin a new study by Erwin McMannus called "Uprising" beginning Jan 24th.
Get a new copy of the book for yourself at bluefishtv.com or click on the Amazon ad to the left.  You'll be glad you did.

Sticks and Stones

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."  Remember saying that phrase when you were younger?  If you were like most you were probably called a few names and called others a few too.

But think back to those times.  Did that name calling really not hurt?  Of course it did.  That's why today's Psalm (Psalm 10) is a Psalm of lament.  The Psalmist is crying out to God to have compassion upon all those who are being picked on in one way or another, some even to the point of death.  But while the writer is asking the Lord "why?" and "how long?" he is also confident that "someday, Lord, you will make it right." (vv 14-18)

My question for today is, what things in your life to you anguish over?  Who or what gives you such a bad time that the devil uses it to tempt you away from God at times?  Write them down, then search your heart and/or your bible for ways in which God assures you that you will not be overcome by this temptation and by which he will preserve you.

Please feel free to share.  If you choose to use a fake name that's ok.  The more conversation we have the better our experience will be.

Reading the Psalms with Luther

Our "Fresh Start" bible study for young couples is collectively reading through Reading the Psalms with Luther,  Each week I'll start a discussion on a particular Psalm and pose a question or comment to which I invite others to share their thoughts and ideas as well.  It is my hope that, as we read through the Psalms together, we will grow together in truth and love.

Today:  Psalm 9 speaks of the faithful who suffer for Christ and the support which he always provides, no matter how bad things get.

Question:  In what ways have/are you suffered/suffering for Christ?  How has God delivered you and what has he done to make known his power and control over the situation?

The "Holy" Family

Yesterday was the deadline for the December newsletter.  Here's a preview of what I'll be writing to the congregation:

The “Holy” Family

Matthew 1:18 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

“What a way to start a marriage.” If it were not for the fact that this is beginning of the familiar Christmas story from Matthew, that might be our reply upon hearing of a young girl, engaged to an older man, who has found herself to be pregnant by—according to her—the Holy Spirit. Yet, that’s the truth and we behold this truth as beautiful and honorable and even holy because of the rest of the story as we know it. We know that this is the story of our Lord and Savior Jesus and just the beginning of his trek to save us from our sins and give us eternal life. Because of the outcome, the unsavory has been made beautiful. The less-than-ideal has been made “holy” in our memories. (Take a minute to read verses 19 through 25 to hear how Joseph responded to this “unfortunate” news. It’s especially inspiring for husbands and fathers)

On the other hand, it’s interesting how some of the other traditions surrounding Christmas have been transformed away from the scriptures which inspire them. We’ve removed the smell from the stable, the itch from the hay, the spiders from the hay mow, the flies from the manure and replaced them with haloed parents visited by guests who glow in pristinely washed and beautifully adorned clothing. We forget that shepherds were dirty, unsavory fellows who could get no other work and that the “Three Kings” were travelers in a time when traveling was also a dirty, messy affair. Yet, as unkempt the guests, as unsanitary the crib, as irregular the situation, this family was indeed Holy because of God’s presence and choice of sending them his Son.

Each of us is found in some sort of a family. Whether that family is headed by a single parent or two parents, whether it has five kids or no kids, a full nest or an empty nest, or even if we find ourselves alone after many years together with another, we are part of a family somewhere, somehow; either the family we come from, the family we started, or the family of believers we have in the Church.

However, all families are comprised of people who sin. Thus, families are full of sin as well and we can’t help it but to have rough patches from time to time and not every person in that family will always fit the mold or be in line with the rest of the clan. The Christmas season is one in which many families try to gloss over that sinful nature with pretty bows and packages, rich food and drink, fancy clothes and festive decorations. We try to do for our own families what Christians have done to the Holy Family in the Christmas story for years because we only want to experience the joy of the season and ignore the reality we live in.

But the ultimate reality in which we can all find joy is that God didn’t just bless Mary and Joseph on that Holy Night. When he sent his only son to be born of a girl who was engaged to another man, he began the process of redeeming all families and making them holy once again. Adam and Eve were the only humans who know what it was like to live in that holy state of one man and one woman, made for each other, for eternity. When they sinned we lost that knowledge and experience.

The Good News is that through Christ, we may experience what a holy family is again one day when we are raised on the last day to a new heaven and a new earth and live the life we were created for. But, until that time, we have Christ and his bride the church. As part of this holy union, we have a family which, though still containing sin, has been forgiven and lives in the grace of the bridegroom, Jesus Christ—warts and all.

