King

Luke 23:33-38 (NIV)

When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

There was a written notice above him, which read:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

This past Sunday was known in liturgical or "church" time as "Christ the King" Sunday. The readings this week are set to remind us that our citizenship lies in Christ's kingdom, and that our ruler is a king unlike any other.

The irony of today's reading, of course, is that those who nailed the inscription, "King of the Jews" above Jesus' head did not realize the truth of their gospel proclamation.

With a reading this powerful, there's not much that I need to say. Instead, I invite you to take these moments and soak in two pieces of Christian tradition that remind us of what it means to call Jesus Christ "The King" of our lives.

From "The Akathist Hymn," an ancient Christian hymn to Jesus from the Eastern Orthodox Tradition, dating to the first centuries of our faith, and still prayed in Orthodox churches on the Fridays of Lent...

Jesus, God before the ages.
Jesus, King almighty.
Jesus, Master long-suffering.
Jesus, Saviour most merciful.
Jesus, my Guardian most kind.
Jesus, be gracious unto my sins.
Jesus, take away my iniquities.
Jesus, pardon my unrighteousness.
Jesus, my Hope, forsake me not.
Jesus, my Helper, reject me not.
Jesus, my Creator, forget me not.
Jesus, my Shepherd, lose me not.

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.

"Shepherds Rejoice, Lift Up Your Eyes," by Isaac Watts, 1707 and sung widely in the Sacred Harp tradition of the southeastern U.S., 19th century...

“Shepherds, rejoice! lift up your eyes,
And send your fears away;
News from the regions of the skies,
Salvation’s born today.

“Jesus, the God Whom angels fear,
Comes down to dwell with you;
Today He makes His entrance here,
But not as monarchs do.

“No gold nor purple swaddling bands.
Nor royal shining things;
A manger for His cradle stands,
And holds the King of kings.

“Go, shepherds, where the Infant lies,
And see His humble throne
With tears of joy in all your eyes,
Go, shepherds, kiss the Son.”

Prayer: There is no greater image of your love for us than the sacrificial death of Christ upon the cross. May we learn the power of humble service, and that true strength is always sacrificial.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture ( No Blog ) Luke 23:39-43

Worship this Sunday returns to our regular schedule, 9 and 11 AM. Sunday School this week at 10:15 and every Sunday.

Adult Classes: Seekers and "The Frazzled Female" women's study, both meeting at the Ranch. Youth SS led by Jeff Murfree, every Sunday in the Ranch youth room, 6th grade and up. Pastor's Advent study in the Sanctuary -- this week, "Dealing with materialism at Christmas."

Children's Sunday School --- "Heartshapers," a wonderful new curriculum, and many thanks to the great teachers who are leading this exciting program for kids age pre-K through 5th grade. Children's classes in the church building, 10:15 every Sunday.

Christmas Decorations at the Church: Our CCC Team will be leading the congregation in decorating the church for the Advent and Christmas seasons, tomorrow at SOTH -- 2 PM. Everybody is invited to come out and have fun together!

Rescue

Buchenwald Concentration Camp, liberated by U.S. 3rd Army, April, 1945


Luke 1:67-79 (The Message)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he came and set his people free.

He set the power of salvation in the center of our lives,
and in the very house of David his servant,

Just as he promised long ago
through the preaching of his holy prophets:
Deliverance from our enemies
and every hateful hand;

Mercy to our fathers,
as he remembers to do what he said he'd do,

What he swore to our father Abraham—

a clean rescue from the enemy camp,
So we can worship him without a care in the world,
made holy before him as long as we live.

I feel sure that as long as I live, I'll never forget that "little old man."

Though his name, and the name of the country church where he worshiped have already left my memory, his face has not...and neither has his story.

As my father (who was this man's pastor) and I stood with him on the little front steps of that church building, we watched the sun come up on Easter Sunday morning.

I was just a child, and although I didn't understand all the history of the war, I knew enough to understand the power of what he told us:

"On Easter Day, 1945, I was liberated from a Nazi concentration camp, where I'd been held as a prisoner of war."

The tears began to trickle down his old, tough cheeks, and we stood quietly because there just wasn't anything else to be said.

Maybe, until we are in real pain, and in a situation beyond our own ability and resources, we may not fully understand the power of what it means to be "rescued."

