The Enemy Within

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Introduction

The people of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., have organized a Spirit-Driven Task Force, bringing together almost forty members who have committed to a year of study, prayer, reflection, and deliberation to discern how God is calling the congregation to renewal for the sake of his mission.

This is the ninth of a series of weekly meditations with the aim to inspire reflection and encourage conversation among the members of the task force as we journey together in obedience to our Lord’s calling to serve him.

Kurt Kechely, a member of the Spirit Driven Task Force Steering Committee, shares this meditation from the ELCA’s devotional periodical, “Christ in Our Home.”

Scripture

“For Thou art my rock and my fortress; For thy name’s sake Thou wilt lead me and guide me.” “Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.” —Psalm 31:3,5.

Meditation

Without a doubt, King David had his enemies. Goliath and Absalom come to mind as David prays for God’s protection in Psalm 31. Yet, perhaps his greatest threat came not from without, but from within. The old comic strip, “Pogo,” once had Pogo reporting that “we have met the enemy, and he is us.” We know that David did not always follow God’s lead. With Bathsheba and Uriah, he was his own worst enemy. While David prays that God will lead him and guide him—and God indeed leads and guides—it does little good if he doesn’t follow and obey.

It’s old wisdom that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

God actively leads and guides us. Made in God’s image, we live with a conscience that can discern right and wrong. God gives the law to help us. The life and teachings of Jesus are our model to emulate. God gives us each other for counsel and support. Moreover, God’s Spirit never leaves us. The challenge for us is to yield to God, even when we are tempted to ignore God’s lead and guidance.

Prayer

God of all wisdom, keep me from ignoring your lead and guidance. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Tending the Gifts of God

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This is the fifth in a series of reflections offered as part of my service with the Stewardship Ministry at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., where Anne and I are members.

Over the past several weeks, Anne and I have been blessed to welcome my parents, who came from Pennsylvania for a visit, and Tara and Dennis, Anne’s daughter and our son-in-law, who rested with us while moving from Portland, Oregon, to Boston, Massachusetts. We’re looking forward to a visit from relatives from western Nebraska and from Kansas in the coming weeks.

We would always count the gift of family as the greatest blessings, next to the faith we receive as a gift from God. What strikes us is how focused we become on preparing for these visits. We want our lawn to be cut, the flowers watered, the beds to be free of weeds, the house clean, the groceries purchased, the guest bedrooms ready, and our schedules arranged to help us make the most of our time with them.

The priority we place on these preparations reminds us, too, that God desires for us to treasure our time with him with at least as much intensity as we devote to family. He doesn’t live far away and come to visit only on occasion. Instead, he invites us to come to his home each week for worship, to gather around his table for fellowship, and to reminisce about our family history in Bible reading and education.

This all sounds like every other ministry of our congregation except stewardship. But really, the ways we devote ourselves, our time, our efforts, and our possessions in response to God’s grace in our lives are all signs of how we practice stewardship of the gifts we have received from him. Our response to God’s hospitality is simply our stewardship of the blessings he has given to us.

For His Purpose

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Introduction

The people of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., have organized a Spirit-Driven Task Force, bringing together almost forty members who have committed to a year of study, prayer, reflection, and deliberation to discern how God is calling the congregation to renewal for the sake of his mission.

This is the eighth of a series of weekly meditations with the aim to inspire reflection and encourage conversation among the members of the task force as we journey together in obedience to our Lord’s calling to serve him.

Susan Hansen, a member of the Spirit Driven Task Force Steering Committee, wrote this meditation.

Scripture

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’ And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’” —John 20: 21–23

Meditation

Some time ago, I came across the following quotation: “Although they are only breath, my words are immortal.” I gave pause to consider that the very words I might speak to my son might become my legacy that he leaves to his children and grandchildren. I made a point to be more mindful of the thoughts and words I chose to speak to my son.

In the passage from John, we learn of a very profound communication between God’s Incarnate Word and his disciples. Jesus breathes his Holy Spirit into his disciples and sends them into the world to speak God’s eternal message. Much is revealed in Jesus’s heavenly name of the Word. It is a reminder to us of that God intends communication to be for his divine purpose.

Through the Holy Spirit we are privileged to commune (communicate) with God. He reveals his eternal purpose to us personally and we are charged with sharing God’s divine peace and reconciliation with others.