This Christmas, as you find yourself stressing out over making the proper decorations, buying the perfect gift, baking the perfect dessert or roasting the perfect turkey, don’t be afraid if the decorations sag, the gift is returned, the dessert flops and the turkey is as dry as the Sahara. Christmas isn’t about perfection or hiding the rough edges. It’s about the one who came to make we, who are inherently imperfect, perfect in the eyes of the one who made us. Revel and bask in the glow of HIS holiness this Christmas, just like the shepherds, and angels, and kings.

A Blessed Christmas to all,

Pastor Sukstorf
Assoc. Minister of Family Life.

Losing it all to gain everything.

Another great devotion from Os Hillman.  I know I struggle with this.  How about you?  I'll let you read it for yourselves and then feel free to comment.

God Is Not About YOUR Success

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
11-02-2009

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:24-26).

God is all about your death so that HIS success can be realized through you! This is why the Church is having such little impact - there are too many believers who have not yet died to their old nature so that Christ can live fully through them. When believers come to the end of themselves they will lose their lives to Him and live through the power of the Holy Spirit and begin to see the reality of a living gospel that impacts lives, workplaces, cities and nations.

"Much of modern Christian enterprise is 'Ishmael.' Born not of God, but of an inordinate desire to do God's will in our own way - the one thing our Lord never did," said Oswald Chambers. The psalmist describes what it means to live in our own strength:

"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat - for he grants sleep to those he loves" (Ps 127:1-2).

How does one die so that Christ can be our all and all? It usually takes a crisis of significant proportions for most people to relinquish the control of their lives. It means we come to the end of ourselves and our striving to control the events in our lives and we finally come to the place where we can say, "Lord, I surrender. Please take full control of my life."

Have you come to this place with God in your life? Let go and let God make you a success His way.

A great devotional for all us working stiffs.

One of the many daily devotions I receive in my in-box is one called "Prime Time With God" and is geared toward Christian men and women in the workplace.  I highly reccomend it for everyone--regardless of vocation.  It comes from a group called Ephesians 4 ministries who focus on helping congregations administer spiritual gifts inventories so that each member might live out their faith to the fullest.

As a Lutheran, I'm familiar with Luther's writings on vocation which I think is one of his greatest contributions to the church.  However, I think we sometimes have a hard time translating it to our own lives.  Perhaps we don't try too hard, perhaps we don't teach it enough.  Whatever the case may be I encourage everyone to become familiar with Luther's teachings on this topic as it really speaks to how each one of us lives as little Christ's in every aspect of life and the great impact that can have on others; both temporally and spiritually.

Today's devotion from TGIF (Today God is First) really illustrates the disconnect I'm talking about and shares some interesting ways in which various congregations have tried to bestow this sense of Chrsitian Vocation upon their membership in meaningful, tangible ways.  Some are pretty good.  I would tie them to baptism some how as that is where our Godly vocations begin.
Enjoy!

Workplace Minister

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman
10-28-2009

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Col 3:17).

Over 70 percent of our time is spent in the workplace, yet our training and teaching in local churches focuses on areas where we spend much less time. The workplace is the greatest mission field of our day and represents the greatest opportunity for societal transformation, yet we do not train workplace believers how to effectively integrate their faith life into their work life. The wall between Sunday and Monday still exists and most workplace believers do not understand that all of life is spiritual, not just life on Sunday.

Our studies show an alarming 90 percent of Christians do not feel they've been adequately trained to apply biblical faith in their work life. We have focused on the fringes rather than the center where most people spend most of their time.

God is removing the wall of separation by speaking to pastors and workplace believers all over the world. A pastor recently shared how his church ordains their workplace believers for their calling to the workplace. Another pastor described their church's commitment to integrating training for their workplace believers on the theology of work. Another told how they began a workplace ministry within their church for their workplace believers, and even integrated Sunday school programs specifically geared to help workplace believers understand their calling in the workplace.

We are entering a new era in the Church when workplace believers are seen as a remnant of the Body of Christ who need to be mobilized and trained for the work of the ministry to their own mission field?the workplace. We are changing the 80/20 rule in the 9 to 5 window from 20% of the people doing ministry to 80%.

Are you one of the men and women God is raising up for this task? Pray that God will help local church leaders understand and affirm this calling, and that they will respond by training their people for their own ministry in their workplaces.

Oh, that I were 90!

Yesterday we celebrated Dorothy (Lemke) Sukstorf's 90th Birthday. All of her kids and most of her grandkids and great grandkids were there (excepting those at home with H1N1 or who had to work). It was a great party, even if we spent 8 hours in a car to get there and back.

