February 5th, NL, Rejecting and sending at a cost.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 5th, NL, Rejecting and sending at a cost.  You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

February 5th, Ep5, Healer.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 5th, Ep5, Healer.  You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

The presentation of our Lord (2) Luke 2:22-40

I sit and wait
wait for when the time will be
that I too may know Lord
that I too may feel
may see
what this life is all about
the reason for our life
and why we are here
to see, know, feel the existence
of every person’s struggle
called life
some search the mountains
some the valleys
some search for the truth in their heads
some in the cosmos
in the end they al
we all
wait
until
we have exhausted all our own
(Lord)
looking no more to our selves
our books
our minds
our cosmos
or the other among us
(not let thy servant)
finding nothing
(depart)
to see the all
(in peace)
among us
Emmanuel

The Presentation of our Lord Luke 2:22-40

in the midst of our rituals
made up of what we feel
and our understanding
of what and who God is
we sometimes encounter
in spite of all that we place in the way
God
pure and simple
shining like a ray of joy
into our hearts
and our rituals
Our understandings
make sense in a new way
for we have seen
seen the one promised
to save the people
and bring life to the world
Anna and Simeon came to such a moment
a pureness of time
wrapped in a blanket
helpless
and they felt complete
so now dismiss you servant in peace
allow not this moment to lapse into a memory
for my eyes have seen salvation
prepared for all people
A light to guide all nations
for the glory of Your people
the memory
the moment
the world
Alive
and remembered.

February 2nd, The Presentation of the Lord.

The following is a 10 minute worship for February 2nd, The Presentation of the Lord. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

5th Sunday after Epiphany Mark 1:29-39

Into this world came the Christ
    Immanuel
casting out evil
  which had for so long dominated the very life
    of all who lived and breathed
in this perfect creation
  now soiled
    for too long
      for anyone to remember
He came
  casting out and making whole
        again
  (help)
the people struggling to see
the other side
  of this existence
the other side
  into a world of what is
    from the beginning of time
Jesus came and healed
  (our eyes)
those who suffer
--what they need not suffer
that they may become
  that which they are
    and are called to be
As the hopeless encircled this power
      Christ
in hope
and felt the Power
  of God
    in
      that place
        (see)
in their lives
  to far removed from the perfection of the universe
    to know
  (the glory)
      that it is once more
          here
in this place
in this timeless moment
      within the limits of our lives
Here
With the sick and the poor and the despised and the lovely
Here
In a new way for all time
Changing the changeless lives
  (that is)
now
  (Christ)


note: expand the photo and see all the places we see Christ

Lift your eyes

Sunday February 5th Isaiah 40: 26 Lift up your eyes and see. Who has made these stars? It is the One Who leads them out by number. He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of His strength, and because He is strong in power, not one of them is missing. It is the Lord God who is the master hand behind all of creation. It is the Lord God who calls us all to come before the Lord and worship. We don’t all worship in the same way. We don’t all use the same name when we worship. Sometimes we are even silly enough to think that our way of understanding God and our way of worshiping God is right and everyone else, or at some of them, are wrong. That is like one of your children telling you that you must love some of your children and are not allowed to love some of your other children. God must just smile and wonder when we will all grow up and understand that God loves all the children of God. When we look at creation through our eyes, we see only that which surrounds our small limited view, and sometimes not even all of that. When we look at creation through a God’s eye view, it is quite a different picture. It is a picture of all of creation that God created and called good. It is a picture of all people created in the image of God being called Good by the God who created them. Our calling is to think globally or perhaps even cosmically, and act locally. One way is to introduce more global music in your worship. Today on this Super bowl Sunday, many will gather in the living rooms and cheer on their team. There may even be super bowl parties where some cheer and back one team and others at the same party cheer the other team. When it comes time to dig into the chips and dip and hot wings, we all gather around the same table. Can’t we do the same in our faith.

Lifted up

Monday February 6th Isaiah 40: 31 But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak. The world tends to beat those on the bottom down. The Lord lifts them up with wings like eagles. Where does the church stand? When I support one group who find themselves rejected by a portion of society, I receive support from many who take the same view. When I support all people who are rejected by a portion of society, I pretty much torque off everyone. It is alright as a pastor to support gay rights in the eyes of some, but many of those who support you on gay rights don’t want you to support union rights, or abortion rights, or voting rights, or the right to assembly. In God’s eyes, the lowly are lifted up. That does not mean that they are not held responsible for their own prejudices and attitudes and behaviors, it simply means they are lifted up to be as responsible as anyone else. For we all, ALL, fall short of the glory of God, but no one falls short of the grace of God. So as Jesus put it to Peter, but you, who do You say I am, in your words, in your deeds, in the way you spend your money, in the people and projects you support, who do you say Jesus is? When we are focused on that, we are less focused on the possible shortcomings of others.

Messenger

Tuesday February 7th 1 Corinthians 9: I have become a servant of everyone so that I can bring them to Christ. The trouble you can run into with reading Paul is that you can get the superhero version of what it means to be a Christian. The Lord does not call us to be a servant to everyone. The result would be that we wound end up doing nothing. You can relate to some people, but even Jesus only had 12 disciples. The more honest you are with yourself, the more you can relate to others. God is not after a superhero in the kingdom being a servant to all and saving the whole world. God is after an honest person who can be the messenger of God’s grace to others with whom you identify. View God’s grace globally, and act on God’s grace locally.

Enjoy

Wednesday February 8th 1 Corinthians 9: 22 When I am with those who are oppressed, I share their oppression so that I might bring them to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone so that I might bring them to Christ. 23 I do all this to spread the Good News, and in doing so I enjoy its blessings. Someone who is really dealing with issues can spot a fake a mile away. Who do you have common ground with? With whom are you comfortable relating? These are the ones to whom you are called to minister. These are the ones God has placed before you for a reason, and there are more than enough for a lifetime. That doesn’t mean you do not concern yourself for the needs of others with whom you have little in common. As a matter of fact, your concern for those with whom you have little in common may be the very thing you share with those in which you do share commonality. The family of God is about community, relationships, honesty, healing and wholeness, and seeing one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. It is not about superhero’s who do it all, it is about communities who support all.

