at First Lutheran

2013

Ash Tuesday/Wednesday—February 12/13 Palm Sunday– March 24

Maundy Tuesday/Thursday—March 26/28 Good Friday—March 29 Easter Eve—March 30

Easter Sunday—March 31

Why Lent?

On February 12 and 13 we begin the season of Lent. If you ask those around you what Lent is about, answers may vary widely. “A ... special season of the church year?” is usually a safe bet, as are “It’s when we prepare for Easter”, “It’s when you give up something you really like to see if you can stand it”, and “Huh?”. That covers the half of us raised Lutheran, which still offers no particular guarantee that Lent simply fits into our 21st-century lives. Whether you have or haven’t been schooled in church history or the seasons of the year in worship, it’s become easy enough for Lent to become a detail, a historical footnote, or something that happens to come up in the bulletin and a couple of announcements. First, a bit of history: Like other liturgical churches, we Lutherans borrow from a calendar established by the Roman Catholic Church centuries ago, one which splits the year into two halves which highlight what God has done for us and our response as a church. God’s season profiles the story and ministry of Jesus, from his long-awaited coming into the world through his trial, death, and resurrection, and on up to the point just before His promise comes true to send the disciples forward with the Holy Spirit to guide them (Pentecost). Within God’s season we mark two seasons of preparation, one for a transforming birth (Advent) and one for a transforming death (Lent). Through Jesus’ story, God becomes more immediate and present to our human story, we fully appreciate God’s boundless love for us, and our own story moves from people much in need of that love to people who can share it with the world and fulfill our side of a covenant or mutual promise with God. The 40-day journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter has traditionally been a journey of spiritual preparation. Not counting Sundays, which are all a “little Easter”, the remaining 40 are days in which, traditionally, we were to become worthy of Jesus’ bond with, and God’s call to, us. Faithful people had long taken 40-day periods to refine and make themselves more available to God’s call, for instance by fasting, prayer, and study. Why 40? In ancient numerology, 4 signified full breadth (e.g., the four winds, the four compass points) and 10 signified full involvement (all of our fingers, numbers add a column); multiplied, 40 was a comprehensive number. Owing largely to the social and political atmosphere of the Dark Ages, the church came to hold up Lent as a time of penitence, a time to focus on being humble, sorrowful about how you live. You took up your cross somehow and died to things that divide you from God. Depending on when, where, and by whom you were taught, you might think of a sacrifice for Lent as something you do to purify yourself through suffering, or to gain favor with God, or maybe to develop empathy for Jesus by learning a bit of what it may have felt like to bear our sins and undergo torture and death for our sake. Archaic as it may sound, a Lenten sacrifice can still be important in what easily enough becomes a self-indulgent and “ADD” world. Carried into modern times, you may have learned to fast from a favorite food or activity for the Lenten season, one benefit being to learn better how you don’t exactly need it. In following a God who doesn’t want to have to compete for your attention, a fast can be clarifying. From a worship perspective, a liturgical church pays special attention to reenacting Jesus’ life, times, and teachings. Our basic order of worship is arranged that way, and we used to remind ourselves that worship was where we enter the drama, the acted-out story of Jesus, as if we are Jesus’ disciples and it is all happening now. Why? First, there is just the value of “walking the talk”. It always matters more, and we trust it more, when we do what we say. And then, to God, this is all timeless anyway. It is always happening now, and two thousand years of our history is just a detail. In trying to become more godly people, we open ourselves to God’s timelessness by connecting to the people we read and hear about, the people Jesus interacted with, the Jesus who showed us God’s character, and through each of them contact better the God who continues to create, sustain, heal, and guide, if we will allow it to happen to us.

AS A LITURGICAL CHURCH, we remember how Jesus walked the talk with his people in his time, how God’s attitude and will for us were every bit as much “caught” as taught. In that spirit, we approach our worship services and any other devotional activities we might have, not just showing up to say the “right” things and enjoy the experience. In the format of every worship service is a little church year, where we reenact coming to God to be received, healed, fed, equipped, and then sent out to show the kind of light to the world that we claim Jesus has been to us. In our dealings with the world, we seek then to be, as Luther called us, “little Christs”, walking the talk and making good of what has been broken with each other. And week after week we come back in, dying to what has gone wrong, receiving grace again to live in what God would have put right and spread it to other lives.

In Lutheran terms, Lent does not need not be dark, obscure, or so much about dying to something that we forget to live liberated. We’ve come to view sacrifice more as an intentional giving of ourselves to continue the work of Jesus. We may choose some service activity, for instance, that reflects the love of Christ and benefits others. Luther wanted to make sure we understood ourselves as “justified by grace”, that is, loved unconditionally by God in a way which demands no sacrifice save that we acknowledge our limitations and our need for God and turn over control. Through that discipline, God in turn reveals to us the ability to meet all true needs, turning our failings to good and stripping away the power of death in all its forms.

For Lutherans, Lent is the focal chapter in the love story between God and human beings. Having slipped into our lives through the back door at Christmas and growing up as one of us, now God in the person and presence of Jesus joins us, holds us, teaches us, leads us, and gives us the powers to forgive and live abundantly. Reenacting the drama through our own devotions and so much when gathered together in worship, we join ancestors who, just like us, could be caught up in shame, legalism, power games, and all other forms of what we call sin. We join disciples who gave up their own comfortable and familiar things to follow the radical rabbi Jesus. We put ourselves in the places of those Jesus met, taught, and stunned. Joining our own adventures to theirs, we find again God, who closes the distances we put between past and present, God and ourselves, and between us as people. As that spirit takes hold in any of us, it is not just walking out the rhythm of church life, not just preparation, not even renewal, but reformation.

