Prayer: Lord, help us to know good and evil and to always choose good. Amen Reading: Genesis 3:1-7 (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: “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” I must be honest. I’ve never really been able to figure that one out. The best I can figure is that God knows good and evil when we don’t. I’m not sure. But I do know that generally we can tell the tell the difference between good and evil. Generally, that is. Sometimes we get into situations when it is difficult to determine the difference. And sometimes the snake in us convinces us that the evil is good. And we choose evil thinking it will be o.k. This time anyhow. And in the end God forgives us when we make the wrong choice. But that doesn’t justify or give us permission to choose evil. We really do need to try to know and choose good. It’s Shrove Tuesday. Have a donut yet today? Tomorrow Lent begins—Ash Wednesday. Not a bad time to remind ourselves to make a good effort to always take the time and effort to figure out what the good is. And then to choose good. --Jim Bricker
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Prayer: When we seem to be led into difficult times, strengthen us with your Word and send those to tend to us with care. Amen Reading: Matthew 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: Hard times come to everyone. Sometimes unexpectedly; sometimes we see them ahead. Not sure which is better or worse: to not see them coming or to know they are just around the corner. Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert so surely he knew he was in for a difficult time. After forty days of fasting, he was hungry and that is just when the devil started in on him. But for every tempting suggestion the devil had, Jesus had God's Word for an answer. Hungry? Turn stones into bread! No. God's word feeds me. Need help? Throw yourself down so the angels come to save you. No. I will not put God to the test. Okay, fine, bow down to me and I will put you in charge of everything. No. I will worship and serve only God. And with that, the devil left Jesus and angels came and attended him. Whether or not we see hard times coming, it would be best to have the Word on hand and in our hearts. Then, trust that care will be sent as needed. --Ruth Gates Editor’s Note: We continue to look at alternative texts today for Day 2 of this summer’s “The Water of Life” curriculum. Prayer: Lord God, great is your Name in all the Earth. Make us clean and holy for you. Wash us for the praise of your glory! Amen. Reading: Ezekiel 36: 22-26 (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: Many years ago, if you said something “dirty” a parent or grandparent might threaten to wash your mouth out with soap. I distinctly remember my cousin running out the back door to avoid the sudsy bar headed towards his “potty mouth.” When he returned a while later, he was cautioned to keep his mouth clean. I remember my brother looked at me like he was glad that we hadn’t repeated his words. If you haven’t tasted soap, don’t put it on the menu. Soap is not meant to be licked or eaten in any way—yuck! We have all said something we regret. We might even have a swear jar to put money in if we do. As Christians, we should all be sure to make sure that we are not using God’s Name in any unholy way. OMG is not a “clean” expression. Saying “Oh G-d,” as a surprise isn’t clean either. The Prophet Ezekiel shares the desire of God for us to be a squeaky clean people. God intends to keep washing us and cleaning us up. God wants us to only use God’s name in holy and good ways. The baptismal water-life means that we can call on the Name that cleans us and God will help us. The water of baptism, remembered in sprinkling and splashing, shows us that God aims to keep our mouths, hands, feet, ears,…all of us—clean! --Andrew Fitch Prayer: God, help us to hear you call our name and send us on your way. Amen. Reading: Psalm 2 (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: In our scriptures this week, we hear God’s voice several times saying, “You are my Son.” On the mountain of Transfiguration, God adds, “In whom I am well pleased.” In this Psalm today, we are reminded that God had begotten him. When I was growing up, my dad would sometimes refer to me as his “Number One Son.” I always liked hearing that, even knowing I was his only son. I call my son, “Buddy” quite a bit and one day when I called him by his given name, we remarked with a smile, “You called me Aaron, dad!” He enjoyed hearing his name. Our names are important. We tell our summer staff all the time that they need to learn camper’s names quickly and call them by name often. We see this in our passages this week. God calls Jesus by name and tells him how he feels. We, too, need to listen for God’s voice, as God calls us by name to do God’s work. –Chad Hershberger Occasionally, we will reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on August 1, 2013. Prayer: Meet us on the mountain, dear Lord, and help us to learn more about you. Reveal yourself to us every day. Amen. Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21 (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: In these verses, people went to the mountain to learn about God and follow God's teachings. They worshipped God there, probably because they felt close to God at the higher altitude. They felt peace at the top of the mountain. What do you do each week to learn more about God and God's teachings? How well do you follow those teachings? We each need to reflect on our own life and the part that God plays in our life. --Chad Hershberger, Camp Mount Luther Director Prayer: Help us to see you, O Lord. Amen.
Reading: Exodus 24:12-18 (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 Gospel reading for this Sunday is the Transfiguration. It is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. This story foreshadows what will happen when Jesus and his disciples go up the mountain and Jesus is revealed to them. I’ve been studying up on my Ten Commandments for a series I am going to do at my church for Lent. Reading about Moses going up to get the law has been intriguing. When I read this passage, I was struck by the fact that Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and 40 nights. Imagine being in God’s presence that long. It must have been quite a mountaintop experience for Moses. What are some of the mountaintop experiences you have witnessed? Where do you see God when you are on the top? Where do you see God in the valleys of life? As we think about Jesus being revealed this week, may we always look around us- up, down, left, and right, to see where God is in our lives. It will make every day a mountaintop experience. –Chad Hershberger Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for inviting us to follow you. Amen
Reading: Matthew 17: 1-9 (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 wonder how Jesus decided who to invite up to the mountain top to witness his Transfiguration. For some reason he asked Peter, James and his brother, John. Surely Jesus knew what was going to happen up there! First his face shown like the sun and his clothes became dazzling white. Then Moses and Elijah appeared and the three of them talked together. Last, a bright cloud overshadowed them and from the cloud came a voice saying, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" With that, Peter, James and his brother, John were flat out on the ground terrified. Not to mention just before that, Peter was ready to build a few shelters so they could all stay there for, oh maybe, forever? Did Jesus shake his head and doubt his invitation list? Did he think, "Well, I thought that was going to go better." Did he give up on his followers; ditching them to find others when he got off that mountain? Ones who wouldn't come up with crazy ideas about setting up tents or collapse in shock when they saw God in action in a really big way? Truth be told, we are all invited. God calls all of us to see and seek his will. Jesus wants all us to walk with him. The Spirit is in all our hearts working wonders. Sure, we may come up with some crazy ideas; some may work and some may not. There may be times when we feel flattened by life or flat out amazed by God. But we are all invited and, like Peter, James and John, we have a story to tell. That story may sound like an invitation, too. Who will you invite? --Ruth Gates Editor’s Note: We continue to look at alternative texts today for Day 2 of this summer’s “The Water of Life” curriculum.
Prayer: We thank you, Lord, for claiming us in the waters of baptism. Amen. Reading: Matthew 3: 1-17 (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: In the cold days of winter, it is delightful to think of the warm and hot days spent by the pool or the creek. The hotter the days, the more magnetic the water seems to become. Even those that don’t really want to swim that day have their feet in and are happy to be splashed by the goofballs and whipper-snappers. The cannonball, belly flop, or biggest splash competitions cannot be spitefully aimed at the dry row of edge sitters. In the heat, they cheer and welcome the splash. Do we see the Baptism of Jesus as a tame thing, with the water barely parting to receive the Creator of all that is aquatic? Or was there a large splash with water droplets flying around. Did a small wave or set of ripples race away from his descent into the Spirit Water? It might be better for us to see this scene as splashing and lively. It would be good to envision that if we were there, we would be in the “splash zone.” Baptism is not only reverent and special, holy and honored. It is also fun and full of life, kooky and weird to the world. It is delightful and refreshing, inspiring and awesome. Who wins the biggest splash competition? God. God is a show-off and always wins (even when playing against our worst enemies). --Andrew Fitch Occasionally, we will reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on February 20, 2014.
Prayer: Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Amen. Reading: Psalm 119:33-40 (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: Psalm 119 is a big long, love poem about God's law, or in other words, God's written instructions. Well, that sure is a good thing as life is full of uncertainties and I am all for instructions. God has given us a reliable guide for living; a rope to hold onto to pull us through the muck of life. So, with the Psalmist we ask the Lord to teach us God's decrees. We should not see God’s law as a dusty, rigid rulebook but rather we can hear God’s loving voice in it. In God's Word we find direction and we find God himself. His law helps us regain confidence. I will think about this as I walk the paths of Camp Mount Luther this summer during Family Camp. Come to Camp and walk some paths yourself! May you find God; may you find delight. --Ruth Gates Prayer: Help me take care of your temple, God. Amen.
Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 (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’ve been thinking about God’s temple lately. That is, my body. I know that I need to eat healthier, need to exercise more, and need to get in shape so that I can try to prevent health problems in the future. My college roommate and I were talking recently about trying to lose weight and he said, “It’s hard because I like to eat!” But we are God’s temple. God’s Spirit dwells in each of us. We are holy. We are just stewards of this earthly body that God has given us. It is God’s, so we should take care of it. Next time I go for that second cookie, I hope I can think about this verse and have some will power to remember that what I’m putting in my body, I’m putting in God’s temple. Maybe I won’t crave that chocolate chip cookie as much as before! --Chad Hershberger Occasionally, we will reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on February 18, 2014.
Prayer: Teach us, O God -- and reteach us as often as needed -- how to live according to your laws, how to bring your commandments to life through our words and actions each day. Amen. Reading: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 (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 book of Leviticus gets a bad rap for its tedious outlining of God's law. It is the rare legalist who dives enthusiastically into these twenty-seven chapters of religious rules and codes. But if you read Leviticus 19 for today, you may be surprised to find some familiar words. "Revere your mother and father. Keep my Sabbaths. Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves. You shall not steal. You shall not swear falsely in my name." Recognize these statements from the Ten Commandments? In this chapter and throughout Leviticus, God interprets and elaborates upon the basic commandments, so that the people understand how to incorporate those laws into their lives. "You shall not steal. Not only should you not take what belongs to someone else, but also you should not defraud others and you should not be slow to pay your employees." The Ten Commandments may be straightforward, but applying them to our lives is less so. It's all well and good, for example, to say "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" but what exactly does that action look like in daily life? How do you love your next-door neighbor and how do you love a stranger? How do you love the parent or sibling with whom you've been feuding? How do you love the persons living in places where our country has dropped bombs? "Love" is simple enough to say, but like all of God's laws, so much more challenging to live. -- Rachel Hackenberg Prayer: Help us to see what happens to us in the light of what good it can do. Amen
Reading: Matthew 5: 38-48 (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 same sun that melts the wax can harden clay; and the same rain that drowns the rat can grow the hay. and the same wind that knocks us down, if we lean into it, will drive our fears away. ~ from an Amy Grant song Part of the message of the text today is that God makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends the rain to fall on the righteous and on the unrighteous. As children of our Father in heaven, we all get the same. It's a matter of what we do with it. The same sun can melt and harden. The same rain can drown or bring growth. And as the song above goes, the same wind can either knock us down or, if we lean into it, drive our fears away. What will you do with the sun and the rain in your life? Will the winds knock you down or drive your fears away? --Ruth Gates Editor’s Note: We continue to look at alternative texts today for Day 2 of this summer’s “The Water of Life” curriculum.
Prayer: Dear God, help me to find you and be with me in my seeking. Make me aware of all that you do to love me. Use me as a light for those who are trying to find you and know you. Amen. Reading: John 3:1-8 (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: I know a few people (who will go unnamed) that are really bad at playing seek games—even in the light of day. I am thinking Easter egg hunts and stuff like that. I know it isn’t close to Easter, but they had a particularly hard time finding eggs that were in the open. You know, the really brightly colored ones, too! In their defense, sometimes finding is difficult. Playing hide and seek type games in the dark is even more challenging (and fun!). Nicodemus didn’t want to be found out. He only wanted to ask Jesus some questions. He didn’t want his friends to know that he was curious about Jesus and his teachings. I admire how much courage it must have taken Nicodemus to seek Jesus, and find the courage to ask the questions he was really wondering about. I am sure that he was a bit confused about Jesus describing to him the water-life of his love. The blending of water and spirit makes Holy Baptism and the life of the disciple that follows. Being born into water-life goes beyond regular water into life with God forever. I am glad that John bothers to tell us at the end of the story (Jn. 19:39) that Nicodemus was still around, honoring the care of Jesus’ body in death. He was still seeking. He hadn’t given up completely. Although, I am sure that he had a really big surprise when Sunday morning came rolling around and the stone had been rolled away! Oh how shocked he must have been to hear that Jesus’ strange answers about water-life were from a man that would not stay dead. Jesus’ water is truly alive! --Andrew Fitch Prayer: For today Lord, just a happy feeling would mean the most. May we find our joy in you. Amen
Reading: Psalm 119: 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: I am not sure because I have not checked, but I think Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm of them all. 176 verses! Good thing we only have to read verses 1-8 for today. And I especially like how the first three verses are helpful hints for how to be Happy. Go back and read them again or for the first time if you skipped that step above. It's only three, well really eight, verses. You can do it. It's not like reading all 176 and they just might help you feel happy. I think that's all I need to know (or write) for today. We'll say this is the shortest devotion written about the beginning of the longest Psalm. One word: Happy. --Ruth Gates Prayer: Dear Father, may we hear your message in a way we understand. Amen
Reading: I Corinthians 3: 1-9 (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: Ever notice how people talk to babies? Their eyebrows go up, they grin ear to ear and their voice is an octave higher in a singing sort of way. Some people find this very annoying. Unfortunately we really don't know what babies think about this. Generally they do happily smile and coo back so we figure the communication is working. Paul wrote to the people of Corinth explaining that he spoke to them as infants of Christ. Can you picture Paul talking to them how we talk to babies? That would be pretty comical but if the communication was working that way, then that is what he had to do. Okay, Paul probably did not literally raise his eyebrows, exaggerate a smile and use a high sing-song voice but he did have to talk to them in a way they would understand. And frankly, the message of God's love, forgiveness and will and how to live it in this world is sometimes so confounding and confusing, I think we all need it brought down to a simple level. Like explaining something to a child. Perhaps a song with a smile would work. Jesus loves me. This I know, For the Bible tells me so. --Ruth Gates Prayer: Dear God, help us make good choices and learn from our mistakes. Thank you for your love and mercy always. Amen
Reading: Deuteronomy 30: 15-20 (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: Choices. Somewhere along the way in either education or parenting or both, the phrase, "Make good choices." became the way to bring about best behavior. "Make good choices." If I heard it once I heard it a thousand times. If I said it once, I said it a thousand times! Then I heard a parent tell their child, "Make good choices. Learn from your mistakes." I had to laugh and think and laugh some more (and think again). Because obviously good choices are the way to go but everyone makes mistakes and there has to be some sort of way to come back around from that. Deuteronomy 30: 15-20 spells out what a good choice and a bad choice would be and the consequences of each. And in true Old Testament form, the consequences are either extremely good or extremely bad. We are going to make both kinds of choices and deal with both kinds of consequences but hopefully not always to such extremes. Learning from mistakes would point us in the right direction again. --Ruth Gates Prayer: Forgiving Lord, help us to be reconciled with our brothers and sisters. Our anger separates us from each other and from you. Make us one in spirit so then we can offer each other and you our best. Amen
Reading: Matthew 5: 21-27 (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: Seems as soon as people divide into distinct groups for whatever reason (too often an angry one), the next thing you know, the differing groups divide again among themselves. It simply is not possible for everyone to agree on everything and left to that, everyone ends up alone and lonely anyway. Well, in a way, we are alone. We are each individual and unique children of God. We simply are not going to look, think, act, work, play, worship or anything exactly alike. So, it's either be reconciled or be lonely. In being reconciled to each other, we go from lonely individuals to a community of God's children giving our best to each other and to God. --Ruth Gates Prayer: We are blessed by the newness of life you give us, Lord, and are grateful that you claim us as your own.
Reading: Mark 1: 4-11 (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: Now that it is February, we’ll look this month on Fridays at Day 2 of our summer curriculum, “The Water of Life.” Day 2’s theme is “In the River—Birth and Belonging” as we look at how God claims us through the waters of baptism. Today’s story is the Baptism of Jesus. In this story from the Gospel of Mark, John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River. John had many followers and had baptized many people, but when he baptizes Jesus, something exciting happens. How do you think the crowd reacted when Jesus was baptized and they heard a voice from heaven? John had told the people that someone greater than he was coming. Do you think the people thought that Jesus was the one that John spoke about? John made it clear that Jesus would be different. What do you think the people were expecting from Jesus? Today, as you pass by water sources (such as a pool, lake, stream, a sprinkler in your backyard, or even your kitchen faucet), think about all of the ways you use water in a single day. How many uses can you think of? Think of all of the things that you wash using water. When something is washed, you can’t see where it had been dirty. It is like new. In baptism, we are made new! --Chad Hershberger Prayer: Let my abundant light shine in the darkness to others to see, God. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 112 (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 close out our look at this week’s readings, today we will look more closely at light. I’m struck by the verse in our Psalm today that says, “They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright.” In the past few weeks, I’ve been feeling like we are living in dark times. Not only have I not seen the sun very much in our Pennsylvania skies, but our country seems to be so split in our views on national issues and politics. I’m getting to the point where I can’t watch the news on TV or read social media posts without getting frustrated. When I feel that way, I think about God and how I might shine my light into the dark corners of life. Perhaps I can be one of those who “rise in the darkness as a light.” Maybe you will join me? Writing these devotions this week has helped me to remember that despite how I’m feeling about our current state of affairs, that God’s love never ends. The abundant grace we are showered with is reason enough for me to be salt and light to the world. God is good all the time! I need to help others see that in their darkness. –Chad Hershberger Prayer: Holy Spirit, guide my words and actions as I share God’s love with others. Amen.
Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 (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 talk this week about being salt and light in the world and sharing God’s abundant grace, I wonder if you, like me, wonder how we might achieve that? Paul gives us some clues in today’s reading. I think Paul is telling us that we don’t have to think of huge, grand ways to share God’s grace and love. In fact, simple things are probably better. We may not always have the You words we feel are right to say to others about God, but neither did Paul. He tells us that his speech was not with “plausible words of wisdom” but the Spirit led him to say what he needed to say in whatever situation he was presented. We will be led that way, too. And, maybe it’s not only in our words, but also our actions. You never know how a small thing you do for someone may change their life as they see God’s love in action. –Chad Hershberger |
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