Mission

Thursday February 9th Mark 1: 30 Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. Jesus mission was to bring wholeness to those he came in contact with. Simon’s mother-in-laws place of honor as the senior woman in the household was to serve the guests who came into her home. That may not be the same thing we honor in our day and age, but for her, being able to serve her guests meant that her honor was restored. Her healing was complete and so was the community in her ability to serve. Jesus also helps us in our mission. We are all called to minister to others by restoring them in the community and in their relationships and in their honor. Sometimes that restoration means ministering to others and sometimes it means being ministered to. When we build bridges, we have to remember that the traffic goes both ways in a healthy community.

Sabbatical

Friday February 10th Mark 1: 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Even Jesus took some time off in his ministry for quiet prayer. It is an important lesson for all of us. Take some time for yourself, time to just be alone with yourself and God, time to refresh, a mini sabbatical. You wouldn’t drive your car without filling up the tank and changing the oil when needed, so too, you need to fill up your spiritual tank and take time for prayer to keep life running smooth. Without it you are doing no one that much good. With it you are refreshed and all those around you will benefit. Jesus took his mini sabbatical where he was at, and in preparation for moving forward. Sabbaticals are to help us move forward, not simply restore what was. Most churches fight over that issue after a pastoral sabbatical. Perhaps what is needed is a series of mini sabbatical’s in a congregation all focused on how to move forward into the land of the unchurched and unwelcomed. For a mini sabbatical, try going to www.10worship.blogspot.com and sign up to receive a mini sabbatical a couple times a week by signing up to receive 10W via constant contact email, or text 10w to 22828 to have it emailed to your smartphone.

Refreshed

Saturday February 11th Mark 1: 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons. This is what happens after a sabbatical. Refreshed, Jesus travels to the surrounding villages and brings renewed faith, hope and wholeness. Pastors and parishioners; take time to refresh yourself, not only for your sake, but also for the sake of all those around you. Congregations, take time to refresh yourself, not just for your sake, but for the sake of those around you. How many of your hymns are less than 10 years old? How many greater than 50 years old? Now turn on any radio station in your area and what do you hear? Are you moving forward, or are you circling the wagons? If all you are doing is circling the wagons, your congregation is getting ready to die. It is only when you reach out to the mission field that life comes to those within and those you meet along the way.

10w for January 29th in the Narrative Lectionary, Unlikely Healings.

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 29th in the Narrative Lectionary, Unlikely Healings. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

10W for January 29th, the fourth Sunday of Epiphany, A New Teaching

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 29th, the fourth Sunday of Epiphany, A New Teaching. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 84

Pastor: Wherever you are O Lord Almighty, beauty surrounds you. My soul yearns, even feels faint when I sense the presence of the Lord.

Congregation: Our hearts, our very being cry out for the presence of the Living Lord.


Pastor: Even the birds of the air have found their home in you O Lord, A source of comfort and safety where the young may be raised in confidence.

Congregation: Blessed are those who dwell in your presence O Lord for they are ever praising you.


Pastor: Blessed are those whose strength is in the Lord and whose hearts journey with the Lord, for even when they pass through the dark times in life, the presence of the Lord will make it a place and source of life.

Congregation: Hear our prayers O Lord God Almighty and be our comfort and safety. Let you Holy Spirit watch over us and guide us to always walk in your presence.


Pastor: Better is one day in your presence than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in comfort in the tents of the wicked.

Congregation: For the Lord our God is the light of the world and our protection. The Lord bestows favor and honor for those who walk in the presence of the Lord. Blessed O Lord are those who trust in you.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 111

Pastor: Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the presence of all the gathered saints.

Congregation: Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them, deeds glorious and majestic.

Pastor: The Lord’s righteousness endures forever for the Lord has caused his wonders to be remembered by all people.

Congregation: the LORD is gracious and compassionate providing food and remembering the covenant forever.

Pastor: The Lord has shown the people God the power of mighty works and has given them lands to work, enjoy and live on.

Congregation: The works of God’s hands are faithful and just and the Lord’s precepts are trustworthy and steadfast for ever and ever,

Pastor: In faithfulness and uprightness the Lord provided redemption for all people and ordained the covenant forever – Holy and Awesome is the name of the Lord.

Congregation: Walking in the ways of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and all who follow the ways of the Lord have good understanding. To the Lord our God alone belongs eternal praise.

The presentation of our Lord (2) Luke 2:22-40

I sit and wait
wait for when the time will be
that I too may know Lord
that I too may feel
may see
what this life is all about
the reason for our life
and why we are here
to see, know, feel the existence
of every person’s struggle
called life
some search the mountains
some the valleys
some search for the truth in their heads
some in the cosmos
in the end they all
we all
wait
until
we have exhausted all our own
(Lord)
looking no more to our selves
our books
our minds
our cosmos
or the other among us
(not let thy servant)
finding nothing
(depart)
to see the all
(in peace)
among us
Emmanuel

The Presentation of our Lord Luke 2:22-40

in the midst of our rituals
made up of what we feel
and our understanding
of what and who God is
we sometimes encounter
in spite of all that we place in the way
God
pure and simple
shining like a ray of joy
into our hearts
and our rituals
Our understandings
make sense in a new way
for we have seen
seen the one promised
to save the people
and bring life to the world
Anna and Simeon came to such a moment
a pureness of time
wrapped in a blanket
helpless
and they felt complete
so now dismiss you servant in peace
allow not this moment to lapse into a memory
for my eyes have seen salvation
prepared for all people
A light to guide all nations
for the glory of Your people
the memory
the moment
the world
Alive
and remembered.