Are our words to one another spoken in God’s love and grace?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, please let your love and glory be revealed in our words and conversations with others. Amen.

Calm Between the Times

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Introduction

The Landing at Williamsburg, a senior living facility of Immanuel Communities, holds worship on Sunday mornings. This is the homily from June 3, 2011, the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

Readings

Acts 1:6–14
Psalm 68:1–10, 32–35
1 Peter 4:12–14, 5:6–11
John 17:1–11

Homily

This past Monday was a windy day. As I spent time working in the yard at home, I gradually grew acclimated to the gusting breezes, making sure I kept my cap pulled down on my head so the wind didn’t catch the brim and blow it away. The sound of the leaves in the trees was a rustle that drowned out the calling of the birds.

But every now and then, the steady winds would cease, and the woods would grow quiet. The sound of silence felt almost palpable, like a presence, in its contrast with the wind. And then, after a break, the breezes would blow again.

That eerie silence—that calm between the gusts—was like the place in which we find ourselves this morning in the Church’s year. This past Thursday was the Feast of the Ascension, the day when we mark the departure of the risen Christ after his forty days of appearances among his followers. And next Sunday, we will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, the giving of the Holy Spirit to the Church, a gift which comes down upon us like flames of fire and the rush of a mighty wind.

But today, we’re living between those two feasts: Ascension and Pentecost. It’s like a break, a pause, a time for silence and reflection. These are good times to have, to treasure as moments when we can sit and ponder, when we can meditate upon the sometimes turbulent lives we lead.

Jesus himself made time for such quiet moments. He would go away to lonely places to pray, leaving behind the crowds that never grew tired of seeking him out. He followed in the footsteps of tradition, like Elijah before him, who sought refuge from conflict, hiding in a cave on Mount Horeb. There Elijah witnessed great storms and violent earthquakes before he heard the voice of God coming from “a sound of sheer silence,” (1 Kings 19:12b, NRSV) or “a tiny whispering sound” (1 Kings 19:12b, NAB).

In that tradition of seeking to hear the voice of God speaking to us from the pauses, the rests, the times between, we pause to hear some words for us in today’s readings.

In the passage from Acts, Jesus shares some final words with his apostles before his Ascension, making a promise to them:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalm, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8, NRSV).

In the reading from 1 Peter, the apostle writes words of encouragement:

But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed (1 Peter 4:13, NRSV).

Finally, in John’s Gospel, Jesus prays to his Father for the Church:

And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3, NRSV).

A slender thread winds it way among these verses, tying them together, and binding us to them. As we listen to their message in this day of pausing and resting, we can hear the voice of that thread speak to us.

In the passage from Acts, Jesus tells his apostles, and us, that we will be his witnesses. That word—witness—comes from the Greek word martyria. That’s the root of our word “martyr.”

So Jesus is telling us that he will give us the Holy Spirit. This gift will in turn give us the strength we need to witness to him before others, to become martyrs for the faith. It’s another way of saying that the Spirit empowers us to take up our crosses and to follow our Lord.

And that leads us to the verse from 1 Peter. The apostle reminds us that we can rejoice in sharing Christ’s sufferings. This tells us what it means to live with the power of the Spirit, to be witnesses, to become martyrs, to take up our crosses. We share in Christ’s sufferings, but then that means that he shares in our suffering for his sake.

John’s gospel, finally, brings to mind the old saying about how we truly come to know someone when we have walked in his or her shoes, when we have shared the joys and sorrows of another’s life. I think that’s what Jesus had in mind when he prayed to his Father on our behalf and bound together the gift of eternal life with knowing God our Father and his Son in the love of their Spirit. He prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3, NRSV).

When we hear that word, “know,” we easily take it to mean knowing like we know the cashier at the grocery store, or maybe the person who delivers the mail, or our next-door neighbor, or maybe a son or daughter, a niece or nephew. We can identify them by their hair, their shapes of their faces, their distinctive laughs, perhaps the lists of hobbies and pastimes that bring them joy.

And that’s all part of knowing. But to know God is much more. It’s a little like how you know, when you get up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water, just where the light switch is—so many steps, so far from the doorway, so high up on the wall—that your hand just goes to the right spot without needing to think about it.