Or, in his words, "liberated."

God's promise to his people...when exiled in Babylon or Assyria...or victims of genocide at Buchenwald...is one of rescue.

So many died. So many, seemingly, didn't find the rescue that God had promised. But I know that if that Saint of the Lord had died in that camp, he would have died with his faith in Jesus still intact.

Rescue would have come, and living or dying, he would have lifted his praises to God.

That good man faithfully led the little congregation in the singing of hymns every Sunday. He was not a gifted singer. The piano was badly out of tune, and played by a self-taught pianist.

Before that Easter morning, I sometimes wondered what kept him showing up each Sunday, without fail, decade on end.

He was thankful. And humble. And joyful.

He'd been rescued. Saved. Liberated.

May it be so for all of us.

Prayer: When we find ourselves in the shadow of darkness and the path of death, we pray for rescue, guidance and that our feet would find your path of peace. May you save us from temptation and deliver us from evil.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end, Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 23:33-38

Path

Luke 1:68-74 (The Message)

Present the offer of salvation to his people,
the forgiveness of their sins.

Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,
God's Sunrise will break in upon us,
Shining on those in the darkness,
those sitting in the shadow of death,

Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,
down the path of peace.

I love the idea of God "showing us the way, one foot at a time."

Last night, I was driving home through a congested part of metro Atlanta. An accident had happened somewhere up ahead.

The four-lane highway turned into a massive parking lot. I wasn't going anywhere, and I was running out of gas.

The toughest part was that I just couldn't see ahead. I couldn't know what was causing the problem. I didn't know how long the jam would last.

And, I was running out of gas.

Pretty good metaphor for how we feel sometimes, huh?

Eventually, of course, the accident cleared and the road opened back up.

But I had already made a different decision. I drove across the median and went back the other direction. I found a gas station and the fresh confidence that a full tank brings.

When I made that turn, I wasn't sure it was the right decision. Maybe I was turning from a gas station just ahead...but I had no way to know.

Living life takes trust...and faith. We humans just don't have the ability to see very far beyond our own noses. We just don't know what the right decisions are...even as we have to make them and then take our chances with the consequences.

But scripture promises us that there is a God out there who wants to order our steps. He will show us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace.

Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Give us just enough vision to follow you today, one foot at a time.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 1:75-79

Learn

Colossians 1:9-20 (The Message)

...As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives.

It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us...

...From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding.

Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross...

"As you learn more about how God works," Paul says...

Isn't that a mouthful?

Who can imagine learning more about the workings of God? And yet, that kind of learning has to be the goal of all who follow in the path of Jesus.

Maybe another way to talk about this learning is, "insight," or "perspective."

What allowed Paul to rejoice in his hardships and sufferings? What kept him so assured of God's purposes in Jesus, even when things looked their darkest, both for him and the tiny band of Christian disciples that he led?

An understanding of how God works.

God works for redemption. In Jesus, we're told, "all things hold together."

The world around us tempts that understanding every day. As I scan the news this morning, there are stories of abducted children, murder and evil of all kinds.

How can God allow us to be so bad?

The truth is, there is so much good around us as well. I know, too, that on this day, millions of acts of kindness and goodness will be done throughout the world.

I know that where "unendurable" things have happened, those who endure in faith will claim victory over that evil in the name of Jesus and all that is good, right and holy.

I think Paul's greatest fear might have been that Jesus' people would ever just give up. And so he reminds us: Jesus' grace is spacious, towering and beautiful. All things will fit together...because "God so loved" this world.

Prayer: It is beyond our imaginations to truly imagine how all created things hold together in Christ: but our faith and experience tell us that it is true. May we be reconciled to God through the life of Christ.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 1:68-74

Shepherd

Jeremiah 23:1-6 (NIV)

"Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!" declares the LORD.

Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people:

"Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done," declares the LORD.

"I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.

I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the LORD.

"The days are coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
and do what is just and right in the land.

In his days Judah will be saved
and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
The LORD Our Righteousness.

I don't know very much about sheep.

OK, I don't really know anything at all about them.

But, of course, one can learn just enough to become dangerous out there on the internet.

