Prayer: Almighty God, stay with us as we venture forth from the protection of our homes into the world you have prepared for us. Continue to be our blanket of protection from those who try to tear us form you. Help guide them to the love we have come to know from you. Show your grace and mercy to all the Earth through us, your humble servants. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 35: 1-3 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: King David’s psalm starts in a way so that it seems as though God is being asked to fight our battles with us and to take sides. The psalm is truly asking for God to protect us. We ask God to help us keep at bay the ones who rise up to bring us down from the glory of his love. He is asked to help us stay safe from those trying to erase what we have. Jesus protects us and that is what we ask of God every day. The burdens of our hearts cannot be lifted without the help of God to take them from us. Those people who attempt to break people from their relationships with God will be turned away because those who ask for God’s help to stay close to him shall always receive it. The help God provides is unyielding, even though at times we think it might break. When we feel as though it might break, those are the times when it is necessary to trust even more, and in a sense “burrow” deeper into the protection God gives us. God will pick up the shield and buckler against our pursuers, even to just keep them at bay. There is not a day that goes by that God is not there for us, and he will always say to our souls, “I am your salvation.” The future holds more challenges both physically and spiritually and God will always be there to protect us. There is no place we can go where this task for God is impossible! Just remember that no matter what happens, God will be there for us and will be there to life us up from our lowest points. --Adam Joraskie
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Prayer: Stay with us, Lord, hold us; guide and comfort us. Be with us in joy and sorrow. Amen.
Reading: Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: This week, we’ve been reading about Jesus being our king and being an extraordinary one at that. We have learned about a life of service and being humble in our actions. As I reflect on our readings this week, I see this theme: life in Jesus. What is our life like when we believe and follow Jesus? It is a life that is not always easy, but one that if filled with the love of God. In life, Jesus walks with us, holds our hand, and cares for us. Isn’t that good news? --Chad Hershberger Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of your life for our sins. Amen.
Reading: Romans 7: 15- 25a (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: I believe it was Martin Luther that said something to the effect that the Law is the mirror with which we see that we need Christ. (If you are a more astute theologian than me, let me know his exact quote or if it was someone else!) Jesus came to abolish the law. We now live in an age of grace. We are to show others the love that Jesus showed to us. As we look this week about our king, Jesus, let us be reminded that we are not subject to the law but subject to the king, who died to take away our sins! --Chad Hershberger |
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