Knowing God is like that. It’s knowing about him, about his mighty works, his acts of power and mercy, but it’s also knowing him with our whole selves. That’s why Jesus said the great commandment was, “… you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30, NRSV).

We can only do that because Jesus has given us the gift of his Holy Spirit. That’s where we get the strength to persevere, to be obedient, and to serve. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we become witnesses, martyrs for the faith. We receive the blessing of grace so that we can rejoice in sharing Christ’s sufferings. We come to know God with all that is in us. And in that knowledge, we share in the eternal life that the Father and the Son enjoy in the communion of their Holy Spirit.

So, in these days that fall between the times, between the wonder of the Ascension and the mystery of Pentecost, we can rest together in the peace of God—the peace that does pass all understanding—we can listen to the voice of our Lord, and we can get ready to join Peter and the whole Church and “be glad and shout for joy when [Christ’s] glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13, NRSV). Amen.

No Objections

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Introduction

The people of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., have organized a Spirit-Driven Task Force, bringing together almost forty members who have committed to a year of study, prayer, reflection, and deliberation to discern how God is calling the congregation to renewal for the sake of his mission.

This is the seventh of a series of weekly reflections with the aim to inspire reflection and encourage conversation among the members of the task force as we journey together in obedience to our Lord’s calling to serve him.

Rod Koehler, a member of the Spirit Driven Task Force Steering Committee, wrote this meditation.

Meditation

Acts 10:46b–48 says, “Then Peter asked, ‘Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.”

No Objections: No one can properly object when the Holy Spirit has clearly been involved. So Gentiles were baptized and their fellow Jewish and Gentile Christians had become friends and they shared their lives together in Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers the Word to convict their hearts and the Spirit is also the power behind their fellowship. They are one family, filled by the same Holy Spirit. They will break down barriers and live as one!

Prayer

Father in heaven, please forgive the petty things we keep doing against each other—whether at school, on the job, in our homes, or in our churches. Convict us, and call us to your holy grace so that we will remove the barriers between us and any of your followers who call upon your name. Amen.

Lord Jesus, Come In

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Introduction

The people of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., have organized a Spirit-Driven Task Force, bringing together almost three dozen members who have committed to a year of study, prayer, reflection, and deliberation to discern how God is calling the congregation to renewal for the sake of his mission.

This is the sixth of a series of weekly reflections with the aim to inspire reflection and encourage conversation among the members of the task force as we journey together in obedience to our Lord’s calling to serve him.

Kurt Kechely, convener of the Spirit Driven Task Force, wrote this meditation.

Meditation

Read two scriptures: 1 Peter 2:2,5—“like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” and “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Building a Spiritual House: When I call repair technicians to come to my home to fix something, I may tell them to just let themselves in if I’m not there. They are invited to take action. In a similar way, when Peter writes, “let yourselves be built into a spiritual house,” he is inviting us to take action. This spiritual building doesn’t happen by being passive.

Taking time for devotions, praying regularly, and attending worship services are good practices for building a spiritual house. They are undergirded by our faith that God is a constant presence in our lives. With further spiritual practices, it is possible to increase our awareness of God’s presence, as well as our sense of what God might be saying to us. There is a wide array of practices that can help us build a spiritual house. A very simple meditation technique is this: at a moment where there are few distractions, close your eyes and take a deep breath. As you breathe in, say to yourself, “Lord Jesus, come in.” Repeat this two more times. Then see what thoughts and feelings come to mind, and ponder if they might be something God wants you to pay attention to.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, come in. Lord Jesus, come in. Lord Jesus, come in. Amen.

Commitment to the One

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Introduction

The people of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., have organized a Spirit-Driven Task Force, bringing together almost three dozen members who have committed to a year of study, prayer, reflection, and deliberation to discern how God is calling the congregation to renewal for the sake of his mission.

This is the fifth of a series of weekly reflections with the aim to inspire reflection and encourage conversation among the members of the task force as we journey together in obedience to our Lord’s calling to serve him.

The Rev. Ron Drury, pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, wrote this meditation.

Meditation

“Into your hands I commend my spirit, for you have redeemed me. O LORD, God of truth.”

—Psalm 31:5, Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW)

Committing our entire being to GOD in a loving relationship is not just “one” of the important choices we make as followers of JESUS…it is the crucial core of our life in Christ!!! These words are also found quoted by JESUS in Luke 23:46, and were the final prayer of our LORD from The Cross and are the central reality of this 31st Psalm.

