July '23

July 1

A prayer based on the Gospel reading for tomorrow. (Including a few more verses)...

THE GOSPEL

Matthew 10:37-42

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones

to drink because the little one is a disciple — amen, I say to you,

he will surely not lose his reward.

For our whole earth it is clean air.

For war’s end it’s a peace treaty.

For a virus end it’s a vaccine.

For the hungry it’s a meal.

For our racial problems

it is justice and love.

For all who thirst,

it’s a cup of

water.

God,

you ask

little of us.

Please help us

give each other the

“cup of water” we all

need. Give us desire and

your knowledge and insight

to fix all the problems we have.

Let us not ignore those souls that

thirst. We all thirst for your living water.

Permission is hereby granted to reproduce for personal or parish use.

5th Sunday after Pentecost

July 2

I hope to see you at Worship today at 9:00.

The service will be posted online.

The Prayer of the Day today:

O God,

you direct our lives by your grace,

and your words of justice and mercy

reshape the world.

Mold us into a people

who welcome your word

and serve one another,

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen

July 3

With Independence Day tomorrow, I thought I would share this prayer for our nation from the ELW - The Prayer Book for the Armed Services.

Holy Trinity, one God,

you show us the splendor of diversity

and the beauty of unity in your own divine life.

Make us,

who came from many nations with many languages,

a united people

that delights in our many different gifts.

Defend our liberties,

and give those whom we have entrusted with authority the spirit of wisdom,

that there might be justice and peace in our land.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ,

our sovereign and our Savior.

Amen.

July 4

A blessed 4th of July to you!

Let us give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy in our nation, and let us pray for peace for all the world!

PRAYER FOR A NATIONAL HOLIDAY from (ELW) page 63

Lord of all the worlds,

guide this nation by your Spirit

to go forward in justice and freedom.

Give to all our people the blessings

of well-being and harmony,

but above all things give us faith in you,

that our nation may bring glory to your name

and blessings to all peoples,

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

July 5

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive

Colossians 3:12-13

I shared the poetry of hymn #887 pretty recently, but I think that Lloyd Stone’s reflection on patriotism are so rich, that its not a bad idea to consider This Is My Song again you can click here to listen

THIS IS MY SONG - ELW 887

Lloyd Stone

tune - Jean Sibelius

This is my song O God of all the nations

A song of peace for lands afar and mine

This is my home the country where my heart is

Here are my hopes my dreams my holy shrine

But other hearts in other lands are beating

With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean

And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine

But other lands have sunlight too and clover

And skies are everywhere as blue as mine

O hear my song O God of all the nations

A song of peace for their land and for mine.

This is my prayer O God of all earth's kingdoms

Your kingdom come on earth your will be done

O God be lifted up till all shall serve you

And hearts united learn to live as one

So hear my prayer O God of all the nations

Myself I you let your will be done

July 6

“…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

A few years ago I shared this quote by Dr. Matthew Skinner about the season of Pentecost.

Dr. Matthew Skinner is a New testament professor at Luther Seminary in St. Paul.

I invite 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.

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

You can click here to see the entire essay…

Blessings to you today, Pastor Phil

https://day1.org/articles/5d9b820ef71918cdf2002e58/matt_skinner_pentecost_when_christians_dream

July 7

For freedom Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, therefore,

and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1

I liked this by Steven Charlston, Choctaw elder and Episcopal priest and bishop.

Blessings to you today, Pastor Phil

“We are not made for resignation.

Passive acceptance is not the code written into our spirit.

If that were true, as a species, we would have vanished long ago.

Instead, for millennia,

we have shaken off the temptation to simply accept reality

and the demand that we bend the knee,

and we have stood up to struggle against the odds,

to change the situation, and to find an answer and a healing.

Those deep drives are the energy we call hope.

Those active forces are what determine our future.

We are not made for resignation, but for freedom.”

— Steven Charleston, Ladder To The Light: An Indigenous Elder’s meditations on Hope and Courage (Broadleaf Books, 2021), p. 17

July 8

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:3

In tomorrow’s Gospel reading we hear Jesus’ wonderful promise, "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Here is a prayer for tomorrow:

We rejoice, O Christ,
for in your tender compassion
you shoulder our burdens and ease our heavy hearts.
Give us the strength to carry each other
as you have carried us. Amen.