4th Sunday after Epiphany Mark 1:21-28

What are you doing here?
--came the scream of those who knew
--knew
----of this teacher
--------in fear
Why have you come
--at this time
--------and in this place
--to
the ones who know not who you are
or could care less?
Jesus. You are wasting your time
--on these souls who come here only to play
-------at religion
-----------life
play
--as if they think they know what they are doing
play
--as if they think they care
with that look of astonishment on their faces
--they pay you honor
but we know
--we know
-----who
---------is in charge here
-----who
---------calls the shots
---------and controls the lives
---------and allows them to play at their games
-----------that they think is life
it all works so well
this game
----life
------religion
So what have you to do with us
--Jesus of Nazareth?
Would you destroy all this?
Would you destroy the life these people have built
------------just for your kingdom?
Jesus!
--you are getting too close
--this is not the game we expected
--(silence)
but where are we to go
------Holy One
do you really think they will follow you?
and the people were amazed
--at the new teaching
----and authority
------that even the unclean spirits obey

Cartoon by David Hayward, www.nakedpastor.com

stepped on the toes of those in powe

Sunday January 29th, Deuteronomy 18: 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. The prophet is one who comes from the people and is able to read the signs of what is happening around them and then speak truth into misguided perception. The special character of a prophet is that he or she is chosen by God and the words they speak are inspired by God. There have been many throughout the history of the world that claim to do just that. There are many today who in one way or another also lay claim to speak the word of God. One must ask the question, do they speak a word of love and grace in the midst of power and greed? Do they speak a word of forgiveness in the midst of pain? Do they speak for the needs of the least, lost or lonely to the power structures that create the least, lost and lonely in this world? Or do they speak of power and maintaining the political status quo? If it is status quo they are after, they don’t speak for God. In the Gospel for today, God’s word brought healing into a hurting world. Most often that healing had social and economic manifestations that were not welcomed by all. If it was only the body that Jesus healed, he would have lived to a ripe old age, but he also pointed out the systems that created those in need of healing and thus stepped on the toes of those in power.

death is not always physica

Monday January 30th, Deuteronomy 18: 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.' It even seems as if God has lightened up the threats in post resurrection times. Those who preach the prosperity gospel or the word of law and judgment on others not only live, in many cases they and their congregations prosper. The world and large congregations are their reward. The prophets of God have always spoken over against the powers that be, in favor of the needs of the least, the lost, and the lonely, and often find themselves in on the outs with the rank and file of their communities. But death is not always physical and sometimes the death of the soul is more painful.

Christ gave his life so that “We” might have life

Tuesday January 31st, 1 Corinthians 8: 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. The unfortunate tendency throughout history is for individuals to turn their focus inward toward their individual rights and away from the needs of the community. One could say it all started with that tree in the garden thing. The whole “government is not the solution, the government is the problem” focus of the last several decades is an example. It denies the fact that, in essence, we are the government and our abdication of that responsibility does not usher in some great society, but rather open the gates to the robber barons like those of the late 20th and early 21st century. Our children may not exactly thank us as they pay off the debt of those who have gained so much. In a true Christian society there would be no need for taxes because every individual would gladly give, to the best of their ability, for the needs of the whole. But we all know that doesn’t work in church and it certainly doesn’t work in society. In reality everyone tries to get by with contributing the least they can get away with for the needs of the whole while padding the needs of the one who happens to be themselves. In the midst of all the greed going around, personal, corporate, and governmental, we are called through scripture to set aside some of our desires for the sake of the whole. We are constantly being called to move from the needs of the “Me” to the needs of the “We.” Christ gave his life so that “We” might have life. What are you willing to do?

Christ calls us to a world of “We”

Wednesday February 1st, 1 Corinthians 8: 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall. That which you do onto the least of these, you do onto me is the way Jesus put it. We have seen how tax cuts for the rich and benefit cuts for the poor may have been good for a few, but the other 99% of us didn’t do so well. Now is the time to go the other direction and the pushback will be mighty. The occupy movement is just starting to make inroads into this Biblical reality. The temptation is that we too can be part of the 1% is great, and many have succumbed to its allure in the past. Christ calls us to a different reality. Christ calls us to a world of “We”, not “Me.” It is a call for all of us, rich and poor, to live our lives as the generous and grace filled children of God for all the children of God, anything less is only slow suicide.

how much would God get?

Thursday February 2nd, Mark 1: 21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Jesus was not talking about head knowledge; he was talking from heart knowledge. What Jesus presented in scripture is how we are called to love one another, not just with words, but with our deeds and social structures. I can teach you about God but I cannot bring you into a relationship with God, that one is up to you and Jesus. Like any relationship it takes work, and attending worship when convenient won’t make it any more than talking to your spouse whenever you get around to it will work for long. We all know how it works, it is not rocket science. We put our time and our energy into what is important to us. If you did a time management schedule for one month, how much would God get? What have you done today to build that relationship? If you put that amount of time into your love relationships, how long would they last?

perhaps Jesus won’t notice our own denia

Friday February 3rd, Mark 1: 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!" The unholy one encounters the Holy one in the Holy place. Sometimes it is good to remind ourselves that it is not just “us and God” up in the heavens somewhere floating in a blissful relationship as the whole world goes to hell in a hand basket. There are others to contend with in this world, and we are called to love them also. The evil spirits knew who Jesus was long before Peter ever exclaimed; “you are the Christ the son of the living God.” The evil within each of us keeps us at bay with the Holy one lest we are tempted to be more than merely occasional worship attenders. We don’t talk much about evil spirits in our day and age. We talk about personal responsibility; a person is bad because they choose to be bad, is how the common wisdom goes. It gives us a little breathing room from the reality of our existence. If only we can point the finger at someone else, perhaps Jesus won’t notice our own denial. Jesus had a way of seeing a child of God in every person. Perhaps we should try that a bit more of that, starting with ourselves and extending into the world around us.

go and do likewise

Saturday February 4th, Mark 1: 25 "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." Jesus didn’t kick the evil man out of the synagogue; he kicked the evil spirit out of the man and welcomed the man into the community of faith. His concern was for who the person was, a child of God, not who he seemed to be, an evil possessed person. The small healing that day was the demon possessed man. The larger healing was the community who had labeled his as such. Perhaps our calling is to do the same in our congregations and in the world around us. In another place Jesus told us to love our enemies. Go and do likewise.