JESUS in his life and death found comfort and guidance in the plea of the psalmist. They appear to be just as apropos for us and for all in this Season of Easter as well as anytime throughout the church year. In a similar fashion, the refrain from our “Hymn of the Season” for “The Resurrection of Our LORD” proclaims our deepest need:

“Shepherd me O God, beyond my wants, beyond my fears, from death into life.”

—ELW #780, “Shepherd Me, O God”

Our life is not meant to be stuck in the muck of life, but rather one of being lifted up! If our focus is anywhere but in GOD, we are living a less than an abundant life and are dying.

Each of the refrains quoted above are keys to our living this reality as the “Resurrected people of GOD”!!! Please consider placing one or both of these in your heart for continual reflection. We as the sheep of Shepherd of the Hills daily praying for THE GREAT SHEPHERD to receive, redeem and shepherd each of us and everyone, would powerfully impact our serving as we give our all into GOD’S Hands each day! In making Psalm 31 our own we are immersed into the voice and prayer of JESUS. In a small way we gain a glimpse of JESUS relationship with his/THE Father! Only in JESUS can we pray FATHER!

Please take a moment to read and reflect on all 24 verses of Psalm 31. GOD is also our: Refuge; Deliverer; Righteousness; Listener; Strong Rock; Castle; Crag; Stronghold; Tower of Strength; Redeemer; LORD; Truth; Steadfast Love; Wondrous; Protector; Shelter; Trustworthy; and The Encourager! As you reflect on Psalm 31, please listen for the describing and clarifying words of how GOD desires to reveal divine presence!!!

Please pray with me these words from Psalm 31 and our “Hymn of the Season”.

Prayer

In YOU, O LORD, have I taken refuge; incline your ear to me; Be my strong rock; Into your hands I commend my spirit, for you have redeemed me; Shepherd me O God; My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love; from death into life – in JESUS! Amen.

SHALOM
Pastor Ron Drury

Well Done, Steward

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This is the fourth in a series of reflections offered as part of my service with the Stewardship Ministry at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., where Anne and I are members.

Thirty-five years ago this June, I was confirmed by Dr. Wallace E. Fisher at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Pa. Pastor Fisher has long ago retired and entered the Church Triumphant. Even so, his words still influence me, even after all these years. He wrote a number of books. One of those is entitled All the Good Gifts: On Doing Biblical Stewardship. In it, he said:

The essence of Christians stewardship … is to do God’s will with Christ as guide and support. This stewardship is every Christian’s true vocation. The community of persons called and empowered to take up this task is Christ’s church. The gospel, the church, and God’s stewardship [his total plan of salvation] are inextricably bound together. To separate any one from the other two is to obscure God’s self-revelation and distort the purpose of Christ’s church. Biblical stewardship is not a fund raising process that keeps the church “running.” It is every Christian’s essential vocation. The church is responsible to God for its proper custodianship of his good gifts—life, earth, cosmos, and his Word (p. 35).

Dr. Fisher’s insights are powerful and inspiring. They help me to remain focused on Jesus Christ, who stands at the root and core of our faith. This short excerpt from his book offers several perspectives from which we can view our stewardship ministry together at Shepherd of the Hills Church.

  • Stewardship is not primarily about money; it focuses us upon our calling to tend all the good gifts God has given to us.
  • Because stewardship runs throughout our lives as Christians, we should expect to hear about, discuss, and pray for our stewardship at every turn in our life together.
  • God makes us responsible for stewardship. When he entrusts us with that responsibility, he also blesses us with the insights and the means to serve faithfully.

As we carry out our vocation to serve as God’s stewards, we can pray that the day will come when our Lord will say to us what the master said to his slave in one of Jesus’s parables:

Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.

—Matthew 25:21, New Revised Standard Version

Please pray that God will stir up in us a sense of responsibility for his good gifts, so that we may live as faithful stewards, serving him to his glory.

David M. Frye, Stewardship Ministry

Our Shepherd and Guardian

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Introduction

The people of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., have organized a Spirit-Driven Task Force, bringing together almost three dozen members who have committed to a year of study, prayer, reflection, and deliberation to discern how God is calling the congregation to renewal for the sake of his mission.

