"Choices for Life" Labor Day Weekend

Lectionary 23
Proper 18
September 5, 2010
Labor Day Weekend
Pastor Ron Glusenkamp
“Choices for Life”

25Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26"Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. Luke 14

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Those are hard words. There is no doubt about it. They reflect a command, a demand that to be a follow of Jesus one needs to be “all in.” There is nothing partial about following Jesus. One either does or one doesn’t. There isn’t any in between. These words of Jesus describe the hard work of what it means to be a Christian on this Labor Day weekend.

Take in hand if you will, the ELW and turn to page 1160 (which is at the back of the book). We will read together the First Commandment, “You shall have no other gods.” What does this mean? “We are to fear, love and trust God above all things.”
It is that simple. It is that complex. At first hearing, we might be a little defensive and bristle at these words. We say to ourselves, “I/we are not like those folks who wandered around in the wilderness for 40 years. I don’t have any golden calves in my backyard or in my life. And yet, we just confessed earlier that we do not always fear, love and trust God, but rather sometimes fear, love and trust in things.


As park of my Weight Watcher regime, I try like Jared of the commercials to make healthy choices when it comes to eat at a restaurant. So, when I go to Subway I know that there are health choices, choices for life if you will to be made. What kind of bread do I want? Wheat, white, Jalapeno, Italian, Monterey Cheddar, or Roasted Garlic? Toasted or not? And then I am asked to state my choice of onions, lettuce, tomato, olive, pickles, oil & vinegar, salt/pepper, mayo, mustard, peppers, and cheese, Swiss, American or Provolone. Last but not least, is this for here or to go?


Good old Moses was near the end of his career. He had seen it all and done it all. Long after being called through the mystery of the Burning Bush, Moses experienced “burn-out” and being “hot” under the collar throughout his decades of trying to lead the people of God to the Promised Land. Now they were just about there. All they had to do was to cross over the river and they would enter the destination they had prayed for, walked for, sweated for and worked for all these years. Moses presented the choices they had:
15See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. 17But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, 18I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Deuteronomy 30

The other morning in God’s Word for the Week someone asked, “Who would choose death?” Of course, in the hypothetical, in the non-real situation, who would choose death? But in the very busy-ness and business of our lives, it is clear that often people make the wrong choices, choices for death, not for life. Listen again to the words,
“Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, 20loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him;”

There was a study done by Sheena S. Iyengar and Mark R. Lepper entitled “When Choice is Demotivating: Can One Desire Too Much of a Good Thing?
http://www.columbia.edu/~ss957/articles/Choice_is_Demotivating.pdf

Basically, it tells the account of an experiment where shoppers were confronted with the choice of 24 types of jam on one occasion and just 6 types of jam on another occasion. People actually purchased more jam when their choices were limited thus challenging the notion “that the more choices, the better-that the human ability to manage and the human desire for, choice is infinite.” (page 995- “When Choice is Demotivating”)
It is the comedy of the Holy Gospel that Jesus choose to carry the cross, to die on the cross experiencing total forsakenness (My God, my God, what have you forsaken me?) for our sakes. Let’s just stand there, stand here at the foot of the cross and ponder that amazing Good News. Jesus chose death, so that we might have life.


This being Labor Day Weekend, we are lifting up vocations. Frederick Buechner has written, “… The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet [emphasis added].”
Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC

The phrase “God’s work our hands” is what that means. It is the work of God, holy stuff when you think about it, that we human beings, made of flesh and blood are called to get our hands dirty in choosing life and not death.

I often point out to the Bible class members that I am studying with that Jesus, as well as Moses where (and here comes a shock, not Lutherans). I always soften that news with the phrase, “they of course would have been, if they could have been). So, what today’s texts, the one from Deuteronomy about “choosing life and not choosing death” as well as Jesus’ words about the cross (Jesus said, “whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” raise the discussion about justification and sanctification. In other words, we as Lutherans talk about how we have been saved. We quote St. Paul,
“by grace you have been saved through faith.” That tells us how we have been “justified.” The next step is how in the world do we live out in the world the very good news that we have been saved? That too is where we quote St. Paul, “in Christ we are new creations.” So, we do “choose life” and carry the cross.

Which can of course, mean vulnerability, conflict and sadness.

Diana Butler Bass describes this phenomena as moving from “tourist to pilgrim.” She eloquently summarizes the journey of Nora (pages 216-217) in Christianity For the Rest of Us. Nora discovers that she could “never really understand Christianity unless she lived it.”