Here's what wikipedia says about sheep, for what it's worth:

One calls a sheep that roams furthest away from the others an "outlier," this sheep ventures further away from the safety of the flock to graze, due to a larger flight zone, or a weakness that prevents it from obtaining enough forage when with the flock, while taking a chance that a predator, such as a wolf, will attack it first because of its isolation.

Another sheep, the bellwether, which never goes first but always follows an outlier, signals to the others that they may follow in safety. When it moves, the others will also move. The tendency to act as an outlier, bellwether or to fight for the middle of the flock stays with sheep throughout their adulthood; that is unless they have a scary experience which causes them to increase their flight zone.

I guess I always thought that sheep would "flock" together to protect the weak among them. But that's not true.

"Flocking" actually protects the strong. The strongest sheep fight their way into the center, while the "outliers" take their chances with the wolves because they don't really have any choice.

Sheep really do need a shepherd.

So do we.

After years of being scattered and vulnerable, due to the work of bad "shepherds" and their exile into Babylon, the "Good Shepherd" told the prophet Jeremiah that he was coming back to care for the flock.

The longed-for hope of the people was about the be fulfilled: a King...a shepherd...who would rule in the line of David.

We believe that King is Jesus. His shepherd's hook moves us toward the narrow path. The "days are coming" when we will celebrate the shepherd's birth. In him, we don't have to fight for the middle of the pack. He loves us all...especially the outliers.

Prayer: There are moments when we find ourselves afraid and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. May we know that Christ is King of our lives, and live in the peace and courage he gives us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Colossians 1:9-20

Fresh

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5; 13-17 (The Message)

Now, friends, read these next words carefully.

Slow down and don't go jumping to conclusions regarding the day when our Master, Jesus Christ, will come back and we assemble to welcome him.

Don't let anyone shake you up or get you excited over some breathless report or rumored letter from me that the day of the Master's arrival has come and gone. Don't fall for any line like that...

...Meanwhile, we've got our hands full continually thanking God for you, our good friends—so loved by God!

God picked you out as his from the very start. Think of it: included in God's original plan of salvation by the bond of faith in the living truth.

This is the life of the Spirit he invited you to through the Message we delivered, in which you get in on the glory of our Master, Jesus Christ.

So, friends, take a firm stand, feet on the ground and head high. Keep a tight grip on what you were taught, whether in personal conversation or by our letter.

May Jesus himself and God our Father, who reached out in love and surprised you with gifts of unending help and confidence, put a fresh heart in you, invigorate your work, enliven your speech.

The crazy lady on the bike in the front was yelling at us...

"Push it! You're stronger than you think you are!!!"

Somehow, the quasi-maniacal strength in her voice made me think that she might just be right.

You see, I've been really back to exercising now for all of about a month. Against all my better judgment, I followed the advice of the pros at the gym and started taking the "ride" class. You know, the one where you furiously ride a stationary-bike-to-nowhere, blowing and going for all you're worth for the better part of an hour.

Here's my crazy confession: it's kind of fun. Weird.

Challenge is a good thing, when you know there is also support, encouragement and the possibility that you might just be able to do it after all.

I think our faith is supposed to work that way, too.

We're not stronger than we think we are...but Jesus at work within us...should never, ever be underestimated.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of getting to gather with some close clergy friends. The mood of the day might best have been described in a single word: tired. Yep, preachers do get tired too. Even spiritually.

But here's the great news. We're not the first, and we're not alone. The Thessalonians got tired, distracted, and forgetful of the message they had received.

I love what Paul tells them. "Jesus himself...and God our Father...will put a fresh heart in you."

Awesome. Just what we need, and its the gift we can receive.

There is always a spiritual second wind. Use this coming Thanksgiving week as that opportunity. Friendships, food, thankful hearts. May we find ourselves refreshed, stronger than we thought we could be with the heart of Christ that dwells within us.

Prayer: God our Father, we pray that you would save us from distractions. Help us to hold to the good teaching that you have given us and the experiences of your grace that happen every day. Give us the gifts of focus and faith.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture (No Blog): 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

No Blog Next Week --- Happy Thanksgiving Everybody -- blog will resume on November 26!

Worship this week(11/18) and next (11/25) at SOTH: One worship service, 10 AM Only with children's SS Pre-K through 2nd grade during worship.