21 years ago today

‎21 years ago today Iran released the hostages. Reagan had won the election. On the day of his inauguration, January 20th, twenty minutes after he concluded his inaugural address—the Islamic Republic of Iran announced the release of the hostages. The timing gave rise to an allegation that representatives of Reagan's presidential campaign had conspired with Iran to delay the release until after the election in order to thwart President Carter from pulling off an "October surprise" by negotiating the release of the hostages and winning the election.

According to the allegation, the Reagan Administration rewarded Iran for its participation in the plot to continue to hold the hostages by supplying Iran with weapons via Israel and by unblocking Iranian government monetary assets in US banks.

After twelve years of mixed media attention, both houses of the US Congress held separate inquiries and concluded that the allegations lacked supporting documentation.

Nevertheless, several individuals—most notably former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, former Naval intelligence officer and National Security Council member Gary Sick; and former Reagan/Bush campaign and White House staffer Barbara Honegger—have stood by the allegation. There have been allegations that the plane crash the killed the Portuguese Prime Minister, Francisco de Sá Carneiro, in 1980 was in fact an assasination of the Defence Minister, Adelino Amaro da Costa, who had said that he had documents concerning the October surprise conspiracy theory and was planning on taking them to the United Nations General Assembly.

10W for January 25th, the Conversion of Paul

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 25th, the Conversion of Paul. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

10W for January 22nd, Narrative Lectionary, the Gerasene Demoniac

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 22nd, Narrative Lectionary, the Gerasene Demoniac. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

10W for January 22nd, Epiphany 3, Follow Me

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 22nd, Ep3, Follow Me. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 67

Pastor: May God be gracious to us and bless us, and may the face of our God shine us so that the ways of the Lord may be known on all the earth, the salvation of the Lord known among all nations.

Congregation: May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

Pastor: May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples with equity and guide the nations of the earth.

Congregation: May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.


Pastor: The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us.


Congregation: May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

Pastor: May God bless us still in the months and years ahead, so that all the ends of the earth will live in awe of the Lord God Almighty.

Congregation: May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.

The Conversion of St. Paul Luke 21:10-19

In the name of Christ
We will all be remembered
not because of our greatness
but because
the little we have done
was done in the name of Christ
When all the world comes crashing
down on all sides
even then
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
When great armies come
and take the land
with power and might
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
When all others fall away
and we stay
in love
they will know
what we did was in the Name of Christ
And in the end
Paul looked back
and saw the word of Christ
Spread throughout the land
unbounded by the divisions that power makes
and knew
what was done was in the Name of Christ

3rd Sunday after Epiphany Mark 1:14-20

The time is fulfilled

    into this world

        ripped apart

    by timelessness entering in

comes the news

the time is fulfilled

    (repent)

and with that this carpenter from Nazareth

reaches in into this place

    and time

and calls out to

come

    follow me

Simon and Andrew

    dropped

    the net of labor

toiled over by so many

in favor of wonders

    at hand

        (repent)

leaving behind a life

looked down on by some

    and admired by others

for one of joy

and lust for the many headed wonder of newness

out of the heat

            (and believe)

    of this world

and into the perceived pursuit

        of all that is wonder

            joy

                peace

joined by others

who only make

    the fever pitch of excitement

        closer to a reality only dreamed of

                (in)

with little thought

to the demands

    that would be placed on them by love

as they tried to present

                    (the Gospel)

the good news

My rock and my salvation

Sunday January 22nd, Psalm 62: God is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I will not be shaken. In the midst of difficulties that naturally come your way in life, there is one thing we can hold onto in the midst of the darkness, and that is Christ. All the advice, self-help, supplements and gurus, though not bad, never seem to cut the mustard when it comes right down to it. That doesn't mean that walking with Christ will result in everything working out as we want it and that life will be a bed of roses. It does mean that where ever we are in life, whatever befalls us in life, Christ is there with us. There is common saying, "God never gives you more than you can handle." This saying is a comfort only for the person saying it. Those hearing it often see their life falling apart and when someone tells them this it leads them to believe it is all a dirty rotten curse, not gift from God. The reality is that life sometimes hands us some pretty rotten stuff. To be honest, there are times when we contribute quite significantly to the trouble we find ourselves in. In the midst of that, trouble from afar or trouble you created all by yourself, or something in-between (which is often the case) you are not alone. You are surrounded by the children of God and supported by God who is your rock and salvation. Let the people of God in and hold fast to message of God they bring. It won't make all the bad stuff go away, but it will keep you grounded on that rock, the foundation of love in this world and in your life.

Running on empty

Monday January 23rd, Jonah 1: 1 One day long ago, GOD's Word came to Jonah, Amittai's son: 2 "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." 3 But Jonah got up and went the other direction to Tarshish, running away from GOD. Nineveh is an ancient city near the present town of Mosul in Iraq. Jonah did not want to go there. He did not like the people in Nineveh and they most likely would not have liked him. Sometimes God leads us to go to places and to do things we don’t want to do. It is not about being mean, it is about growth within the kingdom and within ourselves. God had compassion for all of creation, including this little part of the world called Nineveh. Jonah could only see what he thought he saw and was not able to see the potential God could see. A people created be God and called good, in spite of their wayward ways, just like in our lives. Sometimes we need to follow God’s leading in spite of our opinions. What if we say all of creation as a gift from God? With that image of God, could you invade Iran? Iraq? Pakastain? Labor unions? LGBT’s? Lob missiles into Israel? Our God view affects our world view. Thus far in the history of humanity we have been a dismal failure in this area, perhaps hope is on the way. Perhaps we can learn this without ending up smelling like fish.

