Prayer: God, we know you supply our needs. Help us to share what you give us with others and trust you for all we need. Amen.
Reading: Exodus 17:1-7 (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 can’t imagine one of our camper groups going on their overnight camping trip and not having water. We always make sure that we take water with us and have enough for our stay in the woods. But in our story today, Moses and the Israelites didn’t have enough water. And they looked to their leader to supply it for them. And, Moses looked to God and God provided. But he had to trust in God. Do we trust in God to supply our needs? Or, do we “stock up” so we know we will have enough. Maybe God’s timing isn’t always our timing, but God always supplies! --Chad Hershberger
0 Comments
Prayer: Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love, show us how to service the neighbors we have from you. Amen
Reading: Exodus 4:10-11 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 month, on Fridays, we’ll look at our Day 5 summer curriculum as part of our theme, “A Love That Never Ends.” To recap, we are looking at heroes of the Old Testament and how God loved them and how that love is in our lives today, too. We’ve looked at Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the Israelites, Jonah, Ruth and Naomi, and finally Jeremiah. Our reading for today is one of the alternate texts for Day 5, the day we help campers prepare for reentry. We want to send them home looking to share God’s love. And so today’s text. Undoubtedly, many of the campers will feel uncomfortable about telling their families and friends about the love they experienced at camp. That’s understandable and one of the reasons this conversation between Moses and God is a text for Fridays. If Moses was uncomfortable then it is o.k. for campers to voice hesitancy. And God’s response to Moses is basically, “I’s o.k. Moses. I give you everything you need to do the job.” So, we will encourage campers. And you, reader, what is your discomfort about talking to others of God’s love in your life? Anything you or I say at this point is just an excuse. God gives us the gifts to speak love in our world. Let’s stop making excuses and get on with it. --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff Prayer: Lord, show me your mercy that I may be merciful today. Amen
Reading: Luke 10:25-37 (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: The curriculum on Day 4 this summer at camp encourages us to love our family, friends and neighbors. The main text is the first 18 verses of Ruth in which Naomi is left in a foreign land with no husband and no sons, just her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. We know that story—Orpah stayed in Moab, but Ruth traveled back to Judah with her mother-in-law showing Naomi incredible love. Today we revisit the Parable of the Good Samaritan. We are to love God and we are to love our neighbor. So very often we are like the lawyer and want to test Jesus. Who is my neighbor? Are there any parameters to put around those who we are to love? Aren’t there some people I shouldn’t love? Neighbor—that could be everybody. Aren’t there some limits? In the midst of our questions, Jesus tells us this story again. Only he doesn’t answer any of our questions. He just shows us what acting neighborly looks like. In other words, He doesn’t define the other person but He defines us. Who is the neighbor to the one in need? The one who shows mercy. That’s how we are defined today—ones who show mercy. --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff Prayer: Lord, help me to love the immigrants in our midst.
Reading: Leviticus 19:33-34 33 Don’t mistreat any foreigners who live in your land. 34 Instead, treat them as well as you treat citizens and love them as much as you love yourself. Remember, you were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. 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: The curriculum on day 4 this summer at camp encourages us to love our family, friends and neighbors. The main text is the first 18 verses of Ruth in which Naomi is left in a foreign land with no husband and no sons, just her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. We know that story—Orpah stayed in Moab, but Ruth traveled back to Judah with her mother-in-law showing Naomi incredible love. Today we consider another way that we are called to love. We hear so much about what we should do with the people who cross our southern borders from Latin America. Immigrants. Some want them all deported. Some want barriers built anywhere they cross into the United States. Many perceive them as a threat. Many call them unfriendly, unwelcoming names How differently God instructed the Hebrews camped at the base of Mount Sinai. Today’s text was received along with the Ten Commandments and many other instructions for living in community. God tells the Hebrews to treat the foreigners (immigrants in some translations) “as you treat citizens.” And God goes on, “love them as much as you love yourself.” These words probably won’t affect our national policy toward the immigrants among us. But, I hope that today we personally take God’s words to heart and resolve to stand with the immigrants who reside in the United States. I don’t see that there is another option. --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff Prayer: Lord, help me to leave some for others. Amen
