Connections - August

August 31

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39

This week Trinity is providing meals for Lunch Together. That mostly means that we pick up food at The Hub, and then hand it out to people at the Congregational Church. I believe that we could use someone to help with this on Friday. You can call me if you’d like to help with that… We can all pray for those whom we serve and we can give thanks that we are a part of this important work.

Over the years I have set aside one liners and short quotes. I joke that I am planning to write a book with the title: 10 Seconds With God, a Devotional for People with Short Attention Spans.

Among the lines I’ve saved is this quote by Mahatma Ghandi which speaks to the basic importance of feeding the hungry: “There are people in the world so hungry that God can appear to them only as bread.” I am grateful that Trinity does so much to feed our neighbors. Sharing our bread has been an important ministry of the Church since New Testament times.

This week I’d like to share a thought provoking quote each day. Today, I will share this from writer Anne Lamott, from her book

“Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith."

“It’s funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox, full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty, bent old tools – friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty – and said, Do the best you can with these, they will have to do. And mostly, against all odds they’re enough.”

August 29

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;

righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

Psalm 85:10

With the beginning of the school year, we want to join together in prayer for our students, as well as joining them in learning about God’s wonderful creation.

Yesterday, we had a funeral service for Harvey Miller, let us keep Sylvia and her entire family in our prayers.

A prayer from our hymnal, the ELW, for Young Persons

Lord God of our ancestors, we thank you for what you have done and will continue to do with our daughters and sons. Walk with them in life, and keep the evil one from obstructing their path. You see all; you know where the water is deep. Keep them from danger. Order their steps and guide their feet while they run the race of faith. May the good work that you have begun in them be brought to completion at the day of Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

• Tomorrow and and Sunday, September 6th, worship will be at 9:00. Beginning Sunday, September 13th we go to our 8:30 and 11:00 worship schedule.

• We are serving Lunch Together next week. If you would like to help please give me a call.

August 28

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,

for he will speak peace to his people,

to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,

that his glory may dwell in our land.

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;

righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

Psalm 85:8-10

With the school year beginning, we want to join together in prayer for our students…

As we see unrest in our country, as we grieve loss of life and destruction and violence and racism, we pray for justice.

We trust that our students will learn and grow in compassion. Let us pray that students may join us in our calling; as stated in the liturgy of the Confirmation service: “to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.”

A prayer for Social justice from our hymnal, the ELW

Grant, O God,

that your holy and life-giving Spirit

may move every human heart;

that the barriers dividing us may crumble,

suspicions disappear,

and hatreds cease;

and that,

with our divisions healed,

we might live in justice and peace;

through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

This coming Sunday, August 30th and Sunday, September 6th, worship will be at 9:00.

Beginning Sunday, September 13th, we will go to our school-year schedule, with worship at 8:30 and 11:00. Weather permitting, we will meet outside. Some Sundays, we may well have the first service inside, and the 2nd out…

August 27

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.

Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.

Psalm 143:10

With the school year beginning, we want to join together in prayer for our students…

From A prayer for Young Persons from our hymnal, the ELW

God of all good gifts,

your Son gathered children into his arms and blessed them.

Help us to understand our youth

as they grow in years and in knowledge of your world.

Give us compassion when they face temptations

and experience failures.

Teach us to encourage their search for truth and value in their lives.

Help us to appreciate their ideals

and sympathize with their frustrations;

that with them we may look for a better world

than either we or they have known; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

August 26

Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,

for in you I put my trust.

Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Psalm 143:8

With the school year beginning, we want to join together in prayer for our students…

A prayer for The Care of Children from our hymnal, the ELW

Almighty God,

with a mother's love and a father's care

you have blessed us with the joy and responsibility of children.

As we bring them up,

give us gracious love, calm strength, and patient wisdom,

that we may teach them to love whatever is just and and good,

following the example of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Amen.

Tonight we have our last 7:00 Wednesday evening service for the summer

I have other 4 announcements to share with you…

1. We are serving Lunch Together next week. Presently, we need two people to hand out the lunches each day. (I am not certain of which days we need volunteers…) If you would like to help please give me a call, and lets see if you can be a part of this important ministry.

2. Tomorrow evening, we will begin discussion of the book “I’m Still Here” by Austin Channing Brown. We will look at the first 2 chapters of the book, 7:00 p.m., Thursday August 27th. Simply email me and I will send you a link to our Zoom class.

3. I shared this last week - but I am afraid it wasn’t sent to everyone on my mailing list. We will follow our usual schedule this fall.
   Beginning Sunday, September 13th, we will go to our school-year schedule, with worship at 8:30 and 11:00. Weather permitting, we will meet outside. Some Sundays, we may well have the first service inside, and the 2nd out…
   When we gather in the sanctuary, masks will be expected, and we will have minimal singing, with services lasting around 40 minutes. While it is admittedly inconclusive; anecdotal evidence suggests that masks can help reduce the spread of Covid-19, and this seems to fit under the rubric “best practices.”
   As people have been saying for a while now, things have to be “fluid.” I am grateful to our Council and to our Worship and Music Committee for all they have done to help us as we seek to make the best decisions we can during these past several months.

4. We are changing our internet provider, so that we don’t have to rely on Pastor Jim Barth of the UMC to help us so much. That means our actaccess.net email addresses won’t work any more. So - for me, send email to philwold@gmail.com. For the church office, we have this address - tlcosheridan@gmail.com.

August 25

Teach me your way, O Lord,

that I may walk in your truth;

give me an undivided heart

to revere your name.

Psalm 86:11

Our children have begun their school year, and I hope you will join me in praying for our kids, their families, teachers, staff - everyone. As we consider the extra challenges posed by the pandemic, we see in fresh ways, how interconnected we all are.

A prayer for Schools from our hymnal, the ELW

O God, source of all goodness:

we give you thanks for the gift of reason and the opportunity for education.

Bless our schools, that they may be places of learning and safety

where teachers challenge the minds and nurture the hearts of students.

Grant that teachers and students may work together in mutual respect

and find joy in the challenges of academic life;

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

August 24

Lead me in your truth, and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all day long.

Psalm 25:5

Sheridan schools begin tomorrow, and I suspect Big Horn schools are already underway.

Let us pray for teachers as they prepare for the challenges and possibilities of the year ahead.

A prayer for Teachers from our hymnal, the ELW

God of wisdom, your Son came among us as a teacher.