When God calls, just go

Tuesday January 24th, Jonah 1: The men tried rowing back to shore. They made no headway. The storm only got worse and worse, wild and raging. 14 Then they prayed to GOD, "O GOD don’t let us drown because of this man's life, and don't blame us for his death. You are GOD. Do what you think is best." 15 They took Jonah and threw him overboard. Immediately the sea was quieted down. 16 The sailors were impressed, no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of GOD. They worshiped GOD, offered a sacrifice, and made vows. 17 Then GOD assigned a huge fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah was in the fish's belly three days and nights. Keep in mind, Jonah was going where God wanted him to go whether he wanted to go there or not, and the others in the boat were beginning to learn something about this God they didn’t know very well. The result was worship. When we follow God’s leading there is salvation all around. Now the fish thing, it makes a good story. When it comes to fish, people are always making good stories. The point is that even nature responds when God’s love shows up. Jonah got to Nineveh after three days up to his neck in fish guts and Nineveh experienced new life. Jonah also experienced new life (eventually) and even the sea was revived and calmness restored. Jesus rose from the grave after three days and the world experienced new life, the children of God experienced new life, and all of creation was revived and restored. God does that. God brings new life, sometimes whether you want it or not. When you follow God’s leading you begin to see it all around you.

Do you really want to go through that again?

Wednesday January 25th, Jonah 1: 10 Then GOD spoke to the fish, and it vomited up Jonah on the seashore. 1 Next, GOD spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 "Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh! Preach to them. They're in a bad way and I can't ignore it any longer." 3 This time Jonah started off straight for Nineveh, obeying GOD's orders to the letter. Sometimes it takes an experience we can’t forget to experience the one who is with us always. Some hear the still small voice of God and respond with here I am, send me. Others require a 2x4 upside the head and sometimes it takes more than one time, before they start listening to the God who has never left their side. It might take a lifetime, but eventually everyone goes in the direction God wants us to go. Sometimes these unforgettable experiences are thrust upon us as a gift. Those are the times we respond with joy. But most often we have a tendency to create some interesting predicaments for ourselves as we try to avoid going the direction God wants us to go. God works through these predicaments also. If we would just do what God wants us to do in the first place life would be a lot easier. But as we look back over our life, we see that God can even take our detours and turn them into ministry and a good story to tell. When you retell it, try to keep the fish the same size as the original.

you stink

Thursday January 26th, Jonah 1: 5 The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it--rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers. Wow, Jonah did a great job……or perhaps was it God. We often tend to take the credit when things go well and place the blame on God when they do not go well. As we read on we see the Jonah was still not happy, in fact he was downright angry. God continued to work with him, just like God continues to work with us. What God seeks is loving relationships, between you and I, between we and our enemies, between humanity and God, and between humanity and the rest of creation. We tend to pursue our kind of justice, which all too often smacks of revenge. In the end, it is God who wins. We might as well go with it sooner than later. You will find that if you follow God’s plan from the beginning, you will smell less like fish when you get to where you have been called. You will end up where God wants you to go anyway, might as well smell fresh when you get there.

fish snob

Friday January 27th, Mark 1 : 16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. What is this, a new kind of fishing? A new kind of pocket fisherman? This is not the kind of fishing with a hook and just the right bait to get people to bite and then pull them in where they get fried. This fishing is good for the fish, all kinds of fish, and above all, remember that the bycatch is welcome. I get a kick out of the fish wars on cars. One will have the Christian symbol for fish. Another car will have one with feet. Yet another one will have the Christian fish eating the one with feet. God’s version would have fish, fish with feet, fish with pierced fins, fish with scales and fish without scales, all kinds of fish swimming together in a great big sea of love. Jesus loves all kinds of fish. Are you a fish snob?

Let’s go fishing

Saturday January 28th, Mark 1: 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him. When you hear the call of God, it is time to get going. The followers of Jesus did not wait to figure things out, make plans, contingency plans, committee plans and procedures, they acted. When confronted with the love of Christ, we too are called to act. The act we are called to do is to share the good news with others. We all tell others about the love of our God every day, sometimes through our words, most often through our deeds. Who have you told today, and how? What have you told them about your God?

Interesting clouds

Calling for 90 mph winds and up 28 inches of snow near hear. We'll see. I am suppose to fly to Chicago tonight.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Horse and sparrow

The economist John Kenneth Galbraith noted that "trickle-down economics" had been tried before in the United States in the 1890s under the name "horse and sparrow theory." He wrote, "Mr. David Stockman has said that supply-side economics was merely a cover for the trickle-down approach to economic policy—what an older and less elegant generation called the horse-and-sparrow theory: 'If you feed the horse enough oats, some will pass through to the road for the sparrows.'" Galbraith claimed that the horse and sparrow theory was partly to blame for the Panic of 1896

10W for January 18th, the Confession of Peter.

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 18th, the Confession of Peter. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

10W for January 15th in the Narrative Lectionary, Sowing and Growing.