Reading: Leviticus 19:9-10 (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: The curriculum on day 4 this summer at camp encourages us to love our family, friends and neighbors. The main text is the first 18 verses of Ruth in which Naomi is left in a foreign land with no husband and no sons, just her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. We know that story—Orpah stayed in Moab, but Ruth traveled back to Judah with her mother-in-law showing Naomi incredible love. Today we consider another way that we are called to love. One of the annoyances for farmers is deer. As much as we like to see them, they eat a lot of corn. Even before the farmer can harvest the crop, the deer bed down in the middle of the field and munch away. I had a farmer friend in Union County who told me that he always planted 2 or 3 more rows of corn than he needed. Those were for the deer. They have to eat, too. In Leviticus, God instructs farmers when harvesting to leave some of the produce in the field and to leave some of the grapes hanging in the vineyard. Don’t pick it all. Leave some for the poor. And this isn’t just the excess. This is an intentional leaving of crops so that the poor can eat. Leaving behind food that the farmer could harvest and take to market for a profit. How might we find ways to leave some for others? How might we love the poor among us? It would be good for us today to somehow make food available to the poor. Don’t wait for the next community food drive. Let’s make some food available today. --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff Prayer: Help me to forgive, O Lord. Amen
Reading: Matthew 18:21-25 (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: Our Friday devotions this month look at Day 3 of our summer curriculum. This year, we will be studying “A Love That Never Ends,” looking at how five Old Testament heroes were shown love for God and learning how that love is part of our lives, too. On Wednesdays this summer, we will look at the story of Jonah. Jonah, of course, had a lot of trouble forgiving the people of the city of Nineveh. In fact, he did everything he could to avoid delivering God’s message to the town, because he just knew that God was going to forgive them. He just didn’t think that was right. “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” (Jonah 4:2). Fast forward to Peter wondering if Jesus wouldn’t quantify this forgiveness thing. How often should I forgive? Seven times? Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? Jesus ups the ante: Seventy-seven times. Depending on how that is translated it could be seventy times seven times. 490? Wow, like that’s really a lot! Neither Jonah nor Peter got it. And we probably don’t either. It’s not a matter of how often we are to forgive. It’s not really about justifying forgiveness or not forgiving. It’s about a God whose very being is forgiveness. It’s about being a forgiver. It’s about our very being--a forgiven forgiver. --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff Prayer: Thanks for your gifts, O God. Amen
Reading: Romans 3:22b-24 (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: Our Friday devotions this month look at Day 3 of our summer curriculum. This year, we will be studying “A Love That Never Ends,” looking at how five Old Testament heroes were shown love for God and learning how that love is part of our lives, too. On Wednesdays this summer, we will look at the story of Jonah. My mother taught that you never return a pie pan empty. If your neighbor brings you a pie, eat it, enjoy it, but don’t return the pie pan empty. Can’t do that. You have to give a gift back. I understand that. But, somehow along the line I learned that you can just eat the pie as a gift and not feel obligated to give something back. Because, I think, too often we fill the pie pan before we return it as a way of being worthy of the pie in the first place. Following me? I think we have a great deal of difficulty understanding God’s grace-gift, because we have difficulty with the idea of gift. Gifts are free. If not, then it’s not a gift. St. Paul says it rather succinctly. Sinner, justified. By grace—a gift. There’s not much more to say. --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff Prayer: Help us, God, to forgive as you forgive us. Amen.
