Prayer: Lord, stay with me when I doubt and help me to always want more from my faith. Keep my questions going and my faith strong. Amen.
Reading: John 20: 24-31 (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: When Jesus died, he appeared to his disciples on several occasions. He met them on a road, he helped them fish, he waited for them by his tomb and so on. And these are good stories and all, but the one that always fascinated me the most is Jesus appearing to Thomas. I think Thomas gets a bad rap because he doubted, but the thing that makes me feel warm inside is that he doubted and he was one of the disciples. He met Jesus, he learned from him, he was friends with him, he left everything to follow him, and he still doubted. I believe with all my heart that it is okay to doubt. Without doubt, there is no faith. The questions we ask are sometimes more important than the answers we may or may not get. So Thomas was upset and he was mourning the loss of his friend. He asked for proof and he got it. Jesus is constantly proving himself to us, we just have to ask and wait for it. And in the meantime, we can talk with each other and learn all that we can to grow in our faith. Jesus says, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” We are not all going to get black and white proof. Jesus knew there was going to a billion (rough estimate) more people like Thomas, constantly seeking proof, always wanting affirmation that Jesus died for us. We just need faith to get us there. To me, this is almost as difficult as comprehending grace. I know I will spend the rest of my life asking questions and searching for answers; but, at the end of the day it is faith I need, not proof. And when I accept that, maybe I’ll receive the proof I want. Besides, there would be no fun if we knew all the answers, right? --Hannah Boston
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Prayer: Help us to hear you, O Lord, and listen to what you are saying. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 81: 1, 10-16 (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: I don’t yell at my children too often. But when I do get frustrated and raise my voice, it usually is because they have not listened and done what I’ve asked them to do. Especially when I ask several times and my words are not heeded. Then I get angry and yell. In this passage, there are many times that we see the word, “listen.” I wonder what God feels like when God is telling me something and I don’t heed God’s voice. Does God get angry? Or does God gentle keep telling me so I will hear and listen and do what I am to do? Maybe we all need to listen just a little better! --Chad Hershberger We often reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on August 24, 2016.
Prayer: God of our faith, may the leaders who spoke your Word to us in the past inspire us to be faithful followers to do good and to share with others. Amen. Reading: Hebrews 13: 1-8, 15-16 (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: Though we are members of the same Church, there are many churches that have influenced our ever-growing faith…and within those churches, perhaps an uncountable number of Leaders as written in today’s verses. In your life who helped form your faith and continues to do so today? Are your faith leaders those teachers of your childhood who first read the popular and heroic Bible stories and sang those old hymn standards on Sundays and at Vacation Bible Schools? Are they the church camp counselors of your early teen years who mixed their faith stories with summer fun, campfires and late nights? Or perhaps the campus pastor who first challenged your child-like faith with new ways of considering the law and gospel? And as an adult, who are your faith role models whose lives’ outcome you can consider and imitate…to ensure you are connected to the Body of Christ, nurturing your faith and helping you to find ways to share the good news with those known and unknown to you? Share a prayer of thanksgiving for the impact they had on the person you have become. Turn this thought around now. Through your words and deeds, think of the many people who probably look to you to be their leader in faith, who view your commitments and sacrifices…and are encouraged to do good deeds and to share with others. May you be inspired and supported by the Holy Spirit to quietly model your faith for all to see. --Andy Gates Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your constant relationship with us and the hope we find in you. May we always turn to you rather than away from you. In your holy name, Amen.
Reading: Jeremiah 2:4-13 (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 Jeremiah speaks the words of the Lord, he shows the Lord’s heart for this people. The books of the prophets in the old testament can be a bit daunting sometimes. I will be honest, when I started writing this devotion I read the passage probably three or four times without feeling a solid understanding of it. There is one thing that stuck out to me every time, and that is God’s willingness to be in relationship with us. In this passage, the God is questioning why God’s people continue to stray and worship false idols despite the constant guidance and blessings being offered to them. God is distressed over this, it hurts his heart because of the love he has for his people, his creation. When you take a step back and look at this passage in the context of the entire Bible, the entire redemption story, it should fill you with hope. We know what happens in the New Testament, we know that Jesus has died for all of the sins of the world, and we can find hope in how God works through the strained relationships. When you stray, know that God is still waiting for you, to share his love with you. --Anne Harshbarger Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank you for the special gifts you have given every one of us, and for giving each of us a seat at your table. Amen.