Jesus has made the choice of us. Today we celebrate Hannah Elizabeth and Mollie Anne being chosen. We give thanks that God has entrusted God work to us. Choices for Life-God’s Work our Hands.
Amen

"Dwell in Love"

Note- I was listening to Sting be interviewed on PBS. He spoke of juxtapositions. I've juxtaposed tomorrow's hymn of the day, "When Love is Found" with excerpts from the ELCA Social Statement:

Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust. On Sunday, August 8th we celebrate what we are calling "Marriage Sunday."

August 8, 2010

Lectionary 19
Proper 14                                                       
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Pastor Ronald T. Glusenkamp

Dwell in Love

 

⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
¹²This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

Authentic is a really important concept and approach to living and loving. It implies reliability, trustworthiness and originality. We talk a lot about being AAA Christians, Authentic, Available and Affirming.

One of the most authentic statements that is said in church comes from the Life Passages section of the ELW, in the Marriage Service. These words are often read   after the parents have been seated, after the groomsmen and bridesmaids have made their way up front, as the flower girl and the ring bearer have meandered they were forward coaxed on by anxious family members, and last but not least  as the bride and the groom have joined hands and now stand in front of the pastor and the congregation. Listen to these words,

“The Lord God in goodness created us male and female, and by the gift of marriage founded human community in a joy that begins now and is brought to perfection in the life to come.

Because of sin, our age-old rebellion, the gladness of marriage can be overcast and the gift of a family can become a burden. But because God, who established marriage, continues still to bless it with abundant and ever-present support, we can be sustained in our weariness and have our joy restored.” ELW- Marriage Service .

Years ago there was one guide on the Marriage liturgy that described this as “joy, sin, joy restored.” In other words, this takes us back to the garden, the Garden of Eden, to East of Eden and then to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested and then crucified for our sake. Fortunately, Joy has been and is restored because of his resurrection.

This morning we are celebrating marriages. Little did Pastor Ruth Ann and I know when we scheduled this date almost a year ago that there would be a ruling on California’s Proposition 8, just four days before Marriage Sunday. Nor did we know, that Eat Pray Love  would be released just five days afterwards on (Friday the 13^th) .We are grateful you are here to celebrate with our community.

Today’s sermon is interactive.  It is based on a lovely hymn by Brian Wren called, “When Love is Found.” Rick will give us an introduction and then

we’ll ALL sing verse ONE.

When Love Is Found

1          When love is found and hope comes home,

            sing and be glad that two are one.

            When love explodes and fills the sky,

            praise God and share our maker’s joy.

I recall a television program from the late 1960’s and early 1970’s called Love, American Style. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063925/

If I remember correctly the lead-in to the show always featured some kind of “fireworks.”  And you’ve experienced that explosion of love if you’ve found as the hymn Borning Cry states, “someone to make your verses rhyme.” Or as you’ve stood at a wedding and seen the joy, the hope and love which is clearly exhibited by the bride and the groom. Or many years later at a 50^th or 60the wedding anniversary party, when the bride has to stand with a walked and the groom is in a wheelchair. When hearing isn’t as sharp as it once was and speech might even be halted or slurred because of a stroke or two, it is clear that love has been found and found over and over again.

We remember, Jesus said, “⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

Verse two is sung by Brenda at 8 and 10:30am (at 9 it is sung by ALL)

2          When love has flow’red in trust and care,

            build both each day that love may dare

            to reach beyond home’s warmth and light,

            to serve and strive for truth and right.

Martin Luther called marriage, “the school for character.”

Throughout the sermon this morning you will hear quotes from the ELCA Social Statement

Human Sexuality- Gift and Trust Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust.

“Marriage is a covenant of mutual promises, commitment, and hope authorized

legally by the state and blessed by God. The historic Christian tradition

and the Lutheran Confessions have recognized marriage as a covenant

between a man and a woman, reflecting Mark 10: 6–9: ‘But from the beginning

of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man

shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall

become one  flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore

what God has joined together, let no one put asunder.’ (Jesus here recalls

Genesis 1:27; 2:23–24.) Lutherans long have affirmed that the public accountability of marriage, as expressed through a legal contract, provides the necessary social support

and social trust for relationships that are intended to be sustained throughout

life and within changing and often challenging life situations.” (Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust p. 15-16)

We celebrate today that Jesus said, “⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

Women sing verse three

3          When love is tried as loved-ones change,

            hold still to hope though all seems strange,

            till ease returns and love grows wise

            through list’ning ears and opened eyes.