We return to our regular worship schedule, 9 and 11 AM on the first Sunday of Advent, 12/2.

Alive

Luke 20:27-38 (The Message)

Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection.

They asked, "Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to take the widow to wife and get her with child.

Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. The second married her and died, then the third, and eventually all seven had their turn, but no child. After all that, the wife died. That wife, now—in the resurrection whose wife is she? All seven married her."

Jesus said, "Marriage is a major preoccupation here, but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage nor, of course, with death.

They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it. All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God.

Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, 'God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!' God isn't the God of dead men, but of the living.

To him all are alive."

I remember, early in seminary, some very honest, older student telling me, "seminary is the only place where you'll meet people who spend three years studying that which cannot be understood."

OK, it's probably not the only place, but it is one of them.

The Sadducces, who didn't believe in resurrection, we're told, thought they could figure out a way to trap Jesus.

They'd ask him a question that would clearly prove the "silliness" of an idea like resurrection.

7 husbands, 1 wife. Who gets to be married to who on the other side?

This is the unfortunate kind of thing that happens to all of us when head dominates heart. Don't get me wrong, it's good to be intelligent and educated. But the best mind runs up against its limits pretty quickly when dealing with the things of God.

Jesus says, in essence: eternity is so much bigger than your question.

Your assessment of Moses' law misses the biggest things that Moses really showed us.

God is the God of the living. Death is not the end. Eternal life with God is a greater and deeper intimacy than we broken humans can imagine today.

Our minds might not wrap around that concept...but our hearts can embrace it.

Prayer: Father, forgive us when we spend our time pondering the loopholes and technicalities of our religion. Help us to see the point: that you are the God of the living and in you we receive the gift of eternal life.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

Near

Psalm 145:17-21 (NIV)

The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.

The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

So, where is God?

This is one of the great questions humanity has asked since we figured out how to start asking questions.

Sometimes, we fall back into the visions that artists have given us throughout the ages.

God is far away, somewhere "up there." He's got a big, flowing, white beard. He's seated on a grand throne looking down upon his creation.

But that's not really the picture we get from the Bible.

Far more often, scripture tells us that God's location is "near."

God's own favorite term for describing his location seems to be "with." As in, "I am with you."

This season of Advent and Christmas that we're approaching is the celebration of Immanuel, which means, "God with us."

Still, that promise doesn't satisfy us too well. "Near" sounds good, but it's still a little fuzzy. How does "with" work?

Maybe the better image of God is Michelangelo's famous image of the outstretched hand, almost touching Adam's. Psalm 145 tells us that God is so near, and waiting to save "those who call on him."

This is a good time to close that gap, and make a "call." The prayer is simple..."be with us today...save us..."

Prayer: God our Father, this Psalm reminds us of who and how you are: righteous, loving, near, hearing, saving, fulfilling and watchful. You are worthy of our praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 20:27-38

Greatness

Psalm 145:1-5 (NIV)

I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

How did that drive into work go this morning?

Were you "meditating on the wonderful works" of God?

I know, the metro Atlanta commute is not the most worshipful of settings, is it?

And yet, thankfully, we do have those wonderful moments in life when we feel like the Psalmist. We have those days when we just can't help seeing the power and majesty at work in our lives and world.

John Ortberg calls those kinds of experiences, "rainbow days." The days that just seem to happen...when we see God at work everywhere, like the rainbow set in the sky before Noah, and we remember his promise of presence in our lives.

What if we have the ability to make those rainbow days come a little more frequently?

What if we could choose to offer praise to God, even when we don't feel like it?

The Book does tell us that faith is believing where we haven't yet seen. But, there's so much to see...that's the amazing part.

This is the beautiful time of year when you can turn that corner in your neighborhood that you've turned about 10,000 times, and be absolutely overcome with the beauty of what God has made.

I often take a shortcut through a modest little neighborhood here in Douglasville. Every fall, I am amazed at the view behind one tiny home. The house would not make the list of Douglasville's best and most beautiful places to live. But God's handiwork in that place is amazing.

The rolling North Georgia hills spread out in waves of orange, yellow, green and red. The beauty that we ignore throughout much of the year just stands up and demands notice.

"Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise."

Yes indeed.