Send your blessing on all who are engaged in the work of education:

give them clearness of vision and freshness of thought,

and enable them so to train the hearts and minds of their students

that they may grow in wisdom and be prepared to face the challenges of life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

August 22

So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalm 90:12, 14

Someone mentioned Psalm 90 to me the other day. It is a beautiful meditation on life with God our creator, and a nice Psalm to turn to at the beginning of the school year. “So teach us to count our days…”

As the school year begins for many children - and adults as well - let’s join together in prayer for students, teachers, those preparing and serving meals, those who take care of school building and those whom we refer to as “support staff” (the ones who run the show behind the scenes!). Let us pray for those facing difficult decisions in the face of this pandemic, who are seeking to keep our children and our communities safe.

As our kids go back to school to learn, let us pray that we all might learn and grow in grace. (2 Peter 3:18)

Peace to you, Pastor Phil

Here is the “blessing of the backpacks” that we have used the last few years…

BLESSING OF THE BACKPACKS

Dear God, as we get ready to start another year in school, we ask your blessing on these backpacks, and especially on these children who will wear them.

As they do the very important work of being students, bless them with:

eagerness to learn, that their world may grow large;

respect for teachers and students,

that they may form healthy relationships; love for nature, that they may become caretakers of your creation;

happiness when learning is easy and stick-to-it-iveness when it is hard;

faith in Jesus as their best teacher and closest friend.

We ask that you would protect these, your own children.

Watch over them and keep them safe as they travel to and from school.

As they learn, help them also to discover the different gifts that you have given each one of them to be used in your work in the world. As they hear the many voices that will fill their days, help them to listen most carefully for your voice, the one that tells them you will love them always, no matter what. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

August 21

Then Jesus answered her,

“Woman, great is your faith!

Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Matthew 15

More -“What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus and the Canaanite woman.

Pastor Janet Hunt writes a weekly reflection on the Gospel text. She offered some thought provoking questions concerning this story. I thought I would share these with you, and perhaps, like me, you might enjoy how this old story might kindle fresh insight into God’s great love for you, and for all…

• Are we called to be like the Canaanite woman? To not let any barrier to stand in the way of love?

• Are we to learn to see Jesus in a new light — as one who could be changed — and so therefore we can, too?

• Or are we to stand still in the end of the story where the Canaanite woman’s faith is commended as ‘great?’

• Are we to be like Jesus in this way — that we are those who are able to learn anew that faith can be discovered and lived out in and with people whom we might least expect?

• Are we called to recognize that the boundaries of who belongs and who does not are ever-expanding? And are we to wonder at what that looks like for us now in this world where the forces of hate and fear and bigotry would exclude and destroy those who differ from those of us who tend to dominate?

• Is it any or all of the above? Or is the point simply to be open to such holy surprise?

August 20

Then Jesus answered her,

“Woman, great is your faith!

Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Matthew 15

More -“What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus and the Canaanite woman.

This morning, I was listening to a guided reflection - “Pray As You Go” - and the narrator invited us to “ask the lord for openness of heart… ask the lord to guide you in the way God would want you to go.”

As I thought about that - I could see a connection to the story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman. Was Jesus able to see that this woman, in showing her great faith, and contending with him on behalf of her daughter, did Jesus see this helping to steer him in the way God would want him to go?

Let me echo this encouragement - “ask the lord for openness of heart… ask the lord to guide you in the way God would want you to go.”

As we look ahead, we have decided the we will follow our usual schedule this fall.

Beginning Sunday, September 13th, we will go to our school-year schedule, with worship at 8:30 and 11:00. Weather permitting, we will meet outside. We suspect that some Sundays, the first service will be inside, and the 2nd out…

When we gather in the sanctuary, masks will be expected, and we will have minimal signing, with services lasting around 40 minutes. While it is admittedly inconclusive, anecdotal evidence suggests that masks can help reduce the spread of Covid-19, and this seems to fit under the rubric “best practices.” As people have been saying for a while now, things have to be “fluid.” I am grateful to our Council and to our Worship and Music Committee for all they have done to help us make wise decisions these past several months.

August 19

Then Jesus answered her,

“Woman, great is your faith!

Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Matthew 15

Today,"What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus and the Canaanite woman.

Reflecting on the story of the Canaanite woman, Pastor Mary Hinkle Shore, (professor at Luther Seminary when this was written) said: “I have thought that fear makes it impossible to imagine things. 'Perfect fear casts out all imagination,' I have thought….” She went on to say, that this mother’s fear for her daughter moved her to imagine that Jesus could reach across boundaries, and make her daughter well.

Fear can paralyze, it can drive people into tribalism and oppositional camps. It seems that faith helped transform the Canaanite woman’s fear so that she could see new possibilities, and in her conversation with Jesus, from deep fear, she called forth hope.

May we, too, be ever faithful and ever filled with hope.

If you would like to join us in our conversation based around the book “I’m Still Here” by Austin Channing Brown we will be gathering to converse about the first 2 chapters of the book, 7:00 p.m., Thursday August 27th. Simply email me and I will send you a link to our Zoom class.

August 18

Then Jesus answered her,

“Woman, great is your faith!

Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Matthew 15

Today,"What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus and the Canaanite woman.

Rev. Todd Weir is a UCC Pastor and blogger serves a church in Northampton, Massachusetts. Years ago, I set aside this concluding line from a reflection he wrote on the Canaanite woman. I like the reminder that scarcity is not a category that fits when it comes to Jesus and his gracious dealings with others.

“This bread of life is not a scarce commodity

to be jealously guarded or eaten only in times of crisis.

God's banquet table is abundant,

there is enough for you and more than enough left over to invite others.

Come to the table now, receive this bread and be reconnected with God,

receive this cup and be reconciled and whole with one another.”

Todd Weir

August 17

Then Jesus answered her,

“Woman, great is your faith!

Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Matthew 15

Today, "What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus and the Canaanite woman.

Have you noticed that when Jesus encounters faith he praises it highly? “Great is your faith!” he says to the woman.

I wonder. Might Jesus make a similar exclamation in response to your faith?

Often, when Jesus criticizes those of “little faith” - it is those whom we expect to receive praise, like the Disciples. When those on the margins, like the Canaanite woman, show faith, Jesus praises them.

I think Jesu has two words (at least!) regarding our faith…

When we see ourselves as insiders, it might be good to hear Jesus’ words of challenge. Like his reply to the Disciples when he calmed the sea; “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?”