So for a long time, Lutherans have added a midweek service in Lent. These services lead us that much more to become the disciples we read about. Beginning with Ash Wednesday, we are reminded that we are fundamentally nothing without God, dust in the wind, and still God claims us and forges with us the unbreakable bond of family. Through midweek services, we pick up important parts of the story of Jesus raising people to love and trust and preparing them to face disappointment, petty rule-makers, and the worst times their world could bring. This year, the pastors will pay special attention our Lutheran heritage and what it means to be “Lutheran” in today’s world, a back-to-basics regarding our core identity, in a series called, “Living the ‘L’ Word.”

The climax of Lent is Holy Week, where we arrive on Maundy Thursday at the Last Supper table and hear Jesus’ command to remember him fully in the food and in the community of the faithful. On Good Friday, we walk with him through mockery, torture, and execution on Calvary. Through the Easter Vigil we wait as expectant, hope-filled people until, on Easter morning, we are struck with the unbelievable news of the empty tomb, and, after that, the full realization of a free life through the risen Christ. Through it all, the sacrifice we make is to become more and more the “living sacrifices” Paul speaks of in Romans 12, offered to God’s purposes to serve others, reconcile people, and reclaim the world.

As you make your own way through this Lent, let it reach deeper within you. As you study and come to wor-ship, let the word and the drama speak to your spirit about things you may feel have overtaken you. Find yourself rising to be introduced further to a God who makes all things new, and see how “new” can mean not just the practices of an old faith, but you yourself.

—Andy Mitchum

Lent 2013—Overview

Lent 2013: Living the “L” Word - - “L” being Lutheran! Over the last year, Pastor Jay and I have heard a number of people ask for a series on the core teachings that shape our Lutheran identity. You might call this Lutheranism 101: The Basics. Living in the culture we do, it is helpful to remember who we are and the purpose for which God created us. Some ask, “Why be Lutheran? What’s unique about our Lutheran approach?” Others ask, “How does our faith add value to our life?” We hope to address these issues on Sunday mornings and at our midweek services during Lent. Here’s how the series is shaping up: February 13/14 – Ash Tuesday/Wednesday – Introduction to “Living the ‘L’ Word” February 17, 2013 – First Sunday in Lent Theme: Living Gracefully - Justification by grace through faith: Our Standing with God "This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness." ― Martin Luther February 19/20 - First Midweek Theme: Living Wet - Sacrament of Baptism: Dying and Rising to a new way of living. "To put it most simply, the power, effect, benefit, fruit, and purpose of Baptism is to save." — Martin Luther, The Large Catechism February 24, 2013 – Second Sunday in Lent Theme: Living Fairly - Justification as Apostle Paul likely understood it – distributive justice. The work of God’s grace: how faith allows us to become more “just” in how we live and become more generous. Martin Luther called justification by faith alone “the article upon which the church stands or falls.” He also said, “The article of justification is the master and prince, the lord, the ruler, and the judge over all kinds of doctrines; it preserves and governs all church doctrine and raises up our conscience before God. Without this article the world is utter death and darkness.” “If the article of justification is lost, all Christian doctrine is lost at the same time.” ― Martin Luther from Lectures on Galatians February 26/27 - Second Midweek Theme: Living with Mystery - Sacrament of Communion – The mystery of God living in and through us to re-deem the world. “…it is indeed called a food of souls, which nourishes and strengthens the new man.” ― Martin Luther from The Large Catechism March 3 - Third Sunday in Lent Theme: Living Faithfully - We are a strange mixture of saint and sinner. We are imperfect people. Yet God says we are “good” and calls us to be God’s blessing in the world. “Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly.” ― Martin Luther

March 5/6 - Third Midweek Theme: Living with Change - The Church Exists in a State of Reformation. Is this the church you grew up in? How has the church evolved and how is it changing today? “The true treasure of the Church is the Holy Gospel of the glory and grace of God.” ―Martin Luther, in Ninety five Theses March 10 – Fourth Sunday in Lent Theme: Living with Purpose - Priesthood of all Believers: We all have a place in the Body of Christ and some-thing to contribute. “The priest is not made. He must be born a priest; must inherit his office. I refer to the new birth—the birth of water and the Spirit. Thus all Christians must become priests, children of God and co-heirs with Christ the Most High Priest.” ―First Sunday after Epiphany from Complete Sermons of Martin Luther March 12/13 - Fourth Midweek Theme: Living Word - The Primacy of the Word: Jesus as God’s Living Word. The power of the story of faith as God reveals himself to us and through us to others. “The Bible is the cradle wherein Christ is laid.” ―Martin Luther March 17 – Fifth Sunday in Lent Theme: Living Compassionately - Theology of the Cross – God’s presence is revealed when we share in each other’s suffering. “He deserves to be called a theologian, however, who comprehends the visible and manifest things of God seen through suffering and the cross.” ―Martin Luther in The Heidelberg Disputation March 19/20 - Fifth Midweek Theme: Living Paradoxically – Law governs; love gives. Law demands; love invites. God’s penultimate ‘law’ is unconditional love. “Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn't stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing.” ―Martin Luther in Definition of Faith March 24 - Palm Sunday Theme: Living a Double Life - Two Kingdoms: The Kingdom of the World – justice – need for good governance on behalf of people; The Kingdom of God – mercy – need for compassion to take care of people. What would life look like on earth if God were king and the rulers of this world were not? “So, too, Christians are subjects of two kingdoms--they have experience of two kinds of life. Here on earth where the world has its home and its heavenly kingdom, we surely are not citizens. According to Paul (Phil 3, 20), "our conversation"--our citizenship--"is with Christ in heaven"; that is, in yonder life, the life we await.” ―Martin Luther in The Sermons of Martin Luther