Reading: Luke 14: 1, 7-14 (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: God has created every one of us with special and unique gifts that God wants us to share with each other and with the world. We each have strengths where others have weaknesses, and vice versa. It is important that within our communities, we recognize that each person has something special they can contribute toward forming a community that is whole and complete. For us as Christians, we are called to reject conformity to the world by living in God’s likeness. One way we can do this is to be as inclusive as God is, which means acknowledging each person’s unique value and making them feel that they belong. Everyone is welcome to God’s family, and everyone has a seat at God’s table. In this world, how often do we welcome all people to our families? Do we have seats at our tables for all people? When we place ourselves at the seat of honor--when we place ourselves before others in this world, we are destined to be made humble. However, when we take the lowest seat and when we place others before ourselves, we practice living in the likeness of God and living out God’s radical love. We are called to humble ourselves and to welcome and value all others, especially those who are commonly and traditionally unwelcome to or unvalued in many of the world’s communities. We are called to lead by example God’s radical love in order to transform the world. --Sarah Schaech Prayer: O Lord, may we keep our eyes open to see the wonders of your creation and sometimes things that just make us wonder. Amen Reading: Psalm 104: 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: O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104: 24 I was riding the bus to work one day reading an email from a friend who lives in the wilderness. She was so excited because the evening before she was out for a walk and saw a momma black bear and three cubs! I smiled, glanced up from my tablet and, out of the corner of my eye, thought I saw a unicorn. It took a moment for me to wonder, "Did I really just see a unicorn?" I looked back as the bus kept moving but trees and bushes abscured my view. The next day I watched again as the bus went down that same road and, sure enough, there in a backyard was a unicorn! Okay, it was an inflateable unicorn wading pool. But what I saw was a unicorn nonetheless. I took a picture and sent it to my friend saying, "Look! You saw a momma black bear and three cubs and I saw a unicorn!" Sitting here at my desk this afternoon writing this devotion, I saw a hummingbird at the feeder and a monarch butterfly at the butterfly bush. I wonder what wonders you saw today? -- Ruth Gates Prayer: Lord, you are our rock. May we remember to look to you for refuge and to transform our communities by how we live in trust and hope. Amen
Reading: Psalm 71: 1-6 (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 came back from Family Camp with a rock in my pocket. That happens a lot. Sometimes it's a pretty rock found along a path. More often it is a rock that had been used as an object lesson or to be a reminder of something learned at Camp. This year we each found a small stone, wrote our initials on it and dropped the stones into a bowl of water watching the rings of ripples made. The theme of the summer was Transforming Communities. We pondered how our impact continues to radiate out and also saw that many rocks dropped at once creates a big splash! At the end of the week, our rocks were there for us to take home and now had a cross drawn on the other side to remind us of God's grace and our salvation through Jesus. Ironically when I returned to work, a co-worker, who had recently gone to a craft show gave me a polished stone with a face painted on it. She said it was made by a mystic fortune teller (who also does group parties!). Psalm 71: 3 reminds us (LORD) Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. I think I will stick with my rock from Camp. -- Ruth Gates Prayer: In the glow, warmth and comfort of a campfire, consuming God, guide, inspire and strenthen us to transform our communities. Amen
Reading: Hebrews 12: 18-29 (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 text today talks of fire - a blazing fire; a consuming fire. One of my favorite things about Camp Mount Luther is the campfires. Now, with backyard firepits, campfires are common at home, too. Something about the light, heat and calming feeling of sitting transforms us. We talk. We laugh. We sing. We sit quietly and listen. To the sound of the fire. To the sounds around us. To the still small voice inside transforming us so that we may transform our communities. It has been a good summer at Camp Mount Luther and at off-site day camps where we learned about transforming communities though generosity, inclusion, compassion, justice and forgiveness. If God is like a consuming fire, let us be consumed with transforming our communities with His love. -- Ruth Gates Prayer: Lord, help us be a promise with a capital P. Amen.