Prayer: Your greatness, no one can fathom. May we pass this knowledge from one generation to the next, and spend this day in meditation on your power and goodness.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 145:17-21

Work

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: "Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the people:

'Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?

"'So get to work, Zerubbabel!'—God is speaking.

"'Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!'

"'Get to work, all you people!'—God is speaking.

"'Yes, get to work! For I am with you.' The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! 'Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I'm living and breathing among you right now. Don't be timid. Don't hold back.'

"This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: 'Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I'll shake down all the godless nations. They'll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.' God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

What does God want to say to us, today...right now?

What if it was, "get to work!"

There is a time for everything, you know. That's what scripture tells us.

There is a time to rest and let God restore us when we're tired and hurting...and there's a time to get to work.

God told Haggai to tell the people, "get to work, for I am with you."

God is the God of the Covenant. The promise that he made to Abraham would not fail. God will not ever leave his people.

Whenever there has been a mighty task, or a huge call on the life of God's people, God's reassurance has always come: "I will be with you."

The covenant does not fail. But look what an interesting thing we learn about the covenant in Haggai: we are called to put that covenant, "into action."

God waits for us to trust, and then turn that trust to action. We have to take hold of the promise. With God's help, we have to "go to work."

Let's start rebuilding the temple today, whatever that temple might be. God will be with us, and he calls us to go to work.

Prayer: God of the covenant, we remember your promise today: "be strong...I am with you...do not be afraid." May it be so for us today.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 145:1-5

Calling

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12


With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul prays for the Thessalonians that they would be counted "worthy of [God's] calling," and enabled by God's power to do every "good act" that their faith prompts them to.

This is powerful stuff to consider.

Imagine praying that today God would show you his calling in your life...and that as you are "prompted," (by God) you would be enabled (also, by God) to do the good things that God shows you.

Seem unlikely?

Not necessarily. Especially if you consider the "why" of this faith-enabled way of life.

The point of it all is that God would be glorified. The point is not that we would ever get the "attaboy's" or "attagirl's" that stroke our egos.

The point is not that people would like us. In fact, sometimes, doing what God prompts may insure that folks don't like you.

The point is that God's strength would be shown through the fragile vessels that we are.

Humility...or a right perspective on our own ability...allows real strength to take root and grow. That real strength comes from a life lived in relationship with God.

I know, I know. How do I know when God prompts me? How do I know I'm doing the right things? How do I know that I'm not just working my own agenda and hanging God's name on it?

Faith. Humble faith. Faith that says, "show me, lead me and make your glory known."

Then, when "prompted," take a step. It worked for the Thessalonians. Maybe it could work for us too.

Prayer: All of us who follow Jesus have a call upon our lives. May Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians be for us al well, that your grace will help us fulfill whatever calling you give us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Special worship this Sunday at SOTH! Remember that we will gather together for one service only at 10 AM. Our preacher will be the Rev. Jim Hollis of proactive evangelism ministries. PEM will then report after lunch on the findings of their Discovery and Reflection interviews and surveys. Please plan to stay and take part in this very important discussion in the life of our church!

Sunday School will meet at 9 AM with childcare available. PEM staff will teach all our classes this Sunday!

Covenant

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 (NIV)

Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

There are way too few covenants in today's world. Way too few.

A "covenant" is a deeply held commitment, with significant spiritual implications.

It is a determination to stand by a person or people, through thick and thin, in a relationship of mutual support and accountability.

A marriage, a family...a church...they are all places of covenant.

The Thessalonian church didn't do everything right in the eyes of Paul, Timothy and Silas.

But the beginning of their second letter to them tells us one big thing that they definitely did have going.

They loved each other...in the context of covenant...and persecution.

Maybe that's the key. The Thessalonian church needed a covenant.

The world was clearly out to get them. They were willing to die for the message of Christ. That's a pretty clear mission focus. That focus, and the immediate reality of clear and present danger to their cause (and lives), brought the importance of their covenant into clear, sharp focus.

Christians in 21st century America, and many other parts of the world as well, don't think we need to love each other.

When everything else is disposable, why not our churches, friendships and commitments as well?

Give me what I want...or these boots are made for walking.

There is another way. It's counter-cultural. It's not as easy. It is so much better.

Covenant. Faith, perseverance, love. Anti-disposable culture.

May this be our way in the world...and may we find just enough persecution to realize our need for each other in Christ.