Reading: Jonah 4: 1-11 (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: As we begin a new month, we also turn on Fridays to a look at Day 3 of our summer curriculum. This summer, we will be studying “A Love That Never Ends,” looking at how five Old Testament heroes were shown love for God and learning how that love is part of our lives, too. On Wednesdays this summer, we will look at the story of Jonah. Today, I’d ask you to ponder this story and answer the following questions:
If you have a chance today, go on a walk and look for rocks. Bring your rocks home. Then, think of someone who you should forgive. Carry this rock in your pocket for a day as a reminder of God’s forgiveness. At the end of the day, share a prayer, thanking God for forgiving us and asking for help in forgiving others. And think about how this lesson will be used this summer to teach our campers to forgive others as God forgives them. –Chad Hershberger, Camp Mount Luther Director Prayer: Lord, everlasting God, give me strength when I need it most. Amen Reading: Isaiah 40:28-31 (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: On Tuesdays this summer at Camp Mount Luther, we will be thinking about what God gives us. God’s gifts to us are evidence that His is A Love that Never Ends. So far on Fridays, these devotions have considered God’s gifts to the Israelites in the wilderness and gifts that sustain physically and spiritually. Today we consider the gift of a God who never grows weary. What exhausts you? Physically, emotionally, spiritually. What just plain wears you out? Physical fatigue? On-going emotional expenditures? Doubt? We all experience it sometime or other. Those this-just-must-stop moments. Isn’t it good to hear that our God is everlasting? Does not faint? Never grows weary? He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. What a great God. He raises us up on eagle’s wings. What an image. What a hymn! --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff Watch this video below of the song, "On Eagles Wings." Prayer: Lord, give us this the bread of life always. Amen
Reading: John 6:1-13, 31-35 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: On Tuesdays this summer at Camp Mount Luther, we will be thinking about what God gives us. God’s gifts to us are evidence that His is A Love that Never Ends. Last Friday our devotion dealt with that part of the Lord’s Prayer when we ask God to give us our daily bread. Today we consider another kind of feeding. Jesus breaks a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish and somehow feeds more than 5000 people! Obviously, there is more going on here than just having enough to hold us over until the next meal. There was once a restaurant in Harrisburg called Our Daily Bread. It was, in fact, one response to our prayer for daily bread. But this is different. No restaurant can give us the bread of life. Only Jesus can do that. The bread that satisfies our hunger for ever is a gift beyond our imagination. Obviously, it fulfills a hunger that isn’t signaled by a grumbling stomach. The bread of life fulfills our hunger to know that we are never outside of the love and grasp of our God. And we don’t always remember that. Sometimes we don’t believe that. So, it is good for us to pray the Lord’s Prayer to be reminded that God gifts us with all we need to sustain our physical lives. It is also good for us to pray as the disciples did, Sir, give us this bread always. A prayer-reminder that God holds us and won’t let go. --Jim Bricker, Chaplain to Camp Mount Luther’s Summer Staff Prayer: Dear God, we love you with all our heart, soul and strength. Help us to keep this commandment and teach it when home or away, when up or down. Whatever will help us remember, may we do it, for you are the Lord our God. Amen
Reading: Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 (Click to read text). This is one of the alternative texts for Day 1 of this year’s curriculum, “A Love that Never Ends.” Day 1 is about the Covenant with Abraham. 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 have come to the conclusion in my getting older age I remember best what I have heard in a song, especially if it is a verse from scripture. In Deuteronomy, the Israelites are told to remember God’s commandments by tying them as symbols on their hands, binding them to their foreheads and writing them on their door frames. For me, put the verse in a song and I will be singing it forever. And that is exactly how this commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and all your strength.” (v. 5) truly became ingrained in my mind and on my heart. It happened one of our first years of Family Camp at Camp Mount Luther. The scripture text becomes a 3 part round of 3 different variations on the same theme best taught and sung with 3 counselors running around the worship site with 3 large poster boards of the words to lead the round with the campers who have been divided into 3 groups. Sounds much more complicated than it really is and once you know it…well, you know it forever. Thank you Camp Mount Luther! Better than binding it to my forehead and certainly a way I can share it with others. I just need two other song leaders, 3 pieces of poster board and campers. Come to Camp Mount Luther and you can learn it, too! --Ruth Gates, Family Camper Prayer: Help us, God, to love ourselves, others, and you.
Reading: Genesis 17: 1-8 (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 summer, our curriculum is “A Love That Never Ends.” We’ll be looking at several Old Testament heroes and how God showed love to them and how we need to show love to others. Day 1’s story is the covenant with Abraham. So, who are we to love? A companion text for Monday is Mark 12: 28-31, which shows how the people of God are expected to follow the command to love God and to love others. Sometimes it is hard to love other people, isn’t it? What gets in our way of loving God? When is it difficult to love ourselves? Why do you think that Jesus said that this was the greatest commandment? Over the next few days, I challenge you to the time to tell or write something that you love about your family or friends. Share that with them. And share with someone how much you love God. –Chad Hershberger, Camp Mount Luther Director |
Authors
Anyone is welcome to contribute! If you'd like to write for us, please e-mail [email protected] Email
Get our daily devotions delivered to your e-mail box each day by signing up below:
Archives
May 2022
Subscribe |