Reading: Jeremiah 1: 4-10 (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: I am a Promise. I am a possiblility. I am a Promise, With a capital P. I am a great big bundle of... Potentiality! I don't know when or where I heard that Sunday School or Vacation Bible School song but it stuck with me all these years. It is sung with gusto; with "I stomp my foot and tell you, I AM A PROMISE!" kind of feeling. It is very empowering! Jeremiah, however, was a bit meek in his response to God's call with his response of (..."Um...well, uh...) I am only a boy." It certainly is not the foot stomping declaration of Promise and po-ten-ti-al-i-ty (each syllable emphasized for extra effect). I am glad for the answer God gave Jeremiah which is basically, "Yeah, well, but I called YOU to do this, you WILL go and speak what I COMMAND you." (Talk about foot stomping!) I am thankful for the songs we sang as children that teach us this boldness and purpose. I am also thankful for Vacation Bible School leaders (Camp Mount Luther will send staff to lead your VBS!) who share this message with the children. And you should hear them sing! -- Ruth Gates Prayer: Dear God, when it seems our struggles are lasting longer than we would like, may we keep going with hope. Amen
Reading: Luke 13: 10-17 (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: So much of the attention of the story today is on the leaders of the synagogue disapproving of Jesus healing on the Sabbath, Jesus' response and the reaction of the people. How about today we think about the woman bent over for 18 years who could now stand straight? Eighteen years! That is a long time to deal with difficulty. Yet, where was she on the Sabbath? She was at the synagogue. Perhaps she went there every Sabbath hoping for a healing. However, it seems pretty clear by popular opiniion of the time that healing wouldn't or shouldn't happen on the Sabbath. Yet she was there anyway. Because it was the Sabbath. A day to worship no matter what the situation or circumstance. Yet, she just kept going to worship and perhaps that is what also kept her body going even bent over. I go to fitness classes at a Gold's Gym and in the classes there is always a range of strengths and abilities among the participants. One women though always caught my eye. Her movements seem to be a struggle. Sometime along the way I learned she has Parkinson's Disease. Yet, she just keeps going to fitness class and perhaps that effort will keep her body going longer even with Parkinson's. Our struggles may seem to last a long time and some may never go away. Just keep going with hope. -- Ruth Gates Prayer: Each day, may we stop and listen to you, Lord. Amen.
Reading: Luke 10: 38-42 (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: There are too many choices on what to, whether it is going to a job, going with friends, going on a trip, watching TV, or playing computer games. There are so many things to do and not enough time in the day to do them all. But do we ever just stop and listen for God? Some of us do stop and listen for God on Sundays, but that’s not the same as just stopping on the other days to hear what God might be saying to us. I know that I do not stop and listen. I have school all day long and then I have work that I have to go to. When do I have time to listen to God? In our story today, we hear about Mary and Martha. I’m like Martha, running around trying to get all my work done. Maybe I do too much. I should take some time each day to stop and listen to Jesus. There are so many ways to hear God if you take the time, like sounds of nature, through other people, through prayer, and a lot more! --Arthur Erickson Prayer: Almighty God, in our times of weakness, give us strength and a glimpse of your glory. May your face shine upon us always. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 (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: Luther called the Psalms the Hymn Book of the Bible. In Psalm 80, the author calls out to God on behalf of the people of Israel. It feels like the vine that is the people of God is threatened. All who walk by pluck its fruit, the wild boar ravages the vine, all who travel the field feed on it. We have times when we feel like we are at the end of our rope. When too much is asked of us and too much it taken. We read this Psalm and join in its plea. “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts, let your face shine, that we may be saved.” --Pastor Chris Mathiason Prayer: Dear God, give us strength and courage during the difficult times of life. Amen