Prayer: We learn from this scripture how much the Thessalonians loved each other and lived together in community. May you bless us with your grace and do the same in our families, churches and neighborhoods today.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Law

Psalm 119:137-144 (NIV)

Righteous are you, O LORD,
and your laws are right.

The statutes you have laid down are righteous;
they are fully trustworthy.

My zeal wears me out,
for my enemies ignore your words.

Your promises have been thoroughly tested,
and your servant loves them.

Though I am lowly and despised,
I do not forget your precepts.

Your righteousness is everlasting
and your law is true.

Trouble and distress have come upon me,
but your commands are my delight.

Your statutes are forever right;
give me understanding that I may live.

So...what if I decided that gravity didn't apply to me today?

It seems like a neat idea and all, but maybe I'm just tired of it...or maybe it cramps my style.

After all, I'd much prefer flying...or at least levitation...over plain old walking around. What about you?

We know, and generally accept, that gravity is more than an idea. It's a law of nature.

It applies to everybody and everything. It just is. Whether we decide to abide by it doesn't change its reality in the least.

What if God's laws work in the same way? What if there were tested precepts and realities about the world in which we live that we choose to ignore at our own peril?

It takes a certain amount of humility to accept and follow someone else's rules...even when that someone is God. We children often need to break the rule to understand them, don't we?

Here's what I know...nothing I've ever prayed about has gone worse because of it. It's always gone better, without fail.

Worrying has never added a single minute to my life. Love of God and neighbor really is the best way to live. Those ten commandments are more than ten suggestions...because we need them and they're the foundation of a life lived in accordance with God's law.

But most of all, scripture's idea of a changed, redeemed and transformed life in Christ holds true. We are created in the image of God, and though that image is badly blurred within us, it can be restored through faith in the one who seeks and saves the lost.

Curious about those laws? Maybe that curiosity can be the start of real wisdom. It's all in the book...and that's why we're on this daily path of life together.

Prayer: We know deep down that whatever righteousness we have always comes from you, and not from us. We listen to the words of this psalm and pray that your goodness might live within us more fully.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Found

Luke 19:7-10 (The Message)

When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?"

Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four times the damages."

Jesus said, "Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost."

Part two of the Zaccheus story unfolds in dramatic fashion. Our bad, little tax collector scrambles down out of the tree to meet Jesus.

As he stands face to face with God incarnate among us, he does what he does best: tries to cut a deal.

"I'll give...HALF...of everything I have..."

The wonderful news is that Jesus isn't interested in cutting deals. He's interested in relationship, and a heart that seeks to be restored.

"Today is salvation day in this home..." Jesus says, and proclaims that this man is "Zaccheus, Son of Abraham."

Zaccheus...bad, little dude...is a son of Abraham, too.

He was lost, but that's exactly the person that Jesus comes to find.

How's that for a mission statement? Jesus came to seek and save the lost. And none of us are ever too lost to be found by him.

Prayer: In his grace and love, Jesus accepts Zaccheus when the world rejects him. May we know that you love us, too, and may that same love flow from us into the lives of others.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Psalm 119:137-144

Climb

Luke 19:1-6 (The Message)

Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn't see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.

When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him.

Someone once said...

"The only sure things are death and taxes."

And, throughout time and place, all humans truly have known the reality of those two things.

Zaccheus, we're told, was the "chief tax collector" in Jericho. That position was one of corruption and probably violence. If you didn't pay your taxes, and then some above and beyond, Zaccheus probably knew people who could make the "death" part happen, too.

He wasn't a sweet, little children's Sunday School cartoon character.

He was a real...bad...dude.

But he knew he needed help...or something...from Jesus.

Maybe he was just curious, but he sure was willing to work at seeing him.

Whatever we learn from Zaccheus, maybe we ought to just be really aware of the fact that when the "spirit" moved, he followed. He was impulsive, in a good way, in that moment in time. What happened next must have changed his life forever.

Today, God will lead us, if we listen.

That little nudge you feel in your mind, or heart, or gut...to do something good, to say something you might otherwise hold, to pick up the phone and make that call...

Take the chance. Be Zaccheus. We're all pretty bad dudes sometimes. Exactly the kind of folks that Jesus likes to redeem, if we'll take the risk of tree-climbing.