6th Sunday after Pentecost

July 9

https://www.trinitylutheransheridan.org/6-pentecost-july-9

Blessings to you today, I hope to see you at worship at 9:00 a.m.

The service will be posted on the web site here.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

You are great, O God, and greatly to be praised. You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Grant that we may believe in you, call upon you, know you, and serve you, through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

July 10

“Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

Matthew 11:19b

With some of the readings we have had for worship the past few weeks, I have been thinking about the wonderful disruption of grace…

Here is a great observation by Episcopal priest, writer and theologian, Robert Farrar Capon…

“The one thing you can never sell is grace.

The human race would rather die than give room

to the outrage of free acceptance, while we are yet sinners.

You can get people to buy acceptance

after their sins are under control,

or only when their disasters have been forestalled by proper behavior.

But all the Gospel has to offer is acceptance now:

in our sins and in our shipwrecks.

And without condition.

With no guilt left to be expiated and no good-deed lists asked for.

You can always sell religion.

But the Gospel of grace isn’t religion

and therefore you can’t sell it for beans.

Any gospel that sells is,

by definition,

not the Gospel.”

Robert Capon (More Theology and Less Heavy Cream)

May you rejoice in your acceptance, and as one accepted and made whole, may you bear that gift with generosity.

Peace, Pastor Phil

July 11

Jesus told them many things in parables, saying:

"Listen! A sower went out to sow…”

“Let anyone w/ ears listen!"

Matthew 13:3, 9

Jesus’ parables are explosive stories that invite us to consider God’s grace filled rule in the world. Dr. Gerhard Forde was an important teacher and preacher of grace. I had the great good fortune of taking classes from him. Here is a marvelous quote on grace:

“Grace is unconditional and free,

and if one attempts to claim even the tiniest bit of merit,

then everything will depend on that little bit.

Grace is free.”

Gerhard Forde (The Captivation of the Will)

Blessings to you, as you bear God’s love to the world. Pastor Phil

July 12

Jesus told them many things in parables, saying:

"Listen! A sower went out to sow…”

Other seeds fell on good soil

and brought forth grain,

some a hundredfold,

some sixty, some thirty.

Let anyone with ears listen!”

Matthew 13:3,8- 9

Here is another quote from Dr. Gerhard Forde:

“The 'progress' of the Christian, therefore,

is the progress of one who has

constantly to get used to the fact

that we are justified totally by faith...

...The progress of the Christian life

is not our movement toward the goal;

it is the movement of the gaol in upon us.”

Gerhard Forde (Justification by Faith: A Matter of Death and Life)

Peace, Pastor Phil

July 13

“Hear then the parable of the sower.”

Matthew 13:18

For the next few Sundays, we will be hearing parables of Jesus. These are powerful stories that engage us with God’s great love for you.

For a long time I read parables and sought to find “the meaning” of these wonderful stories. I have come to see that often, there are numerous meanings to a parable, and I have a suspicion that some parables should be “experienced” more than “understood.”

On Sunday we will hear the Parable of the Sower. Jesus invites us to hear the story of the farmer who plants so carelessly (generously???) that seeds were sown - not only on good ground, but on the path, on rocky ground, and among thorns.

There is a prodigal nature to this Sower.

Later, we are invited to consider how we might hear and respond to God’s word, and in the mix of this story, I suspect that what we experience might be as important as any lessons we might take in.

“Hear then the parable of the sower…” may it speak to you of God’s great love for you, and the gift of your calling to live in that love always.

Blessings, Pastor Phil

July 14

For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace;

the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song,

and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12

Connections has not been sent, and here we are, Rodeo parade is done, it’s a beautiful day and now is as good a time as any to share these beautiful verses from Isaiah…

The First Reading on Sunday is from Isaiah 55.

May these words of promise accompany you this weekend.

Peace to you, Pastor Phil

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return there until they have watered the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

July 15

“Hear then the parable of the sower.”

Matthew 13:18

A prayer inspired by tomorrow's reading from Matthew:

Ancient Gardener,

your holy word is planted in our hearts

as good seed in fertile soil.

So nurture us

that we may bear fruit abundantly.

Amen.