This is the fourth of a series of weekly reflections with the aim to inspire reflection and encourage conversation among the members of the task force as we journey together in obedience to our Lord’s calling to serve him.

Meditation

This Sunday’s readings are like a tapestry with a gold thread winding its way through the texts, a thread that binds us to them with the word “shepherd.” We often call this Shepherd Sunday because the readings depict Jesus Christ as the shepherd. If we turn to the second reading, we hear what St. Peter writes,

For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls (1 Peter 2:25, NRSV).

It’s easy for us to picture Jesus as a gentle shepherd, calling lovingly to his sheep by name, leading the flock to green grass and cool springs, carrying the strays home on his shoulders, and opening the gate to the sheepfold. And these are all good and true and beautiful parts of how Jesus shepherds us. But as the shepherd, he also guards and protects us. A shepherd in the ancient Middle East would carry a crook, a hooked staff like the one on the cross in our sanctuary. Sometimes the crook would serve as a rescue hook to pull a sheep from a ravine, but on other occasions, the shepherd would wield the crook as a weapon, beating back attacks from wild animals and perhaps sheep-stealers.

Maybe a little of that sense of the shepherd as protector comes to life in St. Peter’s phrase calling Christ the “guardian of your souls.” It’s comforting to know he is watching out for us. And as the verse reminds us, his protection extends to us when we have returned from our straying ways, called back by the shepherd.

This insight into our Lord as Shepherd and Guardian helps to guide our work as the members of the Spirit Driven Task Force. It leads us to ask some questions:

  • What does it look like for us to follow the Shepherd?
  • Have we strayed from his path individually, congregationally, and denominationally? What does that look like?
  • When do we hear his voice?
  • What is he calling us to do in his name?
  • What threats do we face in following him?
  • How does he guard us from those threats?

Prayer

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, though your people walk in the valley of darkness, no evil should they fear; for they follow in faith the call of the shepherd whom you have sent for their hope and strength. Attune our minds to the sound of his voice, lead our steps in the path he has shown, that we may know the strength of his outstretched arm and enjoy the light of your presence for ever. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen. (The Liturgy of the Hours II, p. 756.)

David M. Frye
Friday of the Third Week of Easter
May 13, 2011

Encounter on the Way

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Introduction

The people of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, Hickman, Neb., have organized a Spirit-Driven Task Force, bringing together almost three dozen members who have committed to a year of study, prayer, reflection, and deliberation to discern how God is calling the congregation to renewal for the sake of his mission.

This is the third of a series of weekly reflections with the aim to inspire reflection and encourage conversation among the members of the task force as we journey together in obedience to our Lord’s calling to serve him.

Meditation

This Sunday’s Gospel, Luke 24:13–35, takes us on a journey with a pair of travelers on the road to Emmaus. They encounter a man, share with him the earthshaking news of Jesus’ crucifixion and his appearances—raised!—to some women and several of his followers. The stranger, in turn, interprets the Scriptures to show them how they refer to the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

At the end of the day, the travelers say to the man, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over” (Luke 24:29, New American Bible). He does. He shares a meal with them: “And it happened that, while he was with them, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that, their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight” (Luke 24:30–31, NAB).

The travelers remark to one another, “Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32, NAB)

The Church sees in this Gospel the basics of its life: we encounter the risen Christ on the way—the journey of our lives—in the interpretation of the Scriptures and the breaking of the bread. Right here are the fundamentals of our worship: Word and Sacrament. These are the ways—the means, the methods, the media—through which God our Father has chosen to reveal himself to us in his risen Son by the power of their Holy Spirit.

When we gathered for our first time together as the members of the Spirit-Driven Task Force, we committed to immersing ourselves in God’s Word, to digging into the Scriptures, to asking ourselves what they say about the life God desires for our congregation and for us as individuals. We will be blessed when we do that. We are blessed as well by coming to the Lord’s Table and by feasting upon his Holy Meal, because there the risen Lord opens our eyes so we may recognize him.

Like the travelers on the Road to Emmaus, we too can invite our Lord to “stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over.” We too can say to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”

These are the times and ways and places that our risen Lord has promised to be present in our midst and to give us the blessings of faith. When we attend to him and to his Word and to his Meal, then we will find ourselves driven by his Holy Spirit. This is all we need to carry out the mission we have received from God.

David M. Frye
Friday of the Second Week of Easter
May 6, 2011