Lent: Whence the Forty Days? 03/13/2011
Lent began last week. Forty days of it. It seems like a long time, doesn't it, this "forty days" business? One may wonder how this particular length of time was chosen. Well, forty is a special number, a special length of time. Read, if you will, some excerpts from the Ash Wednesday Communion liturgy which tells us a lot about why this season of time is as it is. The Great Thanksgiving on this day begins as it always does, then proceeds to narrate these particular biblical details: -- "When rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights, you bore up the ark on the waters, saved Noah...and established an everlasting covenant... -- "you led Moses to your mountain for forty days and forty nights and gave us your teachings. You led us through the wilderness and fed us manna for forty years and brought us to the promised land. -- "you led your prophet Elijah to your mountain where, as he fasted forty days and forty nights, he heard your still small voice. -- "blessed is your Son Jesus Christ...your Spirit led him into the wilderness where he fasted forty days and forty nights in preparation of his ministry... -- "When [Jesus] suffered and died...you raised him to life, presented him alive to the apostles during forty days..." The forty days of Lent reflects and continues this special tradition of history, meaning, and symbolism. Ash Wednesday is when Lent begins, and we too enter once again into this story and history of God's working within us and for us. Once again we are given forty days (Sunday in Lent are excluded from the count)-- a traditional and special period for preparation, discipline, spiritual focus and prayer, that we may grow closer to God and his Son, and more faithful as disciples. Come join us as we begin this special time of forty days, remembering the historical precedents and the spiritual significance of Lent. In God's Grace, Pastor David (from the March 2, 2011 Laurel Lantern - LUMC Newsletter) Add Comment Reflecting more about the 'pure in heart' 02/09/2011
The Sermon on the Mount is the most comprehensive collection of Jesus' sayings in the New Testament, and begins with a set of teachings that have come to be called the "Beatitudes." This set of teachings was the scripture and subject of the sermon last Sunday. In this listing of blessings as well as the teachings that follow, we have a vision set forth, a value perspective that is central to Jesus' teachings and complementary with the "good news" of the gospel. The beatitudes and even the rest of the teachings presented in the Sermon on the Mount are not the Gospel, per se; they seem to be focused upon the vision and spiritual foundations that needs to be present in the ambassadors of the Kingdom of God--the disciples of Jesus. This next Sunday we will talk further about the Sermon on the Mount, beginning with "the salt of the earth" and the "light of the world." Looking back and reflecting further upon the sermon last Sunday, I'm struck by the "blessings" that seem pointedly relevant today. And one especially I've found myself thinking about: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." One way of trying to understand the beatitudes, to get a handle on what they mean for us today, is to pose the possible opposite attitudes or values for contrast. For instance, here, the opposite of pure heart would be--what?--impure, polluted, muddy or cloudy, duplicitous, double-minded, conflicted, and more, suspicious, skeptical, cynical, negative, etc. (You can do a lot with opposites). In my sermon last Sunday I tended to focus more on our tendencies to be cynical and suspicious, surely not qualities associated with what we would call the pure in heart. Thus, this beatitude can be problematic for us: How can we be pure in heart today in our modern world and culture? How can we be pure in heart (purpose, will, devotion) and at the same time be realistic about other people and the world around us? Did Jesus understand this problem? Was it not a problem then as well? And yes, it was an issue for Jesus and his disciples as well. There are plenty of instances where it is obvious that Jesus was not an out-of-touch visionary and dreamer. He new and understood the world. He was a realist. Thus: "I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16). Jesus knew the world and those in it. There was a place for caution and very realistic assessments, and Jesus knew and spoke of these things. Yet we must be able to affirm that Jesus himself was pure in heart, indeed embodying and expressing all the beatitudes within his life and ministry. In this modern world, with all the good but also all the darkness and evil, we as Christians must be discriminating, realistic, alert and ready, prepared for what comes our way. We must be able to recognize the darkness. And yet, we must live in the light as children of God, committed to purity of heart, along with meekness, humbleness, openness, mercy, peacemaking, righteousness, and all the rest. It can be done. Jesus' has done it. And by his grace - and our commitment and cooperation, so can we. Peace in Grace, Pastor David Exploring Christian theological ideas 09/12/2010