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 15th in the Narrative Lectionary, Sowing and Growing. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

10W for January 15th, Ep2, Following Day by Day

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 15th, Ep2, Following Day by Day. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Confession of Peter Matthew 16:13-19

There comes a time
when we must make a stand
when we must be who we are
and why
A time
when for one brief moment
all else ceases to be important
and that something more in life
that is at stake
takes center stage
At those times
Those moments
life swings through gentle arcs
to some other point
to some other time
and life goes on
except for that point
around which all of life swings
all of life lives
that time spoken to by Peter
For us all
Who do you say I am
Who in all that is
do you say I am
Who in all of time
do you say I am
Peter answered
The center point shifted
Life became somehow new
You are the Christ
The Son of the living God

2nd Sunday after Epiphany John 1:43-51

The Joy, the Excitement was there that day

As they decided to come

And follow this Jesus on his mission

That was understood by none

With many wonders seen in that day

By those who would like to see

And the thrill of a new life to live

As Jesus said follow me

So Philip decided to follow

And Andrew and Peter too

Proclaiming this Jesus as the Son of God

And pledging his will to do

With a flurry of excitement

Of wonders n’er before seen

They set off to follow Jesus

And the dream that Israel dreamed

There will be many signs and wonders

As the heavens open wide

And heavenly beings traveling

From over the other side

You believe now because you see things

You do not understand

But life is not always wonder

For the followers of the Son of Man

So come now and follow me

Said Jesus to the three

In a life that is lived for others

And helping the world to see

Where can I hide?

Monday January 16th, Psalm 139: Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me. There is no place in the physical universe, no place in our mental universe, no place in our spiritual existence that is beyond the reach of God. Wherever we are at, God is there too. God is calling you and has a path, a hope and a dream for you in your life. I have never met anyone who has not taken a few detours from this path in life, and there are many who avoid the path set before them altogether. When we do find ourselves on that path however, we notice things like the days seem somehow brighter, (When we notice that we call it an Epiphany) life seems to have more meaning and others sometimes respond in ways that make you feel good inside, which is the same as feeling God inside. When we leave the path, it is not that things go wrong for us, it just seems like something is missing, and there is emptiness, a hole that keeps us from being whole in our lives. That is when God finds you in some faraway place and ushers you back toward the path, sometimes gently, sometimes not so gently. Consciously or unconsciously you can run from God, but you can’t hide. God loves you and will not give up on you.

God is listening

Sunday January 15th, Psalm 139: LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. When we are called to pray unceasingly we sometimes get the wrong notion that in doing so we will somehow get God’s attention with all our words and prayer. The truth is that God is already ever present in our existence. God is present not just with the words we say or the conscious (and sometimes semi-conscious) silent prayers we offer, but God actively knows our thoughts, spoken or unspoken, conscious or unconscious, the good, the bad and the ugly, our dreams, our limits, both real and imagined, all and every part of us. It is all there offered up to a God who actively seeks us out and loves us in spite of the good, the bad and the ugly, and some of our dreams and self-imposed limits. Our reaching out to God is not to get God’s attention, it is in response to a God who already knows us intimately and has already reached out to us. Often the answer to prayer is simply God’s understanding of us, every facet of us, and yes, that can be a bit scary from time to time. It also opens up the possibility of what we can bring before this God who knows everything about us, in prayer. Often, through prayer, we are the ones who are changed.

Listen

Wednesday January 18th, 1 Samuel 3: 10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." After Samuel realized that it was God who was calling, Samuel responded. Eli played his part by sharing a bit of wisdom about God. That was when the magic started. Most of the time communication between God and us is a one way street. God is talking to us and trying to get our attention and we are walking through life as if nothing is happening. Sometimes it is two one way streets, God is talking to us and trying to get our attention and we are too busy talking past God, telling God and the world what we think God would tell us if God were as smart as we were. But then, once in a while, we open our hearts and say hello, I’m listening, and then even more importantly, we are quiet and listen. That is when the wonderful begins. The key is listening. And often, as in Samuel’s case, it takes a community to get it going. Are you listening to your community today?

MW

Tuesday January 17th 1 Samuel 3: 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD : The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.' The Lord may have spoken directly to Samuel, but it was Eli that helped it make sense of what was happening. So it is with us. God speaks to many, if not all of us, it is just that most of us don’t know it or don’t hear the voice of God. It is though the other saints in the world that we begin to make sense out of that calling. Listen to the saints in your life, what are they saying to you? Through their voices, what do you feel most called to do? Most of the time it takes a community to discern the voice of God in our lives. Solo Christianity is more about keeping your mind closed than your ears and hearts and souls open. Solo Christianity is all about the “Me” in this world and could hardly be called Christianity. True Christianity is about the “We” in this world and how we learn to get along and listen to one another and pray for one another. So if you are a solo “Me” Christian, you might want to pray that God helps turn your world, or at least your “M” upside down.

Is it Love yet?

Friday January 20th, John 1: 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, When you find the “way” you get excited about it and tell others. Philip had little preparation, no seminary, no Bible study leader, no proven skills, just a love of the Lord. When the call came, he could think of nothing else. When the Lord calls you, you can think of nothing else or is following Christ just one of many options you might do someday? Have you fallen in love with the Lord yet? If not, you might want to let go of a little of that control. It is hard to let the Lord in when you are all wrapped up in yourself, for there is no smaller package than a person all wrapped up in themselves.

Holes

Thursday January 19th, 1 Corinthians 6: 12 You may say, "I am allowed to do anything." But I reply, "Not everything is good for you." And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything. It is the American dream to be free to do whatever you darn well please. It is of course just a pipe dream. You can be your own person and there are still rules to follow. No one can make it all on their own. We are all interdependent not independent. In the end we all serve something in life whether that something be God, or money or power or order or job or security etc. In the end it is not a matter of if you are a slave but rather what or who you serve as a slave. Down through history there have been those who live the illusion of making it on their own for short periods of time but even the greatest maverick in the end, on their death bed, faces what life is all about. You are however free to choose. You can choose to follow God now and enjoy a lifelong loving relationship with the creator of all, or you can choose to fight that until the end, seeking your own self-absorbed substitute for satisfaction in life. Both lives end up in the same place, it’s just that one was surrounded by the love of God and the other was working feverishly trying to plug that empty hole while pretending it was not there.

Nazareth!?!

Saturday January 21st, John 1: 46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." 48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." 49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Nathanael didn’t much like the idea of anyone of importance coming from the little backwater town of Nazareth. Nazareth was a small town on the wrong side of the tracks, no matter what direction you came from. It was a stone’s throw from the mighty and magnificent Sepphoris where anybody who was anybody had lived or visited. He had some preconceived ideas about Nazareth and was not about to let go of them. God has a way of pushing us on the stupidity of our preconceived ideas most of the time. A great deal of Jesus’ ministry was pushing the world on it’s preconceived ideas. What are your preconceived ideas that are holding you back from following the Messiah or letting the Messiah into your life? Which of your assumptions are simply disguised fears you don’t want to face? Let God into your life and you just might be surprised at what you find, and how you grow.

New Announcement in the bulletin for 2012

Cell Phones: Leave them on, just turn off the ringer. We are in the year of Mark where everything happens Right Now. Feel free to text, tweet, facebook or blog during the service to let your friends know what is happening in worship and inviting them to join you next Sunday. (New announcement in the bulletin worship notes for 2012)

Opening litany for "Baptism of our Lord" Sunday

Opening Hymn: Morning has Broken

Pastor: We gather as God's community around the waters of new life. The word of God comes to us through the prophet Ezekiel: "I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean."

Congregation: "I will give you a new heart. I will put my spirit within you. You shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God."

Pastor: In the sacrament of Holy Baptism we are set free from the power of sin and death and are joined to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Just as God's faithful people have always gathered in the name of God, we gather at the waters of life and remember the strong name of our God who creates life, Jesus who calls us to new life, and the Holy Spirit who sustains life! Here we are reborn children of God and welcomed into the family of believers, the Body of Christ, the church.

Congregation: Through baptism, we are ushered into the family of God where we find forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal life.

Pastor: You are all called to a life of active grace by participating as sojourners at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church where we are inspired by God’s love to Praise, Nurture and Serve. As we gather in this community we come together to Praise God in worship, song and prayer, delight in the diversity of all of God’s children, support one another through the love of Christ, gather to grow through God’s grace and reach out, serve, and incite miracles. Will you live out these signs of the Kingdom in your life? If so, please respond, "We will!"   (Note: this is our church's mission statement followed by our action statements and you should modify this for your own setting)

Congregation: "We will!" And we give thanks for the gift of new life. We welcome one another and commit ourselves to growing in faith with each other. After Jesus was baptized, as he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Child, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life." Today, God reminds us of that claim on our lives as the Children of God. We have been marked by love and set apart for a life of service in this world. We pledge ourselves to be faithful friends and fellow sojourners as we journey together in this adventure called life.

Pastor: Let us remember our promise to one another

Congregation: We welcome you to the Lord’s family; we receive you as fellow members of the Body of Christ and worker with us in the Kingdom of God. We are the collective voice of God saying, you are our sisters and brothers, whom we love; with you we are well pleased, and with you we will journey through life together in Christ. We will always welcome you as a fellow sojourner as we live out God’s calling for our lives through our combined ministries at Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.  

Worship Song

I was there to Hear Your Borning Cry

Mark Baptism article

We are in the year of Mark, and Mark is different from the other Gospels. Mark has everything happening right now. In Mark we hit the ground running.

In the Gospel of Luke we have the wonderful stories of angels and births and a young boy. Mary and Elizabeth are called and bring hope into this world with song and poetry. Luke gives us shepherds out in their fields and the baby in a manger because there was no room in the inn. With Luke we have Anna and Simeon waiting at the temple for the consolation of Israel. In Luke we also have the twelve year old Jesus teaching theology in the temple.

In Matthew scripture is fulfilled. The genealogy ties Jesus back to father Abraham. Joseph gets his due as a righteous man and the magicians come from faraway lands to worship the new King of the Jews. It is also in Matthew that we get the great escape of Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus to fulfill the scriptures, and Herod’s brutal reaction to the perceived threat to his power.

In the Gospel of John, John seems to be several steps ahead of the scientist’s at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider where time and space are simply dimensions of a God created universe beyond our comprehension.

Mark, however, begins differently. In Mark there are no birth stories, no little babies or admiring shepherds or magicians from lands afar. In Mark it is time to get to work. Jesus appears at the river’s edge and is baptized by John. As he comes up out of the water the heavens are ripped apart as a voice claims Jesus as the son who is loved from above and the spirit descends like a dove. If we hang around for a couple more verses we would see that same spirit drive Jesus out into the wilderness for a time of testing and then back to the world again to call the disciples. There is no waiting around in Mark. Everything unfolds before us with immediate urgency and the power of dynamite.

In Mark’s Gospel we start right off with John the Baptist. John’s diet and cloths tie him to the prophets of old trying to goad the children of God into living as the children of God. John’s baptismal ministry here in the wilderness, so far from the temple, is a break with the systems and structures that support the status quo of power-politics and religion working hand in hand.

Jesus’ baptism is an ushering in of something new. It is a newness that embraces the history of God’s love for a people called “good” at creation. It is a newness that understands the temptations of this world that all too often try to wield together power and religion for the benefit of the few. And it is a newness that recognizes that God is loose in this world and the heavens that have been ripped apart will never totally come together again.

This is the transition point from what was to what will be. In our baptism, we follow in this new tradition. Our baptism is into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a uniting of our lives and our ministries in this world with the ministry of Jesus. We are called to be the hands, feet, heart, soul and love active in this world for Jesus.

There are temptations along the way. There are the temptations to abdicate our calling to a few who will speak for God while we go about our business and only call on God when we feel we need that magic vending machine in the sky. There are the temptations to meld God’s promises to the power structures of this world and to shut out the voices of others who experience the love of God in ways that are not our own. There is the temptation to try to put God back up into heaven where we can pay homage without being bothered too much in this world of ours.