A blessed day to you! Pastor Phil

7th Sunday after Pentecost

July 16

Blessings to you today, I hope to see you at worship at 9:00 a.m.

The service will be posted on the web site

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God,

we thank you for planting in us

the seed of your word.

By your Holy Spirit

help us to receive it with joy,

live according to it,

and grow

in faith

and hope

and love,

through Jesus Christ,

our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

July 17

Yesterday we heard from the prophet Isaiah this beautiful poetry:

“For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace;

the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song,

and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12

Nancy Wilson, as lector, commented that was hard to read these words and not sing. While she was referring to a song from the BASICS Praise book, there is a song in the ELW hymnal based on this text as well.

The song is Light Dawns on a Weary World, #726, written by Mary Louise Bringle, with a tune by William Rowan. I included this song on the web site as a Postlude for yesterday’s service. You can listen to it, click here. https://youtu.be/9QmwXPtr6L8

The closing line of the refrain says: “We shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace, as all the world in wonder echoes shalom.”

Paraphrasing from wikipedia, Shalom speaks of God’s “peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquility.” “In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight.”

Shalom to you this day, Pastor Phil

Light Dawns on a Weary World

1 Light dawns on a weary world

when eyes begin to see all people's dignity.

Light dawns on a weary world:

the promised day of justice comes.

Refrain:

The trees shall clap their hands;

the dry lands, gush with springs;

the hills and mountains shall break forth with singing!

We shall go out in joy, and be led forth in peace,

as all the world in wonder echoes shalom.

2 Love grows in a weary world when hungry hearts find bread and children's dreams are fed. Love grows in a weary world: the promised feast of plenty comes.

Refrain

3 Hope blooms in a weary world

when creatures, once forlorn, find wilderness reborn.

Hope blooms in a weary world:

the promised green of Eden comes.

Refrain

July 18

“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering…”

Hebrews 10:23a

Considering the rain we have received these past months, I am sort of flabbergasted that the grass might need to be watered before, oh - I don’t know - mid-August!

I wonder if we are a bit like the lawn that, even with all this rain, continues to need to be watered. We can’t be showered too often of God’s Word of love and grace.

Here’s something to consider today; Hebrews 10:23-25 may be much more encouragement than command:

“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Peace to you, Pastor Phil

July 19

Trust in the LORD forever,

for in the LORD GOD

you have an everlasting rock.

Isaiah 26:4

Our Wednesday Pastor’s Class meets at noon today. [Worship at 7:00 tonight!] Our class takes time to look at various aspects of our faith. It can be fun, it can be time of sharing burdens, it can be time of rich conversation. I hope that - if you have not joined us - I hope you know that you would be welcome to join us, anytime.

A thought for today:

“Faith is not belief without proof but trust without reservation.”

D. Elton Trueblood 1900-1994

That makes me think. As you go through your day, may you continue to trust God’s great love for you.

Pax, Pastor Phil

July 20

“I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.”

John 15:15b

Of the quotes I have set aside, I think often of the line:

“Nothing human

keeps our gaze ever more firmly on God,

than friendship for the friends of God.”

This is by Simone Weil, a French philosopher, mystic and political activist who lived 1909-1943. I have no idea where I first read it, but it often comes to mind.

I have taken some time this week to see my sister and brothers in Minneapolis. I ask you to continue to keep my brother Marv in your prayers, as he contends with colon cancer. I am fortunate to call them, not only family, but friends. I am deeply blessed to call you friends as well.

I sometimes wonder how we might better embody friendship for others. I suspect it takes a simple noticing one another. Simple, but not always easy.

May God guide us to the work that is required for us to be good friends and bearers of kindness.

Blessings, Pastor Phil

July 21

Considering we have these parables of sowing, the Peace Prayer might be fitting for today. (I just read that while this prayer is known as “The Prayer of Saint Francis” it was first published in 1912 in France. So, maybe not written by Francis…)

Peace to you, Pastor Phil

The Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me sow love
Where there is an injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master, grant that I may
Not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood, as to understand
To be loved, as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life
Amen.

July 22

Jesus put before the crowd another parable:

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared

to someone who sowed good seed in his field;

but while everybody was asleep,

an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat,

and then went away..."

Matthew 13:24-25

A prayer grounded in tomorrow's reading from Matthew:

Steadfast God,

teach us your way and your truth.