Excitement is building as our normal (but different!) Sunday schedule begins this month. Well...At least it is for me! It will be good to see more things begin to happen again in the life of the church as our fall season commences. Out of the office 07/27/2010
 Pastor Jones will be out of the office from Tuesday, July 28th through Sunday August 8th. Sunday, August 1 former LUMC Reverend John Pugh will be our Worship leader and Sunday, August 8 fellow parishioner, Barb Karst will be filling in for Pastor Jones Can you hear me now? 07/03/2010
So much in the life of the church depends upon worship--on the Word being heard, on hearing and seeing the gospel of Christ, the sharings of the gathered believers, the right words and pictures for those who are searching for belief, meaning, and guidance. In the life and mission of the church, so much depends on communication, on hearing and seeing. And as we look into the future--even as we look around at churches now, we find that the heart of church vitality and growth is virtually always connected to the excitement, meaningfulness, and effectiveness of worship. And in growing churches the effectiveness of the church's audio-visual system is central. Especially with the youth and younger people. Our youth thrives on this audio-visual stuff, which makes its presence important for the church's future. If you were here last Sunday, you got a taste of some of the issues we are having with our sound system. Sound kept cutting out, and it was a somewhat trying time for both those speaking as well as those trying to hear. We need to tackle this problem, as well as adding a workable video system. We need your help. I wrote about this in the last newsletter, informing you that we have had an audio consultant assess our A/V issues, and he has developed a great, effective, and relatively inexpensive list of things we can do, and equipment that we need. Even so, this replacement and enhancement of our sound and video capabilities will cost around $20,000. On top of that, we will need to have a handful of volunteers to do the installation. I think we're in good shape with volunteers. I believe that we have enough capable persons to do this work. What we need is the financial support that will enable it to happen. We need your help. We need your gifts, perhaps a contribution in honor of someone, or in memory of someone to whom the church at worship was important. Or just a gift intended to help chart the future of our church's worship and mission. This project really needs to be done as soon as possible, hopefully this summer. Please contact me if you have questions or issues. God be with us as we enter into the grand and warm month of July. Be safe, and as ever, go with Christ. God bless you all. Pastor David Spiritual Disciplines 02/23/2010
My my...It is good to see the weather changing! As the snow and ice melt and the daytime temperatures rise into the 40s; as it becomes easier, safer, and more attractive to get out of the house, perhaps our spirits will be lifted as well. It certainly should be easier for us to come together on Sunday morning! And it looks easier to envision beginning an evening class. I have several courses in mind to present as possibilities for an evening class, each course a series of college lectures to be watched then discusses. The topics include early Christianity, its diversity and conflict, and the eventual development of the canon of Scripture that we have today; The History of Theology; Religion and Science; even The Joy of Science, a survey of scientific discoveries and concepts expressed in historical order. I am curious as to what most of you may be interested in. A clipboard will be available on Sunday that will allow you to choose from your interests. We would begin in a couple of weeks. (You can also go to the Christian Education tab to make your selections). Our Lenten worship theme for our time until Palm-passion Sunday are the spiritual disciplines. The sermons for the next four weeks are devoted to this subject, a matter so central to the season of Lent. Hope you can be a part of this time together, and that each of us will come to take our spiritual growth and discipleship more seriously. Prayer will be the subject of the sermon this coming Sunday. The cold and snow seem to be lifting. Let our spirits then be lifted as well as we gather to worship, learn, share, and serve. See you in worship this Sunday. Pastor David Preparing for the Lenten Season 02/11/2010