“Marriage requires constant care and cultivation. It is intended to protect

the creation and nurturing of mutual trust and love as one foundation of

human community. It is a binding relationship that provides conditions for

personal well-being, the flourishing of the partner, and the possibility of

procreation and the nurturing of children. It also is intended to be a blessing

to the community and the world. Because of promises of fidelity and

public accountability, marriage provides a context of love, trust, honesty,

and commitment within which a couple can express the profound joy of

relationship as well as address the troubles they encounter throughout life.”

(Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust p. 16)

Jesus said, “⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

Men sing verse four

4          When love is torn and trust betrayed,

            pray strength to love till torments fade,

            till lovers keep no score of wrong

            but hear through pain love’s Easter song.

“The Christian commitment to marriage recognizes that sin enters all relationships,

both within and outside the institution of marriage. All marriages

fall short of intentions, and difficulties are inevitable, both because of

the different needs and desires of the two individuals and because of sin,

which places the anxious concern for self before the needs of the other.

Infidelity to marriage promises betrays the intimate trust of the partner, the

security of the family, and the public trust of the community.

Precisely because marriage is the place where deep human trust and needs

abide, it also can be a place of great harm. Many experience neither love

nor trust within marriage. Harming another emotionally, physically, or spiritually,

including through the misuse or abuse of power, is a profound injury.

It also is a betrayal and violation of the shelter and trust that are intended

within the marriage relationship. Particular care must be taken to support

and find safe haven for all who are at risk within a marriage.” (Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust p. 16-17)

“Love’s Easter song” invites all of us to begin each day as new creations, forgiven and redeemed. It calls us to be affirming and available to each other as we go through life for

Jesus said, “⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

We all sing verse five.

5          Praise God for love, praise God for life,

            in age or youth, in calm or strife.

            Lift up your hearts. Let love be fed

            through death and life in broken bread.

Text: Brian Wren, b. 1936

© 1983 Hope Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

“Despite its awareness of the presence of sin and failure in marriage, the

Christian tradition places great emphasis on the value of marriage for a

husband and wife. It is in marriage that the highest degrees of physical

intimacy are matched with and protected by the highest levels of binding

commitment, including legal protection. It is in marriage that public promises

of lifetime commitment can create the foundation for trust, intimacy,

and safety. Both the couple’s intent in their lifelong promises and the civil requirements

for marriage are important. Mutual promises of enduring care and

fidelity, made before God, allow a couple to open themselves to each other.

They permit the sharing of profound and tender affection as well as deep

vulnerabilities and anxieties. The legal contract creates a public arrangement

within which a couple may safely and equitably share their assets and

resources, arrive at joint decisions, anticipate children, protect and nurture

them, and plan for a shared future.” (Human Sexuality: Gift and Trust p.17-18)

http://www.sofn.com/norwegian_culture/showRecipe.jsp?document=Kransekake.html

Jesus said, “⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.”

Amen

(martin luther ON THE ESTATE OF MARRIAGE

http://www.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/History/teaching/protref/women/WR0913.htm

LETTER TO SEVERAL NUNS http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/nuns.txt

 

Greed vs. God

Greed vs God

August 1, 2010

Lectionary 18
Proper 13
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost

Pastor Ronald T. Glusenkamp

¹³Someone out of the crowd said, "Teacher, order my brother to give me a fair share of the family inheritance."   ¹⁴He replied, "Mister, what makes you think it's any of my business to be a judge or mediator for you?"

 ¹⁵Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot."
 ^16-19Then he told them this story: "The farm of a certain rich man produced a terrific crop. He talked to himself: 'What can I do? My barn isn't big enough for this harvest.' Then he said, 'Here's what I'll do: I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll gather in all my grain and goods, and I'll say to myself, Self, you've done well! You've got it made and can now retire. Take it easy and have the time of your life!'   ²⁰"Just then God showed up and said, 'Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goods—who gets it?'  ²¹"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."

