Prayer: Lord, help me to fulfill my own faith story. To never forget that you are present everywhere I go and in everything I do. This is your house and you are in charge. You are truly an awesome God. Amen.
Reading: Genesis 28 (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: Often we can miss God’s presence in our lives and in our surroundings. In Genesis 28 we start to read about Jacob’s call to set out to begin his own family and the role he was to play in the fulfillment of the covenant that God made with Abraham and Issac. God needed to establish his place in Jacob’s heart and life. It wasn’t enough that his grandfather and father followed after God. Jacob needed to establish his own relationship. God began that process through a dream where he showed Jacob what he would do through him and the promises he could rely on. It is important to note how Jacob responded to that dream. He began to realize just who God was. Although his life was rooted in God through his family, he needed to acknowledge the greatness and power of God for himself. He began to see God’s presence in a personal way, a concrete way. This is also true for us. We cannot rest on the coattails of our families’ faith. We must become responsible for our own faith and belief in God. The foundation of our life in faith may have been laid out by our parents through the rite of baptism, church attendance, Sunday school, and other experiences. But, as we grow in years, it becomes our responsibility to continue our journey. We need to read the Bible, attend church, study, pray, and listen to God for direction for ourselves. We need to have our own faith story, just as Jacob did. We need to respond to God with awe and wonder wherever we are, for God is present. Don’t ever forget that this is God’s house. Let that truth lead you in all you do and say. May you be God’s instrument in helping someone else begin their own faith story. --Merrill Smith
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Prayer: LORD, some things bear repeating all together. Together we give thanks to you. Amen
Reading: Psalm 124 (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 best way to teach a song at camp is to ask the campers to, "Repeat after me and do as I do." The immediate response to which is the campers echoing back, "Repeat after me and do as I do." It's funny. Then the song teaching can begin. Once learned, we sing it all together. It works. Psalm 124 begins with the statement, If it had not been for the LORD who was on our side - let Israel now say - if it had not been the LORD who was on our side.... It's as if the Psalmist was teaching with the "Repeat after me and do as I do" method. Hear what I said? Let Israel now say! Psalm 124 is a song of thanksgiving. A song taught like songs are taught at camp. It works! -- Ruth Gates Prayer: We pray the prayer of faith through all of life together. (James 5: 13-20)
Reading: James 5: 13-20 (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: The weatherman tells us we had 28 days of over 90 degree temperatures this summer of 2018. Believe it or not, in 1966 and 2015 we had 40! A lot of us feel miserable and have low energy on those hot, humid days. Sometimes we actually feel ill imagining all sorts of aches and pains. We lose all desire to participate or get involved. Instead, we hunker down in our air-conditioned homes and this is not healthy either. We struggle with the discomfort of the heat but we survive by asking for God’s help and by caring about those we know who are wilting and weary, too. Call a friend. Ask them to come for a glass of iced tea or lemonade and maybe a cookie or two. It’s okay if they are store bought rather than heating the oven. And where is the most popular spot on a steamy, hot evening? The ice cream shop! There you might see a friend and you can console each other. You just might go home feeling better forgetting your own wilting weariness. Let's go for ice cream! Let's pray for each other, too. -- Alice Yeakel Prayer: Dear God, stories of your love and care are to be shared and celebrated. May we remember to write them down and send so others may celebrate, too. Amen
Reading: Esther 7: 1-6, 9-10, 9: 20-22 (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: Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters. Esther 9:20 We have been reading the story of Esther the past few weeks. Here at the end, if you jump from chapter 7 to those two additional verses in chapter 9, you see that Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters so the story of what happened would be known and celebrated. Think of a time in your life when you clearly saw God's love and care. Did you record what happened? Did you send letters? Instagram? Blog? Let others know and celebrate! -- Ruth Gates We often reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on September 21, 2015.
Prayer: Dear God, may we have salt in ourselves and peace with each other. Amen Reading: Mark 9: 38-50 (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 Christians, we are to be the salt of the earth. Salt adds flavor, preserves what would otherwise spoil, melts places that are frozen and does so much more. Salt makes a difference! Like the man in the beginning of our reading for today who was driving out demons in Jesus's name, we are to make a difference. We are to be doing God's work with our hands and giving God the glory. The disciples weren't so sure about this, however, and asked Jesus if this man should be stopped. Jesus explained, "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me." (Mark 9: 39) Good point. Who, after doing God's work, would then say things against God? More likely, having served by loving God and loving others, there comes a peace within ourselves and with others. Let's be salt and make a difference. Let's give God the glory and be at peace. --Ruth Gates Prayer: God of all blessings, help me to accept compromise and find joy in sharing your gifts with all of your children. Amen.
Reading: Genesis 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: When Issac blesses his son, he sums up every parent’s desire for his or her child, as well as what we all wish for ourselves: that we will have the best of everything and more than enough; that we will be powerful, worthy of adoration, even amongst our families, and that our allies will be rewarded while our enemies are punished. The problem with this universal desire is encountered later in the chapter, when Esau asks his father to bless him also. There just isn’t enough good fortune to go around. When we get what we want, that also means that someone else doesn’t. Every time we win any sort of competition, someone else loses. Here's a camp example for you: when campers do a polar bear swim, the counselors need to give up a little sleep. When I was a counselor, I remember trying to talk my campers out of a polar bear swim. That last hour of sleep is important to me! Life, however, has got to be about compromise. Sometimes it works out for you, and sometimes it doesn’t. However, God is always in the outcome. Someone is blessed today. It may be hard to accept your loss, but try to celebrate with the winner, so that next time, he or she will celebrate with you. --Erin Hayes Prayer: Dear God, seems songs of praise and the story of the Good News is often what we need most. Thank you for your Word that is always there for us. Amen
Reading: Psalm 1 (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 was young in the '70's, I recall having a Bible of just the Psalms and the Gospels. It was as if those books of the Bible were the essentials to have if space to pack, weight to carry or time to read were an issue. My older brothers also had The Way Bible which I thought was cool because of the groovy photos. Sometime around then the Good News Bible also came out with its stick figure drawings. Of course I had my 3rd grade Sunday School RSV Bible with dictionary, concordance and maps, but that was a bit daunting to me. Where to even start? So I remember reading that small, pocket size Bible of just Psalms and Gospels. Thing was, I never got much further than Psalm 1. Maybe because I always had to start at the beginning or maybe because I liked trees (v. 3). Either way, Psalm 1 was and still is special to me and it is always there. Happy are those...what a great way to start and what a great reading to keep coming back to. How happy I am I had a compact and convenient copy of the Psalms and the Good News. When digging into the rest of the Bible seems a bit daunting, look for what you need most. It's there. Prayer: God, help us to recognize the gifts you have graciously given us so that we may share them with others. Draw us nearer to you so that we may know only heavenly wisdom. In Your Name we pray, Amen.
Reading: James 3: 13- 14:3, 7-8A (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: Most likely you have been asked the question: “if you could have any superpower, what would it be?” But have you ever thought about what you would do with that power? If you would use the power to fulfill some sort of desire that you have for yourself, then that is not the kind of wisdom that James is writing about in this passage. James writes of a wisdom that cannot be gained from studying a textbook. It is a practical wisdom. It is a wisdom that spurs you to do good, simply for the well-being of others. The words used to describe this wisdom in this passage (considerate, full of mercy, peace-loving, impartial, sincere, etc.) are very similar to the words Paul uses to describe love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (patient, kind, not self-seeking, and does not boast, etc.). This heavenly wisdom that James is writing about is rooted in LOVE. And love is a superpower given to us by God. That was our theme for the staff this summer at camp. As we went through staff training, we learned about superpowers counselors use every day, and we learned about love last (because you always save the best for last). So be wise, do everything in love. Be a selfless superhero. God gave you the gifts to be so. --Anne Harshbarger Prayer: Dear God, we pray to have wisdom and speak kindly. Amen
Reading: Proverbs 31: 10-31 (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: Speaking as a wife and mother: listen up, men! This passage lets you know how much a good wife and mother is needed. At the same time it is telling us women that we are necessary and we need to do our best for our families. Now, I’ve used the words “need’’ and “necessary’’ several times. The conclusion: We need each other and we need to do our very best for our marriages and families. If we are successful in our homes and live the teachings of our Lord, we will have a positive influence on our communities and our country. The bottom line for me is wisdom and Kindness. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (v. 26) -- 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 September 14, 2015.
Prayer: Dear Father of us all, as you welcome us as your children, may we always remember to welcome the children in our lives. Amen Reading: Mark 9: 30-37 (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 photo broke hearts. Three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, a Syrian refugee, was found lifeless on the beach in southwest Turkey and sparked international outrage over Europe’s migrant crisis. The Turkish police officer prayed the little boy was alive as he approached and picked up Aylan. “Words cannot describe what a sad and tragic sight it was.” There are no words. We just cried. I have no words for today’s Camp Mount Luther GROW Time – First Light. Just these from our text today: (Jesus) took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9: 36, 37 --Ruth Gates We often reprint prior devotions. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on October 24, 2013.
Prayer: Make our faith strong, God. Help us to walk in your ways. Amen. Reading: Genesis 22 (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: Today, take a few moments to think how strong your faith in God is. Would you be able to do what Abraham did? Would you trust in God to do whatever He asked you to do? Author and Preacher Charles Stanley once spoke about lessons he learned from his grandfather. The first and most important lesson he learned was to obey God. His grandfather told him that if God says to run your head into a brick wall, you should do it because God will most likely make a hole for you before your head hits. In Biblical times, there were many men who did just as God asked: Noah, Moses, and Abraham come to mind. Whatever God required of them to do, they did. Their faith was strong. Again, how strong is your faith? Will you do whatever God asks you to do? --Chad Hershberger Prayer: Creation praises you, God. May we see the wonders of your handiwork and tell of your glory, too. Amen
Reading: Psalm 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: It is late August as I am writing this and the past few weeks have been a bit busy. I have not had time to wander around the backyard. Finally this evening I checked on the fruit trees and gardens. I was amazed at how many pears there were and how big they have grown. The tomato plants which seem to get off to such a slow start here in upstate New York are filling out and I saw one big red and a few cherry tomatoes almost ripe enough to pick. The mystery vines have taken over as usual. One had the small decorative pumpkins on it. Somewhere there is another with butternut squash. All this was happening while I wasn't even watching. Creation does its growing like it is praising God. Once in awhile it is good for us to notice and tell of His glory. When have you sensed that creation was praising God? -- Ruth Gates Prayer: May our words and actions be pleasing to you this day, O Lord.
Reading: James 3:1-12 (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’m not sure how I should take the opening verse of our passage today. James writes, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Being an adjunct instructor at the collegiate level and teaching our camp staff each during training, maybe my words are judged with greater strictness. Who knows? I also heard the phrase, “Those who do, do. Those who can’t… teach.” That’s disheartening to me, too. I think that we should revere our teachers. Yes, we may judge them a little more because they are imparting their wisdom. Yes, we may put them on a pedestal and expect more. After all, Jesus was a big teacher. Do we look at his teaching with greater strictness? Do we think he couldn’t do everything so he taught? Of course not. James is just reminding us that we all make mistakes. We are all human. Let’s try to treat one another with dignity, civility, and love. I think our world could use more of that. --Chad Hershberger Prayer: May we be like the wise old owl - speaking less; listening more. Your word brings wisdom. Amen
Reading: Proverbs 1: 20-33 (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: Wisdom cries out: “Why do you ignore me?" The first poem I learned, in first grade, was: A wise old owl sat in an oak. The more he heard, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. Why can’t we be like that old bird? Wisdom-knowledge-awareness-is all around us. Every person we meet and every experience we have - all offer opportunity to gain wisdom. Let us open our ears and our hearts to the wisdom God offers! -- 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 September 7, 2015.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help us to listen even when the news is bad. May we remember always you are the Christ. Amen Reading: Mark 8: 27-38 (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: Peter had just gotten done saying to Jesus, "You are the Christ." Next thing we know, Jesus is sharing difficult news and Peter is telling him to stop talking. Peter knew Jesus was of God but he did not have in mind the things of God. Instead he had in mind the things of men and he just did not want to hear anymore of what Jesus was saying. I recently sat with friend as she shared difficult news of her husband's health. It's bad and there is no way to make it better. Surely it was hard for her to hear the prognosis from the doctor but she could not ask him to stop. She listened. As much as the words were hard for me to hear, I could not ask her to stop. I listened. Jesus spoke plainly about what was going to happen. My friend spoke plainly of what was going to happen. With the things of men in mind, neither are bearable. With the things of God in mind, we can still say, "You are the Christ." --Ruth Gates I recently wrote this piece that was published on the ELCA Worship Blog. You can view that entry here: http://blogs.elca.org/worship/1119/. I share it here today as something different for our devotional time and as a testimony to the power of worship at camp.
–Chad Hershberger Sitting along a lakeshore, with a quiet breeze of summer, kids intently listen to a pastor talking about the reach of the love of God through Jesus Christ. The pastor tells them that sharing God’s love will reach far; just like ripples when a stone is thrown in a body of water. Those words are not just spoken. After being told that, the kids throw a stone into the lake and watch as their ripples extend to the edges of the shore. The message of God’s Word comes alive as they commune with their creator in a place set apart. Camp worship has been happening all over the country this summer in 126 Lutheran Outdoor Ministry sites. I am blessed to serve one of them and got to throw my own stone into our lake recently as part of this all-camp worship service. I’ve been around my camp since I was nine-years-old and for me, camp worship is where God really comes alive and God’s presence is truly felt as I’m surrounded by the beauty of creation. When we gather together at camp as the people of God and invoke God’s presence, we are an extension of congregational worship. We show campers the connections between camp and their home church’s worship. Liturgy and ritual are central to worship at both places. Our staff, who plan worship, are taught the basic outline of Lutheran liturgy. What I think is a little different at camp is that campers are able to be actively engaged. We don’t treat worship as a spectator sport! It is participatory and God’s message comes alive, through our singing, our moving around doing motions, and when throwing rocks into a lake. You may think from my description that worship at camp is always loud. That is not the case! One of my favorite worship services is field worship. Campers and staff sit in our field, usually in the dark, looking up at the sky and listening to music and scripture as they spend some time reflecting on God and engaging in silent prayer. My favorite field worship is when Psalm 23 is recited as we lay in the field and listen to soft piano music. Hearing the words of David, relating “lying down in green pastures” while actually lying down in a green pasture is powerful. Field worship gives campers and staff time to enjoy creation and experience worship in a different way. Even in the silence, God hears our cries of thanksgiving and praise. It’s been my experience that a camp worship service can be very powerful. But as I write this, describing a few of them, it occurs to me the words of one of my predecessors here at Mount Luther. Early in my tenure as director, I sat in the kitchen of Don and Betty Mincemoyer, who served here in the 1960s. They would relate the camp mission to their staff in this way: “Every thought a prayer; every action a worship experience.” Having the chance to give expression to what the whole creation yearns to do-- praising God from whom all blessings flow-- is what we continually do every day as we swim, make crafts, eat meals, hike, and play games. Camp is a place that we continually make our thoughts a prayer and our actions a worship experience. And because of that worship, both on our lakeshores and in other spots of God’s creation, lives are changed as Jesus Christ is encountered in new and exciting ways. Prayer: As we trust in you, LORD, may we be like a mountain that cannot be moved. Amen
Reading: Psalm 125 (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: Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. Psalm 125: 1 I recently came across a greeting card which read (on the front): Advice from a MOUNTAIN Reach for new heights Rise above it all There is beauty as far as the eye can see Be uplifting Build on a solid foundation Get to the point Enjoy the view! (and inside): You Rock! As the Psalmist writes in Psalm 125, if you trust in the LORD you are like a mountain. You rock! -- Ruth Gates Prayer: Dear God, Help us to break out of our comfort zones and approach those who are different than us. In your name we pray, Amen
Reading: James 2: 1-10 (11-13) 14-17 (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: This passage tells us not to show favoritism towards others. This challenges us to go outside of our comfort zones. Personally, I show favoritism towards people who are like me. It sometimes seems easier to relate to those who we have things in common with. Today as part of my Castellano (Argentina’s version of Spanish) lesson, we had to go out into the street and ask strangers for directions (in Castellano!) Before we started I said, “I wouldn’t even do this in English in the United States!” It was far outside my comfort zone, as I had to ask people who I did not know and were not like me. I asked three different people questions. Later, I pointed out to my teacher one of the people I asked a question. He couldn’t believe that’s who I asked-it was a famous philosopher who is a good friend of the president of Argentina! Without being forced out of my comfort zone, I would have never met this person. It seems easier to do nothing, or only interact with those who look the same as us, talk the same as us, and believe the same as us. So next time you want to play favorites and stay in your comfort zone, remember, you never know who you will meet. --Tara Barnard We often reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on September 1, 2015.
Prayer: Help me to be generous, God, and feel the blessing of giving to others. Amen. Reading: Proverbs 22: 1-2, 8-9, 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: I love the book of Proverbs. They don’t normally come up during the lectionary but this month, there is a series of readings from this book of wisdom as an option. So, I signed up to write on them throughout this month. In our assigned reading for today, I really like the reminder “those who are generous are blessed.” When I was first starting out on my own, I was reminded that when I got paid, I should give my “first fruits” to God. Someone told me that if I do that and be generous with my giving to others that God would provide for me. In the last 20-plus years, it has been my experience that is the case. Even in very lean years, if I still kept up with my giving to the church and charities, I’ve been able to balance my finances. Blessings come in many different forms. Being generous in your giving of money, time, and treasure are certainly ways to feel blessed this and every day. –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 31, 2015.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we are glad your presence is not a secret to us. We can find you if we only look. Thank you. Amen Reading: Mark 7: 24-27 (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: Jesus had just gotten done dealing with the Pharisees and teachers of the law. He had just gotten done explaining about what is clean and unclean. Jesus the man just wanted to be alone so he left town. He went to a house in Tyre and did not want anyone to know it. Yet, he could not keep his presence a secret. Word got out to one woman who must have been waiting, watching and listening for him. As soon as she heard, she was there to find Jesus. It took being on the lookout, persistent and faithful, but she got what she wanted. Today, Jesus the Savior does not keep his presence a secret from us. But, if he did, would we be on the lookout, persistent and faithful? Keep looking. Jesus is here for us. --Ruth Gates |
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