Prayer: We imagine Zaccheus, running ahead and climbing a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. May we have that same energy to see him at work in our lives today.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 19:7-10

Poor

Luke 18:9-14
(The Message)

9-12He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people:

"Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: 'Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.'

13"Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, 'God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'"

14 Jesus commented, "This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God.

If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face, but if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

A couple of days ago, I heard one of those mind-boggling statistics on the morning news show.

Over 2.5 billion people on earth today do not have access to flushing toilets, or even sanitary latrines. To give us some perspective, that's over 8 times the population of the United States. It's over 40% of the world's total population.

Then, the amazing thing happened.

Without a hint of irony, the hosts transitioned into a conversation about Halloween costumes for pets and cited another statistic. This Halloween in the United States, more than 7 million people dressed up their pets to celebrate the holiday.

Total sales of pet costumes, just at Wal-Mart and Target, came in at nearly $40 million this year.

Now, if you were one of those 7 million Americans, let me say that my goal here is not just to engender guilt within you, nor to act like I'm above any of this myself. I certainly make my share of unnecessary purchases. Anyone who knows me very well knows that I can spend way more money than I should at coffee shops.

But my goal is to make us think.

Maybe canine costumes and overpriced lattes aren't immoral...maybe...but our ability to buy them for ourselves does carry some spiritual risk, of which we must stay aware.

Our lives in America and throughout the developed world are very different than those of most people who are alive in the world today.

That fact just seems impossible to take in sometimes. We have our problems and struggles, fears and uncertainties. The realities of daily life can make the rest of the world can seem so far away.

Certainly, we would never stand up like the Pharisee in Jesus' story and say, "Thank you, Lord, that I'm not like other people..."

...Would we?

How easy is it for us to realize, in humility, that we must be dependent upon God and not ourselves?

How easily can we say, like the humble, broken tax collector, "God give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner."

When we have nothing...the fact of dependence on God's grace and mercy is readily apparent, and difficult to deny. "Stuff" doesn't really change the fact of our dependence one bit. But it sure can confuse the issue.

Physical poverty is evil, and following Jesus means working on behalf of the poor wherever they are. But spiritual poverty is an even more terrible and prevalent plague in our world.

Let's start this day, not with our "noses in the air," but with our faces in our hands, thankful to God, and humble before him.

Learning to "be ourselves" before God...leaning into his grace, is one of the first steps on the path of life.

Prayer: May we never look down on the people around us, in order to make ourselves feel justified before you. Forgive our self-righteousness, and teach us, in humility to depend completely upon your goodness.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture (no blog) : Psalm 65:9-13

We'll see you at worship at SOTH this week, 9 and 11 AM with Sunday School for all ages at 10:15.

Strength

2 Timothy 4:16-18 (NRSV)

At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them!

But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.

So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom.

To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
¹⁷¹⁸

It's a good thing to be protected sometimes.

Grown men don't often like to admit such a thing. We're supposed to be the protectors of our families and those we love.

But Paul gives us some great assurance in this passage...even when no one else will stand with us, we do not stand alone.

The Big Kid on the playground has our back.

Paul needed that assurance to do the courageous things in ministry that he accomplished. When you know the biggest guy that nobody can whip runs in your crowd, you get a little more brave.

He wasn't working without a net...though it was a net that had to be trusted by faith.

What would you do today if you knew that God protected you and that you would be ok?

The reality is that eventually, even Paul did die for his faith. Some could look at that fact with human "common sense" and say that he was wrong when he wrote the words of today's scripture. Obviously, God's protection must have run out.

That kind of thinking would be profoundly shortsighted.

Did God's protection fail anyone who ever died, or suffered tragedy? Absolutely not.

The best kind of protection of all...the real source of Paul's amazing strength...is knowing that God's protection supercedes anything that can befall us on this earth. God's love is before and beyond time, and his protection for us is an eternal promise.
Strength doesn't just mean "rescue from the lion's mouth," but it means that lion's mouth no longer holds the capacity to create fear within us.

That's a lifelong journey...but it's the great good news.

Prayer: Teach us to see those times in our lives when you have saved us and moved us from death to life. May we live as your redeemed and loved children in this world, thankful for every gift that you give us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 18:9-14