Reading: Hebrews 11: 29 - 12: 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: As a mid-teen-ager I was attending a Sacred Music Festival and we were performing a new work titled “Canticle of the Martyrs”. I remember the basso soloist dramatically singing, “They were destitute, persecuted, downtrodden, sawn assunder.” How awful, I thought. Yet awful things do happen. We have to cling to God’s love and work our way through the trials and tribulations. We will survive! God provides us with strength and courage. -- Alice Yeakel We often reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on August 9, 2016.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Today I am reminded that you continue to watch over your gardens, even when they become withered and frail. I ask that you continue to give strength to the weak and comfort to those who are distressed. Guide us so that we may learn to show peace amongst our neighbors and respect towards our environment. Amen. Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7 (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: Last year, my dad and I had decided to plant a garden in a small plot that my grandparents once used. I had planted a few sunflowers and my dad had planted a few pumpkins. The process of planting seeds is a delicate one. We carefully dropped each seed into its small hole – a hole that we dug with our own hands. Then we covered these seeds again, patting the soil on top softly with a feeling of optimism. We checked and tended our carefully planted garden daily, hoping for it to grow full and strong, and with each passing day, we became a little more hopeful than the day before. At the end of the season, we ended up with two dead sunflowers and a few pumpkins. This was after making multiple changes to the garden such as elevating the pumpkins onto small planting dishes and supporting the feeble stems of the sunflowers with two steady rods. We were disappointed. Our hopes of a fruitful garden had been destroyed, and we began to question where we went wrong. In this passage, we read what appears to be a love song that is in fact a parable of heartbreak. Similar to the garden that my dad and I had planted a year ago, God looked over his carefully tended Earth and was disappointed by what he saw. Where he had hoped to see justice, he saw bloodshed. Where he had hoped to find righteousness, he found distress (5:7). We can see this distress all over the world. We see it in the faces of starving children. We see it in acts of war and terrorism. We see it in forests that have been cleared and ecosystems that have been devastated. This passage reminds us that God, too, sees all of this. Looking back on that first garden, I feel certain that God, too, must surely mourn for the seeds that he so carefully planted. My dad and I will continue to tend to our garden. We will plant new seeds and grow hopeful once more. Thinking about the future of our small plot, I also feel that God continues to watch over his people, and from this, we too, can, be hopeful for a brighter future. --Courtney Dunn Prayer: In the midst of the stormy seas of life, help us always look to you for our strength and guidance. Remind us daily you are our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Reading: Luke 12:49-56 (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: We live in interesting times. There are honest political disagreements between faithful people. Yet, it feels like we rarely are able to set aside these disagreements to do the things we can agree on. As we read the words of Luke, we see again that discord among people, among families and among people of faith is nothing new. Our call as Christians is to seek to follow Jesus, not to follow our own beliefs or leaders of the moment. This has always been hard, so we are in good company. We give thanks for Jesus death and Resurrection, it is Jesus alone we seek to follow. --Pastor Chris Mathiason Prayer: Let us be the change in our communities by being generous, inclusive, compassionate, forgiving and doing your justice. Amen.
Reading: Romans 12: 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: Our family loves Batman. To be more specific, my husand and the kids love Batman; I come along for the ride and help with Batman-related craft projects. If the craft projects can include Lego-Batman, so much the better. A couple of summers ago when my husband had Lyme’s disease, we found out that for the next few years, he might be immune to Lyme’s because of a single bite from a tic. (I suspect that tic was radioactive. It’s how all superheroes get their powers, isn’t it?) It turns out the summer theme at Camp Mount Luther this summer was super-hero related. Borrowing from the Marvel Agents of SHIELD, Camp Mount Luther taught us about being Agents of CHANGE. The themes for each day were Generosity, Inclusion, Compassion, Justice, and Forgiveness. I feel pretty sure that each of these themes should have its own superhero character. I mean, can’t you just see Captain Compassion standing in the breeze with his hands on his hips, gazing into the setting sun with a sparkling smile on his face? Or Generosity-Girl with her utility belt of ways to help others and fabulous boots to get her where help is needed? Or Inclusion-Man with arms that are wide enough to include everyone. The possibilities are limitless. But unlike the superheroes that we’ve read about for years, the superheroes that we learned about this summer were the kind that all of us can be. I wonder what we could learn from Justice-Cat or the Forgiveness Twins. I wonder how our congregations could transform our community by bringing these ideas there. The thing about this theme is, it’s not just for kids. There has probably been a time or two in your own life when you were Captain Compassion or Generosity Girl. Because the Gospel has a way of bringing that out in people. Somehow, despite our capacity to be Greed-Guy or Lying-Lady, God has a way of transforming us. And it’s not a radioactive bug bite. It’s so much better than that. It’s the cross of Good Friday and the empty tomb of Easter Sunday that make us all Children of God. Made Whole. Loved Beyond Measure. Those are super-powers indeed. I hope when you look through your super-hero Grace-Goggles (it’s in the tool-belt!) you see super heroes all around you. I hope you even see one in yourself. But in the meantime, know that at the Hershberger home, there is a plaque that reads: Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then ALWAYS BE BATMAN. May your own super-powers be even better than a utility belt. May you see God’s grace all around you. --Sarah Hershberger Prayer: Loving God, help me to notice when You come and do not keep silent. Help me notice your love, listen to your Word, and feel your peace in my soul. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 50: 1-8, 22-23 (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: Every so often, (and by “every so often,” I mean…at least once a day), my children have to work to grab my attention. Maybe I’m working on something. Maybe I’m looking at my phone. Maybe I’m talking to someone. But whatever it is that those sweet cherubic faces have to say seems to be urgent. Absolutely and totally vital to my entire existence. Pressing. Critical. Deeply important. And most of the time it’s just to show me a craft project. Or a dance move. But if I don’t respond right away, I start to hear them call me. “Mom. Mom. MOM. MOM! MOMMMMM!” Sometimes there is poking included in this little monologue. You have a mental picture, don’t you? And so when I read in Psalm 50:3, “Our God comes and does not keep silence,” I feel like I have a pretty specific idea of how that might sound. (In fact, sometimes I wonder if God isn’t working through my children’s voices to get my attention.). Sometimes God showing up and not keeping silent is so obvious. A conversation with a friend that makes us feel lifted up and loved. A moment of quiet that helps us rejuvenate. A spectacular sunset that displays the artistry of our God. But sometimes we’re not so sure that God has come. And we need to hear it over and over. God nudges us and pokes and calls and we need to hear our name in all capital letters with several exclamation marks in order to finally hear that God has been trying to capture our attention. Maybe you’ve noticed some kind of repetition lately. A reminder of a friend that you haven’t spoken to in a long time. A report on the news that puts an ache in your heart. An interruption in your day that requires you to stop and look around. That might be the Spirit of our God coming and not keeping silent. God’s love has been all around you in this day. Have you stopped and noticed that God’s love is not keeping silent? --Sarah Hershberger Prayer: Dear God, thank you for sending your Savior as a part of your covenant with us. We pray that we will continue to look at great faithful people who have gone before us, so that we too may have confidence and assurance in the Kingdom. Help us to always “mind the gap.” In your Holy name, Amen.
Reading: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 (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: Confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. I love the book of Hebrews. It is often misunderstood – did Paul write it? Who did? Why does it talk so much about the Old Testament? Questions such as these often deter people from this book, but I recently took an entire class on this book and I see now that it answers far more questions than it poses and is a huge resource to anyone needing encouragement for FAITH. We have confidence in the Bible as a complete and divinely inspired book, and we have assurance that God has preserved it specifically for us to read! Hebrews 11 might just be my favorite chapter out of all the ones we studied. My professor called it “The Hall of Faith” because it listed many great examples of faithful people from the Old Testament and described what they accomplished with their great faith. Like Enoch, Noah, Sarah, and Abraham. He also referred to them as a great cloud of witnesses that are there for believers to look to for encouragement If you have ever been to London, England and rode the Underground (aka the Tube), you have heard the phrase “mind the gap!” In the Underground train stations, as a train approaches the platform, the loud speaker reminds passengers who are loading and unloading from the train that there is a gap between the train and the platform where one could trip or lose an item in if it is dropped. I have to say, it is very memorable and fun to say after a few days on the tube. Knowing this, my professor used the saying to describe how Abraham displayed his faith as it is written in the second half of this passage. He minded the gap between what we have now on earth, and what is to come with the Kingdom of God, because of this he held tight to God’s promises and had faith. Mind the gap between what you see now and what God has promised! Have confidence and assurance! -- Anne Harshbarger We often reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on August 2, 2016.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for being our parent from above. Reading: Isaiah 1:1-20 (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: When I became a parent, my life changed. Almost overnight, I began to look at things differently. When my children do things or act in certain ways, I think, “Oh no… they got that from me!” I also think of their needs before my own. I thought about what it is like to be a parent when I read this passage. God is our heavenly parent. I can’t imagine the thoughts God has when God looks down on me and what I’m doing. Sometimes, I’m sure God is proud. Other times, God knows I can do better. But, God loves us so much that God allows us to go through life, making decisions and figuring things out on our own. The Spirit blows through at times and changes our paths, but we learn on our own. Just as I often let my children learn on their own; but at times, I feel a need to direct their paths more directly. May God show us that same love each and every day! --Chad Hershberger Prayer: May I never be afraid, Lord, for I know you will give me the kingdom. Amen.
Reading: Luke 12:32-40 (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: I remember as a youngster singing the hymn, “Have No Fear Little Flock.” I remember distinctly the line, “it’s your Father’s good fortune to give you the kingdom.” The words help calm a fearful soul. The next line of this passage tells us to sell our possessions and give alms. This summer at camp, we talked about the early Christians and how they sold all they had and gave money to the poor. We talked about how we, today, need to be generous as well. It might be tough to give up what you have. But, in our generosity, we can help transform our communities! And remember- God will provide. Have no fear, little flock! --Chad Hershberger Prayer: Dear God, we pray for a continual transformation of our communities through your forgiveness. Thank you for your compassionate forgiveness that transformed the world through your son Jesus. May we learn to forgive others, as you have forgiven us. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 103:1-14 (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: At camp this summer we have been learning about how to transform out communities with radical generosity, inclusion, compassion, justice, and forgiveness. To do so, we must renew our minds and think Christ-like! This passage was listed as an alternative text to our day on forgiveness, but I just LOVE it because it also mentions God’s radical compassion and justice as well! When we think and act Christ-like communities are transformed when they see how different God’s view is from what may be happening in the world. During week 7 of our camp summer I was at an off-site day camp, and the campers loved playing with bubbles. They would scatter them through the air and quickly run and jump to pop them! Bubbles are magical in that way, they disappear into thin air so there is no trace remaining. This is like God’s radical forgiveness! Everyone has moments where they mess up, but when we forgive others and God forgives us, all worries can magically go away- just like the bubbles! “…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us,” the bubbles have be popped, and we worry no more. --Anne Harshbarger Prayer: Welcoming God, your love is steadfast as you gather the wandering. May we be welcoming to all and share your love always. Amen
Reading: Psalm 107: 1-9, 43 (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: If God were to wear a t-shirt He would have printed on front and back WELCOME. God embraces everyone. Verse 8 tells us to be thankful for His steadfast love. Let us be welcoming and caring. Verse 43 also tells us to have wisdom as we share God’s love. We have a sort of “open door” policy at our home. Over the years we’ve welcomed travelers from Australia, a couple from England and a young man on his way to Germany, just to name a few. A seminary student came for “only a month” and ended up staying three. Our children brought their friends. Our children are grown and now bring grandchildren and even a great grandchild. When we were guests in Ireland, our hosts taught us to put a lit candle in the window to lead anyone who needs a place to rest. Welcome! -- Alice Yeakel |
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