Rev. Reed Lee Pedersen's
Did you know that this Sunday begins the new liturgical church year? I hope you brought the sparklers, loud noise thingies, party hats, and age appropriate beverages. Are you going to stay up all Saturday night so you can scream at 12:00 AM on December 3rd, “Happy New Church Year!!!”?
Am I the only one getting psyched for this? Other than the change to the color blue did you think you’d notice it was a new year? So maybe you are and maybe you aren’t. Either way, here is a text to start or continue your new church year cheer: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:3-7 NRSV) In the midst of a new church year let’s give God some praise and glory for the new birth we have received through Jesus Christ. New Year’s is usually a time of hope and anticipation for what we will do in the new year. It is a time where we plan how we will better ourselves. Maybe for this church new year you can find a little extra something you could do to honor and praise that indestructible inheritance of salvation you have received. And maybe, unlike most New Year’s resolutions, there will be some follow through on expanding your faith practices. ;-) Ponder Points: 1. If you could do one thing (great or small) to enhance your faith life what would it be? 2. What's it going to take to start this one thing? 3. Try it! God's blessings on your new church year!
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Psalm 90:4
For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. My 6th grade confirmation teacher told my class a joke in somewhat of a reference to this Psalm verse: “1,000 years for God is only a second. $1,000,000,000 for God is just a penny. An angel decided to have a get-rich-quick scheme. He went to God and said, “My heavenly Lord, may I have but a penny? God thought about it and answered back, “Just give me a sec.”” With the right delivery this joke can still get people laughing. This Psalm verse and joke give a big reminder that God has a much larger frame of reference than our own. Sometimes in our lives we can be so centrally focused on a single moment in time or just think in terms of our home congregations. The Body of Christ is much larger than our home congregations, even the mega churches, and the Body of Christ has been here before us and continues for eternity. This week you can try this little exercise:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27) Well it has been one of those weeks in ministry. The kind where you think it’s a Wednesday when it is still Tuesday. Fitting that within a week of my previous blog about “Borning Cry” being stuck in my head I am planning to commend two parishioners to God. So here we have a frantic week. Stress, sorrow, surprise, anguish, anger, uneasiness, fear, and a full sense of ineptitude and it’s only half way through the week. Rather than a song stuck in my head this week there is a verse which I have been holding onto. This verse is from John’s gospel. Just after telling his disciples of the coming Holy Spirit Jesus promises his disciples peace. Peace is easiness, happiness, comfort, safety, tranquility, and a full sense of being guarded from harm. Christ offers it to us, but how are we at receiving that peace? There is a point in many church services where we are invited to pass the peace with those gathered for worship. I have been blessed with a congregation that takes time to pass that peace rather than getting in a few handshakes and sitting down for the offering. “Peace be with you.” or “Peace.” are the common phrases used in this ritual. The peace we are sharing in this moment is the peace of Christ he promises in John 14:27. Please remember that if we are sharing the piece then we are not just giving the peace but we are receiving that peace. What would it look, sound, and feel like if we took time to receive that peace instead of moving forward quickly to give that peace to another. In the midst of chaos or joy Christ is always extending to us peace. It is yours to receive. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 Ponder Points:
I occasionally like to rummage through my hymnal and sing some hymns. The hymn that has been stuck in my head lately is “Borning Cry” by John Ylvisaker (good luck pronouncing that correctly). On top of a beautiful melody it has some pretty striking words. Feel free to listen to the video and read through the lyrics. “I was there to hear your borning cry,
I'll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold. I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well; In a blaze of light you wandered off to find where demons dwell." "When you heard the wonder of the Word I was there to cheer you on; You were raised to praise the living Lord, to whom you now belong. If you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one, I'll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk 'till rising sun." “In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young, I'll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I've begun. When the evening gently closes in, and you shut your weary eyes, I'll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise." "I was there to hear your borning cry, I'll be there when you are old. I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold." These words are sung from the point of view of God. It is as if God is singing a lullaby to us to provide us comfort. It is as if God is reminding us of Jesus’ promise in the last verse of the Gospel of Matthew, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mat 28:20) So there is a look into my brain and the hymn that has been clogging it up! Sometime this week I’d like you to try this exercise: I.Sit or lay down where you feel the most safe and secure. II.Click on the link and listen to “Borning Cry” or sing it yourself. III.As the song carries on imagine God is swaddling you like a baby and singing this song to you like a lullaby. IV.When the song is over reflect on how that made you feel. Feel free to leave your reflection in the comment section. I really enjoy doing these posts but I am not always sure if they are reaching others or if you would like them done a different way. Please feel free to email me about feedback: [email protected] or leave a comment to let me know how this blog could best help you. 5 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Looking into what to write for this week I figured I would take a look at the gospel text for this coming All Saints Sunday, Matthew 5:1-12. Is this how life works in today’s world? I invite you to read through this passage again and after every verse, starting with verse 3, think or write down how the verse agrees or disagrees with today’s society. Please take time to go through all the verses for this exercise before going to the next paragraph. What did you think? Did the exercise do something for you? Next time you go to pray give God thanks for the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, and the hated. Give them thanks to God because God has provided them with the Kingdom. If any of us are down on ourselves or feeling rejected by others we can hold on to this promise from God. So instead of getting angry or sad you better check your beatitudes! God will provide. Please leave answers from the exercise in the comment section. I’d love to hear your take on this passage. |
AuthorPastor Reed is a first call pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Andover, Illinois. Archives
July 2019
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