Grandma was told many times over the past month that we would be honoring her on Sunday but, due to her memory issues, when she was brought into the party room and saw the tables decorated and the cake and some of her family who had begun the festivities, she was overcome with emotion and brought to tears of joy. She was especially pleased that me and my family had made the trip up from KC.

I got to thinking, what if each day were so new that we could only see the joy and opportunities that were unfolded before us? What if we were capable of forgetting all the hassles and pains of yesterday and to see each day as a blessing and each and every person we meet as a gift to treasure and behold.

I think that might be kind of like the vision John had when he wrote to the churches in Revalations. (see below) Pastor Reinke in his sermon Sunday talked about fixing our eyes on Jesus and on his second comming as we seek the Simple Church. I know that Grandma has her eyes fixed on Jesus, and for some reason, he has seen fit to ensure this through memory loss of the short term stuff. Perhaps each of us would do well to try to emulate the same sort of knowlege--forget about what happened yesterday or the day before and, instead, remembering the faith we received so long ago, look forward to the day when we will all see Jesus and live our lives toward that end and that goal.

My prayer for each of you today is that you too might forget the past and seek your future in Christ Jesus--whatever that is--which he has in store for you.

Peace,
RevnPadre

Revelation 21:1-7 NIV
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." 5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

Forgiving and Forgetting

Forgiving and Forgetting

as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12 (ESV)
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
The Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer

“Forgive and forget.” That’s the old saying. Its been taught to us for so long that we have passed it down to our children. If we truly stick by those words and fully implement their intent, the world would, indeed, be a much more grace-filled place. But, as imperfect humans so often will do, we get the words twisted around—even if there are only three of them—and just make matters worse.

Somewhere along the way we began equating forgetting with forgiving. Instead of forgiving someone first, we just move right to the forgetting. We try to forget their error or, worse yet, they themselves. When we or someone we know has been wronged, instead of confronting the offense, we try to just forget about it. When a problem arises we say, “Just leave well enough alone, you’ll only make it worse.” Sometimes we try to rationalize our behavior by saying, “Oh, just ignore him/her. If you confront them you’ll only encourage them.” While great ways to avoid confrontation, these are not good ways to “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34 NIV) In fact, many people who have never resolved conflict with another wait their whole lives for “the other shoe to drop,” wondering when the other party will get even or bring up the conflict as a way of bringing hurt and pain to the other. “Forgetting” before forgiving almost always guarantees that NO ONE will forget about it.

This month I’d like to challenge the wisdom of the ages and ask you to venture with me into two very important passages of scripture we know very well so that we might get a grasp on what true forgiveness is. The first is Psalm 103 and the second is from the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. In each of them we see that forgiveness is an act of love between God and us as well as between you and me and you and your neighbor.

Psalm 103 gives us the reassurance that in knowing our sin, God can make sure it is far removed from us. That was the whole point of sending his Son into the world; to be the largest wedge there could possibly be to separate us from our sin. By being sinless and then dying the sinners’ death, he became our sin so that we would no longer be identified by or with those sins. When God sees us he has not forgotten our sins, for they cost him dearly. He knows exactly where they are; on the crucified body of Jesus, far-removed from any of us. We are here on earth, while our sins are on Jesus who awaits us in heaven. If Christ had not been sinless, our sin would not be at the opposite end of the universe as the Psalmist posits but, rather, would still be clinging to us. Give thanks today that God knows exactly where your sins are; away from you and on Jesus.

The Lord’s Prayer continues this line of thinking as our Lord is the example by which we are to treat one another. As we pray to our Father to be forgiven, we realize that out of his great love and compassion he has already done so by Jesus’ death and resurrection and has fulfilled what the Psalmist prayed for in Psalm 103. In this prayer our Savior instructs us to extend forgiveness to our fellow brothers and sisters, for it is by His forgiveness that they are saved, just as we were.

By paying attention to God’s word in these verses we avoid the trap of forgetting without forgiving. To not forgive another is to say that they are less worthy of forgiveness than we. By doing this we say that our sin is not nearly so bad as theirs and that while Christ’s suffering and death was sufficient for us, it was not for our brother or sister. This diminishes our Lord's suffering and death. An inability to forgive others also tempts us to place ourselves above God as we become our own god, judging who shall and shall not receive grace; grace that isn’t ours to give.

If we are to truly receive AND REJOICE in our forgiveness we must forgive one another of our sins against each other, whether that is a family member, a co-worker, a neighbor or a fellow church member. But before we can forgive and be forgiven, there must be repentance; otherwise we are just forgetting our offenses in hopes that they’ll be forgotten.