Root us in you alone,

help us to grow in grace and love,

that we may fulfill our role and our work

in the reign of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

A blessed Saturday to you! Pastor Phil

8th Sunday after Pentecost

July 23

Blessings to you today, I hope to see you at worship at 9:00 a.m.

The service will be posted on the web site click here.

https://www.trinitylutheransheridan.org/8-pentecost-july-23

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Faithful God, most merciful judge,

you care for your children with firmness and compassion.

By your Spirit nurture us who live in your kingdom,

that we may be rooted in the way of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

July 24

“Some seeds fell on the path…”

Matthew 13:4

I shared a devotion by Steve Garnaas-Holmes the first part of May. He has a daily email devotion, and it seems to me these parables from Matthew have inspired some very thoughtful posts. I will share a few of them this week…

Dearly Beloved,

Grace and Peace to you.

Some seeds fell on the path...
—Matthew 13.4

All love is wasted.

It is not a wise investment.
It is not a powerful tool.

It is given away,
without thought of profit or outcome.

Often it is swallowed up by ingratitude,
or falls into gaping wounds,

or is sown among evil and hatred
where no amount of love can succeed.

Love is wasted gladly on the unknowing,
the ungrateful, the undeserving.

Even your love of someone dear is a waste,
for their love can only be a gift, not a return.

We tread on the seeds
of divine love.

Daily we go out to sow wastefully,
scattering as much love as possible.

Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

July 25

“A sower went out to sow…”

Matthew 13:3

Another by Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes.

Blessings to you today, Pastor Phil

A person set out to live her life
and she tried to get things right
but some things she got wrong.
Some were good ideas but they went badly.
Sometimes she had good intentions
but they got choked out
by her doubts and fears and bad habits.
Sometimes she did good things
but they didn't make any difference,
or they went unnoticed.
Sometimes she was misunderstood and ignored
and she wondered if her life mattered at all.
But she kept trying.
And the seeds of her trying bore fruit,
some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

July 26

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like

a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind;

when it was full, they drew it ashore,

sat down, and put the good into baskets

but threw out the bad. ”

Matthew 13:47-48

Judgment is an important theme in the Gospel of Matthew. One of my favorite authors of the stillspeaking daily devotion of the UCC is Mary Luti. Here is an interesting reflection on judgment that she wrote for last week…

Judgment Day - Mary Luti - Jul 20, 2023

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew casting a net into the lake. He said, “Come, follow me.” – Matthew 4:18-19 (NIV, adapted)

Many of us were taught that when Christ returns, we’ll be summoned to account for what we’ve done with our lives. The Judge will judge, the good will fly up, the bad will go down. Way down.

Some pastors zealously preach a Last Judgment. I never have. Not because I don’t believe in judgment, but because I don’t think judgment is a “last” thing. If Jesus has ever walked into your life and called you, you know it’s a now thing, happening all the time.

Fred Craddock tells this story:

The parents of a seven-year-old dropped her off at church every Sunday, but they never went in. They were notorious for throwing Saturday night parties: heavy drinking, loud music, vulgar behavior. Still, somehow, they got their daughter to church in the morning.

One Sunday, they appeared in the pews. At the end of the service, it was customary to invite people to recommit their lives to Christ. They went forward.

Later, Craddock asked why.

“You know our parties?”

“I’ve heard.”

“Last night was really bad. Our daughter woke up. She came down to the third step, saw us eating and drinking, and said, ‘Oh, can I say a blessing? God is great, God is good, and we thank God for our food.’ And she went back to bed. Our guests said, ‘Oh, look at the time!’ And fled. We looked at each other and said, ‘What are we doing with our lives?’”

Jesus on the third step said, “What are you doing with your lives?” No one flew up, no one went down, but it was Judgment Day. We should hope for many.

Prayer
Jesus, come to my shore. Summon me to follow. It’s what I want to do with my life.

Blessings to you today! Pastor Phil

July 27

Guard me as the apple of the eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings,

from the wicked who despoil me,

my deadly enemies who surround me.

Psalm 17:8-9

I set this aside a good while ago, and want to share it with you…

Blessings, Pastor Phil

A Prayer in Need of Tweaking by Liz Miller | published on Feb 27, 2023

Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me. – Psalm 17:8-9

Too often, when I look back on my prayers, they sound like the sacred version of a self-help book: Heal me. Strengthen me. Make me whole.

It starts to feel like I am approaching God as if—in the immortal words of You’ve Got Mail—I am a project that is in need of tweaking.

The harder prayer to say out loud, even when no one but God will hear, is that there is quite a bit in the world, and my life, that is out of my control. There are forces that are too big for me to manage. There are issues that need divine intervention and holy love. There are problems I need to hand over to God because it is too much for any one person—or even any one church or community—to solve on their own. In those moments, prayer is less about self-help and more about admitting we require God’s help.

The most important times to call on God might be when I encounter a situation that is out of my power and in need of a higher power, whether it is ending oppression, enacting justice, or living in harmony with my enemies. God doesn’t expect us to fix a broken world by ourselves; God only expects to meet us in our brokenness and take it from there.

Prayer: Dear God: Guard me. Hide me. Shelter me from the storms of life that rage out of my control. Amen.

July 28

We are joint heirs with Christ—

if, in fact, we suffer with Christ

so that we may also be glorified with Christ.

Romans 8.17

One more from Pastor Steve Garnaas-Holmes.

Children of God
heirs of all God's gifts
arm in arm with Jesus

side by side in glory
side by side on the road
side by side in the village

kneeling by the disabled man
embracing the leper
enduring the scorn

entering into the suffering of the world
his broken heart in ours
arm in arm on the cross

Glory

Deep Blessings,
Pastor Steve

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

July 29

“You are the salt of the earth…”

Matthew 5:13

A prayer inspired by our Gospel text for tomorrow.

Good and generous God, fountain of all wisdom, in Christ you have revealed your kingdom to us, a treasure hidden in a field, a pearl of great price. Grant us your Spirit's gift of discernment, that we may learn to distinguish aright between the passing wealth of this present world and the enduring value of your kingdom. Then make us swift to renounce all else to acquire the treasure you alone can bestow. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.

From Prayers for Sunday and Seasons, Year A, Peter J. Scagnelli, LTP, 1992.

9th Sunday after Pentecost

July 30

Worship today at 9:00, I hope you can be here.

The Prayer of the Day:

Beloved and sovereign God,

through the death and resurrection of your Son

you bring us into your kingdom of justice and mercy.

By your Spirit, give us your wisdom,

that we may treasure the life that comes from Jesus Christ,

our Savior and Lord.

Amen

July 31

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword

Hebrews 4:12a

I saw an article in the Washington Post, I believe this spring, that shared some stories about a Jewish congregation and their celebration of Passover. I set aside this line:

“By reading the Haggadah at the Passover Seder,

we acknowledge that the Exodus

is not only a story from ancient times

but a story for all times”

May you know that the story of God’s love for you and all the world is a story for all times, and may this Good News accompany you today.

Peace, Pastor Phil

August 3

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

you give them something to eat."

Matthew 14:16

On Sunday we will hear the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 from Matthew 14.

This important story is the only miracle of Jesus that is in each of the four Gospels. Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, which led him to feed them from God's generous abundance, is a compassion that each of the Gospel writers considered to be central to our own story and our call to live as God's people in the world.

Here is a quote from the 14th century mystic Meister Eckhart

The Last Word

For not only bread

but all things necessary

for sustenance in this life

are given on loan to us

with others

and because of others

and for others

to others through us.

- Meister Eckhart c.1260-c.1327

As you bear the compassion of Christ into this day, may you give thanks for such a wonderful calling!

Pastor Phil

August 2

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.

Exodus 20:8

I just got back from vacation.

I always feel a bit funny about telling/not telling folks that we are gone. In this day and age, it seems wise to be careful about advertising that your house is vacant. At the same time, I wonder if I should be a bit less careful. A lot of things are like that. It is hard to know exactly what to do...

Well...

After a time of rest, I would like to share this quote on the Sabbath by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a great 20th century American rabbi.

“We usually think that the earth is our mother,

that time is money and profit our mate.

The seventh day is a reminder

that God is our father,

that time is life

and the spirit our mate."

Abraham Joshua Heschel

Peace to you today,

I would love to see you at Pastor's Noon Class here today at... NOON!

Pastor Phil