March 26/27 - Maundy Thursday Theme: Living a New Life - Sacrament of Baptism: Dying and Rising to a new way of living. Midweek Meals: Following the Tuesday services, 11 AM, we’ll adjourn to the community center for lunch.

All are welcome to join us.

On Wednesday nights, there will be a light meal that precedes the service. Meals will be served from 6-6:45 PM.

(See below.) The service will be held from 7-7:30 PM. The Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday services

will run about 45-60 minutes. A nursery will be available for these services.

We hope you’ll join us as we journey together throughout the 40 days of Lent. We encourage you to invite

friends and fellow members to join with you around the dinner table and for worship.

LENTEN MEALS

We will be hosting meals for the Lenten Season. Don’t miss the opportunity during Lent to spend time

together and share a meal together. It will be nice not to have to cook each Wednesday!

See the menu on the following page. You can sign up for the meals: 1) by using the form below, 2) each

Sunday near the Community Center from 10—11 am, or 3) you can leave your reservation card / check in

Barbara Sasser’s box in the church office. Reservations for each Wednesday meal are due by 12 pm each

Monday. You may reserve and pay for all or as many Wednesday meals as you’d like or pay week by week.

$5 per meal / $3 for children 5 and under.

Make checks payable to FLC and put “Lenten Meals” in the memo line.

We are also in need of volunteers to help with serving/clean up for each Wednesday, as well as working in

the Community Center each Sunday from 10-11 am for reservations. Please consider helping!

Call or email Debbie Sivret with any questions/concerns or if you are able to volunteer: 908-0933

or mdkmjsivret@earthlink.net . Thank you!

RESERVATION FORM All reservations to be placed by Monday at 12 pm

NAME: __________________________________________________________________________________

FEB. 13 (Ash Wed.) # ADULTS: _____ ($5) / # KIDS: ____ ($3) FEB. 20 # ADULTS: _____ ($5) / # KIDS: ____ ($3) #Alternative meals (no shellfish):_____ ($5) FEB. 27 # ADULTS: _____ ($5) / # KIDS: _____ ($3)

MARCH 6 # ADULTS: ______ ($5) / # KIDS: _____ ($3) MARCH 13

# ADULTS: ______ ($5) / # KIDS: ______($3) MARCH 20 # ADULTS: ______ ($5) / # KIDS: ______ ($3)

TOTAL AMOUNT PAID: _____________

FEBUARY 13 (Ash Wednesday) Chicken Tortilla & Chicken Corn Chowder Soup

Salad Rolls/bread

Dessert Beverage

FEBRUARY 20 Baked Spaghetti (Alternative: plain pasta)

Salad Bread

Dessert Beverage

FEBRUARY 27 Fish Pot Pie made with Mahi, Mahi (Alternative: Fish Pot Pie with no shellfish)

Green salad with Italian dressing Bread

Dessert Beverage

MARCH 6 Chicken Salad

Rolls Cookies

Beverage

MARCH 13 Taco Bar

Veggie & fruit platters Dessert

Beverage

MARCH 20 Sandwich & wrap platters

5 bean salad Potato salad

Chips Dessert

Beverage

At Home Devotionals – Experiential Learning Activities for Individuals and Families

Create your own sacred space: Find a time to create “Sabbath” each week for your family or you individually. “Sabbath” is a time for rest and reflection and honoring God. It feasts on family and friends sharing faith and love together. The time and place really don’t matter. Set up an area for your devotional activity. As you prepare your heart for devotions with prayer this box can help you prepare your sacred space. This box of “tools” can help you find a centering point allowing you to actively embrace your faith in your daily life. This is to be used anytime you would like to “focus” for devotions or prayers. Suggested Supplies: Portable box or bag (a plastic shoe or small storage box works well or use a tote bag) Bible (a paperback personal size in a translation everyone can understand) Candle (battery operated work best or a tea light packs well) Cloth (If using a tote bag this can double as your cloth) Devotional materials Bowl for water Plate with fresh bread and chalice or wine glass with a small amount of red wine

February 17, 2013 – First Week in Lent - Living Wet

Create Your Sacred Space Opening Prayer – (Use the following prayer or let your heart bring words to mind and say those out loud or silently). As we light the candle we remember that Jesus is the Light of the world and that God lives in us, through us, and among us. Help the light of your love shine brighter in our lives; in Jesus’ name. Amen. Experience: Try to locate your baptismal pictures, candle, napkin, gown, and anything else you received at your baptism. What do you remember about the day God claimed you as his child? Who are the people in the picture who gathered to celebrate with your family? Give them a call or send them an email. What do they remember? Have a baptismal birthday party! Bake a cake (or cupcakes) together. Make it a festive occasion and celebrate God’s claim and the gift of you. As you wash either in the morning or at night, make the sign of the cross on your forehead or your child’s and say: “God loves you. You are God’s special child.” Send yourself or your child into the day with God’s blessing. (Adults: What does it mean for you that God has chosen you … called you by name … and commissioned you to continue the work of Jesus? How does being baptized shape and direct your life?) Closing Prayer: Make the sign of the cross on each other’s or your own forehead, and say, “(name), God made you special and loves you very much.” Amen.