This month, let’s all pray Psalm 103 and the Lord’s Prayer with new vigor as we seek and extend God’s forgiveness which is found in Christ Jesus. Pray that your heart will be open to repentance where you have offended others and pray that you might be willing forgive when others repent to you. This is the way in which God reconciles us to him and it’s the same way that we reconcile with one another. And when the Body of Christ lives in God’s grace it’s a beautiful and bountiful thing.

Righteous Dude!

A couple Sundays ago we attended the opening worship service for my daughter’s high school. As it turned out, one of my life-long friends was there to witness his cousin’s installation as a teacher at the school. He reminded me that 25 years ago we were starting our senior year at Fremont Senior High—Go Tigers! Anyway, that (and Facebook) brought back a lot of old memories of what life was like back in “’85, ’85, eighty, eighty, ’85.” One of the favorite movies of that day was Ferris Bueller’s Day Off in which the principal’s secretary, while listing all the different cliques in the school, proclaims that they all think Ferris is a “Righteous Dude.” In the eyes of his peers he could do no wrong.

This morning I picked up a book I had started reading a while back and then put down due to various distractions in my life and ministry. The book is “The Cost of Discipleship” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer; in particular, I was reading chapter 8, The Righteousness of Christ which describes the relationship of the Law to Christians and unbelievers based upon their relationship to Christ. How I wish every Christian could read this book, and especially, this chapter.

We Lutherans are so often accused (wrongly) of being antinomian, that is, unconcerned about the Law because of the grace of Christ which forgives all sin. Moreover, because that grace comes only through Christ (Eph. 2:8-9) we tend to shy away from Good Works which might give the appearance that we are trying to effect our own salvation (forgetting about Eph. 2:10) Though I know this is not what I was taught and not what we believe, I understand how we collectively have become phobic of “works righteousness” and its place on the slippery slope to perceived antinomianism.

What Bonhoeffer does in his book is show, through the Sermon on the Mount, that the Law does not cease to be God’s plan for us as his creatures, but rather, through Christ, our relationship to it does. Before we believed, the Law was a roadblock between us and God, a real burden to us and the source of the schism between God and people. After we believe, the law is still God’s plan. He still wants us to follow it. We don’t just get a free pass (in respect to the Law) because God still has the same expectations of us before and after we receive faith. The difference is in the calling.

When the Holy Spirit brought us to faith we were called by Christ to walk with him (as the blessed in the beatitudes). And since no-one can come to the father accept through Christ, we are totally dependent up on him for life and salvation (by the gospel). By our attachment to Him we are of course credited with his righteousness and therefore the law is no longer held between us and God, because the law has been kept by Christ. Because of Christ the relationship is restored in perfect holiness and obedience. Christ calls us to faith, we cling to Christ in faith, by faith we inherit his righteousness and are saved.

But to prevent this grace from becoming cheap Bonhoeffer demonstrates how the call to follow Christ is inherently tied to our response which is demonstrated by our actions. Christ affirmed the Law as God’s rule and plan when he said to love God and love one another. If we are trusting in and following our Lord in the calling he has extended to us, then we will do what he says. The closer we follow Him, the better we will keep the law. Our righteousness still does not come from ourselves, it comes from Christ, for without our following his call and living out our calling in Christ, the Law is once again placed between us and God, instead of upon Christ’s shoulders. Whenever we place the burden of keeping the law ahead of the gospel of Christ, we take the Law from Christ's shoulders and place it between us and God.

Clearly, Mr. Bueller’s antics were anything but righteous as he broke nearly every school rule there was and yet, the other students thought he was a “good kid.” Their judgments of him seem to be based on something other than the rules they were all to follow. Perhaps because of his ability to talk or sneak his way out of any and all trouble; maybe because he was so smart and used that intellect to help others skirt around getting in trouble, they deemed him as righteous? Of course his sister and his principle knew the real Ferris Bueller and tried to catch him as he played hooky for a day.

I see parallels in real life. We look up to people who seem to be able to skirt around the tax code and "stick it to the man". We let the behavior of those around us determine what is acceptable. We like to romanticize the renegade or maverick who breaks the rules to help out his friends. And we do the same with our own behaviors.

We rationalize the things we do which we know are wrong. We make excuses for not doing what we know to be right. We distance ourselves from getting too wrapped up at church or bible study because that’s what the bible thumpers do. That’s what the hypocrites do. And so we keep on living our lives like we always have; maybe we are a little better than the next guy, but not too good. We keep Jesus at a safe distance so that we can keep a balance in life and not go off the "deep end." If this is a good descriptor of how we are living, perhaps it’s time to examine ourselves.