Alternatively, when we are feeling on the margins, Jesus’ praise of the Canaanite woman might ring out a word of affirmation and encouragement. “Great is your faith!”

Faith in God is a simple thing, it is true, yet it is also a praise-worthy gift that you bear.

Great is your faith! May you bear God’s great love faithfully and well wherever you go!

August 15

So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.

Matthew 14

More of - "What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus walking on the water from the Gospel of Matthew.

I wonder what would happen if we spent a good long while asking “in what ways is Jesus inviting us out onto the water?”

Where might Jesus be inviting you, as an individual… ??

Where might Jesus be inviting you - Trinity Lutheran Church… ??Where is Jesus inviting you to step out, take a chance, trust God, and do wonderful things?

The answer might surprise us all, and it might bear great blessings for the world around us.

Prayer: O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

August 14

So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.

Matthew 14

More of - "What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus walking on the water from the Gospel of Matthew.

Oops. I didn’t send my Trinity Connection!

You see, I am distracted right now. (More distracted than usual.) David is getting ready to leave for college, and I quick ran home to be with him as he got some things going, and then, one thing led to another. . .

A life transition like going off to college is sort of a big deal, and we are enjoying this time with him. However, I don’t think this is a “get out of the boat and walk on the water with Jesus” sort of thing. It’s more a simple (and marvelous) life milestone.

As our kids go off to school, as they take their next steps, we pray that they do so, mindful of God’s love, and filled with a sense of God’s presence. We pray they will see that God has called them to bear God’s love to whatever place life takes them.

THAT, is the step out of the boat, into the waves with Jesus. The bearing of love, the sharing of hope, the caring for all.

And so I pray that David, AND YOU, will step out - wherever you are, and boldly bear God’s love into this world that desperately needs you to serve God in that way!

August 13

But when the disciples saw [Jesus] walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.

But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."

Matthew 14

More of - "What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus walking on the water from the Gospel of Matthew.

The disciples receive the comforting promise from Jesus, “Take heart, it is I…” It is after the word of comfort and promise, that Jesus invites Peter out of the boat. The promise of comfort that we are given in the Gospel, is not so that we can sit back and stay safe. It is a gift given, so that we can step forward in faith, to bear God’s redeeming love into the world.

These past months have been a time of peril, a time of much to raise our concerns. Among the issues at hand is our nation’s reckoning with racism. I have said often that I think that as Christians, we should be able to address this well. We can confess our own sin, our own failure, our own need to grow and heal, because we know the promise of forgiveness as well.

This evening I am inviting you to consider joining me for a racism conversation centered around the book, “I’m Still Here” by Austin Channing Brown.

Simply email me if you would care to join the Zoom conversation at 7:00 tonight.

Here is a quote and a prayer we used in LOGOS a few years ago in a session we had addressing this important part of our lives.

Blessings to you. - Phil

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

God of Unity, awaken your Spirit within your people

that we may work to magnify your name and live as doers of your word.

God of Healing and Salvation,

provide within each of us a place for your love and mercy to live and grow.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

August 12

Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

He said, “Come.”

So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.

Matthew 14

More of - "What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Jesus walking on the water from the Gospel of Matthew.

“Suffering and love are intertwined. That is the Christian path. And I think the best of Christianity.” These words struck me this morning, as I listened to a podcast conversation with Ilia Delio, a Franciscan nun and Catholic theologian. She is a very interesting scholar and eloquent speaker.

I couldn’t help but think of the story of Jesus (and Peter) walking on the water. The invitation to join him walking on the water, might well be seen as similar to Jesus’ invitation to you to enter into our world, with its challenges and hurts and brokenness and pain.

What a suggestion, that the best of Christianity is known in the connection of suffering and love. To be baptized into Christ is to be united with Jesus in his death and resurrection. United to his pain, we are also united to Jesus victory over death. Connected to our crucified Lord, we are called to care for this hurting world. The chaos and waves threaten, the world is a place of deep need. You are called out of the safety of the boat, into the presence of Jesus who calls you out, and will bear you up along the way.

August 10

Peter answered him,

"Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water."

He said, "Come."

Matthew 14

More of - "What I Could Have Said…" Today about the story of the Jesus walking on the water from the Gospel of Matthew.

I think as a child the most amazing part of this story was Peter actually joining Jesus in walking on the water.

Now, I wonder if the most amazing thing is that Jesus invites Peter out of the boat.

In fact, I’m pretty sure that is the most amazing.

Yes, Peter is scared by the waves and begins to sink, but it was pretty frightening in the boat a few moment earlier. Now, in the midst of his fear, he calls out to Jesus: “Lord, save me” and knows the gift of being caught up in Jesus’ arms…

We can see in Peter being called to walk with Jesus, a sign that you and I are called to live in faith. We are called to live with courage inspired by being with Jesus we can risk giving ourselves in love for this world Jesus so loves.

August 8

And all ate and were filled; and they took up

what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full.

Matthew 14

In our Confirmation service, in the Affirmation of Baptism, after proclaiming the creed, we ask our young men and women quite a question.

“You have made public profession of your faith. Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism: to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?”

The confirmand responds: “I do, and I ask God to help and guide me.”

That is an astounding ask, and quite a response; “to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?” - “I do, and I ask God to help and guide me.”

The Feeding of the 5,000 is is the only miracle that is included in all four Gospels. It is, in many ways; THE story for the Church.

Do you intend to strive for peace for all the earth? To serve all people. To seek justice for all? To see yourself, not as simply a cog in the machine, but as a citizen of the world, called to care for each and every one of your neighbors?

Knowing that you belong to the one who fed 5,000 with five loaves and two fish, that makes a certain kind of sense, doesn’t it?

August 7

Jesus said to them, "They need not go away;

you give them something to eat."

Matthew 14

Dr. Thomas Long is a well known preacher whom I have been able to hear a few times. He can be funny and insightful, and he often has an interesting way of looking at a biblical text. In a commentary on the Feeding of the 5,000 he says:

With desperate and hungry people camped all over the church lawn, Jesus turns, then and now, to his followers and speaks what is either a cruel joke or lavish divine humor: "They need not go away; you give them something to eat" (v. 16). The disciples, fully aware that their own resources are not up to the magnitude of the need (v. 17) nonetheless trust that the jest is a divine one and obey Jesus.

I think, in part, Dr. Long is inviting us to consider that the Feeding of the 5,000 might be more than a miracle in the past. It is a way to view the world. A way to see our walk in God’s love, and our calling to serve. Jesus meant it when he asked the disciples to feed the people. Jesus also knew that he was asking them to feed the people from the abundance God would supply.

One might add, that today as well, this is no cruel joke, but a divine invitation to join in the joy of bearing God’s abundance to this world in need.

August 6

And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces,

twelve baskets full.

And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Matthew 14

More of "What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Feeding of the 5,000 from the Gospel of Matthew.

“We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”

That is the answer the disciples give Jesus when he asks them; “you give them something to eat.”

We have nothing.

The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 shows us that, often, God does not respect our analysis of things.

“We have nothing here.”

Jesus replies; “Bring that nothing to me” and he blesses and breaks it, he gives it to the disciples, and all ate and were filled.

This is a story of what God does to the lines we draw, the judgments we make, the limitations we put on love. When we conclude that there is no hope, that is our mis-judgment.

“We have nothing here.” Apparently, that means we have everything God wants us to have, to work God’s purposes in the world.

August 5

Taking the five loaves and the two fish,

[Jesus] looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves,

and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

Matthew 14

More of "What I Could Have Said…" about the story of the Feeding of the 5,000 from the Gospel of Matthew.

If we hear this great story as encouragement to share, our focus might well be misplaced. We are then considering what we can all accomplish if we just tap in to our better angels, or something like that.

Jesus “blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples.”

This is a story, not of how marvelous you and I can be. This is the story of what God can accomplish through you - that is, through you as one of Jesus’ disciples.

As we look at the many issues facing our country today, we know that we must do the hard work of striving for justice and economic opportunity. We must face the realities of our own failures, repent of our own part in injustice, forgive (by God’s help) and seek to build a better world. We must do what we are able to do. At the same time, we pray for the God who has created all things, to work God’s miraculous power of healing and hope, reconciliation and love, to lead us to a community of love that is only possible by the power of God.

August 4

Hey Friends! My computer is not cooperating with me right now, and so I missed providing a devotion yesterday. I am hoping to get Trinity Connections for Tuesday August 4th sent before the stroke of midnight…

There is a comedian who likes to use stories from his own life as the foundation of his performances. He had an entire show based on how he often says just the wrong thing. He titled it “What I Should Have Said.” That came from a situation where, looking back on it, what he should have said was… nothing. What he did say only made matters worse.

I was thinking that this week I might share a few things that I - maybe not SHOULD have said - but things I COULD have said in my sermon on Sunday. In a way, there is no connection to the comedian. There is no hilarity, nor big mistakes here, just the thought that one could say things differently, or add some insights that were not included…

So, here goes.

On Sunday we heard the story of the Feeding of the 5,000 from the Gospel of Matthew. As I stated in my sermon, this is the only miracle of Jesus that is recorded in all four Gospels.

The feeding of the 5,000 is important to the story of Jesus- to the story of the Church - to the story of you and me as God’s people in Christ. I said that on Sunday.

I could also have spoken more about the “miracle” aspect of this miracle. For many years, we who are thoroughly “modern” have had a problem with miracles. Many people find talk of miracles to be, if not crazy; at best, wishful thinking. Even the Gospel writers did not strive to portray Jesus as a “miracle worker” - rather, they pointed to him as one who bore authority and power from God.

Some have suggested that what really happened on that day Jesus fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, was that Jesus inspired the people to share. One way to see that, is that it would be a miracle of God to get us to share. Another way to see that, is that sure sounds astonishingly boring.

Jesus was not crucified because, like a kindergarten teacher he encouraged us to share. He was not seen to be God’s Messiah because he suggested that the people of Israel open co-ops.

In the miracle of the Feeding of the 5,000, Jesus showed the Disciples and all gathered there, that God wanted abundance and life for the whole people of Israel, and all the world. The miracle of God working healing and life in and through you, shows that God continues to work God’s amazing gifts in the world.

August 3

I think this is the first day I missed since we began in March. Sorry about that. I am blaming my computer for this...

August 1

This week, we had Vacation Bible School online: Compassion Camp

It will continue to be available for the entire summer.

As we look ahead to the school year, let us pray for those making important decisions, and let us trust that come what may, we will be able to make the necessary accommodations to keep people safe, and to educate our children.

Perhaps this prayer from our hymnal fits best…

Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

July 31

This week, we are offering Vacation Bible School online: Compassion Camp, and I invite you to join our children in the prayer from each day of Compassion Camp.

Prayer for Friday - the theme is Compassion With the World

Joyful Spirit,

Your loving hands are always creating freedom, release, and fresh starts!

Help us do the same today by caring for all living things with gentleness and care.

Open us to humbly receive that same care ourselves.

Make our hearts smile and our actions sing with your promise of abundance toward the whole world. Amen.

July 30

This week, we are offering Vacation Bible School online: Compassion Camp, and I invite you to join our children in the prayer from each day of Compassion Camp.

Prayer for Thursday - the theme is Compassion Along the Way

Loving Spirit,

You are active and alive, always moving and stirring within and around us!

Please be an encouraging wind at our backs, giving us open minds and soft hearts to follow where you lead.

Make us flexible and present in each moment that we might embrace compassion by letting go of what we expected. Amen.

July 29

This week, we are offering Vacation Bible School online: Compassion Camp, and I invite you to join our children in the prayer from each day of Compassion Camp.

Prayer for Wednesday - the theme is Compassion For Myself

Gentle One,

Thank you for your Spirit within us who guides, encourages, and strengthens us.

Help us see ourselves through your eyes - with love, kindness, and deep joy.

May we love our bodies, treasure our hearts, and celebrate our spirits. Amen.

July 28

This week, we are offering Vacation Bible School online: Compassion Camp, and I invite you to join our children in the prayer from each day of Compassion Camp.

Prayer for Tuesday - the theme is Compassion To The Neighbor

Dear Jesus,

Your compassion always looked like courage.

Strengthen our hearts with your bravery as we risk, reach out, and lift up our siblings near and far.

Help us keep our eyes on you. Amen.

July 27

This week, we are offering Vacation Bible School online: Compassion Camp.

This is provided by Illustrated Ministry, and their resources are very inviting. You might want to join in. If so, please email Deb to get the access code: tlco@actaccess.net

I will be sharing the prayer from each day of Compassion Camp.

Prayer for Monday - the theme is Compassion At The Table

Welcoming One,

Your warm, wide arms are always open, drawing us into your heart full of love.

Make our arms your own, helping us see and welcome with compassion all those we meet. Amen.

July 25

I decided to focus on pieces of the liturgy this week because of this post-communion prayer, which I have come to really appreciate.

Look closely at this prayer. It names God’s abundant generosity; the gift of salvation; our unity with Christ; the power of God’s love which we bear to the world; and finally, rests in the promise that we bear this gift forever in Christ. All in fewer than 60 words…

God of abundance,

with this bread of life and cup of salvation

you have united us with Christ,

making us one with all your people.

Now send us forth in the power of your Spirit,

that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world

and continue forever in the risen life

of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

July 24

This week I am sharing from our liturgies in the ELW hymnal. These words we use in worship can help to shape our faith, and point us to the Gospel.

I remember a young pastor telling about serving as a military chaplain, he said when he led the liturgy with soldiers, they called out the responses so enthusiastically, that it almost blew his hair back.

In a congregation I served, one member loved to call out the “Thanks be to God” in the Sending at the close of the service with great enthusiasm. I think many of us grew to cherish that.

Go in peace. Serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.

July 23

This week I’d like to share each day from our prayers and liturgy in the hymnal. These words we use in worship can help to shape our faith, and point us to the Gospel.

There are two parts of the funeral liturgy that I would like to share today:

First, the opening line, which is from II Corinthians 1.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the source of all mercy and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows so that we can comfort others in their sorrows with the consolation we ourselves have received from God.

The second is what is called the Commendation. I like how it clearly proclaims that we commend one into God’s hands as a forgiven sinner:

Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock,

a sinner of your own redeeming.

Receive her into the arms of your mercy,

into the blessed rest of everlasting peace,

and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen

July 22

This week I am sharing from our prayers and liturgy in the hymnal. A history professor in seminary shared the insight that our practice of worship, shapes what we believe.

This beautiful prayer is in the liturgy of Compline; Night Prayer:

Keep watch, dear Lord,

with those who work or watch or weep this night,

and give your angels charge over those who sleep.

Tend the sick,

give rest to the weary,

bless the dying,

soothe the suffering,

comfort the afflicted,

shield the joyous;

and all for your love’s sake.

Amen.

July 21

This week I’m sharing from our prayers and liturgy in the ELW. These words we use in worship can help to shape our faith, and point us to the Gospel

Today I will share the closing phrases from the “Preface” the prayer that precedes the Words of Institution in the Communion service.

I remember a seminary professor talking about this part of the service. He preferred the wording that included: “angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim…” He said that he liked the idea of all of the heavens joining us in praise of God, and thought this said it best. Maybe he was right.

This wording is used during the 7 Sundays of Easter…

And so, with Mary Magdalene and Peter and all the witnesses of the resurrection, with earth and sea and all their creatures,

and with angels and archangels, cherubim and seraphim,

we praise your name and join their unending hymn:

Holy, holy, holy Lord..

July 20

This week I’d like to share each day from our prayers and liturgy in the hymnal. These words we use in worship can help to shape our faith, and point us to the Gospel

I will start with this from the order for Confession. In fact, I can’t decide, so I will share both of the “Prayers of Preparation.” One thing that they touch on, is the fact that the reason for confession is not to wallow in guilt, but to hear God’s word of forgiveness…

God of all mercy and consolation, come to the help of your people, turning us from our sin to live for you alone. Give us the power of your Holy Spirit that we may confess our sin, receive your forgiveness, and grow into the fullness of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

July 18

“put on the Lord Jesus Christ…”

- Romans 13:14

This week I’ve been sharing some e-mail devotions that I have set aside lately, so we can hear some other voices.

Bird Armor Quinn G. Caldwell

"Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ…" Romans 13:12-14

When the artist Seamus Moran visited the Tower of London, his attention was arrested by a disturbing sight: standing amid the rows of suits of armor for men and horses, a little metal outfit, maybe two and a half feet tall. A suit of armor made for a child. Probably it was made for ceremonial purposes, not for battle. But still: what sort of world so glorifies war and violence that it would dress a child in metal so heavy he could hardly have been able to move?

In response, Moran created Harness: Armour for Birds, now on display not far from the child's armor. The ridiculousness of a bird wearing armor is exactly the piece's point. At what point do you become so self-protected that you can no longer do the thing you were created to do? How much protection do you need—and how much can you bear before you stop being able to grow, or fly?

Jesus knew about burdens, the ones the world gives us and the ones we give ourselves. He knew about harnesses, and yokes. Don't put on the heavy armor, he said. Put on the light armor. Don't put on the armor that smells like grease and machines and war. It might protect you, but it will sink you to the ground. Instead, put on the armor that feels like feathers on the wind and smells like the sun on a child's skin. Don't put on the world, he said. Put on me.

Prayer

Jesus, may your love be the only breastplate I wear between me and the world. May it protect me from my fear and let me rise. Amen.

July 17

“And who is my neighbor?”

- II Luke 10:29

I am sharing some e-mail devotions that I have set aside lately, so we can hear some other voices.

This is from the WELCA Daily Grace devotion. Catherine Malotkey is an author and leader, serving in Stewardship at Luther Seminary in St. Paul.

Last week, Trinity provided meals for Lunch Together. We can be proud of our work in serving the hungry, here in Sheridan, and throughout the world.

Someone’s in need Jun 27, 2020 -

I can get distracted from God’s command to love my neighbors. Like the lawyer in Luke 10, I can spend a good amount of time wondering who my neighbor is. I can’t love the whole world. My resources—my time, energy, compassion, and money—are limited. So if I’m going to distribute scarce resources, I need to decide where, or to whom.

You don’t have to be everything, just be yourself. You don’t have to work miracles, just love. You don’t have to solve everything, just work on something.

Inspire me, God. Help me transcend my hesitance to answer your call to be of help, to respond with compassion to the needs of neighbors all around me. Now is always the time, for someone in need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

July 16

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”

- Proverbs 18:24 NIV

I am sharing some e-mail devotions that I have set aside lately, so we can hear some other voices.

I think this devotional is by Gene Veith, a Lutheran scholar, (from a different branch of American Lutheranism. :) )

This is a nice reflection on Luther and his dog Tolpel. Another scholar thinks that this name for his dog was more playful than Veith suggests. He offered the translation “Clownie.” (If Tolpel was like some of my dogs, Clownie might not be adequate to name it’s… how shall I say it??? idiosyncrasies!)

I really find Luther’s suggestion that God’s greatest gifts are the most common, one that can keep me thinking for some time today.

Peace to you, Pastor Phil

Last week we were on Spring Break, visiting our daughter, son-in-law, and three grand-daughters in Oklahoma. Here we were privileged to witness one of their family milestones: getting their first dog. A bouncing, excited, affectionate Labrador retriever.

It made me recall that Luther was a dog-lover. He had a dog named Tölpel (which was apparently a synonym for “Dummkopf”). I love this quotation:

“The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made His greatest gifts the commonest.”

Think about that! God’s greatest gifts are the commonest. But because they are so common, we take them for granted. Yes, dogs. But what else? (Having children. One’s spouse. Food and drink. Colors. Reading. Baptism. The Lord’s Supper, and on and on and on.)

[Another] quote from Luther about dogs…

‘When Luther’s puppy happened to be at the table, looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes, he [Martin Luther] said, “Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish, or hope.”

July 15

“When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, “These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has entertained them as guests…”

Acts 17:6-7

I am sharing some e-mail devotions that I have set aside lately, so we can hear some other voices.

his is from the UCC Still Speaking Daily Devotional, May 31, 2018. It can be found at:

The Great Reversal - by Pastor Bob Thompson May 31, 2018

"He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones and lifted up the lowly." - Luke 1:52, CEB

For 25 years, I've walked past two paintings on the wall of our church's largest Sunday School room, which doubles as a parlor and chapel.

Recently an insurance adjustor had those paintings appraised. Both are original oil on canvas. One of them is "Mother with Child" by William Mulready, a nineteenth century British artist. I was shocked to learn its value is estimated at $25,000. The other painting is "St. Anthony in Paradise," by Annibale Carracci, an Italian artist who died in 1609. Its value is $40,000.

Who knew? Construction dust covered them a few years back during remodeling. Kids have played in that room. Hundreds of Confirmands have met there. In retrospect I'm a little surprised that no kid (or grown up!) has thought it amusing to add a mustache to the little boy Jesus.

Several years ago someone broke into that room late on a Friday night and stole two sofas, two end tables, and two lamps, but left $65,000 worth of art hanging on the wall.

By contrast, almost a decade ago we opened our 1958 cornerstone and found stock certificates placed there by the building committee chair. We immediately thought, "These must be worth something!" One of them might indeed have been worth tens of thousands of dollars, except that the company had long ago declared that it was lost. Every paper stock certificate from 1958 is now worthless.

The Gospel radically turns upside down the value we place on things and people. We stand in awe before power and wealth and fame, while heaven laughs. People we find insignificant or unworthy or unredeemable are the very ones through whom God changes the world.

Prayer: O God, you who see all with clarity, open my eyes to people and things today that otherwise I would ignore. Help me to value who and what you value, through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Bob Thompson is Pastor of Corinth Reformed Church (UCC) in Hickory, North Carolina, and President of Faithful and Welcoming Churches of the UCC

July 14

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.”

Matthew 7:7

I am sharing some e-mail devotions that I have set aside lately, so we can hear some other voices.

Anthony Robinson is a UCC minister in Seattle, he is also a teacher and writer. I find his writing for UCC Still Speaking Daily Devotional is often very excellent. This devotion can be found at:

Be Careful What You Ask For by Tony Robinson

“Therefore the Lord will give you meat. You shall eat not one day only, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but for a whole month – until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you.” - Numbers 11:18-20

As Grandma used to say, “Be careful what you pray for.”

In the wilderness the people, weary of manna from heaven, demand meat. God, who is just sick of all the whining, gets a little testy. “You want meat . . . okay. You’ll have it. You’ll have it until it’s coming out of your nostrils.”

So now we have this practice of “social distancing.” Keep your distance. I get it. Here in Seattle, it is working.

But it seems to me that we’ve been doing a whole lot of “social distancing” as Americans for quite some time now, if of a slightly different form. “Polarization,” breaking into camps and tribes. Projecting all our stuff onto those terrible others. “If only we could get rid of those people, we’d be fine.” Leaders sowing division and discord, pitting people against each other to hold onto power.

Could it be that God is giving us what we asked for – in spades? And could it also be that amid this crisis God is saying, “Wake up. Stop demonizing and dividing and ruling by setting people against each other. That way lies disaster. The only way forward, the only way out, is by coming together (even as we keep our literal distance) and re-discovering your common humanity. I know no nation or race, no gender or class.”

We’re in this together.

Prayer Help us to find one another, to cherish one another, to come together in our nation and throughout the world – now. Amen.

July 13

Do not fear the terror of night, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at noonday. - Psalm 91:5-6

I think I will share some e-mail devotions that I have set aside lately, so we can hear some other voices.

Mary Lutti is a retired seminary professor, and a writer I have come to appreciate very much. I think there is a great gift to writing a short piece like this. I am reminded of a story I tell often. Pastor Al Rogness was president of Luther Seminary before I attended there. I saw him one day after being a pastor for a few years, and I thanked him for his book of devotions - a book I turn to still… He replied with these exact words: “We all have to steal from somebody. You might as well steal from somebody good.” (I think, in part, he was saying I could go ahead and steal his stuff, since he stole it first!)

This is by Mary Lutti

Fearful Empathy

Do not fear the terror of night, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at noonday. - Psalm 91:5-6

The Bible is always telling us not to be afraid. And that’s because there’s so much real stuff to be afraid of. Like now, as shelves empty, markets tank, leaders dither, and old people die in a day. Life is scary enough in ordinary times. It’s much scarier now. So the Bible exhorts us again, “Don’t be afraid!”

And yet people are. Even Bible-believing people. Some are downright terrified, hoarding enough toilet paper to last till 2039. And like clockwork in our nasty age, they get roundly mocked on social media, called out as irrational, impervious to scientific information, bad, stupid, and wrong.

Maybe you’re heeding both the Bible and good scientific information. Maybe you’re feeling reassured and calm. Maybe you’re side-eyeing the panicky, too. But here’s the thing: Fear is fear, and human beings are what we are. All of us by nature are vulnerable and exposed.

So admit it—aren’t you also just a little bit afraid? No matter how much you know, or how often you wash, don’t you also feel foreboding? I know I do. A drastic spike in the infection rate could find me searching for a case of Charmin, too.

It would be great if we were all at our rational best right now. But we’re not. Optimal if we all rose brilliantly to this occasion. But we won’t. So the next best thing is to dismount our high horses, summon some empathy from that quavering place inside us where we too feel afraid, cut each other some slack, and just be kind.

Prayer If you can’t make us unafraid, O God, at least make our fears a bridge to others, an empathetic tie that binds.

July 11

“For I do not do the good I want,

but the evil I do not want is what I do.”

Romans 7:19

Another reminder; worship tomorrow, Sunday, July 12th will be one service at 9:00 a.m.

“I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” I have a suspicion we could reflect on these words for a year, and not begin to plumb their depths.

Here is a poem by Dietrich Bonhoeffer - referenced in the quote I shared on Thursday. He touches on how others look at him, and how he looks at himself, and wonders which is more accurate. Then, he comes to a conclusion of where his identity lies.

Who am I? by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Who am I? They often tell me

I stepped from my cell's confinement

Calmly, cheerfully, firmly,

Like a Squire from his country house.

Who am I? They often tell me

I used to speak to my warders

freely and friendly and clearly,

as through it were mine to command.

Who am I? They also tell me

I bore the days of misfortune

equably, smilingly, proudly,

like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really that which other men tell of?

Or am I only what I myself know of myself?

Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,

Struggling for breath, as though hands were compressing

My throat, yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds,

thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,

tossing in expectation of great events,

powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,

weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,

faint, and ready to say farewell to it all.

Who am I? This or the Other?

Am I one person to-day and to-morrow another?

Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,

And before myself a contemptible woebegone weakling?

Or is something within me like a beaten army

Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

Who am I? They mock me, these lonely question of mine,

Whoever I am, Thou Knowest, O God, I am thine.

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:24-25

July 10

“For I do not do the good I want,

but the evil I do not want is what I do.”

Romans 7:19

I suspect that you know by now, that Sunday worship, July 12th will be one service at 9:00 a.m.

I am sharing another, sort of involved quote - and again - I think it is worth wrestling with this statement. It is a theologian’s summation of Thomas Cranmer’s understanding of being human, (his anthropology).

…Cranmer is credited with writing the Book of Common Prayer, the worship book of the Anglican Church, in the mid 1500’s. This quote is from theologian Dr. Ashley Null, Anglican priest and Cranmer scholar.

Here is the quote:

“According to Cranmer’s anthropology, what the heart loves, the will chooses, and the mind justifies. The mind doesn’t direct the will. The mind is actually captive to what the will wants, and the will itself, in turn, is captive to what the heart wants.

The trouble …is that we are born with a heart that loves ourselves over and above everything else in this world, including God. In short, we are born slaves to the lust for self-gratification, i.e., concupiscence. That’s why, if left to ourselves, we will always love those things that make us feel good about ourselves, even as we depart more and more from God and his ways.”

In other words, “I do not do the good I want…”

There is a “sermon illustration” type of story that folks like to use when talking about stewardship. It goes something like this: “If you want to know what a person values, look at their checkbook.” The implication is, that if you value the Church and charity, your checkbook will show gifts given to charity, if not, it will show checks written for stuff for yourself.

Let me simply say, that Paul would disagree with this. Our checkbooks might show if we have overcome our selfishness through disciplined giving. They might show how we have fared in the battle to have our actions mirror our values; but the fact is, if they do, this is a gift of grace, and the working of the Holy Spirit.

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:24-25

July 9

“For I do not do the good I want,

but the evil I do not want is what I do.”

Romans 7:19

I think this is a wonderful quote. It is sort of long - kind of involved - and may be a bit hard to grasp, but I think it is worth wrestling with this statement.

It is a quote of a German theologian, Oswald Bayer, from an article I read a few years ago…

…Oswald Bayer observes:

“Our whole life histories are placed before a permanent tribunal in which we act as accused, prosecutor, and judge. Throughout our lives we continually seek to find excuses for the fact that we live as we do, that we… are as we are and not something else.”

How true!… [the writer says] …And so Bayer maintains:

“I constantly vacillate, even to the very end of my life, between the judgment others make about me and my own judgment of myself. I am constantly trying to ascertain others’ judgment about me and my own judgment of myself; I arrive at some point of calm, and then become unsure of myself again. My identity is a floating one. Who am I? asked Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Am I what others say about me? Am I what I know about myself? Am I balanced between these different evaluations? Questions such as these relate to my inner being, not just to something external. They affect the core, not the shell. It is not true that judgment is an addition to being. What I am, I am in my judgment about myself, intertwined with the judgment made of me by others. Person is a ‘forensic term.’” Oswald Bayer (Born: September 30, 1939)

Paul’s line, “I do not do the good I want…” is so very honest, and speaks to the self critique that we bear, speaks to the fact that person is a forensic term. And so very often, the judgments we make of ourselves are far from accurate. I think of a statement I heard by Dr. Martha Stortz, that what people miss when they do not attend worship, is appropriate affirmation AND appropriate critique. That is, we affirm ourselves for our selfishness, and we fail to find our identity and goodness in God’s creative activity. The Gospel frees you from the inaccurate judgments of you by yourself and by others, and helps you to face the appropriate call to repentance and forgiveness.

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:24-25

July 8

“For I do not do the good I want,

but the evil I do not want is what I do.”

Romans 7:19

I get to participate in the Montana Synod Stewardship Task Force. I sort of smile about that, because the reason I am on that committee is because Trinity Lutheran Church is so strong in this part of our walk of faith. I suspect that is often how those things go. You are good stewards, I get credit for leading a generous congregation.

Did you know that congregations that invite their members to make an annual commitment to give, (an estimate of giving, or a pledge) give significantly more?

Is that because members those congregations are more inherently generous?

I suspect not.

I think that when we see the truth of Paul’s insight, we see that; while we may well intend to be generous, it is so often true; "I do not do the good I want…”

Making the commitment to give helps us to be the generous people we strive to be.

Interesting.

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:24-25

July 7

“For I do not do the good I want,

but the evil I do not want is what I do.”

Romans 7:19

I think one of the great errors we make in looking at our own and others’ actions, is that we fail to take into account the truth of Paul’s insight here. “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.” While we like to suggest that what matters is what we intend, if we hurt someone, it doesn’t matter as much as we would like it to.

I may have meant well when I did this or that, but my own selfishness got in the way. If I admit that, I don’t need to defend my my error, I can confess my error, and seek reconciliation.

That is a more direct path to healing relationships, than the long road of trying to prove that I intended well, and didn’t mean to be so self absorbed, didn’t mean to hurt others, didn’t mean to leave you out… It is the hurt I caused that matters, the forgiveness I can ask for, and the healing that is possible.

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:24-25

July 6

“For I do not do the good I want,

but the evil I do not want is what I do.”

Romans 7:19

I have wondered about this for a long time… What if we understood this statement by Paul to include us? “I do not do the good I want…”

What if we saw this as a universal truth of being human?

What I mean by that, is what if we internalized this? What if we really understood that sin is a power at work in us, and more than simply actions done or left undone?

I think of Paul’s statement in First Timothy: “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.”

This is not the same as saying “nobody is perfect.” Not even close. That cliche is often used simply to let one’s self off the hook, or to excuse someone else’s sin without repentance or reconciliation.

Paul is addressing a deep reality of human life. At our best, in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven sinners. Forgiven and set free. I suspect that God intends our forgiveness to fill us with compassion and patience for others, and for their failings and hurtful deeds.

What if?

I think this knowledge would aid us in our closest relationships, as well as giving us insight to better engage in political conversations, racial reconciliation, and pretty much any and all of our dealings with one another.

Blessings to you in all your relationships.

Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Romans 7:24-25

reminder: Wednesday evening worship is at 7:00. When weather permits, we are outside, on the shady side of the building.

July 4

“…I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.”

Joel 2:28

I have shared a quote about each of the seasons of the church year this week. Today, Pentecost.

Dr. Matthew Skinner is a New testament professor at our seminary in St. Paul. He also participates in a weekly podcast, which I listen to often. This is the quote that spurred me to this venture this week.

I trust it will move you to wonder with me about the dreams we might dream, the creativity that God might work in us, the ways we might faithfully live the resurrection hope into this world.

A blessed 4th of July to you, and as we celebrate the freedom we have been given, may we rejoice in our responsibility to the God who loves us beyond measure, and enlists us to join in loving this world God loves so very much. (John 3:16)

Pentecost is an invitation to dream.

For when a community of faith quits dreaming dreams, it has little to offer

either its members or the wider world.

…these dreams involve

adopting a new perspective on what's possible,

rousing our creativity to free us from conventional expectations.

They help us see that maybe what we thought was outlandish

actually lies within reach.

Matthew Skinner

Pentecost: When Christians Dream 06/12/2011

I highly recommend the entire essay, it is available at:

July 3

I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19

Below are the opening lines from a sermon by Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor. She is an Episcopal priest, an author, and one of the best preachers I have had the privilege to hear in person. I cannot find this sermon on the internet anymore; my notes say it “was preached at Cannon Chapel, Emory University, on April 16, 2006…”

What a wonderful way to begin.

Drink in this word, which gives a vibrant description of Easter…

Happy Resurrection Day!

May the news of Christ's risen-ness

touch the dead spots in your heart

and bring them back to life,

so that you become part of the good news

that flows forth from this place today.

May you be springs of living water

in all the dry places on this sweet, parched earth.

May the fresh life that God has given you

spill over to freshen all the lives that touch yours

in your homes,

in your work,

in your schools

and neighborhoods.

May you be Easter people,

this day and forever.

Easter sermon, Barbara Brown Taylor

July 2

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness;

for we do not know how to pray as we ought,

but that very Spirit intercedes

with sighs too deep for words.

Romans 8:26

A few notes:

1. Wednesday night worship is very nice - we are able to sit in the shade outside the fellowship hall. We have been able to worship on Sunday and Wednesday with good “social distancing.” If you feel that you can go out, we feel we have provided a fairly safe way to be together.

2. We are working to put together a July newsletter. I am planning to send it to you as a pdf. That way, we don’t have to gather people together to fold and mail… We will mail it to those who do not have internet.

+++

Considering the seasons of the Church year in this Covid-tide, we come to Lent. This season of repentance can be a great gift, as we return to God, our creator and redeemer.

In the “Invitation to Lent” in the Ash Wednesday service, we hear this: “we are called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and of neighbor.”

The disciplines of Lent are named as “self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love…”

All of these are gifts given by God.

Sometimes it is possible to miss the fact that repentance is not a work by us, but a work of the Spirit.

I like this reflection by Martin Smith, an Episcopal priest, who offers up “letting go” as a balance to “discipline.” (Well, he comes pretty close to denying the value of discipline, but that’s how I interpret it. Ha!)

Letting Go

Dwelling on this thought of letting go, and handing myself over to the Spirit will bring me much closer to the experience of Jesus than the word “discipline” that so many of us have been trained to invoke at the beginning of Lent.

It should help us smile at our anxious attempts to bring our life under control, the belt tightening resolutions about giving up this or taking on that.

What we are called to give up in Lent is control itself.

Deliberate efforts to impose discipline on our lives often serve only to lead us further away from the freedom that Jesus attained through surrender to the Spirit, and promised to give.

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17).”

July 1

“let your steadfast love and your faithfulness

keep me safe forever.”

Psalm 40:11

As a people who mark time in seasons, we have many resources to face this “Covide-tide.” Epiphany follows Christmas as a season to note that God has sent Jesus to bring God’s love and life to all the world.

I find it a powerful insight that while philosophers might speculate about God’s attributes - all powerful, all knowing and more - the God of the Bible is one who comes into our midst in order to enter into a relationship of faith and trust with you.

The prayer I have included today addresses God as “unchanging.” What is it that never changes about God? It is that God loves you, pursues you, takes hold of you, and enlists you in God’s work of redeeming the world.

Psalm 100 says “For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

It is God’s love that is eternal…

In this “season”, let us take note of the presence of God in our midst.

This is a prayer for the day of Epiphany; January 6th.

Prayer on Epiphany

Father of Light,

unchanging God,

today you reveal to people of faith

the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.

Your light is strong,

your love is near;

draw us beyond the limits which this world imposes,

to the life where your Spirit makes all life complete.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

The TRINITY CONNECTIONS reflections from previous months are on the Connections March, April, May, June, August pages