February 24, 2013 – Second Week in Lent - Living with Mystery

Create Your Sacred Space (See instructions for the first week) Opening Prayer - (Use the following prayer or let your heart bring words to mind and say those out loud or silently). As we light the candle we remember that Jesus is the Light of the world and that God lives in us, through us, and among us. Help the light of your love shine brighter in our lives; in Jesus’ name. Amen. Read: Luke 24:13-35 Experience: Buy or make a fresh loaf of bread. Make sure you can smell its aroma. Get out a chalice or wine glass and pour a small amount of red wine into it. Light a candle. Think about your family meals, especially at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Consider preparing a meal together as a family or inviting special family and friends to join you. Family times and special occasions remind us of the Passover and Last Supper. Set an “Elijah” or “Jesus” chair for him to join you. Who gathers around the table? What’s the atmosphere like? What are some of your memories of those special occasions? How is that like the “Great Thanksgiving of Communion”? Who gathers around the table at the Lord’s Supper? What do we remember? Tell the story of the Passover and Last Supper. What does it mean to “remember Jesus” and for Jesus to be present with us? What is it like to know that God invites everyone – regardless of age, gender, background, or what we’ve done or left undone – to gather around God’s table of grace … to be welcomed into God’s presence … to be forgiven … filled with the presence and love of Christ … and sent back into the world to love it in God’s name? Closing Prayer: Break the bread and dip in wine or sip wine and remember that God provides what we need (Give us this day our daily bread). Thank you God … (each person names one or more things that God pro-vides – food, clothing, family, friends, etc). Sing or say the following song:

March 3 - Third Week in Lent - Living with Change

Create your sacred space. Opening prayer - (Use the following prayer or let your heart bring words to mind and say those out loud or silently). As we light the candle we remember that Jesus is the Light of the world and that God lives in us, through us, and among us. Help the light of your love shine brighter in our lives; in Jesus’ name. Amen. Read: John 1:43-51 Experience: Either around the table at dinner or before bedtime light a candle and remember that Jesus is the Light of the world and is present. Talk about “what the church is”. Draw a picture, use clay or other art materials to depict what the church is for you. When you think about “church,” what comes to mind? (The building, people, worship, ministries) Does it have to be “in the building”? Can you worship and serve God outside a place? The idea to get across to the children is that you don’t have to come to the building to “be church.” Church is where people gather and serve in God’s name. Luther talked about the “hidden” church being wherever people gathered in God’s name and continued the work of Jesus. Adults: Talk about the church you grew up in. What was it like? What do you remember? Who are some of the people you re-member? What are some of the cherished memories? How has the church changed? What is different? Who are some of the people you look forward to being with? What do you like most about the church to-day? What ministries do you most value? What are your hopes for the church? What would you like to see the church do? How committed are you to helping that happen? Closing prayer – View the following YouTube clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifnJtkAnBq4) and then use the following song – either sing or say together – “We Are the Church”

Verse 2: We're many kinds of people, With many kinds of faces, All colors and all ages, too From all times and places.

March 10 – Fourth Week in Lent - Living Word

Create Your Sacred Space Opening Prayer - (Use the following prayer or let your heart bring words to mind and say those out loud or silently). As we light the candle we remember that Jesus is the Light of the world and that God lives in us, through us, and among us. Help the light of your love shine brighter in our lives; in Jesus’ name. Amen. Read: John 1:1-14 Experience: Get out the Bible. Talk about what the Bible is. Use following questions to guide your conversa-tion. What is your favorite Bible verse or story? What about grandparents, baptismal sponsors, parents, and friends: what is their favorite verse or story and why? How do you know someone loves you? Is it because they say, “I love you,” or because they do things that show they love you? Or is it both? How do we know that God loves us? (The Bible tells us and in Jesus we experience or see it and now we experience it in our relationships with each other.) Closing Prayer – Go to this website (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SLHWFpSlq4) and play the song or simply say the words to “Thy Word”

March 17 – Fifth Week in Lent - Living Compassionately

Create your sacred space. Opening Prayer - (Use the following prayer or let your heart bring words to mind and say those out loud or silently). As we light the candle we remember that Jesus is the Light of the world and that God lives in us, through us, and among us. Help the light of your love shine brighter in our lives; in Jesus’ name. Amen. Read: 1 Cor. 1:18-31; Mark 8:34-37 Experience: Set up your home altar. Make a cross – either out of Popsicle sticks, sticks, paper, wire, pipe cleaners, or other creative materials. Stand up straight and then stretch out your arms. What shape is that? Isn’t it interesting that God has made us in the shape of the cross. What are the 4 points of the cross and what do they point to? The first is the (vertical) and points up and down or reminds of the connection be-tween God and us. Our heads help us remember and be open to God; while our feet connect us to the world in which we live. The second piece is the (horizontal) which points outward. It reminds us that our hands are intended to serve God as we love each other and help each other. Find an activity you can do together or individually like make a dinner for someone who is ill and deliver it; help at the Night Shelter or Thursday/Friday Breakfast; collect Backpack food; call somebody ; send a card to someone. Closing Prayer: What are you thankful for? What are you concerned about? These are the prayers of our hearts and minds; in Jesus’ name. Amen. Alternative Closing Prayer: (non verbal) Do this individually or in pairs, each person making the sign of the cross over the other. Make the sign of the cross over:

Ears – for listening to God’s voice and hearing God’s word Eyes – for seeing God’s glory in all life Lips – for boldly speaking the name of Christ and speaking of God’s power to others Heart – for remembering that we are God’s own, named and claimed and showered with love. Shoulders – for willingness to serve as Jesus served and bear the yoke of others Hands – for work and service that Christ will be known

Feet – for following Christ and walking in his steps.

OFFERED BY PETE PETREA

THE MOST MEANINGFUL THING about being Lutheran as well as the thing I’m most passionate about

is the “Emmaus question.” Every believer is called to self-examination of the question, and every congrega-tion is tasked to engender the question in every member and prospective member. Right after the Resurrec-tion, two disciples were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus (See Luke 24). A stranger fell into step with them as they discussed the latest crucifixion. The disciples invited the stranger to stay for supper. “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us …while he was opening the scriptures to us?"

The Lutheran church has the right tools, the right viewpoint, and the right sensitivities to make “our hearts burn” to follow and worship the Risen Lord. Baptism and Holy Communion show us to be saints-and-sinners and call us to serve others. Powerful biblical stories tell us that God is loving, is filled with grace for all people, and is our contemporary in the 21st Century.

Lutheran worship reverberates with God’s concern with every person. In baptism, God adopts each one of us. In the Lord’s Supper, we feed on Jesus, the living Bread of heaven (See John 6:51). In Jesus we find a powerful Way unequalled by any other religious figure, past or present.

On these two pegs of Word and Sacrament, hang the treasures of Lutheran worship. In worship we

come before God in awe, in reverence and in joy. Through 2000 years, the universal church’s worship has been continually refined and structured to keep a balance between the transcendence and the near-presence of God. Our worship book includes contemporary and traditional forms and music suitable for every expression.

I am passionate that we continue to worship God and not idols of our own making. I am passionate

about the words, the expressions, the activities of our worship. I am passionate about the depth of meaning that is available in our modernized and yet historic liturgy. Our hymns, prayers, lessons, sermons, and the sacraments – these are the tools and treasures of the Lutheran church. In them we meet the Risen Lord. Do not our hearts burn within us?

Prayer: Lord, compel us to follow where you lead; compel us to love others as you love us, and make our hearts burn within us as we worship you in words and in deeds. In your Name. Amen.

Living the “L” Word

Devotionals offered by First Lutheran Members who are “living the ‘L’ word. You may want to read them and include them in your own Lenten devotional time.

OFFERED BY GINNY SOBERG HULTQUIST What does the Lord require of you? To seek justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with our Lord. Micah 6:8 In my Bible group, with my sisters in Christ, we have been studying the book of James who tells us that faith without works is dead. On the surface, this position is very “unLutheran” since part of the reason for Luther’s break with the established church was the emphasis on “works.” But I would argue that grace, and how it is manifested in our lives, are entwined. Isaiah tells us that when we cry for it, God will rain grace down on us freely given and that the more we ask, the more we get. And I love St. Augustine’s in-terpretation, “grace is not given because we have done good works, but in order that we might do them.” For me, this is the core of who we are as ELCA Lutherans: grace to go forth and serve. I have been blessed, no, showered with grace beyond reason, to spend my entire professional life working with Lutherans first in refugee resettlement, then on the service (or fraternal) side of Thrivent Financial. Year after year I have been humbled by the Lutherans I’ve met who live out their grace life by “seeking justice and loving kind-ness.” It pours from their being, their Lutheran DNA, this grace to go forth. This is the shockingly passionate side of what it means to be Lutheran that we talk about at First Lu-theran: God’s Work, Our Hands. Our going forth boldly, nestled in the wrap of Grace that catches us when we fall, fortifies us, and sends us boldly into the world to make a difference. Prayer for the day: I know it is beyond my ability to begin to understand the grace you can pour down on me if I just stop to ask. Help me sharpen my awareness of your presence day in and day out and give me courage to venture out knowing my actions won’t be perfect. Grow in me a love of kindness and a heart of justice.

OFFERED BY PHIL STRINGER ONE OF MY FAVORITE RECURRING BIBLICAL THEMES is the dispelling of fear. In the first chapters of

Genesis we read that fear was one of the first manifestations of sin. Adam said to God, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I hid myself because I was afraid.” Fear exists when relationships are broken.

Fear is a powerful motivator. Nations go to war, individuals hoard wealth, people are maligned or

discriminated against-- all because in one way or another they are afraid. Fear and a desire to control go hand-in-hand; wherever you find one you are sure to find the other. Like a mirage in a desert, control is an illusion we chase after in fear, but never acquire. There can be no peace where there is fear.

And it is not only true on the world stage; I find that it is true in my own life, too. As much as I would

like to say otherwise, I must admit that there are things of which I am afraid. Most of them have to do with the well-being of those I love, but I also carry fears for myself and our world. I suppose most of us do.

But among my favorite biblical themes is the dispelling of fear. We see it throughout the Bible, but

most notably and decisively we see it in Jesus. In fact, the story about Jesus begins with a number of these proclamations-- to Mary and Joseph, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and the shepherds in the fields-- “do not be afraid...” Jesus, himself, uses the phrase repeatedly-- “do not be afraid; it is I.” In Jesus’ life, death and res-urrection we see perfect love interceding for us and re-writing the rules. The new rule: Love rules. We are loved with a perfect love that draws us into a life of love.

For me, seeking to follow Jesus means seeking to love as God loves. The Father, the Son and the

Holy Spirit are so closely united in perfect love for one another that they are one. Holding nothing back, re-jecting nothing of the other, giving and receiving so completely out of love for one other that it is impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. To love as God loves is to be fully alive-- and at peace. God in-vites us to be like this, too. Jesus stated it simply: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and… love your neighbor as yourself.”

I want to live without fear. For me, living the “L” word of “Lutheran” means living the “L” word of

“love,” because that’s what the Lutheran focus on grace is all about. Sometimes this fearless, peace-filled life of love seems closer than at other times. Sometimes my fears well up within me. But thanks to God’s perfect love, I needn’t fear even this. Love endures all things-- even my fears. That’s the good news. Love rules.

======================== “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and

whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:18-19 ========================

Prayer: Loving God, Holy Trinity, hasten the day when your love is perfected in us, that we may love you and the world you made as you love us. Amen

OFFERED BY PASTOR BRADY Luke 15:11-32

WHEN WE STARTED the Friday morning breakfast at Greensboro Urban Ministry, we had a message for those we serve. “We share with them our conviction that God’s grace makes each of us his beloved child, without any merit or worthiness on our part. We believe that Christ reaches out to us through human forms, through each other.” (Words written by Todd Herman.)

We feel that our guests, those we serve, the homeless, may well have been beaten down by our

society, even by the religion from which they come. Some may well have heard, over and over, how bad they are, how sinful, their guilt and rejection. So this shapes the messages we bring each Friday, the grace of God that makes each of us his beloved child, even the homeless.

Jesus’ parable of the two sons or “prodigal son” or “forgiving father” is my favorite story of grace,

one that speaks to me. I grew up with the conviction that I “must be a good boy” because I heard those words over and over in my childhood.

Those words led me to hiding much from those adults, especially my Mom. I was living two lives: one

on the surface, the other the real me. I wasn’t really bad, to be honest, just a typical boy on our block getting into typical boy troubles. But I didn’t want Mom to know. And that always takes energy to pretend. I couldn’t be my real self.

So I could go to our Lutheran Church, hear all the sermons, even about grace, without understanding

what it meant for me. That is, until later events led me into small groups where I could come terms with that inner person. With them I could be honest and still be loved and accepted. Finally I came to a personal experience of God’s grace, in a way that those sermons, Sunday School, and Confirmation classes never came across.

That’s why I keep holding up the importance of learning from experience, what can happen to us

through relationships, especially in small groups. Then I can understand the return of that prodigal son, the experience of that loving father running with open arms. And that’s the message I try to get across to our folks on Friday Morning. God reaches out to them, even through our hands and smiles and words.

Prayer: God of love and mercy, as we pause for these minutes to think of those who are homeless in our community and around our world, we know that your arms reach out for them. Your heart hurts for them. Your grace wants to bring them home to you. Include us, Father, for we need you too. Make of us one com-munity, one earthly family. And use us that your kingdom can come, your will be done. For we pray in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

OFFERED BY GRACE ADOLPHSEN BRAME And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. John 14: 16,17

JESUS COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE EARNEST. These were some of the last words he would say to his beloved friends, those with whom he had shared his whole ministry on earth. This was his last chance to speak to them, the last opportunity to impress upon them what mattered the most. He offered to them his life as he served them bread and wine. He bent to wash their dusty feet, as a servant would do. He tried to prepare them for the worst, although they had no idea what it would be. He asked them to support, encour-age, and love each other as he had done for them. He told them he would meet them at the end of their earthly road. And he promised the greatest gift a human being could ever know.

He had walked the dusty roads with them. He had arbitrated their disagreements. He had looked

deeply into their eyes and put his arms around them, seeing deep into their souls and healing their hearts with the comfort of his gentle love.

Now all that would be gone. Within hours he would be arrested and tried. By the same time the

next evening, he would be dead! But they had no idea. One thing was more important to say than any other. In his own words, he said: “I won’t be beside

you anymore. You will not be looking into my eyes to be loved or encouraged. You will not feel my touch. But my Father will give you something better: not the life of a person who is with you, but a burning life within you!”

This was Jesus’ most important message to us, as well! Immanuel, “God with us,” would become God inside us if we would simply receive the gift. The great, transcen-

dent Spirit would give itself to us so lovingly, so completely, that, at very special times, we would be know-ingly alive with the life of God. We could actually say: “I know God. He will always be with me, but in me too. Sometimes the Spirit will fill me and give me the courage and compassion which it gave to Jesus in his Passion. And that will make all the difference in my life!“ —Grace Adolphsen Brame

OFFERED BY BOB KLEPFER Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Psalm 100:1-2

Joretta opened the door to Lutheranism for me. I grew up as an active, happy member of Central Methodist Church in Mooresville. I spent the summer of 1960 as frequently in the company of Joretta as she would allow. To win her heart, I knew that I had to go to church with her at St. Mark’s Lutheran in Mooresville. So I did.

At my first Lutheran worship service, I fell in love with the Lutheran liturgy. The participation of the

congregation in singing the service, congregational responses that were taken straight from scripture, a desire and respect for communion and, of course, a joyful parade at the opening and closing of the service all had great meaning and appeal to me. It was as though I had found my true church home.

The fact that just about everyone knew the service by heart said to me that the congregation was inten-

tional about worship and wanted everyone to participate. Full congregational participation seemed to say: “Follow along, we’ll make it easy to learn, join in when you’re ready, you won’t stand out.”

I loved the fact that in learning the liturgy I was memorizing essential messages from scripture that I

could carry with me throughout the week. Knowing that each Sunday Lutherans throughout the world are hearing the same scripture passages

and praising God with the same or similar liturgy, gives me the sense of truly being a part of God’s presence in the world.

I thank God for welcoming me into that branch of the church known as Lutheran through the power,

beauty and consistency of the Lutheran liturgy. Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for calling, welcoming and sustaining us through Lutheran liturgy. May we continue to rejoice in your Word, celebrate our unity with other believers, take comfort in your presence with us and joyfully serve as your hands in the world. Praise be to you forever. In Jesus’ name, AMEN

OFFERED BY TODD HERMAN "I Am Heresy (And So Can You!)" Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” … Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. … Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. (John 14:6, 23a, 24a , NIV)

FOR ME, John 14:6 is the most problematic verse in the entire Christian Scripture. Why? Because it has been used to promote the superiority of Christianity above all other faith traditions, and to exclude oth-ers from the love of God. To me, that’s a perversion of EVERYTHING Jesus taught and modeled. Regardless of what the author of John says, the Jesus I know and love would NEVER exclude anyone.

How should this verse be interpreted? I believe the answer comes a few verses later, when Jesus

teaches his disciples that loving him means living out – obeying – his teachings, and those NOT obeying his teachings do NOT truly love him.

When we refer to living out the teachings of Jesus, we call this “The Way.” We capitalize “Way” to

indicate devotion to God is a particular way of living. This also implies devotion to God is NOT limited to those who take Jesus as their role model – rather, any person devoted to God will live, love, and serve in “The Way” modeled by Jesus, regardless of faith tradition.

Look across all the faith traditions. Do they not all, at their finest and best, teach the same lessons as Jesus? Rob Bell summarizes these teachings in Velvet Elvis (page 20) as:

I'm convinced being generous is a better way to live. I'm convinced forgiving people and not carrying around bitterness is a better way to live. I'm convinced having compassion is a better way to live. I'm convinced pursuing peace in every situation is a better way to live. I'm convinced listening to the wisdom of others is a better way to live. I'm convinced being honest with people is a better way to live.

Does my interpretation of John 14:6 put me at odds with the great majority of Christian belief? Ab-

solutely! And I am VERY proud of this because Lutheran Christians have always been a minority – heretics, actually. We are the Thinkers of the Church, always challenging “orthodox belief,” because “orthodoxy” is frequently wrong. Want an example? Sure – that little thing called the Reformation. God of Grace, help me always live The Way of Jesus, help me see this Way in people of all faiths, and help me be reformed as part of the Ongoing Reformation. Amen.

OFFERED BY SUSAN KLAIBER 2 Corinthians 9: 14-15 “And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing race God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.”

SEPARATION AND DIVORCE from a marriage are devastating experiences. For me, they brought: Fear: Could I financially support myself and my son with the minimal support I received from my ex-

husband? Could I even care for my son alone, involving all the aspects of parenthood?

Sense of worthlessness: I had been identified as a wife for over 25 years. Many of my thoughts, feel-ings, and ideas had been discounted. Was I still a person worthy of respect and love? Was everything my fault?

Despair: Could I go on living? Where do I go from here? A verse from the song, “Roll Away Your Stone” by Mumford and Sons, expresses what was going on

in my life at that time and the changes that began to happen:

“It seems that all my bridges have been burnt But you say that’s exactly how this grace thing works It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart But the welcome I receive with the restart.” Sometimes in life’s journey bad things happen and life needs to take a detour. It seemed to me at

the time that there was no place to turn, no resources to help. But God knew I needed encouragement, a message of hope, grace, and love. God’s direction brought me to First Lutheran Church. There dear friends showered me with love and grace, God’s indescribable gift to all. It has been my personal mission to carry forward God’s love and grace through my actions and my music, and to always remind others that “God loves us; oh, how He loves us” (from David Crowder’s song, “How He Loves Us”).

Prayer: God of love and grace: Help me always to spread your love to others. Thanks you for bringing friends into my life every time I need to be rescued. You are my life! Amen

OFFERED BY JORETTA KLEPFER MY GRANDFATHER’S NAME was Martin Luther Hoffner. Need I say more about being a Lutheran? It’s my heritage but it’s also my choice! It’s my choice because... I love the music, I love the liturgy, but most of all, I love the message! † Jesus, God’s son, lived and died and rose from the grave to save me from my sins, to save me from Satan’s grasp for now and for all time, simply through faith in him. He suffered greatly so I wouldn’t. † God’s grace is mine to accept, to claim, to believe. I don’t have to earn it. I don’t have to be “good enough.” It’s free - God’s gift to me, to you, to everyone. † God’s love permeates all of life. His presence is real. His peace is deep. His joy is incredible. † God’s mercy is great! I am forgiven. † God’s faithfulness is sure. He won’t leave me even if I stray from him. He’s always there, bringing me back. † God’s word is printed in the Bible for me to read and study for myself; guided by the Holy Spirit, I find in the Word the presence and presents of God. † God’s message is to be shared with all. † Jesus is our model for how to live.