But God is loose in the world. In our baptism we are the ones called to be the Jesus the world sees and responds to. In our baptism, we too receive the words; this is my son, my daughter whom I love, and with whom I am well pleased. In our baptism we are the ones the spirit drives back into the world to be the hands and feet and love of Christ active in this world. So as you go into your world this day, let that love of Christ shine through you, and know that you are never alone. God is on the loose and is active in you and in the neighbor you serve this day.

Epiphany

A young maiden was visited by an angel with the words, “fear not,” and then was told she would bring into this world the one who would be called the Son of God. Her response was, “let it be with me for I am the Lord’s servant” followed by “my soul magnifies the Lord.” The shepherds out in the field were visited by an angel with the words, “fear not,” and were told of the homeless family giving birth to a homeless child who would be called the Son of God, and who would be lying in an animal feed trough. Their response, accompanied by the sounds of the angels singing, was let us go to see this thing that has happened. A group of magicians, star-gazers, fortune tellers and dabblers in the hocus-pocus saw a rising star in the East and followed the sign of the birth of power and might to Jerusalem, the seat of power and might. They inquired of “the King of the Jews” where this one born King of the Jews might be found. They were met with fear which would soon enough manifest into the brutal slaughter of the Holy Innocents. When the scribes, who studied the words in the books without knowing them in their hearts, corrected their course, the Magi left for the dark streets and back alleys of the town of Bethlehem. Bethlehem, the back woods town outside of the seat of power (and a virtual prison today) was considered by “no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of it would come a ruler who will shepherd the people.” After worshipping this Prince of Peace who was born in a manger they gave him as gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, symbols of their magic arts and left. Having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

When the light of Christ, Emmanuel, breaks into the world and into our lives change happens. For those on the margins; Mary, the shepherds, Bethlehem, yes even the magicians from distant lands and exotic customs, this light of change brings hope, not fear. Change, and hope for those on the margins is not always seen as good news for some, however. For the light of Christ illumines the back streets and dark alleys of this world and in our lives and brings to light that which some would just as soon keep hidden. But for those who embrace this light, and yes, even for those who don’t, change happens. The Magi, and you and I, are now impelled to go on our journeys in life a different way.

Just as the light met the marginalized and magi where they were and led them to the true light, so too, the light of Christ comes into our world where we are. It meets us in the dark streets and back alleys as well as highways, byways and sanctuaries in our lives and leads us to a Christ who is more than just words on a page. We are each changed by this encounter with Christ and are called to carry this light into the world for others.

10W for January 8th, The Baptism of our Lord

The following is a 10 minute worship for January 8th, The Baptism of our Lord. You can either listen on the flash player below or download it to your favorite music program to sync with your mp3 player by clicking on "DOWNLOAD" or play it on your smartphone's music player by clicking PLAY . You now also have the option of receiving these notices each week and on festival days by signing up for the 10W constant contact email list on the 10W blog or on your phone by texting 10W to 22828. Please help fund this ministry by clicking HERE and making a small donation to Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church.

Opening Litany based on Psalm 29

Pastor: Give everything to the Lord all you heavenly beings. Give to the Lord all the glory and strength due the holy name of the Lord.

Congregation: We will worship the LORD in the splendor of the Lord’s holiness.

Pastor; The voice of the LORD is over the waters; full of glory it thunders over all the mighty waters of the earth.

Congregation: The voice of the LORD is powerful and majestic able to break even the mighty cedars of Lebanon.

Pastor: And yet, the Lord brings joy.

Congregation: The Lord makes Lebanon leap like a calf and Syria like a young wild ox.

Pastor: The voice of the LORD strikes like flashes of lightning and shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The powerful voice of the LORD twists the mighty oaks and can strip the forests bare.

Congregation: At the might of the Lord all the people cry Glory!

Pastor: The Lord sits enthroned as King forever over all creation

Congregation: The LORD gives strength to the people and blesses them with the ability to live in peace.

1st Sunday after Epiphany (Baptism of our Lord) Mark 1:4-11

As one possessed
    he stood there
in rags
    the mere shadow of what a man should be
Animated
    with no thought
        as to what the world would say
        about
        this gaunt human form
Thundering
    the Message of Life
        to come
    to a world in death
with all the water
    swirling
        about his feet
            and the rocks
                of this created
                    universe
Proclaiming the call
    not to himself
But to one
    vague
        someone
            who was to come
                 someday
until
    Breaking through the reeds
    that separate
the Calm
    of the land living its own
from the Mayhem
    of the future glimpse
    at this rivers edge
Came
    no one of note
    by the note takers of this world
to heed the call
        to come
             to
                the water
    and live
And As The Water Broke
                With New Life
The Heavens Opened
With a Voice
    from beyond time
“This Is My Son”
    Rippled Through The Existence of All That Was
                                                                   and Is
as
the cooing harmonies of a dove
    descend
        upon the shoulder
            of the Christ to be
“Whom I Love”
as the Heavens came crashing
                        back together
    on a world
    unruffled
that would never be the same

Scripture calls us to dance with God.

Sunday January 8th, Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is a statement of faith. What follows in the rest of the first creation story in the first chapter of Genesis is the worship of the one who brought creation into being. For some what follows is a litmus test for proper faith. The real question being asked is whether what follows verse one is science or worship. The fundamentalists would say they are the same, which means that scientifically they must dance around the view of earth as a flat land floating in a sea of chaos and covered by a dome around which the sun and moon traveled and light came through the holes in the dome at night (stars) and sometimes water came through the holes (rain). I would rather see the whole thing as a statement of faith followed by the worship of the creator. Letting science deal with the how does not shake my faith, it fills it with wonder. The scientific view changes through time, so does the theological understanding. Even in times of change and discord it is not a threat, it is a dance, and when science in its fullness, and theology in its fullness embrace one another, in their fullness, the dance is beautiful. Scripture calls us to dance with God.