The Message (MSG)  Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Last Sunday a marvelous sermon was preached by all of you as you brought gifts of non-perishable food items for Metro Care Ring and school supplies and toys for the Kids of Kandahar. I watched you as you watched one another respond to the call to be generous. There were multi-colored angelic halos (also known as Fruit Loops). As the Thomas Family came up, little Amelia humbly, proudly, reverently and graciously brought a big box of cereal up to the manger. Gifts of cereal for the One who is called the Bread of Life. It was Christmas in July. A similar joyful scene took place at the Bails Townhome Dedication. There was an amazing mix of people, corporate contributions, volunteers and moved together and called into action by the Spirit of God.
Now at the other end of the spectrum Jesus tells a story about a farmer who runs the Ponderosa. His barns and silos aren’t quite big enough for the bumper crop that has exploded onto his fields.. He’s had a great year. But as you and I know he doesn’t provide access to his excesses for   anyone but himself.
Listen to the words once again, "That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God." It’s an amazing image isn’t it? You and I filling up one’s barn with self and not with God.  In order to defeat that notion and action of Greed, we often sing in church as the offering and gifts of bread and wine are brought forward, “create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me.” We pray, we hope, we ask to be filled with God and not with self.
The action is intentional and didactic. God gives us seeds to grow wheat which is then ground and baked into bread. God sends rain to the people.  We are called branches and connected to God who is the Vine. The fruit which is produced is harvested and combined together into a medley of tastes and colors. The bread and wine are brought forward with the monetary gifts of the people. God gives us raw materials. We in turn, in response offer to God what belongs to God. The gifts are then shared with all of God’s people. While we might be tempted to believe in the myth of scarcity it is reality that God is abundant with blessings, love and grace. Jesus says, “take eat, take drink, this is my body, this is my blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”
Today we are talking about Greed. As you may know it is traditionally understood to be one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Greed or Avarice is joined by Pride, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Anger and Sloth.  Phyllis Tickle in her book Greed has written, “Indeed, Greed, by any name is the mother and matrix, root and consort of all other sins; and it is to this matriarch of our deadly clan that we turn our attention.”(pg. 15)  “The truth in this is that we in our Christianized culture are very conflicted about Greed, and she absolutely loves us for it, which is another thing that any treatise on her must acknowledge. For either a sin or a virus, conflict in one’s intended host is a compromising and very desirable thing, a fact that Greed appreciates far more astutely that we ever will.” (Page 22) http://bit.ly/b1Zozn
"That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God."
Something that I always appreciated in our pastors in Minneapolis is that when they spoke about specific sins or misconduct that they included themselves. So, what I liked was that they said “we did this or that…” and not “you do this or that.” And so it is in that spirit that I approach this specific sin of Greed. For it is something that we do!
To check out a morality play on GREED visit http://www.enrontheplay.com/
Three years ago, when I preached on this text http://h2odevos.blogspot.com/2010/07/god-sized-in-super-size-me-world.html  I concluded the sermon by saying

“I believe it really isn’t about square footage, ‘how big is your barn?’ or even ‘how much is enough?’ The question the parable is answering and asking at the same time is simple ‘who?’

Who are you? Who are you working for? Who is Jesus calling you to be? Who do you trust and believe in?  And at the same time, it is about praying that we might be “right sized” God-sized in a SuperSIZE ME World.

I know that you know and believe that happens as we “walk wet” through our lives remembering baptism, “marked with the cross of Christ, claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.” We are fed and formed along the way by the Word which gives us comfort and direction. We gather around the table of the Lord where our Lord gives us life and promise. That is our story and our song.”

Ms. Colleen O’Conner wrote in THE DENVER POST this week,

“The rate of Colorado children living in poverty increased 50 percent between 2000 and 2008, compared with a 6 percent increase nationwide, according to 2010 Kids Count Data Book, an annual report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation that tracks how states have progressed — or regressed — over time in protecting the well-being of children.”

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_15609198?source=email

I am troubled and disturbed by such information. Which means there are people hungry and hurting in our community. That is why I feel very called to invite you and me to participate in Hunger Relief Day 101010 http://hrd101010.blogspot.com/   I am grateful for your response. God has richly blessed us and we can do more!

So listen to the words once again, "That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God.”

The Church Council is studying a little booklet Rediscover Church: Ten Reasons why People Leave, and Why They are coming Back.

Reason #3 States: “I got tired of the church always asking me from me.” (pg. 8-9)

The author states, “We spend half our lives putting down cash or swiping our pieces of plastic for absolutely everything we consume, Yet, somehow we have this notion that church should be a place where we can be entertained, cared for, taught the Word of God, and served when we have trouble-but it shall all come free.”

There is a line today in our sending hymn God of Grace and God of Glory, “rich in things and poor in soul.”  Those words call you and me into accountability. They invite us to be a part of the solution. We’re commanded and invited to see Christ in the hungry, the poor and the sick (Matthew 25).

St. Paul wrote to the Galatians, (chapter 5)

¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, ²¹envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²²By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

Be filled and fill your barns with these fruits! For that is being filled with GOD!

Amen

If you want to check out some good OT passages about concern for the poor, please read:

^“9When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. ¹⁰You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the LORD your God.
¹¹You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. ¹²And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the LORD”. Leviticus 19:9-12

^“22When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the LORD your God.
²³The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ²⁴Speak to the people of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of complete rest, a holy convocation commemorated with trumpet blasts. ²⁵You shall not work at your occupations; and you shall present the LORD's offering by fire.” Leviticus 23

Acts 5

But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; ²with his wife's knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. ³Ananias, Peter asked, "why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!" ⁵Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. ⁶The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
⁷After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price." And she said, "Yes, that was the price." ⁹Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." ¹⁰Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.