If we are afraid of being “too good” or not concerned with how “bad” we are, are we taking seriously our calling as a child of God? If we are not seeking to do the will of God and asking for his strength to do so are we hearing the voice of Christ who says, “ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you.?” In Christ we have strength and comfort to do all things and those things are what he has called us to do—without fear, embarrassment or regret.

You and I may never have the panache or charisma of Ferris Bueller, but in Christ, each one of us is certainly a Righteous Dude. To quote another iconic 80’s movie, “Party On Dude!”

In Christ,
RevnPadre

Finding God

"Finding God" was the theme of our Bible study at camp last week. Basically, we took a crash course through a portion Luther's Small Catechism (CPH edition). Specifically, we looked at the Apostles Creed. The approach of "Finding God" was couched in the initial question, "Where is God in this broken world?" We looked at such topics as "God is not lost," "God has not lost us," and "God charts a path as we looked at the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The week culminated in having the attendees see that God is now at work through them as part of the Communion of Saints as we had a talent show in place of devotions on our last night in camp.

In speaking with some of my wife's family who were there, I found their comments afterwords quite interesting. It seems that many of the attendees, most of them Lutheran, had never spoken of God as we did last week. While there were many challenging questions from the group, and many long conversations over the nature of God, there was no angst or drama, even when we didn't all agree. One comment I heard second hand was, "That was hard. We don't talk about that stuff at church or in our other bible studies."

Now I would never consider to say that any of the campers had bad pastors or that they were in the dark about the creed. But the comments I received and the positive reaction to the topic really opened my mind on the idea of finding new formats for discussing the catechism. Unfortunately, we only had 6 hours to discuss what I usually take a whole semester to teach my eighth graders in confirmation. Naturally I skipped most of the questions, and that may have added to the difficulty. But I think the difficulty was not a bad thing. It made us really think about things. We got to contextualize the creed into our every day lives and that's what makes the lightbulbs click in people's hearts.

Its also not very often that any group of beleivers gets the opportunity to meet together each morning for an hour over coffee, the scriptures, and the creed, all whilst looking out on the Blue Ridge Mountains. But that's what bible camp affords and we were blessed for it. Although I probably spent more time preparing the study than we spent "doing" it, I learned far more interacting with my "students" than I ever imagined.

Later this weekend I'll try to post the study in its entirety in case others would like to use it. Its not perfect and its not complete, but it's one way to use the creed to touch a life for Jesus.

Back to work--back to no work.

Ok. So I've been gone from the office for 10 days (not the office of the public ministry, just the room where my desk sits with a phone on it). When I return I find out we have no internet or e-mail. AT&T hasn't a clue and we have to make an appointment to get it fixed. Sr. Pastor is on the phone with them all afternoon and they say they will have to call again tomorrow AM. Very frustrating.

However, I did get the opportunity to visit one of the saints in the Hospital on what might be his final trip there. I felt quite useless until he asked for prayer. We prayed for peace for him as well as the family who are caring for him. God works in mysterious ways and at times when we least expect. The Spirit did all the heavy lifting today. It is God's work, after all. Why we should expect our efforts to matter is really quite silly. Today was God's turn. Maybe tomorrow he'll pass the ball to me. I hope I'm ready if he does.

Sound advice from Proverbs and a friend.

A friend from my childhood wrote this today. I thought it was worth sharing.

Facebook Michael Fisher: 28 July 2009 Proverbs 26:15: "28 July 2009 Proverbs 26:15"
Today at 12:40pm

“The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth”

This isn’t about food. There are many references to food in the Bible that is not food as we think of it. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” The food here isn’t feeding the body – it’s about feeding the spirit.
In church we talk about feeding the spirit with the word. Jesus also said that man does not live by bread alone (physical bread.) We need the bread of life to live – we need Jesus to be spiritually alive.
This passage is about me. I’ve been striving to get better but I backslide too. There are times I get weary and just stick myself in church, or listen to a sermon half heartedly…it’s just like sticking my hand in the dish, and being too lazy to bring it back to my mouth.

Prayer: Thank you Father for the hard times that make me hungry for you. Thank you for your Word that tells me the truth about my situation, the truth that shows me why I am suffering, that shows me the way out of it and toward you. Father I pray for wisdom, but if I can’t have that or if when I foolishly reject it or become lazy then I pray for hardship that starves me and draws me closer to You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen."