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September 4 Worship

8/24/2016

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We make choices everyday. It might be what we are going to wear or what we will eat for dinner.  Some of our choices may have little impact on our lives, while others might have dire consequences.  In our own decision making we do need some guidance so that we do not get off the beaten path.

Moses had been teaching the people of Israel and we read in Deuteronomy now calls for them to make a decision.  Here are the words:

"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving he Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess."  Deuteronomy 30:15-18

After speaking these words, Moses advises them to "choose life."   The choice was theirs and the choice is ours. I believe that each day we do make decisions either in line with God's ways or against them. We need to continually be attentive to our way of living.  

The appointed psalm for this day which is Psalm 1 states that happiness is found by delighting in the law of the Lord and meditating on it day and night.  There would be no forgetting and there would be a constant reminder of what God desires for our living by such meditation.

We would do well to work to have our own lives centered on God.  We need to examine how we are loving God and loving our neighbor, which is what all the law really means.  I would have you focus on these words from Deuteronomy and also read through Psalm 1 (it's short) in preparation for Sunday's worship.

Pastor.
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August 28 Worship

8/18/2016

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The church has been called to be a special community.  It is set apart you might say to be that holy entity created by Jesus.  As such, it is to have a way of life that is shaped to live in God's ways.  This trickles down to us as individual believers.

The author of Hebrews expresses this unique way of living in this manner...

"Let mutual love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.  Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.  Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.  Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.'"  Hebrews 13:1-5

As you read these words, does anything stand out for you?   I myself have felt that this advice goes against our mainstream culture.  We in the church are called to live in a different way from that of the world.  Consider the aspect of hospitality.  We do live in fear of the stranger.  In today's age, we might fear for our lives.  Yes, there is a challenge here.   Our society is caught up also in consumerism.  How does one get away from the love of money and strive for contentment?

I believe there is a strong witness that can come out for us in the church.  We have something to give to the world.  Our lives are to be shaped by Christ.  I would ask you to reflect on these very words and the full reading that will form the basis of the message.  The reading is Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16.

May God's blessing be upon your meditation of these words of Scripture and your preparation for this Sunday.

Pastor Marty
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August 21 Worship

8/3/2016

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This Sunday we come to one of the healing stories in Jesus' ministry.  We learn how much he was concerned about bringing wholeness to individuals.  However, this episode in Jesus' life isn't just about a healing; it is also about suspending the rule concerning work on the sabbath.  Here is part of the text about Jesus healing a woman crippled for 18 years when he was in a synagogue on the sabbath.

"When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God.  But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, 'There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day.'  But the Lord answered him and said, 'You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?  And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?'  When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing."   Luke 13:13 - 17

A strong protest was raised by this leader of the synagogue.  Healing an individual was considered to be work and Jesus was not truly observing the sabbath.  It's interesting, isn't it, how Jesus used the example of how they would care for the animals on the sabbath.  Likewise, we ought to be concerned about human need.

This brings me to have us reflect on any rules, customs, or habits we might have in the church which hinder us from responding to human need.  It might be in the kind of response or in the timing. Sometimes, I'm aware of how we might need to go through layers of approval before action can be taken.

But think now of your own life.  Do you have any customs or traditions that would slow you down or prevent you from helping someone else?  Sometimes, we might need to suspend what might bind us for the sake of helping others.

May God's blessing be upon your meditation of these words of Scripture and your worship this Sunday.  The full text is Luke 13:10-17.

Pastor Marty

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    I invite you to reflect on these words of Scripture in preparing for worship.

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    Pastor Marty Pauschke

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