2 Corinthians 9:7

⁷Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

---

You might be asking, “how can I be part of the solution?”

ANSWER: check out http://hrd101010.blogspot.com

"God Sized in a Super SIZE ME WORLD"

This message was originally preached on Sunday, August 5, 2007 at Bethany Lutheran Church. It is in my humble opinion a wonderful message of the realities of living today. This coming Sunday, August 1, 2010 we will have the same lessons. Obviously, the sermon will be different, but I wanted to share this with you as background. Tune in on Sunday to get the updated version "GREED versus GOD!"

for updated info on the ONE CAMPAIGN check out
Lutheran One Campaign info

for MDG info check out
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

“God Sized- In a “SuperSIZE ME World”

August 5, 2007

Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Lectionary 18c- ONE SUNDAY

Pastor Ronald T. Glusenkamp

Chapter 1

²Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
      vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
¹²I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, ¹³applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. ¹⁴I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
      

Chapter 2

¹⁸I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me ¹⁹— and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. ²⁰So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun, ²¹because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. ²²What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? ²³For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity. (Ecclesiastes)
      

¹³Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." ¹⁴But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" ¹⁵And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." ¹⁶Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. ¹⁷And he thought to himself, 'What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' ¹⁸Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' ²⁰But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' ²¹So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."  (Luke 12)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “ Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

I’m a big fan of what has been called, “bumper-sticker theology.” I think I like it because in just a few words a great deal can be said. For example, I saw one bumper-sticker on a large pick-up truck with big wheels which read, “He who ends with the most toys wins.” And my hunch would be that if we went to that person’s garage or basement we’d find a lot of “toys” and other stuff. Or on the back of a big RV these words were stamped, “We’re spending our kids’ inheritance.” Once again, I sense that if we were able to have a conversation with the drivers of that particular vehicle we’d get a pretty good picture of who and what is important to them (and also who and what isn’t important to them). One bumper-sticker which doesn’t have anything really to do with the sermon today, but I simply liked it reads, “I’m trying to be the person my dog thinks I am.” And last but not least there is the bumper-sticker on the car which reads, “Live Simply so Others May Simply Live.”  There is in those words an acknowledgment that how one lives has an affect on how others live.

Today you are hearing an emphasis about the ONE CAMPAIGN. Last summer we introduced it to you and we’re back again this year to encourage you to PRAY, TEACH, PURCHASE and READ (there are handouts which give direction and guidance)

This morning we have two great lessons to shape our hearts, our minds and our souls. I’ve tried to capture the essence of them by summarizing the richness of the words into a title or bumper-sticker, “God Sized-In a SUPERSIZE ME World.”  The first lesson from the Book of Ecclesiastes was the source for a book by Rabbi Harold Kushner entitled, When All You’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough.  It is a great little book which probes questions and comments like: “Was There Something I was Supposed to Do with my Life?” and  “The Loneliness of Looking Out for Number One.”  Kushner helps us see that in most situations we all have more things and stuff than we ever thought possible and yet, those things and stuff don’t exactly feed our soul, nor do they make us happy.

Years ago there was a song whose title was “Is That All There Is?” Those five words sum up most of the book of Ecclesiastes. Or as U2’s Bono plaintively sings, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

If we fast forward to the gospel lesson for today we are told about a man who asks Jesus to issue a quick probate decision for him.

"Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."

Jesus doesn’t respond in a Judge Judy type of fashion but instead tells the story of the “rich fool.” This person decides to build bigger and better barns to store up all his crops and things so that he can “eat, drink and be merry.” And yet, Jesus says that very night his soul was demanded of him.

As some of you know we have two Bible study groups which look at the gospel for coming Sunday, one on Monday morning at 9am and then other at 7am on Tuesday mornings (and I invite you to drop in at either one of those). This past week we talked about this text in some detail. And one member asked a great Lutheran question, “What does this mean?” So, “what are we to do?”  First of all, it’s the question, the bottom line if you will. And after years of praying and thinking about it all, wrestling with guilt (and as Garrison Keillor says, “guilt is the gift that keeps on giving” or at the other end of the spectrum apathy or indifference, I believe the Millennium Development Goals are clear succinct statements about how people like you and me can effect change and bring about goodness in our world.

The goals to be achieved by 2015 are

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
2. Achieve universal primary education;
3. Promote gender equality and empower women;
4. Reduce child mortality;
5. Improve  maternal health;
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases;
7. Ensure environmental sustainability; and
8. Create a global partnership for development.