- Pray. - Love others, love all. - Take care of other’s needs. - Praise God and give him the glory.

“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God. Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God my savior and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:1-2a, 4-5 Thank you, Lord, for creating me and all that exists. Thank you, Jesus, for living and dying to save me from my sins. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for guiding me through each day and never leaving me. Amen

OFFERED BY RUTH SCHENK ROLAND “...God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Rom 5:5b

I AM A “CRADLE” LUTHERAN. And that cradle has held many generations of my German ancestors.

Although I was born into this denomination, I consciously chose to remain a Lutheran when I was confirmed. At age 12, I attended Confirmation Classes with Pastor Sam Sox. We were required to memorize

Luther’s explanation of the Ten Commandments and The Apostle’s Creed. Although those words reside in a dusty file cabinet somewhere in the back of my memory, what has stayed with me --and convinced me to remain Lutheran-- is Luther’s teachings on God’s grace.

Luther wrote, “Truly, then, we are saved by grace alone, without works or other merit.” Thus began

my journey of trying to live out of this grace. It sounds so easy, doesn’t it? We have God’s love given freely. God has named us “Beloved.” But I began to notice that I was still trying to win God’s love by my “works.” After all, in other areas of my life, I was judged by what I did and not by who I was. Our society rewards “works.” And doesn’t being a disciple mean doing things for others?

I discovered that the answer to that question is, “Yes -- But.” The image of the cross helped me to

understand. The vertical beam is planted securely in the ground and then the horizontal beam is attached. So if I am first planted in the ground of God’s grace, then I can reach out to others. My “works” flow out of my grounding in God’s unconditional love. Discipleship is a response of thanksgiving for that love. I had been putting “the cart before the horse,” as the old saying goes.

Luther wrote, “This grace of God is a very great, strong, mighty and active thing. It does not lie asleep

in the soul. Grace hears, leads, drives, draws, changes, works all in man, and lets itself be distinctly felt and experienced. It is hidden, but its works are evident.”

And I respond, Thanks be to God! Dear Gracious, Giving God, help me to serve you and others out of gratitude for what I have been

given by you and share the word of your redeeming grace for all peoples. Amen.

OFFERED BY KATHY BRINKEY

AS A CHILD I viewed God as a historical figure spoken of in ancient bible stories. At other times I pic-tured Him existing “up there,” in Heaven, very far away. Whether the distance was measured by time or space, I didn’t perceive God as “right here.”

I remember the first time I heard the phrase, “God’s work, our hands.” It was during a sermon here, at First Lutheran, and it changed the way I see God and how He works IN AND THROUGH MY LIFE. God is, here and now, IN COLLABORATION WITH ME!!! I felt humbled and glorified all at the same time.

Having lived with “God’s work, our hands” for many years now, I find myself watching for glimpses of God everyday, in the words and actions of the people around me. He seems very close. I recently found Him in these words by Alison Luterman from Bread, Body Spirit, Finding the Sacred in Food, edited by Alice Peck:

EVERY PIECE OF FRUIT

Strawberries are too delicate to be picked by machine. The perfectly ripe ones even bruise at too heavy a human touch. It hit her then that every strawberry she had ever eaten-- every piece of fruit--had been picked by calloused human hands. Every piece of toast with jelly represented someone’s knees, someone’s aching back and hips, someone with a bandanna on her wrist to wipe away the sweat. Why had no one told her this before?

OFFERED BY ELLENOR SHEPHERD

“…My grace is all you need, for my power is strongest when you are weak.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 I grew up in the Disciples of Christ [Christian] Church in rural Eastern North Carolina and was baptized at age ten. If my memory serves me correctly, the word grace was never mentioned or never used in a way that impacted my young life.

But then, neither did I know anything about Martin Luther, nor was there a Lutheran church in our area. I did, however, hear many sermons and teachings on good works and serving, but grace was a foreign word to me except as a blessing at the dinner table.

In nineteen hundred sixty-four, I was married into First Lutheran Church, thus beginning my journey in the Lutheran faith. It was along this journey that I kept bumping into this talk about grace – I heard it in sermons; I heard it in Circle programs; I heard it in my Spirituality group and Sunday School class, and just about every-thing I attended at church. As I questioned and pondered about grace, I began to glimpse an understanding of this powerful five letter word and its implications. It was then that I felt many burdens being lifted - I felt a freedom in serving that had been absent ; I realized that I no longer needed to win brownie points and I no longer had to gain approval. I simply acted out of my love for God and God’s unconditional love for me. I will be indebted forever to First Lutheran for teaching me about grace.

Prayer: Gracious and Most Patient Father, You continue to bless me when I am the most selfish, You con-tinue to love me when I am the most unlovable, and when I am the most unfaithful, you surprise me by asking that I serve You. I am always overwhelmed and humbled by Your amazing Grace. Thank you. Lord. Amen

3600 W. Friendly Avenue

Greensboro, NC 27410

Phone: 336.292.9125; Fax 336.294.5369

Email: info@firstlutheran.com

Website: www.firstlutheran.com

at First Lutheran