The Christian Season of Lent again ushers us into Easter...and into spring. It's a wonderful thought, isn't it? Spring is coming! And Easter Day, too! Meanwhile we travel through this Lenten Season having perhaps some less positive thoughts, at the minimum, some "mixed emotions." Lent seems to present itself as a less than happy time. All this emphasis on penitence, discipline, and sacrifice. All this business of taking the cross and following Jesus. And the season ends with Holy Week, surely in many ways the hardest week to bear for Christians. The most difficult, but the most important. Lent seems to carry this mood of penitence--regret, sorry-ness, contriteness, confession of sins and such. But it is worthwhile as Lent begins to remember that Jesus does not use the word penitence. Nor does the concept get much play in the whole New Testament. The emphasis for Jesus was not penitence, but repentance. The gospel of Jesus was summarized by the Gospel writers as "The Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe this good news!" Now repentance is not penitence. To repent means, literally, to "turn around," to "change direction," and its use in the Gospels denotes a complete reorientation of one's being to God. That is what Jesus asked of his hearers. That is what Jesus asks of us now. During this Lenten Season, let us not dwell on regret and contrition so much as taking active steps to bring repentance--and the fruits of repentance--into our lives. Let us reorient our life to God in Christ. Let us recommit and rededicate our lives to Jesus. This is the truest meaning and challenge of Lent. The end of the journey as well as the outcome is Easter. Join us in worship this Lent, beginning with the special Ash Wednesday Service this coming Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. Let us dedicate and renew our lives to God that we may live more faithfully in the Kingdom of God--and be prepared for the Resurrection Life. May God be with you in a special way this Lent. Grace & peace, Pastor David The Weather Outside was Frightful... 01/28/2010
Not surprisingly, our attendance last Sunday was very low. Cold weather and especially snow contributes much to such a Sunday morning outcome. And of course, the abundance of ice under the snow doesn't help either. Thanks to all who safely braved the weather to make it to worship and Sunday School. And thanks to Forrest Crowl who as our sidewalk and yard maintenance man now has the main responsibility for keeping the snow shoveled. He has had a tough winter with lots of snow, and we appreciate very much Forrest and his family's work to keep the walkways clear. Just a note to those who didn't make it. We did miss you, but I hope you are not overly obsessed with feelings of guilt for your absence. It was a hard morning to get out, and we want you all to be safe. On the other hand, I would hope that those of you who miss Sunday morning church don't take it too lightly. It is important for all of us to attend worship every Sunday that we possibly can. But if you can't make it to church, I would encourage you to spend your Sunday morning in worship and/or study--take time to cultivate the practice of being with and learning of God. You could watch a religious program on TV if that helps, or read some Scripture and meditate and pray. If you are with your family, talk together about what the Scripture means. Though you may be away from formal church worship, you still need to spend time with Christ; whether you are alone in your home or with your family, make Sunday mornings a time of worship. And please keep the gathered church in your prayers that morning, too, as well as others who may have not risked going out. Be with us, even though you are at home or traveling. Be with God. May God bless us all in our journeys, both at times when we are together or by necessity separated. In our Lord, we are one. Pastor David Preparing for Epiphany Sunday 01/02/2010
It was a beautiful and yes, blessed Advent and Christmas Season once again this year, and thanks to everyone who was a part of the journey. A journey of course that continues! This coming Lord's Day is Epiphany Sunday, when we dwell on the glory of the Lord as manifest to star-gazers in a foreign land. Their difficult and dangerous journey to behold this special child is of great significance to our faith. We'll explore that theme this Sunday in worship. Hope to see us all together again as we resume our normal Sunday schedule, with Sunday School at 9:30 and the two morning services. The year we designate 2009 now draws to a close. We may find ourselves looking forward to the coming year with very mixed and uncertain feelings. But one thing for sure, whatever 2010 brings, God is with us and can bring his peace and meaning to whatever comes. Entering into this coming year with Christ, may each of us have indeed, a happy and blessed new year! The Peace and Grace of God be with you all. Pastor David An Important Word 12/08/2009
There are several words that are used a lot this time of year. For instance, sales, shopping, Christmas cards, Christmas gifts. Another word one hears a lot is "turkey" as in turkey soup, turkey sandwich, turkey suprise, and of course, "turkey again?". |  Pastor David JonesEither pulled directly from the church newsletter or the occasional musings, tune in to get a dose of the Pastor's sharing of the good word. ArchivesMarch 2011 Categories |
RSS Feed