Jesus concluded his “judgment” by saying,  “So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."  So, it begs the questions, what does it mean to be rich toward God? One scholar has suggested that the answer is found in two short passages, Luke 6:27 and Luke 10:27:

But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. (Luke 6:27)

He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)

I believe it really isn’t about square footage, “how big is your barn?” or even “how much is enough?” The question the parable is answering and asking at the same time is simple “who?”

Who are you? Who are you working for? Who is Jesus calling you to be? Who do you trust and believe in?  And at the same time, it is about praying that we might be “right sized” God-sized in a SuperSIZE ME World.

I know that you know and believe that happens as we “walk wet” through our lives remembering baptism, “marked with the cross of Christ, claimed, gathered and sent for the sake of the world.” We are fed and formed along the way by the Word which gives us comfort and direction. We gather around the table of the Lord where our Lord gives us life and promise. That is our story and our song.

Amen

The Lord is Come! Christmas in July

Christmas in July

July 25, 2010

The Lord is Come

Pastor Ronald T. Glusenkamp

I have a picture of a sign

  that I love from my days on the road which was taken in Michigan- it proclaims the realities of the 45^th Parallel which is half way between the Equator and the North Pole. I was driving back to an airport from an event where I had spoken. I pulled over and took the picture because it was a powerful sermon for me that we always have choices. Choices to be sad or to be joyful. Choices to stay or to go. Choices to live according to the flesh or the Spirit. Choices to speak or to listen. Choices to tear down or build up.

And so we find ourselves today with this Christmas in July event where we are either 6 months late or 6 months early. Or maybe, just maybe,  we are just very much on time and in sync with the rhythm and message of the gospel lesson, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Choices to bring gifts to the Christ Child who has been made flesh and lives in the children and adults served by Metro Care Ring and the Kids of Kandahar.

The story of Christmas is so big it could and should be celebrated every day of the year. For we are recipients of this amazing God that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son to born and die in order that we might be reborn and have life.

And so due to the grand nature of this gift,  I want your help in preaching this sermon this morning. So, every time I say “Joy to the World” I’d like for you to  respond by saying, “the Lord is come!” Let’s try that one time.

“Joy to the World”- “The Lord is Come” through the water and the Word. This Word names and claims us as Children of God. This morning we give thanks for Riley Morris Rodasti; Olivia Ann Blum; and Nathaniel Kirk Strand.

“Joy to the World”- “The Lord is Come” through the bread and wine and the Word. We come up here just as we are without one plea and are given the Real, Meal Deal!

“Joy to the World”- “The Lord is Come” through the mission trip of the Bethany Youth and their adult chaperones. Together they are One in Christ through word and deed.

“Joy to the World”- “The Lord is Come” as families gather this afternoon at the Bails Street Habitat for Humanity Project. Houses become homes because you graciously responded to the call on Christmas Eve “let every heart prepare Him room.” And so with hammer and nails, wallboard and paint brushes, electrical wires, tile, shingles and lumber you created safe, affordable, environmentally friendly housing for children and adults.
Habitat for Humanity 

Last year when we set aside this date for “Christmas in July” we weren’t entirely sure what to expect or how it would be received. We’re grateful for your response of gifts.

I think the genesis of it all is embedded in the notion that the light and  miracle of the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us  sometimes feels  overshadowed by all the things we think we have to do to make Christmas happen. In other words we often get overwhelmed by the crush of the season as opposed to focusing our hearts and souls on the crèche, the baby Jesus who is the reason for the season! But, in reality we don’t need to make Christmas happen because Christmas is a happening in and of itself.

“Joy to the World”- “The Lord is Come” It is in this “coming” that makes all the difference between death and life, fear and hope, sin and grace.

I have a request for you to do something today. Actually it is an invitation or just a comment. This afternoon or evening, or maybe tomorrow at work, neighborhood, talking or text, let people know that today, this day it was our message to share the wonderful call and response, ““Joy to the World”- “The Lord is Come”

This Christmas by Peter Mayer

Peter Mayer has an amazing song that reminds us again and again that right now, right here, today is the time to give thanks for the Babe born in Bethlehem.

I always kid Peter that this song is the “Gospel According to George Bailey/Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life.

This Christmas this Christmas
There's a gift that only you can give
This Christmas this Christmas
Give yourself to....

Lend a heart, lend a hand
Make a start, understand
Lend an hour lend a day
Wrap yourself to give away

This Christmas by Peter Mayer

“Joy to the World”- “The Lord is Come”  again and again and again.

Amen

The h2o Devos Team

Last week, July 10-17th the h2o Devos Team of (rtg, Cynthia Tanner & Peter Mayer) spent a lovely week
with dear old friends and fantastic new friends at Camp Arcadia. We were studying God's Standard or Gold Standard. A Study in Proverbs (written by rtg and pm) is available from Augsburg Fortress.

Peter has also posted the three tunes written for this study on his website (and the downloads are for free!)
PeterMayer.com/bookoffaith

We invite you to check it out!
peace,
rtg

"Smiles of Grace" +A Tribute to Ben Larson +h2odevoscbl1 040310 by Peter Mayer

Today's devo is written and recorded by Peter Mayer. It is a devo in memory of Ben Larson.
We offer it to you today in this time in between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Both Peter and I know "being in between" is often the place or space we find ourselves. The good news and hope of Easter is that it is in this precise place that God finds us and claims us again and again.
From Peter Mayer:

When I talked to Ron just a few days ago about doing a devotion in celebration of Ben Larson's life and music, he replied; "Yeah man, let's do it." I called Renee, Ben's wife, to ask her permission to use Ben's song, "Grace," and she agreed, saying this: "Ben never kept a diary; music has always been the diary of his life. Ben has always been about Grace, not cheap Grace, but God's Grace that enables us to be transformed and to truly love."
I first met Ben Larson at the 2006 ELCA Youth Gathering in San Antonio. He was this guitar player/singer and a leader with the Luther College choir. The director, Tim Peters, introduced me; "Peter, this is a really talented kid, someone you really should get to know." Ben had a big smile on his face that said nothing like; "Hi I've got a lot of promise and I know what I'm doing", but more... "Wow, isn't this amazing?! It's good just to be here!"
　
The same smile greeted my wife Patricia and me as we boarded the Lady of the Lake water taxi on our way to Holden Village, Chelan, WA in 2008. He shook my hand and said; " I'm Ben Larson and I'm supposed to play some music with you up at Holden this week." Ben and his wife Renee were both attending Wartburg seminary and preparing for their year of internship in Lincoln, Nebraska. They were newlyweds and were enjoying a wonder-filled time of life together taking steps toward the what, where, when, and how their life in ministry was to bloom and grow in the coming years.
　
I led a writing session that week, and both Ben and Reneé took part. I still recall parts of Ben's journal entry. He talked about water, the water we need to sustain our bodies, and the dire need for it in many places in the world. And he talked of our need for the living waters mentioned in the 4th chapter of John when Jesus says; "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst." I was struck by the honesty with which he asked difficult questions about his walk of faith; his belief that we best followed Christ's call to serve when we were faced outward (out-Word) into the world in giving of ourselves to those in need.
　
We closed the week at Holden with a service in which all the participants' writings during the weeklong session were used as a liturgy. After the service, while we were packing up, Ben started to play one of his songs, "Grace." I was really taken by it, and found out only later that there were many, many more songs, liturgies and choir pieces that he had written.
　
A year and a half later, in January of this year, Ben, Renee, and Ben's cousin Jonathan went to Haiti as part of their seminary studies, to learn about and work with the Lutheran Church in Haiti and with the St. Joseph's Home for boys and Resurrection Dance troupe. The day after they arrived, the magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck. Although Renee and Jonathan escaped injury and were able to dig themselves out, Ben was killed.
　
The breath was knocked out of so many of us whose lives were touched by Ben. We knew that the haunting questions, our grief, our shock, our loss, were repeated over and over in the lives of all the many Haitians who lost loved ones in the quake. Renee, in telling the story, said that Ben had spent the last moments of his life singing, remarkably, out of the rubble of a building that had buried him.
　
I celebrate Ben's life today, and God's song that sang through it. I'd like to pass on to you what Ben passed on to me; his call to sing God's song through all the joys and all the trials we are given, and then share it, all the way, until our last breath. In the last e-mail I received from Ben, he talked about the power of music to transform lives, that the world, all of us are certainly "changed by Love" in word and song. He encouraged me on in that path. He signed off by saying;
"God has gifted you for this calling, and I pray that the Spirit will fill you up and give you strength."
　
May that strength of the Spirit sustain you all through the darkness of Good Friday and on to the resurrection joy of Easter.
　
Here are the lyrics to Ben's song Grace.
Click here to listen to "Grace"
　
Grace
Ben Larson
　
A Mighty Fortress is our God
A rock and shield victorious
He breaks the cruel oppressors rod
And brings salvation glorious
You ask who this may be
The God our Rock is he
Christ Jesus mighty Lord
God's only son adored
On earth he has no equal
　
Struggling to live my life simultaneously saint and sinner
Struggling to live my life understanding your nature
All the power streams down in your glory
Confusing cause there's nothing I can do to be with you
　
It's all it's all Grace
It's all it's all Grace
　
Beginning to understand all there is about you will never be learned
Beginning to see my eternity can never be earned
Beginning to see that all good things are just reflected
All good things are just reflected off of you
　
It's all it's all Grace
It's all it's all Grace
　
All the love you give the love you show it's all Grace
All the love you give the love you show it's all Grace
Help us see
　
　Instrumental
It's all it's all Grace
It's all it's all Grace
All the love you give the love you show it's all Grace
All the love you give the love you show it's all Grace
Help us see　 ........Your Grace
　

Heart to Heart h2odevoscbl022210

Changed By Love (by Peter Mayer)



Sent In Peace

To share the Gift we're given

Sent In Peace

To change our way of living

In our heart in every place

Lift our voice oh God of grace

We will never be the same

We are sent in Peace
St. Paul wrote, "12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13)

The picture in today's devo is from Sherrie and John's wedding. Originally, we were supposed to be outside for the ceremony, but the weather quickly changed as it often does in Denver. Weddings like marriages often experience dramatic changes in climate which call for quick, realistic and meaningful adjustments by all the participants. I have come to learn over the years that what matters most at weddings is not so much where people stand, or what they are wearing, or what kind of music is played or isn't played, but what constitutes the event is the condition of the hearts involved.

Peter sings,

In our heart in every place

Lift our voice oh God of grace

We will never be the same

We are sent in Peace

Even though I stand for the entire wedding service, I like to say that I have the "best seat" in the house. In other words, the vantage point that I have is so up, close and personal that it is really a blessing. And if "eyes" can talk, then you all should/could see the sermons that are being preached when two people who have been brought together by love, changed by love and now are sent in peace stand together in front of their family and friends to pledge love, fidelity and support for each other.

The miracle which unfolds at the wedding and subsequently in the marriage is that two people promise to love unconditionally. I always say "that is what makes this so holy and wonderful. That is what makes this so challenging and difficult at times." For we live in a world of "conditions." And yet, at this particular point in time and space, in front of all these wonderful people, a couple like Sherrie and John promise to love, PERIOD. No strings attached. And into those unconditional words and promises there begins the formation of a bond, a blessed bond that ties and connects one to another. It is in the spoken word that this bond is woven again and again.

13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love."

Be "sent in peace" today to love unconditionally,

rtg

Sent in Peace h2odevoscbls 022110 First Sunday in Lent

First Sunday in Lent
February 21, 2010

Changed By Love (by Peter Mayer)

Sent In Peace

To share the Gift we're given
Sent In Peace
To change our way of living
In our heart in every place
Lift our voice oh God of grace
We will never be the same
We are sent in Peace

Oscar Wilde is reported to have said, "The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it. I can resist everything but temptation." Today is the First Sunday of Lent. The Gospel lesson appointed for this day is from Luke 4:1:11.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%204:1-11&version=MSG;KJV;BDS;HOF;RVR1995

It is the account of Jesus being tempted and, most important of all, resisting temptation. The devil prefaces each temptation with the conditional word "if." I find it comforting to know that because of Jesus we don't need to fall for such "come-on" lines. Because of him we've moved from "if" to the unconditional "since." Since we are children of God, we have a place and space in God's love.

I just love the following passage, too: "15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)

Peter reminds us that we are "sent in peace." In other words, "peace" is how and why we are sent. The purpose of our being sent (the Bible would call us "apostles") is to share the gifts we've been given.

One of the gifts I've been given is my sense of humor. Now, in all seriousness, I also know that like most gifts, it needs to be utilized with wisdom and good stewardship. Early on in my school career, my sense of humor got me ousted to the hallway (which was also the site of my grade school's Gifted and Talented program. The boiler room was where the "advanced placement" sessions took place.) I also learned along the way that sometimes my humor was used by me to keep people at a distance from me. At other times it was more like a weapon than it was a tool to enlighten, entertain and evangelize.

Today, I feel pretty balanced around the use of humor. I am grateful that we have a God who enjoys having the "last laugh."


One "temptation" I believe that we often fall prey to is to take ourselves, our lives and our faith so seriously. And so, I hope you enjoy my picture of "Lutheran Oats."

If you want to check out today's sermon, you can listen to it or read it by going to:

http://www.bethany-denver2.org/church-life/sermons/

My prayer and hope for you today is -
"2May mercy, peace, and love be yours in abundance." (Jude 1:2)
peace,

rtg